When you’re querying a he falls first romance, choosing the choosing the right comp titles can make or break your chances of being published.
Agents and publishing house editors use comp titles as a quick way to gauge the genre of your book along with its market potential.
I regularly update this list of he falls first romance comp titles to make sure you’re always working with relevant books.
No matter if you’re writing a sweet, slow-burn he falls first romance or something fast and spicy, you’ll find titles below to help you write a killer query letter!
If you’re looking for something a bit more specific, check out my romance comp database.
- A Million Times, YesYear published: 2025Genre and themes: Billionaire, He falls first, adult, contemporary, romance, series counter, sports
- At Whit's EndYear published: 2025Genre and themes: Cowboy, Forced proximity, Found family, Friends to lovers, He falls first, Small town, Westerns, adult, contemporary, romance, series counter
- Between Desire and DenialYear published: 2024Genre and themes: Billionaire, Dark, Enemies to lovers, Fake dating, Forced proximity, Friends to lovers, He falls first, adult, contemporary, romance, series counter
- Breathe With MeYear published: 2025Genre and themes: Found family, He falls first, Hockey, adult, contemporary, romance, series counter, sports
- Can't Get EnoughYear published: 2025Genre and themes: African American, He falls first, adult, book club, contemporary, romance
- Chasing ForeverYear published: 2025Genre and themes: Forced proximity, Found family, Friends to lovers, He falls first, Slow burn, Small town, adult, contemporary, romance, series counter
- Cluelessly YoursYear published: 2024Genre and themes: Doctors, Friends to lovers, He falls first, Humor, Slow burn, adult, contemporary, rom com, romance, series counter
- Cruel SummerYear published: 2023Genre and themes: Friends to lovers, He falls first, Summer, adult, contemporary, rom com, romance, series counter, summer reads
- Delicate EscapeYear published: 2024Genre and themes: Forced proximity, Found family, Friends to lovers, He falls first, Small town, adult, contemporary, romance, series counter, suspense
- DukeYear published: 2025Genre and themes: Cowboy, Forced proximity, Found family, Friends to lovers, He falls first, Small town, Westerns, adult, contemporary, romance, series counter
- Eleven ElevenYear published: 2024Genre and themes: Forbidden romance, Forced proximity, Found family, He falls first, Small town, adult, contemporary, romance, series counter
- Fire LineYear published: 2024Genre and themes: Cowboy, Enemies to lovers, Forced proximity, Found family, He falls first, Small town, Westerns, Workplace, adult, contemporary, romance, series counter
- Hold Me Until MorningYear published: 2024Genre and themes: Forced proximity, He falls first, Second chance, Small town, adult, contemporary, romance, suspense
- If Not for My BabyYear published: 2025Genre and themes: Forced proximity, Found family, He falls first, Music, adult, contemporary, romance, series counter
- In The DarkYear published: 2025Genre and themes: Dark, Friends to lovers, Halloween, He falls first, adult, contemporary, romance, series counter
- JiltedYear published: 2025Genre and themes: Forced proximity, He falls first, Slow burn, adult, contemporary, rom com, romance, series counter
- Keeping ScoreYear published: 2025Genre and themes: Forced proximity, Found family, He falls first, Hockey, Marriage of convenience, Slow burn, adult, romance, sports
- Love You, Mean ItYear published: 2025Genre and themes: Enemies to lovers, Forced proximity, Found family, He falls first, Slow burn, Small town, adult, contemporary, romance, series counter
- Next to YouYear published: 2022Genre and themes: Friends to lovers, He falls first, LGBT, Mental health, adult, contemporary, romance, series counter
- Pretty Rings & Broken ThingsYear published: 2024Genre and themes: Billionaire, Dark, Enemies to lovers, Fake dating, Forced proximity, He falls first, Marriage of convenience, adult, contemporary, romance, series counter
- Relentless DevilYear published: 2022Genre and themes: Dark, Enemies to lovers, Forced proximity, He falls first, Mafia, adult, contemporary, romance, series counter, smut
- Rule Number FiveYear published: 2023Genre and themes: College, Friends to lovers, He falls first, Hockey, adult, contemporary, romance, series counter, sports
- SawyerYear published: 2025Genre and themes: Cowboy, Found family, Friends to lovers, He falls first, Small town, Westerns, adult, contemporary, romance, series counter
- SpotlightYear published: 2025Genre and themes: Baseball, Found family, Friends to lovers, He falls first, Slow burn, adult, contemporary, romance, sports
- Sweet TemptationYear published: 2025Genre and themes: Football, Forced proximity, Friends to lovers, He falls first, Small town, adult, contemporary, romance, series counter, sports
- The DevilYear published: 2025Genre and themes: Abuse, Dark, Forced proximity, Found family, He falls first, Mafia, Slow burn, adult, contemporary, romance, series counter
- The Devious HusbandYear published: 2024Genre and themes: Billionaire, Dark, Enemies to lovers, Forced proximity, He falls first, Marriage of convenience, adult, contemporary, romance, series counter
- The Summer You Found MeYear published: 2024Genre and themes: Emotional, Forbidden romance, Forced proximity, Friends to lovers, He falls first, Second chance, adult, contemporary, romance, series counter
- The Wedding MenuYear published: 2023Genre and themes: Enemies to lovers, Forced proximity, Friends to lovers, He falls first, Second chance, Slow burn, adult, contemporary, rom com, romance, series counter
- The WingmanYear published: 2024Genre and themes: Forced proximity, Friends to lovers, He falls first, Hockey, adult, contemporary, romance, sports
- TimelessYear published: 2022Genre and themes: Billionaire, He falls first, Slow burn, Small town, adult, contemporary, novella, romance, series counter
- Unholy VowsYear published: 2023Genre and themes: Dark, Enemies to lovers, Forced proximity, He falls first, Mafia, Marriage of convenience, adult, contemporary, romance, series counter
- When You BlushYear published: 2025Genre and themes: Forced proximity, Found family, He falls first, Small town, Surprise pregnancy, Workplace, adult, contemporary, romance, series counter
- Wild RiverYear published: 2024Genre and themes: Enemies to lovers, Forced proximity, Found family, He falls first, Small town, adult, contemporary, romance, series counter
Other resources to assist with your querying journey
Comp titles are only a small piece of the querying puzzle! Here are other resources I offer to help writers achieve their dreams of publishing their novels:
- Developmental editing services
- Pre-querying package
- Publishers accepting manuscript submissions this month
- Romance tropes list
- Random romance trope generator
Frequently asked questions
How recent do comp titles need to be?
Comp titles should be published within the past five to seven years so it is representative of the current market potential of your manuscript.
Can I use bestselling books as a comp title?
Yes, you can! However, the bestselling books aren’t always the most suitable options. While it’s integral that a comp title has sold well, it’s better to choose a comp title that’s sold less well but closer represents the tone and overall vibe of your own book.
How many comp titles should I include in my query letter?
You should aim for two comp titles in your query letter. You can include three, but agents would expect more than one.
Can I use a series as a comp title?
You can, but it’s best to pick a specific book within that series that best represents your manuscript.
What if I can’t find a he falls first romance comp title that fits my book?
You can broaden your horizons to also include other subgenres of romance!