Romanceopoly Spring 2026 Reading Challenge: Prompts & Reading Guide

Looking for a Spring 2026 reading challenge that does not require a color-coded spreadsheet, a personal assistant, or the sudden urge to become a productivity influencer?

Same.

The Romanceopoly Reading Challenge event for Spring is here and it’s all about keeping things fun and flexible. Only 4 prompts and you read one book per prompt or use the same book for multiple prompts if it fits, your choice. It gives you plenty of room to mood read and zero pressure.

If you’re new here, Romanceopoly is one of our signature reading experiences at Under the Covers, part reading challenge, part reader clubhouse, part excuse to finally pick up the books that have been staring at you from your TBR for months (years?).

In this guide, I’m breaking down all four prompts, sharing a few community recommendations from our Discord and Fable readers, and giving you a starting point if you’re wondering what to read first.

Watch the Spring 2026 Reading Challenge Video

If you want the full walkthrough plus even more chatty, you can watch the YouTube version here:

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How the Romanceopoly Spring 2026 Reading Challenge Works

This seasonal reading challenge runs from April through June 2026 and includes four prompts. Now the goal isn’t to stress out about filling out a bingo board, it is simply to have fun and try something new. Perhaps even get emotionally attached to a new fictional character.

A few things to know:

• You do not need to be doing the yearly Romanceopoly reading challenge to join this one. But if you want to find out what that’s all about, we’d love to have you join us.
• The most you’ll have to read in the 3 months is 4 books. But you can also read less if you find a book that fits multiple prompts.
• Community recommendations are part of the fun, so if you already have a pick, absolutely share it in the comments or come join the community (more on that below)

Spring 2026 Reading Challenge Prompts at a Glance

Here are the four prompts for this round of Romanceopoly (and links to some recommendations for each here on the blog):

1. Mirror Power Play: Read a contemporary romance with hockey or figure skating.
2. Enchanted Brawl: Read a book that uses magical realism or enchantment as a key plot device.
3. Time Loop Triple Play: Read a romance that plays with time (think dual timelines, time travel, time loops, or memory loss/amnesia).
4. Heartstopper Hustle: Read a romance with flowers or nature.

Now let’s get into the fun part.

Mirror Power Play: Read a Hockey or Figure Skating Romance

We are starting strong with a sports romance prompt, and honestly, early spring is a weirdly perfect time for hockey romance for the Stanley Cup playoffs are going on in April. Maybe it’s the chaos. Maybe it’s the emotional support Zamboni of it all.

Community recommendations for Mirror Power Play

The community on Discord and Fable came through with a really fun mix of recommendations, from classic hockey romance staples to college-set books. The video has more details but these are some of the top recs:

• The Deal by Elle Kennedy
• Game Changer by Rachel Reid
• Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid
• DC Stars series by Chelsea Curto
• Zone Entry by Maia Kinley
• Savage Titan by E.V. Olsen
• Wake Up, Nat & Darcy by Kate Cochrane

If you want a more classic hockey romance lane, the DC Stars books are solid place to start, I also co-sign those. They have the traditional contemporary hockey romance vibe. If you want something with college roommate/teammates, Zone Entry is the one I’m adding to my TBR. And if you want a little rivals to something, Wake Up, Nat & Darcy sounds like it could absolutely deliver.

On my TBR for this prompt is Big Stick Energy by Sarina Bowen.

The premise? A hockey team admin accidentally sends her very NSFW fantasies about the team captain… to the team captain. Which is both horrifying and, from a romance reader perspective, obviously something I now need to read immediately. Plus, I am a fan of Sarina Bowen’s hockey romances.

If you need a quick start and want the easiest entry points:

• Want a hockey romance classic? Try The Deal or Face-Off by Chelsea Curto.
• Want a queer hockey romance? Try Heated Rivalry if you want a fan favorite, Wake Up, Nat & Darcy for more made for TV drama.
• Want an under appreciated gem? Try Zone Entry or Savage Titan.

Enchanted Brawl: Read Magical Realism or Enchantment

This is probably the prompt that needs the most explanation, because I’ve had multiple people ask me what is magical realism and how is different from fantasy or paranormal. I always think of magical realism as “magic exists but it’s woven in every day life.” And someone asked me, but it’s the same with a paranormal romance about witches. True! So I got to thinking how I can explain it easier and here’s my attempt.

In magical realism, magic is there, it’s part of everyday life but there is no magical system, no explanation for the magic, no rules, no lore, no world building. The magic is usually never explained. There just happens to be a talking tree (for example) and nobody questions it.

Community recommendations for Enchanted Brawl

Some of the community favorites for this prompt include:

• The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen
• The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab
• The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna
• Water Moon by Samantha Sotto Yambao
• Into This River I Drown by T.J. Klune
• The Seven Year Slip by Ashley Poston
• The Someday Garden by Ashley Poston

There’s a nice range here depending on the exact flavor you want. If you want a must read magical realism author, Sarah Addison Allen is a very solid place to begin. If you want something more epic and you lean more towards fantasy, then Addie LaRue is a great fit.

And then you’ve got books like Water Moon, which sounds incredibly dreamy, and The Someday Garden, which feels almost custom tailored for a spring reading challenge.

On my TBR for this prompt The Book Witch by Meg Shaffer.

This one has a woman who can jump into novels to fix rogue storylines, a feline familiar, a magical umbrella, and a forbidden love interest who happens to be fictional. That is exactly my kind of story and I also can’t wait to read this pen name of Tiffany Reisz.

If you’re still unsure what counts, ask yourself this:

• Is the story mostly set in the real world? If you’re in a made up world, it’s fantasy not magical realism.
• Is the magic subtle, emotional, or a little strange without any explanation or reason for being?
• Does the enchantment feel like part of daily life rather than worldbuilding?

If yes to all of these, it probably works.

Time Loop Triple Play: Read a Romance That Plays With Time

This prompt is for the readers who love a timeline jump. Basically you can pick any book that has time travel, dual timelines, time loops, memory loss/amnesia or anything else that plays with time. You do not need to go full sci-fi if that is not your thing. There’s plenty of range.

Community recommendations for Time Loop Triple Play:

• Alchemy of Secrets by Stephanie Garber
• The Scattered Bones by Nicole Scarano
• One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston
• Breaking Time by Sasha Alsberg
• The Everlasting by Alix E. Harrow
• Kiss to Remember by Anna B. Doe

I love this prompt because it gives you a lot of room to choose. If you want something more epic and sweeping? Go with The Scattered Bones. Something for the Outlander crowd? Breaking Time sounds like the obvious choice. Want something more literary and emotionally tangled? The Everlasting is calling your (and my) name.
Want a simpler contemporary choice with memory loss instead of time travel? Kiss to Remember may be your best bet.

On my TBR for this one is Her Time Traveling Duke by Brynn Donovan.

This one is about a free-spirited museum employee who does a love spell for an old-fashioned gentleman and accidentally pulls a Regency duke out of his portrait and into her apartment. He is furious, of course, and she is delighted. It is grumpy sunshine, it has the historical romance vibe without being set in the past, and honestly I love a time travel that brings someone from the past to the future and they have to learn all about modern society and technology. So entertaining!

Heartstopper Hustle: Read a Romance With Flowers or Nature

This might be the sweetest prompt of the bunch, and also the one with the most room for interpretation in the best way.

For Heartstopper Hustle, you’re looking for a romance with flowers or nature. Your pick of florists, flower shops, farms, gardens, or books where nature feels important to the atmosphere or the world.

Community recommendations for Heartstopper Hustle include:

• It Seemed Like a Good Idea by Lauren Blakely
• Until Forever by Hilaria Alexander
• Violet Thistlewait Is Not a Villain Anymore by Emily Krempholtz
• The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst
• The Vine Witch by Luanne G. Smith
• Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez

Not sure which one is best for you?

If you want a romcom, It Seemed Like a Good Idea is great fit. If you want second chance romance with a flower shop, Until Forever is right there. If you want a cozy fantasy-leaning option with greenhouse energy, Violet Thistlewait Is Not a Villain Anymore sounds kind of perfect. And if you want something warm, magical, and charming, The Spellshop fits the vibe beautifully.

On my TBR for this one I have two options. First The Jewel of the Isle by Kerry Rea.

This one is about two very indoor people who get swept into an archaeological hunt for a jewel on a remote island and somehow end up fleeing murderers. It’s giving adventure romcom, wilderness survival by people who absolutely should not be doing wilderness survival, and honestly I feel personally seen by that premise.

By the way, if you choose to read this book, we are doing an unofficial buddy read over on Discord.

I also have a backup pick here, which is A Pack for Spring by Emelia Emerson. It’s a why choose small town romance with a heroine having a quarter life crisis, a sewing shop, and one of the heroes is a florist, which does feel extremely on brand for this prompt and for spring in general.

Join the Romanceopoly Spring 2026 Reading Challenge

So if you’re joining the Romanceopoly Spring 2026 Reading Challenge, drop your picks in the comments. Tell me which prompt you’re most excited about, what’s on your TBR, or which book you think is your perfect match for one of these prompts. To follow along with all the Romanceopoly updates and more in our newsletter. And if you want to join the discussion, come hang out with us in the community spaces and let me know what you’re reading first. Come hang on Discord and Fable.

If you’ve been wanting a Spring reading challenge that feels fun instead of stressful, this is your sign.

You have three months.
You only need four books max.
You can double up if you want.
You do not need to be perfect.
You just need some romance books and a willingness to let your TBR make questionable but exciting decisions.

Tell me in the comments: which prompt are you starting with: hockey, magic, time, or nature?

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