How to Build Your Romance Reading List: My System

TL;DR: I use a three-tier system (Goodreads shelves + a color-coded spreadsheet + the Dreame app library) to organize my TBR, discover new books through BookTok and Reddit, filter by tropes and ratings, plan monthly reading goals, and ruthlessly DNF anything that doesn’t grab me by chapter three. Here’s exactly how I do it — and what’s sitting on my TBR right now.

1. My Reading List Setup

Okay, confession time: I used to be a chaotic reader. You know the type — twelve browser tabs open with book recommendations, a Notes app full of random titles I’d never find again, and a Kindle library so cluttered I couldn’t tell what I’d read from what I hadn’t. It was a mess.

Then I built a system, and it changed everything. Here’s what it looks like now:

Goodreads Shelves

Goodreads is my backbone. I have the standard shelves — Read, Currently Reading, To Read — but the real magic is in the custom shelves. Mine include:

romance-tbr — the master list, everything I want to read eventually
dreame-wishlist — books I want to read on Dreame specifically
kindle-unlimited — KU titles on my radar
binge-worthy — series I want to marathon
mood-reader — for when I need a guaranteed comfort read

When someone recommends a book, it goes straight to romance-tbr. No exceptions. If I don’t capture it in that moment, it’s gone forever — my brain is a sieve when it comes to titles.

The Spreadsheet

Yes, I have a spreadsheet. Judge me all you want — it’s beautiful and I love it. I use Google Sheets with columns for: Title, Author, Tropes, Heat Level (1-5 🔥), Source (where I heard about it), Priority (high/medium/low), and Notes. The rows are color-coded: pink for high priority, yellow for medium, and gray for low. When I’m planning my month, I just look at the pink rows first.

Is it extra? Absolutely. Does it save me from decision paralysis every single month? Also absolutely.

The Dreame App Library

Since I read a ton on Dreame, I keep their built-in library organized too. I use the “Bookshelf” feature for books I’m actively reading and the “Wishlist” for everything else. The app’s recommendation engine is actually pretty good at surfacing books I’ll like, so I check the “For You” tab weekly — more on that in the next section.

2. How I Discover New Books

My TBR grows faster than I can read. That’s not a complaint — it means I’m never without something to pick up next. Here’s where I find new-to-me romance books:

Dreame Recommendations

The Dreame algorithm and I have an understanding now. After years of reading on the platform, its “For You” section genuinely nails my taste about 70% of the time. I check it every Sunday with my coffee. When I see a cover that catches my eye, I read the first chapter right there — if it hooks me, it goes on the wishlist. I’ve found some of my absolute favorites this way, especially in the werewolf and mafia subgenres. (If you’re into werewolf romance too, check out my best werewolf romance on Dreame list.)

BookTok

I know, I know — BookTok can be a mixed bag. But here’s the thing: when the right creators recommend books, it’s gold. I follow about fifteen romance-specific BookTokers whose taste aligns with mine. My trick? I ignore the mega-viral recommendations (they’re often overhyped) and pay attention to the mid-size creators who actually review books thoughtfully. That’s where I found Love on the Brain by Ali Hazelwood — a BookToker with 3K followers, not 300K.

Reddit: r/RomanceBooks

If you’re not on r/RomanceBooks, you’re missing out. It’s the most thoughtful, well-organized romance community I’ve found. The weekly “What are you reading?” threads are my go-to for honest opinions. People there actually explain WHY they liked or didn’t like a book, not just “omg read this.” I’ve discovered entire subgenres I never would have tried otherwise — dark academia romance, anyone?

Goodreads Lists

I know Goodreads lists can be popularity contests, but I’ve learned to read between the lines. I skip the “Best Romance Ever” mega-lists and search for niche ones: “Best Werewolf Romance with Strong Heroines,” “Slow Burn Enemies to Lovers,” “Romance Books That Don’t Suck.” The more specific the list, the better the recs.

3. My Filtering System

Not every book on my TBR actually gets read. Here’s how I decide what makes the cut:

Tropes I Love vs. Avoid

I’m a simple woman: give me fated mates, enemies-to-lovers, and alphahole redemption arcs and I’m happy. I’ll try almost any book with these. On the flip side, I avoid love triangles (they give me anxiety), cheating (hard pass), and insta-love (boring — where’s the tension?). My spreadsheet has a “Tropes” column for exactly this reason — I can filter by trope when I’m in a specific mood.

If you want a full breakdown of what makes each trope work, check out my romance tropes guide.

Rating Thresholds

I don’t trust ratings below 3.5 stars on Goodreads — too many 1-star reviews from people who clearly didn’t read the blurb. And I’m suspicious of anything above 4.5 with fewer than 500 ratings — that’s usually author friends bumping up the score. My sweet spot: 3.8-4.3 stars with 1,000+ ratings. That’s where the genuinely good books live.

Completion Status

On Dreame especially, I always check if a book is completed before I start. I got burned by an amazing werewolf serial that went on hiatus for eighteen months. Eighteen. Months. I’d forgotten the plot by the time it came back. Never again.

4. Monthly TBR Planning

I aim for 8-10 books per month, which sounds like a lot until you realize half of them are on Dreame and I read those during commute time and before bed.

Here’s how I balance:

2-3 Dreame books — Usually ongoing series or new releases
2-3 Kindle Unlimited — Completed series I can binge
1-2 purchased ebooks — Must-reads not on any subscription
1 audiobook — For walks and chores

I also try to mix genres. If I read three werewolf romances in a row, I’ll switch to a contemporary or a fantasy for variety. Keeps the reading muscle from getting bored.

Monthly Budget

Total: about $15-20/month. KU subscription ($11.99) + occasional Dreame coin purchase ($3-5) + one ebook purchase ($2-4). Sometimes I go over if there’s a new release I can’t wait for, but I try to stay disciplined.

5. Tracking What I’ve Read

After I finish a book, I log it immediately. Not “later” — immediately, while my feelings are fresh. Here’s what I note:

Rating: My personal 1-5 scale. 5 = “will reread annually,” 4 = “great, will recommend,” 3 = “decent but forgettable,” 2 = “finished but annoyed,” 1 = “why did I do this to myself”
Top tropes present: For future filtering
Steam level: 1-5 flames. Important for recommendations — some people want closed door, some want open, and there’s no shame either way
One-sentence review: “Werewolf Romeo and Juliet but they actually communicate” — something that’ll jog my memory six months later
Would I recommend? Yes/no/with caveats

I do this in both Goodreads (public) and my spreadsheet (private, more honest). The spreadsheet gets the real tea.

6. When to DNF (Did Not Finish)

Life is too short for bad books. Here are my DNF rules:

Chapter 3 rule: If a book hasn’t grabbed me by chapter three, I’m out. Three chapters is enough time to establish characters, setting, and stakes. If none of that has happened, it’s not me, it’s the book.
Creep rule: If a love interest does something that makes my skin crawl and the narrative treats it as romantic, I’m done. Possessive is fine; controlling and creepy is not.
Pacing rule: If I’ve been reading for an hour and nothing has happened, DNF. I don’t care how beautiful the prose is — I’m here for story.
Series fatigue rule: If I loved book 1 but book 2 is dragging, I’ll give it 50 pages. If it’s still dragging, I drop the series. No guilt.

My DNF rate is about 15%. That’s not a badge of honor — it just means I’ve learned to quit books that aren’t working instead of suffering through them.

7. My Current Top 5 TBR Picks

As of right now, these are the books sitting at the top of my list:

Haunting Adeline by H.D. Carlton — Everyone’s been talking about this dark romance and I finally caved. The reviews are either 5 stars or 1 star with nothing in between, which means it’s either brilliant or terrible. I need to know which.
Ice Planet Barbarians by Ruby Dixon — I know, I’m late to the party. But I keep seeing it recommended in every “alien romance” thread and my curiosity has officially won. Blue aliens, here I come.
The Spanish Love Deception by Elena Armas — Fake dating, pining, a Spanish setting. This has “Danielle will devour it in one sitting” written all over it.
Alpha’s Obsession by Lacey Carter Andersen — A new Dreame release that’s been sitting in my wishlist for two weeks. The blurb promises a fated mates + enemies-to-lovers combo and I am weak for that.
The Switch by Beth O’Leary — A palate cleanser. After too many dark romances, I need something warm and funny. O’Leary’s The Flatshare was a 5-star read for me, so I trust her completely.

8. Tools & Apps I Use

Quick rundown of my reading tech stack:

Goodreads — Master database, reading challenge tracker, community reviews
Dreame — Primary reading app for werewolf and bad boy romance, built-in wishlist
Kindle app — For KU and purchased ebooks, highlights and notes
Google Sheets — My color-coded TBR spreadsheet
Audible — Monthly credit for audiobooks, great for walks
StoryGraph — Goodreads alternative with better mood/tropes tracking

None of these are sponsored — they’re just what works for me. The key is finding tools that fit YOUR reading style, not copying someone else’s system wholesale. Take what’s useful, ditch what isn’t.

What’s on your TBR right now? I’m always looking for recommendations — drop your current read or your top 3 wishlist picks and let’s swap!