A Romance Lover’s Guide to BookCon 2026: Panels & More Events You Can’t Miss

BookCon is back! There are only a few days until the convention takes over the Javits Center in New York City, and it has a lot of epic opportunities for readers. We’re talking panels with best-selling authors, like Heated Rivalry‘s Rachel Reid, as well as book signings and ARCs (advanced reader copies) galore. There’s so much going on that we don’t blame you if you’re a little overwhelmed by all the options.

Whether or not you scored some reservations to BookCon’s top panels, we’ve created a nifty guide to all of the romance-focused panels, booths, and events you should check out over the weekend. You don’t need a reservation to attend the hockey romance author panel or the Fantasy Ball after hours. If you’re in need of a game plan for Saturday and/or Sunday, consult our list to make sure you make the most of all things romance-related.

Saturday

Panels

11:00 AM – 12:00 PM: Game Changing TV: Celebrating Heated Rivalry (Main Stage)

OK, so this one is a reservation-only panel, but we have to mention the hottest ticket at BookCon. We’re sure Heated Rivalry author Rachel Reid and show creator Jacob Tierney will break down the creative process behind adapting the hockey romance for the screen. Unfortunately, it’s reservation only. It filled up fast, but BookCon recommends checking in on the reservations page in case any additional spots become available.

12:30 PM – 1:30 PM: Spotlight on Kennedy Ryan (Room 1A03-05)

Kennedy Ryan, known for her hit romance novels like Reel, Before I Let Go, and more, will chat about sisterhood, friendship, mental health, and Black love in the romance genre. She’ll also share a sneak peek of her upcoming second-chance romance, Score.

1:45 PM – 2:45 PM: World Building and How It Shapes the Romance in Romantasy (Room 1A23-24)

Jean Kwok (Girl in Translation), Tricia Levenseller (The Shadows Between Us), and Rebecca Thorne (Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea) will break down the world-building process in romantasy books.

2:00 PM – 3:00 PM: It Was Love at First Fright (Room 402)

Love romance with a side of horror? Elizabeth Agyemang (Heart-Shaped Lies), Louangie Bou-Montes (Till the Last Beat of My Heart), Hayley Dennings (This Ravenous Fate), Nadine Gonzalez (Only Lovers in the Building) will be discussing exactly that. There’s also a post-panel book signing at Author Autographing Table 12.

2:30 PM – 3:30 PM: Getting to Second Base and Beyond: The Winning Thrills of Sports Romance (Room 1A21-22)

Sports romances are seriously hot right now, and you can hear all about the genre from authors KT Hoffman (The Prospects), Lynn Painter (Fake Skating), Olivia Belle (On Thin Ice), and Piper Lawson (Game Changer). They’ll also have a post-panel signing at the Author Autographing Table 25.

3:30 PM – 4:30 PM: Rewriting the Rules of Romance and Fandom (Room 402)

Jessica Cunsolo (With Me series), Christine Duann (Kissing Is the Easy Part), Carissa Mosness (Woman’s World books and entertainment editor), and Alessandra Ferreri (Wattpad’s Head of Content) will do a deep dive into the romance genre boom.

4:00 PM – 5:00 PM: First Loves, Next Chapters: A Look at YA and New Adult Romance (Room 1A01-02)

Jennifer Iacopelli (Finding Her Edge), Ahmad Saber (Ramin Abbas Has MAJOR Questions), Laura Taylor Namey (A Cuban Girl’s Guide to Tea and Tomorrow), and K.L. Walther (The Summer of Broken Rules) will talk about the YA and New Adult romance genres, and they’ll sign books afterward at Author Autographing Table 7.

4:00 PM – 5:00 PM: Romance Beyond Reality (Room 1A21-22)

If you love reading about love across time, space, and magical realms, check out this conversation between authors Amalie Howard (The Beast of Beswick), Brigid Kemmerer (A Curse So Dark and Lonely), Axie Oh (The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea), Jill Tew (The Dividing Sky), and Emily Varga (The River She Became). You can get your books signed by them afterward at Author Autographing Table 2.

4:45 PM – 5:45 PM: I’m in Love with a Monster (Room 1A23-24)

S. T. Gibson (A Dowry of Blood), K. M. Enright (Mistress of Lies), Maddie Martinez (The Maiden and Her Monster), De Elizabeth (This Raging Sea), and Taylor Grothe (Hollow) will talk all things monster romance. They’re signing at Author Autographing Table 9 after.

6:00 PM – 7:00 PM: Hot Takes on the Most Iconic Book Boyfriends of Our Time (Room 408-410)

Those Forking Fangirls podcasters Christine Riccio and Natasha Polis will give their book boyfriend hot takes alongside author Julie Murphy (Dumplin‘).

Booths

Most signings require reservations, but a few are happening at different booths. These are the romance-centric signings and ARC drops that we could find:

Booth 149: The Bookish Box & Shop will host a number of author signings for an hour each: Olivie Blake (The Atlas Six, 10:30 a.m.), Venetia Constantine (The Last Starborn Seer, 12 p.m.), Harper Hawthorne (Of Blood & Aether, 12 p.m.), Jessica Cage (Siren’s Call, 1:30 p.m.), Scarlett St. Clair (A Touch of Darkness, 1:30 p.m.), Invi Wright (The Female, 3 p.m.), Kayla Grosse (Trick Shot, 3 p.m.), and Stacia Stark (A Court This Cruel and Lovely, 5 p.m.).

Booth 421: Sourcebooks will be offering free ARCs on a first-come, first-served basis, with the romantasy drop at 2 p.m., Cosmo Reads at 2:30 p.m., and romance at 4 p.m. Check out the titles here!

Booth 461: Hyperion will have The Ruins Beneath Us author Sasha E. Sloan signing books from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m., and Reasons We Break author Jesmeen Kaur Deo from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Booth 1303: The Green Dragon Bookshop will have authors stationed at its booth all day long. Romance-wise, you can get your books signed by: Kalynn Bayron (Cinderella is Dead, 1:30 p.m.), De Elizabeth (This Raging Sea, 2:30 p.m.), and Delilah S. Dawson (Wicked as They Come, 5:30 p.m.).

We also recommend checking out Indie Alley as a whole, where you can discover up-and-coming romance authors and possibly score free arcs. (You’re going to need multiple tote bags, trust us.)

Events

There will also be a few events that you can attend free of charge:

10:30 AM – 11:00 AM: Queer Romance & Fantasy Meetup (Pride Lounge – Room 409)

12:30 PM – 1:15 PM: Never Leaving the Cottage (Room 403)

Head over from the Heated Rivalry panel to the Heated Rivalry-themed meetup!

12:30 PM – 1:15 PM: From Velaris to Lunathion: A Maasverse Meetup (Crystal Palace)

How are we supposed to choose between Heated Rivalry and a Sarah J. Maas-themed meetup? You can chat about Throne of Glass, A Court of Thorns and Roses, and more with other readers in the Crystal Palace.

2:00 PM – 3:00 PM: The Romance Revival by Christina Lauren Book Club (Javits Meeting Room 1A03)

Get an early copy of Christina Lauren’s (The Unhoneymooners) upcoming book and chat about it with other readers! A win-win!

5:00 PM – 6:00 PM: Tempest by Victoria Aveyard Book Club (Javits Room 1A03)

You can also score an early copy of Red Queen author Victoria Aveyard’s Tempest and participate in a discussion afterward.

8:00 PM – 10:30 PM: Fantasy Ball (Javits North, Level 5)

Part of BookCon’s After Dark slate is the Fantasy Ball, which is exactly what it sounds like. There’s even a Glambot to make the night even more special!

Sunday

Panels

11:00 AM – 12:00 PM: Romance in Fantastical Realms: A Spell-Binding Look at Love in YA Fantasy and Speculative Fiction (Room 1A21-22)

There’s no such thing as too much romantasy! Authors Melissa Poett (The Enemy’s Daughter), Angela Montoya (A Cruel Thirst), Kelsey Impicciche (Voice of the Ocean), Rebecca Danzenbaker (Soulmatch), and Kamilah Cole (So Let Them Burn) will discuss their latest releases and the genre’s future. A post-panel signing will take place at Author Autographing Table 17.

11:00 AM – 12:00 PM: You Had Me at Hockey: A Look at One of Sports Romance’s Hottest Genres (Room 405)

Skate on over to Room 405 to hear about the hottest romance genre lately. Panelists include Emily Rath (Jacksonville Rays series), Rachel Reid (Heated Rivalry), Ngozi Ukazu (Check, Please!), Stephanie Archer (Vancouver Storm series), and Kate Cochrane (Wake Up, Nat & Darcy). There will be a post-panel signing at Author Autographing Table 15, sans Reid.

11:30 AM – 12:30 PM: Audible Presents: Love at First Listen: Let’s Talk Romance Audiobooks! (Room 1A23-24)

Love you an audiobook romance? Authors Brynn Kelly (You Only Die Twice), Lily Chu (The Stand-In), and Alyssa Cole (An Extraordinary Union) will chat about how their Audible Originals were made. Chu and Kelly will sign books after at the Audible Story House in Room 401.

12:30 PM – 1:30 PM: Curl Up and Get Cozy (Room 1A21-22)

If lower-stakes romances are your thing, you won’t want to miss this panel with B.K. Borison (First-Time Caller), Kiri Callaghan (The Hearth Witch’s Guide to Magic & Murder), Sarah Beth Durst (The Spellshop), Kimberly Lemming (That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon), and J. Penner (A Fellowship of Bakers & Magic). They’ll be at the Author Autographing Table 27 post-panel.

12:30 PM – 1:30 PM: High Stakes and Heartbreak in Romantasy and Dystopian Worlds (Room 1A01-02)

On the flip side, if high-stakes dystopian romances are more your speed, Shannon J. Spann (A Stage Set for Villains), Jess Lourey (The Verdant Cage), and S.K. Ali (Fledgling) will be discussing that genre. There’s a post-panel signing at Author Autographing Table 11.

12:45 PM – 1:45 PM: The Language of Love: Crafting Your Favorite Romance Reads (Room 405)

Join top romance authors Jasmine Guillory (The Wedding Date), Casey McQuiston (Red, White, and Royal Blue), and Tia Williams (Seven Days in June) as they talk about their craft.

2:15 PM – 3:15 PM: The Heroines of Romantasy: Crafting Strong Female Leads Finding Love and Facing Danger (Main Stage)

This one requires a reservation, which makes sense considering its lineup of authors: Victoria Aveyard (Red Queen), Carissa Broadbent (Serpent and the Wings of Night), Rachel Gillig (One Dark Window), and Scarlett St. Clair (A Touch of Darkness). St. Clair will be the only one at Autographing Table 11 post-panel.

3:30 PM – 4:30 PM: Creating Swoon-worthy Romance Across Subgenres: A Look at Setting and Tone (Room 1A21-22)

This one will actually have a pre-panel signing at 1:15 p.m. at Author Autographing Table 17. Julie Murphy (Dumplin’), Laurel Boulton (Of Swamp and Sea), Mia Jay Boulton (Of Swamp and Sea), and Cat Sebastian (You Should Be So Lucky) will chat about romance’s different subgenres.

3:30 PM – 4:30 PM: Simon Maverick Presents: Women Behaving Badly: Women Writers and Their Beautifully Messy Characters (Room 408-410)

I.V. Ophelia (The Poisoner), Gretchen Powell Fox (Smoke and Scar), Hanna Harp (Haunting the Hunter), H.M. Wolfe (The Book of Cin), Jason Pinter (Hide Away) will talk messy FMCs.

4:00 PM – 5:00 PM: Into the World of Romantasy: Exploring the Marriage Between Genres (Room 405)

It bears repeating: There’s no such thing as too much romantasy! Stacia Stark (A Court This Cruel and Lovely), Elise Kova (Arcana Academy), and Adalyn Grace (Belladonna) will have a signing at 12:00 p.m. at Author Autographing Table 11 before chatting about the genre.

Booths

Booth 149: The Bookish Box & Shop will have more authors signing books and taking photos on Sunday, again for an hour each. We’ve got: Elise Kova (Arcana Academy, 10:30 a.m.), Carissa Broadbent (Serpent and the Wings of Night, 10:30 a.m.), Amber Palmer (Between the Pines, 12 p.m.), Holly Renee (The Veiled Kingdom, 12 p.m.), Miranda Lyn (Till Death, 1:30 p.m.), Melissa K. Roehrich (Rain of Shadows and Endings, 1:30 p.m.), and Allison Carr Waechter (Dark Night Golden Dawn, 3 p.m.).

(There’s also a Rachel Reid photo op at 12:30 p.m., but tickets have already been sent out.)

Booth 421: Sourcebooks will once again free ARCs while supplies last. There’s a romantasy drop at 1 p.m. and romance at 2 p.m. Check out the titles here!

Booth 1303: The Green Dragon Bookshop will also have more authors signing books on Sunday. The romance ones include Sarah Beth Durst (The Spellshop, 10:30 a.m.), Cass Biehn (Vesuvius, 12 p.m.), and T.J. Alexander (A Gentleman’s Gentleman, 1 p.m.).

Events

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11:00 AM – 11:45 AM: No Cliffhangers Allowed: A Cozy Romance Meetup (Level 4 Atrium)

Sunday is a bit lighter on the romance events front, but you will get a chance to meet up with other cozy romance lovers across in the space across from Room 405.

And there you have it! We’re sure a few booths and events might’ve slipped through the cracks, but hopefully this gets you started! Let us know what’s on your BookCon to-do list in the comments below.