Contemporary romance is one of my favorite genres. It’s usually funny, feel-good and relatable, with wacky plots but swoony heroes. I’ve been reading it for a decade now, and I can tell you that there are some real gems out there, but also some real stinkers.
To help you find your next favorite, I’ve created this roundup of the best contemporary romance books ever written, with some popular titles and some hidden gems that are so worth a read. I hope you find something to love!
And if you want to read the best love stories of all time, check out my favorites here.
Beach Read by Emily Henry
I have to start with the book that won my heart all those years ago and made me a contemporary romance fiend. It’s a lovely story about a girl named January whose father has just passed and left her with terrible secrets. She moves to his seaside cabin to write her next book, but the book is not going well because she’s struggling to believe in love due to her father’s betrayal. And what do you know, in the cabin right next to hers is her old college rival, Gus, who only writes serious fiction, but is similarly afflicted by writer’s block. So what happens when they decide to exchange genres for the summer, and what happens when they start to feel something more for each other?
Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert
Chloe Brown is a laugh out loud funny British rom com that made me fall in love with Talia Hibbert’s writing and I’ve been a fan ever since. The whole Brown Sisters series is awesome, but this one in particular. So, Chloe Brown has a chronic illness which prevented her from living a happy, normal life. She decides to no longer let it stop her, and so she makes a list of things she wants to do. Some are easier, but some maybe not so much, so she gets the help of her new, handsome neighbor and building handyman. Together, they explore her list and along the way find they have more in common than just the desire to ride motorbikes.
You Deserve Each Other by Sarah Hogle
You should see how battered and loved my copy of this book is. I’ve underlined, dog-eared and read it so many times the spine is permanently broken, but I cannot help it, it’s probably my favorite contemporary romance of all time. In it, Naomi is desperate to somehow get out of her engagement. She used to love Nicholas, but the wedding prep and his mom have her disassociating and realizing she may not love him at all. But then they enter a tug of war over who will end the engagement first through a bunch of pranks and wild life choices (like self-cut bangs), and it’s hillarious but also emotional and heartfelt. Will they find their way back to each other? You can only find out if you read this book. See my full review here!
Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall
My agenda is to get everyone to read this book and realize how amazing it really is. The story follows Luc who is the son of a rock star which makes him like a C-list celebrity, but still, the press will not leave him alone. And he’s unlucky that they always catch him in a bad moment. After another disaster front page, his boss tells him he has to clean up his reputation and get himself a respectable partner. So his friends suggest Oliver, who is a tight laced solicitor and whom Luc has tried dating before, with no luck. This time though, Oliver needs someone too, so they make a pact and try to date, and somehow, it’s no horrible? This book is full of funny side characters, emotional moments and workplace shenanigans.
The Roughest Draft by Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka
I cannot believe this book isn’t more popular because it matches literaly everything most people love. We have two writers who used to write books together (as best friends) who have had an irreparable fight a few years ago. Now they’re both failing in their solo careers and their agents and managers conspire to get them to write the last book in their contract together. To do this, they follow their old process: they go to a cabin alone together and write. This is proving harder than they thought, because they hate each other. But slowly, (like very slowly) they start to open up and what happens is pure magic. Beautiful prose and beautiful reflections on writing!
Happy Place by Emily Henry
Happy Place deserves more love than it gets. It’s a beautifully written second chance romance that also reflects on friendship, finding yourself and your path in life, and what really matters in the end. It made me cry, so give it a shot if you want a more literary EmHen, something more like Beach Read. The story is about Harriet and Wyn who broke up a few months ago, and now they have to pretend they haven’t (even though they’re still heartbroken) because their friends are getting engaged and they don’t want to ruin their happiness. It’s hard being trapped together with your ex, and even harder to face the truths of why you broke up in the first place, and how your life might have been different if you hadn’t. See my full review here!
Twice Shy by Sarah Hogle
I haven’t seen anyone talk about this book in a while (or ever, really), but it’s so, so good. If you’re a daydreaming girl, this is for you. Our heroine Maybell has had a horrible life. She’s poor, bullied at work, and her best friend has recently catfished her for jokes. Her only solace was her mind cafe where she’s happy and free. But now her fate seems to be turning around when she inherits the house of her dreams. Only, when she gets there, the house is unlivable, and she has to share it with the grumpy gardener Wesley who inherited half of it. Sounds pretty standard, right? But as you soon find out, Wesley isn’t really grumpy but has severe anxiety, and he’s actually the sweetest if you give him a chance. One of the best heroes I’ve read ever!
Act Your Age, Eve Brown by Talia Hibbert
Yes, it’s another Talia Hibbert, but what can I do when the woman writes so well. Anyways, this story is about the youngest Brown sister, Eve, who has never been able to hold down a job or a career. So now her parents are cutting her off, and in her dramatics, she ends up finding a charming bed and breakfast and decides to get a job there. Its owner, Jacob, is not charmed by her at all, and because she’s accident prone, she hits him with her car, which hurts his arm, and so she has to stay and help while he recovers. And Jacob finds himself slowly warming to this charming, clumsy woman, just as Eve starts realizing that maybe she’s found her place in the world after all.
The Deal by Elle Kennedy
I really didn’t expect to love this book when I first tried it, but love it I did, so much that I re-read it quite a few times. It’s my favorite of the series, and now it has a show too! This is a story about Hannah, who finally found someone she’s attracted to at college, but she has tons of baggage and zero experience. So, when Garrett, the popular hockey player, comes along looking for her help in studying, she offers an exchange: she’ll help him get his GPA up if he’ll teach her how to seduce the guy she likes. He’s so not her type and she’s so not his, but they become friends and make each other laugh, and soon their study sessions turn into something more. It’s actually quite slow to develop and pretty emotional in parts too. Give it a try!
The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang
The Kiss Quotient took the world by a storm when it came out, and I was one of those people ravenously reading it. And while I didn’t totally, unreservedly love it, I would still recommend it if you want a really well written, kind of wacky when you think about it, contemporary romance. In this one, our heroine wants to date, but she’s on the spectrum and physical touch is a problem for her, so she hires a man to help her practice. He takes the offer because he needs the money, and soon they realize that they crave each other more than they expected. It’s kind of like Pretty Woman in reverse, so if you like those kinds of stories, give it a go!
The Bride Quartet by Nora Roberts
The queen of romance Nora Roberts brings you this lovely quartet about four childhood friends who start a wedding planning company as grown ups and find their own love stories along the way. The first one is about Mac and a bride’s brother (who’s an English teacher!), the second one is about Emma the florist who finds that maybe the man she’s been looking for has been right under her nose the whole time. The third one is about the baker Laurel and one of her friends’ brothers Del, and the fourth one is about Parker who falls for her brother’s best friend Malcolm. It’s a wonderful series of books, and I would recommend them all.
At First Spite by Olivia Dade
I fell in love with this book and it’s charming, Colin-Firth-esque hero. It’s a weird concept, so stay with me. Our heroine Athena is almost fourty and very flighty. But she’s comitted to marrying this young, charming man she just met. So much so that she buys a house in his home town for them to live in. Too bad his brother, the serious, stern Matthew, talks him out of the wedding. And too bad Athena is now stuck in the house she bought, living right next to Matthew, so close they can see each other through windows. But Athena is prone to depression and low self-esteem and when she fails to get out of the house for a few days, Matthew is the first one to help her realize how amazing she actually is. You can see my full review of this book here!
Want more books with older main characters? Here are my favorites!
The Hating Game by Sally Thorne
This is the book that started it all for many people, and so it earns its spot on this list. It helps that I loved it too! The Hating Game is about two office rivals who prank each other relentlessly, but a contest for who will get a promotion in their publishing house forces them together in ways they didn’t expect and shows them that they share much, much more than just hate. It’s funny, swoony (that elevator scene shook me when I read it all those years ago), and absolutely delightful. The movie is only so-so, though so I would skip it, but the book is wonderful!
It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey
I’ve had bad luck with Tessa Bailey’s books before and since this one, but It Happened One Summer checked all of my boxes and it was a really good read. You have a spoiled heiress who gets cut off and sent back to her coastal home town after yet another disaster she caused. There she meets the grumpy, handsome sea captain who will have nothing to do with her, but fate keeps pushing them back together until they both realize that they have more in common than they thought. The problem is, our heroine can’t wait to leave and the sea captain has too much baggage to just let go, so how will they get over all of their issues?
The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood
We cannot talk about contemporary romance without talking about the incomparable Ali Hazelwood. Her first book, The Love Hypothesis, is probably her most popular and it’s getting a movie too! Personally, I didn’t love it when I first read it, but I’m planning a re-read because I loved so many of Ali’s books since that it must have been just a wrong moment for me. But anyways, this is a fake dating romance book where Olive, a grad student, kisses a professor no one on campus likes so she can prove to her friend that she’s dating someone. And so, they begin fake dating, which brings them closer and makes them realize that they may not be faking all of it at all.
Red White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
This book is endearing and funny and perhaps a bit of a fantasy, but in this world, who doesn’t need a bit of that? It’s a story about a British prince and the son of the US president, who dislike each other very much, so much that the press notices, and so they’re forced to fake a friendship. Of course, this turns into something more, and it’s too bad that it can’t be real because the prince cannot be out, and the president’s son doesn’t want to be a secret. What will they do?
Icebreaker by Hannah Grace
There’s been a lot of hoolabaloo about this book’s cover and it attracting kids to what is a really spicy romance, but the book itself is really not so bad. Like, yes, it’s spicy, but it’s also funny, charming, and the series overall only gets better. In Icebreaker, an ice skater and a hockey player who dislike each other are forced to share a rink, and this sort of smushes their friend groups and lives together. Their dislike for each other slowly gives into something more.
First Time Caller by B. K. Borison
B. K. Borison writes some of the cozies romance books, and I implore you to give this one a try. The story is about Lucie, whose daughter calls a late-night love advice radio show and asks how to get her mom to find a boyfriend. Lucie hears this and takes the phone away, and so begins talking to Aiden, the show’s host. Her heartfelt speech about looking for that magical, once in a lifetime love charms everyone in town, and she’s invited to co-host and try dating some people for the show. She agrees, and this puts her in close proximity to Aiden. They become fast friends, and then slowly more. You can see my full review here, but the gist of it is: read this book!
The Wall of Winnipeg and Me by Mariana Zapata
Mariana Zapata is the queen of slow burn romance, and this book is no exception. Ignore the corny title, the story is actually amazing (but very, very slow – be warned!). Our heroine, after years of working for him and feeling mistreated, finally quits her position as an assistant to one of the most famous (and famously sullen) football players ever. She doesn’t expect him to propose a marriage of convenience, but propose he does, and in a way she can’t refuse. Slowly, through their marriage and numerous public appearances and life in general, they realize they might love each other for real.
Seven Days in June by Tia Williams
This is an amazing love story between two writers who used to be friends and more in high school, but only for a week, It’s so swoony and emotional, and the “stop writing about me” scene lives rent-free in my head (gives me goosebumps every time I think about it). Our heroine writes YA vampire romance, but wants more. Our hero writes serious books ™, and they finally find each other again at a writer’s conference. But life is complicated. She has a daughter and a chronic illness and he has to deal with baggage of his own. Watch as these two find each other again.
Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood
I loved this book so much that I had to get a physical copy of it (and I cherish it dearly). It’s a story about Elsie, an adjunct professor who offers her services as a fake girlfriend on the side to make ends meet. But her gig finally catches up to her when she fake dates the brother of Jack Smith, who is an experimental physicist and the man who ruined her mentor’s career. And now it turns out Jack is sitting sqaurely between her and her dream job because he’s on the hiring comittee. But it also turns out that Jack actually might… like her? So watch as these two fight their feelings and their desires and maybe find love along the way.
You Again by Kate Goldbeck
It’s an atrocious cover, I know, I know. But the story within is great. It’s like When Harry Met Sally but brought to the modern age. Ari and Josh meet when they both want the same woman, Ari’s roommate. They hate each other on sight. Josh is prim, proper, successful. Ari is a mess. But fate will keep bringing them back together over a decade or so, until they finally find each other when they’re both broken-hearted and down on their luck, and they become best friends, who slowly turn into something more. But Ari is still flighty, and Josh still wants more than she can give. How will they figure it out? See my full review of this book here.
How to Write a Love Story by Catherine Walsh
Our heroine is tasked by her late father to complete his fantasy series, but she really doesn’t feel like it (one, the fans scare her, and two, she’s afraid it won’t be good). Enter, a charming book editor, sent to make the book happen by any means (and a massive fan of her dad). Together, in an Irish small town, they’ll figure out how to finish this story and maybe find love along the way. I have a full review of this book here, and Catherine Walsh writes some really charming Christimas romance books, so do check her work out!
Problematic Summer Romance by Ali Hazelwood
Looking for some good age gap romance? Look no further than this book. Here’s the story: when in trouble during her university years, our heroine Maya calls her brother, but instead our hero answers. He comes to her aid and they become fast friends (despite the age difference, which is quite big; he’s forty I think, and she’s 20 something). The friendship goes well, but when our heroine wants more, the hero backs off. Now they’re stuck together at her brother’s wedding in Italy, and they can’t avoid each other or their feelings. Will they finally get their happily ever after? Full review here!
Funny Story by Emily Henry
If you want Nick and Jess from New Girl in book form, this is it! Daphne’s fiancee Peter ends their engagement to be with his best friend Petra. Petra was dating Miles. Now Daphne and Miles live together because she has no where else to go, and decide to get back at their exes by pretending to date. But this only brings them closer together, and in ways they didn’t expect. I have a full review of this book here, and it was great!
When Grumpy Met Sunshine by Charlotte Stein
In case you’re looking for something lighthearted and funny, with a hero suspiciously like Roy Kent from Ted Lasso, this book might be it. In it, our heroine is a ghostwriter hired to write the grumpy football player’s bio. Only he’s mean and rude and she ends up running away. He tracks her down in a totally not-creepy way and they begin working together, and it’s hard because they’re terribly attracted to each other. You can find my full review here, but this book is fun and easy to read, and sure to give you some laughs and some swoons.
Morbidly Yours by Ivy Fairbanks
This is another wacky premise, but a good book. So, our heroine moves to Ireland for work after her husband dies. Unfortunately, her house is right next to a mortician’s house and office, and its sullen owner Callum has issues of his own because he has to marry someone by the end of the year or he’ll lose his beloved business. Too bad he has crippling anxiety and finds no woman attractive. But the more he interacts with our heroine, the more comfortable he feels, and the friendship they form slowly turns to more. However, our heroine never wants to be married again, and he really needs a wife. Find my full review here! Do be careful if you’re squeamish because there are some scenes describing embalming very… graphically.
This Could Be Us by Kennedy Ryan
This is definitely a more serious and emotional kind of romance, with many real life issues discussed and covered. Our heroine is happily married with three kids. Her family is rich and everything is fine. Until, that is, her husband is arrested for fraud and everything is taken away from her. The forensic accountant who found out about the fraud only wants to help, but our heroine doesn’t want a man anymore, and instead wants her life back together. However, she’s also incredibly drawn to this man who is kind and patient and fully honest. I have a full review of this book if you want to check it out!
Deep End by Ali Hazelwood
If you’re up for some light dom/sub elements and a college romance between two swimmers, this is a perfect book for you. In it, our heroine Scarlett and our hero Lucas start sleeping together because they seem to have the same kinks. Scarlett thinks it’s not serious, especially since he’s her team mate’s ex boyfriend (the friend approved of their relationship! no cheating involved!) but slowly they start spending time together even outside of the bedroom, and their relationship develops in ways they didn’t expect. I have a full review here if you want to learn more about it.
Savor It by Tarah DeWitt
In Savor It, Sage’s fiancee Ian has left her and is now dating someone else. Considering that she lives in a small town, everyone is pitying her, and she definitely doesn’t want that. So she starts fake dating the new guy in town, a hotshot chef from New York who’s come to advise on a restaurant opening. Everyone hates him and it’s making his job difficult so the fake dating works for him too because everyone loves Sage. But what happens when the faking ends and the romance begins, with the summer they have together feeling closer and closer to its end? You can find my thoughts on this book here!
Not Another Love Song by Julie Soto
Not Another Love Song is a story about a self-taught violinist as she finally gets a chance to lead her orchestra as the first violin. However, all of this is happening while she’s engaged in a passionate dislike and then romance with the man who really wanted that position, and who is the son of the orchestra’s owners. Their joint performances are so good that they draw in more crowds but life is always there to stand in their way. Find my full review of this book here.
Emergency Contact by Mary H. K. Choi
Emergency Contact is one of my favorite romance books, and definitely my favorite epistolary romance. So, Penny is new to college and doesn’t fit in well, but when her new roommate takes her along on a coffee shop outing to meet her uncle, she doesn’t think much of it. Until there she meets Sam, the uncle. He’s actually only twenty and dealing with some bad stuff. The bad stuff sends him into a panic attack one day, and who better to find him than Penny, who always comes prepared. They become fast friends via text messages, even if they don’t meet up in real life, and they become each other’s support system. Over time, they also develop feelings for each other. See my thoughts on this book here!
Not in Love by Ali Hazelwood
If you want more of an erotic romance from Ali Hazelwood, I recommend this one! It’s quite different and more melancholy and mature than her other books, but it’s a nice change of pace. Rue, the heroine, loves her orderly life, but she does feel emotionally distant from it all. And because she processes emotions so differently, she doesn’t date but instead has one night stands with men who enjoy the same things she does. One of those men is Eli, but their one night stand gets interrupted, until it turns out that the man taking over her company is actually him. They come to a no-strings attached agreement, but of course, it turns to more. Honestly, Eli falls for Rue so quickly and massively, it’s really fun to watch, especially since she’s so distant. Full review here!
Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez
I’ll be perfectly honest with you: Abby Jimenez’ books are not for me. I tried so many, and the prose just isn’t my cup of tea. But! That doesn’t mean it won’t be great for you, and this is one of her most beloved books. The heroine Bri really wants the head of ER position, but it goes to a man, whom she immediately hates. But the man is actually really nice and anxiety-riddled and he wants to be friends so he writes her a letter. And then she replies, and then he replies, and they open up to each other in ways they otherwise can’t to other people. Of course, they also fall in love.
Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren
Macy is content with her life. She has a wedding to plan, a financially stable fiance and a career, all of which pales in comparison to Elliot, her childhood sweetheart who is also the only man she really loved (and who shows up in her life suddenly). You get the dual timeline, so you can understand what happened to them, and also see them face their issues in the present. Check out my review here.
Archer’s Voice by Mia Sheridan
Archer’s Voice is a story of a woman who moves to a small town looking for peace, and in that small town she meets a man who doesn’t speak. She’s drawn to him and he is to her, and so she begins teaching him to communicate, and slowly their friendship turns into more. It’s a bit soap opera-ish near the end, but if you’d like something like that, a perfect book for you! My full review is here.
The Bromance Book Club by Lyssa Kay Adams
If you’re up for a second chance romance book where the hero spends the entire book trying to woo his wife back, this is it! Gavin is a football player whose life is great, except he fiunds out his wife has always faked it in bed and she wants a divorce. Distraught and desperate, he turns to his book club buddies for help and they tell him to learn from romance books. Armed with a fictional regency romance and his friends’ advice, he’s on a mission to get his life, and more importantly his wife, back.
You Had Me at Hola by Alexis Daria
Jasmine is an actress who had a messy breakup that ended up in the tabloids. Now, she’s starring in a rom com that could change her image. Unfortunately, a casting change lands her opposite Ashton who also really needs this to work, but because they dislike each other, the chemistry on set is not that great. So, they decide to practice in private, which leads to better acting but also a romance off-screen. And as they film the movie, the spotlight on them might expose their secrets and ruin their image. The plot and reasons they can’t be together are a bit nonsensical, but it’s a fun rom com if you want a story about movie stars falling in love.
The Ex Talk by Rachel Lynn Solomon
This is another radio show rom com, but in this one, the two leads have to pretend to be exes or lose their jobs. And as their show gains popularity with the listeners, their deception grows bigger, and their romance develops unexpectedly, which could doom the show. The heroine is older than the hero, which is a fun twist too!
If I Never Met You by Mhairi McFarlane
Laurie’s partner of many years and coworker suddenly leaves her and she’s left reeling. But things get much worse when news of his pregnant girlfriend start spreading. So she hatches a plan with the office playboy to fake date so he can impress new bosses and she can avoid the pity and stick it to her ex. To do this, they use social media and strategic photos, but of course, things get out of hand and they start feeling real attraction to each other.
The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary
The Flatshare is a romance book where Tilly and Leon live in the same apartment but they’ve never met because he works nights and she works days and so they’re never home at the same time. The thing is, they do need to communicate sometimes, so they leave each other post-its which get progressively more personal. This is really sweet, and funny but beware that there are some more serious topics discussed like abuse and wrongful imprisonment.
Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid
You must have heard of the show, but have you read the book? This is a whole series so you can read about hockey players being horny for each other as much as you want, but Ilya and Shane are legendary now. They are fierce hockey rivals but they also have wild chemistry in bed, which leads to a lot of fortunate and unfortunate events for them, in a sport that doesn’t really accept gay players so easily. The books are fun, but really spicy, so give them a go if that seems like your thing!
Heartless by Elsie Silver
This is the only Elsie Silver book I enjoyed despite the many I tried and wanted to love, so I highly recommend it! In this story, Willa applies to be a nanny to Cade’s son (she’s actually Cade’s sister in law’s best friend, but long story) and she’s great with the boy. The problem is, Cade really likes her (or is at the very least attracted to her), but she’s about a decade younger and very flighty; not what he sees as a suitable partner for a life on a farm. He thinks of her as a city girl, who’ll run away as soon as the summer’s over. But Willa, surprisingly, finds more than a home there, and they grow really close and its really cute.
The Right Move by Liz Tomforde
The Right Move has received both positive and negative feedback. A few years ago, when I first read it, its hero was like the pinnacle of book boyfriends, the best of the best. Now, I’m seeing more and more people saying the book is not good. I’m somewhere in the middle — it’s not a bad book by any means but it is long and drawn out plenty. But the hero is quite nice to the heroine, so yay for that! The story is essentially this: the heroine moves in with the hero because she needs somewhere to live, and they of course, fall in love slowly.
Twisted Love by Ana Huang
Twisted Love is really popular, which is why it gets its spot on the list — that and the fact that I really like Ana Huang despite the fact that I’m not the biggest fan of her books. But they’re fun and dramatic while also staying somewhat silly and breezy, which is exactly what you need sometimes. This one is about Ava whose brother goes on a trip and leaves her in the care of his best friend Alex Volkov. Alex is a rich businessman with some shadier deals, and he does his job admirably, even when Ava tries to seduce him. But of course, they do succumb to their attraction, even though there are many secrets between them. This is a whole series about four best friends finding love, so give it a go if this ends up being your cup of tea.
An Academic Affair by Jodi McAlister
Sadie and Jonah are two academic rivals both desperate (for separate personal reasons) to get the teaching job that has just opened. They dislike each other, but then there’s this thing called partner hire, which could get them both the job they want. All they have to do is get legally married. So, that’s what they do, not expecting that their sizzling rivalry and dislike could turn into something more. Of course, it does. If you like academic rivals, this is your book! The rivalry does flag a little in the middle, replaced by more tender moments of domesticity, but it’s really cute so all is forgiven.
Love is a War Song by Danica Nava
Avery is a Muscogee pop star and she does a photo shoot that was supposed to celebrate her heritage and success. Only it backfires badly and she goes to her grandmother’s ranch on the rez to lick her wounds. There, she meets Lucas who hates everything she represents. But they strike a deal: he’ll help her understand what it means to be a Native American and she’ll do what she can to collect the money to keep the ranch going. I really liked the plot and the themes of this book, but the prose was a bit simplistic and yet overly explanatory. Great read, nevertheless, so give it a go!
I’ll Have What He’s Having by Adib Khorram
Farzan has really bad luck in love. And after he goes to a bar to drown his sorrows after the latest disaster, he gets mistaken for a food critic, and gets served splendidly by the charming David. They end up having a one night stand, and clearing the misunderstanding, but David wants no more because he’s focused on his career. So when Farzan inherits a restaurant, he asks David to help as he knows nothing about the business. However, the attraction is still there, and one thing leads to another. I found this really fun and charming, but don’t read it hungry, fair warning.
Two Wrongs Make a Right by Chloe Liese
Chloe Liese has several series of books with healthy relationships and a big focus on mental health, so give all of those books a go if you like this sort of thing. I tend to read them when I want maximum charm and minimal toxic drama, and this one is no different. In it, our heroine Bea has trouble in social situations and West has so much anxiety that he needs to control everything but feels all wrong all the time. Their first meeting goes horribly, but their friends are set on getting them together, so they agree to fake-date obnoxiously to irritate their friends and then break up dramatically and ruin everyone’s ideas of their relationship. Only, they actually do fall for each other, and it’s cute.
The Cheat Sheet by Sarah Adams
In The Cheat Sheet, our two leads have been best friends forever. However, both of them harbor feelings for each other. So our hero decides to woo our heroine by creating a seducing cheat sheet with his buddies, while she thinks there’s no possible way he could be into her. I really loved the scenes with our hero and his friends (they were so funny) but the heroine is a little “not like the other girls” at first and she does hate on other girls at first. But if you persevere through this, it does get a lot better later on, and it’s really a cute, fade to black romance book.
Dolly All The Time by Annabel Monaghan
Dolly is a single mother who has never found a problem she couldn’t solve. Her helpful nature bring her back to her hometown to help her father and brother keep their inn, and right on the path of the famous (and recently infamous) Stewart Whitfield. She only wants to help him replace a flat tire, but the tabloids start speculating she’s his next girlfriend, so they agree to fake date. He’ll give her money to help save the inn, and she’ll pretend to date him for a bit. It should go swimmingly, only they start falling for each other after realizing how much they have in common. Dolly is a really great character, you can’t help but root for her, so give this book a go, eldest daughters everywhere!
Done and Dusted by Lyla Sage
So, as you can probably assume, cowboy romance is really not my cup of tea, but I still would recommend trying it, especially if it seems like it might be your thing. So, I would suggest Done and Dusted by Lyla Sage (and its series). The covers are old-timey and pretty and the books are aplenty. This one in particular is about Clementine who returns to her home town hoping to keep a low profile, only to be immediately spotted by her brother’s best friend, who’s now a bar owner and no longer a silly boy (though, still a little silly). They have sizzling chemistry now, though, but should they be together with so much at stake (he’s like a family member to the rest of her family).
Meet Me in the Margins by Melissa Ferguson
If you’re a bookish person (which, if you’re here, I assume you are), this is the book for you. In it, our heroine works as an editorial assistant by day, but writes her own book at night. Shamefully (to her) it’s a romance (and her publishing house does academic books). One day, she leaves it at work by mistake, and the next morning, she finds it with margin notes from a mysterious someone. At first she’s pissed, but then she finds that the notes are actually helpful, so she begins writing back to her mysterious editor. It’s cute!
Talking At Night by Claire Daverley
Talking at Night is a story about two teens who start spending time together because the heroine’s brother befriends the hero. They fall in love, very much so, but our heroine is very Type A and just wants to study and focus on that, while our hero comes from a less affluent background and wants to explore the world some day. And then a tragedy tears them apart for many years to come, though they still can’t keep away from each other. It’s very Normal People-esque in some ways, but it’s also very sad. I have a full review here if you want to check it out.
The Sweetest Oblivion by Danielle Lori
A few years ago, the romance book world was populated not by cowboys and sports stars, but by mafia dons. Mind you, not dark romance-level mafia dons, but just vaguely dark-ish enough to cause some pearl-clutching, but still safe enough to share these books with your mom and not be embarrassed. And this book ruled social media then. It’s a story about Elena Abelli, the favored daughter of a mafia don, who feels attracted to Nico Russo, another don whom her sister is arranged to marry (don’t worry, the sister doesn’t want to). It’s spicy and dramatic as all of these books are, but give it a go if you’d like something darker, but still not Haunting Adeline levels of dark.
Out On a Limb by Hannah Bonam-Young
Out On a Limb starts with a one-night stand. But don’t let that deter you, fellow slow burn lovers! They don’t actually get together immediately. Instead, she gets pregnant and he offers to help, but she wants to be independent and do things on her own, so they agree to just be friends and co-parents. Of course, it’s very hard to stay friends and co-parents with chemistry this good, but this story is also very emotional and heartfelt, so give it a try.
Funny Feelings by Tarah DeWitt
This is my favorite Tarah DeWitt book! In it, a comedienne finally gets a break in her career, but in order to do that, she has to fake date her best friend and manager, who’s also a decade or so older and has a child. This, of course, stirs up all sorts of feelings for them which they’ve diligently ignored for years, and both of them don’t want to ruin the friendship or his daughter’s life because she needs them both. What will they do? There’s a really good scene here in an apple orchard I think which made my stomach swoop, so I highly recommend it!
Delilah Green Doesn’t Care by Ashley Herring Blake
Delilah Green is back in her home town to photograph her estranged sister’s wedding. She wants to be in and out, but then she sees Astrid’s friend Claire, who she knows as a stuck up girl overall, she wants to poke some fun at her. But life keeps throwing them back together through wedding prep and getting Astrid away from the horrible fiance, and suddenly Delilah and Claire can’t really stay away from each other. This whole series is really cute, so give it a try!
Practice Makes Perfect by Sarah Adams
Practice Makes Perfect is another really cute romance. In it, Annie wants a boyfriend, but lives in a really small town where everyone knows everyone, and she doesn’t know what to do. Enter: Will, her future sister in law’s bodyguard who’s back in town for the wedding and wants to stay away from Annie whom he’s incredibly attracted to. But Annie asks for help, and he’d rather be the one to teach her how to kiss and date than have it be another man. And of course, it’s not going to stay fake. But it’s really fun and I recommend this whole series.
Emma of 83rd Street by Audrey Bellezza and Emily Harding
I mean, this is a retelling of Emma, with some spice, so you know what you’re in for. Emma is an Upper East Side rich girl who’s lived a charmed life, and when she finally marries off her sister (due to her matchmaking) she feels bored. So she takes an Ohio transplant under her wing and tries to find her a match. There’s a George Knightley, her childhood best friend, constantly needling her and lecturing her. But he’s also noticing that Emma is a beautiful woman now, and he is unable to resist that pull.
Promise Me Sunshine by Cara Bastone
In promise me sunshine, our heroine’s best friend has just died and she’s grieving, unable to do anything except babysitting gigs. One such gig is helping an overworked mom Reese and her daughter Ainsley. She’s doing great both at her job and hiding her grief, but Reese’s brother Miles sees right through her and offers her a deal. If she’ll help him figure out how to connect with Ainsley and smooth out his relationship with Reese, he’ll help her go through her grieving list and recover from her friend’s death.
The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren
The Unhoneymooners shows you that food allergies can sometimes be a good thing. At her sister’s wedding, everyone gets food poisoning, except for her and the best man. So, the bride and groom send them away on their honeymoon instead so it doesn’t go to waste. To keep all the benefits this gives them, they pretend they’re actually married, even though they hate each other. And of course, they fall in love along the way.
The Dead Romantics by Ashley Poston
This is a bit of a magical romance, as most of this author’s books are, but it’s perfect for autumn and you’ll like it anyways. In it, our heroine is a ghostwriter who is having a bit of a writing block (and thus an issue with her editor), and she needs to go home to help bury her father. But then suddenly, the ghost of her editor appears in the funeral parlor. It seems her handsome, tall editor has died and found his way to her because they have some unfinished business.
If It Makes You Happy by Julie Olivia
This book is perfect for you if you love Gilmore Girls and want 90s romance, because that’s basically what If It Makes You Happy is. The heroine comes back to her small town to run her mother’s inn even though she really wants to go back to the city and get that promotion. While back home, she meets her mom’s next-door neighbor, the handsome, single-dad baker who loves helping people. And as it turns out he wants to help her. They become good friends, but then slowly something more.
One Golden Summer by Carley Fortune
I know this is part 2 of the Barry’s Bay series, but I just could not stand book one, or everything that happened in it, so! Charlie’s story. Alice and her grandmother go to Barry’s Bay for a vacation after her grandma breaks a hip. They’ve been there before, one magical summer when Alice was seventeen and she took a picture of Charlie riding a speedboat with his friends. And he’s riding that boat still, only this time, Alice gets a chance to see his smile and charm up close and find her own kind of magic there.
