Contemporary romance is what got me into reading romance as a genre in the first place. It was books like Beach Read and The Hating Game that got me to realize how fun reading can be (again) and that there’s so much joy in reading about people falling in love.
Since then, I’ve read so many rom-coms that you wouldn’t believe it (about a 100 books per year, most of them contemporary, for years), and I’ve found some gems that stayed with me and I still think of fondly (and re-read) even now.
So, if you don’t know where to start or you just don’t know what to read next, you’ll find the best contemporary romance books below, paired with memorable (and swoony) quotes, tropes, and more to get you started!
Beach Read by Emily Henry
“Falling’s the part that takes your breath away. It’s the part when you can’t believe the person standing in front of you both exists and happened to wander into your path. It’s supposed to make you feel lucky to be alive, exactly when and where you are.”
| Tropes | old rivals to lovers, writers in love, small town shenanigans, past trauma |
| Page count | 358 pages |
| Spice level | 2/5 (there are a few explicit scenes, but they’re more emotional) |
| Read if | You like reading about writers falling in love and you want a romance that feels more serious |
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
“Red,’ she whispered. ‘You don’t always have to be okay.’ She leaned closer and pressed a kiss to his cheek. He was still for a moment. But then he looked at her, and smiled, and murmured, “I know. But I am okay, with you.”
| Tropes | bucket list, strangers to lovers, chronic illness rep, learning to live your life fully + he’s a painter and a redhead! |
| Page count | 373 pages |
| Spice level | 4/5 (spicy scenes happen often when they start and they are very explicit) |
| Read if | You want something swoony and spicy but also very emotional with a heroine you don’t see too often represented |
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
“Has Nicholas ever looked this happy? No. What a shame, to know I’ve been accepting anything less than this smile he’s giving me right now.”
| Tropes | second chance romance, relationship in trouble, enemies to lovers, humor, finding each other again |
| Page count | 368 pages |
| Spice level | 1/5 (there’s one scene but it’s more emotional) |
| Read if | You want a story about what happens after the happily ever after and how two people go from hiding their true selves to having a healthy, fun relationship |
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
“I’m conscious this could be rather burdensome to hear, but you remain the thing I have most chosen for myself. The thing that’s most exclusively mine. The one thing that brings me the deepest joy.”
| Tropes | fake dating, enemies to lovers, family drama, grumpy/sunshine |
| Page count | 425 pages |
| Spice level | 2/5 (there are some very good scenes, but not too many) |
| Read if | You want a funny book that is guaranteed to fix a bad day |
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 D-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 want to say she’s gorgeous. Heart-stopping. If I started, I don’t know how I would stop. I’ve worked my entire adult life to marshal the English language into whatever I wanted. But were I try to capture Katrina with it, it would best even me.”
| Tropes | friends to enemies to lovers, forced proximity, secrets in the past, writers in love, slow burn |
| Page count | 436 pages |
| Spice level | 2/5 (some spicy scenes, but not overly explicit) |
| Read if | You want something that feels literary and is beautifully written and such a slow burn |
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
“No,” he says quietly. “In every universe, it’s you for me. Even if it’s not me for you.”
| Tropes | second chance romance, forced proximity, career changes, friends to lovers |
| Page count | 388 pages |
| Spice level | 3/5 (spicy scenes present, both emotional and explicit) |
| Read if | If you want something that will have you teared up on almost every page, plus if you’re considering leaving a lucrative but soul-sucking career |
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
“During an argument that we had,” he tells me, pitch low, “you called me beautiful. And an insufferable ass. But beautiful. I haven’t gotten over it.”
| Tropes | grumpy/sunshine, dislike to lovers, anxiety rep, down on her luck girl, hurt/comfort |
| Page count | 302 pages |
| Spice level | 2/5 (not too spicy, but there are some scenes that read both emotional and explicit) |
| Read if | You’re a daydreamer at heart and you love reading about heroines finally getting their soft lives |
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
“No. You are divine. You are impossible to get enough of. Perhaps some people would disagree, but those people don’t especially matter, because you’re mine.”
| Tropes | grumpy/sunshine, dislike to lovers, opposites attract, protective MMC |
| Page count | 400 pages |
| Spice level | 4/5 (very spicy with several explicit scenes) |
| Read if | You want a British rom-com with equal amounts of spice, humor and swoon |
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.
At First Spite by Olivia Dade
“We both know you can’t always trust your thoughts when you’re depressed.” His voice was quiet and calm, each word selected with care. “I understand that everything you just said to me feels like the truth right now, but it’s not, sweetheart. It’s not. It’s the unkindest possible interpretation of your life, and it only makes sense if you ignore all context.”
| Tropes | enemies to lovers, forced proximity, lots of hurt/comfort, older MCs (in their 40s), small town setting |
| Page count | 386 pages |
| Spice level | 3/5 (there are a few spicy scenes and they’re explicit but also age appropriate, like his knees will hurt and stuff like that) |
| Read if | You want a book that’s both funny and heart-breaking with lots of mental health talk |
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!
First Time Caller by B. K. Borison
“I’m thinking about her, about us, about this. About this tiny café across from her house and all the places we almost met. About the right time, the right place, the right moment. I’m thinking about the way her hand fits in mine, and the way my heart drums out a beat that matches her name. Lu-cie. Lu-cie. Lu-cie.”
| Tropes | friends to lovers, single mom, radio hosts in love |
| Page count | 422 pages |
| Spice level | 3/5 (surprisingly spicy and explicit) |
| Read if | You want a romance book that feels like a warm hug or being wrapped in your favorite sweater or a blanket. |
B. K. Borison writes some of the coziest 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!
Seven Days in June by Tia Williams
“I know what I was like.” “You don’t.” Shane went dead serious. “You burst into my solitude, demanding to be seen. You were overwhelming. Just wild and weird and brilliant, and I never had a choice. I liked everything about you. Even the scary parts. I wanted to drown in your fucking bathwater.”
| Tropes | lovers to strangers/enemies to lovers, second chance romance, single mom, chronic illness rep, writers in love |
| Page count | 336 pages |
| Spice level | 2/5 (it’s spicy but not too often) |
| Read if | You want a romance that feels elevated and more somehow (?), with really good character development |
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
“You could be my entire world,” he whispers in my ear before moving to my collarbone. “If you let me.”
| Tropes | enemies to lovers, forced proximity, women in STEM |
| Page count | 389 pages |
| Spice level | 3/5 (it’s spicy, with a few explicit scenes) |
| Read if | You want something funny, spicy and just a really good time (also, to me it’s better than The Love Hypothesis) |
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
“Images flash through his mind, like someone flipping through a stack of half-developed Polaroids. Huge chunks of the past eight years are completely wiped from his brain, but every tiny interaction he’s had with this woman is burned into his memory. He’s never been able to overwrite them.”
| Tropes | enemies to friends to lovers, slow burn, opposites attract |
| Page count | 448 pages |
| Spice level | 3/5 (it’s spicy, with a few explicit scenes) |
| Read if | You want something that feels like a 90’s rom-com |
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.
Problematic Summer Romance by Ali Hazelwood
“I have never wanted anything as desperately, as ungovernably, as persistently as I want you. Not a single goddamn thing. Not my dead mother back. Not revenge. Not the well-being of the people I love. Not professional success, not even my own happiness. Absolutely nothing has consumed me as mercilessly as you have.”
| Tropes | age gap romance, friends to lovers, brother’s best friend |
| Page count | 416 pages |
| Spice level | 2/5 (a few spicy scenes, far less than you’d expect) |
| Read if | You want something that’s kind of silly, kind of taboo, but without being toxic |
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
“And I know I’m not who you pictured yourself with, but I think I could be, eventually. If you’ll let me. So don’t go. Because I don’t want you to. Because you’re my best friend, and I’m in love with you.”
| Tropes | friends to lovers, jilted MCs, fake dating |
| Page count | 395 pages |
| Spice level | 2/5 (not too spicy, but a few explicit scenes) |
| Read if | You want to read something that feels like Nick and Jess from New Girl |
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
She saw it happen, almost immediately. All in one big rush, like he couldn’t contain it. Her hands made contact, and that was it. Every muscle in his face just seemed to melt. The deep line between his eyebrows dissolved; his tightly pressed together lips parted. And though she could see him fighting to keep his eyes squeezed shut—like this was agony, like it was unbearable, like she was killing him with her fingertips—she could see them started to smooth out.
| Tropes | dislike to lovers, grumpy/sunshine, body positivity, men’s mental health |
| Page count | 336 pages |
| Spice level | 2/5 (I didn’t find this too spicy, but there are some explicit scenes) |
| Read if | You want something easy-breezy light and funny |
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.
Deep End by Ali Hazelwood
“From the very start, you had all the power. From the very start, I was in the palm of your hand.”
| Tropes | light dom/sub, college athletes, strangers to lovers (but he kinda liked her the whole time) |
| Page count | 464 pages |
| Spice level | 3/5 (I know I said it’s light dom/sub but it’s not as spicy as you’d think) |
| Read if | You want a sports romance like you’ve never read before |
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.
Emergency Contact by Mary H. K. Choi
“Penny thought of this Korean saying for when you really, really liked something. You’d say it ‘fit your heart exactly.’ Sam fit her heart exactly.”
| Tropes | epistolary romance, friends to lovers, texting, hurt/comfort, anxiety rep |
| Page count | 394 pages |
| Spice level | 0/5 (there’s no spice in this book) |
| Read if | You want something literary, with people falling in love over texts, and both growing so much as people with each other’s help |
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!
An Academic Affair by Jodi McAlister
“I’m not telling you this because I expect anything from you,” I said. “I never have. I never will. I certainly don’t deserve anything from you. If you want to walk away from me, I’ll let you go. But I need you to hear me when I tell you that I’m not going to walk away from you. I love you, Sadie, and there is nothing you can say or do that will ever make me want to leave you.”
| Tropes | enemies to lovers, academic rivals, marriage of convenience, he falls first and harder |
| Page count | 368 pages |
| Spice level | 2/5 (spicy, but also emotional) |
| Read if | You want something literary, with people falling in love over texts, and both growing so much as people with each other’s help |
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.
Two Wrongs Make a Right by Chloe Liese
“I’m saying you’re the best kind of chaos I’ve ever met. And while chaos used to terrify me, you make me crave it. I’m saying, even though this is an absurd situation we’ve backed ourselves into… I’d do it again in a heartbeat because it’s given me you.”
| Tropes | fake dating, opposites attract, anxiety and autism rep |
| Page count | 326 pages |
| Spice level | 3/5 (it’s quite spicy, and the spicy scenes are both emotional and explicit) |
| Read if | You want something with a healthy romance, and a nerdy guy that’s actually quite swoony |
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
“Do you see now? You’re always giving me things that remind you of me, but I’m over here stealing things that remind me of you. I’m not humoring you, Bree. I’m not taking this lightly. I’m so devastatingly in love with you, it hurts sometimes—and I have been since high school.”
| Tropes | friends to lovers, fake dating, slow burn |
| Page count | 306 pages |
| Spice level | 0/5 (this is closed door, but there are some very steamy scenes in there) |
| Read if | You want something charming and funny with friends to lovers |
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.
Funny Feelings by Tarah DeWitt
“I don’t know what I believe in as far as a higher power, Fee, but I know that I now believe that rainstorms always precede something amazing because you came into our lives on the tail end of one.”
| Tropes | friends to lovers, fake dating, age gap romance |
| Page count | 320 pages |
| Spice level | 2/5 (slow burn-y but spicy and explicit when it gets there) |
| Read if | You want a unique take on friends to lovers, with a bit of an age gap and tons of yearning |
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!
Practice Makes Perfect by Sarah Adams
“Please. Just let me be here. I don’t know why, but I can’t be anywhere else. I tried but my feet keep bringing me back here to your door.”
| Tropes | he falls first and harder, he teaches her how to date, friends to lovers-ish, fake dating |
| Page count | 335 pages |
| Spice level | 0/5 (closed door, but some very steamy scenes in here) |
| Read if | You want something cute and sweet |
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.
Final Thoughts
So there! All of my favorite and most-loved contemporary romance books in one place. I hope you find the one (or more, fingers crossed!) for you. But if not, let me know down in the comments and I’ll make sure to give you a personalized recommendation based on your tastes. And if you prefer browsing on your own, here are some pages you can start with:
- If you’re curious about my very favorite books, here are the best romance books of all time.
- If you enjoy a bit of taboo, you can try my favorite age gap romance books.
- If you prefer watching love reignite instead, here are the top-tier second chance romance books.
- I also love classics, so you can find the best romance classics here.
- And if by chance you enjoy historicals more, here are my god-tier historical romance books.
- If you want to be 100% sure to avoid insta-love, these are my favorite slow burn romances.
- And if you were intrigued by Emergency Contact and its epistolary elements, I have just the perfect books with love letters (or texts) here.
- If, instead, you were intrigued by the notion of romance MCs being over 40, then you can find more mature romance books here.
- And if you prefer your romance with some mystery, try these romantic suspense books.
What’s your favorite contemporary romance novel? Let me know in the comments below and let’s chat!
