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No matter the subgenre, great romance books will thrive. Well-written romance novels have complex and nuanced main characters who have their own lives, but who still fit well together. These love stories are easy to root for and get attached to, and their interactions are filled with great chemistry and banter. No matter the obstacles that they are facing, they ultimately come together by the end of the novel for their Happily Ever After.
Contemporary romance, in particular, is an especially enjoyable subgenre. These stories take place in a modern setting, typically have high emotional stakes but low physical ones, and are often cozy and comedic. Readers can enjoy these novels, knowing that a happy ending is in store for the main pairing, even if quite a bit of miscommunication is as well. These are contemporary romance books that are perfect from start to finish.
'To Sir, with Love' (2021)
Inspired by You've Got Mail,To Sir, with Love by Lauren Layne tells the love story of two real-life rivals who don't know that they've been falling in love with each other online. Gracie Cooper is an aspiring artist who has taken over her father's champagne shop in the wake of his death. The family business may not be Gracie's passion, but she believes in what they do, and she's trying to make it work. Unfortunately, a big corporation is determined to buy them out and destroy their business, and their spokesperson, Sebastian Andrews, can't understand Gracie's opposition to this.
All the while, Gracie has been falling for a stranger whom she met on a dating app. They know each other only as "Sir" and "Lady," and they don't know what the other looks like, or anything about each other's real lives. All Gracie knows is that she connects with Sir in a way that she never has with anyone else. What Gracie doesn't know, though, is that Sebastian is Sir. He doesn't know about her, either, and the closer they get online, the more they grow to dislike each other in real life. To Sir, with Love is the perfect mental vacation throughout, with cozy vibes and an absolutely delightful main romance.
'Boyfriend Material' (2020)
Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall is an absolutely hilarious fake-dating rom-com. It follows Luc O'Donnell, the 28-year-old son of two former rockstars. Luc's father left when he was young, and Luc never really knew him, but his life is always being upended by his father's fame. After some recent bad press, the obscure charity that Luc works for threatens to fire him for being the "wrong" kind of gay man, unless he can get a respectable boyfriend in time for an upcoming event.
Panicked and determined to keep his job, Luc decides to fake-date Oliver Blackwood, a barrister with whom he shares a mutual friend. Luc and Oliver have never gotten along, and Luc always feels like Oliver is judging him. Still, though, they both know that they would benefit from having a fake boyfriend to accompany them to upcoming commitments. Thus, the two of them agree to start fake-dating, and, in spending more time together, they realize that their initial impressions of each other might have been wrong. Boyfriend Material is a true romantic comedy. It's sharply funny, and Luc and Oliver have an amazing connection that jumps off the page.
'Thank You for Listening' (2022)
Thank You for Listening by Julia Whelan follows Sewanee Chester, a former actress who lost her career after a tragic accident took her right eye. Sewanee is now an audiobook narrator — and a very successful one at that. She used to narrate romance novels under a pseudonym, but she gave up on them years ago. After the death of June French, a wildly successful author of romance novels, for whom Sewanee used to narrate, Sewanee is chosen to narrate June's last book. It's a dual POV novel that requires two narrators, and for the other, June requested the mysterious Brock McKnight.
Brock McKnight is the most famous romance audiobook narrator by far. His voice is known and beloved in the romance reader community, and many of his listeners are enamored with him. Brock works under a pseudonym as well and has always been very secretive about his identity, so he and Sewanee start working on the project together by exchanging emails. Through these emails, the two really get to know each other, and Sewanee finds herself deeply connecting with another person in a way that she hasn't let herself in a long time. Thank You for Listening is an excellent romance novel, both for Sewanee's journey, and for her truly delightful love story.
'One Last Stop' (2021)
One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston is a contemporary romance with a speculative twist. It follows August Landry, a 23-year-old woman who has just moved to New York City. It's a big adjustment for August, but she soon finds her footing, largely thanks to her new roommates. One day, August is riding the subway, when she meets her dream woman. Jane Su is cool, calm, and everything that August is looking for. The only problem is, Jane doesn't remember much about herself, except that she is actually an accidental time traveler from the 1970s.
One Last Stop is a fantastic romance novel that both follows August's journey of finding a home and family for herself in the city, as well as slowly builds a real connection between August and Jane. August has quite a bit of experience with detective work, so she tries to help Jane piece together past details about herself. In the process, the two only become closer, and August starts to realize how much it will affect her if Jane ever does go back to her time.
'Get a Life, Chloe Brown' (2019)
Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert is the first in Hibbert's trilogy about the three Brown sisters each finding love. The novel follows Chloe Brown, a chronically ill woman who has been struggling with isolation and a stale routine in the wake of her illness. After a near-death experience, Chloe decides to shake things up and finally live the life that she wants for herself. This starts with making a list of everything she believes she needs to do in order to kickstart the next stage of her life.
First, Chloe moves out of her parents' house and into her own apartment. There, she meets Red, the building's superintendent and her new neighbor. Red is bold and adventurous in all the ways that Chloe is unable to be, so she asks him to help her check off the items on her list. Thus begins a fun and delightful quest that sees Chloe and Red going out of their way to tick off each item on her list, and in doing so, they slowly open up to each other along the way. Get a Life, Chloe Brown is a funny, heartwarming romance novel, and it is wonderful all the way through.
'The Charm Offensive' (2021)
The Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun is a delightful spin on The Bachelor. It follows Dev Deshpande, the star producer of a reality dating show called Ever After. Dev is phenomenal at his job for a reason: he adores a great love story, and he knows how to write and sell them. Ever After is a fictionalized version of The Bachelorthat casts a male lead who has to decide between a group of women. This season's lead is Charlie Winshaw, a tech millionaire who's recently and publicly gotten into some hot water.
In order to save his image, Charlie has agreed to be this season's lead. The problem is, he is doing so very reluctantly. He has no interest in charming his contestants or the show's viewers, and he'd rather be anywhere else. Charlie does feel a connection to Dev, though, and he quickly starts to lean on him throughout the process. Dev, on the other hand, needs Charlie to fall for one of the women, but he can't help his own growing feelings for the one person he absolutely can't fall for.The Charm Offensive is as fun as it is sweet, and it is an absolute joy to read – and reread.
'Book Lovers' (2022)
Emily Henry is well-known for her phenomenal romance novels, which include the sharply funny and truly captivating Book Lovers. The novel follows Nora Stephens, a successful literary agent who lives in New York City. Nora has been unlucky in love after regularly getting dumped in Hallmark-movie-style scenarios that have seen her exes leave her for women in cozy small towns. Now, her sister has convinced her to take a month-long vacation together to one such town: Sunshine Falls, North Carolina, which happens to be where one of Nora's clients sets her novels.
While in Sunshine Falls, Nora runs into Charlie Lastra, a book editor whom she dislikes.As it turns out, Sunshine Falls is Charlie's hometown, and he's in town to help his parents out with their bookstore. Despite their previous negative interactions, Nora and Charlie keep crossing paths in Sunshine Falls, and they start to realize that they have more in common than they initially thought. Book Lovers is full of funny banter and sweet romantic moments between Nora and Charlie, and it is a true delight of a novel.
