Moving on from Fabio – and no offense to him – we’ve come a long way in the romance world. There’s less stigma attached to reading romance, and while there is still is a huge diversity problem in romance publishing and how we report it, romance novels are increasingly more diverse. So let’s talk contemporary romance. These are 16 of the best contemporary romance novels that have been published in the last five years. Note that many are by authors of color, and some of the stories feature queer couples. Published romance novels are slowly becoming more diverse in their storytelling, and that diversity is worth celebrating. Prepare yourself for these steamy reads – hot romances coming at ya below!
Best Contemporary Romance Novels
Want even more of the best contemporary romance novels? No problem! Here are 50 more must-read contemporary romance novels from the last few years.
The story explores romance, of course, but it also discusses family relationships, identity, and defining your own happiness.
Like in many books (and real life), family relations complicate things at a time when Tina is already feeling uneasy about what she has going on. Her mother and father want to set up with different men, a former flame is at the wedding (ooh la la), her best friend might add to the drama, and she has to decide her future.
In this story, main character Chloe Brown has a near-death experience and decides to add some excitement to her life. She becomes involved with her neighbor, that helps her with her list, and who she spies on sometimes. In the end, Chloe learns more about him, beyond his image.
This book is the first of the Brown Sisters series; all of the books are romance, and each follows a different sister.
He meets Oliver, a serious lawyer, who seems like he’d be a good fake boyfriend. They develop a ruse, with plans to ultimately sever ties, but they start catching feelings.
This is one of those “opposites attract” type of novels.
Online dating isn’t really working out for her. Plus, to make things more complicated, she has a fake online identity. Through that fake identity, she connects with Reid, and they form a connection. It looks like Millie will be making some tough decisions.
Stella makes a lot of money at her job, which Michael accepts, and they explore things. This arrangement is supposed to be strictly transactional, but feelings develop. Maybe Stella can still have math, and get her man.
So, she decides she’ll give things a try with Eric, who her family approves of. Her work rival Suresh, however, might be making a play for her heart.
The U.S. has a woman president, and her son Alex does not get along with the British prince, Henry. Obviously, this type of gossip makes headlines, but it’s not good optics. So, the two are forced to promote a fake friendship.
They get to know each other this way, and a secret romance develops. You bet things get complicated. Am I the only one that hears Avril Lavigne all of a sudden?
This story has some Dancing with the Stars TV show vibes, since its main character is one of the pros on a professional dancing show. Gina is partnered with an attractive reality show star who doesn’t even want to be on the show.
Insert the fierce competition on the dance floor, their undeniable chemistry, some secrets, and paparazzi attention, and you have a recipe for drama.
Rhiannon and Samson, two dating app creators (and rivals), share intimate moments before one of them gets ghosted. Unfortunately, that’s not uncommon in this day and age. However, he shows up months later wanting to get together.
In this story, it’s be tricky to mix business with pleasure. The Right Swipe is the first book of the Modern Love romance series.
Hollywood hotshot Jo shares a laugh with her assistant on the red carpet. That moment is misconstrued, so people now think that something’s going on between the two of the. Their lives change and they have to decide if the romance is worth it.
The book is set to be adapted into a movie. According to Variety, the plan is to release the movie in late 2021. One of the main characters will be played by actor Lucy Hale, who was part of the Pretty Little Liars TV show, based on those books.
Real developments happen and they spend time together after the wedding, once they’ve both gone home. You could say there’s some miscommunication along the way, and being long distance comes with its challenges. They’ll ultimately have to figure out if they have a future together.
It Happened One Summer is set in the Pacific Northwest where rich, party girl Piper is sent by her stepfather, after going to jail. There, she runs a bar with her sister and “meets big, bearded sea captain Brendan” – yes, a sea captain!
Due to the travel component of his job, Brendan isn’t around all the time, but that doesn’t stop the two of them from developing chemistry. While Piper is getting back to her roots at her late dad’s bar, she starts to wonder where she wants to be.
They both need to take the next steps in their work and as a result, team up for a seminar series called Modern Intimacy. She’s looking to lecture in educational settings, and he’s trying to make sure his synagogue stays open. As they work together, they become interested in each other, which wasn’t part of the plan.
Sam, the CEO of a company, accidentally ends up in the same office space as Layla. They have a connection, but remember that Layla has other men vying for her attention. Sam lives a calm life, but Layla’s life is different.
