Romance is one of the longest-lasting genres in the entirety of fiction. For almost as long as humans have been telling stories, romance has been a titillating genre.
The excitement of falling in love is a difficult feeling to replicate, so only the best romantic stories and novels genuinely stand the test of time.
Of course, some of the most popular romance novels even to this day are those that were written many years ago. While this is a testament to how great they are, this can also often leave romance fans wishing that they could read something a little more contemporary.
A romance story from the modern age that has clear staying power, and will soon enough become a classic.
Well, luckily, if you have been looking for exactly this, then you have come to the right place, because today, we will look at 10 of the best modern romance novels you need to read!
Keep reading below to discover our top picks!
1. The Flatshare - Beth O’Leary
You might actually recognize The Flatshare thanks to its new television adaptation which was recently released on Paramount+. The Flatshare depicts the story of two people in desperate need of a cheap apartment. Their solution? To share the same apartment, but live in it at different times.
Protagonist Tiffy Moore gets the lion's-share of the apartment as she uses it as her home between daytime shifts at work. However, during the daytime, night-shift worker Leon Twomey uses the flat as his home, while Tiffy is out of the house at work!
What starts as a convenient way for the two to save a lot of money without having to see each other soon gives way to secretive flirting through post-it notes, left behind between each shift in the flat. From there, the romance continues to blossom, growing more and more electric.
We were totally obsessed with this book the entire time that we were reading it, and we loved how everything came together in the end, and you will too!
2. Red, White & Royal Blue - Casey McQuiston
If you wish that your romantic fiction was injected with a little bit of political intrigue, then you should look no further than Red, White & Royal Blue. This book depicts the story of the fictional son of America’s first female president: Alex Claremont-Diaz.
However, things are not all great when you are the president’s son, and soon tabloid reporting suggests that there is friction between Alex and the fictional Prince of the British royal family, Prince Henry.
In an effort to assuage the tabloids, and repair the damage that this altercation has had on the presidential and royal families, it is decided for the two to create a fictional friendship perfect for sharing on Instagram. However, it doesn't take long before romance blossoms between the two.
This gay romance novel is full of electricity, and there are some truly romantic scenes dotted throughout. You’ll have a hard time keeping your heart from racing!
3. You Made A Fool Of Death With Your Beauty - Akwaeke Emezi
If that amazing title was enough to capture your attention, then we just know you’ll have a great time reading through the masterful prose presented in this novel.
Akwaeke Emezi is the kind of author that only comes around once in a generation, and her words practically flow off of the page with such natural grace you’ll find that this book quickly flows by.
The story follows protagonist Feyi Adekola as she slowly acclimates to life after the unfortunate death of her love. Feyi soon finds herself on the kind of trip many of us would dream of, as she is whisked away to a luxury tropical island to stay at the home of a celebrity chef.
The only problem is, Feyi already has a new boyfriend, but she’s found herself catching feelings for the one person on the island that is totally off-limits. This novel, while being electric with passion, is also full of beautiful discussions around grief and healing, making it one of the most uplifting works on this list!
4. Something Fabulous - Alexis Hall
Historical romance isn’t anything particularly new, but what is currently taking the world of book readers by storm is historical LGBTQ+ fiction! Because of the massive persecution that LGBTQ+ people would have faced in historic times, this can help to lend a little bit of extra excitement to any LGBTQ+ story.
Perhaps no author knows of the power of historical LGBTQ+ fiction than Alexis Hall who has earned a name for her ability to create beautiful and exciting romance stories.
Something Fabulous is just one of the latest in Alexis’ long line of amazing historical romantic fiction and features the story of a duke, previously betrothed to another woman, who suddenly finds himself developing feelings for her twin brother!
5. The Kiss Quotient - Helen Hoang
This book went totally viral on TikTok due to how exciting it is, and it’s definitely not hard to see exactly why.
The Kiss Quotient follows the story of Stella Lane, a market analyst who puts everything in her life down to mathematics. She believes that everything can be predicted with algorithms, which has made her much less of a risk-taker.
This means that Stella Lane is totally ill-equipped when it comes to the world of dating.
Confronted with the prospect of dating, Stella decides to get some practice by hiring a professional escort to teach her how to enjoy kissing and everything else that love entails. Soon, Stella finds herself developing real and unpredictable feelings!
6. Act Your Age, Eve Brown - Talia Hibbert
This story follows protagonist Eve Brown, known amongst her family and friends as permanently chaos-prone. No matter how hard Eve tries, things just go wrong around her! Deciding she needs a change in her life, the chaotic Eve Brown takes on a chef job at a local B&B, run by its uptight owner.
However, when the owner of the B&B finds himself bedridden, Eve is given the run of the B&B, giving her an opportunity to prove herself.
But to make things more complicated, Eve soon develops feelings for the B&B owner, and before long the two begin to develop an intense romance that just might clash with their professional needs! How do they navigate through it? Read it to find out!
7. People We Meet On Vacation - Emily Henry
The story of this novel centers around protagonist Poppy, who has long-unspoken feelings for her best friend Alex. The two used to take annual vacations together every Summer, but for the last two years, the two have forgone this trip after a massive falling out.
Finding herself missing the friendship she once shared, Poppy arranges for herself and Alex to head back out for a new vacation where they will solve all of their problems. It’s amazing reading how they manage to patch everything up.
This novel not only explores feelings of love but also explores the line that divides love and friendship, to see if they really are so different!
8. The Love Hypothesis - Ali Hazelwood
This science-oriented romantic novel is surprisingly steamy! You’ll have a hard time resisting the chance to read just one more chapter because it truly is that gripping and surprising.
The story follows Ph.D. hopeful Olive Smith as she finds herself caught up in a tale of fake romance all of her own design.
In order to convince her best friend that she isn’t so much of a prude as she thinks, Olive enters into a fake relationship with Adam Carlsen, a hotshot professor at her university. However, fake feelings soon give way to unexpected and very real feelings.
The once love-averse Olive soon finds herself giving in to the irresistible pull of love, coming to accept the love hypothesis!
9. It Happened One Summer - Tessa Bailey
Perennial wild child Piper Bellinger very quickly finds herself in hot water with the press, which causes her father to send her to spend time working at a rundown dive bar in Washington.
More used to the extravagant lifestyle, Piper is resistant to the task, but when the sexy and bearded captain Brendan rocks into the bar one day, Piper finds herself desperate to prove that she can make it work.
As she begins to open up more to the rural charms of the local town, Piper finds herself falling deeper and deeper for Brendan, and soon romantic drama unlike anything you’ve ever read ensues!
10. The Unhoneymooners - Christina Lauren
Let’s close off our list with one of the best surprises in the world of romance novels that we have experienced in recent years.
When the ever-unlucky Olive finds herself presented with the opportunity to take a free vacation to Hawaii, after her sister’s entire wedding party becomes ill from eating bad shellfish, Olive decides to take the plunge and head out with the man she had been paired with at the wedding, Ethan.
However, despite being resistant to love, Olive soon finds that the romantic and exotic locales of Hawaii put her in an incredibly romantic mood, and soon her feelings for Ethan begin to bloom into life.
There’s some real surprises dotted through this book, so definitely give it a try yourself!
Summary
If you’ve been looking for some cool, interesting modern romance novels to read, then some of these should definitely be on your list!
