50 Best Modern Contemporary Romance Novels to Read

Crazy Little Thing

Author Tracy Brogan

Sadie is a control freak who prefers that life be in perfect order at all times. When she finds out her husband has been cheating on her, she files for divorce and heads out to her Aunt Dody’s house for a little rest and relaxation. She also swears off men so that she can get rid of all the chaos in her life. When she meets her aunt’s neighbor, Desmond, he seems perfect, but she knows that can’t be true because after all, he is a man. But, Desmond may be just the one to prove her wrong.

Herons Landing

Author JoAnn Ross

This is a touching story of the relationship between Brianna, who returns to her small hometown for a visit, but ends up staying permanently, and Seth, who is Brianna’s best friend’s widower – and her high-school crush. When Brianna hires Seth to do some renovation work for her, the relationship starts to change, and the readers will enjoy each and every step these two take to get to the relationship they both deserve to have

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Why Not Tonight

Author Susan Mallery

Natalie has an art gallery where she displays numerous artists’ best works, including a glass artist named Ronan Mitchell. When she heads out to Ronan’s house to check on him during a downpour and gets stranded by a mudslide at his home, the two develop a relationship. Ronan’s heart has been damaged, causing him to be almost annoyed at the always cheerful, perky Natalie. But, her personality is just what his heart needs, and in the end they both find out that fairy tales do come true sometimes.

Hot Winter Nights

Author Jill Shalvis

After Molly and Lucas spend the night together, Lucas is too drunk to realize later on that nothing actually happened between them, but Molly prefers that he think otherwise. Lucas is convinced that Molly is the strongest and most interesting women he’s ever met, but he is afraid that if her brother Joe finds out about what supposedly happened that night, he’s going to be in big trouble. When his PI work sends him to babysit her for his next assignment, sparks fly, and the rest is history.

Welcome to Moonlight Harbor

Author Sheila Roberts

Jenna is about to turn 40 and getting a divorce, wondering how she is going to support herself and her teenage daughter. Just when she’s about to give up, her Aunt Edie asks her to come and live with her and help her run her business, The Driftwood Inn. But, Jenna is surprised when she sees the condition of the place and starts to question her decision to come and help her aunt. Still, she allows herself some time and pretty soon, both the inn and her love life start to show some amazing results.

Cottage by the Sea

Author Debbie Macomber

After experiencing some turmoil, Annie heads to the one place that used to make her feel better many years ago – Oceanside. She quickly starts to make friends, including her reclusive landlord, a troubled teenager, and a good-looking neighbor named Keaton, who agrees to help her renovate the cottage she now owns. Just when things start to look a little brighter, Annie is handed an opportunity that she knows will be beneficial to her, but it also means leaving Oceanside. What will she do in the end?

Saved

Author Angel Payne

Garrett is a member of the special forces unit who agrees to go on a dangerous mission because the kidnapping and death of his one true love months earlier has made him a shell of a man, and he doesn’t care if he lives or dies. He is sent to Thailand to rescue a group of kidnapped aid workers. Lo and behold, that group includes the fiancée he thought was dead. But, Garrett is now broken, and although he has now saved his fiancée’s life, is it possible for her to come back and save his soul?

The Left Side of Perfect

Author Meghan Quinn

This novel tells the story of Colby and Ryan, and it has a lot of ups and downs, and even some twists that will keep you in knots at times and feeling warm and fuzzy inside the rest of the time. Ryan is best friends with Colby’s ex-girlfriend, so the two already know one another. They meet as friends and stay that way for a little bit, until they discover that there is so much more than friendship between them.

The Long Way Home

Author Mariah Stewart

Ellie has a very privileged life until her father is sent to prison for running a Ponzi scheme, along with her fiancée who was in on the plot. Broke in more ways than one, Ellie heads out to the small town where her late mother has left her a home, which she plans to sell so that she can move on with her life. But, the place is in shambles, so she has to play do-it-yourself renovator until the house is ready to sell. Not to worry, though, because that handsome construction guy is making the process well worth it all.

Hidden

Author Kendra Elliot

Lacey is an odontologist for the police department and arrives at a crime scene to discover that the skeletal remains she is now viewing are those of her friend who was killed years earlier by a serial killer. The remains are found on the property of an ex-cop named Jack, and people want to know why. Lacey and Jack have an immediate attraction to one another, but if he is the actual killer of Lacey’s friend, how is she supposed to move on with her feelings towards him?

Author Kaylee Baldwin

Alyssa feels cursed and avoids love at all costs, and when she goes to her sister’s house to help her with her two girls, she sees Derek – her main crush and someone who always manages to see her at her worst. Derek is a single father who blames Alyssa’s family for the breakup of his marriage, and he is also finding it difficult to attend his daughter’s football games because he is always dodging the women who wish to date him. So, when Alyssa and Derek pretend they are a couple to ward off those women, they are both surprised to find out that they have true feelings for one another.

The Fix

Author Sylvie Stewart

Laney and Nate are attracted to one another, but they each have their challenges. For Laney, it’s her deadbeat brother who lives with her and her boring job. For Nate, it’s being back at home and tending to family responsibilities. But, Nate is determined to be Laney’s hero, or prince, or just a guy – whatever she is looking for at the moment. Will Laney’s closed-off heart prevent this fairy tale from its happily ever after ending?

Meet Me at Beachcomber Bay

Author Jill Mansell

When Clemency meets Sam, she is immediately smitten with him. There is only one problem – he is married. Years later, when Clemency thinks she has forgotten all about him, he shows up in her life as her sister’s boyfriend. Clemency loves her sister, but she still hasn’t forgotten the passion he still instills in her. Who will win in the end – her sister or the man she considers her true love?

With This Man

Author Jo Ellen Malpas

Jesse and Ava have a great, loving marriage until an accident lands Ava in the hospital. When she awakens, Jesse realizes that she is unable to remember the past 16 years of her life, which means she doesn’t recognize him, either. Devastated, Jesse decides to work very hard to get Ava to remember him, regardless of what it takes. Even if it means she has to fall in love with him all over again.

Sprinkles on Top

Author Kim Law

Holly Marshall is eccentric and fun loving, and she is convinced that her quirky small town is the only place that she’ll ever enjoy living in. Zack Winston hates small towns, but he is becoming more smitten with Holly with each passing day. Can their relationship develop enough to make Zack stay in the end, or will he do what he always does and flee this tiny town?

Sweet Revenge

Author Nora Roberts

Princess Adrianne leads a very luxurious life because of her wealth, but under the façade she is a broken woman, dying to get revenge on the father that tortured her family while she was growing up. Philip is charming, handsome, and clever, and he has reasons of his own for getting close to the princess. In a race against time, Princess Adrianne is caught between the two men in her life, and she is working hard to establish a relationship with one while getting even with the other.

Hot Buttered Yum

Author Kim Law

Roni’s heart is guarded due to her tumultuous past, and when she becomes the master of ceremonies for her town’s Yummy Santa contest, she notices one of the contestants and starts to melt. Lucas, however, is more than just a hot body. He is all heart, especially with the charity he is volunteering for because they helped him with his daughter’s illness. But, will carefree Roni and self-proclaimed nerd Lucas be able to commit to one another, or is it all a waste of time?

Made with Love

Author M.K. Shaddix

When Julie loses her fiancée, her job, and even her faith in the future, she heads out to Ireland to claim what her late grandmother left her in her will. After she becomes a guest in her aunt’s home, she meets a good-looking vet named Michael. With plans to go back home after she settles her grandmother’s estate, she starts to have mixed feelings about leaving. Could Michael be the one to change her mind and make her stay, and, therefore, help her find the love that she’s been trying to find for so long?

The Rebellious One

Author Jeanette Lewis

Holly has enjoyed wealth her entire life, and when she finds herself engaged to a man she doesn’t love just because he is her father’s partner’s son, she decides to get rebellious and get out of the nuptials. When she meets a sexy man named Jordan, she is immediately smitten, but unbeknownst to her, Jordan has secrets. Not just any secrets, but the type of secrets that could change Holly’s life forever.

Aflame

Author Penelope Douglas

Tate is a female race-car driver who is in a long-term relationship with Jared, another driver. Their bumpy, roller-coaster relationship has been on-again, off-again for many years, but now, the tables are turned and she is the one in control. With two strong willed, vivacious characters, this story contains a lot of passion, excitement, and unexpected twists and turns, and it will have you looking forward to turning the page to see what’s next.

September: A Novel

Author Rosamunde Pilcher

With a diverse and very interesting cast of characters, this story tells many different stories that involve homecomings, betrayals, heartbreaks, forgiveness, and of course, love. Set in post-war Scotland, it tells each of their poignant stories as they come together to celebrate a 21st birthday for a local girl. The characters are rich and diverse and come from many different age groups, and the reader will revel in every one of these amazing stories.

The Rosie Project

Author Graeme Simsion

Don is a professor and very organized, relying on his charts and data to make his next decisions. When he decides he needs a wife, he develops a program to weed out the undesirables so that he can find exactly what he wants. He finds it in a bartender named Rosie, but he quickly becomes intrigued by one of her many sides – the desire to find her biological father. Don quickly learns that sometimes you don’t find love, because it finds you instead, as his relationship with Rosie becomes as unpredictable as she is.

Author Robyn Carr

Melinda is a nurse midwife who moves to a remote town to take a new job, but she becomes disappointed as soon as she arrives. The cabin she’s supposed to stay in is a dump, and the local doctor wants nothing to do with her. She decides she doesn’t want to stay until two things happen to change her mind. The first one is a tiny baby, and the second one is a handsome former marine named Jack. Could this situation be what she needs to forget past heartaches and go on with her life?

Redemption Bay

Author RaeAnne Thayne

McKenzie is the new mayor of Haven Point and a lifelong resident. She feels differently about the town than her past crush, Ben, whose factory closing left the town in shambles years earlier. Now, Ben is returning to open a high-tech business and hopes to mend fences along the way. McKenzie has mixed feelings about his return, but the longer the two work and live together, the more her feelings start to change. Will it be enough to forgive him and maybe even reestablish their relationship?

Lilac Lane

Author Sherryl Woods

Kiera has had her share of heartbreak, so she decides to leave Ireland and cross the ocean to Chesapeake Shores, where her son-in-law’s Irish pub becomes her next employer. When she meets Bryan, their moody cook, it isn’t exactly love at first sight, and their kitchen wars become the stuff legends are made of. But, with all of this passion, there has to be some intense feelings for one another, if only they will stop denying those feelings and let fate take its course.

The Boy I Hate

Author Taylor Sullivan

Tristan is a heartthrob and the older brother of Samantha’s best friend Renee. Renee appreciates the fact that Samantha has resisted Tristan’s charms throughout her life. But, when Tristan and Samantha spend time alone together, she starts to question her alleged hatred towards him. The tryst becomes a secret they both want to keep, but years later they have to make a cross-country trip together to attend Renee’s wedding. Will Samantha be able to keep that tryst, and her growing feelings towards Tristan a secret, or will she deny her one chance at true love?

The Paramedic's Second Chance

Author Elana Johnson

The first time Drew and Gretchen meet, Drew delivers Gretchen’s baby on the side of the road because she and her husband couldn’t make it to the hospital on time. Ten years later, Gretchen is a widow and her ten-year-old daughter gets along great with Drew. Over time, Gretchen grows closer to him as well, but when Drew’s ex-girlfriend comes back into the picture, Gretchen’s insecurities start to show, and she isn’t quite sure what her next step should be.

All You Could Ask For

Author Mike Greenberg

This is the story of three women whose lives become intertwined in ways they never dreamed of. Brooke and Scott have been married for 15 years and she decides to give him naked pictures of herself on his 40th birthday. Samantha is a newlywed who discovers incriminating pictures on her husband’s computer that prove he’s cheating. Then there’s Katherine, a successful businesswoman that finds herself working with the man who broke her heart years earlier. Follow them. Fall in love with them. And root for them through their struggles.

Not Quite Forever

Author Catherine Bybee

Dakota is a romance writer who thinks that true love is only possible in one of her books. Walt is a man with a scarred past who disappears right when their relationship starts to grow. The problem is, Walt is still interested in Dakota, but he has doubts because of his past. Can the relationship survive despite his doubts, her broken heart, and two sets of meddling parents? This is a sweet love story that will have readers looking forward to the next page.

After You

Author Jojo Moyes

Louisa is getting over the heartbreak of losing her love, Will, when she joins a support group which meets in a church basement. There she meets a paramedic named Sam, but right when their relationship starts to grow, someone from Will’s past appears and turns her life upside down. Not only does his visit change the way she feels about almost everything in her life, it also puts a wrench in her plans to get to know Sam a little bit better.

My Not So Perfect Life

Author Sophie Kinsella

Katie is tired of watching other people live the life she desires, especially her boss, a lady named Demeter. When Demeter fires her, Katie retreats to her family’s farm to renegotiate her life. There, she finds romance and a little bit of confusion when Demeter shows up as a guest at her family’s brand new vacation business. Between this stress and her new romance, Katie starts to wonder if her life is ever going to come together in this story of love, loss, and redemption.

The Loving Touch

Author Stoni Alexander

This is the story of Taylor, a shy event planner who finds herself being auctioned off at a fundraiser, and Jagger, a bad boy who “wins” a date with her, only to discover he’s met her before. He knows the girl he met in the past is a lot different than the girl who stands before him now, and when they must work together to save his empire, they each have obstacles to overcome. For her it is insecurities, and for him it is the necessity to confront past sins, and neither of them knows what to expect next.

Summer Secrets at the Apple Blossom Deli

Author Portia Macintosh

This is a laugh out loud comedy romance that is perfect for summertime reading. Lily is a city girl living in a small town and trying to make her deli a success. The locals are suspicious about her, but when she meets the very attractive cider farmer who lives next door, she enlists his help to win them over. However, past secrets come back to haunt her, and she is unsure whether the relationship or her existence in this small town will ever survive.

The Cinderella Deal

Author Jennifer Crusie

Daisy and Linc are not a couple, but they are pretending to be one so that he can capture his dream job. But, even though their relationship is fake, they both find they have feelings for the other one, and they wonder if this will make the situation better or worse. They are determined to make it to the altar, but when the unexpected happens, Daisy wonders what the ending will be. Will she be able to keep her prince, or will this be the end of her dreams?

A Brand New Ball Game

Author Lucy McConnell

Ashley is the new recreation director at Echo Ridge and meets handsome Travis, a coach and bachelor who is determined to never fall in love. But, he finds Ashley both intriguing and beautiful, and he loves her sparkling personality and her love for life. When Ashley’s nephew gets into trouble, both she and Travis work together to help him out, but will their growing attraction for one another get in the way, or will they be able to help both her nephew and their relationship get the help they need?

Author Erica Penrod

Brianne has decided to put her career as a design assistant on a television show first, and her love life second. At least that’s what she’d planned to do, until two men come into her life. The first is handsome Blake, a cameraman on the show, and the second is Jeremy, who is just as good looking as Blake. Now, Brianne finds her career suffering as she tries to handle both her job and her love life, and if she can put past hurts behind her, she just might be successful at both.

Author J. Sterling

This is the story of the relationship between Jack and Cassie, who enjoy a less than perfect love story. When Jack comes to her door with a dozen roses and an apology, Cassie finds her heart melting over him, but in order to forgive him, she needs to know he won’t hurt her again by leaving. Can she trust this man who already hurt her in the past, and can he convince her that he is in this relationship for the long haul this time?

Can You Keep a Secret

Author Sophie Kinsella

Emma is a woman with a lot of secrets, and when she confesses those secrets to a total stranger on a plane ride, she feels they are safe because after all, they don’t even know one another. When she walks into her office later on and hears everyone conversing about the new CEO, she is anxious to meet him – until she realizes that he is that stranger on the plane. At this point, she truly feels that things cannot get worse, but fate may have a different opinion.

Author Olivia Rush

Mason and Becca are next door neighbors with an attraction to one another, but Becca is determined to stay away from love, in part because of her baggage and scars. When her past shows up to haunt her, it is Mason that wants to help her through the situation, but will his interest in her be enough, or is this relationship doomed before it even has a chance to grow and be explored?

Bluestone and Vine

Author Donna Kauffman

When folk singer Pippa leaves her native Ireland for the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia after her voice disappears, one of the first people she meets is Seth, a person who wishes for solitude just as much as she does. She is there to recuperate and get her voice back, and he is there to renovate a property and turn it into a vineyard. But, can two loners find common ground and develop a relationship, or will their goals be too different to move ahead together?

It's in His Heart

Author Shelly Alexander

Ella is not happy when she shows up at her cabin and finds her late husband’s best friend there. Trying to recuperate from her husband’s death, Ella is there for some alone time, and besides, she never liked Cooper anyway. Unfortunately, neither of them will leave the cabin, so for the time being at least, they have to find a way to co-exist under the same roof, which may prove more challenging than either of them thought.

Our Souls at Night

Author Kent Haruf

This is a beautiful love story that describes the blossoming relationship between Addie, a widow, and Louis, a widower. They each live alone in empty houses and have known one another for decades, and when their friendship turns into something more, they help each other out with the challenges and difficulties each of them have faced. A moving story of love and second chances that no reader will ever forget, set in the beautiful state of Colorado.

Falling for Maria

Author Heather B. Moore

Maria and Josh have a slow moving, but steady relationship, but Maria things it is moving a bit too slow. She tries to nudge Josh a little so that the relationship can gather some steam, but first she has to figure out why he is being so hesitant to move forward. All is going as planned, albeit a little slower than Maria would like it to, until she gets a new boss – a boss who is working hard to make sure she knows she’s got an alternative to dear ole Josh.

Slammed

Author Colleen Hoover

Layken is only 18 years old when her father dies, and although she works hard to help her mother and brother get through the ordeal, deep inside she is a wreck. When she meets Will, a new neighbor who shares her passion for poetry slams, the attraction is intense and immediate. But, when a sudden discovery changes their relationship, they have to work extra hard to meet their challenges head on so that their shot at happiness is at least a possibility.

I've Got Your Number

Author Sophie Kinsella

Poppy is planning her wedding to the perfect guy when she loses her engagement ring and her phone at the same time. When she spots what she thinks is her cell phone in a trash can, she picks it up and immediately starts to use it. But, it isn’t long before the true owner, businessman Sam, starts demanding his phone back. The rest of the story centers on their relationship, and the book is captivating, funny, fast-paced, and very unique – the perfect combination for a great love story.

Medicine Man

Author Saffron A. Kent

Willow is a patient at a psychiatric hospital. It has mean nurses and techs that always look like they’re angry about something. But, there is one bright spot in Willow’s life, and that is her time with a man named Simon Blackwood. There’s only one problem, though – Dr. Blackwood is her psychiatrist. He also has a face she loves, but only time and fate will tell if their relationship is meant to be.

Dangerous Desire

Author Nicole R. Locker

Perla Fae has a lot on her mind, including the upcoming anniversary of her parents’ murder, which is unsolved, and a terrible recent breakup. Add to that a sexy bad boy who is also a billionaire that Perla Fae finds herself attracted to, and you’ll understand why her life is so challenging. But, when that billionaire, named Jax, acts as though he is interested in her as well, she starts to regain a little confidence that things will be alright in the end – that is, unless he is interested in gaining more than just her heart.

Serving Pride

Author Jill Sanders

Robert is the sheriff of Pride, Oregon, and the son of a woman who went missing many decades earlier. Amelia is someone he once saved, and she is returning to Pride for what she thinks is a temporary arrangement. However, after seeing Robert again she starts to change her mind, and it isn’t long before she finds herself madly in love with the new sheriff in town.

Room for just a Little Bit More

Author Beth Ehemann

Kacie is a single mom who just found the love of her life. When Brody proposes to her, she immediately starts planning the perfect wedding. But, right when everything seems like it couldn’t be better for her, Kacie gets a letter from the father who left her many years earlier. She has mixed feelings about meeting with this man, especially because she isn’t sure whether he really wants to “catch up” or if he is only interested in her fiancée’s money.

Author Sylvia Day

This is the story of Eva and Gideon, who have a long-term marriage that is running into some challenges. A poignant love story that is interesting until the very last page, the couple learns they will have to fight harder than ever before to make their relationship last. One thing’s for sure – that fight will either bring them closer together, or tear them apart forever.