• Best Contemporary Romance Novels

    The Island House by Elana Johnson

    Charlotte Madsen’s whole world came crashing down six months ago with the words, “I met someone else.”

    Thirty-seven, recently divorced, and childless. That’s Charlotte when she disembarks from the plane in Getaway Bay. She thought the best way to do that was to buy a run-down house overlooking the bay. She’s hoping as she overhauls the house, she’ll get a life makeover too. She was not expecting a tall, handsome man to be under the kitchen sink when she arrives at the supposedly abandoned house. And she certainly wasn’t expecting her heart to be well enough to feel anything for anyone. But former Air Force pilot, Dawson Dane, has a charming devil-may-care personality, and Charlotte could use some carefree laughter in her life. But everything with Dawson isn’t sunshine and unicorns. He’s estranged from his family, though he does speak to one of his brothers. And he’s never committed to anything except his career, even choosing flying over an engagement years ago. Can Charlotte navigate the healing process as she renovates the island house? Can Dawson finally make a commitment to a woman? Or will he and Charlotte decide a relationship is just too hard?

    A 5-star review:

    “This was such a sweet story about starting over when the life you knew is no longer yours… I really enjoyed watching this pair as they healed from those old open wounds and learned to trust one another and themselves. Remember, no matter where you go, there you are. You may be able to run from your life and problems for a time, but you can’t hide from yourself forever.”
    Kristen Lewendon–Goodreads

     

     

  • Best Contemporary Romance Novels

    I Want to Hold your Hand by Marie Force

    For the Abbott siblings, the Green Mountain state has always been an idyllic place to call home. But it isn’t until they open themselves up to love that they’ll truly discover how fulfilling life can be…

    Almost seven years after losing her husband in Iraq, Hannah Abbott Guthrie isn’t sure she’s ready—or able—to move on, but the attentions of a lifelong friend are making her think about it for the first time. The memory of the sweet kiss she shared with Nolan Roberts hasn’t strayed far from her thoughts, but she also fears that pursuing something with him would mean betraying her husband’s memory. Nolan has loved Hannah for years, but he’d been giving her the space she needed to heal from her devastating loss. Now, when an opportunity arises to show her how he feels, Nolan can’t resist, but he knows earning her love will take more than a kiss. Somehow he has to prove to Hannah that finding love twice in a lifetime is possible—and well worth risking her heart. The author’s favorite inspirational quote:

    Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.
    Calvin Coolidge

     

     

  • Best Contemporary Romance Novels

    The Problem with Planning by Claire Cain

    Single dad. Divorcé. Lieutenant Colonel in the US Army. She’s got a plan for love, and it’s not him.

    Livie Anderson’s got a plan for her life and she’s on track for her next step. The last three years traveling Europe and working on a US Army base helped her experience all the adventure she wanted before she settles down in one place and stops the nomadic life. Now, her deadline to return home and start a family is fast approaching and there’s a wrench in her perfect plans. Lieutenant Colonel Eric Wolfe came into her life and it’s getting hard to picture leaving this world behind—but the Army life is the opposite of what she’s always planned for.

    Eric can’t deny his interest in Livie, which is monumental in itself considering his total disinterest in everyone since his divorce three years ago. Despite his efforts to remain just friends, he can’t resist Livie’s pull—her joy, love for life, and genuine way of dealing with people. But he can’t see a way to be with her without subjecting her to the military life that ruined his first marriage, and Livie’s leaving anyway, so why can’t he bring himself to let go?

    Their lives are too different, and their plans don’t match. They definitely shouldn’t date, and they certainly shouldn’t develop feelings. Too bad neither one of them can seem to stay away.

    The author’s view on setting goals:

    “I tend to make goals for every aspect of my life, and sometimes that’s overwhelming, but usually it gives me peace of mind—I feel focused when we get back to work and the routine crushes in. Some things fall by the wayside, but I view that as clarifying more than anything. I’d argue it’s ok to set a goal that you fail to attain—failure isn’t what keeps us from succeeding at accomplishing our goals. As so many smart minds tell us, never starting is the bigger issue.”
    Claire Cain

     

     

  • Best Contemporary Romance Novels

    The Sweet Talker by Gina Azzi

    I’ve sworn off hockey players. Until the pregnancy test turns pink.

    Noah Scotch is revered in Boston, a veritable god on the ice. I’m a nerdy, newly minted college professor who would rather color code my planner than hit the club scene. Noah shouldn’t look at me twice but when he does, I falter. Who can blame me? The sweet talker with the deliciously chiseled abs and sinful chocolate eyes is a force. On and off the ice. One hot and intense night with Noah has me second guessing my lack of a dating life. Growing up in a hockey family, I know better than to get serious with a player. But the more time I spend getting to know Noah, the more my intention to keep things casual rings false. Now, I’ve got a hopeful heart and a baby on the way. I just need to tell Noah. But when I do, will I end up with everything I never knew I wanted? Or on my own?review of the novel:

    “Indy is a great character: smart, driven, focused and still fun. Noah is super sweet and funny, so I liked them both immediately. The supporting cast is Indy’s family, Noah’s brother and other players for the Boston Hawks and I liked them all. They set up the next story in the series well and make me want to read the next one. This is a low-angst, HEA story with real heart and lots of laughs. I highly recommend it.” Daisy Knox

     

     

  • Best Contemporary Romance Novels

    One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid

    A breathtaking new love story about a woman unexpectedly forced to choose between the husband she has long thought dead and the fiancé who has finally brought her back to life.

    In her twenties, Emma Blair marries her high school sweetheart, Jesse. They build a life for themselves, far away from the expectations of their parents and the people of their hometown in Massachusetts. They travel the world together, living life to the fullest and seizing every opportunity for adventure. On their first wedding anniversary, Jesse is on a helicopter over the Pacific when it goes missing. Just like that, Jesse is gone forever. Emma quits her job and moves home in an effort to put her life back together. Years later, now in her thirties, Emma runs into an old friend, Sam, and finds herself falling in love again. When Emma and Sam get engaged, it feels like Emma’s second chance at happiness. That is, until Jesse is found. He’s alive, and he’s been trying all these years to come home to her. With a husband and a fiancé, Emma has to now figure out who she is and what she wants, while trying to protect the ones she loves. Who is her one true love? What does it mean to love truly? The author on her inspiration for the novel:

    “I really wanted to write about an impossible situation. A woman who has to choose between the husband she thought she lost and the fiancé who has made her believe in love again felt pretty impossible to me. I kept asking my friends, ‘If this happened to you, what would you do?’ The fact that no one had an answer felt like a great place to start a book.” Taylor Jenkins Reid

     

     

  • Best Contemporary Romance Novels

    Summer in Sweetbriar Cove by Melody Grace

    Two novels in one, Summer un Sweetbriar Cove takes you to the charming small town on Cape Cod that’s home to friendship, laughter, and feel-good romance. 

    In MEANT TO BE, a runaway bride goes in search of true love on Cape Cod. Romance author Poppy Somerville is hiding out at her aunt’s beach house after calling off her wedding. Handsome next-door-neighbor Cooper is soon keeping her up all night – in more ways than one – but can the couple find a way to heal from past heartache and write a new happily-ever-after? In ALL FOR YOU, pastry chef Summer Bloom is opening her dream bakery in Sweetbriar Cove — much to the dismay of local bookstore owner/landlord Grayson Reid. He’s learned the hard way that a woman can turn your whole world upside down, but Summer’s kisses – and those chocolate croissants – are too tempting to ignore. Can this headstrong pair mix the right ingredients for love? The author on writing about writing in the new adult genre:

    “New adult is about the time when your choices create the world you live in. The relationships you have in your late teens and early twenties are the ones you remember for the rest of your life: everything is intense and new, but has so much consequence too. That vivid, crazy emotion is so much fun to write, and it’s been an amazing challenge to explore the adult side of relationships too.”
    Melody Grace

     

     

  • Best Contemporary Romance Novels

    Country Heaven by Ava Miles

    Emotions Rye faked for the tabloids become all too real, but will the country heaven he’s found in Tory’s arms survive in the real world?

    When famous—and infamous—country singer rock star Rye Crenshaw saunters into the diner where she cooks, Tory Simmons is certain she’s got him pegged. He’s a bad boy who lives large. But while she couldn’t care less about country music or arrogant men, Rye makes her an offer she can’t refuse when he asks her to be his private chef. The job is the answer to all her prayers: it will clear out her debt and finance the fresh start she desperately needs.

    Rye is certain his sassy new cook is the last woman who’d ever tempt him, but spending time with the wholesome girl next door will do wonders for his damaged public image. Her food also happens to be the best he’s ever eaten, both comforting and seductive. They find themselves becoming friends although both are secretly hoping for a whole lots more.
    When an emergency in his family whisks him home, Rye does the one thing he’s never risked: he lets a woman into his heart…

    The author on the theme of hope in this novel:

    “Hope is the breath of life, and we could all use more of it. My characters go through such tremendous transformation, some of it pretty tough and painful. I’m thinking about Rye in COUNTRY HEAVEN, who has to totally transform his view of himself and his profession. He had to heal some serious childhood wounds to get there. The love he feels for Tory gives him hope and helps transform him. To me, hope is the taste of eternal promise. It’s the Holy Grail that keeps us moving forward when we’re confused, overwhelmed, or feel totally out of control. Hope is magic, as a friend recently told me. And to be human, and call in more abundance into our lives, we need to have the courage to hope that it will find us”

    Ava Miles

  • Best Contemporary Romance Novels

    Mad About Matt by Theresa Paolo

    A hot cop and a sweet baker get a second chance at love in this small town romance.

    Seventeen years after Shay Michaels said goodbye to summers in Red Maple Falls and the only boy she ever truly loved, she’s back and the proud owner of Sweet Dreams Bakery. Life is good until someone breaks into her shop, making her question if the life she left behind in New York followed her.

    As the local sheriff, Matt is keeping a close eye on the place and an even closer eye on the beautiful owner who refuses to take the break in seriously. Two conflicting personalities that burn bright on their own become down right explosive when thrown together. But in order to move toward a future together, they will have to let go of their past and accept the mistakes they made.

    A 5-star review on Goodreads:

    “Small town setting with fantastic chemistry and a cute romance- I absolutely adored this book!! There was a good amount of humor and the romance so totally sweet – I didn’t want this book to end. I’m so excited that there are going to be more books in this small town series! Highly recommend this one to anyone who wants to read a sweet romance that will leave a smile on your face!”

    Mandy, Goodreads

  • Best Contemporary Romance Novels

    Summer with the Marine by Ellie Hall

    He’s a marine figuring out how to be a dad. She’s out of work and moves in with her mom. A surprise reunion brings the old friends together. Will a dare turn them into something more?

    Eisley Higgins is laid off and needs a fresh start. Her mother offers her the loft space at her new beach cottage. The last thing she wants to do is move to a retirement community in coastal Florida. She gets a job at a local restaurant and her coworkers insist she follow through with the new-employee ritual to go on a date with her first customer. She’s shocked when it turns out to be her childhood best friend.

    Ford Armstrong spent over ten years in the military serving his country. During that time, he married, but the relationship and his hope for a family quickly fizzled. After what felt like a failure, he fully turned his focus to the Marine Corps, but then received two life-changing pieces of news. While figuring out his future, he runs into the girl from his past. Only, the first thing out of her mouth is the last thing he expects to hear.

    Over a decade of friendship. Then over a decade apart. Can they overcome their hardships, get past secrets, and come together to create a future?

    A note from the author on writing in the romance genre:

    “I love writing period and have written in numerous genres, but what I adore about writing sweet romance are the firsts—the beginning of big, positive changes in the lives of the characters. It’s so much fun as a writer to explore what a character’s reaction and response is to the crush she has on a guy, or their first kiss, and then carrying the thread through the story’s beginning to their happily ever after. Bringing the feelings of love and hope, the ability to overcome and find happiness, to the page brings me so much joy.”

    Ellie Hall

  • Best Contemporary Romance Novels

    Romance Reset by Kay Lyons

    A woman on a mission to get pregnant. An empty nester and widower. When a professional matchmaker brings the two together will sparks fly?

    Thirty-eight-year-old set designer Amelia Parker is on a mission to get pregnant—soon. That’s why she’s researching sperm banks and procedures. It’s also why her best friend hires a matchmaker for her. She insists Amelia deserves—needs—a romance reset before she embarks on single parenthood.

    Widower Lincoln Hayes is about to be an empty nester with his twins going off to college. He’s ready to have some fun, but he doesn’t want to do it alone. Dating, though…. Staying offline and hiring a matchmaker who vets his dates makes sense. Imagine Lincoln’s surprise when his first date in twenty years is actually his first love, the one who broke his heart and got away. Amelia is shocked to see Lincoln, and the chemistry between them is as strong as ever. Amelia can easily imagine having Lincoln’s baby— but is her biological clock and desire for a child more than Lincoln can handle?

    A five star review from Goodreads:

    “Lovely story with a quirky plot.
    Finished it in one go. There’s humor and plenty of family drama in this second chance romance. The two main characters have depth and the chemistry between them was great.”

    Reet Singh – Goodreads