Six of my go-to contemporary romance recs

For any and all occasions

I am the kind of person who frequently gets asked for book recommendations. Partially because I’m always ready to enthusiastically offer them, partially because I am that friend who reads, and partially because I sometimes can’t help myself in a bookstore and have to tell a complete stranger how much I love the book they’re holding. (I continue to hope that that one person at The Ripped Bodice in Brooklyn bought and loved You, Again by Kate Goldbeck.)

This week, I thought I’d pull together a handful of the contemporary romances I’m always metaphorically pressing into people’s hands. If you’re looking for some historical romance recommendations, I put together a historical romance sampler last year and am hoping to do a similar newsletter with my romantic sci-fi and fantasy recs too. It’s the virtual version of the staff picks shelf at a bookstore, only I’ve cunningly engineered it so all the staff picks are mine.

Delilah Green Doesn’t Care by Ashley Herring Blake

If you encountered me in 2022, the odds are very good that you had to hear about this funny, tender, generous sapphic romance set in a Pacific Northwest small town and how much I loved it. Everything about this book feels lived-in and real, from the setting to the friendships to the not great decisions the characters sometimes make and the work they have to do to fix them. Highly recommended if you’re a fan of found family stories, characters that surprise you, and a dash of messiness. (High steam.)

Spoiler Alert by Olivia Dade

Have you ever found yourself staring at a browser full of open AO3 tabs, sometime in the early hours of the morning, unsure exactly how you got there and why you’re now ready to defend your chosen ship to the death? I have the book for you. This delightful fandom-set romance was my introduction to Dade’s witty, warm work and rapidly rocketed her up my list of auto-buy authors. I’d especially recommend this if you like character-focused contemporary romance or still have a lot of feelings about the ending of Game of Thrones. (High steam.)

Something Wild & Wonderful by Anita Kelly

This romance about two men falling in love as they hike the Pacific Crest Trail brims over with compassion and care, with a side of stunning nature description. There’s something so thoughtful about Kelly’s writing that I love. They effortlessly pull off the delicate balancing act of showing the reader both the issues that Ben and Alexei have to overcome in order to be together and the reasons why they're perfect for each other. These characters felt like friends while I was reading and I would have spent a hundred more pages with them. (Medium steam, albeit on the higher end.)

The Soulmate Equation by Christina Lauren

This is one of the books that I use to try to lure people into the romance genre. Someone mentions they like science? I bring up the dreamy scientist hero and DNA-based dating app that brings Jess and River together when it declares them a soulmate-level match. Someone talks about the first season of Bridgerton? I try to sell them on contemporary fake dating. Whatever they like, The Soulmate Equation, with its electric chemistry between the central couple charming supporting characters, and general sparkle, is there for them. (Medium steam, albeit on the lower end.)

The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary

Essentially a warm bath for the soul and a book I’ve returned to multiple times when I’m in need of comfort and two lovely people finding their way to each other, by the way of the apartment they share while never seeing each other and a whole lot of Post-It notes. It does deal with some more difficult topics, including the aftermath of a toxic relationship, but does it with a great deal of sensitivity. I’d also recommend O’Leary’s sophomore novel The Switch, which straddles the border between women’s fiction and romance, and brims over with charm and vim. (Closed door.)

Business or Pleasure by Rachel Lynn Solomon

I’ve loved all three of Solomon’s adult romances but this clever take on the sex lessons trope is my go-to recommendation for readers looking for something smart and spicy. This one is for everyone who knows that the nerdy sidekick on a mid-2010’s CW show was actually the cutest one, loves a beta hero, and thinks good communication is sexy. I love how Solomon explores all the different forms intimacy can take and still go back to her books to see just how she uses steamy scenes to develop the relationships between her heroes and heroines when I’m struggling with writing one myself. (High steam.)

Let me know your go-to romance recs in the comments!

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Currently reading: How You Get the Girl by Anita Kelly, a sapphic sports romance that I’m loving.

Recommendations, miscellany, and little bits of joy:

• I went to the free New York Philharmonic concert in Central Park earlier this week and it was so lovely! One of those nights that make me feel lucky to live in New York.

• Dinner at Silver Apricot, a delicious Chinese-American restaurant tucked away in the West Village.

• The return of two of my favorite summer treats: the Carolina Gold barbecue potato chips from Trader Joe’s and Love Island, the trash show of my heart.