February is the month of love which makes it the best time to immerse yourself in the world of contemporary romance books! I created a list of my top 10 favourite contemporary romance books to read on, before, or after Valentine’s Day! 

When people think of romance books, they often think of those small paperback books with shirtless men and women wearing bodices on the covers. While those are part of the romance category, another popular subcategory of romance is contemporary romance. 

Contemporary Romances feature modern day women and stories. They are relatable, funny, and easy-to-read, which is why they are my favourite genre! Keep reading for my list of top 10 favourite contemporary romance books!

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Well Met by Jane Deluca

“Emily knew there would be strings attached when she relocated to the small town of Willow Creek, Maryland, for the summer to help her sister recover from an accident, but who could anticipate getting roped into volunteering for the local Renaissance Faire alongside her teenaged niece? Or that the irritating and inscrutable schoolteacher in charge of the volunteers would be so annoying that she finds it impossible to stop thinking about him?

The faire is Simon’s family legacy and from the start he makes clear he doesn’t have time for Emily’s lighthearted approach to life, her oddball Shakespeare conspiracy theories, or her endless suggestions for new acts to shake things up. Yet on the faire grounds he becomes a different person, flirting freely with Emily when she’s in her revealing wench’s costume. But is this attraction real, or just part of the characters they’re portraying?” – Amazon’s plot summary 

Well Met is an incredibly romantic, funny, and easy read. It gives off all the cottage-core vibes and will have you wishing you could run around a flower field in a beautiful flowy gown. It also offers the charm of a small-town romance. Don’t worry if it leaves you longing for more because there’s 2 more books in the Well Met series! 

Buy the book here!

Love your Life by Sophie Kinsella 

“Call Ava romantic, but she thinks love should be found in the real world, not on apps that filter men by height, job, or astrological sign.” – Amazon’s Plot Summary

After a recent break-up, Ava decides to go on a writer’s retreat in Italy, away from her beloved friends and dog, to finish the book she’s always wanted to write. There’s only one rule at the retreat – don’t reveal your true identity. While there, Ava meets her dream man and they spend a week without their real-world baggage. But, when they both return to their lives in London, they discover they aren’t as compatible as they thought. Is their love stronger than their differences, or will their differences tear them apart. 

Love Your Life shows that relationships don’t always have to be perfect to work out. Most romance novels feature a couple who meet and it’s love at first sight and they’re compatible as ever, which isn’t the case in this book. Love Your Life is different from other romances and it’s highly worth reading. 

Buy the book here!

Love at First Like by Hannah Orenstein

“Eliza Roth and her sister Sophie co-own a jewelry shop in Brooklyn. One night, after learning of an ex’s engagement, Eliza accidentally posts a photo of herself wearing a diamond ring on that finger to her Instagram account beloved by 100,000 followers. Sales skyrocket, press rolls in, and Eliza learns that her personal life is good for business. So she has a choice: continue the ruse or clear up the misunderstanding. With mounting financial pressure, Eliza sets off to find a fake fiancé.” – Amazon’s Plot Summary

Not everything is as perfect as it is on Instagram, and Love at First Like is a great example of that. It’s highly relatable and shows that love can come when you least expect it.

Buy the book here!

The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary

After a bad break-up, Tiffy needs a new place to live. Somewhere that’s cheap and with an immediate move in date. Her desperation leads her to an ad for a flatshare. Leon, who works the night shift, will have the flat during the day while Tiffy has it on nights and weekends. It’s the perfect arrangement. But things get complicated when feelings start to form, even though Tiffy and Leon have never even met.

Everything about The Flatshare is romantic. The friends-to-lovers trope never gets old, and the slow burn of their feelings for each other will have you flipping through the book almost faster than you can read. 

Buy the book here!

The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang

“Stella Lane thinks math is the only thing that unites the universe. She comes up with algorithms to predict customer purchases—a job that has given her more money than she knows what to do with, and way less experience in the dating department than the average thirty-year-old.

It doesn’t help that Stella has Asperger’s and French kissing reminds her of a shark getting its teeth cleaned by pilot fish. Her conclusion: she needs lots of practice—with a professional. Which is why she hires escort Michael Phan. The Vietnamese and Swedish stunner can’t afford to turn down Stella’s offer, and agrees to help her check off all the boxes on her lesson plan.

Before long, Stella not only learns to appreciate his kisses, but crave all of the other things he’s making her feel. Their no-nonsense partnership starts making a strange kind of sense. And the pattern that emerges will convince Stella that love is the best kind of logic…” – Amazon’s Plot Summary

Everything about The Kiss Quotient is sweet, adorable, and perfect. It is the perfect combination of innocent and sexy, with a hint of awkward. The characters are charming and lovable, and you won’t be able to put this book down once you start reading it. 

Buy the book here!

Star-Crossed by Minnie Darke

“When childhood sweethearts Justine (Sagittarius and serious skeptic) and Nick (Aquarius and true believer) bump into each other as adults, a life-changing love affair seems inevitable—to Justine, anyway.

Justine works at the Alexandria Park Star, and Nick—she now learns—relies on the magazine’s astrology column to guide him in life. Looking for a way to get Nick’s attention, Justine decides to make a few small alterations to the Aquarius copy before it goes to print. 

Spanning a year—as Earth moves through all twelve star signs—and charting the ripple effects of Justine’s astrological meddling, Star-Crossed is a delicious, intelligent and affecting love story about fate, chance and how we all navigate the kinds of choices that are hard to face alone.” – Amazon’s plot summary

Star-Crossed is the perfect book for anyone who looks to the stars for advice. It shows how our fates are intertwined and how things always happen the way they’re supposed to, whether we believe in fate or not. 

Buy the book here!

Meet Cute: Some People Are Destined To Meet Anthology 

“Whether or not you believe in fate, or luck, or love at first sight, every romance has to start somewhere. Now readers can indulge in their love of meet-cute moments with a YA short story collection from some of today’s most popular YA authors. A diverse cast of characters and situations means that this collection has something for every reader looking for feel-good fun.” – Amazon’s Plot Summary

I’m a sucker for adorable meet cutes, and this book has many. If you love love, then this book is everything you could ask for. 

Buy the book here!

The Royal We by Heather Cocks & Jessica Morgan

“American Bex Porter was never one for fairy tales. Her twin sister Lacey was always the romantic, the one who daydreamed of being a princess. But it’s adventure-seeking Bex who goes to Oxford and meets dreamy Nick across the hall – and Bex who finds herself accidentally in love with the heir to the British throne.” – Amazon’s Plot Summary

What could be better than falling in love with a prince? The Royal We is such a fun read, and the sequel is even better. Once you start reading, you’ll immediately become addicted to the drama, the romance, and the royal affairs of this book.

Buy the book here!

99 Percent Mine by Sally Thorne

“Darcy Barrett has undertaken a global survey of men. She’s travelled the world, and can categorically say that no one measures up to Tom Valeska, whose only flaw is that Darcy’s twin brother Jamie saw him first and claimed him forever as his best friend. Despite Darcy’s best efforts, Tom’s off limits and loyal to her brother, 99%.

When Darcy and Jamie inherit a tumble-down cottage from their grandmother, they’re left with strict instructions to bring it back to its former glory and sell the property. Darcy plans to be in an aisle seat halfway across the ocean as soon as the renovations start, but before she can cut and run, she finds a familiar face on her porch: house-flipper extraordinaire Tom’s arrived, he’s bearing power tools, and he’s single for the first time in almost a decade.” – Amazon’s plot summary

There’s a lot of things I love about this book, and they all have to do with Darcy’s fiery, confident personality. Everything is done her way and she knows how to get what she wants.

Buy the book here!

The Friend Zone by Abby Jimenez

“Kristen Peterson doesn’t do drama, will fight to the death for her friends, and has no room in her life for guys who just don’t get her. She’s also keeping a big secret: facing a medically necessary procedure that will make it impossible for her to have children.

Planning her best friend’s wedding is bittersweet for Kristen — especially when she meets the best man, Josh Copeland. The only catch: Josh wants a big family someday. Kristen knows he’d be better off with someone else, but as their attraction grows, it’s harder and harder to keep him at arm’s length. – Amazon’s Plot Summary

Everything about this book is incredible. It’s an easy-going romance book, but it has a lot of depth to it and discusses a lot of real-world challenges such as Kristen’s inability to have children. The Friend Zone shows that not all relationships are perfect, which is refreshing. It’s a beautiful book. 

Buy the book here!

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What books will you be reading to get in the spirit of Valentine’s Day?