Top 20 Contemporary Romance Books of 2025

Summer in the City by Alex Aster (2025)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. Lots of witty banter here and a very fun fake-dating story. Elle pretty much hates New York City and especially hates it when a stairwell hook-up at a club goes wrong. Two years later, she finds herself back in the city with major writer’s block trying to finish a screenplay that takes place there. Oh, and that stairwell hook-up lives next door. Parker is some tech billionaire who totally insulted her all those years ago and sort of rage-fuels Elle’s writing. He also needs a fake girlfriend for the Summer and asks Elle to take on the role. She figures she needs a sight-seeing buddy and there’s that whole writing muse thing, so she goes along with it. We get to see her slowly start to trust Parker, him being a strange mix of stoic and sweet, and a true relationship develop. I had a lot of fun reading this book and definitely recommend it.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

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First-Time Caller by B.K. Borison (2025)

Contemporary romance. Book 1 of the Heartstrings series. Super cute and fluffy and had me laughing throughout the book. We have a Sleepless in Seattle retelling here with single mom Lucie finding that her pre-teen daughter has called into the radio station’s romance hotline to help her find a date. While the flailing radio show doesn’t have much of an audience, Lucie’s segment goes viral and somehow she’s roped into joining Aiden in the recording booth. Aiden is the ultimate grump who doesn’t believe in love (or rather, avoiding it altogether to prevent any heartbreak), but the chemistry between him and Lucie has got listeners tuning into the radio show in droves. They’re absolutely adorable together and the flirting is top-notch. I love Lucie’s whole support system who is rooting for her happiness. This book is the slowest of slow-burns, but the payoff is worth it. Loved it so much.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby. Advance audiobook provided by Penguin Random House Audio.

Every Step She Takes by Alison Cochrun (2025)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. Sadie has the pushiest family ever, forcing her on dates with men she’s not into, and basically making her feel bad for working hard to keep her inherited antiques business afloat. So she takes advantage of her travel blogger sister’s injury and goes on a walking tour of the Camino. But of course, having never traveled before, she freaks out during some rough airplane turbulence and word vomits onto her seatmate Mal and is totally embarrassed. Bonus, Mal is also on the Camino tour and has her own issues with a recently deceased estranged father and an inheritance she doesn’t want. It’s a wild ride of self-discovery and learning to let go of all your hangups along this trip, plus a great cast of side characters along the way. Awkward Sadie learns to be a lot less awkward and we get to journey right alongside her discovering her newfound queerness.

Advance ebook provided by Atria Books via NetGalley. Audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Unromance by Erin Connor (2025)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. We start with a bang here with an elevator meet-cute and a one-night-stand for Sawyer and Mason. And then we find out that Mason is a famous actor who is being maligned in the press for a string of break-ups (none of which were his fault) and Sawyer is a romance novelist who is having major writers’ block. When they run into each other again, they decide to strike a deal where they hang out with each other doing cheesy romantic things so that Mason can desensitize himself from being a total romantic and so that Sawyer can find inspiration for their writing. And of course, they have a list of rules to go with their deal. The rules are clearly going to go out the window as these two people spend time together and get all emotionally entangled (on top of the physical attraction that started this whole thing). This book was both emotional and super funny and steamy all at once. The flirty witty banter was so much fun to read, plus all their meddlesome friends made a great supporting cast.

Advance ebook provided by Forever Books via NetGalley. Audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Left of Forever by Tarah DeWitt (2025)

Contemporary romance. Book 2 of the Spunes series. Loved it so much! Get ready for all sorts of emotional turmoil. Wren and Ellis became parents at age 17 and 18, got married young, and got divorced about 5 years ago. Now, their son is off to college, and Ellis is suggesting a victory road trip, just the two of them. He’s clearly got motives of getting her back and it’s nice that he’s actually up front about it before they begin. This book is emotionally heavy as they deal with all the things they bottled up those years ago, and try to learn to communicate between in the present. I loved seeing these two work out their issues and actually talk to each other about their worries and dreams. There’s also a really good mix of humor and spice throughout the book. Excellent read.

Advance ebook provided by St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley. Advance audiobook provided by Macmillan Audio.

Problematic Summer Romance by Ali Hazelwood (2025)

Contemporary romance. Standalone romance. Follow-up to Not in Love. I loved this book so much. Yet another humorous and steamy book from Ali Hazelwood. We’ve got a destination wedding in Italy and the groom’s younger sister Maya pining over her brother’s best friend Conor. But it’s not your typical age gap unrequited crush. We find out that they’ve been secretly friends for years and been talking to each other almost daily. The feelings are clearly there on both sides, but Conor is ever cognizant of his age and financial status and pretty much thinks Maya should do better, so he breaks off the friendship and we’re left with a rift between these two. We get a mix of chapters from the past with the present-day awkwardness and this book kept me completely hooked to find out how it all resolved. Excellent cast of side characters and super sweet to see everyone interacting in this dreamy Italian villa.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Sparks Fly by Zakiya N. Jamal (2025)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. Stella is ready to lose her virginity at a sex club and luckily meets an awesome guy there, Max. But things don’t go as planned and they end up with unfinished business before parting ways. Stella’s in for a rude surprise when Max ends up being the brother of her boss’s boss and at her workplace to launch a new AI writing tool for their company. This would seem like the perfect set up for an enemies-to-lovers situation, but they have very wisely kept their work separate from their personal lives and continue with a semi-secret relationship. This book is all sorts of spicy and the workplace conflict doesn’t affect the romance plot much at all. Loved seeing how Max treats Stella and how they very easily and quickly fall in love.

Advance ebook provided by Berkley Publishing via NetGalley. Advance audiobook provided by Penguin Random House Audio.

Yin Yang Love Song by Lauren Kung Jessen (2025)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. Super cute fake dating romance between an herbalist who is cursed in love and a rock cello player with a reputation of being a heartbreaker. Chryssy has pretty much sworn off relationships since she has been dumped so many times and chalks it up to the family curse of never having lasting love. A chance encounter with a rock cello player, Vin, at a kid’s birthday party, causes all sorts of public speculation. Vin needs the gossip to help him sell concert tickets, so he asks Chryssy for help. She also gets more business at her family’s inn as a side benefit, so she agrees to the fake dating scheme. Of course, these two end up super compatible with each other and a slow and sweet romance develops. I liked seeing these two work as partners with their respective struggles and really communicate well with each other. The story totally sucked me in and I read it in a day. Fade to black on the intimate encounters and no third-act break-up.

Advance ebook provided by Forever Books via NetGalley. Advance print book provided by Forever Books. Advance audiobook provided by Hachette Audio.

Game Point by Meg Jones (2025)

Contemporary Romance. Book 2 of the Game, Set, and Match series. Ooh, I loved this friends to lovers romance. Dylan is a tennis star who has lost so many grand slam finals and is almost ready to quit the sport. Somehow, she strikes up a friendship with Oliver, who also somehow convinces her to let him coach her. The development of their friendship and the slow burn into more is so good. The banter, the flirting, the ease of communication and joking. I loved it so much. Not much to say except it was an excellent read.

Advance ebook provided by Avon Books via NetGalley. Audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Christmas Fling by Lindsey Kelk (2025)

Contemporary romance. Standalone romance. Super funny with lots of chaos and a crazy cast of side characters. Laura is about to sublet an apartment from a total stranger who is off to pastry school in Paris, but she ends up walking in on the man totally naked. And then his parents stop by and assume that she’s the girlfriend that he’s been telling them about all year. Callum is basically trying to avoid returning back to his home in Scotland with his overbearing parents and tales of family legacy, so he’s been making up a fake girlfriend named Caroline for the past year. After the parents leave, Laura pitches the idea of traveling with Callum to his home as his fake girlfriend. Lots of mishaps all the way through the book, and so entertaining to read, along with watching Callum and Laura falling in love. Such a great book.

Advance ebook provided by Harper Collins via NetGalley. Audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Ellie Hayes and the Himbos by Vanessa King (2025)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. The himbos made the whole book worth it. Ellie is in a rough spot with the impending doom of a possible diagnosis of multiple sclerosis and a boyfriend who breaks up with her over it. She goes to check out a room for rent and finds a bunch of college age guys in residence. They are all super sweet and caring and embrace Ellie into their home so easily and quickly. She also maybe has a thing going on with one of the roomies’ older brother, Ian, who is also the boss and owner at the gym where all the guys (and now Ellie) work. Super entertaining and steamy all in one, and if you’re ever looking for some endometriosis representation, this book is for you.

Advance ebook provided by Forever Books via NetGalley. Advance audiobook provided by Hachette Audio.

Love in Focus by Lyla Lee (2025)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. I absolutely loved this second chance romance between a recently-dumped magazine writer and her ex-roommate girlfriend photographer who totally disappeared on her eight years ago. The tension between Gemma and Celeste was so good and I loved seeing them interact and talk through what happened all those years ago. Gemma’s besties are absolutely amazing in the face of Gemma’s recent break-up with longtime partner and fiance. And a new work project that brings Gemma and Celeste together built up so much opportunity for communication. I liked the structure of the story being mostly from Gemma’s POV, with bits of Celeste’s POV sprinkled in. Definitely spicy throughout, but with so much emotional work as well. Loved it.

Advance ebook provided by Forever Books via NetGalley. Advance audiobook provided by Hachette Audio.

Julia Song Is Undateable by Susan Lee (2025)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. Fun premise here. Julia is all sorts of successful in her career, but that doesn’t count for her overbearing Korean family. She’s single at 30, so it’s time to buckle down and find a husband, especially when it’s her grandmother’s dying wish. Is her grandmother even sick? Not sure, but that’s a running theme throughout the book. She agrees to be set up on some dates, but she’s socially awkward and a bit too brash, so she asks childhood friend and neighbor Tae to be her dating coach. He’s hesitant and has his own stuff going on, but he’s had a crush on her forever and the all-around nice guy, so he eventually helps her. It’s adorable to see these two practice date and fall for each other for real. Nevermind that all her setups are total jerks. Cute and funny and a smidge steamy. Fulfills all your pre-teen race car bed dreams.

Advance ebook provided by Canary Street Press via NetGalley. Advance audiobook provided by Libro.fm.

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How to Sell a Romance by Alexa Martin (2025)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. Super steamy one night stand romance. Emerson is a kindergarten teacher who gets recruited into a skincare company by her boss and school principal and meets a stranger at a rooftop bar after the convention. Luke is all sorts of skilled and handsome and it all blows up when she realizes that he’s got disparaging things to say about the new company she just joined. Oh, and then we find out that he’s the father of one of her students. Oops. We get to navigate the world of sisters in skincare and learn just how sinister these companies can be, all while dealing with all of that tension between Emerson and Luke. Lots of cute and flirty banter here and everyone is probably a little too good to be true.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

An Academic Affair by Jodi McAlister (2025)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. Jonah and Sadie have been rivals for the past fifteen years, but we learn pretty early on that Jonah has had a crush on Sadie from the very start. They’re both in the running for the same very scarce teaching position at a university and both have valid reasons to be the top pick. But there’s only room for one, and then somehow they finagle their way to a marriage of convenience to snag a partner hire at the university. The romance itself is excellent and delightfully slow burn, with Jonah and his caretaking abilities. The real drama here is in the form of their respective families and the drama that their marriage-on-paper causes. Entertaining and sweet and steamy.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Love Is a War Song by Danica Nava (2025)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. Avery is the only Native American pop star around and she makes the horrible mistake of listening to her uninformed mother and team in the process of posing for the cover of Rolling Stone. And so, her reputation is totally tanked, and she’s sent off to stay with her estranged grandmother for awhile til the gossip dies down. Instantly, she’s on the wrong foot with Lucas, the extra handsome man who works at the grandmother’s ranch. Just about as instantly as she’s attracted to him. She’s learning to adapt to a totally new environment, while everyone around her is terribly unhelpful. But the attraction between her and Lucas is super strong, despite all the realities of their lives. This book was funny and emotional and I loved seeing Avery embrace her roots.

Advance ebook provided by Berkley via NetGalley. Advance audiobook provided by Penguin Random House Audio.

The Heartbreak Hotel by Ellen O’Clover (2025)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. Messy and emotional and such a great book. Louisa is dumped by longtime boyfriend and at a total loss for what to do because she was financially dependent on the guy. She can’t afford the rent on her lakeside cottage in Colorado, so she strikes a deal with landlord Henry to rent out the extra bedrooms as a bed and breakfast. And then while she’s at it, she might as well advertise the whole place as a place to recover from heartbreak. We get a fun and messy group of occupants, with their own breakups and heartaches. And we get to see Louisa and Henry learn more about each other (and their baggage) and slowly start to fall in love. I really enjoyed this one, but caution if you’ve just gotten out of your own relationship.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

All’s Fair in Love and Pickleball by Kate Spencer (2025)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. This book had so much good banter and flirting and it was such fun to read. Bex is the owner of a financially struggling racquetball club and one of her favorite clients has fallen and broken her wrist on the courts. Of course, that old lady’s nephew is some hotshot tennis star who is grumpy about his injured aunt and having his own struggles to make a tennis comeback. Nico and Bex are delightful to read together and the angry flirting is top notch. And then somehow they become pickleball partners, fake dating partners, and so much more. The community of all of Bex’s retiree friends in this sleepy little SoCal town is so much fun to read. I pretty much could not put this book down. It was a great time.

Advance ebook provided by Forever Books via NetGalley. Advance audiobook provided by Hachette Audio. Print book provided by Forever Books.

Never Been Shipped by Alicia Thompson (2025)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. Related to With Love, from Cold World. A defunct punk rock band is asked to join a teen drama revival cruise to perform their one-hit wonder that was played on the show’s big prom episode. And Micah is having all sorts of feelings about it because she’s the one who broke up the band all those years ago. Meanwhile, her childhood best friend and ex-bandmate John is also feeling apprehensive about the trip, because it’s super obvious to all of us that he was in love with her all those years ago buy stayed firmly in friendship territory. This book had so much emotional angst and longing. Watching the band reunite was so much fun because they all had to catch each other up on their time apart. The romance between Micah and John was both sweet and super steamy. And of course, the cruise ship comedy was also entertaining. Loved this book.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby. Advance audiobook provided by Penguin Random House Audio.

Not Safe for Work by Nisha J. Tuli (2025)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. Super steamy flirting and banter between these two workplace rivals stuck together on a training retreat. Tris is your typical woman of color in a white male-dominated workforce, overlooked for many promotions, and losing out leadership positions to the boss’s son Rafe. She’s totally surprised when she’s selected to go on a training retreat in Maui, but irritated that she’s stuck traveling with her rival Rafe. Being forced to share a room might actually force them to call a truce though, and we get all sorts of angry flirting along the way. Once we get away from the taunting each other and get to the actual relationship-building, I loved this book, and loved how sweet Rafe actually was (and not the dude-bro persona he gives off).

Advance ebook provided by Forever Books via NetGalley. Advance audiobook provided by Hachette Audio.