Eight Stand Alone Contemporary Romance Novels You Need to Read if You Haven’t Yet

1.     The Road Trip by Beth O'Leary

I bought this book at a small bookstore while exploring Georgetown years ago, and it took me awhile before I finally got to it. And man, do I regret the time I spent letting it sit in my TBR pile! The story is unique, witty, and oh so entertaining. Beth O’Leary weaves together past, present, and the intricacies of a modern relationship so beautifully that it felt like I was talking to a friend! Every single character is complex, developed, and creates an elaborate puzzle that is this story.

This story follows twenty-somethings Addie, her sister Deb, and tag along Rodney as they go on a road trip to a friend’s wedding. Hoping for a smooth ride, they find that the universe has other plans when Addie quite literally runs into her ex-boyfriend and his best friend on the way to the same wedding. What follows is a road trip in a car stuffed to the brim with friends, exes, memories, secrets, and all the tension you can imagine.

I absolutely devoured this story and wish I could read it again for the first time. This book has now snuck up to top 10 of books I will always recommend. Also, as I write this, I learned that there is a TV series based on this novel that I will now be spending the rest of my week binge watching!

2.     The Bodyguard by Katherine Center

PLEASE give me more. I want to read this book again and a thousand more like it. This quippy romance will keep you hooked from the very first page. When bodyguard Hannah Brooks is assigned to the handsome, charismatic, and uber famous Jack Stapleton, the lines between professionalism and romance aren’t as obvious as they should seem. This story blends fake dating, wit, found family, fought feelings, and creepy stalkers in the most entertaining way.

If you’re craving a quick paced, witty romance that will give you the cutest vibes, you need to pick this one up! I will forever be looking for a romance that gives me the same feelings this one did! I loved absolutely everything about it!

3.     The Roommate by Rosie Danan

I don’t even know where to begin with all the things I love about this book! The premise, the plot, the wit, the smut, it’s all so good! Rosie Danan really did something with this book, because I have NO IDEA what inspired this plot, but I’m so glad she did! Porn star meets goodie-two shoes that’s never had an orgasm? Better yet, they live together?! OH. MY. GOSH. If you want a quick moving, steamy, and witty book that you can devour, add this one to your list right now. I read this book years ago, and I still think about it all the time. Honestly just writing this, I’m probably going to move it from my bookshelf to my TBR cart just so that I can read it again.

I’ve honestly done myself a disservice by not reading more of Rosie Danan’s books. BRB, gonna go add some to my cart right now.

4.     The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren

Enemies to lovers? Fake Dating? Forced Proximity? One bed? Yes, yes, yes, and yes! Christina Lauren creates such a fun and tension filled rom com centered around two enemies forced to pretend to be newlyweds in order the take the Hawaii honeymoon after food poisoning takes down the actual bride and groom.

Like many of the other novels on this list, The Unhoneymooners is quick paced, quippy, easy to devour, and oh so entertaining. I think I sat down and read this entire novel in just one day because I could not wait to see what was going to happen next. I strongly recommend this novel especially if you’re looking for a tropical escape during these cold and snowy months.

5.     The Nanny by Lana Ferguson

A retired OF model accidentally and unknowingly gets hired to be the nanny for a her young, hot, single, and previous best customer? Excuse me?! I don’t know where these authors come up with this stuff, because I could hardly believe the premise of this novel the first time I heard it. But from the second I did, I knew I had to read it.

This story was so fun to read, and I was on the edge of my seat the entire time just waiting to see how it would all play out. The main characters were so fun, so complex, and so easy to root for the entire time. The Nanny is a quick, refreshing novel that is the perfect stand alone reset when you just want something fun and spicy. I definitely recommend this novel if that is something you’re craving.

6.     Archer’s Voice by Mia Sheridan

This book scratched an itch in my brain that I didn’t know was itchy. This was one of those books that made me feel something again after going through a reading burn out for months. A young, beautiful girl moving to a small town to deal with her past? Yes please. That small town has a hot and handy recluse? Yes please. Said young girl and said hot recluse find each other and find connection neither of them expects? YES. PLEASE. GIVE. IT. TO. ME. NOW!

In addition to that, it’s rare for me to give high marks to a stand-alone slow burn. Typically, either one of three things can happen during this type of book. One, (and the most common I’ve read), the slow burn doesn’t have enough time and space to breathe as an actual slow burn, so it’s not as satisfying when the characters finally bridge that romance gap. Two, (the second most common), the slow burn is slow enough to make me properly yearn for it, but then there’s not enough time to properly enjoy the actual relationship after. Or three, there’s a perfect balance between it all, and that’s what we have here.

If you want a couple to root for, READ. THIS. BOOK.

7.     Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

This was one of the first books that I read while I was discovering my new book worm side after a lifetime of dormancy, and I credit this book in the foundation of my book reading obsession ever since. This book has everything you could want. Romance, intrigue, complex character, every single small detail masterfully placed, and it’s just beautifully written.

After a young man runs away to join the circus (yes, literally), he finds love, chaos, drama, and a crash course in what it’s really like to be a member in a traveling show. This book is so good that I carried it with me everywhere I went just hoping my friends would be late for dinner or that there would be a long wait at the doctor’s office just so I could squeeze in a few more pages while I waited.

8.     Normal People by Sally Rooney

It’s a controversial take I know, but I ADORE this book. I can understand why some people have some negative things to say about it, but all their reasons for not to like it are my reasons for absolutely loving it. This novel tells the story of a romance that actually feels real and relatable. We’ve all gone through relationships similar to that of Connell and Marianne’s. Or we’ve watched our friends do the same.

This book is real, relatable, and a very refreshing read. In the world of hyper-romantic love stories, this novel tells us something that actually reflects the world of love around us. It’s a story about real people facing real circumstances and making real decisions that we all face at some point in our lives. This book will leave you longing for more, but that’s precisely the beauty of it.