In order to alleviate the pain of choosing which book to pick from your never-ending TBR, I’ve compiled a list of romance books I recommend by subgenre. As a person who is a big mood reader, sometimes I prefer a small-town romance over a billionaire romance or vice versa. Sometimes I can pick up a book and just read it, but other times I’m in the mood for a certain kind of romance. So, for all my mood readers out there, here is my list of romance book recommendations by subgenre!
Subgenre #1: Found Family
I thought I would start with the subgenre that typically means you’re in for a long series. Found families normally follow a group of siblings or a friend group where each sibling and/or friend gets their own book. Here are a few of my favorite found family series.
Addicted/Calloway Sisters Series by Krista and Becca Ritchie: This is a series within a series, if you may. KB Ritchie started with the Addicted To You series that follows Lily Calloway and Loren Hale; childhood friends who started fake dating to hide their addictions (content warning for sex and alcohol addictions) from their families. They have their own six-book series that follows their road to recovery and building a life together. Within that series, there is the Calloway Sisters series, which follows Lily’s two sisters, Rose and Daisy Calloway. Rose’s love interest, Connor Cobalt, is a friend of Lily and Lo’s, and Daisy’s love interest, Ryke, is also someone important (sorry, not spoiling, you’ll have to read to find out exactly who he is), creating a found family between the siblings and friend group. KB Ritchie does an amazing job of writing their stories, and I still think about them all the time. The characters in this series are famous, and you get to read firsthand how they navigate the spotlight along with their personal problems. It’s amazing, and easily one of my favorite series. There is also the Bad Reputation duet that follows Willow and Garrison (for spoiler purposes, I won’t explain who they are, but one of them is related to the other characters previously mentioned). They also have two spin-off series with their kids; the Like Us Series: Billionaires & Bodyguards and the Cobalt Empire series, collectively making the series well over 20 books (and yes I did read and enjoy every single one of those books because that’s how invested in this family I am). I won’t get too into it, though, I’m sure I could write an entirely different article just on this world itself (which I definitely will do). But if you’re interested in reading a long series that will have you fully immersed in a world you’ll never want to leave, I recommend this one!
Twisted Series by Ana Huang: I think this series is more widely known, but I still love it! This series follows a group of women who all met in college and became best friends. Twisted Love follows Ava Chen and Alex Volkov where you get tropes like brother’s best friend, grumpy x sunshine, billionaire romance (not millionaire, which is very important according to Alex), and intense groveling. Twisted Games follows Bridget von Ascheberg and Rhys Larsen, and they offer forbidden love and bodyguard romance tropes. Twisted Hate follows Jules Ambrose and Josh Chen, and they give the tropes of best friend’s brother, hate-to-love, and friends with benefits. And the last book, Twisted Lies, follows Stella Alonso and Christian Harper, and from them, you get the big “stalker” trope. The friend group is amazing, and they always show up for each other. Big shoutout to Alex, who finds a way to save the day every time, even if it is against his will.
Chestnut Spring Series by Elsie Silver: This is specifically for found family (Elsie Silver will be mentioned again later on as “Queen of Cowboy Romances”). This series follows three siblings and two of their friends who all live in a small town named Chestnut Springs. The men in this series are chef’s kisses, especially Cade Eaton in Heartless and Theo Silva in Reckless. The series starts with Flawless, which follows Summer Hamilton and Rhett Eaton. In their book, you’ll find tropes like workplace romance and only one bed. The series continues with Heartless, which follows Willow Grant (Summer’s best friend) and Cade Eaton (Rhett’s older brother). This one offers the nanny and single dad trope along with grumpy x sunshine. Then we have Powerless, which follows Sloane Winthrop and Jasper Gervais, both childhood friends of the Eaton brothers, and here you get childhood friends to lovers and a second-chance mixed with hockey romance. It continues with Winter Hamilton (Summer’s older sister) and Theo Silva (a friend of Rhett’s) in Reckless, where we get tropes like accidental pregnancy, reverse grumpy x sunshine, and golden retriever MMC. The series ends with Bailey Jansen (a town local whose family has a bad reputation) and Beau Eaton (the last Eaton brother) where we get an amazing engagement of convenience. This series is really good, and I highly recommend it if you’re looking for a slew of different tropes mixed with some cowboy lovin’.
Boys of Tommen Series by Chloe Walsh: My favorite high school rugby boys. This series follows a friend group from Ireland and touches on some very tough topics, so check for your trigger warnings before going into this series. The first two books, Binding 13 and Keeping 13, follow Shannon Lynch and Johnny Kavanagh, who meet at Tommen when Shannon transfers to the private school. They become friends at first but easily fall in love with each other, despite all the obstacles put in their way. Their story is devastating and heartwarming in one breath, and Johnny is one of the book boyfriends known as the standard. The next two books, Saving 6 and Redeeming 6, are some of the only books I’ve ever given six stars to because they were that amazing. It follows Aoife Molloy and Joey Lynch (Shannon’s older brother), who have known each other since entering secondary school, but don’t start dating until years later because of life circumstances. Their story is absolutely heartbreaking. Every time I think of Joey, I want to cry. The series continues with Taming 7, which follows Claire Biggs and Gerard Gibson, aka Gibsie (Shannon and Johnny’s best friends), who have been best friends since birth. After all their years of friendship and teetering on the line between friends and lovers, they finally make it official, only to be trampled by the darkness of Gibsie’s past. The next book in the series, Releasing 10, came out in May, and it follows Lizzie Young (Shannon’s other best friend) and Hughie Biggs (Claire’s big brother and Johnny’s other friend). I’m really looking forward to it, and the series is far from over! I definitely recommend the series if you don’t mind reading gut-wrenching stories that will tear you apart and put you back together all at once.
Subgenre #2: Billionaire/Millionaire Romance
Who doesn’t love reading about a rich man who provides for his woman? Here are some of my favorite billionaire/millionaire romance books.
Miles High Series by T. L. Swan: Starting off strong with the Miles brothers, who own an international media company. These brothers absolutely know how to treat a woman, and each story is very unique and will tug at your heart differently. I love these books because they’re more than just billionaire romances; their love stories feel realistic, and each has their own slew of real-life problems that are relatable, despite being billionaires. The series starts with The Stopover, which follows Emily Foster and Jameson Miles. They originally meet on a plane ride and spend an amazing night together on a stopover. A year later, they reunite when Emily takes her dream job in New York, only to realize she now works for a man she hasn’t stopped thinking about for 12 whole months. The series continues with The Takeover, which follows Claire Anderson and Tristan Miles. Claire is a widowed single mom of three boys, and Tristan basically spends the entire book trying to win over the hearts of her sons. This book was my favorite, extremely heartwarming and heartbreaking all at once. The next book is The Casanova, which follows Kathryn “Kate” Landon and Elliot Miles. Elliot runs their London headquarters, so this book takes place across the ocean. Kate works for Elliot, mutually despising each other until their hate turns into appreciation, and their appreciation turns into love. Their love story was absolutely magical and enchanting. The last book (aka the book that holds a tear stain from me obscenely sobbing my eyes out) is The Do-Over, following Hayden Whitmore and Christopher Miles. It also takes place across the sea as Christopher takes a backpacking trip to rediscover himself, only to find love with one of his hostel mates, Hayden. Be prepared to cry. This book made me emotional and truly represents finding love and family where you least expect it. These billionaire brothers and their wives are by far my favorites.
Dreamland Billionaires by Lauren Asher: This series follows another set of billionaire brothers who were left specific instructions to fall in love by their late grandfather in order to collect their inheritances. It begins with The Fine Print with Zahra Gulian and Rowan Kane, where you get a heavy dose of grumpy x sunshine. It continues with Terms and Conditions that follows Iris Landry and Declan Kane, which includes one of the best marriages of convenience ever. The series ends with Final Offer, which follows Lana Castillo and Callahan Kane, where you’ll get childhood friends to lovers to strangers to lovers again, single mom, and alcohol addiction. Personally, Final Offer is my favorite because it touches on many real-life themes, but all three books are pretty good!
By a Thread by Lucy Score: This one is definitely rom-com coded. By a Thread follows Ally Morales and Dominic Russo, who have one of the funniest meet-cutes I’ve ever read, including a pizza with “F U” spelled out in pepperoni slices. Ally and Dominic hate each other instantly, and it really seals the deal when Dominic’s mom hires Ally to work for him. So not only do they have to deal with each other at work now, but he can’t fire her, and she’s too stubborn to quit. Think grumpy x sunshine, but she’s only happy because she gets to push his buttons all day. Obviously, they end up falling in love, and you definitely won’t regret picking up this book. It’s all laughs and romance.
Subgenre #3: Small Town Romance
Small-town romances are some of my favorites because they always feel so homey and heartfelt. I love it when everyone knows everyone in the town; it makes for good banter and funny scenes. Here are a few of my favorites!
All Rhodes Lead Here by Mariana Zapata: This is one of my favorites! It’s a slow-burn, single dad, grumpy x sunshine romance that follows Aurora De La Torre and Tobias Rhodes. Aurora moved back to her hometown to start her life over and ended up renting out the small apartment over Rhodes’s garage (which he did not know about, so it makes for a very funny meet-cute). The way Aurora and Rhodes’ love unfolded was perfectly paced and so romantic. It also has a great representation of grief as an emotion, which I really appreciated as someone who has dealt with it a lot. You can expect cute hikes and fireside chats as their friendship blossoms and grows into love. Rhodes’ 16-year-old son Amos also develops an amazing relationship with Aurora, and the entire book is just downright authentic and heartfelt.
The Simple Wild by K. A. Tucker: This is one of the first small-town romances I’ve ever read, and it was so good! Calla Fletcher is a city girl who moves to a small town in Alaska to spend time with her dad, whom she hasn’t seen since she was a toddler and he was diagnosed with cancer. She returns to Alaska hoping to fix her estranged relationship with her dad, but doesn’t expect to fall for Jonah Riggs, a pilot for her father’s small Alaskan charter plane company. Jonah and Calla butt heads a lot, and spend the majority of their time bickering with each other. But as they say, opposites attract, and the more time they spend together, the more they fall in love. This was another book where the love felt real and authentic, and the small town really accepted Calla as one of their own. Calla and Jonah’s story continues with Wild At Heart and ends with a small Christmas novella, Forever Wild. I highly recommend this book if you want to read a good romance book mixed with a sweet father-daughter reunion.
Knockemout Series by Lucy Score: This trilogy follows two brothers and their childhood friend in a small town called Knockemout. It starts with Things We Never Got Over which follows Naomi Witt, a runaway bride who is quite literally fleeing from her entire life, and Knox Morgan, a grumpy, bad-boy barber. When Naomi flees to the small town of Knockemout, her problems get infinitely bigger when her mess of a twin sister leaves her 11-year-old daughter in her guardianship. Of course, all of this happens right in front of Knox, who can’t just leave Naomi stranded as her life implodes. They end up falling in love, and we get to unlock a very protective Knox who refuses to let anyone dim Naomi’s contagious light. The series continues with Things We Hide From The Light, following Nash Morgan (Knox’s brother) and Lina Solavita. This book is where the police chief meets an insurance investigator. I love that their line of work is so similar because it makes them understand each other on a deeper level, especially since Nash struggles with the trauma of his on-the-job injury. Nash and Lina are one of those book couples that you can tell belong together, and stay with each other long after the book is over. The series ends with Things We Left Behind, following Lucien Rollins and Sloane Walton, the Morgan brothers’ childhood friends. Lucien and Sloane only share a dark secret; otherwise, the hatred is mutual. Lucien is a mogul who stopped at nothing to create a name for himself, even if that meant dealing with shady people. Sloane is a small-town librarian who loves helping people. They couldn’t be more different. But when Lucien returns to the small town, unwanted sparks fly between the two, and their mutual hatred turns into a mutual love. These books have an action-packed and interconnected storyline. I recommend them for an interesting read!
Subgenre #4: Sports Romance
Off-Campus Series by Elle Kennedy: So far, I have yet to read better hockey romances than these — I love them. This is another found family, which follows a group of college hockey players who all live together: Garrett Graham, John Logan, Dean Di Laurentis, and John Tucker. We start strong with Garrett Graham and Hannah Wells, aka “Wellsy,” in The Deal. Hannah agrees to tutor Garrett only if he helps her make another guy jealous (and don’t all amazing love stories start out that way?) and Garrett almost immediately falls for Hannah (don’t worry, the feeling is very mutual). They are one of the OG hockey couples, and if you’re a One Direction fan, Hannah is a certified Directioner, much to Garrett’s dismay. The series continues with John Logan and Grace Ivers in The Mistake, who get off to a bit of a rocky start, but Logan will do whatever it takes to prove that Grace is the one that he wants, even if that means announcing his undying love for her on a college radio show for the entire campus to hear. In the third book, The Score, we follow campus playboy Dean Di Laurentis and Allie Hayes (Hannah’s best friend) whose relationship wasn’t supposed to go past one night of rebound sex. Unfortunately for Dean, he can’t stay away after that, and Allie successfully turns the campus playboy into a whipped boyfriend who would drop anything he’s doing to be there if she needs him. No one knows they’re dating, but one call from Allie and a “I’m here, baby” from Dean has their entire friend group shook. Personally I believe it’s one of the best dating reveals I’ve ever read. Next, we have John Tucker and Sabrina James in The Goal with one of the best accidental pregnancy stories ever. Tucker is a good man, Sabrina, a good man. And when she finally realizes it, they become one of the best and most powerful couples ever. Yes, Sabrina completed pre-law while pregnant and law school while taking care of a baby, with Tucker’s help of course, but she is your definition of a bad b*tch. The series ends with The Legacy, a touching and hilarious novella that wraps up each couple’s stories. If you love the Briar U college, there’s a spinoff series called Briar U where our trusty hockey coach, Jenson, goes through another round of dealing with hockey players and their dramatic romantic lives. If you want more of the off-campus couples, their kids also have a spin-off series called Campus Diaries. Truthfully, I’ve been enjoying the kids’ books far more than the parents’ ones.
From Lukov With Love by Mariana Zapata: Back to our queen of slow-burns, Zapata writes an epic love story between two rival figure skaters, Ivan Lukov and Jasmine Santos, who have to pair up when they are both left without partners to compete with. It takes these two a long time to warm up to each other because of all the years of mutual loathing, but eventually they find their rhythm. From there, an unexpected romance blooms. They learn more and more about each other and spend so much time together that it almost feels inevitable. I thought their story was pretty darn good, so I recommend you pick it up and find out for yourself.
The Wall of Winnipeg and Me by Mariana Zapata: I won’t ever stop recommending her books, sorry not sorry. This one is a football romance, and Aiden Graves is the biggest grump you will ever meet. Vanessa Mazur has been his personal assistant for two years, and the guy has been nothing but a jerk. When she quits, he realizes that he can’t function without her and begs her to come back. Not only does he ask her to come back, but get this, he asks her to marry him! How romantic! Green card marriages are romantic… right? They only have to stay married for five years. Luckily for them, it only took a few months to fall in love. They might’ve gotten married for legal reasons, but they stayed married for reasons of love. A beautiful story, so I beg of you to read it.
Lindon U Series by B. Celeste: College football romances are something you can never go wrong with. Mix them with devastating life problems, and you’ve got yourself a couple of amazing books to read. It starts off with Dare You To Hate Me, which follows Aiden Griffith and Ivy Underwood, who knew each other as kids. In fact, they were best friends up until they were 16, and Ivy asked him a question she knew he would say no to. Aiden had a good life while Ivy didn’t, so she ran away. Four years later, their paths cross at Lindon University, but Ivy is far from the girl Aiden remembers. Those four years hardened her, and things happened that can never be undone. But their love for each other remains true, and they hold onto each other, refusing to ever let go again. The series continues with Beg You To Trust Me, which follows Daniel “Danny” Bridges (Aiden’s teammate and roommate) and Skylar Allen. Skylar had a traumatizing start to her college life and feels like she might crumble under the weight of what happened to her that horrifying night. When she meets Danny, he instantly brightens her life and makes things bearable again. They spark up a friendship that soon morphs into romantic feelings that are scary yet inevitable. Danny is one of the most golden retriever boyfriends you’ll ever have the pleasure of reading, he even braids her hair (swoon). The series ends with Lose You To Find Me, which I haven’t read yet, but judging by the end of Danny and Skylar’s book, it will definitely be a tear-jerker.
Subgenre #5: Cowboy Romance
Save a horse, ride a cowboy mixed with Glen Powell in Twisters might just be the holy grail. Siri, play “Ain’t No Love In Oklahoma” by Luke Combs.
Elsie Silver Universe: Remember when I mentioned a few subgenres ago that Elsie Silver is the cowboy romance queen? Well, here’s why: three series that all connect with each other in some way, set in small towns, and all have ranch/cowboy themes. Every book written by this woman somehow falls under the belt of absolute perfection because she never misses. Never. Not once. All of her books are quite literally amazing. Starting off with the Gold Rush Ranch series, we have Off to the Races with Billie Black and Vaughn Harding who engage in a hate-to-love romance, A Photo Finish with Violet Eaton (yes, the previously mentioned Eaton brother’s little sister) and Cole Harding who gets a second chance at love, The Front Runner with Mira Thorne and Stefan Dalca who take their stab at fake-dating, and finally A False Start with Nadia Dalca who falls for her brother’s best friend Griffin Sinclaire. Now I’m going to be 100% honest with you, I have the books, but I haven’t read them yet. However, I have complete faith in my recommendation that they are just as amazing as the books I have read by Silver because my faith in her writing is unwavering. We talked about the Chestnut Spring series already, so we’ll move on to her third series, the Rose Hill Ranch series, which is a four-book series of hot single dads, and it doesn’t get much better than that. Rose Hill Ranch includes, Wild Love with Rosie Belmont who falls for her brother’s best friend Ford Grant (Willow’s, the FMC from Heartless in the Chestnut Spring series, older brother) who recently found out that the sperm he donated to get some money for a concert ticket actually created a human who tracked him down for a school project, Wild Eyes with Weston Belmont (Rosie’s older brother) who is a single dad of two and falls for former runaway country music star and current potential bear mauling victim, Skylar Stone, and Wild Side with Rhys Dupris and Tabitha Garrison who delve into an arranged marriage even though they hate each other. The fourth book in the series isn’t out yet. I’m not sure if the title has been announced, but I bet knowing that all the single dads are in a single dad bowling group will make you want to wait for that fourth book like a salivating dog. I know I am.
Rebel Blue Ranch Series by Lyla Sage: So far, I’ve read two out of the three books that are out (book four was released in May) and I’ve loved them! Her books are never longer than 350 pages, and the love stories get right to the point. This series follows the Ryder siblings and starts out with Clementine “Emmy” Ryder in Done and Dusted, who falls in love with her big brother’s best friend, Luke Brooks. Emmy returned home after a traumatizing horse-riding incident that she couldn’t get over, and ended up finding solace and comfort in the person she least expected. Especially since that person has a long history of getting on her last nerve. The series continues with middle child Weston “Wes” Ryder in Swift and Saddled, who falls for Ada Hart, the interior designer working on the ranch’s newest addition, a bed and breakfast that is Wes’s heart and soul. Ada is recently divorced and doesn’t have a trusting bone in her body, but Wes is determined to make her see that he’d never hurt her and that he isn’t one of the bad guys. Lost and Lassoed follows August “Gus” Ryder and Teddy Anderson (Emmy’s best friend) in what will probably be the biggest hate-to-love story ever written. The animosity between these two borders on hot, with all their bickering and jabs at each other. I’m about to start reading it now and have high hopes that it’s gonna be the best in the series. The series ends with Wild and Wrangled, following Gus’ baby momma (they’re really good friends, so no drama), Camille Ashwood, and Dusty Tucker. The book hasn’t been released yet, but there’s definitely some history and drama between the two, so I’m excited to see where it goes.
Subgenre #6: Life Lessons
My last subgenre isn’t technically a subgenre, but I wanted to include it anyway, in case there are people out there who want to read a romance book that’ll also teach them something valuable about life. I’ve deemed these books “books that everyone should read.”
Life’s Too Short by Abby Jimenez: I’d like to preface this recommendation by saying that quite literally every single book that Jimenez has written has taught me a very meaningful life lessons including, The Friend Zone, The Happy Ever After Playlist, Part of Your World, and Yours Truly. But I’m singling out this specific book because it’s the first one by her that I read, and the lesson I learned from it stuck with me the most out of the other ones. Life’s Too Short follows Vanessa Price, who doesn’t expect to make it past the age of 30 due to the illness that runs in her family: ALS. She was never technically diagnosed with it, but she knows she could be at any moment, so she does her best to live her life to the fullest. For her, that means quitting her job and traveling the world, gaining millions of subscribers on social media who support her and her dreams of traveling and donating the money she makes from her videos to ALS research and charities. However, her life goes from adventurous to downright terrifying when her half-sister leaves her with full custody of her baby daughter. Vanessa has no idea how to take care of a baby, but luckily for her, her neighbor Adrian Copeland is a baby whisperer. Through her journey of taking care of a baby, Adrian continuously offers his help, and they slowly begin to fall in love with each other, which scares Vanessa because she knows that her days might be limited. This book was an absolute rollercoaster of emotions for me, especially the end, but it taught me that life is too short not to follow your dreams. Life is too short not to fall in love and do what makes you happy. Life is unpredictable and scary, but why live in fear when you can be courageous and just see what happens? I always resort to this book when I feel like I’m taking life too seriously, and I hope you do too. It’s an amazing read!
The Seven Year Slip by Ashley Poston: This book quite literally grabbed every belief I had about life and flipped it upside down. It always amazes me how simple words strung together can make me rethink aspects of my life that I never thought too hard about before. This book follows Clementine West, who inherited a magical apartment from her late aunt. Of course, she didn’t believe it was magical until one day she stepped into her apartment and found that it threw her seven years into the past. She noticed a random man standing in her kitchen, claiming to have permission to live there for the summer. She can tell that he’s a man she would have fallen in love with, even though he’s seven years in her past and she’s seven years in his future. Despite the time slip, they fall head over heels for each other. But Iwan from her apartment seven years ago isn’t the same Iwan in the present day. He’s changed drastically. She tries to hang on to the man she knew as the apartment continues to throw her back seven years. As the mystery of their love unravels, Clementine fears it might be seven years too late for them to rekindle their whirlwind romance from seven years in the past. Time changes people. That’s the big lesson that turned my life around. In hindsight, it doesn’t sound like a huge revelation because time obviously changes people, but you never really know how drastic the change is until it’s staring you in the face. This book, more than anything, taught me that timing is everything, especially when it comes to love. You may have the love of your life now, but they may not have been the love of your life three years ago. In a way, the thought is comforting because, as a person who has yet to experience the big love of my life, I’m able to reassure myself by knowing that it’s just not our time yet. I beg you to read this book.
In Five Years by Rebecca Serle: This is another book that messes with time. It follows Dannie Kohan, who lives her life by the books and is the complete opposite of her best friend Bella, who is much more free-spirited. Dannie goes to sleep the night she accepts her boyfriend’s proposal with a very important job interview the next morning, only to wake up five years in the future, laying next to a different man with a different ring on her finger. Dannie spends one hour in the future before spending the next five years of her life wondering about (and trying to prevent) everything that led up to it. This book is a love story, but not the kind of love story you would expect, and it shook me to my absolute core. After reading this book, I wanted to grab my best friend and wrap her in 1,000 layers of bubble wrap to keep her safe. It makes you realize the value of friendship and having that one person in your life who’s your platonic soulmate. If you have a best friend, read this book, and never take them for granted again.
I have now rambled on about books for a very long time, and honestly, I’m not the least bit apologetic about it. I hope that within all my ramblings you’ve found a book that spoke to you. Whether it’s a long series about a found family, a man with a whole lot of money, a charming small town, a football, hockey, or figure skating romance, a hot cowboy, or a romance book with a heaping dose of life lessons, pick up a book and read it. There’s a world waiting for you, so go visit it for a while. Right now, I’m headed back to Rebel Blue Ranch, but I think there’s a hot soccer player waiting for me next.