August 5, 2014

Top Ten Tuesday: Emma's Guide to Contemporary Romance


I challenged myself to raid my physical shelves for the 10 books for this post, instead of just drawing from my Goodreads shelves.  So that means this may not be my top 10 recommendations per say, but they're all still a great place to start if you don't read much contemporary romance.


1. The Art of Lainey by Paula Stokes
This one is a bit polarizing, so you may not want to start directly with it.  But it's cute, there's a cute boy, and there's soccer, a coffee house, and a super cool pancake house.

2. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
TFIOS is, at its core, a love story.  Of course, it's also a cancer book, so if that's something you try to avoid, then this may not be a great one for you to read (hence why I've included a bonus pick that you'll read about momentarily.)

3. The Distance Between Us by Kasie West
Bonus pick: On the Fence by Kasie West
When you say Kasie West, the first thing that comes to mind is squeeworthy romance.  The Distance Between Us and On the Fence are adorable, fairly lighthearted, and contain awesome characters.

4. My Faire Lady by Laura Wettersten
Ok, so there's a bit of a love triangle, and it's kind of typical.  But the Renaissance Faire stuff is AWESOME, and I think everyone will find themselves rooting for one couple and one couple only.

Is love at first sight real?  This book really delves into that trope.

6. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
Ask a book blogger for a YA romance rec and chances are high that they'll recommend Anna.  There's a boy you'll want to swoon over, plus it's set in Paris.

7. Open Road Summer by Emery Lord
I can say, without a doubt, this is the best contemporary romance of 2014 so far.  Not only is there a cute boy (Matt Finch is my top book boyfriend), but there's country music and a strong friendship.

Cute, fun, cookies, love letters, and boys.  That's all I'll say. (But if you need a little more to win you over, this book is a diverse read between the POC author and the Korean-American protagonist.)

9. Sixteenth Summer by Michelle Dalton
This was one of the first contemporary romances I read, and I still adore it.  It's sweet, fun, perhaps a little cheesy and stereotypical, but perfect for a poolside or beach read.

10. Just One Day by Gayle Forman
A little more angsty than my previous recs, but still a solid romance that isn't only that (I will warn you that there is a hint of insta-love).

Honorable Mentions: Broken Hearts, Fences, and Other Things to Mend by Katie Finn, Wish You Were Italian by Kristin Rae, The Break-Up Artist by Philip Siegel, and The Things You Kiss Goodbye by Leslie Connor.

So what contemporary romances would you recommend to someone new to the genre?

8 comments:

  1. Fantastic list! I've read most of these, I really like contemporary romance. I would recommend Open Road Summer as well.

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  2. I just got into contemporary this year so haven't read too much, but a lot of these books are on my wishlist. Gayle Forman is way up there and I definitely have an ARC of Open Road Summer that I have yet to read. Even though I've heard nothing but good things, I keep putting it off for some reason. I need to stop doing that. Lol

    TFIOS is one of my favorite contemps. So so good. Great list!

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  3. LOVED TFioS, Kasie West, To All the Boys I've Loved Before, Anna and Open Road Summer :) Great list!

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  4. I really enjoyed The Distance Between Us, and I'm looking forward to On the Fence. And I'm waiting for my hold on To All the Boys I've Loved Before to come in.

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  5. This is a great list! I have to agree with you on Open Road Summer, best 2014 contemporary read I've read this year! It's sooo good! :)

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  6. I definitely need to read more YA contemporary romance. I own most of those gorgeous books and have only read two of them. I'm reading Just Like the Movies by Kelly Fiore right now and I'm loving it. I adore her previous book, Taste Test. I also love anything by Elizabeth Scott, but Bloom is my favorite. Awesome list, I'll definitely be reading some of these in the near future.

    Michelle @ Michelle's Minions

    My TTT

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  7. I'm not a huge Contemporary Romance fan, but I loved TFIOS!!! Such a beautiful book, I'm glad it's on here :) The Art Of Lainey and Anna & The French Kiss look like great reads!

    Check out my TTT!

    Katrina @ Chased By My Imagination

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  8. I loved reading the Fault in Our Stars!!! Great book list. I'll have to check out the other books on your list!! Here's my TTT list as follows: http://captivatedreader.blogspot.com/2014/08/top-ten-tuesday-top-ten-books-id-give.html

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