Hello, loves! I’m here again sharing one of my favorite romance books.
I’ve been reading romance novels for years and have read amazing books along the way. You can see the full list of books I’ve read on my goodreads profile.
You are reading: Romance books you can’t put down
or you can just click here to see all my book recommendations. you’ll find tons of ideas to add to your ‘to read’ list.
- Related: Spring Reading List: 8 Must-Read Romance Books
Also, last year I created a romance book reading challenge that you can still check out. comes with 50 book prompts that can help you further explore the genre and a printable.
*some of the links in this post contain affiliate links and I will receive a small commission if you make a purchase after clicking my link*
1. grip (grip #1) by kennedy ryan
resisting an irresistible force wears you down and leaves you out. HE. I have been doing it for years.
I may not have a musical gift of my own, but I have a nose for talent and an eye for the extraordinary. And Marlon James – grip for his fans – is nothing short of extraordinary.
Years ago, we spent a few magical nights together, but I keep those memories in a locked drawer and throw away the key. all that remains is friendship and work.
He is on the brink of unimaginable fame, all his dreams about to come true. I manage his career, but I can’t seem to manage my heart.
is wild, reckless, disobedient. and remember all the things I want to forget.
This is a series with two books and a prequel. In this series you will read about the same couple so that we can really enjoy the grip and the bristol.
plus, if you have kindle unlimited, this book is free!
2. the winnipeg wall and me by mariana zapata
vanessa mazur knows she’s doing the right thing. she shouldn’t feel bad about giving up.
Being an assistant/housekeeper/fairy godmother to the best defensive end in the national football organization was always supposed to be a temporary thing.
she has plans and none of them include washing extra large underwear longer than necessary.
But when Aiden Graves shows up on her doorstep wanting her to come back, she’s more than surprised.
for two years, the man known as the wall of winnipeg could not find him to say good morning or congratulate her on her birthday. now? she is asking for the unthinkable.
what do you say to the man who is used to getting everything he wants?
this is a light romance novel but full of emotions. aiden is sweet!
This book is also included in Kindle Unlimited!
3. really gifted (really #3) by emma chase
logan street. james is a hot and sexy beast. Sure, it can be a little brooding at times, but Ellie Hammond is willing to overlook that. why have you seen it?
sexy. What. hell.
and ellie is cheerful enough for both of us.
For years, she’s had a crush on the intense and gorgeous royal security guard, but she doesn’t think he’s ever seen her, not really.
For Logan, Ellie was just part of the job: a relative of the royal family he had sworn to protect. Now 22 and fresh out of college, she’s determined to put aside her dreams of frisks and pillow talk and find a real life happily ever after.
The Queen of Wessco encourages Ellie to follow in her sister’s footsteps and settle down with a prince of her own. or a duke, a marquis… a viscount would also be fine.
But in search of a fairy tale ending, Ellie learns that the sweetest crushes can be the hardest to let go.
***
logan street. James grew up on the wrong side of the tracks, in a family on the wrong side of the law. but these days he covers his tattoos and scars with a respectable suit. he is handsome, loyal, brave, skilled with his hands and… other body parts.
Any woman would be proud to call it her own.
but there’s only one woman he wants.
For years, he cared for her, protected her, tied her hair back when she was sick, taught her how to throw a punch and spot a liar.
He dreams of her. he would give her life for her.
but beautiful ellie hammond is off limits.
everyone knows the bodyguard rules: never lose focus, never let them out of your sight, and never, ever fall in love.
The kindle version of this book is only $0.99 now, so now’s a great time to get it! I swear you won’t regret it. It also has a good rating on goodreads, so it’s definitely a good deal.
4. bitter heat (scorched #1) by mia knight
she was the wood. he was the flame. after this, they would be ashes.
A cruel twist of fate leaves Jasmine Hennessy stranded in a remote cabin with her worst nightmare: her ex-husband, James Roth, whom she hasn’t seen in five years. he’s not acting like the man she married, but did she ever really know him?
A night together sets off a series of events that threaten his freedom as Roth seeks revenge on those who ruined him seven years ago. he is determined to bring her back to the world he left behind, where money is king, her reputation is everything, and people will kill to keep her secrets.
Author’s Note: This is a dark romance novel with mature triggers and themes that may make some readers uncomfortable.
Now this series is just getting started and only book #1 came out. While I can’t guarantee that the entire series is worth watching, the first book is definitely worth it. I would leave you speechless.
ends on a cliffhanger, so if you’re someone who doesn’t like that, I’d recommend waiting until the next one is published.
5. hearts of darkness (the santiago trilogy #1) by catherine wiltcher
“first, dante santiago put a gun to my head. then blew my world to pieces…”
He is a criminal without a conscience. the whisper of a name, a faceless stranger…a man content to dwell in the shadows of his underworld.
I am the light to his darkness, an investigative reporter trying to expose dangerous men like him. we were worlds apart until I caught his eye. now I am his captive, kept at the whim of a demon without kindness or morality.
I may be innocent, but I also have secrets. For years I have been waging a private war with the illegal drug trade, with the cartel responsible for murdering my brother. I’m closer to revenge than ever until his duplicity shatters my life.
Ours is a relationship born of hate, but we can’t deny the fire that burns between us. But Dante is a haunted man. he only knows pain and suffering until I see a spark of light buried deep in the shadows of his heart.
Now I have two options. save the soul of dante santiago or lose myself in his darkness forever.
this trilogy is consuming. not only the first book, but also the other two. I literally couldn’t get them out. I literally didn’t sleep for three days straight to finish them.
also, this book is included in kindle unlimited, so if you have it, take the opportunity and start this series. if you just want the book without the subscription, then it’s only $2.99, which isn’t bad!
6. fighting loneliness (on the ropes #3) by aly martinez
I was born a fighter. Abandoned by my parents, I spent my life forging my own path, one guided by my fists and paved with pain.
Untouchable in the ring, I destroyed everyone who faced me, but that’s where my victories ended. off the ropes, I repeatedly failed the few people who loved me. Including my best friend, Liv James, the one person I would die to protect.
even though i didn’t deserve it, liv never stopped believing in me. she never gave up. never let go. after all, she understood what I had lost, because she had lost it too.
liv was everything to me, but she was never truly mine.
that was going to change.
I lost my first love, but I refused to lose my soul mate.
Now, I’m on the ropes during the toughest battles of my life.
fighting to be the man he deserves.
fighting against the loneliness of our past.
fighting for her.
This has to be one of my favorite books. I think I’ve reread the entire book at least 7 times. which is crazy to me because I normally don’t reread books unless they’re amazing.
also available on kindle unlimited. you can try the subscription free for one month. so maybe create a list of your favorite books and give it a try.
7. chase (portland street kings #4) by evie harper
I found my queen, but I’m not a king.
ivy johnson is the complete opposite; kind and innocent with a white picket fence lifestyle. yet somehow when we’re together, she makes me whole. her cheeky smile and her contagious laugh, a balm for my way of seeing life. she brought color to my lifeless world. we had it all, a beautiful and carefree start. something incredible was building between us, something real.
but a fucking accident ruined everything. then the world fought against us. haunting me and my family at all times. not even my past was off limits.
We stood firm, like a century-old tree facing a hurricane. until… ivy ruined everything.
the pain in his eyes. the tears that were shed. I despised ivy more than I hated my memories.
the obvious fear in his eyes, the knowledge that he had given up fighting for us. hate sprang from love, an endless supply of fire, both created from my heart.
all my nightmares and fears had burned me from the inside out. I promised myself that my heart would heal and learn to beat without her.
I never wanted it to end this way. my dream was to look back one day and say that he loved her well. instead, I will be the reason he loses the only family he has left. And nothing will stop me as I drown in memories of the past and get stuck in the recesses of my mind, spiraling out of control.
Blinded by my weaknesses, fate rears its ugly head and shows that nothing is guaranteed in this world, not even the lives of those we love.
also available on kindle unlimited, but if you don’t have access, it’s only $2.99.
8. under these lies (under #5) by meghan march
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look but don’t touch… she might as well wear a neon sign that says so. she just makes me want her more.
She may be above me in every way, but I still want her below me.
I don’t have to touch her rich girl skin, but that won’t stop me from trying her out. because rules are meant to be broken, especially when the prize is so good.
In a world where nothing is what it seems, what is buried under these lies?
I just re-read this book a couple of days ago for the first time and I’m so glad I did. I completely forgot about the amazing chemistry between Valentina and Rix.
I wish I could give you more details, but I’m not good at it. when trying to explain I always end up giving spoilers, so I learn not to talk about movies and books haha.
9. my skylar by penelope ward
skylar was my best friend, but I secretly missed her. one thing after another drove us apart, and I’ve spent the last decade in fear of losing her forever.
First, it was cancer, but she survived only to face the unthinkable at my hands. Because of me, she left town. For years, I thought I’d never see her again.
but now she’s back… and living with him.
I don’t deserve her after all I’ve put her through, but I can’t live without her. this is my last chance, because she’s about to make the biggest mistake of her life. I can see it in her eyes: she doesn’t love him. she still loves me… that’s why I have to stop her before it’s too late.
okay, this one here is old and a bit different from the other romance books on this list. what I mean, read it with tissues by your side, because you’re going to cry. at least I did.
Also, when I say old, I only mean 2014; but it’s been six years since it was published and, to be honest, the way romance books were written has changed.
so sometimes I avoid reading books that are five years old or older. I know, I’m a bit weird.
10. imperfect love (obsidian house #2) by bella jewel
rainer torrence is everything I could have ever wanted and more.
He became my best friend when I was thirteen. Since then we have been inseparable. It was my first love and my first heartbreak.
but i always thought it was forever until her father died and things got bad. then suddenly she disappeared.
Ten years and I never saw or heard from him. then came the call she would be praying for: he was back in town. only the man I remember is not him.
This man is calm, deadly and unbelievably beautiful.
He doesn’t remember me either. he looks me in the eyes and sees nothing. any.
So, I let him think I’m just a girl who walked into his bar. She let him think I’m just a friend. I let it wear me out on cold dark nights. I let him believe that I am as insensitive to our relationship as he is.
I just let the secret go on and on.
but all secrets have an end, right?
another book that I have reread several times. I love the story between rainer and mali. I feel so bad for them, but so happy that they get a second chance (trying really hard not to mess up any details right now haha).
This romance book is also included in Kindle Unlimited, and if you prefer to purchase it, you can do so for $2.99 by clicking the button below.
11. make me bad by r.s. gray
I got a warning: stay away from ben rosenberg.
as the resident “king” of clifton cove, he believes he is entitled to anyone and anything.
The problem is that I’ve spent my whole life following the rules and playing it safe. I know what it feels like to be the good girl. I’m the daughter of the police chief and librarian, for adorable children, no less. my wardrobe consists of colorful sundresses and baggy jeans. I might as well have a post-it stuck to my forehead that says yes, she’s a virgin.
Spending the whole night with a fictional hunk is the most exciting thing in my life, until one day, fate decides to take pity on me and push me straight into the path of mr. out of bounds itself.
Just as I suspected, every inch of him promises to be the death of me. up close, he is tall, menacing, dangerously handsome, the kind of man who has never spent a single moment worrying about the opinions of others. a well-bred girl would do as she’s told and avoid it at all costs, but I’m late for a little rebellion.
no more friday nights lying on the couch in my comfiest pajamas. I no longer wish I had the courage to misbehave.
everyone thinks ben is going to ruin me. they think it will chew me up and spit me out.
well, ben… go ahead. tempt me make fun of me hurt me
if you want a fun and light romantic book, this is the one for you.
madison is hilarious and sweet. I really enjoyed her personality and her relationship with Ben.
This author writes a lot of rom-coms, so if that’s your thing, check her out!
12. midnight man (midnight #1) by lisa marie rice
interior designer suzanne barron always thought she would slowly fall in love with a right man, a confident man. Former Navy Seal John Huntington, also known as the Midnight Man, is anything but confident.
The day they meet, Suzanne surprises herself by having unrestrained sex with John. but her panic is triggered when danger arrives. John will protect her, but who will protect her heart from him?
john is a seal and he never backs down. The Midnight Man is used to fighting for what he wants, but the fight turns deadly when unknown enemies attack. Suddenly, Suzanne’s life is at stake.
Once John has tasted her, there is no doubt that Suzanne belongs to him, and whoever is after her will have to go through him first.
I used to be obsessed with romance books that featured seals. not so much at the moment, but this is one of my favorite books about them.
13. legend (real #6) by katy evans
maverick “the avenger” cage wants to rise to the top and become a legend in the ring. Though he keeps his identity well guarded, he’s known on the wrestling circuit as the new kid with a chip on his shoulder and a tattoo on his back that marks him as trouble.
He has a personal score to settle with the one and only remington “riptide” tate of the underground.
While Mav is training, he meets a young woman, the only other new person in town, and sparks fly. When things heat up between them, she discovers that she is none other than Reese Dumas, Remington Tate’s wife’s cousin.
a girl who’s supposed to criticize him and a girl he’s supposed to stay away from.
but maverick fights for the woman in his heart and the monsters in his blood. the eyes of the world are on them and the winner will go down in history as the last fighting champion; the ultimate legend.
the best thing about this book? dissident. he is quiet, he listens and he is sweet. it’s hard to read at first, but that’s part of its charm.
This book is part of the actual series, but can be read on its own in my opinion. the first three books are about the same couple, then book #4 and #5 are also about different couples.
14. rewrite charleigh rose stars
evangeline thorne is an insider. beautiful and popular, if not a little jaded.
A chance encounter with a green-eyed stuntman sets off a chain of events that turns his perfect little world upside down. short on options and desperate for adventure, she joins the traveling carnival during the summer.
Pulled into a world filled with drama, deception, and secrets, Evangeline tries to find herself and protect her heart in the process.
sebastian mcallister is cursed. he knows better than to think otherwise.
He’s content to live the rest of his life traveling the country as one of the four sons of eastlake, seeking thrills the only way he knows how.
The only thing he doesn’t see coming is the spoiled blonde with stars in her eyes. her only problem is that the more time she spends with her, the more hope begins to awaken in her sleeping heart.
Too bad hope is a dangerous thing when you’re an mcallister.
I know. The idea of this book is a bit crazy. a girl who decided to join a carnival for the summer? I wasn’t sure about the book at first, but I like stories about privileged girls and troubled boys.
so I bite the bullet and read the book. I am so happy I did! It wasn’t really what I expected. it’s also included in kindle unlimited, or you can buy it for just $2.99.
15. mallet (hard to love #2) by p. dangelic
amber jones is in trouble. And when I say pickles, I mean a world of trouble. she knew that she shouldn’t have gone to her ex’s new years eve party. and she really had no intention of nearly burning down her house. she now she needs a good lawyer, stat. but where to find one?
ethan vaughn is a very busy man. he really shouldn’t have agreed to break amber jones out of jail. As the most wanted attorney in professional football, he must focus on representing his NFL clients, not a struggling, accident-prone actress.
Now he is in pretrial detention on bail and lives at home. The woman is a walking disaster. and considering her history, she should stay as far away from him as possible. The problem is that he’s finally met the one person he’s willing to risk everything for.
Take an outspoken actress, put her under the same roof as an overworked lawyer, and watch the house slowly come crashing down.
This book is not only funny, but it hits you right in the heart.
a book that shows that sometimes we go through difficult times in life and that great things can come from difficulties.
16. up to nico (up to #4) by aurora rose reynolds
sophie grates has never had it easy, but she is finding her way in life step by step and day by day. That is, until Nico walks in and turns his world upside down.
He forces her to see that you can’t live life from the outside looking in and that sometimes you have to step out onto the ledge to really enjoy the view.
nico mayson knew the moment he saw sophie grilles that she was the one. His whole life, he’s been judged by what’s on the outside, so finding a beautiful woman who sees the real me in her only makes her feelings that much stronger.
Nico knows the kind of man he is and the things he is capable of, but he also knows that everything worth having in life is worth fighting for.
from the whole series to nico is by far my favorite book. not only because nico is amazing, but also because sophie is a lovely character too.
I love how the relationship develops. It’s fast and you believe it. literally love at first sight.
17. the gravity of us (items #4) by brittany c. cherry
graham russell and I were not meant for each other.
I was driven by emotion; he was listless. I dreamed while he lived in nightmares. I cried when he had no tears to shed.
despite his frozen heart and my willingness to run, sometimes we shared seconds.
seconds when our eyes met and we saw each other’s secrets. Seconds when his lips tasted my fears, and I breathed in his pain. seconds in which we both imagine what it would be like to love each other.
Those seconds left us floating, but when reality hit us broadside, gravity forced us down.
Graham Russell was not a man who knew how to love, and neither was I a woman who knew how to love. however, if I had the opportunity to fall again, I would fall in love with him forever.
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even if we were destined to crash onto dry land.
It was hard to read at first, not because it was hard, but because I couldn’t connect with the book and the characters, especially graham.
so once you get past his bad attitude, you start to understand him more.
18. cole by tijan
I shouldn’t have remembered.
It was just a guy walking through a restaurant. I didn’t know his name, we never made eye contact. there was no connection between us at all.
but I could feel it.
the tingling that goes down my spine. the mandate in his presence. the snap of tension in the air around him. That was the first time I saw it, and I was captivated.
the second time was different.
I was in the mysterious back elevator of my apartment building. our eyes met for a fleeting second before the doors closed, and I was stunned. my breath was stolen. my senses on high alert. my body buzzed.
That was just the beginning.
He was the leader of the mob. I was about to fall in love with him, and his name…
mauricio cole
For some reason, I love romance books that involve the mob. they can be dark, but very romantic at the same time. this is without a doubt one of my favorite books in that genre!
19. liberation by aly martinez
growing up, ramsey stewart scarred my soul in ways that time could never heal.
At twelve he asked me to be his girlfriend. At thirteen she gave me my first kiss. At sixteen, we fell in love, planned a future together, and had our eyes on the horizon.
love never fails, right? but for ramsey, she did. love failed him. I failed him the whole world failed him.
at seventeen, ramsey was found guilty of killing the boy who assaulted me.
further, he wrote in his first and only letter from prison. start a new life, she urged. I don’t love you anymore, she lied.
there was no such thing as giving up ramsey. love may have been our curse, but he was mine, then, now and forever.
So here I am, twelve long years later, waiting for a man I don’t even know to emerge from behind the screen doors.
I love this book mainly for one reason: she never gives up on her love (or him). I knew the wait was worth it and that they deserved a second chance.
Also, I love the kind of stories where the characters have known each other since they were little. I think it’s so adorable!
20. from lukov with love from mariana zapata
if someone asked jasmine santos to describe the last years of her life with a single word, it would definitely be a four letter word.
after seventeen years, and countless broken bones and broken promises, you know your window to compete in figure skating is coming to an end.
But when the offer of a lifetime arrives from an arrogant jerk who’s spent the last decade dreaming of pushing a moving bus, Jasmine may have to reconsider everything.
including ivan lukov.
mariana zapata again writing an incredible romance book. this time about something she had never read before: figure skating.
after seeing the ice princess in my childhood, I was very excited to read it.
is an amazing book with a tenacious athlete. Jasmine is definitely a role model and I loved her personality!
21. kate stewart method
Hollywood is a temptress, a trickster, a demon who steals souls. I married a top player, knowing I’m second in his trade. But Lucas and I are a golden couple, a modern day fairy tale.
I never doubted what we built…until the sudden death of Lucas’s best friend has a scandal that shakes the hills and shakes the foundation of our relationship.
i chose lucas as my safe haven…he chose the role of a lifetime.
For the next three months, I will share my nights with a stranger, watching him bury his pain, immersed in his role and living as someone else.
We’ve done this before. I tell myself it’s just another movie and it will come back to me.
I should have known this time would be different.
To get my husband back, I’ll need the strength of ten men.
turns out I’ll have to go through two.
This book was crazy and intense. he really didn’t even know what a method actor was before this book. It’s crazy what they go through to get a role.
It is a very interesting book to read with a very strong heroine. I love it!
22. the good samaritan from r.c. bold
The most important story of his life is the one he wants to hide.
I’m a drifter by choice.
I have no intention of going back to my old life after what I’ve done.
This, living among the dirt and discarded remains of others, is what I deserve.
As an atonement for my sins, I repay; I help those who cannot help themselves. but always under the guise of anonymity.
Newspaper headlines across the city are clamoring to discover my identity. including the beautiful woman who can see through my “armor”.
has the ability to put my whole life at risk.
propaganda is a mystery. doesn’t tell you much, which is great! a man who chooses to be homeless? it’s rare for someone to make that decision.
The characters in this book are worried but they see the light at the end of the tunnel.
23. pretend you’re mine (love in everton #3) by fabiola francisco
I’ve gotten into my fair share of awkward situations…although asking a random stranger to be my fake boyfriend is by far the worst.
In my defense, it was an act of desperation. an act that I hope will keep away the men in town who see me as their ticket to becoming the mayor’s son-in-law.
but I have a plan.
1. dating my fake boyfriend long enough for the news to spread all over town.2. having a very public breakup that leaves me too heartbroken to move on.3. continue living my happy single life.
There’s just one problem…Harris wasn’t supposed to be the kind of man I’ve always wanted.
there is no denying the sparks that fly between us. Just as I’m about to give him my heart, he does the one thing I can’t forgive.
Our breakup is public, and the heartbreak is real.
For some reason, I love romance books that start with fake couples. they begin to build a relationship without even realizing it. they need to get to know each other and share their personal space.
I love how predictable they can be. Especially when I don’t want to read about all the hassle of getting to know each other.
24. repeat by kylie scott
When a vicious attack leaves 25-year-old Clementine Johns with no memory, she’s forced to start over.
Now she has to figure out who she was and why she made the decisions she did, including leaving the supposed love of her life, tattoo artist Ed Larsen, just a month earlier.
ed can hardly believe it when his ex shows up at his tattoo parlor with no recollection of his past, and questions him about the breakup that nearly destroyed him.
The last thing he needs is more heartbreak, but he can’t seem to let her go again.
Should they go away forever, or does their love deserve a repeat?
A book that reminds me of the movie ‘The Vote’? yes please!
This is pretty much a second-chance romance, which I tend to disagree with too much in real life; but in a book, I think it’s the most romantic. plus everyone deserves a second chance, or at least most of the time people deserve another chance.
also available on kindle unlimited!
25. steady (true north #2) by sarina bowen
jude lost everything one spring day when he crashed his car into an apple tree on the side of the road. a man is dead, and there is no way he can correct that mistake.
he would stay away from colebury, vermont forever if he could. But an ex-con in recovery from his drug addiction can’t find a job anywhere.
For sophie haines, coming face to face with the man who broke her heart is heartbreaking. suddenly he’s everywhere she turns. it’s hard not to look at how much has changed.
The bad boy who used to love her didn’t have big biceps or tan hair. and he would never volunteer in the church kitchen.
She knows it’s foolish to yearn for the man who returned all the sad letters she wrote to him in prison. but the looks she sends him now speak volumes.
no one wants to see sophie and jude together again, least of all sophie’s police chief father. but it is a small town. and forbidden love is a law in itself.
What are some of your favorite romance books? Also, do you have kindle unlimited? because I’m thinking of trying it. if you do, is it worth it? I didn’t realize that many of my favorite authors have their books available. let me know in the comments!
sincerely,
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