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Romance is never one-dimensional in real life. it can be complicated and impetuous, slow and unexpected, ill-timed and inconvenient – a long, bumpy, beautiful road to true love and happiness. so why should it be any different in the books? We’ve rounded up our favorite slow-burn romances for you to binge on, whether you’re reading on the beach or relaxing on a cold winter’s eve.
You are reading: Slow burn romance books
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in dublin street by samantha young
braden carmichael always gets what he wants. So when he meets Jocelyn, he assumes this time is no different. Sure, she has a past, but doesn’t everyone? however, once she finally gives in, he realizes that he wants much more than he originally did. a tragic past meets intense attraction in this quick read.
wait for it by mariana zapata
diana has her whole world shaken when her brother dies, giving her sole custody of their two young children. she absolutely adores josh & lou, but being thrust into a world of motherhood was never part of her plan. she immediately takes responsibility, moves into a house and tries to raise the children as her brother would have. but what she never expected was her next door neighbor, dallas, an older man quietly living her life. he rarely shows emotion, but he is the rock of bullseye. As she tries to juggle her new role as a mother and business owner, Dallas steps up and becomes everything she needs, even though they strike up a friendship. Slowly this romance begins to burn, and you can’t help but love the anticipation of the two coming together.
water for elephants by sara gruen
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With nowhere to go, Jacob Janowski joins a traveling circus and takes care of the show animals. When he teams up with a beautiful female rising star (who’s not quite available) and a stubborn elephant, Jacob discovers that his new job will bring all kinds of unexpected love into his life.
maybe someday by colleen hoover
sydney thrives in college: she has a steady job, is in love with her wonderful boyfriend, hunter, and shares a room with her best friend, tori. But everything changes when she discovers that Hunter is cheating on her. However, Ella Sydney finds herself captivated by Ella’s mysterious and attractive neighboring mohawk. And there’s something about Sydney that Ridge can’t ignore either. they soon find themselves needing her passionate friendship in more ways than one.
things you save in a fire by katherine center
cassie, a firefighter, moves to boston at the request of her mother, who is very ill. realizing that her job is vastly different from the one she left behind in texas, she knows she has to prove herself in a field dominated by men. she adds some serious chemistry with one of the rookies on her squad and it looks like this will have some steamy romance too. this one will be a little deeper than your average romance and will have you thinking about it long after you’ve finished reading.
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alison cochrun’s charm offensive
dev deshpande is good at creating love stories on TV, but not so good at making them come true in his own life. When Charlie Winshaw is cast as the bachelor looking for forever love, he quickly disappoints by appearing uncomfortable and uninterested on camera. Dev goes to great lengths to guide Charlie and get him to open up to the ladies vying for his heart. however, the more they talk, the more it seems that the real chemistry is between the two of them, off-camera. With this new development, will the show continue as planned or will there be a secret reveal that no one expected?
the brutal truth of lee winter
The truth always comes out, whether we like it or not. When Australian crime reporter Maddie Gray ends a work trip with her boss she has a crush on, things can get unexpectedly heated. Elena Bartell is bright and fierce, and she believes the world would be a much simpler place if everyone told the whole truth. So, Elena and Maddie make a bet that at first seems harmless. they cannot lie to each other. pretty easy, right? Well, when the gamble starts to fall through, Elena may not be ready for the whole truth like she thought she was. secrets come out and these two women will never be the same.
get a life, chloe brown by talia hibbert
chloe speaks her mind and doesn’t depend on anyone. her strength and her humor shine throughout the novel, making her extremely likable. Her chemistry with Ella Red, the superintendent of her apartment, is off the charts: this enemies-to-lovers romance is steamy. As Red begins to help Chloe with her “get a life” list, what starts out as a silly fling turns into a very sweet and tender love story.
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one last casey mcquiston stop
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In the follow-up to her lovely debut red, white & royal blue, casey mcquiston weaves a new kind of love story. Another romantic comedy about queer characters, One Last Stop centers on a pessimistic 23-year-old who just moved to New York City and falls in love with a woman he sees on his subway ride. The only problem is that the woman turns out to be lost in time from the 1970s. Mcquiston sets off a dazzling romance filled with plenty of humor and heart.
love, chai and other four letter words by annika sharma
kiran is the good daughter, the one who picked up the pieces when her sister disobeyed the family and brought shame to her name. Kiran wouldn’t make the same mistakes. nash never had a family, her parents were absent from her life while she was growing up and she is now walking away from love and family. but what happens when they stop listening to other people’s wishes and traditions for them, and kiran and nash follow their hearts?
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hana khan continues by uzma jalaluddin
hana is a part-time waitress at her mother’s halal restaurant, three sisters biryani poutine, in a tight-knit neighborhood of toronto. Her dream, however, is to tell stories on the radio. she’s so close to achieving her goals that all she has to do is outshine the other intern and she has a shot at the job. meanwhile, she puts all her dreams and ideas on her podcast, where she connects with one of her listeners. however, everything changes when a rival restaurant, a more upscale halal spot, is about to open, threatening her mother’s restaurant. After learning a long-buried family secret and a hate-motivated attack unravels her neighborhood, Hana’s life gets more complicated every day. Not to mention her growing attraction to Aydin, the young owner of the rival restaurant, who might not be a complete stranger after all.
twice shy by sarah hogle
maybell paris, a born dreamer, is excited by the opportunities that await her on the estate of her late great aunt. however, when she arrives, she is more like a nightmare. She has to share the property with moody but handsome groundskeeper Wesley Koehler. As Maybell tries to compromise the future of the estate with Wesley, she discovers that underneath all the frowns there is something sweet.
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the kiss quotient by helen hoang
stella lane has been in a long-term relationship with math because numbers make sense. she also has asperger’s, and making relationships, human relationships, can be a challenge. So when she hires Michael Phan to give her a little education in the field, she realizes dating might add up after all.
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