The top contemporary romance authors pen love stories that hold you spellbound. The best contemporary romance writers know how to pull you through the pages with whip-smart dialogue, realistic conflict, and complicated, flawed protagonists who feel relatable. This contemporary romance authors list includes both veteran writers alongside emerging newcomers who have already established themselves as new leaders in the genre.
And now for a roundup of the top contemporary romance authors….
Tessa Bailey
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Tessa Bailey is the author of some of the spiciest contemporary romance novels out there. A New York Times bestselling writer, Bailey has penned multiple series as well as standalone books. On her website, Bailey lists more than 12 series and 5 standalone reads. Readers who love Bailey know they’ll get steamy sex scenes and recognizable women protagonists who are always a bit of a hot mess.
Get started with reading Tessa Bailey by picking up Fix Her Up.
In this book, the first in Bailey’s Hot and Hammered series, nobody takes children’s party planner Georgette “Georgie” Castle seriously. Georgie agrees to a fake relationship with former pro baseball player Travis Ford for mutual benefit. But is their relationship as real as their feelings for each other? You’ll fly through this one to find out.
How to read it: Purchase Fix Her Up on Amazon
Katherine Center
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I absolutely adore women’s fiction writer Katherine Center. Her heroines always seem relatable, almost always flawed and awkward and inexperienced with men (hmm, sounds a lot like me!). Center’s books are mostly closed-door love scenes. If you’re looking for hot sex stories, Center isn’t for you. But if you want a story grounded in true love and the truth it asks of us, Center’s books should be at the top of your TBR.
Get started with reading Katherine Center by picking up The Bodyguard.
Hannah does not look like your typical bodyguard, but, small though she is, Hannah’s a certified pro. After a bad breakup, Hannah reluctantly takes up an assignment to guard hunky Hollywood actor Jack Stapleton. But this is no regular ask. Instead, Jack’s team plots with Hannah’s company to invent a reason for Hannah to be hanging around Jack all the time: that she’s his girlfriend. What could possibly go wrong? I read through this one in two short, breathless days.
How to read it: Purchase The Bodyguard on Amazon
Jenny Colgan
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I first encountered British author Jenny Colgan‘s books almost ten years ago through one of her holiday themed stories. I had to import the books from the UK, but nowadays Colgan has successfully crossed the pond. Today you can go into your local bookstore and find her cozy, feel-good stories on the shelf alongside other American authors. What I love about her novels are their redemptive themes. Often, a heroine in one of Colgan’s many series is down on her luck and looking for a fresh start. Books, bakeries, and candy shops are where these spunky heroines find another chance at life, work, and love. Colgan is definitely one of the top contemporary romance authors.
Get started with reading Jenny Colgan by picking up Little Beach Street Bakery.
If you’re looking to get started with reading Jenny Colgan, check out Little Beach Street Bakery, the first installment in a series of the same name. Polly lost her job and her boyfriend. When she moves into a seaside small town in the Cornwall, Polly turns her love for baking into a new business, one that will bring her healing, joy, and even love.
How to read it: Purchase Little Beach Street Bakery on Amazon
Olivia Dade
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Olivia Dade is quickly emerging as one of the top authors of modern love stories. What distinguishes Dade from the rest of the writers on this list of the best contemporary romance writers is her focus on body positive tales with fat heroes and heroines. When I read an Olivia Dade book, I know I’m getting a heroine who’s a little bit like me… chubby, adorkable, and always trying your best, despite whatever life throws at you.
Get started with reading Olivia Dade by picking up Spoiler Alert.
In Spoiler Alert, the first in a series with the same title, Marcus Caster-Rupp is an actor on a hit TV series. But he also writes anonymous fan fiction about the series, just like April Whittier. When April’s photo is leaked online and she’s fat-shamed, Marcus asks her out to help her save face. But neither expect that their first date won’t be their last…
How to read it: Purchase Spoiler Alert on Amazon
Sonali Dev
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Whenever you pick up a Sonali Dev book, you know that you’ll be in good hands. Dev writes dreamy (and frisky!) romance novels that will have you believing in true love in stories that seem like they could happen to your average young woman. By writing books with characters who just need to get over their issues and understand they’re destined to be together, Dev pens stories you can’t put down, making her one of the top contemporary romance authors.
Get started with reading Sonali Dev by picking up Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors.
Dev has an established series following the Rajes family. Each of the books in the series are Jane Austen retellings. Pick up Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors for your first Dev book. In this romance novel, Dr. Trisha Raje is an elite San Francisco-based neurosurgeon. When she meets DJ Caine, her extravagant family’s new head chef, Trisha can’t stand him. But soon they can’t deny their attraction to each other is simmering into something sexy.
How to read it: Purchase Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors on Amazon
Jasmine Guillory
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Who hasn’t heard of Jasmine Guillory? It all started with Guillory’s debut, The Wedding Date in 2018. Now Guillory’s penned many bestsellers, showing off her prowess with multiple romance subgenres, like holiday romance and fairy tale retellings. Guillory’s books always feature pitch-perfect dialogue, undeniable chemistry between the leads, and will-they-won’t-they vibes that keep you turning pages.
Get started with reading Jasmine Guillory by picking up The Wedding Date.
If you’re looking to read Jasmine Guillory’s contemporary romances, start with her debut, The Wedding Date, which has all of her signature spice and swoons. Drew is at the wedding of his ex and badly in need of a date. When he gets stuck in an elevator with Alexa, who for once lets her guard down and agrees impulsively to be Drew’s date. But when they part at the end, neither Drew nor Alexa can think of anything other than being together. Too bad they live opposite lives… but will true love bring them together forever? Good luck putting this one down as you try to find out.
How to read it: Purchase The Wedding Date on Amazon
Alexis Hall
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Some of the top contemporary romance authors are British, like Alexis Hall, who writes must-read queer romances that stand apart with their dazzling dialogue, page-turning stories rooted in love, and characters who feel so down-to-earth and complicated that they might as well be real people. Hall has written historical romance, like A Lady for a Duke, as well as contemporary books featuring gay couples and LGBT protagonists, like Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake.
Get started with reading Alexis Hall by picking up Boyfriend Material.
Luc is the semi-famous son of two famous and now divorced musicians. With Luc’s dad staging a comeback, Luc knows he needs to be paparazzi-ready, so he convinces posh lawyer Oliver to be his fake boyfriend. I bet you can guess where this one goes—both Luc and Oliver start to feel something real—but getting there is an engrossing experience you won’t want to miss.
How to read it: Purchase Boyfriend Material on Amazon
Emily Henry
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Even though Emily Henry is a relatively newer writer, she’s undeniably made an impression on readers who love her smart and sexy stories that show why she’s one of the top contemporary romance authors. Henry’s books star heroines who have messy lives and even messier feelings for heroes who I wish were real. It’s no surprise that people turn to her when they want a fast read.
Get started with reading Emily Henry by picking up Book Lovers.
Nora is a literary agent to big name authors, but her own personal story is more empty, especially because the men she dates leave her—the ultimate ice queen—for other women. When Nora’s beloved little sister Libby convinces Nora to take a vacation in a small Southern town, Nora agrees: she’d do anything for Libby. But is the tiny community big enough to contain the feels Nora gets for New York-based editor Charlie, who’s home visiting that same small town? I inhaled this novel in a few days.
How to read it: Purchase Book Lovers on Amazon
Talia Hibbert
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Talia Hibbert has burst on the scene and quickly become one of the top contemporary romance authors publishing today. Readers enjoy her diverse stories, which often highlight characters with disabilities, chubbier protagonists, and heroes and heroines from marginalized communities. Hibbert is a rising star who will soon reach the ranks of the more established writers on this list.
Get started with reading Talia Hibbert by picking up Get a Life, Chloe Brown.
Chloe Brown has a chronic illness and killer computer geek skills. Chloe knows there must be more to life than this, so she drafts a list of things to do to “Get a life.” When she gets an apartment to try to establish her independence from her clingy family and cross one item off her list, Chloe runs into the building super, Red, who knows how to have a risky time. Together, Red and Chloe embark on a journey to live life to its fullest…. together.
How to read it: Purchase Get a Life, Chloe Brown on Amazon
Kristan Higgins
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Kristan Higgins was the first romance writer I’ve ever read, and I’ve both followed her newer titles and binge-read her older books. There’s a lot to tackle, with multiple series and standalone novels to devour. Higgins’ books are sweet romances, with no graphic sex scenes. But don’t be fooled; though her stories are closed-door love stories, they are just as emotionally charged with swoonworthy heroes and plucky heroines just trying to make it in a challenging world. I love Higgins’ work so much, I hoard her novels and save them for a day when I really need a cozy romance I know will put a smile on my face. Read her books and know why she’s certainly one of the top contemporary romance authors.
Get started with reading Kristan Higgins by picking up The Perfect Match.
Though Higgins’ beloved Blue Heron Series stretches to five books, my favorite is the second, The Perfect Match. Honor is licking her wounds after being rejected by her dream crush, who is now engaged less than three weeks later. British professor Tom feels a duty to raise his stepson, but it’s going to be hard since his visa is about to expire. Honor and Tom agree to get him a green card. Once he gets it, they’ll split up, at least, according to the agreement they draw up. But the two grow close… perhaps too close…
How to read it: Purchase The Perfect Match on Amazon
Helen Hoang
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Helen Hoang has quickly become one of the top contemporary romance authors. It all started with The Kiss Quotient, a wholly original romance novel with neurodivergent characters. Hoang writes books with protagonists who have diverse brains and carnal cravings. By piling on a ton of plausible conflict to keep her hero and heroine apart, Hoang keeps you turning pages as you hope her characters get their HEA (Happily Ever After).
Get started with reading Helen Hoang by picking up The Kiss Quotient.
In Helen Hoang’s celebrated debut, Stella Lane is a data scientist who has Asperger’s. Determined to master the skill of sex, she hires escort Michael Phan to teach her all she needs to know to be a woman who knows her way around a bed. But neither Michael nor Stella expect the feelings that grow between them.
How to read it: Purchase The Kiss Quotient on Amazon
Colleen Hoover
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Colleen Hoover has been writing romances with epic feels for years, but thanks to BookTok, her back catalog has exploded in popularity. Now you can’t go into a bookstore without encountering a display of her many novels. Hoover certainly belongs on any list of the top contemporary romance authors.
Get started with reading Colleen Hoover by picking up It Ends with Us.
If you’re just beginning with Colleen Hoover, the must-read novel you’ll want to check out first is her most famous book, It Ends with Us. In this angst-ridden love story that hits you in the feels, Lily has overcome a lot in her life. When she starts up a steamy bond with hot neurosurgeon Ryle, it seems like they’ll be able to contain their feelings. But then rules get broken….
How to read it: Purchase It Ends with Us on Amazon
Abby Jimenez
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Abby Jimenez is an emerging writer who should be on the radar of anyone looking for the top contemporary romance authors. Jimenez’s books feature complex couples with heroes and heroines who often get in their own way. You’ll root for her characters to get their shit together and admit their feelings for each other. Featuring believable conflicts that push the h/H apart, Jimenez’s books will keep you hooked until the very last page.
Get started with reading Abby Jimenez by picking up The Friend Zone.
Kristen will never let you know she’s hurting… she just puts on her game face and gets through life. When the book begins, Kristen is about to have a medically necessary surgery that will take having kids off of the table. Meeting Josh, the best man to her friend’s husband-to-be, makes Kristen reconsider her dating don’ts. But Josh wants a big family in the future, and Kristen could never give him that. Will they find a way forward? You’ll fly through this romance to find out.
How to read it: Purchase The Friend Zone on Amazon
Christina Lauren
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“Christina Lauren” is the pen name of best friends and writing partners Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings. Together, Christina Lauren belong on any list of the top contemporary romance authors. Unbelievably prolific, this team publishes one hit after another. I included their YA book Autoboyography on my list of the 20 best romance books for teens.
Get started with reading Christina Lauren by picking up The Unhoneymooners.
If you’re looking for a good first book to get acquainted with Christian Lauren, try The Unhoneymooners. Olive is unlucky while her identical twin sister Ami coasts through life. At Ami’s wedding, she asks Olive to stick with the groom’s best man and Olive’s enemy, Ethan. After everyone at the wedding eats bad shellfish and comes down with food poisoning, Olive and Ethan claim the intended honeymoon to Hawaii. But while they start off at odds with each other, the experience brings them closer to something real. When they return home, who will come back: as arch rivals? Or as a new couple?
How to read it: Purchase The Unhoneymooners on Amazon
Casey McQuiston
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The last name in this list of the top contemporary romance authors, Casey McQuiston pens LGBT romances for teens and adults. Her debut Red, White & Royal Blue is a compelling book you won’t forget that has also been adapted for film. McQuiston is the queen of the queer romcom and is rapidly becoming at the top of any list of the best contemporary romance authors.
Get started with reading Casey McQuiston by picking up Red, White & Royal Blue.
You’ll want to start with Casey McQuiston’s debut, Red, White & Royal Blue. In this queer romance, Alex is the First Son of America’s first female president and rival of Prince Henry, the picture-perfect British royal. When they’re forced to tour together as a unity ruse, Alex and Henry bond. And then they fall for each other. And then things get complicated.
