Must-Read Small Town Romance Books

In this sexy and emotional romance from the acclaimed author of Out of the Woods and Out on a Limb, a small-town woman’s journey to spread her wings intertwines with the arrival of an adventurous newcomer who brings out the best in her. But as their friendship blossoms into something deeper, they’ll discover that getting out of their comfort zones is one thing … taking that leap together is something else entirely.

It’s been years since Meena separated from her husband, Nikhil. Now a high-powered lawyer on Capitol Hill and ready to move on (at least, she thinks so) with another successful lawyer, Shake, Meena has returned to Texas. This time, finally to obtain a divorce. But there’s one thing Meena didn’t account for: a hurricane forming in the Gulf, veering right toward them and giving them no choice but to hunker down in the home they had built together. Suddenly, she finds herself trapped amid gale-force winds and pelting rain with the man she once loved.

Erin De Laney came to Mystic Creek hoping that the slower pace might rekindle her enthusiasm for law enforcement. Instead she feels as frustrated as she did in the city and when her disillusionment with the job increases, she takes a position on her uncle’s ranch. Her life has enough complications without her attraction to handsome, deaf cowboy, Wyatt Fitzgerald, the foreman on the ranch. Wyatt has sworn off dating, and Erin fears that nothing she does will ever change his mind. Yet while working with an abused horse under Wyatt’s guidance, Erin comes to better understand herself. She also learns that love can heal almost anything.

Grab your favorite fall candle, cuddle into a comfy blanket, and travel back in time to 1997 in this cozy, slow-burn romance set in the autumn glow of small-town Vermont.

Cape Carnage is a seaside town of colorful houses, quirky shops, and an unusually high body count. With tourists comes trouble, and Harper Starling won’t let anyone ruin her picture-perfect home. A skilled gardener with killer instincts, Harper protects her sanctuary at any cost. Troublesome tourists don’t check out of Carnage. They compost beneath Harper’s award-winning flowerbeds … From #1 New York Times bestselling author Brynne Weaver comes a wickedly delicious new series where dark romantic comedy meets thrilling suspense — and where falling in love can be killer.

Pop singer Avery Fox has become a national joke after posing scantily clad on the cover of Rolling Stone in a feather warbonnet. What was meant to be a statement of her success as a Native American singer has turned her into a social pariah. With threats coming from every direction and her career at a standstill, she escapes to her estranged grandmother Lottie’s ranch in Oklahoma.  Lottie’s horse ranch despises her. Red Fox Ranch has been home to Lucas Iron Eyes since he was 16 years old. Lucas can’t stand what she represents, but when he’s forced to work with her on the ranch, he can’t get her out of his sight — or his head.

Violet Covington pens Dear Sweetie, the most popular advice column in the state of North Carolina. She has an answer for how to politely handle any difficult situation … until she discovers her husband, Sam, has been cheating on her. Furious and out of sensible solutions, Violet leaves her filter at the door and turns to her column to air her own frustrations. The new, brutally honest Dear Sweetie goes viral, sending more shock waves through Violet’s life. When she burns Sam’s belongings in a front-yard, late-night bonfire, a smoking-hot firefighter named Dez shows up to douse the flames, and an unexpected fling quickly shows the potential to become something longer lasting.

A music critic stuck in a spiral of epic proportions targets her teenage crush for a career comeback and a chance at revenge. What could possibly go wrong? “A sexy, funny, sweet story about second chances and found family … I fell in love with Ridley Falls and everyone in it” (Emily Henry, bestselling author of Book Lovers).

When a librarian moves to a quaint Irish village where her favorite novelist lives, the last thing she expects is to fall for the author’s prickly son … until their story becomes one for the books, from the New York Times bestselling author of Summer Reading.

Lonely librarian June Jones has never left the sleepy English village where she grew up. Shy and reclusive, the thirty-year-old would rather spend her time buried in books than venture out into the world. But when her library is threatened with closure, June joins a band of eccentric yet dedicated locals in a campaign to keep the library, and she opens herself up to other people for the first time since her mother died. It just so happens that her old school friend Alex Chen is back in town and willing to lend a helping hand.

When life sets fire to your happily ever after, you ditch your cheating boyfriend, trade in the city life for the off-the-grid seclusion of your mother’s bookstore in the mountains … and try to resist your attraction to the brooding town mechanic you accidentally got into a fender bender with outside the local bar. Sydney Walsh might be falling head over heels for the romance novels she’s stocking up on to rebuild The Loving Page, but she has no delusions about actually starring in one. That chapter has closed. But when you meet the right person, the wrong circumstances don’t matter. Even when the world seems to be doing its best to keep them apart, their real, one-of-a-kind love is worth fighting for.

When fate and tacos bring Ramón and Julieta together on the Day of the Dead, the star-crossed pair must make a choice: Accept the bitter food rivalry that drives them apart or surrender to a love that consumes them.

Amy, a semi-closeted queer baker and bartender in mid-2010s Oklahoma, has spent a lifetime putting other people’s needs before her own. Until, that is, she hits it off with Charley, a brilliant, attractive engineer who’s just moved to Tulsa. Suddenly, Amy’s found something — someone — she actually wants. Her tight-knit group of chosen family is thrilled she’s finally moving on from her ex. Mostly, though, they want Amy to find a way to show up for love — and life — as her authentic self.

A struggling event planner and a sinfully hot astronaut must decide if their fake relationship is worth a shot at happily-ever-after, in this starry debut. What Amerie doesn’t plan for is Vincent’s gravitational pull. While her mind tells her a future with this astronaut is too unpredictable, her heart says he’s exactly what she needs. As their time together counts down, Amerie must decide if she’ll settle for her safe life — or shoot for the stars.

Jesse Strong is known for two things: His devotion to his adoptive mom, Mama Joy, and his reputation for breaking hearts. When Mama Joy unexpectedly passes away, her and his brothers have different plans for what to do with Strong Knits, their neighborhood knitting store. Jesse wants to keep the store open. His brothers want to tie off loose ends and close shop … Part-time shop employee Kerry Fuller offers to help Jesse. But the more time they spend together, the stronger the chemistry builds between them. Kerry, knowing Jesse’s history, doesn’t believe their relationship can last longer than she can knit one, purl two. But Jesse is determined to prove to her that he can be the man for her forever and always. After all, real men knit.

In a sleepy seaside town in Maine, recently widowed Eveleth “Evvie” Drake rarely leaves her large, painfully empty house nearly a year after her husband’s death in a car crash. Everyone in town, even her best friend, Andy, thinks grief keeps her locked inside, and Evvie doesn’t correct them. Meanwhile, in New York City, Dean Tenney, former Major League pitcher and Andy’s childhood best friend can’t throw straight anymore, and, even worse, he can’t figure out why. As the media storm heats up, an invitation from Andy to stay in Maine seems like the perfect chance to hit the reset button on Dean’s future. When he moves into an apartment at the back of Evvie’s house, what starts as an unexpected friendship soon turns into something more.

Cash, a small-town bartender, juggles motherhood and a sexual awakening in this heartwarming queer friends-to-lovers romance from the author of Sammy Espinoza’s Last Review. As Cash embarks on a reluctant journey of self-discovery, she’s forced to confront all the ways she’s been hiding in her own life. But will she choose to remain the same, or will the desire for love (even a love that looks different than she ever imagined) prove worth the risk?

From the bestselling author of Funny You Should Ask comes an inspiring romance novel about honoring your past, living in the present, and loving for the future. In her small Montana hometown, Lauren Parker has assumed a few different roles: Teenage hell-raiser, sister of superstar Gabe Parker, and most recently, tragically widowed single mother. She’s never cared what people thought of her, but dealing with her grief over the loss of her husband, Spencer, has slowly revealed that she’s adrift in her own life. Then she meets the devilishly handsome actor Ben Walsh on the set of her brother’s new movie … Alternating between Lauren’s past with Spencer and her present with Ben, Totally and Completely Fine illuminates what it means to find life-changing love and be true to oneself in the process.

A new beginning in charming Oceanside, Washington, is exactly what Hope Godwin needs after the death of her twin brother. Despite having settled quickly into the community, something is still missing for Hope. That is, until her landlord convinces her to volunteer at his animal shelter. There she meets Shadow, a rescue dog that everyone has given up on. But true to her name, Hope believes he’s worth saving. Like Shadow, shelter volunteer Cade Lincoln Jr. is suffering from injuries most can’t see. Hope senses that what they each need is someone to believe in them, and she has a lot of love to give. As she gains Shadow’s trust, Hope notices Cade begins to open up as well.  But Hope’s new happiness is put to the test when Cade’s past conflicts resurface.

When Anne Elliott broke up with Ben Wentworth, it seemed like the right thing to do … but now, eight years later, she’s not so sure. As the executive director of her theater company she’s the always responsible Anne, always taken for granted and cleaning up after other people, and the memories of happier times with Ben still haunt her. So when the nearby winery is bought by Ben’s aunt and uncle, Anne’s world is set ablaze as her old flame crashes back into her life — and it’s clear he hasn’t forgiven her for breaking his heart. A joint project between the winery and Anne’s theater forces both Ben and Anne to confront their complicated history, and as they spend more time together, Anne can’t help but wonder if there might be hope for their future after all.

Denny Torres needs a break. After a series of embarrassments on and off the field, the Adirondacks provide the perfect hideout for his new, quiet, post-football life. Bee does not have time for a hunky former athlete — no matter how good he looks shirtless. Her artistic ambitions are in ruins, her brother is a disaster, and while Pine Ridge has its charms, the small town is nothing more than a pit stop on her way to getting back on track. Bee’s just going to ignore the fact that when Denny offers her the chance to channel her creative energy into redesigning his house, she finds herself building the home — and the life — of her dreams.