10 Page-Turning Romance Novels That Turn Up The Heat
Spice to suit all tastes? Sorted.
There’s something eternal about the appeal of a good romance novel.
Perhaps it’s the genre’s many tropes – friends-to-lovers, enemies-to-lovers, fake dating (to name a few) – and the way they continue to stand the test of time. Or maybe it’s, you know, the spice factor that almost sets your Kindle on fire (pun intended).
We say… why not both?
If you’ve been on the hunt for your next saucy read, consider our selection of romance books (with spice flavours to suit all tastes) to find a page-turner that will keep your bedside table warm… very, very warm.
1. Funny Story by Emily Henry
If you love small-town rom-coms
Dubbed Emily Henry’s spiciest read thus far – and one of the best books of 2024 – Funny Story has some top-tier ingredients for a solid rom-com: a too-small town, a sizzling summer and a fake relationship with a plan that backfires in the best way. The story follows buttoned-up Daphne back to her hometown, freshly dumped by her ex-fiancé for a “happily ever after” with his childhood best friend, Petra. And who should she wind up sharing an apartment with? None other than Petra’s former fiancé, Miles. In a mission to get their exes’ attention, the pair feign an Instagram romance. What could go wrong – or very, very right..?
2. Wild Love by Elsie Silver
If you love the ‘Grumpy/Sunshine’ trope
Part of Elsie Silver’s bestselling Rose Hill series – which is all set to get a book-to-screen adaptation by Amazon MGM Studio – Wild Love follows Ford Grant, the Forbes-touted “World’s Hottest Billionaire” who just discovered that he has a 12-year-old daughter. Still coming to grips with being a parent while trying to start a new business, things take an unexpected twist when his best friend’s little sister, Rosie Belmont, makes a surprising visit back to their small country town of Rose Hill. Over a decade has passed since they bickered incessantly as teens, and Rosie has her own motives for moving home. As she helps Ford figure out his life, the slow-burning steam between them only serves to make things much, much more complicated.
3. Beautiful Things by Emily Rath
If you love Bridgerton and headstrong heroines
When Rosalie Harrow attends a party thanks to an unexpected invitation she believes is from the dowager Duchess – her late mother’s mysterious childhood friend – she winds up in a house full of eligible noble ladies trying to land the hand of the new Duke, whose attention she dodges throughout the night. Trying to avoid the high society husband hunt she’s been dragged into (despite needing the money one would bring), she finds herself drawn to three other (very different) gentlemen: Lord James, the Duke’s younger brother; Lieutenant Renley, on a wife-search of his own, and the tempestuous Mr Burke, whom she cannot stand. But the ball where the Duke will announce his chosen bride is coming, and while Rosalie’s determined to avoid the “cage” of marriage, she’s not opposed to enjoying the chase for some fun. The first Regency era romance in Emily Rath’s Second Sons trilogy, it’s perfect fodder for fans of Bridgerton.
4. Ties That Tether by Jane Igharo
If you love heartfelt tales of identity and fierce family ties
Choosing between love and family was not something Azere imagined she’d have to contend with – certainly not when she was 12 years old and promising her dying father that she would marry a Nigerian man and carry on their culture, even after immigrating to Canada. But after yet another matchmaking scheme by her mother goes awry, 25-year-old Azere heads to a bar, where she meets Rafael Castellano: her tall, handsome – and white – about-to-be one-night stand. Surprised when their random tryst turns into something deeper, knowing her mother will never accept Rafael, Azere can’t help but wonder: Can she be with him without compromising her Nigerian identity? And just how audacious is she prepared to be in the path to claiming her own happiness?
5. Hexed by Emily McIntire
If you loved fractured fairytales and villain POVs
Part of the bestselling Never After anthology series – a collection of six dark romance novels reimagining classic fairytales in modern settings through the villain’s POV – Hexed puts a spicy, grown-up twist on Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Mermaid. In it, the witch and niece of a mafia boss, Venesa Andersen, falls for Enzo “Loverboy” Marino, the prince of a rival mafia family… who happens to be engaged to her cousin, Arya. Cue: a forbidden romance set amid a criminal underworld where the opposing forces of love and duty are destined to collide.
6. The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang
If you love slow-burning fake relationships
Hot and heartwarming in equal measure, The Kiss Quotient is the first read in Helen Hoang’s bestselling book series of the same name. The story follows 30-year-old Stella, an algorithm-making econometrician on the autism spectrum, who believes maths unites the universe. Excellent at her job? Yes. Struggling in the dating department? Also yes. Her conclusion? Hire professional help, AKA Michael Phan, a handsome escort who needs the money, to help her understand this whole love thing, and, well… put theory into practice (if you know what we mean). Soon enough, their on-paper partnership sparks an unexpected and complicated connection, becoming the catalyst for a pattern that shows Stella that love goes beyond logic – and might just be the best kind.
7. Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake by Sarah MacLean
If you love when fiercely feminist heroines meet devilish male leads
Another Regency era read for period rom-com fans! There are many rules when it comes to being a lady. A lady does not ride astride…or fence… or attend duels… fire pistols… or gamble at gentlemen’s clubs, to name but a few. And it’s precisely an adherence to the “rules” that the eternally compliant Lady Calpurnia Hartwell feels has left her unmarried and thoroughly unsatisfied. So, she creates a rule-breaking “bucket list” to lead a life of pleasure – for which she will need a willing partner, who knows a thing or two about breaking the rules himself. Enter: Gabriel St. John, the Marquess of Ralston; who is devilishly charming and devastatingly handsome with a reputation to match – provided she gives him something in return. It all starts as fun and games, but with her heart slowly falling into the hands of a rake, if Callie isn’t cautious, the rules won’t be the only things to break...
8. Restore Me by J.L. Seegars
If you love enemies-to-lovers with emotional depth
A compelling tale of (forbidden) love after loss – and loaded with spice – Restore Me will tear your heart out and keep it hooked in a slow-burn romance that unfolds over more than 400 pages (grab a cuppa or three). The two main characters are Sloane and Dominic, her late husband’s best friend, who have harboured mutual hatred for each other for years. Well, Sloane has… Dominic has secretly held a torch for Sloane, who is still grieving four years after her husband’s death. But when Dominic saves her from a terrible event, feelings that Sloane cannot accept begin to form, and something deep stirs between them. Knowing it could hurt their friends and family, they keep their tryst a secret, unsure if a happily ever after can ever truly be.
9. A Not So Meet Cute by Meghan Quinn
If you love the close-proximity trope and Pretty Woman
The meet-cute – when two love interests encounter each other in an especially memorable way – is a staple Hollywood trope. With A Not So Meet Cute we get that... but not quite. In this steamy, gender-flipped take on Pretty Woman, we have Lottie Gardner, freshly fired and on a mission to find a rich fiancé to take to her ex-boss and friend’s class reunion. Then, there’s Huxley Cane, a grumpy billionaire married to his job and stuck in a lie, in need of a woman to fake a pregnant fiancée to save a business deal. When they meet? There are no sparks. Nada. But they realise a mutually beneficial arrangement can be made to get what they each want. Naturally, what starts as convenience can’t stay uncomplicated for long...
10. The Heiress Gets a Duke by Harper St. George
If you love high society drama and witty repartee
The first in Harper St. George’s Gilded Age Heiresses series, this delicious romance is set in Victorian high society. Centred around American heiress August Crenshaw, a woman who longs for her family business more than she does marriage – a daring desire that makes her effectively “unsuitable” for a respectable match. Naturally, her parents offer her younger sister Violet to the highest-bidding eligible bachelor instead. Cue: Evan Stirling, the Duke of Rothschild. Despite his well-to-do title, the Duke’s fortunes have run dry and marrying Violet would be just the ticket – except after he meets her strong-willed sister, he realises that it's August who he wants. And he always gets what he wants. Well, until meeting August, anyway, who’s determined to do everything in her power to drive him away.
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