5 Contemporary Romances I Absolutely Adore: A Guest Post by Danielle Jackson
I’m on maternity leave! During this time, a few of my favorite authors offered to step up and write guest posts so that this blog would remain active while I adjust to my new role as a mother. I may also be a bit slower to respond. Thanks for understanding and for being so supportive of me, my family, and my blog. Want to donate a few dollars to keep this blog running or perhaps contribute to my diaper fund? You can do so on Venmo or Paypal.
5 Contemporary Romances I Absolutely Adore: A Guest Post by Danielle Jackson, author of THE ACCIDENTAL PINUP
There’s just something about contemporary romance right now—don’t you agree? Perhaps it’s because contemporary romance is set in something like the present day, but with that wonderful, romance fiction sheen to it. Everyone is gorgeous, everyone has flaws, everyone is going on a journey that’s going to end with a well-deserved happily ever after… I love contemporary romance so much, I decided to write one of my own! And even though while I’m actively drafting a new WIP I tend to read historicals (read to the end for a bonus rec), contemporary romance will forever be my first love when it comes to the romance genre.
Here are a few recent-ish contemporary romance novels I absolutely LOVED:
5 Contemporary Romances I Absolutely Adore: A Guest Post by Danielle Jackson
DO YOU TAKE THIS MAN by Denise Williams
Full disclosure: Denise and I share a publisher (hello, Berkley!), we’re friends online with every intention of meeting in person one day, and she blurbed my debut novel. All that being said, I 100% adored her latest release, DO YOU TAKE THIS MAN. Take a prickly divorce lawyer, make her go viral in a celebrity proposal/wedding, and you have an in-demand wedding officiant. Pair her with a dude-bro wedding planner—trust me, it makes sense!—who unnerves her in the worst and BEST way possible, and you have… enemies with benefits. Let me say it again: Enemies. With. Benefits! Both of these main characters have things to work out, and one of the ways they cope with all those pesky feelings? Banging it out. It’s super sexy, it’s emotional, and waffles are very important.
5 Contemporary Romances I Absolutely Adore: A Guest Post by Danielle Jackson
THE ROMANCE RECIPE by Ruby Barrett
Have you watched THE BEAR? The hot chef show? If not, please do so and then come back. We’ll wait… Ok, now that you’ve binged that show, are you looking for something to fill that messy-chef chaotic void? BUT WITH KISSING (and much more!)? THE ROMANCE RECIPE by Ruby Barrett is exactly what you want. A Boston restauranteur and reality TV chef work at a restaurant that needs something to keep it afloat. Using the head chef’s recent brush with reality TV fame seems to be the best way, so they decide to get their restaurant in tip top shape before applying to another competition show. Only these co-workers also happen to be smoking hot ladies who may or may not have suddenly developed feelings for one another. All those late nights in the kitchen… am I right?!
5 Contemporary Romances I Absolutely Adore: A Guest Post by Danielle Jackson
ON THE HUSTLE by Adriana Herrera
Who’s a fan of grumpy/sunshine? It should be all of you. Take one former Olympic swimmer turned real estate mogul, add his overly competent assistant who is tired of his sh*t and moves to Texas, multiply that by him randomly showing up in Dallas, add a fraction of reality TV renovation and you have this DELIGHTFUL book. Also, the heroine creates book-themed rooms! How fun is that? ON THE HUSTLE is fun, so sexy, and gorgeously written by Adriana Herrera.
5 Contemporary Romances I Absolutely Adore: A Guest Post by Danielle Jackson
THE ASTRONAUT AND THE STAR by Jen Comfort
Who’s a fan of grumpy/sunshine? Who’s especially a fan of grumpy/sunshine when (in a cis-het relationship) the woman is the grump and the man is the sunny one? This is totally my catnip—so much so, my next book may or may not be this very trope—and Jen Comfort knocked it out of the park with THE ASTRONAUT AND THE STAR, which pairs a grumpy, bad-ass astronaut who is stuck training an actor who is going to star in a sci-fi film. They head out to the desert to pretend they are living on Mars for a while and well, it’s just the two of them, and shenanigans ensue. And not just the sexy kind! Seriously, the end of this book comes out of nowhere and truly surprised me. A stellar romp!!
5 Contemporary Romances I Absolutely Adore: A Guest Post by Danielle Jackson
END OF THE DAY by Hanna Earnest
Again, full disclosure: Hanna Earnest is a friend and in my book club in Chicagoland. HOWEVER, she is also an amazing contemporary romance author and fearlessly takes risks in her books. Like having the twin brother of a celebrity pose as his famous brother, fake-date a makeup artist caught up in a scandal, who had a *moment* with the twin a while back that may or may not have been the start of something real. So even though they have a history, they have to work together and appear to be head over heels for each other, and well, things take a turn. A sexy turn! END OF THE DAY is bombastic and fun, but also poignant and tender, too.
BONUS HISTORICAL REC!
I couldn’t get through this book rec post without mentioning my absolute favorite historical romance of 2022…
5 Contemporary Romances I Absolutely Adore: A Guest Post by Danielle Jackson
TO CATCH A RAVEN by Beverly Jenkins
No one writes historical romance like Ms. Bev and TO CATCH A RAVEN is a real treat. A beautiful grifter and buttoned-up tailor have to go undercover in the post-Civil War deep south, pretend to be married, and try to steal an original copy of the Declaration of Independence from the Confederacy. What more can I say? Go read this one!
Danielle Jackson is a contemporary romance author, avid reader, lackluster-yet-mighty crafter, and accomplished TV binge-watcher. Once upon a time, she was a publicist in publishing and continues to cultivate her love of books and reading by chatting with the best authors in the business as an event coordinator at an independent bookstore and as the co-host of the Fresh Fiction podcast. She also moderates panels, interviews authors, and hosts a romance book club. Danielle lives in Chicagoland with her very own romance hero husband, darling daughter, and two tempestuous cats. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram, @DJacksonBooks.
5 Contemporary Romances I Absolutely Adore: A Guest Post by Danielle Jackson
