10 New Clean Romance Novels To Read
Photo by Ruxanda Photography
Picture this: You’re sitting on the porch, iced tea by your side. The sun is sparkling in the sky and gentle breeze carries the scent of the flowers you planted the other day.
It’s summer, and you’re ready to get swept up in a new story. You’re in the mood for romance, but not just any romance will do. You want something heartening, wholesome, fun — without any spice. You want something where the connection feels genuine rather than fleeting.
But you’ve already read a lot of what’s out there in this category, and you need something new. And you also don’t have the time to scour your local bookstore for hours in search of stories that meet these desires.
Luckily, we’ve done the work for you. Below, find a list of ten recently released (or very nearly released) clean romances that you’ll want to add to your reading list.
01 | Chapter One Again by Keelia Clarkson
The debut novel of Wallflower’s editor-in-chief, Chapter One Again tells the story Jane, a ghostwriter living in New York City who longs to write her own novel. Soon she must return home to Avail Falls, her tiny hometown tucked in the mountains of Colorado, the town she left and never looked back on a decade earlier. After a change encounter with Noah, her former high school crush, sparks fly. Could the answers to the burning life questions Jane has been asking herself be in the place she ran from?
Read it if you like…
Forced proximity
Second chance romances
Cozy small towns
02 | A Deal With A Debutante by Chelsea Bobulski
In this Edwardian romance, heiress Calliope Hart finds herself thrown into the deep end of London’s high society when her mother begins the search for a husband. But Calliope is having none of it. Edward Chase, on the other hand, sees the benefit of such a union, given his grave financial situation, and attempts to woo Calliope. Things between them are strictly business to begin with, but it’s not long before neither one can ignore what their heart is feeling. Can this marriage of convenience turn into something more?
Read it if you like…
He falls first
Witty banter
Edwardian England
03 | Brighter Than Before by Courtney Walsh
Claire is in her forties, and she was sure she had everything figured out — until her marriage unexpectedly falls apart. Forced to pick up the pieces and move on, Claire moves to Chicago to begin anew, determined to reclaim her life with a list of goals in hand. It’s not long before Miles, her charming neighbor, catches her eye, and a romance begins to simmer. Brighter Than Before assures readers that it’s never too late to start over.
Read it if you like…
New beginnings
Second chances
Found family
04 | A Brewed Awakening by Pepper Basham
Daphne’s tea shop is perfect and pristine. Until a new business opens up next door — a pub owned by Finn, a handsome Brit who is her total opposite. The two, natural enemies, are soon thrown together when a swanky wedding taking place in town is in need of a caterer, and Daphne and Finn are forced to work together. How much longer will they be able to deny their attraction? (Not much longer.)
Read it if you like…
Enemies to lovers
Quirky small towns
Opposites attract
05 | Not What We Pictured by Becca Kinzer
McKenna’s career as a photographer isn't going well. She’s decided to throw in the towel once she’s finished helping her sister’s boyfriend capture his proposal. But the ring is missing, which sends McKenna on a hunt to get it back, leading her to a small town in Tennessee, where she finds Nate, a professor whose luggage was lost on his most recent trip — the suspected location of the ring. McKenna has to wait around while the luggage turns up. Soon, she finds herself drawn in both by the little town, and by Nate. Maybe a little “bad luck” was just what both of them needed after all.
Read it if you like…
Reluctant allies
Forced proximity
Southern small towns
06 | Hearts In Circulation by Sarah Monzon
When librarian Hayley’s bookmobile breaks down in teensy Turkey Grove, local mechanic Levi, a man of very few words, is tasked with getting it back up and running again. Hayley is Levi’s exact opposite, which overwhelms and intrigues him; Hayley begins to discover than there’s more to Levi than she initially thought. But her bookmobile will be fixed soon, and she’ll be back on the road — do they have a future together?
Read it if you like…
Forced proximity
Grumpy/sunshine
Pen-pal romances
07 | Almost By Design by Jenny Erlingsson
Kenya is an event planner vying for a promotion. After an accident at her cousin’s wedding. Kenya is thrown together with doctor Solomon, who ghosted her after their first date. Solomon’s parents have been pressuring him to get married, and Kenya could use his connection to a high-profile client, so they cook up a fake-dating scheme. But for just how long will it remain fake?
Read it if you like…
Fake dating
Second chances
Small town settings
08 | Even After This by Deborah Clack
It’s been four years since tragedy upended Meredith’s life, and she’s decided it’s time for a fresh start in Colorado Springs. After a chance encounter with Hollywood actor Harlan, a man dealing with ghosts of his own, the two form an unexpected connection that leads to healing.
This novel explores grief and loss in depth. More information can be found at the author’s website. Reader discretion is advised.
Read it if you like…
Love after loss
Celebrity-meets-ordinary-woman
New beginnings
09 | Kate Landry Has A Plan by Rebekah Millet
At forty, Kate’s life is full. She’s running a cafe, healing from a breakup, and raising her niece, who loves frequenting the library. And it just so happens that there’s a new Hawaiian shirt-wearing librarian in town — Kate’s first crush, Micah. Both of their feelings soon resurface, but Kate isn’t sure she’s in the right place for a relationship. Micah begs to differ.
Read it if you like…
Midlife romances
Opposites attract
New Orleans setting
10 | More Than Friends by Denise Hunter
When Jenna’s life falls apart, she moves back in with her mom on Chincoteague Island, Virginia. Soon after, her mom returns home from vacation with a shady new boyfriend. Jenna enlists the help of Tyson, her childhood best friend, to stake out what’s going on. Soon, her feelings toward him unexpectedly shift into romantic territory. But is it worth the risk?
Read it if you like…
Friends to lovers
Small town setting
Family dynamics