The Right Swipe by Alisha Rai

Title: The Right Swipe

Author: Alisha Rai

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Rhiannon Hunter is a woman with her finger on technology, literally. After leaving her nightmarish stint at a dating app company, Rhi started her own more woman-friendly version called Crush, and now that it's established she's ready to expand.

Sampson Lima, at a cross-roads after leaving a lucrative football career, decides to help his elderly aunt out by promoting her dating service. Sure, her method is not as flashy as the services with the online apps, but she swears by her tried and true questionnaire and the matches it produces.

When both Rhiannon and Sampson end up being interviewed as competitors for a talk show, they both struggle to ignore the sparks from a long ago meet up on Crush. Can Sampson ever be more than a ghost from Rhiannon's past? Read The Right Swipe to find out.

- Sarah R.

Check out The Right Swipe by Alisha Rai @ the library!

The Worst Best Man by Mia Sosa

Title: The Worst Best Man

Author: Mia Sosa

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Carolina Santos can work wonders at making any wedding come together flawlessly - except her own. When she's left at the altar, Lina is furious with her would-be husband and his brother, Max, whose drunken chat the night before scared him off. She would be perfectly happy to never lay eyes on either of them ever, when an amazing job opportunity throws them together . Will Max destroy her hopes for happiness again? Read this book to find out.

- Sarah R.

Check out The Worst Best Man by Mia Sosa @ the library!

Act Like It by Lucy Parker

Title: Act Like It
Author: Lucy Parker
Genre: Contemporary Romance

While superstar Richard Troy brings a lot of bodies to the theater, Elaine Graham is not so sure her co-star's temperamental public displays are worth the trade. In fact, it may be worse than having to act love scenes out with her ex-boyfriend, Will, now that he's dumped her publicly and moved on. 

Richard's antics would not be Lainie's problem, except now her boss wants her to help mitigate the bad boy's bad rep by pretending to be involved with him. Of course this is out of the question, until a full night's proceeds are offered to her nearest and dearest charity. How bad can it be to pretend to be this gorgeous man's girlfriend for a bit...

This is more of a slow burn sort of romance (the word "canoodling" is actually used in the book) so if you're looking for something more titillating, this may leave you a bit flat.

- Sarah R.

Check out Act Like It @ the library!

Fix Her Up by Tessa Bailey

Title: Fix Her Up
Author: Tessa Bailey

Genre: Romantic Comedy

If you're looking for a funny but steamy read, this book might be for you. 

Georgette Castle's family business is house renovations, but being the youngest, all the good jobs were taken. That's OK with Georgie, whose heart belongs to entertaining children as a party clown. Well, that and local baseball legend, Travis Ford. 

Travis is back in town after his professional ball career tanks and he's at loose ends. He was doing a pretty good job wallowing when his best friend's annoying little sister decides to give him a wake-up call. 

Can Georgie get her family to take her seriously while making a living doing face-painting? Can Travis get over his broken family to carve out a future for himself that doesn't involve fastballs and faster women? Grab your own sea salt caramel mocha and enjoy this fun and flirty read.

- Sarah R.

Check out Fix Her Up @ the library.

Waiting for Tom Hanks by Kerry Winfrey

Title: Waiting for Tom Hanks
Author: Kerry Winfrey

Genre: Contemporary Romance

If you are a fan of romantic comedies, this is the book for you! Hopeful romantic Annie Cassidy is waiting for her own Tom Hanks to come and sweep her off her feet. She knows that the road to love will be fraught with impediments, misunderstandings, and montages, but she feels confident that the right man will come along and invite her to join him on his houseboat where they can float off into the sunset.

Small problem(s): she lives in a landlocked area, her social circle is small (consisting primarily of her gamer uncle and her barista bestie), and she's a writer by trade, so that solitary work doesn't exactly throw her in contact with eligible men. All this changes when a rom-com starts filming in her small town and Annie gets a job helping the director. 

Spoiler Alert: If you're still meaning to get around to some of the older rom-com movies, watch them first. Winfrey has no problems dropping plots like they're hot so if you had any doubt as to how the movies end, you won't after reading this book.

- Sarah R.

Check out Waiting for Tom Hanks @ the library.

The Friend Zone by Abby Jimenez

Title: The Friend Zone
Author: Abby Jimenez

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Josh Copeland just got out of a long term relationship with pretty much only the clothes on his back, but he's OK with that because his ex-girlfriend, Celeste, decided she doesn't want children. She can keep the house, and her new boyfriend, Brad. Josh wants kids and lots of them so he's moved on: to a new state, a new job, and hopefully (fingers crossed) a new gal. He just needs to get through his duties as Brandon's best man.

Kristen Peterson pulls no punches, adores her Yorkie, and has been cursed with  lady parts from hell. Mars is less hospitable than her uterus. She hopes she can keep it together long enough to throw her bestie, Sloan, a killer bachelorette party. 

As they're thrown together, will Josh and Kristen be able to get past the past to a combined future, or will the obstacles prove to be too much to overcome?

I laughed. I cried. I enjoyed all the movie references. 

P.S. This book will make you want street tacos.

- Sarah R.

Check out The Friend Zone @ the library.

The Bride Test by Helen Hoang

Title: The Bride Test
Author: Helen Hoang

Genre: Romance, Contemporary

Khai Diep is on the autistic spectrum: he avoids touch, he likes an organized life, and he believes that he cannot feel things the way others do because something about him is broken. Khai's mom believes nothing of the sort so she is on a mission to bring him home a suitable wife on her next trip back from Vietnam.

Esme Tran is a second generation single mother cleaning bathrooms in Ho Chi Minh City when she's interviewed by Khai's mom in the lounge of her assigned restroom. She is shown the picture of a handsome young man and told that if she can woo him before the end of summer, she can earn herself a better life in the U.S. 

As Esme disrupts Khai's carefully orchestrated life, will he embrace the chaos and open his heart? Will Esme find the father that returned to America not knowing Esme was conceived? Take The Bride Test to find out.

- Sarah R.

Check out The Bride Test @ the library.

Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

Title: Red, White, and Royal Blue
Author: Casey McQuiston

Genre: Romance, Contemporary

If you're looking for a sweet love story with a political twist, this is the perfect book for you. When the son of the first female U.S. president, Alex, realizes he's falling for with the young Prince of England, Henry, they begin their relationship in secret. They send emails and texts and struggle to find time to be together without the world finding out. But as all good stories go, this doesn't last for long and they begin to deal with the personal and political problems of being young world leaders in different countries falling in love. In the acknowledgements, McQuiston writes, "What I hoped to do, and what I hope I have done with this book by the time you've finished it, my dear reader, is to be a spark of joy and the hope you needed." This book did exactly that.

- Megan

Check out Red, White, and Royal Blue @ the library.

The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion

Title: The Rosie Project

Author: Graeme Simsion

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Genetics professor, Don Tillman, has decided he wants to get married. Being of a scientific mind, he has decided to create a test to narrow down his dating pool to an acceptable puddle of women. 

Bartender Rosie is desperate to find her dad, but with her secretive mother deceased, it seems like she will never know the answer to her lifelong question.

When these two collide, Don decides that he will help Rosie with her "Father Project." Will these two discover who Rosie's  father really is and is that all they'll find when all is said and done? Read The Rosie Project to learn more.

- Sarah R.

Check out The Rosie Project @ the library.

Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan

Title: Crazy Rich Asians

Author: Kevin Kwan

Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Romance

Have you ever felt like you don't fit in with your significant other's family and friends? If so, you'll be able to empathize with the unease and uncertainty with which Rachel Chu navigates the introductions that her boyfriend, Nick, makes to his lifelong friends, his old-fashioned grandma, his scheming mother, and the rest of his pedigreed relatives during their summer trip to Singapore. Can their relationship stand up to the outside pressures from these crazy rich asians? Check it out to see!

Don't be suprised if you feel like enjoying some exotic fare, escaping on vacation, or going on a shopping spree after reading this book - there are so many exotic locations, foods, and designer goods name-dropped that it's enough to make your head spin. 

- Sarah R.

Check out Crazy Rich Asians @ the library.

The Female Persuasion by Meg Wolitzer

Title: The Female Persuasion

Author: Meg Wolitzer

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

College Freshman Greer Kadetsky lets her friend, Zee, drag her to a feminist talk by Faith Frank, a famous women's rights proponent. Little does Greer know that it will open up a new, previously unimagined path for her. Greer's boyfriend, Cory, suffers a horrible loss that hijacks his future plans. Zee, stuck with a job she doesn't like, overcomes regular betrayals to find her own way. Faith, forever on a quest to improve the world for women, must decide what she will give up and hand over to achieve her ends.

This book touches on so many topics: women's rights, love, loss, disappointment, goals, loyalty, and really seeing the people surrounding you. Though it is not particularly surprising, it reminds the reader that everyone can make a difference in the lives of others.

- Sarah R.

Check out The Female Persuasion @ the library.