If you are a fan of romance novels, then you probably know how much variety there is within the genre. There is a massive array of subgenres with certain people preferring certain types of romance. One main distinction is whether the romance novel is designed for an adult audience or not.
There are some amazing romantic works of fiction that are great for readers of all ages, but sometimes you want a romantic story that has adult themes that would not be recommended for a younger audience.
There is a misconception that when you are looking for an adult romance you are just looking for stories that have steamy scenes, and while that may be an element of the story, there is usually a lot more to adult romances than just this.
These novels have free-reign to go over a much wider variety of themes, and can touch on more realistic elements of romance that would not be suitable for all ages.
While reading any age appropriate romances can be entertaining, sometimes you just want to try and read something that is made with your age demographic in mind. However, sometimes it can be difficult to find these books specifically, this is why we have put this list together.
Here we will cover some of our favorite adult romances so you have some great recommendations to point you in the right direction. So, if you are looking for some great adult romances, but you have no idea where to start looking, keep reading for some of our favorite recommendations!
The Flatshare By Beth O’Leary
This story follows Tiffy who needs to lease a cheap flat and her housemate Leon. The two share the same bed, but are never sleeping in it at the same time since Tiffy works all day, and Leon works through the night. Of course the people around them think it is a crazy idea since the two have never properly met each other.
This is the premise and it is an entertaining and engaging one to follow. However, there are of course obstacles that need to be overcome, like Tiffy’s obsessive ex, her troubles at work, as well as family issues. All of this surrounding the fact that they have not even met yet makes this a fun read.
There are not that many sexual scenes, however, the reason we think this is categorized as an adult romance is the multiple references to emotional abuse.
Marriage For One By Ella Maise
This is a more standard story, but the unconventional set up makes it a fun read, this and the high quality writing from Maise. This story follows a couple who married for convenience with the trope of a more gruff man falling for a woman the first time they meet.
However, the protagonist is a fun character to follow and is not as passive as you would assume based on the premise. We get to see her follow her dreams, and the cozy setting of a coffee shop she is setting up is refreshing to follow.
This does not mean that the romance takes a back seat, but it is nice to have an interesting other storyline that does not completely revolve around the relationship between the main characters. However, the relationship between the two is endearing to watch, and the scattered steamier scenes definitely make this a novel with an adult audience in mind.
The Cybernetic Tea Shop By Meredith Katz
This story follows Clara who is a skilled technician that is working with AI companions. Because of being raised by a migrant worker family, she is uncomfortable with staying in the same place for one time, so after she is able to work enough to earn some money, she will move on, with the only friend that stays with her being her pet hummingbird.
Then there is Sal who is a robot with complete autonomy, but her existence is deemed criminal due to ethical issues, but she lives and is old in a society that does not want her. She runs the tea shop that was ran by her previous owner and is starting to slowly break down.
However, this changes when Clara stops by and is surprised when she finds Sal who may need her help. Clara is an asexual protagonist which means that the adult themes in this story are not sexual making this a refreshing read with some rare representation for this group.
The setting is dystopian and engaging, and the unconventional robot romance is interesting to follow!
Drag Me Up By R. M. Virtues
This is a modern and more dark take on the story of Persephone and Hades, so if you are a fan of the original Greek myth, or just mythology in general, this is an adult romance that you will not want to miss. While being a romance story, the focus on the history and politics intertwined with Greek mythology makes this an engaging read.
The story follows an almost entirely black cast and the main character is trans, giving this book representation to groups that often get underrepresented by the genre.
This story features a lot of steamy scenes, so if this is something you enjoy, you will love this book, but also be warned for the mentions of stalking, and manipulative families, as well as some violence.
The Bromance Book Club By Lyssa Kay Adams
For a refreshing perspective in straight romance stories, this follows a male protagonist that has realized that his marriage is in trouble. Gavin’s wife has always been faking her orgasms and learning that this could affect his marriage he has a bad reaction and this puts a strain on their relationship.
However, when his wife Thea eventually asks for a divorce, he realizes that his pride has gotten the best of him, and he needs to win her back. He ends up joining the Bromance Book Club that contains men from Nashville that read romance novels together and are currently reading Courting the Countess.
This group helps Gavin with winning his wife back, however, him realizing that he needs to get her to trust him helps this story have a refreshing approach.
The Seven Husbands Of Evelyn Hugo By Taylor Jenkins Reid
This is probably one of the more popular entries on this list, but if you have somehow missed Reid’s story, this is your sign to look out for it. We follow Evelyn Hugo telling the truth of her life story, she chooses an unknown reporter named Monique which of course leads to confusion.
Monique is recovering from a divorce and her work is not leading her anywhere up, however, when given this opportunity, Monique makes sure to take full advantage of it. Monique listens to Evelyn’s stories of her glamorous past and her seven husbands.
This leads to the two gaining an unconventional connection, and the semblance between Monique and Evelyn’s life stories creates an interesting parallel. While there are no steamy scenes in the story, it is adult for its use of themes like sexual assault, abuse, alcoholism, mentions of suicide, and homophobia as well as biphobia.
You Deserve Each Other By Sarah Hogle
This story follows the unconventional setup of being a lover to enemies, but then back to lovers being a perfect romantic comedy story! We follow Naomi who has Nicholas who everyone sees as the perfect fiancé doing everything he can to make her life as easy as possible.
Their wedding is only 3 months away and while the preparations are all going ahead, she has gotten completely sick of him and is miserable. So, of course she wants to get out, however, if she calls off the wedding, she will need to foot the nonrefundable bill for the wedding.
And this all gets more complex when she discovers that Nicholas is also getting tired of her. So, to force the other to back down, they start war pranking, and sabotaging each other. However, as they start to show each other their true selves, the resolve starts to droop, but you will have to read to see where it goes from there.
This is an angle that we do not usually get to see and makes this a fun read. However, it has adult themes like body-shaming, and tough family relationships.
True Love By Jude Deveraux
This story follows Alix who has to live in a house willed to her by a family friend, but doing so means she has to live alongside the brooding but handsome architect Jared. This story has an age gap, and the focus on architecture makes it an interesting read.
There is some focus on supernatural themes like reincarnation and ghosts, but this makes it all the more fun to read.
Summary
Hopefully this list has given you some inspiration for what you want to read next! These are all romances that feature adult themes without being too overbearing, so hopefully you find something that matches your taste.