If you read a lot of contemporary romance, you may have noticed that the trend right now seems to be spectacular out of the box hooks, and giant, film-sized plots. As someone who loves television, let me tell you, a book that feels like a movie? I’m in. Sure, I can suspend reality for a little while and get pulled away by these wild set-ups. Zany meet cutes, celebrities falling for the girl next door, finding the love of your life on your local major league baseball team—are you not entertained?! And then there’s the possibility that the book gets optioned for an actual movie, because it’s just that big, and you get to experience it twice!
But there’s something else I love just a little more, and that’s a story that could just as easily star your best friend rather than Jennifer Aniston. I live for a story that feels like a Monday morning recap from one of your best friends about this new guy they met. A quiet romance. Something real that could happen to someone I know. There’s something so swoony about a quiet love story that happens in a world just like the one I live in, where instead of a giant hook, it’s more of finger curl bringing me into a conversation I can relate to. My friends and I are all married now, so I don’t get a lot of chances to hear about new love over brunch or spend late nights dishing over the inevitable ‘what do you think he meant?’ of a new relationship. That’s why I read romance. For those butterfly feelings I remember. And when I read one that has that nostalgic ‘oh yeah that happened to someone I know’ feeling, it’s a little extra special. There’s always something to be said for the fairytale, but there’s a beauty in the nitty gritty of realistic encounters.
Some of the quieter romances I’ve stumbled upon have gone down as favs because of that relatability. So if you’re looking for a romance that feels like that post-hook-up call from a friend, here are some recommendations: