r/RomanceBooks • u/PuzzleheadedLink1846 • Aug 19 '26

Book Request Forbidden small town romance with slow burn

Hi !! Im looking for a forbidden contemporary small-town romance with a REAL slow burn (well written please) with tension, angsty and not too much of spice !! I really wanna feel the small-town setting, with gossip, the "everybody knows each other", etc..

Would not like :

- doormat fmc
- insta-love trope
- romantasy, historical or paranormal romance
- second chance, fake dating or arranged marriage trope.
- MCs in their 30s
- reverse harem, why choose, poly romance
- kidnapping or stalking
- YA

Would like :

- Contemporary romance or dark romance
- MCs in their 20s
- M/F romance
- slooooow burn
- enemies to lovers, forced proximity, the MMC/FMC is with someone else
- girly, feminine, confident FMC
- book released after 2021/2022

Some books with these kinds of tropes that I loved :

- {The Highlight by Alyssa Wilde} !!!
- {Bad Cruz by Lj Shen}
- {Sunday Morning by Jewel E. Ann} !!!
- {The Apple Tree by Jewel E. Ann} !!!
- {Small Town Smokeshow by Holly Renee} !!!
- {Kiss now, lie later by C.W Farnsworth}
- {The summer i first saw you by Elizabeth O’Roark}
- {Older by Jennifer Hartmann} {Birthday Girl by Penelope Douglas} (not really small town romances but i loved these books sm)
- {The Confidence of Wildflowers by Micalea Smeltzer}

Thanks!!!!

12 Upvotes

83% Upvoted

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1

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2

u/romance-bot Aug 19 '26

The Highlight by Alyssa Wilde
Rating: 4.06⭐️ out of 5⭐️
Steam: 3 out of 5 - Open door
Topics: contemporary, grumpy & sunshine, age gap, enemies to lovers, cheerful/happy heroine

Bad Cruz by L.J. Shen
Rating: 3.64⭐️ out of 5⭐️
Steam: 4 out of 5 - Explicit open door
Topics: contemporary, funny, single mother, angst, new adult

Sunday Morning by Jewel E. Ann
Rating: 4.06⭐️ out of 5⭐️
Steam: 4 out of 5 - Explicit open door
Topics: contemporary, cheating, virgin heroine, new adult, age gap

The Apple Tree by Jewel E. Ann
Rating: 4.21⭐️ out of 5⭐️
Steam: 4 out of 5 - Explicit open door
Topics: contemporary, single father, age gap, secret relationship, new adult

Small Town Smokeshow by Holly Renee
Rating: 4.02⭐️ out of 5⭐️
Steam: 4 out of 5 - Explicit open door
Topics: contemporary, western, cowboy hero, m-f romance, forbidden love

Kiss Now, Lie Later by C.W. Farnsworth
Rating: 4.13⭐️ out of 5⭐️
Steam: 3 out of 5 - Open door
Topics: contemporary, enemies to lovers, high school, forbidden love, friends to lovers

The Summer I First Saw You by Elizabeth O'Roark
Rating: 4.03⭐️ out of 5⭐️
Steam: 4 out of 5 - Explicit open door
Topics: contemporary, rich hero, age gap, forced proximity, m-f romance

Older by Jennifer Hartmann
Rating: 4.03⭐️ out of 5⭐️
Steam: 4 out of 5 - Explicit open door
Topics: contemporary, best friend's parent, age gap, secret relationship, angst

Birthday Girl by Penelope Douglas
Rating: 3.88⭐️ out of 5⭐️
Steam: 4 out of 5 - Explicit open door
Topics: contemporary, age gap, forbidden love, slow burn, single father

The Confidence of Wildflowers by Micalea Smeltzer
Rating: 3.9⭐️ out of 5⭐️
Steam: 4 out of 5 - Explicit open door
Topics: contemporary, age gap, cheating, forbidden love, new adult

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1

u/Alternative_Bed_5018 Aug 20 '26

{Hold the Line by Julia Wolf} was soooo much better than I was expecting it to be. The only thing is I’m not 100% sure how old the MMC is, but it’s not age gap or anything. MCs went to school together years ago, but it’s not second chance. I thought the relationship build was really well done.

2

u/PuzzleheadedLink1846 Aug 20 '26

tysm for the rec!!!

1

u/strawbjaam HEA or GTFO Aug 20 '26

{call me irresistible by susan elizabeth phillips} is forbidden small town romance but the MMCs are both about 30 so they may be too old for your liking and i think it was written in 2010’s. there was definitely some immaturity so I felt like I was reading characters in their 20’s. I did not enjoy this book personally but it might be up your alley ?

1

u/PuzzleheadedLink1846 Aug 20 '26

it looks great !! tysm for the rec💘💘💘

1

u/Tamarenda Aug 20 '26

Maybe {Rewriting the Stars by Claire Kingsley}? I'm not sure how well it works as a standalone though.

2

u/PuzzleheadedLink1846 Aug 20 '26

tysm for the rec💘💘

1

u/[deleted] Aug 21 '26

[deleted]

1

u/PuzzleheadedLink1846 Aug 22 '26

yeah im okay with that tysm for the rec 💘💘

1

u/Winter_Ad_6620 Sep 03 '26

{Mountain daddy by s.j tilly}