My Favorite 6 Romance Novels of 2015

I read a lot of wonderful books this year, but for this post I picked only those that were actually published in 2015.

And while I'm pretty sure there were many other books that could have been here, I had to focus on books I actually read and have an opinion on. A good opinion, in this case. So, if you enjoy romance novels, here's a list of fairly recent books that I can honestly recommend you to read.

Evergreen Springs (Haven Point), by RaeAnne Thayne comes first on this list because it is a wonderful Holidays romance, so it's in season. 

Genre: contemporary romance

Publishing date: September 2015

Offensive content: nothing to report.

Review: 

Evergreen Springs was the first book I picked from my Christmas reading list, and is also the first book I've read from author RaeAnne Thayne, but it surely will not be the last. I liked everything about it, from the cover, to the characters, to the small town Holidays celebrations (read more).

Despite the title, this is a wonderful book for any time of the year. Second Chance Summer (Cedar Ridge Book 1) , by Jill Shalvis, is book 1 in a brand new series by this author. Book two, My Kind of Wonderful (Cedar Ridge), was published just last week (and is already on my reading list) and book 3, Nobody But You (Cedar Ridge) , is now available for pre-order.

Genre: contemporary romance

Publishing date: June 2015

Offensive content: a few sex scenes, not too graphic and a some hot kisses; other than that, just a few nasty cuts and bruises and one hair raising rescue off the face of Dead Man's Cliff. Enough said.

Review: 

I love Jill Shalvis' books and I have read almost all of them by now. This is a Jill Shalvis classic, a romance with a strong small town and family dynamics background. Although the setting is totally different, it reminds me of the Lucky Harbor series. And, actually, this is supposed to be book one in the Cedar Ridge series, and it's a promising beginning (read more).

Candidate: A Love Story , by Tracy Ewens, is certainly one of the best romance novels of 2015. It's a wonderful, heartwarming story that just makes you feel good. I was sad when this book ended, and I've put Tracy Ewens' other books in my reading list, though I still haven't found the time to go through them. 

Genre: contemporary romance

Publishing date: June 2015

Offensive content: Nothing to report. The main characters exchange a few kisses but there are no graphic sex scenes. It is a pretty much clean book and a lovely romance.

Review: 

Like I said above, this is probably one of the loveliest romances I've read lately. Nothing is rushed, everything happens naturally and you are drawn to characters that live pretty normal lives. This is the kind of romance that you believe can happen to you, not just the stuff you see in movies but never feels 100% real (read more).

Suddenly One Summer (Novel) , by Julie James, brings back lots of summer memories but, overall, it's a funny, lighthearted read that you should not miss.

Genre: contemporary romance

Publishing date: June 2015

Offensive content: some hot sex scenes, all towards the end of the book.

Review:
This book is the perfect summer read, a romance with a happy ending but with a well structured story and interesting characters with real-life problems to which we all can relate, one way or another (read more).

The Substitute: The Wedding Pact #1 (Volume 1) , by Denise Grover Swank, was one of the best contemporary romances I've read lately. There's a bit of everything in this book: humor, drama, romance...It's also book 1 in a series and I can honestly recommend the other two books. Book 2 is The Player: The Wedding Pact #2 , and book is The Gambler: The Wedding Pact #3 .

Genre: contemporary romance

Publishing date: January 2015

Offensive content: there is mature content in this book, in the form of a couple of explicit sex scenes. They are totally in context but you can skip them in full and the story still flows.

Review: 

I stumbled across this book unexpectedly, through one of those related books links over at Amazon and I'm so happy I did! Denise Grover Swank is now my mew favorite author (read more)! 

That Chesapeake Summer (The Chesapeake Diaries), by Mariah Stewart is a very interesting read because it touches on the always sensitive issue of adoption, especially when adopted children reach adulthood with no idea of their real past. So, forget about the summery title and grab this book, you will not be disappointed. 

Genre: contemporary romance

Publishing date: June 2015

Offensive content: nothing to report other than one pretty much subdued sex scene.

Review: 
This is a light summery ready but which provides an interesting insight into the lives of adopted children - in this case, into the life of Jamie, a famous writer of self help books on how to bring honesty into people's lives and relationships and which suddenly finds out, after her parents' death, that she'd been adopted. When, for the 36 years of her life, there had been absolutely no clue (read more). 

If you have not read any of these books before, now it's a great time to add them to your reading list for 2016. 


In the meantime, I wish you a very Happy New Year!