Romantic Contemporaries

In honor of February being the month of love, I thought that I would compile a list of my all time favorite romantic contemporary authors! This tends to be my absolute favorite genre to read, so I had a difficult time narrowing down my list to a top five. The authors that I ended up choosing are all known for their adorable romances and are my go-to’s when I’m in need of a feel good, happy read! In no particular order….

1. Sarah Dessen– Seriously, what is a contemporary list without Sarah Dessen on it? I have read every single one of her books, most of them several times over. I started reading Sarah Dessen in 7th grade and have not looked back since, over ten years later. You would think that I would have aged out of her novels by now having started reading them when I was in middle school, but no, I was just reading things that probably didn’t have the most appropriate subject matter for a 12 year old. Dessen’s characters range in age from about 16-20, so each book has its own life lessons corresponding with that protagonists point in life. Whether it be helping a 16 year old pregnant best friend while simultaneously falling in love with the resident bad boy or getting caught up with a sexy musician right before leaving for college, Sarah Dessen has a little something for everyone. My personal favorite: The Truth About Forever
2. Huntley Fitzpatrick– A somewhat newer contemporary author, Fitzpatrick has only three books currently out. Huntley Fitzpatrick has a similar plot structure and writing style to Sarah Dessen, so it was incredibly easy for me to fall in love with her books. I’m not gonna lie, what first made me pick up one of her books was the fact that the main character and I shared a name. If I see that the main protagonists name is Samantha, I always read the book. I’ve seriously been doing this since I was a kid (Meg Cabot’s All American Girl, anyone?) and I don’t think I have ever been disappointed (knock on wood). Fitzpatrick does a fantastic job of developing characters with actual depth and incorporating some serious subjects into the plot, such as race, socioeconomic status, politics, and familial problems, to name a few. Her books will make you laugh out loud, cry and smile from ear-to-ear. My personal favorite: My Life Next Door
3. Morgan Matson– Okay, I know I have mentioned Morgan Matson in my posts before, so if you are a regular visitor of this blog you would already know just how obsessed I am with her and her books. Every single one of her novels is amazing, which makes it so hard to choose a favorite. The way she writes makes it so easy to get lost in the story and fall in love alongside the characters. Each book takes place in the same “universe” so favorite characters from books past tend to pop up in each different story, which I absolutely adore because it’s like a little update on what those characters are up to since their own story ended. If I were ever only allowed to read Morgan Matson books for the rest of my life, that would be fine by me! My personal favorite: Amy & Roger’s Epic Detour
4. Kasie West– If you are looking for a light, funny and downright adorable read, Kasie West is your gal! All of her books are so cute and a great mental escape from reality. I have found that if I am in a severe reading slump, reading one of West’s books tends to pull me out and rejuvenate my enthusiasm for reading. One of my favorite things about West is that she usually comes out with about two books a year. I am actually currently reading her newest novel By Your Side, which came out a few weeks ago and she has another book coming out this summer that I can’t wait for. My Personal Favorite: The Fill-In Boyfriend
5. Jillian Dodd– I came across the works of Jillian Dodd by total chance. I was perusing Barnes and Noble’s website one day and saw some of her books were in the “recommended for you” section, and that the ebooks were only a couple dollars each. On a whim I purchased a few of them and little did I know that was the beginning of a full blown addiction. Dodd writes her novels purposefully like an addictive television show (she actually states this in the beginning of some of her novels). Not to worry, they are not in script form, just the plot and the way each book flows into the next is very similar to the way that you would watch a popular romantic TV drama. While she does have a few standalone novels, she is mostly known for her series.What I love about her books is that each one is incredibly lengthy, yet they don’t feel like it. I rarely enjoy marathoning book series, but I would finish each book and immediately dive into the next. My personal favorite: The Keatyn Chronicles