What to Read: Romances Set Around the World
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I have been meaning to do a post with recommendations for romances (contemporary) set outside the US for a while now. It turned out I haven't read many like that and most of the ones I have read were set in the UK. So in order to be more inclusive and for purely selfish reasons of finding more romances set around the world for me to read, I asked romance Twitter for recs and they literally showered me with suggestions. So many new books to add to my TBR list!
I'm starting with my own favourites first, contemporary romances set outside the US which I have read and enjoyed a lot. Then I will proceed with all Twitter recs. Hope you will find something new and interesting for you to read
Note (all links take you to Amazon, for the series I have linked the first book)
My recommendations
- 1. Alexis Hall - The Spires is a loosely connected series of queer romances set set in Oxford, UK. It includes Glitterland, Waiting for the Flood, For Real and more to come. As a huge fan of this author I have read and loved them all. His Rita 2017 nominated queer romance Pansies is also set in the UK, the small Northern town of South Shields.
- Act Like It and Pretty Face, mf romcoms by Lucy Parker. I absolutely loved these books, both of which are set in the London theatre world.
- Abroad by Liz Jacobs, queer NA, a kind of coming-of-age romance which was just released and which is quiet and introverted and gave me all of feels. It's set in London.
- Muscling Through by JL Merrow, sweetest mm romance between an academic and a neurodivergent character (the story is told from his POV)
- Foxes, heart-breaking and heart-warming NA mm romance with neurodivergent character and a character with eating disorder (TW abuse, violence, extreme poverty); Light Up the Dark, contemporary mm with Gothic overtones, really dark (TW abuse, violence, manipulation)
- Glasgow Lads series by Avery Cockburn - mm football romances set in Glasgow, Scotland which as a football fan myself, I very much enjoyed.
- Cara Mckenna has a couple of books set outside US which I've enjoyed a lot. Her Best Laid Pans (NA erotic novella, set in Ireland) and the Curio series of novellas set in Paris featuring an agoraphobic male prostitute and an American museum worker who is virgin. Unbound, an erotic romance exploring kink, is set in the Scottish Highlands.
- Amour et Chocolat series of contemporary mf romances featuring top French chefs are all set in Paris, France. She also has a series with female chefs set there too (Paris Nights), La Vie en Rose is another series of her, this time set in Provence and centering a family of rose oil producers and perfume makers.
- The Assassins series by Carolyn Crane - one of my favourite romantic suspense series. Book 2, Off the Edge is set in Bangkok, book 4, Behind the Mask in Peru.
- The Rain in Spain by Amy Jo Cousins, a low-heat but very intense novella following one couple on their one-night adventure along the streets of Seville - Amy Jo Cousins
Twitter recommendations
- Heart (standalone mm romance, TW for sexual abuse), Misfits & Strays (mm romance series) by Garrett Leigh
- Housemates series on NA queer romances Jay Northcote (includes characters with different sexualities - gay, trans, bi)
- Tyack and Frayne series by Harper Fox, set in Cornwall. It was recommended for very authentic presentation of the geographic location by British readers. The series are contemporary with some paranormal elements.
- His Royal Secret and His Royal Favorite by Lilah Pace, series of two mm romances about royals
- About Last Night by Ruthie Knox, mf romance set in London. While I have read and loved many of this author's books, I haven't gotten to this one yet and I hope to remedy that soon.
- Broken (mm romance, TW per GR page for mental illness, self-harm, suicide ideation), Who Are We by Nicola Haken
- Jefferson Blythe, Esquire by Josh Lanyon, mm romance/mystery
- True Brit by Con Riley, mm romance set around musical reality competition
- Unsticky by Sara Manning, mf romance/chick-lit
- Rugby series by Penny Reid and L.H.Cosway, mf rugby romance
- London Legends series of rugby romances by Kat Latham
The rest of Europe
- Return of Investment and Witches of London series of mm romances by Aleksandr Voinov, set in Europe
- The Sun Still Rises by Laura Bailo, mm novella set in Pamplone during the San Fermin festival
- And It Came to Pass by Laura Stone, mm romance featuring a young Mormon character on a trip to Barcelona
- Fall Hard by JL Merrow, mm romance/mystery set in Iceland
- All Roads Lead to You by Harper Fox is set in Italy
- Heaven & Hell series of mf by Kristen Ashley (Italy)
- Kiss & Ride by Teodora Kostova, mm holiday novella (Italy)
- I Love You More Than Pierogi by KA Merikan, mm romance (Poland)
- True Love series of mm romance by Anyta Sunday (Germany); Nest, YA mm romance
- Fjord Blue by Nina Rossing, YA mm romance set in Norway
The Philippines
- Beginner's Guide: Love and Other Chemical Reactions by Six de los Reyes, nerdy mf romance (on 0.99 sale at the time of posting)
- If the Dress Fits by Carla de Cuzman, NA romance (diverse, fat-positive)
- Better at Weddings Than You by Mina V. Eguerra, NA mf romance;
- Cover (Story) Girl by Chris Marian, mf romance with Filipino hero and Korean heroine (on 0.99 sale at the time of posting)
Canada
- Back to You by Chris Scully, mm romance/mystery thriller
- Arrows Through Archer by Nash Summers, mm romance Triggers/tags from GR page: grief, age difference, family, loss, mentions of suicide, recovery, hurt/comfort, homophobia
- Wardham series of mf romances by Zoe York (first two books are free at the time of posting)
Australia and New Zealand
- Her Best Worst Mistake, The Other Side of Us and most of the romances by Sarah Mayberry
- Butterfly Hunter by Julie Bozza, mm romance
- Red Dirt series (book 1 is 0.99 at the time of posting) of mm romance by NR Walker (set in the Australian Outback), Imago series (set in Tasmania and Queensland)
- Sydney Smoke Rugby series by Amy Andrews, mf romance
- Floored by Ainslie Paton is a Sydney to Perth road romance, most of her books are set in Australia
- Tigers & Devils series Sean Kennedy, mm sports romance
- Rock by Anyta Sunday, YA mm romance
Peru
- Killing Time by Cindy Gerard, mf romantic suspense
- The Path by Ariel Tachna, mm about falling in love on the Inca Trail in Peru
India
- Bollywood Confidential series of mf romances by Suleika Snyder
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