Small Town Romance
Charming towns, second-chance love, returning home, and lives full of secrets. Let go and let love bloom.
Looking for his redemption and her fiery spirit? Our Historical Romance recs deliver something sweet, tender, and satisfying.Searching for a title that’s not listed? Check our lower-rated reads page for books we don’t recommend and why.Small Town Romance
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Read-&-Rated Favorites (⭐ 3.5+)
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Ache for You by J.T. Geissinger
⭐ 4.25
MEDIUM, HEA
“This dumb bitch doesn't deserve Matteo. The hot and cold with her feelings! WALK AWAY MATTEO. SAVE YOURSELF.” - Penelope Black
“Penelope is wrong. This was the perfect amount of indecision. She found out he’s her stepbrother. That deserves some waffling.” - Cardigan B
Step-Sibling Crush, Death of Parent, Italian MMC, Cute Dog, Fashion Industry, Coming Out, Meet-Cute, MC is a Jilted Bride/Groom, Aristocrats, Forgiveness Arc, Enemies to Lovers, Slow Burn
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Holiday Ever After by Hannah Grace
⭐ 4.25
MEDIUM, HEA
“She's not some flighty nepo baby, she's the real deal. Jack has his buffoon moments, but he's sweet and driven by a good heart. Loved these two!” - Cardigan B
Small Town, Rich/Wealthy FMC, Family Business, Enemies to Lovers, Forced Proximity, Redemption, MMC/FMC has a Cute Dog, Workplace Rivals, One Night Stand, Business Competitors, Grumpy/Sunshine, Witty Banter, Praise Kink
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Love Me Today by A.L. Jackson
⭐ 4.25
HOT, HEA
“She's a free spirit horse girl, he's a black cloud with a murderer stalker. Cute kid seems too articulate.” - Cardigan B
Murder Mystery, Blended Family, Loss of Sibling (Death), Past Coming Back to Haunt Them, MC has a Tragic Past, Story Told in Past and Present
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Older by Jennifer Hartmann
⭐ 4.25
MEDIUM, HEA
“I’m not usually super emotional but this had me feeling the the feels. While parts made me feel uncomfortable with the age gap and her daddy issues, I felt like Jennifer Hartmann wrote the MCs with such care.” - Penelope Black
Age Gap, Under 18 FMC, 30+ MMC/FMC, High School, Abusive Parent(s), Progresses Over Years, Best Friend's Dad, Tattoos, Cute Dog(s), Forbidden Love Interest, Forgiveness Arc, Hidden Relationship, Hot Dad, Taboo Relationship, Tortured MMC, Martial Arts
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Rock Bottom Girl by Lucy Score
⭐ 4.25
MEDIUM, HEA
“This book exposed why I don't ever go back to my hometown - too many memories and too many people that remember my insurmountable awkward phase.” - Cardigan B
Second Chance, Return to Hometown, Opposites Attract, Fake Relationship, High School Reunion, Workplace Romance, MMC/FMC has a Cute Dog, Teacher, Socially Awkward FMC
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Beyond the Thistles by Samantha Young
⭐ 4.0
MEDIUM, HEA
“The audio version narrator's voice. WOW. Cute small town story, but kind of crazy with all the stuff that happened to FMC.” - Penelope Black
Grumpy/Sunshine, MC is a Single Parent, Age 20+ FMC, Age Gap Romance, Bodyguard, Forced Proximity, Tortured MMC, Opposites Attract, Slow Burn
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Cake by J. Bengtsson
⭐ 4.0
MILD, HEA
Singer/Musician, Mental Health, Rich/Wealthy MMC, Introvert, "Male, Female Relationship (MF)", Friends to Lovers, Meet-Cute, "Mysterious, Brooding (MMC)", MC has a Secret Past, Past Coming Back to Haunt Them, Survival, Celebrity/Ordinary Person, Slow Burn, Witty Banter, Healing Together, Touch Aversion, Personal Growth Journey, Rockstar, Reclusive MC, Music Industry
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Crossroads by Devney Perry
⭐ 4.0
MEDIUM, HEA
“Surprisingly emotional. Great story, quick read. Under 300 pages.” - Cardigan B
Second Chance, Separated/Divorcing/Divorced, Loss of Parent (Death), Story Told in Past and Present, Cowboy/Rancher
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Don't Call Me Daddy (Book 1) by Jere Anthony
⭐ 4.0
HOT, HEA
“I was so surprised at how great this was. She was kind of a mess, but it worked for her.” - Cardigan B
Age Gap - Older MMC / Younger FMC, Loss of Sibling, Found Family, Witty Banter, Dom/Sub, Slow Burn, Kink Shame, Twins, Bucket List
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Don't Make Me Beg (Book 2) by Jere Anthony
⭐ 4.0
HOT, HEA
“She passed on her hopes and dreams due to parental pressure. He's the town criminal with a smart home and a taste for revenge. Against her. They reconnect and the sparks couldn't be hotter. Not as witty as Don't Call Me Daddy, but good.” - Cardigan B
Small Town Return, Down on Her Luck FMC, First Love, First Love Returns, Dom/Sub, Revenge, Billionaire, Sex Toys, MMC with Sexual Confidence, Emotional Abuse
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Fight (Book 1) by Sloane St. James
⭐ 4.0
MEDIUM, HEA
“The angst in this one was just the right amount. Their chemistry was...fire. :) Banging in an ambulance sounds taxing.” - Cardigan B
Firefighter, Paramedic, Only One Bed, Forced Proximity, Down on Her Luck FMC, Hidden Past, FMC does not want children, Reformed Playboy, Witty Banter, Short FMC/Tall MMC, Overcoming Past Trauma, Loss of Friend(s), PTSD, Second Chance, Breakup Due to Misunderstanding, Escaping a Cult/Sect, Dirty Talker
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Protect (Book 2) by Paisley Hope
⭐ 4.0
MEDIUM, HEA
“I think this one would have received 4 stars just from the damn cover art.” - Penelope Black
Possessive MMC, Touch her and die, Dirty Talker, Firefighter, Second Chance, FMC is a Single Mom, Brother's Best Friend, MMC is A Golden Retriever, Story Told in Past and Present
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Honor (Book 3) by Danielle Baker
⭐ 4.0
MEDIUM, HEA
“My favorite in the series. He pined after his best friend’s sister for years. Crushes are fun, but they never come true. They do in this one, but years later.” - Penelope Black
FMC is a Single Mom, Brother's Best Friend, Age Gap Romance, Forced Proximity, Neighbors, Loss of Spouse/Partner (Death), MMC Falls First, Curvier FMC, Found Family, Firefighter
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Love Next Door by Helena Hunting
⭐ 4.0
MEDIUM, HEA
“The FMC really struggles with being home (her pride takes a hit) and the MMC is dealing with an invisible problem (bad PR and someone trying to set him for embezzlement). Together, they have baggage, but they also have chemistry. They figure out how to shine in a small town full of gossip and family complications.” - Cardigan B
Forced Proximity, Return to Hometown, Small Town, Breakup Due to Misunderstanding, Neighbors, Rich/Wealthy MMC, Hidden Identity, MC has Interfering Family
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Lovelight Farms by B.K. Borison
⭐ 4.0
MEDIUM, HEA
“What a pleasant surprise! She's in love with her best friend, but stuck in her head about risking it all. He's also in love with her and uses a social media contest to finally get her in his arms. They're PRECIOUS.” - Cardigan B
Small Town, Friends to Lovers, Fake Relationship, Christmas Romance, Friendship Group, Overcoming Past Trauma, Italian MMC, MC has Interfering Family, Loss of Parent (Death), "Clutzy, Accident-Prone FMC"
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Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez
⭐ 4.0
MEDIUM, HEA
“The narration was brilliantly done. My beef was the ex. He was a master manipulator and then all of a sudden...he apologized? Nope.” - Cardigan B
“Jacob Morgan narrates the audio version and oh man do I LOVE him. Overall, sweet book, not spicy (closed door, huge bummer).” - Penelope Black
Small Town, Age Gap - Younger MMC / Older FMC, Reformed Playboy, Forgiveness Arc, City Girl/Country Boy, Black Cat FMC, Afraid of Commitment, Slow Burn, Firefighter, Breakup Due to Misunderstanding, Friends to Lovers
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Pretend You're Mine by Lucy Score
⭐ 4.0
MEDIUM, HEA
“Aw, this is sweet. She's starting over in this small town, he's a well-known mainstay who just wants to be left alone. He's got some past relationship demons that keep him from welcoming Harper into his life.” - Cardigan B
MCs are Fake Dating, Overcoming past breakups, Grumpy/Sunshine, Only One Bed, Slow Burn
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Archer's Voice by Mia Sheridan
⭐ 3.75
MEDIUM, HEA
“This was such a sweet story. I loved how Bree was drawn to Archer and didn't care what anyone else said about him or what it looked like. Docked him a .25 star for being a dick at the end.” - Cardigan B
Age 20+ FMC, Age 35+ MMC, Age Gap Romance, FMC & MMC Enter Into A Contract, Only One Bed, FMC has Overprotective Brother/Male Relatives, Best Friend's Sister, Marriage of Convenience, Witty Banter
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The Highland Fling by Meghan Quinn
⭐ 3.75
MEDIUM, HEA
“I was LOLing. This was so fun. The scene by the well was perfect. ‘Don't drink my blood, it's American. You'll think it's too sour.’” - Cardigan B
Scotland, Scottish FMC, Lumberjack Vibes, Small Town , Enemies to Lovers, Witty Banter, Slow Burn, Grumpy/Sunshine, Forced Proximity, Age Gap Romance, Opposites Attract, Fish out of Water, Found Family, On a Journey, Culture Clash
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Swallow Your Pride by Sarah Blue
⭐ 3.75
HOT, HEA
“Deep emotional shit that some gets resolved, some doesn't. A very adult relationship between Aiden and Jessa was refreshing. The sex club in a small town was unexpected. Zach's a douche.” - Cardigan B
Age 20+ FMC, Age 40+ FMC, Age Gap Romance, Daddy/Dom & Brat, Sex Club, Ex Pro-Athlete, Boss/Employee
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Forget Your Morals (Book 2) by Sarah Blue
⭐ 3.5
HOT, HEA
“‘To the amount of glory hole research done for this book. You're welcome’ is the dedication. I already love this. Some serious taboos here that I had to keep compartmentalizing: cousins banging, actual glory holes, cousins banging. And it came with a glory hole diagram!” - Cardigan B
Age 30+ FMC, Age 35+ MMC, Older Man/Younger Woman, Betrayal & Secrets, Sex Club, Family Saga, What the hell did I just read and why can't I stop
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Double Your Standards (Book 3) by Sarah Blue
⭐ 4.25
HOT, HEA
“Funny, endearing, spicy. Twins from the first two books who grow up and start looking for what they want. And Kate is a charming FMC who gets their nuttiness from the jump.” - Cardigan B
Twins, MFM, Redemption, Entrepreneurs, Professor, Dom/Sub, Grumpy/Sunshine, Overcoming Trauma, Divorce
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Hitting the Wall by Cate C. Wells
⭐ 3.75
MEDIUM, HEA
“I liked this one more than I thought I would. For once, the FMC did not actually run and instead "GASP" she had a discussion with the MMC. Granted, she was caught in the process of running away, so there's that...” - Penelope Black
Secret Baby, Family Saga, Second Chance, Small Town Return, Age Gap Romance, Single Mom, Slow Burn, Men in Uniform, Redemption, One Night Stand, Forced Proximity
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The Pumpkin Spice Cafe (Book 1) by Laurie Gilmore
⭐ 3.75
MEDIUM, HEA
“She has inherited a coffee shop from her aunt - perfect timing since recently finding her boss dead at his desk. He's a local boy just trying to blend in after the failed proposal to his ex girlfriend a year earlier. Together they conquer their commitment fears and give in. And it gets pumpkin spicy toward the end.” - Cardigan B
Friends to Lovers, Small Town Return, Overcoming past breakups, Stalker/Stalking, Loss of Parent (Death), Family Business, Slow Burn
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The Gingerbread Bakery (Book 5) by Laurie Gilmore
⭐ 4.5
MEDIUM, HEA
“I was grinning the entire book. The most genuinely enjoyable book. I didn't want it to end. Perfect evolution of enemies-to-lovers.” - Cardigan B
Small Town Return, Second Chance, Friendship Group, Overcoming past breakups, Story Told in Past and Present, MC is Popular/Rules the School, Virgin FMC, MC is a Prodigal Son/Daughter, MC is an Only Child, Childhood Promise Fulfilled, Saved as a Child, Redemption, Friends to Enemies to Lovers
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Scary In Love by Holly June Smith
⭐ 3.75
HOT, HEA
“She's a small town girl living in a lonely world. He's the proprietor of a haunted house and into some kinky things. They live happily ever after and assemble a commune.” - Cardigan B
Seasonal, Confessional/Altar/Church Scene Kinks, Mask Kink, Praise Kink, FMC & MMC Enter Into A Contract, One Night of Danger, Family Business, Haunted, Isolated, Mysterious Land, Short/Novella
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The Best Man by Kristan Higgins
⭐ 3.5
HOT, HEA
“I didn't like the writing, but I loved the story. The FMC blamed the best man for calling off her wedding...but the groom was gay. I don't know what she expected. The attraction to the best man was delightful. I won't read the rest of the series the writing was rough.” - Cardigan B
Small Town, Slow Burn, Grumpy/Sunshine, Second Chance, Love Triangle, Story Told in Past and Present, MCs were Childhood Friends, Family Saga, MMC/FMC has a Cute Dog
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Bourbon and Lies by Victoria Wilder
⭐ 3.5
MEDIUM, HEA
“Felt like there were two subplots missing: the Fiona relationship and the details of Laney's WITSEC situation. Just felt incomplete.” - Cardigan B
Distillery, Band of Brothers, Witness Protection, MC has Witnessed a Crime, Hidden Identity, Secret Identity, Murder Mystery, Rescue, Loss of Spouse/Partner (Death), Enemies to Lovers, Forced Proximity, Hate to Love You, Slow Burn, Witty Banter, MMC Falls First, Protective MMC, Small Town, Dirty Talker, Sassy FMC
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The Friend Zone by Abby Jimenez
⭐ 3.5
MILD, HEA
“Sweet story that brings the best man and maid of honor together. She tries to keep her distance because she doesn’t believe a man would love her if she can’t have children.” - Cardigan B
Friends to Lovers, Opposites Attract, Golden Retriever, FMC with Self-Esteem Issues, Protective MMC, Found Family, Infertility, Overcoming Past Trauma, Witty Banter, MMC/FMC has a Cute Dog
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A Pack for Autumn (Book 1) by Emilia Emerson
⭐ 3.5
HOT, HEA
“She's a lonely omega looking to disappear in a small town. They're a pack looking for an omega and she smells like PSL. I really liked the book until it became too patronizing to Olive. They treated her with kid gloves like she was too delicate sometimes.” - Cardigan B
Omegaverse, Seasonal, Shy FMC, MMC/FMC has a Traitorous Cat, Loss of Parent (Death), Rescue, Fated Mates, Down on Her Luck FMC, Female Friendship Group, MCs were Childhood Friends, Why Choose
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A Pack for Winter (Book 2) by Eliana Lee
⭐ 3.5
HOT, HEA
“Eliana Lee is one of my favorite authors so giving this a 3.5 hurts my soul. But I didn't love it. The writing felt so shallow compared to her other work (The Scent of Us). I liked the character connections but the villain, her ex boyfriend, didn't get as much "airtime" as I needed to really root against him. There wasn't enough strife.” - Cardigan B
Christmas Romance, Omegaverse, Snowed in Together, Why Choose, Teacher, Small Town, Meet-Cute, Female Friendship Group, Workplace Romance, In-Heat
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Whiskey Chaser by Lucy Score & Claire Kingsley
⭐ 3.5
MEDIUM, HEA
"Love Lucy Score. This was just okay, though. As the book went on, Scarlett just felt like "I'm not like other girls" and it became cringey.” - Cardigan B
Small Town, Alpha FMC, Afraid of Commitment, Separated/Divorcing/Divorced, Friends to Lovers, Down on His Luck MMC
@35CARDIGANS @BLACKCAT100
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Join The StoryGraph, our romance book tracking app of choice. Scope out our TBRs, see which titles we’ve read, and watch us rate in real time. Just more proof that we’re humans.
(Yea, we also use goodreads…but so do our families. Who we’re connected to).
Sizzle Scale
HOT
(Blazing & Explicit): This is the full five-alarm fire. Bedroom doors are flung wide open, and the scenes are DETAILED, EXPLICIT, and SCORCHING HOT. No fading to black here.
MEDIUM
(Simmering & Steamy): Expect passionate kisses that don't always fade to black. Could be graphic, but probably one scene that goes full throttle. Things get steamy, and the chemistry is sparking. You’ll blush, but you won’t need a fire extinguisher... yet.
MILD
(Sweet & Tender): Expect sweet sighs, maybe a stolen, chaste kiss or two, and plenty of heartwarming moments that make you go "awww." If things get more intimate, the bedroom door gently clicks shut (fade-to-black).
FLOUR
(Platonic, if anything): Rare to find around here. This is a book that has…no romance at all. We probably read this by accident.
FAQs
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A guide to romance novels of all heats and sizes. We’re recommending books we’ve read (we’ve read 1,000s) and telling you what to expect. We’ll help you do your research - your time and money will be happy.
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‘Happily Ever After’ - nearly every book you find on The Velvet Pages has an ‘HEA’. It means that the story reached a satisfying conclusion. It might say “To Be Continued” which means there’s probably an HEA in the series, but that particular title didn’t resolve the relationship.
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This is how sexual or sexy a book is. There’s a range: Hot, Medium, Mild, and Flour.
Hot is ‘“holy Hell I’m sweating.”
Medium is steamy.
Mild is tender and sweet.
Flour means there’s nothing romantic here.
We label each book so you know what to expect and you can choose what you’re comfortable reading.
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We rate each book out of 5. Cardigan B and Penelope Black can rate a book the same score on occasion, but usually the rating you see is an average of their scores.
The ratings are pretty subjective, but include things like:
Did the story make sense?
How did the characters measure up?
Was the writing literate?
Was the premise or were the plot points memorable?
Were the mysteries solved? Did the questions get answered? Did you leave me on ANOTHER CLIFFHANGER, ONYX STORM?
Did the book make us feel something?
Was there a cute cat?
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We recommend starting with Historical Romance, Fantasy Romance, or Sports Romance. They’re the most popular and you’ll find recognizable tropes.
Start with Mild to Medium heat and definitely choose an HEA.
If you’re still stuck, email us and we can give you some recs!
Heyyyvelvetpages@gmail.com
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We’ll read pretty much anything. Each month, Penelope and Cardigan select a list of about 20 books to read together. There’s at least one book from each genre and some popular titles that have been recently released.
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We sure do! It’s called ‘The Velvet Edit’. You can sign up at the top or on the ‘Contact Us’ page. We send out a themed list of recommendations each month and a ‘Quickie’ (a single title spotlight) two weeks later. We won’t spam you.
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That’s the section of the site where we share what we’re reading this month for our book club. You can check out our other reading lists from the past few months of 2025, too.
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Nope, not even close. The books on the site are generally the ones we enjoyed the most. Or hit on different trends we see coming up.
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They are! If you buy from a button click on the site, we might earn a commission. You’re not paying more for the product, though. We’re all about ‘pay less for smut’ around here.
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We use Storygraph. It has a friendly app interface and has every book we’ve read. It also shows your reading stats, which is unique.
We have separate Goodreads accounts, but they’re connected to our friends and family and…I don’t want them to see that I read the first and second book in a series about a merman with two dicks.
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MMC is Male Main Character. FMC is female main character.
There are typically one of each, but there can be multiple in genres like Omegaverse or Reverse Harem.
Or, like in the case of Court of Thorns and Roses, the MMC could be one person in one book and another person in another book.
Don’t come at me about ‘spoilers’ - these books were published in 2015.
Email us
Looking for a book recommendation? Want to give us a recommendation you’ve read? Need to yell into the void?