The world could use a little love right now. Fortunately, there are tons of great free romance books available for you to read. Savor the swoons and bring a happily ever after into your life with this list of 22 free online romance novels to read right now. The selections on this list of the best free romance books are as diverse as the genre. The books are broken down into three categories for easy searching: Historical, Contemporary, and Paranormal/Fantasy.
First let’s go over some of the ways you can find free romance books and then we’ll get to the list.
Where To Find Free Romance Books
Searching Strategies To Find Free Romance Books On Retailer Sites
One of the easiest ways to find sort by Price: Low to High. For example, if you go to one of the charts that a book is ranked in, click on that category, then sort by Price: Low to High and free books will shoot up to the top of the list. You can also do this on the author page for a romance writer. Just sort their books by Price: Low to High and see if they’ve got any books available for free.
Sometimes book retailers will break bestsellers out by paid and free titles, too. For example, Amazon’s site for Best Sellers in Gay Romance is pre-sorted into the Top 100 Paid and Top 100 Free books. Take a look at the list to the left and you’ll see Gay Romance is a sub-category of LGBT romance, which is itself a sub-genre in the larger Romance genre. If you’re searching for free romance books, start at the main list for Romance, then narrow it down by category to a sub-genre and find the Top 100 Paid and Top 100 Free books.
Read Free Romance Books Through Your Library
Your library will likely have plenty of free romance books you can read in stock right now. Be sure to check out your library’s homepage. Look for links to their digital ebook and audiobook collections. Then sort by what’s available for download. It should be a cinch from there to send your free romance book to an ereader or the library’s app, which might be Libby or Overdrive, without even needing to leave your home.
Find Free Romance Short Stories and Audiobooks With Our Guides
Looking for free romance short stories? We’ve got you covered! Our guide to finding the best romance short stories online gives you the details on where to go to load up on steamy stories. And if you’re craving a good listen, be sure to check out our guide to finding free romance audiobooks online.
Add Book Riot’s essential guide “16 Places to Find Free Romance Novels and Book Deals Online” to your to-read list for bookmarkable places to find discounted and/or free romance books online.
And Now Onto The List!
Note: These books were free as of the writing of this post; prices may change. Book descriptions were supplied by their publishers and might be lightly edited and condensed.
Historical Romance
The Duke Who Knew Too Much by Grace Callaway
A Stranger to Love
Alaric McLeod, Duke of Strathaven, is known as the Devil Duke for his wicked ways. Tormented by his past, Alaric knows better than to trust a woman yet finds himself ensnared by a spirited, virtuous virgin who accuses him of a crime he didn’t commit. Is she his foe…or his salvation?
A Novice to Desire
Emma Kent is an independent country miss cast adrift in the ton. When a depraved encounter with an arrogant rake lands her in intrigue, Emma’s honor compels her to do the right thing. But desire challenges her quest for justice, and she must decide: can she trust her heart to discover the truth?
Bound by Passion and Peril
Alaric and Emma engage in a battle of wits and will. As their attraction flares, the true enemy stalks their every move. With danger looming, will they solve the mystery and find true love…before it’s too late?
The Governess Affair by Courtney Milan
Hugo Marshall earned the nickname “the Wolf of Clermont” for his ruthless ambition—a characteristic that has served him well, elevating the coal miner’s son to the right hand man of a duke. When he’s ordered to get rid of a pestering governess by fair means or foul, it’s just another day at work.
But after everything Miss Serena Barton has been through at the hands of his employer, she is determined to make him pay. She won’t let anyone stop her—not even the man that all of London fears. They might call Hugo Marshall the Wolf of Clermont, but even wolves can be brought to heel…
The Hanover Square Affair by Ashley Gardner
London, 1816
Cavalry captain Gabriel Lacey returns to Regency London from the Napoleonic wars, burned out, fighting melancholia, his career ended. His interest is piqued when he learns of a missing girl, possibly kidnapped by a prominent member of Parliament. Lacey’s search for the young woman leads to murder, corruption, and dealings with a leader of the underworld. At the same time, he struggles with his transition from a soldier’s life to the civilian world, redefining his role with his former commanding officer, and making new friends–from the top of society to the street girls of Covent Garden.
Lord of Chance by Erica Ridley
Don’t wager more than you’re willing to lose…
Disguised as a country miss, Charlotte Devon flees London, desperate to leave her tattered reputation behind. In Scotland, her estranged father’s noble blood will finally make her a respectable debutante. Except she finds herself accidentally wed to a devil-may-care rogue with a sinful smile. He’s the last thing she needs…and everything her traitorous heart desires.
Charming rake Anthony Fairfax is on holiday to seek his fortune…and escape his creditors. When an irresistible Lady Luck wins him in a game of chance—and a slight mishap has them leg-shackled by dawn—the tables have finally turned in his favor. But when past demons catch up to them, holding on to new love will mean destroying their dreams forever.
A Mail-Order Heart by Janelle Daniels
He ordered how many brides?
Clara is left reeling when she arrives in Promise Creek and finds out the man she’s come to marry died—leaving not one fiancée but nine!
With nowhere else to turn, she’s forced to accept a lucrative offer from the woman-starved town. If all the women stay, they’ll inherit Ivan’s house and mine—but only if they allow the men in town to court them.
Sawyer’s hands are tied.
Everyone wants Ivan’s brides to stay, but now he’s responsible for protecting them. Men are jealous, riots ignite, and chaos ensues. How can he stay close enough to protect the ladies without inciting a mob?
He swore to keep his distance, but one woman catches his eye—one who can never be his. But when Clara goes missing, will his love or honor prevail?
And will he get to Clara before it’s too late?
The Perilous Life of Jade Yeo by Zen Cho
For writer Jade Yeo, the Roaring Twenties are coming in with more of a purr. She’s perfectly happy making a living by churning out articles on what the well-dressed woman is wearing. But when she pillories one of London’s leading literary luminaries in a scathing review, she may have made the mistake of her career.
Sebastian Hardie is tall, dark and handsome—and more intrigued than annoyed. Jade is irresistibly drawn to the prospect of adventure he offers. But if she succumbs to temptation, she risks losing her hard-won freedom—and her best chance for love.
Contemporary Romance
Play With Me by Alisha Rai
Playing for a night…or for keeps?
Jewelry designer Tatiana Belikov may have matured enough to curb her impulsive nature, but wickedness is still her best accessory. When family troubles bring her to Las Vegas and face-to-face with the man who knows all her darkest desires, resisting temptation is futile. A night of no-holds-barred sin? Jackpot.
Once billionaire Wyatt Caine had nothing to offer Tatiana except his heart, but time has changed his fortunes. Now he’s the king of vice, and the king always gets what he wants. Especially when all he wants is her, all grown up and ready to play every dirty game he can devise.
They ignite like fireworks on the Strip, blazing hot enough to melt the best intentions. But their roll in the sheets turns into a roll of the dice, and when morning comes, Wyatt and Tatiana are left wondering whether to walk away…or raise the stakes.
Betrayal by Aleatha Romig
One week. No future. No past. No more.
Alexandria Collins has one week to live carefree—no ghosts of her past or pressures of her future haunting her. Reinventing herself as “Charli,” she is knocked off her feet by a sexy, mysterious man who brings her pleasure like she never imagined. With her heart at stake, she forgets that decisions made in the dark of night reappear in the bright light of day.
“Some of my tastes are unique. They aren’t for everyone. I understand that.”
Lennox “Nox” Demetri is wealthy, confident, and decisive–he knows what he wants. From the first time he sees Charli at an exclusive resort, he knows he wants her. Although he is usually the one to make the rules, together they agree on one:
One week. No more.
When betrayal comes from those closest to Alexandria, she must decide how far she is willing to go to survive. Choices are not always easy, especially when they involve the heart, body, and soul. After all, Infidelity is a business, and some rules are meant to be broken.
“Is it really cheating if you’re doing it to yourself?”
Branding Her by Alex B. Porter
Grab Branding Her episodes 1–6 (+3 bonus stories). Your steamy lesbian romance series that comes in bite-size episodes, perfect for bedtime, beach time and binge-reading! The drama all kicks off in the workplace…
When single mom Kaylee lands a new job everything seems to be falling into place. Then Alexis comes along. A woman who doesn’t take no for an answer. Will Kaylee let go of her fears and insecurities to fully indulge in Alexis or will it all get too much?
A woman with an unpleasant past.
With a mother who does not approve of her choices and an unplanned pregnancy, Kaylee has never had it easy, but now her life is starting to look a little brighter. A new home. A new school for her young boy. A new position in a company that could lead to the job of her dreams. Everything seems to be falling into place.
Then Alex comes along.
A firm rap on her cubicle wall made her turn with a start. Kaylee’s eyes drifted up the navy dress skirt and white blouse to meet those vibrant green eyes again.
“Grab your things. I’m taking you to lunch.”
A woman who doesn’t take no for an answer.
Cool and confident, Alex is a woman who knows what she wants and gets what she wants. And she wants her. Eyes set on Kaylee, she sweeps her off her feet.
Together.
They share the joys of intimacy and the freedom of being who they really are.
But while Kaylee is falling hard and fast, Alex remains her stoic self. It leaves Kaylee riddled with doubt and questioning whether or not Alex feels the same way about her.
Will this relationship end in heartbreak like what Kaylee is used to? Or will this be the beginning of all her fantasies coming true?
Deliver Me by Farrah Rochon
After being dumped by her boyfriend and passed over for yet another promotion, Monica Gardner moves to New Orleans, determined to make a name for herself as the new attending ER physician at Methodist Memorial Hospital. As for men–she’s through with them. But when given the chance to chair the hospital’s annual charity banquet, Monica must elicit the help of gorgeous OB-GYN Elijah Holmes.
Eli will do anything to thwart his matchmaking Mama’s plan to reunite him with his high school girlfriend. So, when the sexy new ER doc asks for his help in planning this year’s charity banquet, Eli devises the perfect scheme: He’ll help put on the best banquet the hospital has ever seen, if Monica poses as his new girlfriend. But when Eli finds himself falling in love, he realizes convincing Monica of his true feelings may be his greatest delivery yet.
Famous by Jenna Holiday
Everyone knows her face. He knows her heart.
Emerson Quinn is famous. Girls want to be her. Boys want to date her. Each record outsells the last. All that remains is to continue transitioning her brand from its teenage fan base to a more mature, diverse audience. So she’s under strict orders to play nice with her army of assigned co-songwriters and to knock off the serial dating that keeps landing her in the tabloids. If she follows instructions, she can look forward to an indefinite run at the top of the celebrity ecosystem. There’s only one problem with this plan: Emerson is miserable.
So she runs away, impulsively fleeing her L.A. life and heading for a small Iowa college town where a guy she once knew lives. He’s the only person in the world she can think of who might be enough of a nerd to not know about Emerson Quinn the brand. Who might be willing to provide a haven where she can lay low and write her new album by herself, on her own terms.
Art history professor Evan Winslow knows a thing or two about leaving your past behind. He’s worked hard to establish himself far from the spotlight of his infamous father. He’s up for tenure soon, which will mean job security for life. All he has to do to lock down his hard-won, blessedly quiet existence is keep his head down.
Too bad the most famous pop star in the world—who also happens to be his long-lost muse—has just shown up on his doorstep.
The Frat Brat by Nico Jaye
Kyle Fenton’s nickname around his fraternity house may as well be “Shameless Flirt.” Out and proud to his frat, he’s more than happy to live up to that reputation, especially when new frat brother Daisuke “Dice” Keto moves in. However, Dice’s reaction to Kyle’s antics is cryptic at best, leaving Kyle frustrated in more ways than one. Will a lost bet–and a sexy rendezvous with a “Secret Admirer”–clarify the situation?
Haru to Aiden by Alexia X.
Eighteen-year-old Haru Ono has been in love with his stepbrother Aiden Davis since he was in middle school. Trying to keep his feelings under wraps is annoyingly hard when they’re living under the same roof in such close proximity, more so since Aiden is so caring and selflessly showers him with kindness.
Haru knows that family is important to Aiden, who has been shouldering the burden of raising five younger siblings, and it’s best Haru never reveals his feelings to Aiden. Then again, an 18-year-old boy with raging hormones can only bottle up so much until everything starts to burst.
Keeping Secrets by Kiru Taye
Have you ever loved someone and didn’t even know it?
That’s the dilemma facing Felix Essien when he wakes from a coma to find he is married to the most beautiful and sensual woman he’s ever known. He cannot remember her or their wedding; he who had sworn never to get married or to give his heart to another. Yet, he feels an intense bond with her that he intends to explore fully.
Ebony can’t believe her good fortune when her paper husband wakes not remembering the temporary marriage arrangement with no intimacies he’d proposed, and is now the adoring husband she’s always dreamt of.
She plans to make the most of the passion blossoming between them.
However, would he still feel that way when he regains his memory and realises she’s been keeping secrets and their marriage is not what he thinks it is?
The Neanderthal Box Set by Penny Reid
Contains:
Neanderthal Seeks Human, Book #1 in the Knitting in the City Series
There are three things you need to know about Janie Morris:1) She is incapable of engaging in a conversation without volunteering TMTI (Too Much Trivial Information), especially when she is unnerved, 2) No one unnerves her more than Quinn Sullivan, and 3) She doesn’t know how to knit.
After losing her boyfriend, apartment, and job in the same day, Janie Morris can’t help wondering what new torment fate has in store.
To her utter mortification, Quinn Sullivan—aka Sir McHotpants—witnesses it all then keeps turning up like a pair of shoes you lust after but can’t afford. The last thing she expects is for Quinn to make her an offer she can’t refuse.
Neanderthal Marries Human, Book #1.5 in the Knitting in the City Series
There are three things you should know about Quinn Sullivan: 1) He is madly in love with Janie Morris, 2) He’s not above playing dirty to get what (or who) he wants, and 3) He doesn’t know how to knit.
After just five months of dating Janie, Quinn—former Wendell and unapologetic autocrat—is ready to propose marriage. In fact, he’s more than ready. If it were up to Quinn, he would efficiently propose, marry, and beget Janie with child all in the same day—thereby avoiding the drama and angst that accompanies the four stages of pre-matrimony: engagement, meeting the parents, bachelor/bachelorette party, and overblown, superfluous wedding day traditions.
But Janie, much to Quinn’s dismay, tosses a wrench in his efficacious endeavors and challenges him to prove his devotion by going through the matrimonial motions, no matter how minute and mundane.
Will Quinn last until the wedding day? Or will he yield to his tyrant impulses?
Spice and Smoke by Suleikha Snyder
When the cameras stop rolling, the real scene begins.
To their adoring public, Avi Kumar and Trishna Chaudhury are Bollywood’s sweethearts. Behind closed doors, their open marriage lets them freely indulge in all manner of forbidden passions. The arrangement suits them both, but as they begin filming on the set of their new movie, the heat of new and rekindled flames singes the pages of what they thought would be a fresh script. When costars Michael Gill and Harsh Mathur arrive on set, the sexual temperature goes up exponentially–at least for Trish. She can’t take her eyes of Harsh, for whom she’s carried a torch for years. Avi’s instant attraction to Michael, however, bounces off Michael’s solid wall of resistance.
Meanwhile, ex-boyfriends Vikram Malhotra and Sam Khanna, cast as fictional enemies, are finding it harder and harder to control the very real demons that once cost them the love of a lifetime.
Once the music starts, though, they all have no choice but to dance. And pray the fallout doesn’t ruin all their careers…and destroy their love.
Year of the Chick by Romi Moondi
An awkward family homecoming at Christmas.
A humiliating public weigh-in, with two judging parents as the audience.
The announcement of a deadline for arranged marriage doom.
And that’s just the first two chapters.
In “Year of the Chick,” Romi Narindra must find love before her parents find her a husband (a seemingly absurd concept that’s the norm in many cultures).
To escape her fate, Romi wades through the waters of secret-dating, where self-consciousness is at an all-time high, and experience at an all-time low. It’s the sort of thing that would turn almost anyone into a man-crazy freak with romance tunnel-vision, and that’s exactly what happens to her. All the while, a lack of inspiration in her corporate job leads Romi to her love of writing, in what quickly becomes a man-quest play-by-play.
From whiskey-breath scum bags to uni-brow creeps and everything in between, Romi and her wingmen come up empty time after time.
And that’s when she meets a fellow writer. On the Internet.
So will it be arranged marriage doom, or an Internet affair that’s not as creepy as “To Catch a Predator”? Time will tell in the “year of the chick,” a twelve-month quest to find love.
Tick-tock.
Paranormal & Fantasy Romance
Fever Claim by Marie Johnston
Can he turn one night into forever?
After being ditched only weeks before her wedding, Cassie Stockwell wasn’t out looking for a hookup. Then the devastatingly handsome bartender she’d been trying not to obsess over for months offered to give her a ride home. What could one night hurt?
When his future was almost taken away after one impulsive decision, wolf-shifter and ex-con Jace Miller waited patiently for months before making a move on the woman he knew to be his destined mate. But will one night of passion keep his little human by his side once she learns of his world and the danger it brings to her doorstep?
Kade’s Dark Embrace by Kym Grosso
After a series of girls are ritualistically murdered on the cold streets of Philadelphia, seasoned detective Sydney Willows is forced to work with sexy, alpha vampire, Kade Issacson. As the case develops, so does Sydney’s attraction to her new partner—no matter how hard to tries to fight it.
Kade, determined to solve the case and mete out justice, is captivated by the independent, fiery detective. While he attempts to protect her from a very real murderer, his concern for the beautiful, but very human detective, grows. She could easily end up dead should she tangle with supernatural forces that are beyond her control.
The investigation leads them into the dark and dangerous underbelly of New Orleans, where together, they search for the perpetrators of the Voodoo killings. When Sydney becomes the target of the killer, she ends up fighting for her life and love in the Big Easy. If she makes it out alive, will she give into the intoxicating desire she feels for Kade?
The Magpie Lord by KJ Charles
A lord in danger. A magician in turmoil. A snowball in hell.
Exiled to China for 20 years, Lucien Vaudrey never planned to return to England. But with the mysterious deaths of his father and brother, it seems the new Lord Crane has inherited an earldom. He’s also inherited his family’s enemies. He needs magical assistance, fast. He doesn’t expect it to turn up angry.
Magician Stephen Day has good reason to hate Crane’s family. Unfortunately, it’s his job to deal with supernatural threats. Besides, the earl is unlike any aristocrat he’s ever met, with the tattoos, the attitude… and the way Crane seems determined to get him into bed. That’s definitely unusual.
Soon Stephen is falling hard for the worst possible man, at the worst possible time. But Crane’s dangerous appeal isn’t the only thing rendering Stephen powerless. Evil pervades the house, a web of plots is closing round Crane, and if Stephen can’t find a way through it—they’re both going to die.
The Norseton Wolves Mate Call Collection by Holley Trent
This collection contains the first four stories of the Norseton Wolves series. In these novellas, the Norseston alpha plays matchmaker for the pack’s lonely, rough-around-the-edges, single wolves.
CONTAINS:
BEAST
After a brutal fight left werewolf Anton Denis half blind, he closed himself off to the possibility of taking a mate. It’d take a special woman to love the man behind the scars, and meek Christina Stilton insists that woman is her.
LONER
Darius used to being on the fringes, but Stephanie understands how that feels all too well. He may lack polish, but he has the tenderness that was lacking in Stephanie’s previous relationships. They’re both loners in their own ways, but if they can come together to find a common thread, the mates could ignite a romance hot enough to make them both howl.
IDLER
Lisa is convinced that her born-alpha mate has the potential to solve big problems, but not without incentive. He’s a wolf with a troubled past, and if she pushes too hard, she’ll lose his trust. She can’t afford that. Colt may not only be the ticket to a better life for her sisters, but possibly the closest thing to a perfect mate a domineering Type A personality like her will ever find.
SCION
Old grudges form a seemingly insurmountable wedge between the Madeiras and Carbones, but the wolf goddess will only grant Vic and Ashley with perfect mates once. If they’re to have a hopeful future in the Norseton pack, they must set aside the insults of the past. It may take a small miracle for them to manage it.
Wanted by the Alpha by Laxmi Hariharan
She belongs to me…
Just a glimpse and I know she was MINE.
She isn’t like any other omega I’ve met,
I hadn’t anticipated this need for her.
I should have stayed away…
Yet, I can’t leave without her.
There’s a twisted, yearning, full of fear and anger inside me. For her…
No one can stop me, from breaking her
From making her mine…
She belongs to me…
For more Book Riot coverage of the romance genre, check out:
- The Book Riot Romance Channel: For all our stories on kissing books
- “When in Romance”: Our biweekly romance podcast
- “50 Must-Read Romance Novels Published in the 2010s”: An epic list of the best romance novels from the 2010s
- “19 of the Best Romance Book Series for Adult Readers”: If you’re searching for a new romance, start with this list of great romance series for adults
