12 British Romance Novels That Will Make You Swoon
There is something about reading a romance that is so comforting. There is something about reading British Romance Novels that brings the romance to the next level. I absolutely love the United Kingdom. I have been so privileged to visit on more than one occasion.
While Paris is known for being the city of love, there is something about royals and the British countryside that screams romance. We have more than royal British romance novels on this list. We have modern romances and historical romances as well. We hope you enjoy.
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Royal British Romance Novels
Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall
This is the second book I read this month about fake boyfriends but this one hit all the right notes. This was such an adorable LGBTQ 🏳️🌈 romance. When Luc, the son of two rock stars, needs a boyfriend who is respectable in order to keep his job, he is willing to fake a relationship.
Oliver Blackwood is a barrister who needs a boyfriend to bring home to his family. It is a perfect situation until fake starts to feel real. Despite the fact that the two men could not be more different, they just might be the perfect Ying and Yang. This book was so enjoyable to take my mind off reality and it made me smile throughout the whole book
The Royal We by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan
Look no further than this royal romance. If you haven’t read this romance loosely based on Wills and Kate’s love story, read no further. This is the end-all, be-all of Royal Reads.
This novel spans from the time Bex and Prince Nick meet in college until the night before their wedding. It goes through the ups and downs of the relationship and ends on a cliffhanger. But do not worry. The Heir Affair is already out and you can read that one next. This is one of the British Romance Novels we always recommend.
The Heir and the Spare by Emily Albright
I started this story the night before Harry and Meghan’s royal wedding. It’s about the spare prince of Britain and his new American love interest. I mean – literally THE perfect book at the perfect time. I devoured it in 24 hours (totally picturing Meghan and Harry the whole time!) It’s a great one to pack in your beach bag.
The Royal Treatment by M.J. Summers
This royal read and funny and entertaining. It was the perfect light read to indulge in before the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
Tessa Sharpe is the Royal Watchdog and hates everything about the Prince. Now, in order to save his reputation and his thrown, Prince Albert must invite Tessa to live at the castle with him for two months. This hilarious royal read will leave you smiling and is a perfect book to include in our list of British romance novels.
Red, White & Royal Blue
Author: Casey McQuiston
Year: 2019
Genre: Romance
Spice Rating:💋💋💋💋
Age Range: 18+
Plot
We don’t think about royals and the LGBTQ community because we don’t usually see openly gay royals, which is so sad in today’s society. And to think it all starts with a NYE kiss!
This charming book is a fabulous pick from LGBTQ romance novels. I crushed hard for their romance and found myself smiling the entire time. (Also love the nod to a female president…where do I sign up for one of those?)
Trigger Warnings
Homophobia
Why Kirsten loves it
The LGBTQ romance is charming but add in a female president and I am all in.
Why Jackie loves it
Not only is the relationship between these two charming but a female president and a royal angle as well makes this a must-read!
Find this book in: Royal Romance Books / Enemies-to-Lovers Books / New Year’s Books / British Romance Novels/ Books With a Color in the Title / British Books / Best YA Romance Books
Be sure to check out our complete list of Royal Reads
Modern British Romance Novels
Plot
Ella has moved to Oxford to study for one year before heading back to America to work on a political campaign, fulfilling a lifelong dream to study in the famed English school. But then she falls for her professor and must decide what she wants from the future.
Trigger Warnings
Cancer
Why Kirsten loves it
I picked up this contemporary fiction book to help combat my Royal Wedding withdrawal. I assumed it was going to be a light and fluffy romance — I had no idea I was going to be sobbing my eyes out with what is essentially the newest JoJo Moyes.
Adaptation Information
Sophie Carson, Corey Mylchreest, Dougray Scott, and Catherine McCormack star in the Netflix adaptation of this book.
Find this book in: Books Set in College / Best Contemporary Fiction / British Romance Novels / British Books
From Notting Hill with Love Actually by Ali McNamara
Scarlett is a movie lover who cannot pass up a chance to house-sit in THE Notting Hill. Scarlett leaves everyone behind and heads to London to become the star of her own Rom-Com.
It turns out, living a Rom-Com is more than she thought. This is an adorable book that is a quick and fun read and I feel like we don’t get to talk about it enough. It is perfect for a list of British romance novels.
A Cottage by the Sea by Ciji Ware
This was my pick for our Reading Challenge. It’s a reread for me, but I’ve always loved Cornwall, so much so that we have a whole list of books set in the location. This romance is part historical fiction, part contemporary romance as Blythe Barton retreats to an estate in Cornwall after her high-profile divorce.
Suddenly she can get glimpses into her ancestor’s past and the mystery of her disappearance. The winner for
All That Life Can Afford
Author: Emily Everett
Genre: Fiction
Release Date: April 1, 2025
More info: April 2025 Reese Witherspoon Book Club Pick
Spice Rating: 💋💋
Age Range: 16+
Plot
Anna arrives in London after years of relocating there, but instead of the London in her Austen novels, she’s met with an expensive city she can barely afford to live in. Until she meets the wealthy Wilders, who show her the side of London that only money can access.
While traipsing around St. Tropez as their live-in tutor, she meets two boys from the same social set and is soon caught up in a love triangle. But as she starts to ignore her own friends and spend money she doesn’t have to keep up with her whirlwind social life, she needs to come to terms with how much it is costing her to star in her own Austen-style adventure.
Why Kirsten likes it
I enjoyed the romp around aristocratic London, the many Austen and other bookish references, and the look down the rabbit hole of Anna’s adventure. The story lacked the emotional depth to really bring it to an excellent rating for me, but if you are looking for a book like Magnolia Parks or Gossip Girl, this one certainly fits the bill.
Find this book in: Reese Witherspoon Book Club List 2025 / British Romance Novels
British Historical Romances
The Rose Garden by Susanna Kearsley
Author: Susanna Kearsley
Year: 2011
Genre: Magical Realism
Age Range: 16+
Plot
After Eva’s sister dies, she heads back to Cornwall England to find peace and rest. What she discovers is more than she expects when she finds herself inexplicably back in time. She finds herself falling in love with Daniel Butler, a man who lived in the eighteenth century.
As her heart begins to feel again, can she find a way to heal her broken heart and find love? Can she live between two times? This is a wonderful time travel romance book that you will want to read again and again.
Why Kirsten loves it
I read this book set in Cornwall in only a few days because I loved it so much. This is another book that I read this month that is the perfect pick for books like Outlander.
Why Jackie loves it
This historical romance book was such a quick read for me because I loved the plot and characters. I felt invested in Eva’s story and wanted her to get a happy ending.
Find this book in: Books Like Outlander / Books Like A Discovery of Witches / Time Travel Romance Books / The Best Historical Romance Novels / Books With Flowers in the Title / Historical Fantasy Books / Fiction Books About Gardens and Gardening
Bringing Down the Duke by Evie Dunmore
Evie Dunmore’s debut novel spanned a series of badass women during the Suffragette era. While the story is a romance, don’t let that fool you! You’ll get a history lesson on the suffrage movement in English History as well as a lesson on Estate and Inheritance laws — which were still of utmost importance a few decades later when Downton Abbey takes place.
Annabelle Archer has the scholarship to be one of the first women to study at Oxford. In order to keep it, she must spy on the Duke of Montgomery and try to persuade him to the suffragette’s cause. The chemistry between these two crackled off the page.
Pride and Prejudice
Author: Jane Austen
Year: 1813
Genre: Classic Romance
Spice Rating:💋
More: December 2025 Read with Jenna Book Club Pick
Age Range: 12+
Plot
We love this classic love story. This love story has everything you could want. Elizabeth Bennet is a smart and stubborn woman who was ahead of her time. With five Bennet girls, one of them must marry well to support the other sisters.
Why Kirsten loves it
There are so many new and wonderful adaptations of this novel, that we did an entire post on it. And you don’t want to miss the other Jane Austen adaptations in the post as well. Austen is a master of romances and this book is the original enemies-to-lovers novel! It’s my favorite of all the Jane Austen books.
Adaptations
If you are a fan of the book you probably have very strong feelings about which adaptation you like more – the 2005 Keira Knightley version or the 1995 version with Colin Firth. Well in 2025, filming started on the lastest adaptation which is becoming a series for Netflix. The cast includes Emma Corrin (Elizabeth Bennet), Jack Lowden (Mr. Darcy), and Olivia Colman (Mrs. Bennet). Rufus Sewell, Freya Mavor, Jamie Demetriou, Daryl McCormack, Rhea Norwood, Siena Kelly, and Louis Partridge are in the supporting cast.
Find this book in: Books About Sisters / Enemies-to-Lovers Books / Jane Austen Books in Order / Grumpy Sunshine Books / Classic Romance Novels / Books Like Bridgerton / Books Becoming Movies / Read with Jenna Book Club List 2025
The Duke and I (Bridgertons #1) by Julia Quinn
I watched the show and LOVED it so much. I previously read some of the others in the series but I really wanted to read this first book and I have to say that it was my favorite. There is something about Daphne and Simon that I adore. This book is a perfect historical romance.
Are you a fan of Bridgerton? We’ve got a list of books like Bridgerton you will love!
