14 Forced Proximity Trope Romance Books

The Name Curse by Brooke Burroughs

Bernie is nothing like her great aunt Bernice. Bernice was adventurous and spontaneous while Bernie has not taken a vacation in years.

When her friends and family convince her to go on a hike to Alaska, Bernie can’t find an excuse not to go. When she meets Matthew on the trailhead and discovers that the two will be required to share a tent, he is annoyed and she questions her choices.

This forced proximity romance was such a fun read. Bernie and Matthew are funny and sweet and I loved every minute.

Lockdown on London Lane by Beth Reekles

This story is so adorable! It’s Love Actually, Quarantine edition. It’s not a scary pandemic read AT ALL. Instead, it’s an interwoven tale of various couples stuck together for a week-long lockdown.

There is a group of bachelorettes, a new couple who have only shown their good sides to each other, an established couple struggling, a man separated from his girlfriend, and my personal favorite – a one-night stand turned week-long visit.

Charming and hysterical, this contemporary fiction book lifted my spirits and had me laughing out loud which is amazing for a quarantine fiction.

Find this book in isolation novels / forced proximity trope

The Roughest Draft by Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegmind Broka

This is an adorable romance about writers. What could be better for a book lover? Katrina and Nathan are cowriting literary darlings that have not spoken since the release of their last book, three years ago. It also happens to be their greatest success.

Now, they have one more book in their contract and they are forced to come together and write it. Stuck together in a small house and writing a romance with someone you never wanted to see again…that can be stressful enough without feelings getting involved.

Find this book in Celebrity Romance / Forced Proximity Trope / Poolside Reads

Float Plan by Trish Doller

This forced proximity romance follows the romance script with perfect predictability which means that it is perfect if you are looking for a romance. Note: there is a suicide in this book that might be a trigger for some people and you should avoid this book if that is the case for you.

Even though there are some heavier elements, I didn’t feel that the book ventured too much from the typical romance path. I enjoyed it.

No Judgments by Meg Cabot

This is one of the novels about weather that uses a hurricane as a major plot focus. Bree has gotten over her ex, so she thinks riding out a hurricane will be no problem until she learns about all the pets separated from their owners on her little island.

It was so easy to read with the perfect amount of love story and animal rescue.

The writing isn’t deep but has more to it than I thought it would when I picked it up.  This book is the perfect “rom-com” and is a perfect example of a forced proximity trope. 

The Spanish Love Deception by Elena Armas

Catalina is a fiercely independent woman who ran away from her past but now she has to face it at her sister’s wedding where her former fiance is the best man.

She needs a fake boyfriend – and fast! Enter Aaron her annoying and grumpy co-worker who offers to help her with her ruse. As they put their differences aside to help each other out, their love begins to grow. This is the forced proximity trope at its best.

While I enjoyed the romance in this book, at over 500 pages this novel was just a bit too long.

Find this book in Grumpy Sunshine / Enemies-to-Lovers / Office Romance

The Hating Game by Sally Thorne

This enemies-to-lovers office romance book was recently adapted to Netflix. After two publishing houses merge, executive assistants for the two owners are in fierce competition with each other for a promotion.

These office enemies quickly realize that the tension is an attraction as well. But, is the attraction real, or is it a ploy to get the promotion? This grumpy sunshine romance book is now on Netflix and we hope it is as steamy as the book. The forced proximity trope is at its best in this steamy romance

Act your Age Eve Brown (The Brown Sisters #3) by Talia Hibbert

This is the third book in the Brown Sisters trilogy and I adored this forced proximity romance. Eve Brown is a mess. She switches jobs and careers on a whim and can’t seem to do anything right. When her parents cut her off and tell her to find a job, she finds herself at a bed and breakfast interviewing for a chef position.

After Eve accidentally hits the owner of the B&B with her car, she begins the job helping Jacob, the reluctant owner. This hilarious and steamy romance was a perfect one-sitting read. These two have a lot standing in their way before they can reach their happily ever after.

Find this book in Enemies-to-Lovers Romance / Books Like the Kiss Quotient

The Devil and the Heiress by Harper St. George

The follow-up to Harper St. George’s Gilded Age romance series was another fun pick featuring the younger Crenshaw heiress. This time, the book is set in Scotland!

This time, Violet Crenshaw, looking to escape an arranged marriage to an odious man, looks to the Earl of Leigh to help her escape to Scotland. But the Earl has a different plan with the bubbly lady he wishes to call his own. This is a perfect pick for our list of books like Outlander and is a fun forced proximity romance.

Romancing The Duke by Tessa Dare

Tessa Dare’s stories are some of my favorite historical romances. She always finds ways to inject humor into her books. This particular book is the first in a series in which a man dies and leaves a castle to each of our heroines, who are known spinsters.

In this story, Izzy wants to be a writer so she retreats to her castle to write her novels. Meanwhile, Ransom shows up at the castle he still believes is rightfully his. Hilarity and romance ensue. I loved this forced proximity trope romance novel based on Beauty and the Beast and it is another perfect pick for books like Bridgerton.

10 Things I Hate About Pinky by Sandhya Menon

Samir and Pinky are complete opposites. Pinky is a wild child who is tired of her family thinking the worst of her. Samir is the type of guy that all parents love. When his internship at a law firm falls through and Pinky lies to her family and tells them she has a new boyfriend, a scheme is hatched.

Samir comes to stay with Pinky’s family for the summer at their Cape Cod house and Samir does not have to go home to his over-protective mother. Of course, with the forced proximity, they both start to develop real feelings in their fake relationship.

This fake dating book was a fun read that didn’t quite have the same chemistry as Dimple and Rishi. It may be that I related less because Samir and Pinky are high school students. Did we include this in our list of books with colors in the title? Yes! We love that her name is Pinky.

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

This book has a cult-like following for a reason. The first book in the series is a loose fairy tale retelling of Beauty and the Beast set in the world of Prythian. Magical creatures, humans, and fae are all prominent in the book.

When Feyre kills a wolf in the words, a creature arrives to her house to drag her to a magical land that she has only heard about in stories told to terrify children. Now, she is to remain a captor of Tamlin, a fae, as retribution.

This is a fast-paced, addicting, fantasy romance series with a love triangle that develops by the end of the novel. Book two is jaw-dropping! This series is on its way to becoming a classic that you will want to binge in one week.

While this book is technically a YA fantasy series, the books become very steamy and we see this as one of the best fantasy books for adults as well. We are so excited this is going to be one of the Hulu book adaptations.

Find this book in Books Like ACOTAR / Sarah J. Maas Books / Enemies-to-Lovers/ YA Fantasy / Best Romance Novels of all Time.