Slow-Burn Romance Books That Sizzle Over Time
Things are heating up in here…but it is going to take a while! Who doesn’t love when a platonic or casual relationship deepens into something more? Will they? Won’t they? Probably? Definitely? Probably. Right?
Whether you prefer your slow burn chaste with lots of petticoats like Jane Eyre or a bit more contemporary like Virgin River or in a straight up modern classic like Love in the Time of Cholera, readers of this genre have a lot of options. Let’s jump in!
The Wall of Winnipeg and Me
by Mariana Zapata
Vanessa shouldn’t feel guilty leaving her job as personal assistant to a top player in Canada’s National Football Organization. She knew it was temporary, she knows she’s doing the right thing, and frankly, her plans for the future don’t include washing extra-large underwear and essentially waiting on a guy that really doesn’t know she’s there. Even when she’s there in his house. This athlete might have zillions of fans, but Vanessa herself is not among them.
Of course Aiden “The Wall of Winnipeg” Graves notices when Vanessa is NOT there. She is flabbergasted when he arrives on her doorstep and begs her to come back and organize his life again. He’s more emotional than she’s ever seen him. And he has a proposal that will entail taking the “personal” part of personal assistant in a very different direction.
He’s not used to hearing no. She’s not used to saying it. Who is going to come out on top?
About the author: Mariana Zapata is a native Texan living in a small town in Colorado with her husband and two beloved (and emotionally manipulative) Great Danes, Dorian and Kaiser. When she's not pretending to write, she's reading. You can usually find her burning somewhat edible experiments in the kitchen or cracking jokes at the expense of her family members.
The Life-Changing Magic of Falling in Love
by Eve Devon
Ashleigh and George have never technically met, but she knows absolutely everything about him. He’s really good at crossword puzzles. He loves soccer, and he likes his house to smell like an ocean breeze.
George only knows one thing: since Ashleigh became his house cleaner, everything in his life is just a little bit better. A little neater, a little more organized, things are a little easier to find. It’s nice.
This romance is the epitome of slow burn. How can you possibly start to fall in love with someone you’ve never even met face to face?
About the author: Growing up in locations like Botswana and Venezuela gave Eve Devon a taste for adventure; her love for romances began when her mother shoved one into her hands in a desperate attempt to keep her quiet during TV coverage of the Wimbledon tennis finals!
The Hallmarked Man: A Cormoran Strike Novel
by Robert Galbraith
This is actually the slow-burning 8th book of a slow-burning series that mystery lovers can’t get enough of. Don’t worry, (all 900 pages of) it can be read as a stand-alone!
Cormoran Strike and his business partner Robin Ellacott have a new case to solve. A dismembered corpse was found in what is considered to be one of the most secure vaults in the entire world. The detectives get pulled in when they receive a call from Decima Mullins, who is convinced that the dead man is not the person everyone says it is. It can’t be the father of her brand new baby.
Things get real when the freemasons show up, and Strike and Robin have to try and unwrap the truth about the ultra-secret society. Strike does have other problems: he’s trying to find a way to tell Robin that he loves and wants her like he’s never wanted any other woman. He hears through the grapevine that Robin’s boyfriend is going to propose. Ryan Murphy isn’t in a great place either. He’s recently fallen off the wagon, is being censured at work, and feels like Robin is slipping through his fingers.
She and Strike both value the detective agency over anything else. Would that change with a romantic relationship thrown into the mix? And how does she feel about him?
About the author: Robert Galbraith is a pseudonym of J.K. Rowling, bestselling author of the Harry Potter series and The Casual Vacancy, a novel for adults. After Harry Potter, the author chose crime fiction for her next books, a genre she has always loved as a reader. She wanted to write a contemporary whodunit, with a credible back story, and to let the books be judged on their own merit versus being compared to Harry Potter.
Burning Daylight
by Emily McIntire
If you are a sucker for a Romeo & Juliet title, this one is for you!
Juliette Calloway has lived an incredibly sheltered life. She is the daughter of a very powerful family, and everything she does is scrutinized. Someone is always watching her. She’s tired of her life feeling like one never-ending performance for other people.
Roman Montgomery is a shadow. He’s the secret heir to a dangerous hidden empire, and he doesn’t actually exist on paper. When he is called back to claim his place at the head of the family empire, he is devastated to learn that Juliette is a Calloway. Their families are bitter enemies, so this relationship wouldn’t just be challenging. It is forbidden entirely!
Every stolen moment that the two of them find feels like a betrayal to their families and Roman’s inheritance. Is true love worth it?
About the author: Emily McIntire is a #1 New York Times, and #1 Sunday Times bestselling author whose stories serve steam, slow burns, and seriously questionable morals. Her books have been translated in over a dozen languages, and span across several sub-genres within romance.
Slow Dance
by Rainbow Rowell
"The brain makes note of novelty. Broken patterns. The more we do the same things, the more they blend together."
Shiloh has fond memories from childhood, sitting on the porch with her best friend, Cary. He was supportive, smart, and just a decent person. He’s also focused on the Navy in a very career-oriented way. After a falling out, Shiloh and Cary don’t speak again for 14 years.
When Shiloh returns home for a friend’s wedding, Cary is all she can think about. Will he be happy to see her again? Will she be happy to be seen? She’s a divorced mom and doesn’t look at 33 like she did the last time Cary saw her.
It turns out that, yes, Cary wants to see her. After everything, after so many years have passed, he wants to sit next to her on a porch again. This lovely story has been referred to a “power ballad of a book”, which is a pretty awesome comparison!
About the author: Rainbow Rowell writes all kinds of stuff. Sometimes she writes about adults (ATTACHMENTS, LANDLINE, SLOW DANCE). Sometimes she writes about teenagers (ELEANOR & PARK, FANGIRL). Sometimes — actually, a lot of the time — she writes about lovesick vampires and guys with dragon wings (THE SIMON SNOW TRILOGY). Recently, she’s been writing short stories (SCATTERED SHOWERS) and a whole lot of comics (RUNAWAYS, PUMPKINHEADS, LOIS AND CLARK). Rainbow lives in Omaha, Nebraska.
<fanning self> What is your favorite slow-burn romance? Maybe your NEW favorite is on this list! Go forth and read sexy!