Romances in which hero is obviously smitten, attracted, in love first AND/OR hero in pursuit

[Rhiannon]

I'd love to find some more romance novels where it's clear that the hero is smitten or in love with the heroine before she realizes her own feelings. Or books where he doesn't acknowledge that it's love yet but lust/attraction. At the very least, he's the one doing the pursuing. He could manipulate things so that there's forced proximity (mistress, employee, governess etc). Or he could be set on marriage

Historical romances I've read, similar to what I'm looking for:
Where Dreams Begin by Lisa Kleypas - LOVED THIS ONE
When He Was Wicked by Julia Quinn - has a special place in my heart
Then Came You by Lisa Kleypas - only sort of fits I think but still liked it a lot
Secrets of a Summer Night by Lisa Kleypas
To Desire a Wicked Duke by Nicole Jordan
To Wed a Wicked Earl by Olivia Parker
Whitney, My Love by Judith McNaught - love/hate relationship with this one
To Love An Earl by Elizabeth Thornton - kinda problematic for me
Claiming the Courtesan by Anna Campbell - did not finish, did not like the parts I read

As for contemporary romances, I can't think of any off the top of my head. I've read a few Harlequin/Mills and Boon type romances but they weren't anything memorable

Don't want any doormat heroines. I'd like it if they had some backbone.

Heroes can be alpha/beta/gamma.
They can be brooding/seemingly emotionally stunted like Mr. Darcy in P&P and John Thornton in North and South (Richard Armitage...swoon) or they can be whatever the opposite of that is.

I love banter/bickering between the main characters. And Heyer/Julia Quinn-esque humor. Not required though

Please no paranormal or YA romances
Also, these types of books are my guilty pleasures. The only clean ones I like to read are by Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer. So bring on the steam!!!

[MJ]

Jana Aston, Wrong series... probably bk2 & bk3 (Right & Trust) are more clearly ‘he’s coming for her’, but I think bk1 (Wrong) too. Can’t remember which side of the fence the 4th one sits, but I do love the series.


https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...

[❁ lilyreadsromance]

Tempt Me at Twilight if you haven't read this yet,
Play contemp romance

That's all I could think of. I've read more like it but most of them had cold feet and try to get out from the relationship after the initial pursuing.

[MJ]

Emma Lea, the Billionaire Stepbrother... bk1 is def him chasing, I think the others are too.


https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...

[Ann]

Have you read Lisa Kleypas's contemporary romances yet? I think you'll like Smooth Talking Stranger and Brown-Eyed Girl.

[MJ]

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...

CM Owens has a few series, and a lot of the books are guys chasing their women for one reason or another (usually cause they’ve screwed up at some point 🙄)

[Moloch]

The Nonesuch, since you like Heyer.

[Rhiannon]

Thank you for all the recommendations! I haven't heard of most of these.

I love Lisa Kleypas' historicals and I've been meaning to give her contemporaries a shot. Just never got around to it

[Roxann]

Suddenly You

[Rhiannon]

Thank you Roxann! I reread Suddenly You quite recently actually

[Sycorax]

I think every Nora Robert's has the hero falling really fast then pursuing the heroine. It's why I got sick of her books.

[Rhiannon]

Sycorax wrote: "I think every Nora Robert's has the hero falling really fast then pursuing the heroine. It's why I got sick of her books."

I've actually never read any Nora Roberts books. Can you recommend some of the ones you really liked before you got tired of them?

[ImaBookaddict]

I actually just started reading her last year and my favorite Nora Roberts book is The Witness. It is a great read. Loved all the characters....well except the heroine's mother, she was a piece of work. And yes the hero falls fast and pursues like a steam roller not taking no for an answer.

[Ann]

A few more Nora Roberts books:
Blue Smoke
High Noon
The Next Always
Sea Swept

[Lobstergirl, au gratin]

The Transit of Venus

[Dakota]

Some books you might enjoy

Kerrigan Byrne The Highwayman (Honestly I love the whole series but this is both the first in this series and also one that I feel matches what you’re looking for.)

Anne Mallory One Night is Never Enough (have to say that I also loved In Total Surrender)

Sarah MacLean Brazen and the Beast (the second book is the series)

Elisa Braden Anything But a Gentleman (book 8 of The Rescued from Ruin series)

[Dakota]

I did not like Anna Campbell’s Claiming the Courtesan. I even reread it more recently to see if I still felt the same way about it and I very much did. If it had of been the first book of hers I had read I would not have picked up another of her books. Fortunately, her other books are not like that. I rather enjoyed Seven Nights in a Rogue’s Bed and pretty much every other book and short story she’s written. You may want to give another one of her other books a try.

[Rhiannon]

Dakota wrote: "I did not like Anna Campbell’s Claiming the Courtesan. I even reread it more recently to see if I still felt the same way about it and I very much did. If it had of been the first book of hers I ha..."

You're right! After reading Claiming the Courtesan, I didn't really want to read any of her other books, but I will give them a shot

[Raven]

Rock Chick series! This was the first thing that popped into my mind when I read what you were looking for. Alpha male hero is a very smitten kitten, perusing and manipulating to force proximity. Heroines are the masters of their destinies (they would like to think) so they’re definitely not doormats. Lots of bickering, the heroines don’t want to fall for the heroes, and quite a bit of steam. The heroes would never go for a heroine who would be happy to sit back and let the man take over. I also thought there were some really funny parts.

I would also recommend most of Kristen Ashley’s books. Every series has different levels of action and steam, some more than others and some less. The author is also not really one to write about a weak female lead. There are definitely some books that could be better, but I think they’re worth the read, especially for “guilty reads”.

[Mikaela]

Sexy as Sin Secret teenage sweethearts who don't see each other for years. Hero has always held onto his love for the heroine before they are forced back together years later.

Fool for Love Hero is best friend of heroine's brother and has had an unrequited love for her for like a decade, but she has had a long term boyfriend.

Midnight Valentine Heroine thinks hero is a total weirdo, but he's just freaked out because he has dreamed about her/been in love with her before he ever saw her

Sarazen's Claim A bit of a cheat because the hero is genetically attracted/mated to the heroine, but she's human so takes a while to come around to the idea

Receiver of Many If you have not read this yet DROP EVERYTHING. Hero has been promised to the heroine and has waited thousands of years for her to grow up/be ready for him (and he's faithful). Heroine has no idea who he is.

Wicked Ugly Bad Hero loves heroine straight off the bat, but heroine is preoccupied with other things and doesn't understand that his pursuit of her is in earnest.

Beast Behaving Badly Hero loves/is obsessed with heroine at first sight, but he is massive and violent and scary so heroine freaks out and runs away from him.

Right Heroine has been in love with Hero's brother since childhood, and Hero has heard all about his brother's crazy (but admirably persistent and cunning) stalker girl. Hero decides she is the perfect woman for him, but she needs convincing.

A Negotiated Marriage Hero and Heroine have had a marriage of convenience for a while. Hero decides he wants to renegotiate the terms of their agreement to include sex and heroine has no idea that it's because he is smitten.

Shine Not Burn Couple have a shotgun wedding in Vegas which heroine forgets about because she was blind drunk. She finds out she is already married when she gets engaged to someone else and has to divorce the first guy who has pined for her since their first meeting.

The Hating Game Hero and heroine have a seemingly hostile relationship which the heroine thinks is warfare but the hero uses to spend time with her/be important to her.

Love Hacked Hero has watched heroine for a long time and tries to get her to fall in love with him before she finds out about his past, and leaves him. VERY funny.

The Chocolate Kiss One of my absolute favourites! Hero and heroine are business rivals, and while hero is falling desperately in love with the heroine, she's just trying to beat him.

[Mony]

Ann wrote: "Have you read Lisa Kleypas's contemporary romances yet? I think you'll like Smooth Talking Stranger and Brown-Eyed Girl."

good choice on Smooth Talking Stranger!

[Mony]

Raven wrote: "Rock Chick series! This was the first thing that popped into my mind when I read what you were looking for. Alpha male hero is a very smitten kitten, perusing and manipulating to force proximity. H..."

Raven, I think the Rock Chicks are awesome for what Rhiannon is looking for. Yay!

[Mony]

Beautiful Disaster (Beautiful #1) by Jamie McGuire

Real

Marriage for One by Ella Maise

Broken Knight (All Saints High #2) by L.J. Shen

Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James

Law Man (Dream Man #3) by Kristen Ashley

Becoming A Vincent by C.M. Owens

[Majstor]

The bad guy by Celia Aaron - The book is about a psychopath who for the first time feels something when he meets the heroine but as she has a boyfriend for him only logical solution is to kidnap her in order to show her that they share something special. I know it sounds really weird I was also sceptical but the guy is really likable.