The Book Addict’s “GUIDE”… to Queens of Contemporary!

My reading tastes have changed a lot over the past few years, especially since I started blogging, but I still have a big place in my heart for contemporary romance and realistic fiction in my heart! I’ve been picking up a lot more light & fluffy contemporary stories lately, more so than the serious realistic fiction, but this compilation of Contemporary Queens includes a little of both!

This isn’t a comprehensive list of all of my favorites but it includes many of my favorite authors who currently have multiple books out, and I left a few off the list who I loved but I hadn’t read the majority of their current contemporary releases (like Elizabeth Eulberg and Robin Benway)! It also doesn’t include books of different genres from the authors listed below (like Kasie West’s paranormal duology and Rainbow Rowell’s dip into fantasy) to keep the list strictly contemporary!

The guide is mainly geared toward young adult authors and novels but also includes any “crossover” books by the same authors including Rainbow Rowell’s adult novels and Liz Czukas’s novels as Ellie Cahill for her new adult releases! Lastly, it also only includes full-length novels so any novellas or extras have not been included here (but you should totally check those out too)!


young adult contemporary

BOOKS MENTIONED

  1. Sisters In Sanity by Gayle Forman | Amazon // Goodreads
  2. If I Stay by Gayle Forman Amazon // Goodreads
  3. Where She Went by Gayle Forman Amazon // Goodreads
  4. Just One Day by Gayle Forman Amazon // Goodreads
  5. Just One Year by Gayle Forman Amazon // Goodreads
  6. I Was Here by Gayle Forman | Amazon // Goodreads
  7. Leave Me by Gayle Forman | Amazon // Goodreads
  8. The Distance Between Us by Kasie West | Amazon // Goodreads
  9. On The Fence by Kasie West | Amazon // Goodreads
  10. The Fill-In Boyfriend by Kasie West | Amazon // Goodreads
  11. P.S. I Like You by Kasie West | Amazon // Goodreads
  12. By Your Side by Kasie West | Amazon // Goodreads
  13. Lucky In Love by Kasie West | Amazon // Goodreads
  14. Attachments by Rainbow Rowell | Amazon // Goodreads
  15. Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell | Amazon // Goodreads
  16. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell | Amazon // Goodreads
  17. Landline by Rainbow Rowell | Amazon // Goodreads
  18. Open Road Summer by Emery Lord | Amazon // Goodreads
  19. The Start of Me and You by Emery Lord | Amazon // Goodreads
  20. When We Collided by Emery Lord | Amazon // Goodreads
  21. The Names They Gave Us by Emery Lord | Amazon // Goodreads
  22. Ask Again Later by Liz Czukas | Amazon // Goodreads
  23. Top Ten Clues You’re Clueless by Liz Czukas | Amazon // Goodreads
  24. Throwing My Life Away by Liz Czukas | Amazon // Goodreads
  25. When Joss Met Matt by Ellie Cahill | Amazon // Goodreads
  26. Call Me Maybe by Ellie Cahill | Amazon // Goodreads
  27. Just A Girl by Ellie Cahill | Amazon // Goodreads
  28. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins | Amazon // Goodreads
  29. Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins | Amazon // Goodreads
  30. Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins | Amazon // Goodreads
  31. My True Love Gave to Me curated by Stephanie Perkins | Amazon // Goodreads
  32. Summer Days and Summer Nights curated by Stephanie Perkins | Amazon // Goodreads
  33. Sean Griswold’s Head by Lindsey Leavitt | Amazon // Goodreads
  34. Going Vintage by Lindsey Leavitt | Amazon // Goodreads
  35. The Chapel Wars by Lindsey Leavitt | Amazon // Goodreads
  36. Nantucket Blue by Leila Howland Amazon // Goodreads
  37. Nantucket Red by Leila Howland Amazon // Goodreads
  38. Hello, Sunshine by Leila Howland Amazon // Goodreads

Who are your queens of contemporary? I also love Elizabeth Eulberg, Robin Benway, and Lauren Morrill but I need to catch up on some of their earlier books or latest releases!


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Hi, I'm Brittany!
Hi, I'm Brittany!

I'm an avid reader, candle-maker, and audiobook lover! Here you'll find book reviews, fun blog posts, and my other loves of photography & craft beer!

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6 thoughts on “The Book Addict’s “GUIDE”… to Queens of Contemporary!

  1. Beth W

    I have, historically, never enjoyed contemporary YA much. I liked Anna and the French Kiss but couldn’t stand the sequel. But Rainbow Rowell’s Fangirl just blew me away, in every possible way. If there are more contemporary with that powerful of a story and depth of characters, I will love them. Are any of these authors like that?

    1. Brittany Post author

      I would recommend Gayle Forman and Emery Lord for Rainbow Rowell fans! I would say Gayle Forman’s work grows deeper and more mature in her later books but each person ends up loving a different book for different reasons. She also has an adult contemporary too! Emery Lord’s most recent release (When We Collided) is probably the best Fangirl comparison I can make (out of this list)! I thought it was wonderful and interesting and emotional. It dealt with bipolar disorder so some people had a hard time reading the manic states but I thought it was SO well done. I also really LOVED Nantucket Blue and Nantucket Red by Leila Howland! I really personally identified with Cricket and I thought it was an incredibly realistic set of books (at least for me, since Cricket was like the same personality as me)! Emery Lord’s first two books are also amazing but I think When We Collided is the deepest/most serious where as Open Road Summer is probably the fluffiest although still has great depth, flawed characters, and a great love story! All of her novels are very different but I’ve loved them all so far! I really loved All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven, Emmy & Oliver by Robin Benway, The Book of Broken Hearts by Sarah Ockler, The Lies About Truth by Courtney C. Stevens, and I REALLY love the Confessions series by Louise Rozett (starting with Confessions of an Angry Girl). The series starts with the main character as a freshman in high school but they’re so well-written and didn’t feel young to me. I really love Louise Rozett’s writing! OH also The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay is AMAZING.
      I was also not the biggest fan of Lola (still enjoyed it but I haven’t re-read any of the books beside Anna, which I now re-read every year)! I don’t have that draw to re-read Lola or Isla again.
      Let me know if you have any questions about those! I LOVE giving recs so I hope one of these sticks! 😀

      1. Beth W

        Thank you so much! Now I’ve added 5 or 6 of those to my Goodreads list and library list… 😉
        I hope I love them, too! I definitely appreciate the thoughtful and thorough recommendation!

  2. Madalyn @ Novel Ink

    So many great ones here, and so many I still need to read! I adore Emery Lord, Stephanie Perkins, Kasie West, and Gayle Forman. I really need to pick up something by both Lindsey Leavitt and Leila Howland. Great list, Brittany! 🙂

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