Celebrate love at any age with these 10 seasoned romance novels – Modern Mrs Darcy
Young love takes up a lot of pop culture real estate, for understandable reasons. But we all know not everyone finds love in their teens or twenties. And yet, older age groups are less represented in romance. However, we’ve been getting more seasoned romances in the last several years so it’s reasonable to assume the tide is turning. (Time out to say that this problem and solution are not exclusive to the romance genre!)) Today we’re devoting our attention to seasoned romance, all about characters who find love “later” in life.
What qualifies a romance as “seasoned”? For our purposes today, we’re looking at characters age thirty-five and up. Thirty-five might still seem young in the grand scheme of things (and our curated book lists for other genres start more than a decade older) but it’s a typical starting point when it comes to conversations about seasoned romance. I hope this list serves as a good foundation and idea generator for readers seeking romance novels with characters in their forties, fifties, and beyond, and I really hope such stories will become increasingly prevalent.
I hope you’ll add your favorite seasoned romances in the comments. Please include the characters’ ages, if you know them!
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When forty-two-year-old divorced single mother Celeste meets forty-year-old woodworker John, she believes he’s in need of a fake date to make his ex jealous. Instead, he’s looking for a partner for Tucson’s bird-watching competition. Since it’s the “year of yes” for Celeste, she agrees to help him in spite of her lack of birding knowledge. It’ll give him a chance to practice his guiding skills and launch his birding business. The more time they spend together, the more their chemistry tempts them, until they decide to be “birders with benefits.” A charming debut. (Open door.) More info →
A second chance romance for former college friends turned briefly lovers. When Lela runs into Donovan in Bryant Park, it’s been twenty-six years since he abruptly vanished from her life. She throws caution to the wind and takes him home, only for him to run away again after she confesses she’d been in love with him back then. This time Lela takes it as a sign she’s ready for a fresh start: she lets her hair go gray and starts her own makeup company. A few years later, they come back into each other’s orbit when Donovan joins his daughter’s company as a marketer and Lela is in the beauty division. She’s not going to fall for his charm this time around. At least not easily. (Open door.) More info →
When her daughter Maddie takes on styling a royal family member, fifty-four-year-old Vivian Forest tags along to see the London sights. She doesn’t expect to fall for the queen’s fifty-something royal secretary, but his charm and loyalty win her over. What starts as flirtation turns to a full on holiday love affair, but what happens when it’s time for Vivian to return home? Mistletoe kisses, British accents, and a royal palace make for such a fun romance read. (Open door.) More info →
Nora Hamilton, middle-aged romance channel screenwriter and mom of two, is shocked when she finds out her latest script is not only going to be made, it will be filmed on location at her old home—and forty-year-old actor Leo Vance is cast as the character based on the ex-husband who broke her heart. After filming wraps, Leo isn’t ready to head home, so he strikes up a deal with Nora to pay her a thousand dollars per day to stay for an extra week. It’s the kind of money she can’t turn down. This turned out to be such an enjoyable read. Psst—Will just read this and really enjoyed it! (Closed door.) More info →
Jimenez outdid herself with this grounded, funny, and deeply romantic story about two thirty-five-year-old ER doctors who turn from enemies-to-friends to fake relationship to head-over-heels-lovers. One of my favorite parts of the story involves a realistic exchange of letters between Dr. Jacob Maddox and Dr. Briana Ortiz, beginning with an apology note and a cupcake. Jacob struggles with social anxiety, so a letter proves to be the perfect way to break the ice with Briana, no confrontation needed. The notes are funny, heartfelt, and sweet; they’re bright spots in Briana’s stressful days working in the ER and going home to take care of her brother who awaits a kidney transplant. If you’re looking for a charming romance novel with layers of complexity, you can’t go wrong with Jimenez. (Open door.) More info →
Forty-year-old Hendrix is happy with her life. She’s a successful talent manager and finds meaning in nurturing Black women-led businesses. She’s single by choice; she won’t settle for a mediocre partner. She never wanted kids for herself but cherishes her role as rich auntie to her best friend’s kids. But then, just as she’s facing the grim challenge of her mother’s advancing Alzheimer’s, forty-something Maverick comes along. At first she thinks he’s all bluster: he’s a handsome, smooth-talking guy who’s about to become the world’s first Black billionaire. But she can’t deny she feels seen in this romantic relationship–maybe for the first time ever?–and it’s making her reconsider everything. This is the third and final Skyland series novel but it stands happily on its own. (Open door.) More info →
In this second chance romance, forty-four-year-old Simon and forty-two-year-old Lana haven’t seen each other since they divorced seventeen years ago until they bump into each other at an NYC open house. Both in need of a new place to live, they decide to be platonic roommates on a trial basis so they can afford to live somewhere better. Living in the same place again gives them a chance to see how each other has changed and grown, while they focus on their respective careers (chef and music teacher) and consider whether their chemistry is enough to warrant another shot at love. (Open door.) More info →
Fifty-year-old trucker June has had a crush on forty-nine-year-old bartender Mal for years and decides it’s finally time to do something about it during Pride weekend. What she doesn’t know is that Mal has had a years-long crush on June and she also decided it’s time to finally act on it. A sweet novella about two women taking charge of their future. (Open door.) More info →
Rose Owen summons her inner Ice Queen when Martin Krause is hired at her school and the administrator reassigns her beloved world history classes to him instead. Except Martin proves to be a genuinely warm and interesting man who is difficult to resist. They’re both divorced, in their forties, and great history teachers. A contemporary romance that will make you laugh and cry. (Open door.) More info →
Adib Khorram’s debut romance features Iranian culture and food, a strong setting in Kansas City, and a well-rounded cast of characters. After Farzan’s heart is broken once again, he heads to the wine bar in search of solace, or at least a good meal. And a good meal is what he gets after sommelier David mistakes Farzan for a food critic. They figure out the mix-up after a hot night together but decide to be friends since they’re both looking for different things. We all know how that goes! This is a realistic romance: Farzan and David are both thirty-seven with their own concerns, insecurities, and career goals. The trick lies in how they support each other through it all. (Open door.) More info →
What are your favorite seasoned romances? Please share them in the comments.
