Must-read cross-cultural romance books with hilarious, heartfelt & timeless stories. Read about the most epic interracial romances and multicultural romances in books as well as thought-provoking romance novels that examine cross-cultural relationships up close.
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Must-Read Cross-Cultural Romance Books
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If you love reading about epic romances, unforgettable adventures, and hilarious stories then you’re at the right place because we collected the most iconic and popular cross-cultural romance books. However, you’ll also find here a few lesser-known but brilliant novels that deserve more attention.
Thanks to these fun and heartwarming books with diversity you’ll be able to get to know new cultures a bit better while reading about sweeping multicultural romances and of course and laugh-out-loud funny fake romances too.
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These timeless multicultural romance books will take you around the world and transport you back in time while immersing you in an unforgettable cross-cultural romance story. Get ready to explore Spain, New York, LA, Scotland, and the American West.
You’ll find here all kinds of multicultural and interracial romance books so it doesn’t matter if you’re into historical romances, LGBTQ+ romances, romance fantasy novels, epic sports romance books, or contemporary romance novels because you’ll find here something that will surely make you feel all the feels.
Thanks to these cross-cultural romance books you’ll not only get your dose of romance but also unique and fresh stories about love, relationships, family, and self-discovery.
16| The Proposal by Jasmine Guillory – Chick-Lit, 2018
Synopsis:
The author of The Wedding Date serves up a novel about what happens when a public proposal doesn’t turn into a happy ending, thanks to a woman who knows exactly how to make one on her own…
When someone asks you to spend your life with him, it shouldn’t come as a surprise–or happen in front of 45,000 people.
When freelance writer Nikole Paterson goes to a Dodgers game with her actor boyfriend, his man bun, and his bros, the last thing she expects is a scoreboard proposal.
Saying no isn’t the hard part–they’ve only been dating for five months, and he can’t even spell her name correctly. The hard part is having to face a stadium full of disappointed fans…
At the game with his sister, Carlos Ibarra comes to Nik’s rescue and rushes her away from a camera crew. He’s even there for her when the video goes viral and Nik’s social media blows up–in a bad way.
Nik knows that in the wilds of LA, a handsome doctor like Carlos can’t be looking for anything serious, so she embarks on an epic rebound with him, filled with food, fun, and fantastic sex. But when their glorified hookups start breaking the rules, one of them has to be smart enough to put on the brakes…
The Proposal is one of the funniest modern cross-cultural romance books with a hilarious and hopeful story.
15| The Bride by Julie Garwood – Historical Romance, 1989
Synopsis:
From New York Times bestselling author Julie Garwood, whose novels have enchanted millions of readers worldwide, comes a breathtakingly romantic novel about a mismatched young wife and husband who, despite their differences in background and temperament, fall inexorably in love.
The Bride sweeps readers back to the savage beauty of medieval Scotland….
By the king’s edict, Alec Kincaid, mightiest of the Scottish lairds, must take an English bride. And Jaime the youngest daughter of Baron Jamison, is his choice.
From his first glimpse of the proud and beautiful English lady, Alec felt a burning hunger stir within him. This was a woman worthy of his fearless warrior’s spirit. And he aches to touch her, tame her, possess her…forever.
But with the wedding vows, Jamie pledges her own secret oath: She will never surrender her love to this Highland barbarian. He was everything her heart warned her against — an arrogant, brooding scoundrel whose rough good looks and seductive embrace fire her blood.
But when strange accidents begin to threaten Jamie’s life and an old rumor that Alec killed his first wife spreads anew, something far more dangerous than desire threatens to conquer her senses.
With all the storytelling power and insight into the human heart that have made her one of the bestselling authors of our time, Julie Garwood takes readers on an unforgettable romantic journey rich in humor, suspense, and historical detail.
The Bride is a historical romance novel about a Scottish laird and an English woman who fall in love despite their cultural differences and the political tensions between their countries and is a must-read for anyone who is interested in classic cross-cultural romance books.
15| Destiny’s Embrace by Beverly Jenkins -Historical Romance, 2013
Synopsis:
Award-winning romance author Beverly Jenkins offers up another high-stakes historical romance that is sure to make you swoon.
With Destiny’s Embrace, Jenkins brings readers back to the American West, where Logan Yates, a self-important ranch owner, must confront his feelings for his beautiful, free-spirited housekeeper, Mariah Cooper.
While they bicker incessantly, their sexual tension is palpable, and only rises when Mariah’s former lover arrives on the scene. Will she accept Logan’s heart?
Set in 19th-century California, Destiny’s Embrace features unforgettable characters and a satisfying mix of adventure and passion from nation’s premier writer of African-American historical romance.
Destiny’s Embrace is a great choice for readers who are looking for historical cross-cultural romance books that will transport them back back to the American West.
14| The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen K.J. Charles – LGBT+ Romance, 2023
Synopsis:
Bridgerton meets Poldark in this sweeping LGBTQIA+ Regency romance from award-winning author KJ Charles
Abandoned by his father as a small child, Sir Gareth Inglis has grown up prickly, cold, and well-used to disappointment. Even so, he longs for a connection, falling headfirst into a passionate anonymous affair that’s over almost as quickly as it began.
Bitter at the sudden rejection, Gareth has little time to lick his wounds: his father has died, leaving him the family title, a rambling manor on the remote Romney Marsh…and the den of cutthroats and thieves that make its intricate waterways their home.
Joss Doomsday has run the Doomsday smuggling clan since he was a boy. His family is his life…which is why when the all-too-familiar new baronet testifies against Joss’s sister for a hanging offense, Joss acts fast, blackmailing Gareth with the secret of their relationship to force him to recant.
Their reunion is anything but happy and the path forward everything but smooth, yet after the dust settles, neither can stay away. It’s a long road from there—full of danger and mysteries to be solved—yet somehow, along the way, this well-mannered gentleman may at last find true love with the least likely of scoundrels.
The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen is a Queer romance novel set in the Regency era.
13| The Grim Reaper’s Lawyer Mea Monique – Fantasy Romance, 2022
Synopsis:
When having to decide between spending her afterlife in hell or as the Grim Reaper’s Lawyer, it’s not even a hard choice for Joyce Parker.
Of course she’d choose hell.
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Joyce thought her prayers were finally answered when her client killed her. Yes, she knows, it’s morbid. But, so is being a lawyer.
Now dead, Joyce thought it was blue skies, angel wings, mimosas and Jesus. Well, she was embarrassingly wrong. The insufferable, but good-looking Grim Reaper needs a favor. He needs her to represent him in the newly formed Reaper’s Court. That is, of course, if she wants to go to heaven rather than to hell, which is exactly where she was heading.
What starts off as a favor turns into a whirlwind of chaos with Joyce and the Grim Reaper being in the center of it all. Not only does Joyce have to help the grumpy Reaper, but she also has to save the whole Afterworld—a job she most definitely did not sign up for.
Joyce’s life on earth was boring, but her afterlife ends up being the most alive she’s ever felt. Trials, secrets, evil reapers, missing souls, traitors, stolen mimosas and unexpected romance—all the elements for one hell (literally) of a life after death.
The Grim Reaper’s Lawyer is a great choice for readers who are looking for fun and entertaining paranormal cross-cultural romance books with an urban fantasy world.
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12| Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert – Chick Lit, 2019
Synopsis:
Chloe Brown is a chronically ill computer geek with a goal, a plan, and a list. After almost—but not quite—dying, she’s come up with six directives to help her “Get a Life”, and she’s already completed the first: finally moving out of her glamourous family’s mansion. The next items?
• Enjoy a drunken night out.
• Ride a motorcycle.
• Go camping.
• Have meaningless but thoroughly enjoyable sex.
• Travel the world with nothing but hand luggage.
• And… do something bad.
But it’s not easy being bad, even when you’ve written step-by-step guidelines on how to do it correctly. What Chloe needs is a teacher, and she knows just the man for the job.
Redford ‘Red’ Morgan is a handyman with tattoos, a motorcycle, and more sex appeal than ten-thousand Hollywood heartthrobs. He’s also an artist who paints at night and hides his work in the light of day, which Chloe knows because she spies on him occasionally. Just the teeniest, tiniest bit.
But when she enlists Red in her mission to rebel, she learns things about him that no spy session could teach her. Like why he clearly resents Chloe’s wealthy background. And why he never shows his art to anyone. And what really lies beneath his rough exterior…
Get a Life, Chloe Brown is one of the most hilarious contemporary cross-cultural romance books.
11| While We Were Dating by Jasmine Guillory – Chick Lit, 2021
Synopsis:
Two people realize that it’s no longer an act when they veer off-script in this sizzling romantic comedy by New York Times bestselling author Jasmine Guillory.
Ben Stephens has never bothered with serious relationships. He has plenty of casual dates to keep him busy, family drama he’s trying to ignore and his advertising job to focus on. When Ben lands a huge ad campaign featuring movie star Anna Gardiner, however, it’s hard to keep it purely professional.
Anna is not just gorgeous and sexy, she’s also down to earth and considerate, and he can’t help flirting a little…
Anna Gardiner is on a mission: to make herself a household name, and this ad campaign will be a great distraction while she waits to hear if she’s booked her next movie. However, she didn’t expect Ben Stephens to be her biggest distraction. She knows mixing business with pleasure never works out, but why not indulge in a harmless flirtation?
But their lighthearted banter takes a turn for the serious when Ben helps Anna in a family emergency, and they reveal truths about themselves to each other, truths they’ve barely shared with those closest to them.
When the opportunity comes to turn their real-life fling into something more for the Hollywood spotlight, will Ben be content to play the background role in Anna’s life and leave when the cameras stop rolling? Or could he be the leading man she needs to craft their own Hollywood ending?
While We Were Dating is one of the most popular contemporary cross-cultural romance books with a sweet and funny story.
10| The Worst Best Man by Mia Sosa – Chick Lit, 2020
Synopsis:
A wedding planner left at the altar. Yeah, the irony isn’t lost on Carolina Santos, either. But despite that embarrassing blip from her past, Lina’s managed to make other people’s dreams come true as a top-tier wedding coordinator in DC.
After impressing an influential guest, she’s offered an opportunity that could change her life. There’s just one hitch… she has to collaborate with the best (make that worst) man from her own failed nuptials.
Tired of living in his older brother’s shadow, marketing expert Max Hartley is determined to make his mark with a coveted hotel client looking to expand its brand. Then he learns he’ll be working with his brother’s whip-smart, stunning —absolutely off-limits — ex-fiancée. And she loathes him.
If they can survive the next few weeks and nail their presentation without killing each other, they’ll both come out ahead. Except Max has been public enemy number one ever since he encouraged his brother to jilt the bride, and Lina’s ready to dish out a little payback of her own.
But even the best laid plans can go awry, and soon Lina and Max discover animosity may not be the only emotion creating sparks between them. Still, this star-crossed couple can never be more than temporary playmates because Lina isn’t interested in falling in love and Max refuses to play runner-up to his brother ever again…
The Worst Best Man is one of the most hilarious contemporary cross-cultural romance books about an unlikely couple.
9| An Earl, the Girl, and a Toddler by Vanessa Riley – Regency Romance, 2021
Synopsis:
Masterminded by the ton’s most clever countess, the secret society The Widow’s Grace helps ill-treated widows regain their reputations, their families, and even find true love again–or perhaps for the very first time…
Surviving a shipwreck en route to London from Jamaica was just the start of personal maid Jemina St. Maur’s nightmare. Suffering from amnesia, she was separated from anyone who might know her and imprisoned in Bedlam.
She was freed only because barrister Daniel Thackery, Lord Ashbrook, was convinced to betray the one thing he holds dear: the law. Desperate to unearth her true identity, Jemina’s only option is to work outside the law–which means staying steps ahead of the formidable Daniel, no matter how strongly she is drawn to him…
Married only by proxy, now widowed by shipwreck, Daniel is determined to protect his little stepdaughter, Charlotte, from his family’s scandalous reputation.
That’s why he has dedicated himself not just to the law, but to remaining as proper and upstanding–and boring–as can be. But the closer he becomes to the mysterious, alluring Jemina, the more Daniel is tempted to break the very rules to which he’s dedicated his life.
As ruthless adversaries close in, will the truth require him and Jemina to sacrifice their one chance at happiness?
An Earl, The Girl, and a Toddler is one of the most charming historical cross-cultural romance books with a unique story.
8| Island Affair by Priscilla Oliveras – Chick Lit, 2020
Synopsis:
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Kirkus Reviews, Bookpage, Booktrib, & Smexy Books Most Anticipated Romances of 2020
Frolic Book of the Week
USA Today bestselling author Priscilla Oliveras launches a new romantic comedy series set in Key West, Florida and filled with humor, Latinx culture, and fun family dynamics perfect for summer beach reading…
Sought-after social media influencer Sara Vance, in recovery from an eating disorder, is coming into her own, with a potential career expansion on the horizon. Despite the good news, her successful siblings (and their perfect spouses) have a way of making her feel like the odd one out. So, when her unreliable boyfriend is a no-show for a Florida family vacation, Sara recruits Luis Navarro—a firefighter paramedic and dive captain willing to play the part of her smitten fiancé . . .
Luis’s big Cuban familia has been in Key West for generations, and his quiet strength feeds off the island’s laidback style. Though guarded after a deep betrayal, he’ll always help someone in need—especially a spunky beauty with a surprising knowledge of Spanish curse words. Soon, he and Sara have memorized their “how we met” story and are immersed in family dinners, bike tours, private snorkeling trips . . . sharing secrets, and slow, melting kisses. But when it’s time for Sara to return home, will their fake relationship fade like the stunning sunset . . . or blossom into something beautiful?
Island Affair is one of the most feel-good cross-cultural romance books for adults who are looking for a fun and laugh-out-loud funny summer read.
7| The Spanish Love Deception by Elena Armas – Chick Lit, 2021
Synopsis:
Catalina Martín desperately needs a date to her sister’s wedding. Especially since her little white lie about her American boyfriend has spiralled out of control. Now everyone she knows—including her ex and his fiancée—will be there and eager to meet him.
She only has four weeks to find someone willing to cross the Atlantic and aid in her deception. New York to Spain is no short flight and her raucous family won’t be easy to fool.
Enter Aaron Blackford—her tall, handsome, condescending colleague—who surprisingly offers to step in. She’d rather refuse; never has there been a more aggravating, blood-boiling, and insufferable man.
But Catalina is desperate, and as the wedding draws nearer, Aaron looks like her best option. And she begins to realize he might not be as terrible in the real world as he is at the office.
The Spanish Love Deception is one of the funniest fake relationship cross-cultural romance books that transports its readers to Spain.
6| Ties That Tether by Jane Igharo – Chick Lit – 2020
Synopsis:
When a Nigerian woman falls for a man she knows will break her mother’s heart, she must choose between love and her family.
At twelve years old, Azere promised her dying father she would marry a Nigerian man and preserve her culture even after emigrating to Canada. Her mother has been vigilant about helping–forcing–her to stay well within the Nigerian dating pool ever since.
But when another match-made-by-mom goes wrong, Azere ends up at a bar, enjoying the company and later sharing the bed of Rafael Castellano, a man who is tall, handsome, and white.
When their one-night stand unexpectedly evolves into something serious, Azere is caught between her growing feelings for Rafael and the compulsive need to please her mother who will never accept a relationship that threatens to dilute Azere’s Nigerian heritage.
Azere can’t help wondering if loving Rafael makes her any less of a Nigerian. Can she be with him without compromising her identity? The answer will either cause Azere to be audacious and fight for her happiness or continue as the compliant daughter.
Ties That Tether is a great choice for readers who are not only looking for cross-cultural romance books but are also interested in interracial romance stories.
5| The Color of Love by Sandra Kitt – Chick Lit, 1995
Synopsis:
THE HEART HAS THE ANSWERS WHEN LOVE IS MORE THAN SKIN DEEP
Leah Downey was a brilliant young commercial artist moving up fast on the Manhattan career track.
Jason Horn was a street-smart cop getting over a nasty divorce and an even more agonizing personal tragedy.
All the odds said they would never meet. But they did. Everyone they knew said they should break it off before they went too far. But they didn’t. Even though everything about them was different…their pasts… their jobs… their worlds… and the color of their skin…
The Color of Love is one of the most iconic cross-cultural romance books with an interracial romance story that’s set in the 1960s.
4| The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory – Chick Lit, 2018
Synopsis:
A groomsman and his last-minute guest are about to discover if a fake date can go the distance in a fun and flirty debut novel.
Agreeing to go to a wedding with a guy she gets stuck with in an elevator is something Alexa Monroe wouldn’t normally do. But there’s something about Drew Nichols that’s too hard to resist.
On the eve of his ex’s wedding festivities, Drew is minus a plus one. Until a power outage strands him with the perfect candidate for a fake girlfriend…
After Alexa and Drew have more fun than they ever thought possible, Drew has to fly back to Los Angeles and his job as a pediatric surgeon, and Alexa heads home to Berkeley, where she’s the mayor’s chief of staff. Too bad they can’t stop thinking about the other…
They’re just two high-powered professionals on a collision course toward the long distance dating disaster of the century–or closing the gap between what they think they need and what they truly want…
The Wedding Date is one of the most charming contemporary cross-cultural romance books about a couple who fake their relationship but end up falling in love.
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3| The Songbook of Benny Lament by Amy Harmon – Historical Romance, 2021
From the bestselling author of What the Wind Knows and From Sand and Ash comes a powerful love story about a musical duo who put everything on the line to be together.
New York, 1960: For Benny Lament, music is his entire life. With his father’s deep ties to the mob, the Bronx piano man has learned that love and family can get you in trouble. So he keeps to himself, writing songs for other musicians, avoiding the spotlight…until the night his father brings him to see Esther Mine sing.
Esther is a petite powerhouse with a gorgeous voice. And when Benny writes a hit song and performs it with her, their collaboration thrusts the duo onto the national stage…and stirs up old issues and new scrutiny that the mob—and Benny—would rather avoid.
It would be easier to walk away. But the music and the woman are too hard for the piano man to resist. Benny’s songs and Esther’s vocals are an explosive combination, a sound that fans can’t get enough of. But though America might love the music they make together, some people aren’t ready for Benny Lament and Esther Mine on—or off—the stage.
The Songbook of Benny Lament is one of the most beautiful cross-cultural romance books with a thrilling story about music and love.
2| The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang – Chick Lit, 2018
Synopsis:
A heartwarming and refreshing debut novel that proves one thing: there’s not enough data in the world to predict what will make your heart tick.
Stella Lane thinks math is the only thing that unites the universe. She comes up with algorithms to predict customer purchases—a job that has given her more money than she knows what to do with, and way less experience in the dating department than the average thirty-year-old.
It doesn’t help that Stella has Asperger’s and French kissing reminds her of a shark getting its teeth cleaned by pilot fish. Her conclusion: she needs lots of practice—with a professional. Which is why she hires escort Michael Phan.
The Vietnamese and Swedish stunner can’t afford to turn down Stella’s offer, and agrees to help her check off all the boxes on her lesson plan—from foreplay to more-than-missionary position…
Before long, Stella not only learns to appreciate his kisses, but to crave all the other things he’s making her feel. Soon, their no-nonsense partnership starts making a strange kind of sense. And the pattern that emerges will convince Stella that love is the best kind of logic…
The Kiss Quotient is one of the most charming contemporary cross-cultural romance books with a unique and heartwarming story.
1| The Sun Is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon – Contemporary Romance, 2016
Synopsis:
Natasha: I’m a girl who believes in science and facts. Not fate. Not destiny. Or dreams that will never come true. I’m definitely not the kind of girl who meets a cute boy on a crowded New York City street and falls in love with him. Not when my family is twelve hours away from being deported to Jamaica. Falling in love with him won’t be my story.
Daniel: I’ve always been the good son, the good student, living up to my parents’ high expectations. Never the poet. Or the dreamer. But when I see her, I forget about all that. Something about Natasha makes me think that fate has something much more extraordinary in store—for both of us.
The Universe: Every moment in our lives has brought us to this single moment. A million futures lie before us. Which one will come true?
The Sun Is Also a Star is one of the most popular contemporary cross-cultural romance books for adults and YA readers alike.
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