15 Spicy Age Gap Romance Books

If you’re looking for problematic age gaps, you’re in the wrong place, but sometimes a difference in ages can add some interesting tension to a romance novel. A grumpy single dad or new divorcee might not want to tie down someone younger and full of life. A younger woman might find she’s in over her head with an older, experienced guy. Age might be just one more issue in a forbidden relationship. It adds a complexity to these stories that ramps up the tension, and often provides for an even more compelling read.

There’s a little of everything on this list, including younger guys AND younger women. We’re not calling it “reverse” anything here. There are teammates, a professor/student situation, an ex’s dad, fake relationships, single parents, and so much more. It’s a versatile trope that can be utilized in a lot of different situations.

From rom com to mafia, super spicy to slow burn, grumpy single dad to incorrigible player, there’s a couple for everyone on this list – and plenty of tropes at play too. Each of these contemporary romance novels was a 4 or 5-star read for me. I’ve included the blurbs, links to my book reviews when available, and links to Amazon for easy addition to your collection. Happy reading!

Heartless by Elsie Silver

Working as a nanny for the world’s grumpiest single dad should have been simple. Except I can’t keep my eyes off him. And he can’t keep his hands off of me.

Cade Eaton is thirteen years older than I am and barely looks my way. Until I get him into the hot tub one night for a game of truth or dare. Then all bets are off—and so are our clothes.

He’s gruff, a little rough around the edges. But broad-shouldered ranchers with calloused hands and filthy mouths are this city girl’s kryptonite. So who am I to resist?

But it’s in our quiet moments together that he softens. It’s when he takes care of me that I realize his hardened exterior is just a façade. It’s when I watch him go all sweet with his little boy that I really fall for him.

Someone convinced him once that his best wasn’t good enough. But I’ve never felt more cherished than I do in his arms.

My contract may say this arrangement is only for two months.

But my heart says this is forever.

Read the review here

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3DgYgwN

Nero by S.J. Tilly

Payton

Running away from home at 17 wasn’t easy. Let’s face it though, nothing before, or in the ten years since, has ever been easy for me.

And I’m doing okay. Sorta. I just need to keep scraping by, living under the radar. Staying out of people’s way, off people’s minds.

So when a man walks through my open patio door, stepping boldly into my home, and my life, I should be scared. Frightened. Terrified.

But I must be more broken than I realized, because I’m none of those things.

I’m intrigued.

And I’m wondering if the way to take control of my life is by giving in to him.

Nero

The first time I took a man’s life, I knew there’d be no going back. No normal existence in the cards for me.

So instead of walking away, I climbed a mountain of bodies, and created my own destiny. By forming The Alliance.

And I was fine with that. Content enough to carry on.

Until I stepped through those open doors, and into her life.

I should’ve walked away. Should’ve gone right back out the door I came through. But I didn’t.

And now her life is in danger.

But that’s the thing about being a bad man. I’ll happily paint the streets red to protect what’s mine.

And Payton is mine. Whether she knows it or not.

Read the audiobook review here

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3P6lQSa

Flirting with 40 by K. Bromberg

An all new flirty, lighthearted, standalone romance by New York Times bestselling author K. Bromberg guaranteed to make you swoon.

Blakely Foxx is having one of those years.

Her divorce may have been finalized a few months ago, but her ex is already engaged to someone half her age. Her younger boss is determined to sabotage her chance at getting the promotion she rightly deserves. And to make matters worse, she’s closing in on the big 4-0. There isn’t enough wine or ice cream in the world to convince her things will turn around.

When Blakely meets Slade Henderson, she’s left wondering why an early-thirties, hotter than hell, cardiothoracic surgeon would take an interest in her.

She’s been warned that he’ll break her heart, but she’s willing to take the chance. Not only is he helping her get that promotion, but in the process, he’s encouraging her to find the parts of herself she’s lost over the past few years.

Slade shows her that good guys really do exist, but who knew the hardest part about turning forty would be realizing the man you thought was a rebound, is actually your happily ever after?

Read the review here

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3hAJrGx

The Brightest Light of Sunshine by Lisina Coney

A woman ready to move on. A man who can’t afford distractions. An inspiring journey of healing love.

Determined to walk away from a traumatic past, 22-year-old Grace Allen feels ready to take the next step in her healing journey—dipping a toe into the dating pool. Although she should probably start by making a friend or two, right?

Samuel ‘Cal’ Callaghan isn’t who she had envisioned as her first male friend in… well, forever. With an intimidating build, tattoos everywhere, eight years her senior, and a little sister under his care, the last thing she expected was to warm up to him so easily. As their friendship evolves, Grace can’t help but wonder if Cal is exactly who she’s been looking for all this time.

Cal can’t afford to lose sight of his priorities—making sure his tattoo parlor thrives and taking care of his little sister. Especially the latter. He wants to make sure 4-year-old Maddie has a healthy and happy childhood, despite their mother going off the rails and her father’s blatant neglect. There’s certainly no room for love in his life right now. But when a sweet blonde with a veiled past breaks down his walls, he finds it difficult to stick to his guns.

CONTENT NOTES: This book contains themes of sexual assault (there are no explicit scenes depicting sexual assault), profanity, alcoholism, and explicit sexual content. Recommended for 18+.

Read the review here

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3YXath1

Caught Up by Liz Tomforde

Kai

I’m a single dad and starting pitcher for Chicago’s MLB team.
I’m stretched too thin, but I don’t want help raising my son.

Each of his previous nannies only lasted a few weeks before I let them go.
Now, my coach is putting his foot down by hiring the one person I can’t fire—his daughter.

Miller Montgomery is the last woman I should fall for. Too wild, too young, and too unattached.

Chicago is just a quick stop for her. I thought I’d be counting down the days until she left, but summer feels too short when I start thinking about forever.

Miller

As a high-end pastry chef who recently won the most prestigious award in my industry, I’m desperate to prove I deserve it. But with a new title comes new pressure, and I can’t create a fresh and inspiring dessert to save my life.

With only two months to get back on track, I should be focusing in the kitchen, but instead, I let my dad talk me into using my time off to nanny for his star player’s kid.

Kai Rhodes forgot how to have fun, and I’m eager to jog his memory. But when he and his son start to feel like home, I have to remind us both that my time in Chicago ends with the summer.

Besides, I’ve always been a runner, and the last thing I want is to get caught.

Read the audiobook review here

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3tGQhWI

Tempt by Melanie Harlow

You’ve heard the story about the wedding planner who falls for the groom?

Well, this is the one where she falls for his father.

And that groom? He’s my ex.

I didn’t realize who the gruff, gorgeous older man was the night he rescued me from a creep in a Manhattan hotel bar. All I knew was that a hot, bearded stranger with a protective streak showed up right when I needed a reminder that real gentlemen still exist.

(Although he left his manners behind after asking me up to his room.)

It was the hottest night of my life, but I never thought I’d see the former Navy SEAL again.

Imagine my surprise at the rehearsal dinner one week later, when my sexy one-night stand is introduced as the father of the groom. Even more surprising? That temptation we felt in New York was no fluke.

In public, we pretend there’s nothing between us.

In private, we can’t keep our hands off each other.

The situation is beyond complicated. Zach never even knew he’d fathered a child until recently, and he wants to earn his son’s trust and respect. As for me, I’m looking for a man who wants to start a family, and Zach has made it clear he’s not that man. He’s fifteen years older, newly divorced, and he lives across the country.

But no matter how many times we draw the line, we keep crossing it.

Nothing so wrong should ever feel so right.

Read the review here

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3zbWJF5

The Love Interest by Kayley Loring

Dear Fiona,

I hope this letter finds you well—and by well, I mean significantly less infuriated than you were yesterday. I’ve wanted to continue our conversation from the night we met, but there are so many things I can’t say or do, now that I’m your professor.

As an anonymous letter writer, I can give you some idea of what I have planned for us, once the year is over. As an author, I can share my work in progress with you. Not for you to critique but to show you how much you mean to me.

When you’re done reading this page, destroy it—and then write me back. Don’t sign the letter. Don’t put a return address on the envelope. Mail it from a random mailbox.

Yours in problem solving,
Me

P.S. I still think you’re wasting your talent on that historical romance novel.
P.P.S. I really wanted to push you up against the door and kiss your beautiful, angry face. I will. One day.

***

Dear Emmett,

Your handwriting is almost as terrible as your mood swings, and it would have been my instinct to destroy that letter even if you hadn’t ordered me to.

If you show me your work in progress, I will critique it.

I am currently still too infuriated to write about all the other feelings I have for you.

Expect another letter soon.

Your problem and your solution,
Me

P.S. I still think an overpaid, overrated, overly handsome bestselling author of thrillers has no business teaching creative writing at a prestigious New York university.
P.P.S. To my great horror, I really wanted you to push me up against that door and kiss my angry face too. I understand now that your appalling way of treating me in class has been overcompensation, but I don’t forgive you for it. I’ll kiss you again anyway. One day.

Read the retro review here

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3x17K9A

Sweet Spot by Rebecca Jenshak

A hot-headed college golfer falls for her swing coach in this fun and sexy sports romance.

Lincoln Reeves may be a pro golfer and revered swing coach, but when I meet him, he is just one more person telling me I’m not good enough.

So, I do what any girl in my position would do. I tell him to get lost and take his arrogant, annoying smirk with him. I never expect to see him again. I certainly don’t expect to run into him that same night after one too many tequila shots.

Turns out that he’s kind of a big deal. Okay, fine, a really big deal. In fact, he might be the one person who can take my game to the next level.

Convincing him to help will be difficult.

Not throwing my club at his handsome face when he makes me work harder than I thought humanly possible will be excruciating.

But not falling for him will be the hardest thing of all.

Read the review here

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2THpm8w

Down and Dirty by Kendall Ryan

From New York Times bestseller Kendall Ryan comes a delicious new standalone romance featuring an accidental Vegas wedding and a totally perfect alpha hero.

Remember that time you accidentally woke up in Vegas married to your hot younger guy friend? That’s basically my life right now. Mistakes were made, okay? He’s too young for me. Twenty-three to my thirty. And he’s saving himself for the right girl. Yup. Apparently I’ve married the last alpha-male virgin on the planet. And my stubborn, oddly traditional, new husband doesn’t want a divorce. He wants me. Complicated doesn’t even begin to cover it.

Down and Dirty is a sexy romp with a hero you’ll melt for and a relatable, sassy heroine you’ll love. If you’re a fan of steamy romances with laugh out loud moments, grab yourself a copy– you won’t regret it!

Read the review here

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3NKa8Ml

Right Man, Right Time by Meghan Quinn

From USA Today and Amazon Charts bestselling author Meghan Quinn, comes a new fake dating, standalone sports romance featuring the hockey men you can’t get enough of and love. This steamy, age-gap romantic comedy will bring all the laughs while making your cheeks blush at the same time.

Running into your ex is never ideal.
Running into your ex who is now dating your nemesis is a literal nightmare.

That’s how I found myself in a sheer panic, reaching for the closest guy at the bar and kissing him. And to my delight he was easily the most attractive man I’ve ever seen.

The only problem is, when I tried to walk away after thanking him for his help, he stopped me with three life-changing words . . .“You owe me.”

That’s how I found myself, a college girl, in a fake relationship with a professional hockey player ten years older than me.

At first it was easy.
He helped me with my internship.
I helped keep his ex away from him.
We were becoming fast friends.

It wasn’t until he started staying the night at my dorm did the rules of our arrangement become complicated.

Now my feelings are involved and even though I kissed the right man at the right time, I’m worried he’s just waiting for the clock to run out.

Read the audiobook review here

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3YEF7N6

The Billionaire by Marni Mann

A sexy, forbidden, billionaire, stand-alone romance from USA Today best-selling author Marni Mann …

I’ve always been a good girl.

But the second I walk into the hotel bar, I see temptation.

The man sitting there is delicious. Older. Experienced. Once our eyes meet, I know I’m not walking away unscathed. I’ve heard about men like Jenner Dalton—richer than God and hotter than sin. He’s got heartbreak written all over him.

But it only takes fifteen minutes before we’re headed up to his room.

I’ve never done anything like this before, but something tells me he’s worth it. Every swipe of his tongue feels electric, every kiss sets me on fire, and his experience has me begging for more.

And more.

In one week, I’ll return to college in Miami.

He’ll go back to being LA’s most eligible billionaire.

The miles and years between us are just too many for this to mean anything.

So, between now and then, I plan to spend every moment being anything but good …

Read the review here

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3u16SD1

Forbidden by Karla Sorensen

No man has ever been able to rattle Isabel Ward. Until Aiden Hennessy walks in the door of her gym—ownership papers in hand.

The former fighter is a lot of things- a devoted single dad, a widower trying to start over, and a watchful presence that knocks her off her very capable feet.

To make matters worse, Isabel had a crush on him for the entirety of her teenage years. Doodles in her diary, and letters declaring her admiration—while never sent—haunt the absolute crap out of her now that she has to face him every single day.

She’s not the only one affected.

No woman has tempted Aiden to move on from the memory of his wife—until Isabel. But she’s too young, too feisty, too much of everything he should avoid.

Working together makes avoidance impossible, and so is pretending like the blistering chemistry between them doesn’t exist.

Now that the unshakeable woman is shaken and the un-temptable man is tempted, Isabel and Aiden have to decide what they’re willing to risk for a taste of the forbidden.

Read the review here

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3dpZSpo

Everything for You by Chloe Liese

Enemies become lovers in this sizzling sports romance about taking a chance on love when life’s taught you it’s a losing game.

Oliver Bergman is a beloved rising soccer star, all sunshine smiles and the heart of their team’s spirit. To make matters worse, he’s obscenely attractive. In short: he’s genetically designed to get under misanthropic, miserable Gavin’s aggravated skin.

Ten years older than Oliver and a legendary player at the end of his career, Gavin Hayes is the team’s demanding captain. He’s also a giant–albeit gorgeous–grump who lives to rain on Oliver’s parade. Especially when Oliver and Gavin are named co-captains of the team.

Sick of their hostility, Coach gives them an ultimatum: put an end to their enmity or say goodbye to being captains. Forced to finally to lower their guards, Gavin and Oliver realize that they also have chemistry off the field and it’s fueled by something much more powerful than competition—an explosive attraction.

Read the review here

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3tSWVJS

Terms and Conditions by Lauren Asher

Declan
I’m destined to become the next CEO of my family’s media empire.
The only problem? My grandfather’s inheritance clause.
Fulfilling his dying wish of getting married and having an heir seemed impossible until my assistant volunteers for the job.
Our marriage was supposed to be the perfect solution to my biggest problem.
But the more we act in love for the public, the more unsure I feel about our contract.
Caring about Iris was never part of the deal.
Especially not when breaking her heart is inevitable.

Iris
My plan to marry Declan was simple in theory.
Move in together. Throw a wedding. Have a baby.
We set rules to prevent any kind of issues.
Ones that were never meant to be broken, no matter how much Declan tempts me.
But what happens when our fake relationship bleeds into our real one?
Falling in love was never an option.
At least not for me.

Terms and Conditions is the second book in a series of interconnected standalones following three billionaire brothers.

Read the review here

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3vywHLf

The Potter by Kristy Marie

From bestselling author Kristy Marie comes a brand new witty standalone about a grumpy doctor and his hopeful patient who find love in the unlikeliest of places… the exam room.

A brilliant surgeon.
A master sculptor.
The media touted Dr. Potter as a savior dressed in a crisp suit.
I think he’s a vicious madman of jerk-sized proportions.
But fate is a wicked tease.
Only Dr. Potter can give me what I need.
A fresh start.
A new identity.
But he refused, leaving me to take matters into my own hands by accepting a job as his partner’s new secretary.
Dr. Potter can’t turn down my case forever.
Or at least I thought so until I found him on the floor.
Broken.
Angry.
With a venomous warning… I failed to heed.

The Potter is a standalone grumpy-sunshine rom-dramedy.