Forced Proximity is one of my favorite tropes! Every time I see a road trip romance, trapped on a boat storyline, exes on a mountain plot, or anything like that, I’m all in! There’s just something about two people being forced to figure it out without a quick escape route. Here are 12 of my favorite contemporary romances with the forced proximity trope.
Plus, check out more reviews here.
What a stunningly heartfelt tale of two ex-spouses finding their way back to each other in the most beautiful way! Feeling the love between them but scared of a second heartbreak. Wanting it to work. Add in the backdrop of a California and Oregon road trip with forced proxmity, and I’m done. I just loved it.
Wren and Ellis find themselves as teenage parents and devote themselves to their son, Sam, and family. But somewhere along the line, their relationship broke and they divorced, though the feelings never died completely. Now, with Sam going off to college, Ellis knows he wants Wren back and sees a chance to do things right. His idea? A road trip after they drop Sam off, a full week to have those hard conversations and make it work this time.
I adored Ellis and Wren, these lovely, caring, beautiful souls. This book is very character and relationship-driven—the full focus is on this couple and how they’re working their way back together. Sometimes that can be tough, but it really worked for me because of how beautifully the relationship built back up, the many heartfelt and sometimes gut-wrenching conversations, the love you can truly feel in these pages. They are so invested in seeing if this can work, they both want it to work, they’re both scared, they both know they’re each other’s one true love. But will they be able to put everything back together or is all the past hurt too much to overcome?
Rating: 4.8
Themes and Tropes: Forced Proximity, Second Chances, Heartfelt Conversations, Slow Burn
Steam: Medium
Pair With: California Coastal Wine
Brit is fun, creative, and reaching for the independence and dreams her snotty and overbearing family never let her pursue. She breaks off her engagement with her cheating fiancé and heads off on their honeymoon on her own, where she runs into Nick when they both miss the cruise.
Nick’s on a different kind of emotional journey—taking his brother’s ashes to all the spots on his list. He’s the strong one who takes on all his family’s burdens with no respite or even a thanks along the way.
Making their way back to New York from Costa Rica shouldn’t be that big of a deal, right? But once they make it to Houston, all flights to NYC are delayed for days because of a massive storm in the Northeast, so now it’s cars and trains for these two opposite but endearing personalities, who each need to make it back ASAP for their own reasons.
Brit’s drive for her own life and dreams is inspirational—she knows what she wants and she’s going for it, even if she’s a bit of a mess and annoying at times. Nick’s loyalty and dedication to his family is endearing and you feel pain, even if he can be a bit of a martyr. They felt like real people for the most part, and the way everything happened was true to their personalities.
Loved the way the ending came together. It’s a romance, so you know there’s an HEA, and I love when (1) the breakup isn’t absurd, (2) there’s some sweet revenge, and (3) the ending just fits with the characters and the story. Finally, there’s just something about road trip stories that sucks me in—maybe it’s even more of an escape from reality, fewer outside forces getting in the couple’s way, or just my own love of road trips.
Rating: 4
Steam: Medium
Themes and Tropes: Opposites Attract, Road Trip, Proximity, Travel, Slow-ish Burn (we’re well into the book when they get together, but only a few days into their timeline).
Pair With: Wines from the best road trip destinations
If All Else Sails was such a fun read with so many of my favorite tropes! Forced proximity, enemies(ish) to lovers, it’s always been you, grumpy sunshine, brother’s best friend…bring it on!
Elementary school nurse Josie gets tricked into showing up at her nemesis’ (who’s also her brother’s best friend) lakefront cottage to help him recover from an injury. Said nemesis, Wyatt, is taking the injury and the possibility of ending his hockey career pretty hard. When Josie shows up, it might not be his finest moment….but he’s going to figure it out, right?
After their inauspicious start, they’re forced to spend time together, learn about each other, and see past the walls on the outside. The feelings start emerging, and then they go on a sailing trip down the intracoastal…
I absolutely LOVE a good forced proximity romance, and If All Else Sails was all that! Josie is forced to see Wyatt in a different light and re-evaluate their previous interactions, and he’s learning to get his feelings across without constantly putting his foot in his mouth. And they’re both figuring out what really matters. This was a sweet, well-written book (no steam) with all the love and feelings!
The audio version was really well done! Andi Arndt and Patrick Zeller were excellent and brought so much to the characters.
Rating: 4
Steam: None
Themes and Tropes: Opposites Attract, Boat Trip, Forced Proximity, Travel, Slow-ish Burn
Pair With: Wines from the best road trip destinations
In Wish You Were Here, twentysomething Davis headed home to Bluebird Mountain, her family’s Montana ski lodge, to figure out her next steps and help her mom. Recovering addict Kev lives and works on the property, along with others in recovery as part of a program Davis’ stepdad, Madigan (my forever love), runs. Davis thinks she’s found love until Kev relapses in a truly heartbreaking way…
Back on the same mountain (hello, forced proximity), Kev’s even more determined to recover, to rebuild his life, and to find a way back to Davis. He’ll do anything, even confront those demons he’s always pushed to the back burner. But she doesn’t think her heart can handle another heartbreak at his hands.
What an emotional, gut-wrenching but also joyful journey; confronting pains and fears, opening up to people we love, becoming vulnerable, trusting, making amends, having each other’s backs, finding community, finding happiness, convincing yourself you deserve happiness and reaching for it. I’m not usually a crier but this one got me, in all the best ways!
But it wasn’t just these emotions the whole time—there’s humor, warmth, some amazing pop culture references. I LOVED the characters—they are so human, so perfectly imperfect, you can feel for all of them deep down, from the two main characters to all the amazing side characters as well. And Madigan will forever have my heart. But my favorite character and part of the story? The horse!!! Read and find out!
Loved this forced proximity romcom! Daphne moves her whole life to fiancé Peter’s small town, gets settled in, thinks she’s happy, then WHAM! Peter dumps her for his longtime BFF and now new fiancée Petra. And she has a week to move out. She has no idea where she’ll go when she remembers that, before Petra showed her scheming b***h colors, she lived with her boyfriend, Miles. So Daphne and Miles reluctantly become roommates. Then decide some fake dating is in order to show they’re just fine, thank you very much, and Peter and Petra are the ones missing out.
And of course, feelings grow in a fake dating romcom. But Emily Henry writes it SO WELL. The scenes are hot, the tension is there, you really feel all the feels. Both Daphne and Miles have their issues but help each other through them. There are some tense, unhappy moments, but overall this forced proximity, fake dating romcom made me laugh and brought the fun.
Sasha and Finn, two strangers suffering from massive burnout at their jobs, find themselves thrown together at a crumbling British seaside hotel in The Burnout. Both recall its grandeur from their childhoods and decide it might be the best place to take a break, find some peace, and enjoy the nostalgia.
Only Sasha finds Finn rude and off-putting while he finds her high-maintenance and snotty. What a beginning . . . but they start finding strange messages on the beach and unwittingly start puzzling them out together. The more they’re together in forced proximity, the more they are forced to question their assumptions and confront their feelings for each other and what they want out of their lives.
So many things to say about The Burnout. First, it was hilarious. Sophie Kinsella has such a witty and fun sense of humor, and I found myself laughing and often reliving certain situations, and picturing them perfectly. From Sasha running away from the nun and the god-awful happiness committee woman from her job to the embarrassing scene in the food shop (you’ll just have to read), this book had so many funny moments.
Second, the characters were such fun even if a bit ridiculous. The personality and banter among all of the characters—hotel staff, other guests, the surf instructor—kept the book light but also provided enough that you felt like you really knew them and you’d definitely want to stay at this hotel.
Third, it was off-balance for me in terms of focusing too much on one character, Sasha. There’s just not enough insight into Finn. Part of that is the natural effect of single-perspective first person. Everything is from Sasha’s point of view and there’s little effort to really understand where Finn is coming from, how he feels, what’s going on with him. The author could have developed his character more and made it a richer story, but I really can’t complain too much.
Rating: 4
Steam: Low
Themes and Tropes: Questioning Assumptions, Corporate Burnout, Forced Proximity, Escape
Pair With: Champagne on the beach (even in winter in England…). Check out Bubble & Flute’s post about top beach champagnes.
Headed to Scotland for a wedding, Addie and her sister suddenly get rear-ended by—of course—the ex-boyfriend Addie’s avoided like the plague for the last two years (and rightfully so). Dylan and his complete-waste-of-a-human friend Marcus now have no car and beg Addie for a ride. So off everyone goes with a LOT of baggage (literal and metaphorical) in a very small car. Classic forced proximity!
In true road trip romance style, everything goes wrong and there’s plenty of ridiculousness and mishaps! On the romance side, Addie and Dylan can’t escape their history, and they find ways to confront it and move past the misunderstandings and trauma—there’s a lot to unpack. It’s amazing how much can happen in one weekend but it’s worth the ride.
P.S. – beware of the dual timeline. Necessary for this book but not my favorite ploy.
Rating: 4
Steam: Low
Themes and Tropes: Road Trip, Second Chance, Forced Proximity,
Pair With; RoadTrip Wines
Finding love in a gorgeous setting, unpacking some baggage, simmering attraction, steamy scenes, and great banter? Yes please! I loved Gretchen and Teddy’s conversations, the ways they slowly opened up to each other, how their characters developed. I also loved the humor in this book—so much witty writing and clever banter, so many great comebacks, keen observations, and fun side characters! And forced proximity at its finest!
I listened to the audio version—highly recommend! The narrators, Teddy Hamilton and Kit Swann, really brought the story to life.
Perennial overachiever Bethany has her sights set on a prestigious fellowship that will help pay off her medical school debts and solidify her future as a top doctor. The problem? Fellow top medical resident and rival from Taiwan, Ethan, is vying for the same fellowship, which would help him stay in the USA. And the competition is on!
I loved Bethany Meets Her Match! The combination of witty writing and banter, and the personalities of the characters won me over, and I can’t resist a high-stakes rivals to lovers romance! I also love when a book features really smart people—the issues they were trying to solve were interesting, and I loved how they started to see different sides of each other, help each other, and grow as they worked in forced proximity together.
If the Ring Fits was such a fun read! Once again, Camilla Isley delivers fabulous characters and storylines with plenty of humor and feelings mixed in. She’s one of my favorite authors and I’m already looking forward to the next in the series.
Software engineer Rowan’s situation can’t get much worse at the moment: pregnant with her horrible ex’s baby, jobless, and not knowing how she’ll pay the rent. Enter driven workaholic banker Adrian, who’s just learned his boss is going to pass him over for the CEO job because he ISN’T a family guy. The solution? A marriage of convenience where she’ll have a place to live, health insurance, and cash, and he’ll have a wife with a baby on the way. No feelings though.
Except there are ALL the feelings, not that either of them will admit it! The chemistry is there, and living in close quarters and forced proximity brings out buried emotions and more. Watching them love and support each other through the twists and turns, laughing at the clever banter, seeing their inner turmoil, feeling all the romcom warmth. This book was absolutely for me! Although most of it is light, there are a few heavier topics, so do check the warnings if you’re easily triggered.
As for spice, it’s mostly closed-door but there’s a steamy bonus chapter if you’re interested!
Publisher’s Blurb for this Forced Proximity Bodyguard Romance:
Stoic, broody, and arrogant, elite bodyguard Rhys Larsen has two rules: 1) Protect his clients at all costs 2) Do not become emotionally involved. Ever. He has never once been tempted to break those rules…until her.
Bridget von Ascheberg. A princess with a stubborn streak that matches his own and a hidden fire that reduces his rules to ash. She’s nothing he expected and everything he never knew he needed.
Day by day, inch by inch, she breaks down his defenses until he’s faced with a truth he can no longer deny: he swore an oath to protect her, but all he wants is to ruin her. Take her. Because she’s his. His princess. His forbidden fruit. His every depraved fantasy.
***
Regal, strong-willed, and bound by the chains of duty, Princess Bridget dreams of the freedom to live and love as she chooses. But when her brother abdicates, she’s suddenly faced with the prospect of a loveless, politically expedient marriage and a throne she never wanted.
And as she navigates the intricacies-and treacheries-of her new role, she must also hide her desire for a man she can’t have.
Her bodyguard. Her protector. Her ultimate ruin. Unexpected and forbidden, theirs is a love that could destroy a kingdom…and doom them both. Do not become emotionally involved. Ever.
Reeling from a cheating scandal, star tennis player Scottie Sinclair spends the next two years partying across Europe and getting as far away as possible from the tennis world and her despicable father. With her doping ban nearing an end, she gets an unexpected offer: pair up with dear old dad’s biggest rival for the Wimbledon mixed doubles tournament for the ultimate revenge and career comeback.
Nico’s been sidelined by injury and is one step away from being out of tennis. He needs some media attention and some wins to become relevant again. But he has no interest in teaming up with a spoiled cheater like Scottie.
Loved it! I’m a huge tennis fan and sports romance fan, so this was a perfect combo for me! But even if you’re not a tennis fan, it’s such a fun roller coaster of a ride—love, revenge, competitive spirit, personality, forced proximity—you’ll find it all. Scottie has been suffering big time for two years and had an interesting (and sometimes frustrating) way of handling her father’s betrayal. Nico helps bring her out of it, and steps in as such an ally and protective force when he sees how people treat her. This book had so many beautiful moments and it was so worth it to see these enemies become the best of friends and lovers!
The dual point of view really brought the story and characters together, and the narrators really brought the characters and emotions to life.
Thank you to HarperAudio and NetGalley for the advance listening copy. All thoughts and opinions are mine.
Rating: 4.3
Themes and Tropes: Enemies to Lovers, Sports Romance (Tennis), Forced Proximity, Age Gap (8 years), Slow Burn, Dual POV, Fake(ish) Relationship
Steam: Low to Medium
Pair With: Champagne, strawberries, and cream