Forced Proximity
Explore the curated list of must read books featuring the forced proximity trope. These novels bring characters together in close quarters, igniting romance and tension that make for compelling reads.
Forced Proximity
H.D Carlton
Does It Hurt?
She lost her identity after fleeing her home, living a life in disguise until Enzo Vitale changed everything. Caught in his dangerous allure, akin to the ocean's predators he admires, a storm shipwrecks them. Now, in a lighthouse with a hostile Vitale and a sinister caretaker, her struggle shifts from self-discovery to survival.
Summer, Forced Proximity
Hannah Grace
Wildfire
Maple Hills students Russ Callaghan and Aurora Roberts share a passionate one-night stand at a year-end party, but Aurora leaves before Russ can learn her name. To their surprise, they meet again as counselors at a summer camp, both seeking to escape their troubled home lives—Russ from his father's gambling issues and Aurora from her need for attention. Despite the camp's strict no-fraternizing rule, Aurora's disregard for rules complicates things. Can they coexist peacefully, or will their past encounter ignite unresolved tensions?
Fae, Forced Proximity
Jen L. Grey
Of Shadows and Fae
Kidnapped from Earth, I discover I'm the true heir to the Summer Court Throne, a crown my sister claimed. Returning amidst a High Court member's death, I'm chosen to compete in the deadly Comortas tournament. Without powers, I'm an unlikely survivor, especially with the Winter King, our mortal enemy, as my rival. Forced into an alliance, our unexpected connection complicates matters. In this tournament, love isn't just dangerous—it’s fatal.
Forced Proximity, Fake Dating, Plus Size FMC
Katee Robert
Electric Idol
In Olympus, everything has a price. Psyche Dimitriou never expected Aphrodite's son, Eros, to be sent to kill her. Trained to be a deadly weapon, Eros hesitates when faced with Psyche's kindness. Instead of following orders, he binds her to him, body and soul, to keep her safe. As Psyche finds herself married to Olympus's most dangerous killer, unexpected feelings ignite. With blurred lines and shifting loyalties, Psyche fears losing her heart to Eros and wonders if she can survive the emotional fallout.
Second Chance, Forced Proximity
Lauren Asher
Final Offer
Callahan Kane is the brother everyone whispers about: trust fund brat, washed-up athlete, alcoholic. Only Lana Castillo, his childhood best friend and first love, knows the real him. Six years ago, he broke her heart and promised never to return to Lake Wisteria. But his grandfather's will brought him back, requiring him to spend a summer at the lake house before selling it. His plan shatters when he discovers Lana lives there and claims to own it. Six summers ago, he broke her heart and promised never to return. But now he's back to sell his grandfather's lake house, unaware that her name is on the deed.
Christmas Spicy, Grumpy x Sunshine, Forced Proximity
Laurie Gilmore
The Christmas Tree Farm
Kira North hates Christmas, yet she buys a Christmas tree farm in an overly charming town. Bennett Ellis is vacationing in Dream Harbor, escaping his disastrous dating life in California.
After meeting Kira, Ben decides not to help the grumpy farm owner, even though she’s clearly struggling. Kira, stubborn and embarrassed by her rundown, unheated farm, refuses assistance.
Fate brings Ben back to the farm, and as Kira watches him chop a tree, she starts to appreciate his help and questions why she refused it in the first place.
Forced Proximity, Cowboy
Lyla Sage
Swift and Saddled
Ada Hart, rebuilding her life after a failed marriage and career setback, lands a major interior design project on a Wyoming ranch. At a bar, she shares an unforgettable kiss with a handsome cowboy, only to discover he's her new boss, Weston Ryder.
Wes is thrilled to find the mystery woman is his project’s designer, but Ada insists on keeping it professional. As they work together, Wes can’t stop thinking about her. They must decide if they’ll risk their dreams for a chance at love.
Fake Dating, Soccer, Forced Proximity
Marion De Ré
Fake Dating the Footballer
She hates football, yet she’s fake dating Wade Hunter, England’s most eligible player. Her longtime crush, Karl, came back from abroad with a fiancée, humiliating her. In desperation, she introduced Wade, a stranger at the airport, as her boyfriend. Surprisingly, he played along and later proposed continuing the charade.
Though dating a footballer is the last thing she wants, Wade's suggestion to use their fake relationship to make Karl jealous and help her win a work contest convinces her. A fake rebound still counts, right?
Pregnancy, Forced Proximity
Melanie Harlow
Taste
The last person I want to be stranded with is Gianni Lupo. But thanks to a blizzard, I’m trapped in a motel room with him for two days—with one small bed.
Despite his sexy grin and muscles, Gianni has only brought me trouble. When our tension ignites, it leads to a big fat plus sign.
After the snow melts, I'm left with more than memories. Gianni, a rising culinary star, wants to do the right thing, but I won’t settle. Just when I think I know him, he shows me the man and family we could become. I'm terrified of falling for him, but one taste might be all it takes.
Enemies to Lovers, Forced Proximity, Spicy LGBT+, Hockey, Spicy Christmas
Nixie Finn
Pucking With the Enemy
In "The Brawlers," Jude Griffin reluctantly returns to Noel, Michigan, for Christmas, mainly to avoid his rival, Nicholas North, who has outshined him since middle school. A match between the Brawlers and the hometown Sugarplums gives Nicholas another chance to embarrass Jude. When a faulty breaker box and a snowstorm trap them in a cabin together, they must finally confront everything they've been avoiding.
Enemies to Lovers, Forced Proximity, Plus Size FMC
Olivia Dade
At First Spite
Delightfully sexy rom-com about a woman who buys the town's famous Spite House, only to realize the infuriating man she can't stand lives right next door—and their unwilling proximity might spark something neither can ignore.