21 A++ College Romance Books To Read Today!

Are you looking for a university sweetheart or bad boy jock to swoon over? Well, we don’t have the power to make them a reality but we can offer you the next best thing!

These college romance books are the ultimate read to find your new book boyfriend. If you’re in need of something steamy, romantic or maybe even to start a new college romance series, these are the best college romance books of all time!

We’ve even found some specific college sports romance books, in case you really do want to fantasize over the captain of the hockey team.

Go take a look!

Quick Answer: Top 3 Picks!

Need a book fast but don’t have much time? No worries, here are our top three recommendations…

Steamy College Romance Books

Let’s begin our list with the steamiest and most tantalizing college romance books of all time…

1. The Partnership – Charlotte Penn Clark

Two vastly different characters find themselves in the Extra Credit class at their college for equally different reasons—writing is Kyle’s kryptonite, while Lani simply doesn’t enjoy standing out, despite her skills.

One thing’s for sure, though—they’ll have to get through this class together if they want to graduate.

Charlotte Penn Clark’s The Partnership is a story about the passion that blooms when two opposites are forced to work together, and inevitably attract each other.

Fun, flirty and light-hearted, though not without its conflicts, this college romance story will give you the perfect break from the real world.

2. If We Were A Movie – Kelly Oram

Kelly Oram’s If We Were A Movie is a love story with Nate and Jordan at its center, who meet as unlikely roommates when Nate tries to escape his brothers’ antics.

Nate is a sensitive spirit, viewing the world as a blooming rose garden.

Jordan is bold and bright, but has no illusions about love—she believes everything has already been said and done in the movies.

In such close quarters, these beliefs inevitably collide. Filled to the brim with music and movie references, this is a story of growth and grand gestures, of rekindling one’s passion for the beauty of the world.

It’s sure to help you put your rose colored glasses right back on.

3. The Coincidence of Callie & Kayden – Jessica Sorensen

Dark and emotional, The Coincidence of Callie & Kayden is a cut above most college romance novels when it comes to the intensity of the feelings that bloom between the main characters.

Whether it’s fate, luck or pure coincidence, Callie and Kayden are brought into each other’s lives once more after an event that happened many years ago, changing their lives and how they view everything forever.

This time, though, Kayden is the one who feels Callie needs saving.

Jessica Sorensen tells a simple but beautiful tale of pain, loss and love, tenser than most, which will leave you aching for more.

4. Hold Me – Courtney Milan

Jay lets stereotypes cloud his judgment of Maria when he decides she’s too girly and feminine to truly understand the intricacies of the STEM world, and Maria won’t take that lying down.

The sparks that sizzle between them are ones of hatred rather than love.

But unbeknownst to them, they already know each other online—as Jay is the most prolific commenter on Maria’s apocalypse blog that’s rapidly gaining popularity.

After long nights of chatting and exchanging opinions, they’ve grown to respect each other, and even more—but once they find out who is really behind the screen, will their opinions change?

5. The Love Game – Emma Hart

She knows she needs to stay away from him, having seen through all his pretenses.

He doesn’t want her, only her body—but Maddie will still take up the challenge from her friends to play the player in Emma Hart’s The Love Game.

Irresistible bad boy Braden sees Maddie as a conquest at first, but as they dance together in this thrilling college romance story they both learn each had a lot more to offer than they originally thought.

Though their language is crass, their stories are heartfelt and deep. Fall together with Maddie and Braden in this thrilling story.

6. Smut – Karina Halle

Butting heads is what Blake and Amanda do best, and when they’re paired together for the final writing project that separates them from their coveted university degrees, they’ll have to learn to work together—one way or another.

In Smut, whose title gives much to look forward to, two headstrong budding writers end up making an unlikely team that, to their endless surprise, works splendidly together—especially when it comes to the world of erotica.

Passion from their work spills between them in reality, but the consequences of this adventure soon come crashing down.

Find out whether they manage to write themselves a happy ending in this exciting Karina Halle novel.

7. American Panda – Gloria Chao

Mei’s parents have a vision for her, and all her life she’s never strayed far from it—a freshman at MIT at only seventeen, studying to be a doctor, and a hand-picked Ivy League Taiwanese bachelor waiting for her in the future.

Unfortunately, she doesn’t want any of it, but her parents’ sacrifices have kept her in check so far.

Until she meets Darren Takahashi, whose cute looks have her utterly charmed, despite knowing that his Japanese heritage is something her parents would frown upon.

Now she has to make a choice—her duty or her heart?

Tag along on Mei’s journey of growth and self-discovery in this wonderful coming-of-age college romance with some forbidden romance elements.

8. Style – Chelsea M. Cameron

The classic cheerleader-meets-nerd trope gets a new spin in Chelsea M. Cameron’s Style.

Meet Kyle and Stella, two seniors with vastly different plans for their life post-graduation.

Kyle is a stickler for her imagined future, and Stella just wants to experience wooing a girl for the first time when she gets to college—but their stories intertwine when they’re paired together in an AP English class.

Loving each other comes easy, but learning to accept that life doesn’t always go the way they planned might be harder.

Lighthearted and emotional, this novel is sure to win your heart.

9. I Want it That Way – Ann Aguire

I Want it That Way by Ann Aguire is not like your typical college romance books; Nadia and Ty are both people who’ve found their way in life already.

Nadia is independent and over-booked—she’s a pro at managing her work and school life, but that leaves no breathing room for any romance.

Ty’s a single dad doing a wonderful job at taking care of his four-year-old while juggling night classes. Neither have any idea what’s waiting for them when their worlds come crashing together by pure chance.

They may have ideas about what they want, but life rarely complies, and that means learning to make room for love.

10. Metamorphosis – Erin Noelle

Due to living under her overbearing parents’ thumb, inexperienced Scarlett is a butterfly that still hasn’t come out of her cocoon.

Finally does so when she goes to college with her best friend Evie and finds herself face to face with the reality of love and lust.

Her metamorphosis is catalyzed by Ashton, Dylan, and Mason, and with Evie’s wisdom that comes from experience, Scarlett must make a choice before she loses all three of them.

Laugh and cry with Scarlett as she learns what it means to be truly herself in the face of the challenges life gives her.

College Sports Romance Books

Are you fantasizing about the college football stud or the basketball superstar? Then you’ll love these college sports romance books…

11. The Year We Fell Down – Sarina Bowen

No one can expect the twists and turns life has in store for us, and certainly not Corey Callahan, whose dream of being a varsity ice hockey player falls apart after an unfortunate accident.

Enter Adam Hartley, the boy stuck in the handicapped room next to hers, who shares a similar fate.

During late nights and long talks, Corey finds herself falling for the boy whose unique understanding of her situation offers comfort in a way no one else can.

However, he’s still hanging on to the life he had before, with his trophy girlfriend right by his side.

The question remains—is Adam strong enough to give up the life he has for the promise of true love?

12. The Locker Room – Meghan Quinn

Legend says that a bout of lovemaking in the locker room after a baseball match is sure to end with a walk down the aisle.

After a long time of renouncing that superstition, star baseball player Knox is just about ready to give it a try when he meets and falls for Emory.

Her stubborn refusal to deviate from the rules she set for herself when she transferred to their college in Chicago makes it hard for Knox to break into her defenses.

An emotional rollercoaster, follow along as Knox and Emory’s relationship blooms from a beautiful friendship to a sizzling romance, and witness where it ends up taking them in their lives. 

13. Boyfriend Bargain – Ilsa Madden-Mills

College romance novels are all the more exciting when they feature sports; they combine the sweetness of love at this delicate time with the sizzling competitiveness of the game.

In Boyfriend Bargain, the stakes are high for both Zack Morgan, who dominates both on the ice and in love, and Sugar Ryan who has decided to play a dangerous game.

After orbiting him until he can no longer ignore her, she makes an offer he can’t refuse.

But hearts are fickle, and they will soon find that they can’t follow the rules of their love game anymore.

14. Off Sides – Sawyer Bennett

Faced paced and adventurous, Off Sides is the perfect bite-sized representative of college football romance books that feature sports as one of the main driving forces in the characters’ lives—besides love, of course.

Ryan struggles with fulfilling his parents’ expectations in the face of his almost-fulfilled dream to play in the NFL, and Danny is on the other side, desperately trying to make ends meet.

Though unlikely, a bond is forged between them, one that will catalyze a change that they might not be ready for.

Are they strong enough to cross all the hurdles in their way? If you like the sound of this, then you might also like these billionaire romance novels.

15. The Guy on The Right – Kate Stewart

Theo has been the guy on the right his whole life; the band geek who’s overlooked in group pictures, the one who doesn’t make waves.

But college is a new chapter in his life, and one that’s going exceedingly well—that is, until he finds himself falling into the shadows of picture-perfect athlete Troy once more.

This time, though, Theo won’t go down without a fight.

A story about the underdog and his decision to woo the girl against all odds, The Guy on The Right is the perfect mix of romance and hilarity.

College Romance Series

If just one book isn’t enough, then you’ll love these college romance series…

16. Attraction – Penny Reid

The first installment in a sizzling series of college romance novels that will leave you gasping for more, Attraction by Penny Reid introduces us to the most diametrically opposed chemistry partners you’ll ever meet.

After shy Kaitlyn, whose aversion to being seen constantly forces her into hiding, manages to help out Martin—about whom everything screams bad news.

He challenges her to a movie-worthy spring break vacation in order to break her out of her shell, in a backward attempt at repaying her.

Though far-fetched, maybe this week will be just what they both need in order to become much more than what they currently are.

17. Wait for You – Jennifer L. Armentrout

All Avery Morgenstern wants to do when she starts college thousands of miles away from her home is to forget a dreadful night that happened five years ago—but it’s never that easy in college romance novels, isn’t it?

Meet Cameron Hamilton, former bad boy who finds himself falling for this quirky and unusual girl. Avery tries to stay away, for his presence threatens to shake the foundations of her defenses—but his charm is irresistible.

The love that blooms between them is real and passionate, yet leaves you wondering: will Avery manage to survive unscathed this time?

18. Nothing But Wild – P. Dangelico

Dallas is exactly what it says on the tin: nothing but wild, cruising through college with reckless abandon, pulling off crazy stunts that ultimately put him in the predicament he’s currently in.

As part of his plea deal, Dora is the one who ends up having to drive him around, much to her chagrin and, if she really has to admit, a bit of satisfaction too.

Day by day, Dallas manages to chip away at Dora’s nervous exterior, making her realize she has feelings for him she never expected to have. But will they manage to work together, despite their differences?

19. The Hook Up – Kristen Callihan

College romance books, and ones that involve sports especially, rarely end up being so tantalizing, but The Hook Up by Kristen Callihan is just that, despite the fast and fiery encounter between Anna and Drew that sets things into motion.

Anna is adamant and has decided to keep Drew at arm’s length, wanting their hook up to stay just that. This is the catalyst to Drew’s ministrations, his attempts to woo her, despite her desperation to resist him.

Animosity gives way to love, but it’s possible that Anna’s fear of happiness will get in the way—unless she realizes Drew is too good to pass up.

20. Beautiful Disaster – Jamie McGuire

Beautiful Disaster is a New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling novel about a good girl in love with a bad boy.

Abby Abernathy doesn’t drink or swear and wears cardigans. She believes she has put enough space between her and her past, but when she arrives at college, her path is challenged after a one-night stand.

Travis Maddox is the epitome of bad boys. He’s clean-cut and covered in tattoos. Exactly the type of man your mum said to stay away from.

He spends his nights’ gambling in a floating fight ring, and by day he is a college campus charmer.

Abby seemed resistant to his appeal, so he tricks her into his life with a simple bet. The rules are, that if he loses, he must go celebate for a month. If Abby loses, she must move in with Travis.

Either way, Travis has no idea what he has got himself into…

21. The Deal – Elle Kennedy

The Deal is an angsty romance novel that’s part of the ‘Off Campus’ series by Elle Kennedy but can be read as a standalone novel.

It follows good girl Hannah Wells who has finally met a boy who sparks an interest in her. There’s only one thing though, she’s not confident in the bedroom.

To make him notice her, she steps out of her comfort zone, even if it means tutoring the cocky captain of the Hockey Team so she can set up a pretend date.

Garrett Graham has only ever wanted to play hockey in a professional league but his GPA is threatening his future prospects. When he meets the sarcastic Hannah Wells, he’s only interested in improving his GPA and making it to the professional league.

However, one kiss between them leads to a night in the bedroom they will never forget. Is a deal of a date to seduce another going to cut it for Garett? This is a steamy fake relationship romance novel.

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Final Word on College Romance Books

So there you have it, our top 21 college romance books of all time! From the steamy and angsty romance novels to the sweet and passionate love stories, there’s a college romance novel for everyone on this list.

Do you have a favorite? Let us know in the comments!

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Last Updated on March 22, 2023 by Louisa