Romance Books With Older Couples: When Love is Found After 40

Move over twentysomethings, it’s time to talk about romance books with older couples. Let’s face it, women over 35 and dare I say in their 40s and 50s fall in love too so I for one am all for more romance books with older heroines and older couples.

Do you hear me, romance authors? Bring them on, will you? If you’re looking for romance books with older couples then I’ve got my favorites in this list from my latest episode of the She Reads Romance Books Podcast just for you!

Episode 12: Romance Books With Older Couples: When Love is Found After 40

*Disclosure: This post may include affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Books Featured on This Episode:

• The Will
• Beard in Hiding
• Fortuity
• After Care
• Gray Hair Don’t Care

Book Lists Mentioned:

• Best Romance Books of All Time

Hello readers! The topic of today’s episode of the She Reads Romance Books Podcast is one I’ve been wanting to talk about and write about for a long time so thank you to my reader Shana who emailed me asking for some recommendations of romance books featuring more mature, older heroines and suggested I create this list ASAP.

So here it is and thank you Shana for getting me to talk about this sooner rather than later.

But let me first say that I have no idea how to title this episode or list. I really don’t like the adjective “older” though these are older heroines and older couples in romance. “Mature heroine” sounds just as lame but I guess you get the idea behind the purpose of the episode.

I’m talking about romance books with characters who are over 40 and I’m so excited.

Because while I love a good young adult or new adult romance, it’s something completely different when it’s a romance book with a heroine that I can truly relate too and I can tell you I am definitely no longer in my twenties or thirties for that matter hahaha and that’s why I’m so excited to share these books with you today. So get your TBR list ready because I’ve got some good ones for you.

Book one on my list of romance books with older couples goes to The Will by Kristen Ashley which is an opposites attract love story.

The Will
by Kristen Ashley

We first meet Josephine Malone at her dear grandmother’s funeral. Her Gran was her only true family and her house, Lavender House, was Josie’s safe haven.

To say that she was devastated by the loss of her Gran is an understatement, but then imagine her surprise when her Gran’s will is read and she leaves her precious Josie to one Jake Spear– a man she has never met until that day. Jake is also surprised by Gran’s will pronouncement but unlike Josie, he takes it seriously and intends to do just that- make her his.

This did start out a bit slow for me and I had to get used to their way of speaking, but I’m so glad I stuck with it because the ending was so good.

Josie is in her forties and has been traveling around with a professional photographer and guarding her heart given her childhood. Jake is a 40-something retired boxer who’s been unlucky in love with several failed marriages.

I especially loved Josie’s interaction with Jake’s children. She became such a strong mother figure, despite not having one of her own aside from her Gran’s influence, and that was a special thing to see for her.

I also loved how there really wasn’t a lot of angst or unnecessary drama to the story because it wasn’t needed.

The last chapter and the epilogue were amazing so give this one a read if you haven’t already.

Book two on my list of romance books featuring older couples and older heroines is Beard in Hiding by Penny Reid.

Beard in Hiding
by Penny Reid

Diane and Repo are both in their 40s and their romance starts off really hot. Diane is a divorcee and socialite of their small town in Tennessee and she’s at a point in her life where she’s tired of playing it safe and she’s looking for someone to give her a good time (and her first orgasm!) and she knows just where to find such a man.

That’s why Repo, the VP of the Wraiths motorcycle club, sees Diane walking into their club bar dressed like she’s looking to warm someone’s bed. And he would say he has no choice but to be that person.

So they have one hot and heavy night but that turns into more secret meet-ups.

I loved Diane’s spunk but man was Repo so smooth and so hot. I absolutely loved their first date and their conversation.

While this book only gives a “happy for now” ending, it was satisfying enough though I wouldn’t be opposed to getting more of them in the future!

I should make a note that this is a companion novel to Reid’s Winston Brothers series and Solving for Pie series. While it probably can be read as a standalone, I would recommend you read Beard Science first (Winston Brothers book 3) to meet Diane’s daughter Jen and get her story, but I haven’t read the Solving for Pie books and it wasn’t a problem at all. I highly recommend it.

Book three on my list is Fortuity by Jewel E. Ann. Oh this book – it hit me with all the feels which is why it sits on my list of best romance books of all time.

Fortuity
by Jewel E. Ann

If I remember correctly, this was actually my first Jewel E. Ann book which I just picked up on a whim and thank goodness I did because it is an amazing romance between two 40 somethings.

It’s actually book three in her Transcend series but I read it as a standalone so don’t worry about that.

So this is a single dad romance, neighbors to lovers romance. This book could easily have been included on my list of best guardian romance books (and if you haven’t yet listened to that episode check it out) because Gracelyn becomes the guardian to her nephew after her brother and his wife pass away.

She ends up moving into a house on the beach in San Diego next door to Nathaniel and his young daughter.

Both Gracelyn and Nathaniel have had their hearts broken multiple times to the point where Gracelyn has put herself on a self-imposed man ban and Nathaniel has been relationship-less for the last 10 years!

But these two are thrown together by happenstance and given a new chance at a happily ever after.

I liked that this story isn’t too marred down in their past relationships and hurts. You learn just enough to understand where their hearts are and the chasm that had to be crossed to open them up to love again.

I liked how the kids weren’t just side pieces to this story, nor were their interests just discarded. Nate and Gracelyn had to make some tough choices when it came to being parents first and foremost and I appreciated that aspect of this story as it unfolded.

The most surprising aspect to this story is the slightly dominant side to Nate that you see behind closed doors. That was so hot! There is honestly just so much to love about this book. I hope you read it.

Check out my book review of Fortuity!

Book four on my list of romance books with older couples is After Care by L.B. Dunbar.

After Care
by L.B. Dunbar

First and foremost though a shoutout to L.B. because the woman cranks out romance books featuring characters over 40 and I LOVE IT!

I also read Love in Due Time which was great but she has so many books with older heroines and mature couples that you definitely have to check out her entire catalog of books.

But After Care is about Edie Williams who is a breast cancer survivor, divorced, mother of two older children. She plans this epic vacation with her kids to Hawaii where they befriend another family where the guy is a rock star but it’s his manager that catches Edie’s eye.

Tommy Carrigan is a silver fox with tattoos and an eye for Edie. He shows her that he loves her body as it is and that she can definitely let loose and have some fun.  This book was fun, it was hot and the perfect read about a heroine over 40 who’s ready for a change.

Book five on my list is actually a book I haven’t read yet but am going to and it’s Gray Hair Don’t Care by Karen Booth. It’s the first book in her Never Too Late series.

Gray Hair Don’t Care
by Karen Booth

In this book the heroine is 47 but it flashes forward 3 years so she and the hero I think are 50. Lela is a newly divorced makeup artist who is apprehensive about starting over and entering the dating scene again but she ends up running into Donovan who was her crush from college.

When she confesses her crush after their one-night stand, he flees and ghosts her. Three years later they are thrown together again and possibly given a second chance.

I love that this book is on Kindle Unlimited so it’s a no-brainer for me to give it a go and if I like it, I know I’m going to be reading the entire series because I love that Booth is giving us even more older heroines. I can’t wait to check it out.

Yay – there you have it. I’m so happy about this episode. Thank you again Shana for the reminder and suggestion.

If you have a book list you’d like me to explore on an upcoming podcast episode then reach out at leslie at she reads romance books dot com. Happy reading!

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