Heartless
Elsie Silver · Book 2 of 5 in Chestnut Springs
Spice 4/5 · SpicyA grumpy single-dad rancher and his son's chaotic summer nanny. Possibly the most recommended cowboy book alive.
- Single parent
- Nanny romance
- Age gap
Tropes
Age gap romance books
He has a few more years (and a lot more patience). Big age-gap energy, adults only. 12 books so far, including Ugly Love, Birthday Girl and Credence.
Spice
Ugly Love
Colleen Hoover
Spice 4/5 · SpicyA pilot with rules: no past, no future. She agrees. She should not have agreed. Ugly-cry guaranteed.
- Friends with benefits
- Hurt / comfort
- Age gap
Birthday Girl
Penelope Douglas
Spice 4/5 · SpicyShe moves in with her boyfriend's dad. It goes how you think. Age-gap forbidden fruit.
- Age gap
- Forbidden love
- Forced proximity
Credence
Penelope Douglas
Spice 5/5 · ScorchingMountain isolation, three men and a taboo setup. Very much a check-the-warnings read.
- Forced proximity
- Age gap
- Forbidden love
Part of Your World
Abby Jimenez · Book 1 of 3 in Part of Your World
Spice 3/5 · SteamyA big-city doctor falls for a younger small-town carpenter-mayor who treats her right. Green flags everywhere.
- Opposites attract
- Age gap
- Cinnamon roll hero
Praise
Sara Cate · Book 1 in Salacious Players' Club
Spice 5/5 · ScorchingHer best friend's dad runs a sex club and offers to teach her. Praise kink, front and centre.
- Age gap
- Forbidden love
- BDSM / dom-sub
Bound by Honor
Cora Reilly · Book 1 in Born in Blood Mafia Chronicles
Spice 3/5 · SteamyPromised to the future boss of the New York mob at fifteen, married at eighteen. Classic mafia arranged marriage.
- Arranged marriage
- Age gap
- Virgin heroine
Mistakes Were Made
Meryl Wilsner
Spice 4/5 · SpicyA college senior hooks up with a hot older woman at a bar. It is her best friend's mom. Oops.
- Age gap
- Forbidden love
- Secret relationship
Priest
Sierra Simone · Book 1 of 3 in Priest
Spice 5/5 · ScorchingA priest. A confession. A broken vow. Exactly as sinful as it sounds.
- Forbidden love
- Age gap
- BDSM / dom-sub
Scarred
Emily McIntire
Spice 4/5 · SpicyA Lion King retelling where Scar is the hero. Yes, really. The royal ward and her villain.
- Retelling
- Age gap
- Villain gets the girl
The Kiss Thief
L.J. Shen
Spice 4/5 · SpicyOne stolen kiss, one ruthless senator and a forced engagement. Angsty and sharp.
- Arranged marriage
- Enemies to lovers
- Age gap
Uprooted
Naomi Novik
Spice 2/5 · SimmerA village girl is taken by a cranky immortal wizard. Fairy-tale forest magic with a prickly love story.
- Forced proximity
- Age gap
- Grumpy hero
Often paired with age gap
Age gap books: FAQ
What are the best age gap books?
Reader favourites include Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover; Birthday Girl by Penelope Douglas; Credence by Penelope Douglas; Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez; Praise by Sara Cate. Use the spice filter above to narrow it to your heat level.
What are the spiciest age gap books?
For explicit age gap romance, try Credence by Penelope Douglas; Praise by Sara Cate; Priest by Sierra Simone; Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover; Birthday Girl by Penelope Douglas. These are rated 4 or 5 out of 5 on our spice scale.
Are there low-spice or clean age gap books?
Yes: Uprooted by Naomi Novik are rated 1 or 2 out of 5, closed door or kisses only.
Are there standalone age gap books?
If you do not want to commit to a series, try Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover; Birthday Girl by Penelope Douglas; Credence by Penelope Douglas; Mistakes Were Made by Meryl Wilsner.