10 Authors Like Penny Reid: Smart Romance with Feisty Heroines

If you love witty romance with feisty heroines, you’ll be obsessed with these authors like Penny Reid. Check out our guide to find your next favorite author!

Penny Reid has carved out a unique space in contemporary romance by creating heroines who are brilliantly nerdy, socially awkward, and unapologetically themselves, proving that love stories work best when characters feel authentically human rather than perfectly polished. Through series like “Winston Brothers” and “Knitting in the City,” Reid demonstrates her gift for crafting intelligent, STEM-minded heroines who find love with heroes who appreciate their minds as much as their hearts.

Reid’s approach celebrates the beauty of being different, creating romance that feels both aspirational and achievable by featuring characters who struggle with real issues like social anxiety, body image, and finding where they belong. Her dialogue crackles with wit and intelligence, while her plots balance steamy romance with genuine character development, proving that smart can be incredibly sexy.

If Reid’s blend of quirky heroines, intellectual banter, and heartfelt romance has won your heart, these authors share her commitment to celebrating the unconventional while delivering the swoony satisfaction romance readers crave. Each writer brings their own voice to stories featuring characters who think differently, love deeply, and remind us that the best romances happen when we’re brave enough to be ourselves.

For more fantasy recommendations, you might also enjoy exploring best fantasy authors, authors like Brandon Sanderson, authors like George R.R. Martin, or discover our comprehensive guide to the best fantasy authors.

Must-Read Authors Like Penny Reid

1. Katie Ashley

Katie Ashley is known for her New York Times bestselling romance novels, often written in series format. Readers love The Proposition series, the Runaway Train series, and the Vicious Cycle series. Many of Ashley’s novels follow unlikely pairs, such as Hell’s Raiders motorcycle club member Deacon and kindergarten teacher Alexandra in her 2015 book Vicious Cycle.

The book follows the two as they fight against their attraction to one another but seem to keep meeting repeatedly. Readers also love her 2013 novel Don’t Hate the Player, which follows a pair of best friends through unthinkable grief and love.

What connects Ashley to Penny Reid is her ability to create authentic chemistry between characters who seem completely wrong for each other on paper but absolutely perfect in reality. Both authors excel at writing heroines who maintain their independence and strength while navigating complex relationships.

“It’s the love that goes through the hardest trials and survives that’s worth having.”

Katie Ashley, The Proposal

2. Daisy Prescott

Daisy Prescott writes contemporary fiction series, including the Wingmen, Park Ranger, Love with Altitude, and Modern Love Story series. Prescott’s characters are flawed and honest, and readers love watching how they grow and change throughout the multiple-book series. Fans of Prescott also love the escapism offered by her books, as readers are transported to tropical locales as her heroines roam the globe in search of true love.

Looking for a romance novel written from a male character’s perspective? You’ll love Prescott’s 2015 novel Confessions of a Reformed Tom Cat, which shows how well Prescott understands the male psyche.

Prescott shares Reid’s talent for creating characters who feel like real people with genuine flaws and growth arcs. Her heroines are smart, independent women who don’t lose themselves in love but rather discover new aspects of their personalities through meaningful relationships.

“I think you know I love you. Not past tense, not friendly love. Love. Love that lassoes the moon and lays it at your feet.”

Daisy Prescott, Geoducks Are for Lovers

3. Krista & Becca Ritchie

Becca and Krista Ritchie are identical twin sisters who have become New York Times and USA Today’s bestselling authors. While the twins are opposites in many ways, they’ve always bonded over their shared love of storytelling. The Ritchie sisters work to create flawed but lovable characters who are searching for their soulmates.

Becca and Krista write many books in series format, but all their novels can be read in standalone format. Readers love the Like Us series, the Addicted series, and the Calloway Sisters series and how they cover several popular romance tropes, including rivals to lovers and forbidden romance.

The Ritchie sisters excel at creating complex, interconnected storylines featuring characters who support and challenge each other, much like Reid’s approach to character development. Their heroines are strong, flawed, and utterly human in their struggles and triumphs.

“You’re not a pit stop. You’re my finish line. There’s no one after you.”

Krista Ritchie, Kiss the Sky

4. April White

April White’s books take readers on journeys worldwide and through time. White writes fantasy novels that take readers on journeys that include mysticism, magic, and romance - pushing the envelope to figure out what’s realistic and what’s a part of a fantasy world. Like many of our authors on this list, White is known for writing smart female characters who readers can’t help but root for.

The author’s books cross several genres, falling into romance, fantasy, mystery, and horror. They keep readers on the edge as they see whether love conquers all. White’s 2012 novel, Marking Time, was praised for its Katniss-Everdeen-esque heroine, Saira Elian, who prioritizes friendship while she also works to find love.

While White ventures into fantasy territory, she shares Reid’s commitment to creating heroines who are both intellectually curious and emotionally complex. Her characters face extraordinary circumstances with wit, determination, and authenticity.

“Believing in something is easy enough – it is anonymous, and can be done from a distance. But change requires more – it needs voices and faces, people to say the words and do the deeds.”

April White, Death’s Door

5. Susannah Nix

RITA award-winning contemporary romance author Susannah Nix got her career start in advertising. She started toying with writing as a career after her child left for college. Nix is known for writing intelligent heroines; one of her most popular series is her Chemistry Lessons series, which takes readers along for the romantic journeys of women who work in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).

Her 2019 novel, Advanced Physical Chemistry, won the year’s RITA award for mid-length contemporary romance. While some of Nix’s books follow the standard formula of following billionaires and movie stars through the ups and downs of romance, she still works to make her characters relatable, with flaws that help readers see them as real.

Nix is perhaps the author on this list who most closely mirrors Reid’s approach to romance. Both authors celebrate intellectual women, incorporate professional settings authentically, and use humor to balance emotional depth. Their heroines are scientists, academics, and professionals who are just as passionate about their careers as they are about love.

“Her feelings for Jeremy were like Schrödinger’s Crush. As long as she didn’t open the box, their relationship existed in a state of quantum superposition: both possible and impossible at the same time.”

Susannah Nix, Remedial Rocket Science

6. Dylan Allen

Dylan Allen is known for contemporary romance novels, but she wasn’t always spending her days typing away at her laptop. Initially, Allen worked as a lawyer and realized she needed to be fulfilled by following another path. The year before she turned 40, she decided to fulfill a lifelong dream of writing a book, which was an instant hit.

Her debut novel, Then Came You, was so well-received by audiences that Allen decided to leave her day job and focus on writing full-time. While Allen’s books can be read as standalone novels, readers love following characters through her series, including the Rivers Wilde and Symbols of Love series.

Allen’s background as a lawyer brings authenticity to her professional heroines, much like Reid’s grant-writing experience informs her characters’ workplace dynamics. Both authors understand the challenges of balancing demanding careers with personal relationships, creating realistic romantic tension.

“You see, Graham, when you cast aside a gift, someone else will pick it up.”

Dylan Allen, Envy

7. L.B. Dunbar

L.B. Dunbar is known for writing silver fox romances that let readers live vicariously through her female leads. Dunbar offers several series, including Sexy Silver Foxes, The Winters Sisters, the Heart Collection, and the Lakeside Cottage series. Readers love how Dunbar heats things with relatable characters, making her books more realistic than romance novels about two a model and a CEO chasing each other around romantic hot spots.

Dunbar’s commitment to creating realistic, relatable characters aligns perfectly with Reid’s approach to romance. Her heroines are women of various ages and backgrounds who find love in unexpected places, proving that romance isn’t limited to twenty-something models and billionaires.

“I plan to spend lots of time with you, Guinie, when we return home. I don’t think I can handle not sleeping with you each night.”

L.B. Dunbar, The Legend of Arturo King

8. Helen Hoang, 1982 -

Helen Hoang’s modern romance novels take readers on journeys that follow smart protagonists through the trials of day-to-day life, including dealing with social media, burnout, complex family systems, and balancing work and life. Her three-book Kiss Quotient series takes readers through the lives of three women working on learning to love themselves.

Fans of Hoang love the balance her characters strike between hot and sweet. The author’s ability to put real human emotion into words leaves readers sitting with the ideas she discusses, from caring for a terminally ill family member to striving for external validation long after they finish the final chapter.

Hoang’s work stands out for its authentic representation of neurodiversity and mental health, themes that resonate with Reid’s commitment to creating complex, realistic characters. Both authors excel at writing heroines who are brilliant but also vulnerable, strong but also human.

“I don’t want just a night or a week or a month with you. I want you all the time. I like you better than calculus, and math is the only thing that unites the universe.”

Helen Hoang, The Kiss Quotient

9. Amy Harmon

Amy Harmon is a USA Today, Washington Post, Amazon, and New York Times bestselling author. Her historical romance novels are known for efficiently transporting readers to another time and place, such as Ireland in the 1920s in her 2019 NYT bestseller What the Wind Knows. The novel takes readers on the journey of Anne Gallagher as she travels through time and falls in love.

Readers herald Harmon’s commitment to historical accuracy. Harmon makes a point to describe historical events in a way that educates readers without pulling them out of the storyline, leading to an immersive reading experience.

While Harmon writes primarily historical romance compared to Reid’s contemporary focus, both authors share a commitment to intelligent storytelling and well-researched backgrounds. Their heroines are strong women who face challenges with grace, wit, and determination.

“I will spend the rest of my life trying to make you happy, and when you get tired of looking at me, I promise I’ll sing.”

Amy Harmon, Making Faces

10. Julianne Donaldson

Julianne Donaldson grew up in a military family, and her love for history grew as she traveled throughout Europe. Donaldson turned her passion for times long ago with her love for writing and has since become a critically acclaimed historical romance author. Readers compare Donaldson’s style to Jane Austen’s and say her storylines are just as captivating as Julia Quinn’s Bridgerton series.

Edenbrooke, Donaldson’s debut novel, was celebrated for its approach to clean romance. It is conservative enough for readers who err on the side of proper and fun enough for readers who love reading charged banter between characters.

Donaldson’s talent for witty dialogue and character development echoes Reid’s strength in creating engaging banter between romantic leads. Both authors understand that the best romance comes from characters who genuinely like and respect each other, not just attraction.

“I reread my grandmother’s letter and realized with a deep sense of contentment that I had not had to change at all in order to have every hope for happiness in life. I had not had to learn to sing for company or to behave like Cecily or to stop twirling. I could be myself and be loved deeply. I was, in fact, a lot like Meg, who had always been a racehorse, I just hadn’t known it.”

Julianne Donaldson, Edenbrooke

What Makes These Authors Perfect for Penny Reid Fans

What unites these authors with Penny Reid is their commitment to creating heroines who are intelligent, complex, and authentically human. These women aren’t perfect—they have careers they care about, families that complicate their lives, insecurities that make them relatable, and strengths that make them admirable.

Like Reid, these authors understand that the best romance comes from characters who are complete people before they fall in love. Their heroines don’t need rescuing; they need partners who appreciate their intelligence, support their ambitions, and love them for exactly who they are.

In 2025, as readers increasingly seek diverse, realistic representation in romance, these authors continue to lead the way in creating stories that celebrate different types of intelligence, various career paths, and the beautiful messiness of real human relationships. Whether you’re drawn to Susannah Nix’s STEM heroines, Helen Hoang’s neurodiverse characters, or Amy Harmon’s time-traveling adventures, you’ll find the same wit, warmth, and emotional authenticity that makes Penny Reid’s work so beloved.

These authors prove that romance readers are hungry for stories about smart women who solve problems, pursue passions, and find love without sacrificing their identities. They’ve created a new standard for contemporary romance—one where intelligence is sexy, authenticity is beautiful, and happily ever after includes personal growth alongside romantic fulfillment.