Top 14 Hottest Single Dad Romance Books to Dive Into in 2026
“Sometimes the most ordinary things can be made extraordinary, simply by doing them with the right people.”
Hello fellow book lovers! Welcome to Cozy Book Cafe. Thank you for visiting our website. Here you will discover the most anticipated books of 2026. Dive into captivating new stories, discover new authors, and let your imagination soar.
Single dad romance books are a niche within romance fiction that highlight the love lives of single fathers who are juggling the difficulties of parenting while seeking companionship. These tales often showcase a devoted, loving dad who is dealing with the intricacies of raising kids solo, frequently following a breakup, divorce, or the death of a partner.
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⭐ BOOK CLUB TOP PICK ⭐
The Single Dad by Layla Hagen
I’m the last single LeBlanc brother—famous in New Orleans for being a successful CEO…and a total man-whore. Becoming a single dad wasn’t on my to-do list…until my one-night stand drops my newborn daughter on my doorstep.
Suddenly, my world revolves around Charlotte: snuggling, changing diapers, preparing bottles. I’m running on little to no sleep and can barely focus.
So when I space out during Piper’s pitch, she assumes I’m hungover. Given my reputation, I can’t blame her—but it still annoys me. So even though her pitch was great, I kick her out of my office. I don’t need complications. Especially not one as attractive as Piper.
However, gossip travels fast in the French Quarter. When Piper discovers the truth behind my exhaustion and apologizes, I give her a second chance. I invite her to my penthouse to redo the pitch…except I’m far more focused on her cleavage, her smile, and the way she instantly connects with my daughter.
I shouldn’t want Piper. I can’t afford distractions. But the more time I spend with her, the harder it is to remember that she is off limits.
Just Breaking The Rules by Lauren Blakely
She's the one who got away. He's always been off-limits.
A secret romance with my brother’s hockey star best friend wasn’t part of my plan when I desperately asked him to invest in my bakery. I just needed a business partner before my dream shop went under.
And when the bossy, protective single dad athlete said yes, I didn’t think that one knee-weakening time he’d kissed me senseless (and then some) would get in the way of us baking cakes.
But just try working with a sinfully handsome, incredibly generous, and dangerously flirty hockey player who’s good with his hands in and out of the kitchen.
We set a rule: don’t mix business with pleasure. Again. Except Corbin doesn’t do anything halfway. When he’s not scoring goals on the ice, he stays up late with me to test tempting recipes. Braids my hair before we bake like it's foreplay. Gives me his jersey to wear to games. And looks at me like I’m the answer to his dreams.
Falling for my business partner—my brother’s best friend—could cost me everything: the bakery, our friendship, and the family who’s already doubting me.
But when Corbin shows up after closing one night and tells me he can't stop thinking about me and hasn’t been able to for years?
I’m ready to break every rule.
Sweet Little Hearts by Shanora Williams
Javier Valdez hasn’t had much luck with nannies, and he can’t imagine this one will be any different. Octavia Klein is all sass to his stoicism, free spirit to his hard work.
But he’s a widower, and with a career in the NBA, he can’t keep doing this alone.
Despite Javier’s reservations, Octavia turns out to be the best thing for his four-year-old daughter…and for him. But he’s reluctant to admit it.
Javier swore off love after his wife died, and Octavia has her own reasons for avoiding relationships.
As their bond deepens far past professionalism or even friendship, it’s hard to deny the crackling tension of something more. They’re both toeing lines they said they wouldn’t cross—and when their pasts come rushing back, there’s no telling which way they’ll fall.
With old wounds reopened, can Javier and Octavia overcome the pain once again? Or will their future together become just another scar?
Follow the Play by Kaylee Ryan
Baker
Being a single dad was never part of the playbook, but one look at my son and everything changed. Now football and fatherhood are my whole world—a world that gets turned upside down when my nanny quits two weeks before training camp. Sloane Peterson runs interference by stepping in to help. She's sweet, dependable, and the one woman I shouldn't want. Not when our lives are so entwined. But every time she smiles at my son—or me—it gets harder to remember that our little arrangement is only temporary.
Sloane
Taking a short-term nanny gig for Nashville Rampage’s most eligible DILF has disaster written all over it. But when Daddy Sin is in a bind, I do just that. It keeps me from waiting tables, and his son is the cutest little boy on the planet. Baker Sinclair is famous, has a body like a Greek god, and when he’s in daddy mode… he’s irresistible. He’s also currently my new boss, and completely forbidden. The longer I'm in his home, the less this feels like a job. Because between reading bedtime stories and baking cookies, I can't imagine my life without them... either of them. Too bad love doesn't follow lesson plans... or playbooks.
Single Glance by K.C. Brooks
Sometimes love takes more than a single glance...
When it comes to Cam Seda, the lines are clear. He’s my best friend’s ex and the father of her daughter. The one man who I cannot cross any lines with.
He might look like he’s been carved out of marble, and has a smile that melts me to my core, but that’s where the attraction ends. Ever since our paths first crossed, we’ve been at each other’s throats, neither willing to concede an inch to the other.
However, when we find ourselves in each other’s orbits, those lines thin, and I can’t remember why we’ve never gotten along. In fact, the more time I spend with Cam, I realize he might be exactly who I’ve been looking for all along.
As I get to know the man beneath the baseball jersey, it gets harder to ignore the pull between us. With each moment we share, the more I want him, and it’s getting harder to remember why we can’t be together.
With more hearts than ours on the line, it’s a dangerous game.
And one I can’t help but play.
Chasing Shelter by Catherine Cowles
I came here seeking sanctuary, I never meant to fall for the broody single dad next door.
I've spent my life hiding in plain sight, burying my past beneath layers of carefully constructed lies. Moving to Sparrow Falls was supposed to be a fresh start. A place to lay low.
But when I end up living next door to the single dad who just happens to be one of my brother’s best friends, everything changes.
Trace Colson sees too much, asks too many questions, and his protectiveness is as infuriating as it is alluring.
And when danger comes calling, it’s Trace who stands between me and the darkness.
But being close to him is its own kind of risk. Because with every heated glance and every stolen touch, Trace tempts me to open my heart, to dream of a life I’d long since given up on.
The only problem? Trace has his own demons, and when they collide with mine, the fallout could destroy us both.
Riding the High by Paisley Hope
When Cole Ashby is appointed Laurel Creek’s interim sheriff, he is determined to prove himself as the best man for the job. A devoted single dad, his goal is to lay steady roots for his young daughter.
As the daughter of a Kentucky congressman, Ginger Danforth’s life has always been about neat appearances. But inside, she’s dying to break free and embrace the sense of adventure that runs through her veins.
During a wild weekend in Las Vegas, Ginger and Cole play a game of truth or dare and, after a few too many drinks, find themselves hitched in a neon-lit chapel.
With no quick way out, they strike a deal: stay secretly married until Ginger’s father is reelected and Cole lands the sheriff job permanently.
But as the pair are forced to spend an increasing amount of time in each other’s company, sparks continue to fly and their accidental marriage starts to feel dangerously real.
Until they forget they were ever pretending at all.
If It Makes You Happy by Julie Olivia
My new next-door neighbor seems to have everything figured out. Small town golden boy? Check. Single dad extraordinaire? Check. Hot baker forearms? I didn’t notice them, I swear.
I, on the other hand, don’t–at all–have anything figured out. Trust me, I didn’t think taking over my mom’s dream bed and breakfast in Copper Run Vermont was going to be easy. It should be a good place to heal after my divorce.
But apparently my scones belong in the garbage with my small talk skills. As pointed out by none other than Cliff.
Cliff is inescapable. He knows exactly what people need–always. His charm, the way he wears flannel, and even his pastries, make not wanting to be friends with Cliff and his daughters pretty hard.
Friends? I can make friends. That’s safe. Except I’m leaving in three months to pass the inn off to my little sister and get the promotion in Seattle I’ve been working towards.
So ask me why I’m thinking about kissing my hot neighbor.
The Nanny Is Off Limits by Q.B. Tyler
Rowan Kincaid hasn’t dated in over a year.
Not since the mother of his children unexpectedly passed away, leaving him to parent their three children alone.
Exhausted, overworked, and feeling like he’s failing at every turn, he’s desperate for help.
The help that shows up?
A gorgeous woman almost twenty years younger than him.
She’s compassionate and charming, and the kids fall for her instantly.
And despite the fact that she should be off limits,
he falls for her too.
Stealing Hearts by Lex Martin
I don’t remember a time when I didn’t love Rhett Walker, which is complicated since he’s ten years older and my brother’s best friend. After a falling out, we didn’t speak for years—until today, when he found me sleeping in my car, threw me over his shoulder, and dragged me “to safety.”
He’s grumpy and overprotective and even more handsome than I remembered. I’m shocked to learn he’s in trouble. Someone is sabotaging his ranch, which is thirty days from foreclosure. He needs a loan from a friend who won’t extend the funds unless he’s married. Only Rhett’s now a single dad with no plans to fall in love again.
When his brother suggests I marry Rhett for health insurance so I can rehab an injury, my first reaction is hell no. I can’t afford to catch feelings for someone who won’t see me that way.
But spending time at the ranch reminds me how much is at stake—the family business, the welfare of Rhett’s children, and the happiness of a man I’ve always longed for.
Rhett says we’ll keep things platonic in private, even though I’ll be sleeping in his bed. He refuses to mix business with pleasure. Except when the lights go out in his bedroom, our chemistry is too explosive to contain.
Would it be so bad to fall for Rhett? Or will he steal my heart all over again?
One thing’s for sure—the clock is ticking on our divorce.
Quiet Beautiful Things by Samantha Christy
Being a single dad was not on my short-list of life plans. Especially since I didn't know my daughter existed.
Now, I'm not only juggling all that goes with having a four-year-old, I'm also trying to provide my deaf daughter the skills to communicate her needs.
I'm failing. Epically. I need big help with this small person.
The woman assigned as my daughter's mentor is a dream come true. Right up until she accuses me of neglect. Dr. Ellie Stone is fierce and determined and understands my daughter in a way I can't.
It's not long before I come to realize I might not be able to do this without her. What's more... I don't think I want to. Because not only is Ellie perfect for my daughter, she's perfect for me.
Her drive to protect people in need has me falling for her. It also puts a target on her back.
But the beautiful doctor is not the only one with a protective nature.
And I'll end anyone who tries to take her from me.
When The Rain Falls by Rea Riley
Since losing his wife, Finn Hudson's struggled in the bedroom. Can the younger woman next door win over his heart...and his body?
Aimee Jones is done being the “fun for a night” girl. She’s ready to be someone’s “forever.”
Unfortunately, her impulsiveness and desire for thrills keep getting in the way, so does the broody older man next door.
Finn Hudson is a widowed father to teen girls who still grieves his late wife. He’s tried to move on, only to be rejected over his performance anxiety.
When the girl that kissed him at the bar turns out to be his neighbor, he can’t decide if she’s a morsel or a menace.
Aimee burst her way into Finn's life. Can she burst her way into his heart as well? Or will he keep pushing her away?
Shot to the Hart by Katelyn Snyder
One day, Kodi Roscoe was living with the man she thought would be her husband.
The next she was single, living on her best friends couch working as a barista, and making friends with a toddler on the ice cream aisle.
That is until she sees an ad for a high profile client in need of a nanny.
Maverick Hart, center for the Tampa Bay Manta Rays, didn’t want to hire a nanny but being a single dad with the start of the season coming up and losing his daughter in the ice cream aisle forces him to reconsider.
When the strikingly beautiful woman who his daughter ran into shows up at his doorstep for an interview, it feels like a kismet experience.
She’s just supposed to be the nanny but one shot to his Hart and it was game over.
Catch and Keep by Erin Hahn
At thirty-three, Maren Laughlin's just turned down her boyfriend’s proposal, walked away from her decade-long position as a park ranger, and returned to her childhood playground in Northern Wisconsin to accept her inheritance: a decrepit waterfront bait shop. After a lifetime of letting things happen to her, she’s ready to start making her own moves, even if everyone else thinks she’s making the wrong ones. Well, not everyone—at least the local heartstopper and resort owner is on her side.
Josiah Cole has made some missteps in his life, but he’s proud of what he has: two awesome kids and the keys to the kind of getaway spot that has families coming back every summer– their up north home away from home. After his marriage dissolved, leaving him a single dad, he feels he’s the last person to judge Maren for her recent transformation (even if his best friend, her brother, wants him to feel otherwise). Besides, he genuinely likes having her around. She’s a breath of fresh air, his kids adore her (not to mention her dog, Rogers), and it doesn’t hurt that she’s beautiful.
Things between Maren and Joe are easy. So easy, they’re fully immersed in the middle before they even decide to begin. It’s not a question of should they, but rather can they make it last? Are things too easy, or is this just how real love works? In Erin Hahn’s heartwarmingly sexy Catch and Keep, Maren and Joe have to be brave enough to find out.