The October Daye novels clearly are *not* cozies (too much action, stakes tilting too high) but the InCryptid series -- variously featuring a ballroom dancer, a zoo professional, and a roller derby queen as protagonists -- arguably qualifies. Some of the climaxes are on the high-powered end of the cozy scale, but the Aeslin Mice all by themselves just scream cozy to me.
500 Kingdoms and Elemental Masters series, Mercedes Lackey
Okay, neither one of these is contemporary, but both are essentially fairy-tale romance very strongly tilted toward "omni-competent female protagonist prospers against all odds", and that's a classic cozy formula (some would mention the term "Mary Sue", and there's room to make that case). The former series is a bit lighter in tone, but both are built on the same template.
Decidedly on the short-and-obscure side (e-text only, two installments to date), but totally in the ballpark -- present-day setting, theatrical background, fae-born protagonist. An interesting contrast to the Barbara Ashford books.
Liavek series, edited by Will Shetterly and Emma Bull
An early and semi-obscure shared world project, with a roster of contributors that reads like a Who's Who of early urban-faerie stars (Bull, Wrede, John M. Ford, Jane Yolen, Pamela Dean, more. No, not contemporary, but the sensibility -- unlike nearly any other shared world before or since -- runs to the everyday-wondrous rather than to thud-and-blunder or angst.
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Incryptid series, Seanan McGuire
The October Daye novels clearly are *not* cozies (too much action, stakes tilting too high) but the InCryptid series -- variously featuring a ballroom dancer, a zoo professional, and a roller derby queen as protagonists -- arguably qualifies. Some of the climaxes are on the high-powered end of the cozy scale, but the Aeslin Mice all by themselves just scream cozy to me.
500 Kingdoms and Elemental Masters series, Mercedes Lackey
Okay, neither one of these is contemporary, but both are essentially fairy-tale romance very strongly tilted toward "omni-competent female protagonist prospers against all odds", and that's a classic cozy formula (some would mention the term "Mary Sue", and there's room to make that case). The former series is a bit lighter in tone, but both are built on the same template.
Expatriate Sidhe series, John C. Bunnell
Decidedly on the short-and-obscure side (e-text only, two installments to date), but totally in the ballpark -- present-day setting, theatrical background, fae-born protagonist. An interesting contrast to the Barbara Ashford books.
Liavek series, edited by Will Shetterly and Emma Bull
An early and semi-obscure shared world project, with a roster of contributors that reads like a Who's Who of early urban-faerie stars (Bull, Wrede, John M. Ford, Jane Yolen, Pamela Dean, more. No, not contemporary, but the sensibility -- unlike nearly any other shared world before or since -- runs to the everyday-wondrous rather than to thud-and-blunder or angst.