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The 60 All-time Romance Novels to Sweep Y'all Off Your Anxiety

Romance is a perennial favorite for readers everywhere, and it isn't hard to see why. A good dear story has drama, intrigue, laughs, and, if you're lucky, a picayune rut; while the very best romance novels can feel only like falling in love — intimate and personal, notwithstanding huge and life-changing all at once.

We've compiled a list of our all-time favorite romance novels, from historical regency romance to gimmicky novels tackling love in the digital age. So whether you're searching for a how-to guide or cautionary tale (and at that place are plenty of those), you lot're hungry to read the next rom-com blockbuster before it hits Netflix, or you just want to lose yourself in timeless romance tropes, we've got you covered! 💘

If yous're feeling overwhelmed by the number of not bad romance novels out there, why non accept our thirty-second quiz to narrow information technology down quickly and get a personalized romance book recommendation?

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The Classics

one. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë

Though Jane Eyre might exist 'poor, obscure, obviously and little', her love story is annihilation but. Ane of the administrative classics of the genre, Jane Eyre's enduring popularity is testament to the power of its central romance. Jane, a destitute young orphan, arrives at the home of the mysterious Mr Rochester in search of employment, but finds far more than than she bargained for. The naïve and uncertain Jane is magnetically fatigued to her heart-searching employer, but will the twisted secrets lying at the eye of Thornfield Hall undermine their budding relationship? Written at a time when virtually romantic heroines were preternaturally pretty, the headstrong, wilful, notwithstanding utterly average Jane is a subversive breath of fresh air — or should nosotros say Eyre?

two. Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

A sprawling epic that takes readers across continents in the proper name of love, Anna Karenina is i of the longest books on this listing, coming to an intimidating 800+ pages. But those who persevere with this colossus of a novel are richly rewarded. In what is considered by many to exist the best romance novel of all time (and, nosotros think, i of the best books to read in a lifetime), Tolstoy tells the story of an extramarital matter and its fallout in Imperial Russian order.  When Anna runs away with the handsome Count Vronsky, excitement gives way to paranoia, isolation, and regret, as we witness the unravelling of their relationship, and of Anna herself. As much a cautionary tale as it is a romance novel, Anna Karenina is a richly imagined portrait of both the agonies and ecstasies of love.

3. Love in the Time of Cholera (Oprah's Book Order) past Gabriel Garcia Márquez

Florentino Ariza has been waiting for 50 years for his truthful honey to render. That's not to say he's been bored: he'southward passed the time past having no fewer than 622 dearest affairs, which he has painstakingly recorded in his notebooks. Despite his dalliances and the passing of decades, when the man who married his childhood sweetheart dies, a at present elderly Florentino seizes the opportunity to declare his dearest again. An astonishing exploration of devotion and reunions, and the unrealistic expectations nosotros place on those we love, Love in the Time of Cholera doesn't just ask whether the hero will become the girl — it asks whether he should. They don't but manus out the Nobel Prize for Literature to anyone, so it's rubber to say we're in proficient easily with Gabriel Garcia Márquez.

4. North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell

This classic fish-out-of-water tale follows Margaret, a nineteen-year-old girl whose life is turned upside down when her family relocates from a sleepy hamlet to Darkshire — a rough and restless industrial town in the northward of England. Margaret finds a new calling, advocating for the poor and disenfranchised, only it brings her into direct conflict with imposing mill owner John Thornton. Can the two discover whatever common footing, or volition misunderstanding go on them at odds? Center-warming and ahead of its time, Northward and Due south isn't simply a beautiful romance, it also has a lot to say on politics, gender, and religion, so one for the history buffs, too!

v. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

It is a truth universally acknowledged that whatever listing of the best romance novels must exist in desire of at to the lowest degree one Jane Austen title (we've gone for three!). And Pride and Prejudice is by far the English humorist's well-nigh famous story. It's a tale equally old every bit time: boy meets daughter; boy and girl bicker and declare their contempt for 1 another; boy and girl realise over time that there is, in fact, more to one another than meets the center — only has this realisation come too late? Information technology might now exist a rom-com trope, merely Pride and Prejudice is i of the oldest and greatest examples of the thin line between love and detest. Elizabeth and Darcy's romance is as honest every bit information technology is unexpected, and Austen's characters are so vividly realised and and then utterly believable that you'll be gasping, cringing, and crying along with them.

6. Emma by Jane Austen

Austen one time set out in a letter the perfect discipline for a novel — "Three or 4 families in a country village" — and the clarification fits Emma well. The glue that holds these families together (and our dear heroine) is Emma Woodhouse. Clever, rich, beautiful, and utterly deluded, she's adamant to meddle with the hearts of her neighbours, merely sees no need to observe a married man herself. The novel bends narration through the distorting lens of our protagonist, making for a genius coming-of-age story and a piece of work of comic brilliance. No matter who plays them, in what adaptation, her characters never neglect to be express joy-out-loud funny!

vii. Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

The third and final instalment in our ode to romance titan Jane Austen, Sense and Sensibility is a novel of lies, secrets, and seduction. Following ii sisters — one wild and impulsive, the other tranquility and sensible — it brilliantly portrays a world of money and status, gossip and allusion, where rigid social convention governs the impulses of the heart. Through their parallel experiences of love and heartbreak, will these 2 young women learn to strike a residuum betwixt wearing your heart on your sleeve and concealing your true feelings?

8. Maurice by E.M. Forster

The brave and passionate tale of a young man's sexual awakening, this intensely personal novel was written by Forster in 1914, when homosexual relationships were not only stigmatised, but illegal. Languishing in a drawer for fifty-seven years, Maurice was published after the author's death, and rapidly historic as a powerful, moving, beautifully-written love story. It chronicles the experiences of a privileged but modest boyfriend, who comes up against unrequited love, heartbreak, and society politics on his journey to cocky-discovery. If you're scouring this list for bright LGBT books, look no further!

9. The Princess Bride by William Goldman

As Goldman himself writes in the introduction, "dollars to donuts you've seen the pic". Merely if you haven't read the book that inspired the cult hit, you've missed a trick. A spoof fairy tale, a precipitous satire, and a rocket-powered fantasy, all brilliantly disguised equally a dearest story — there's absolutely nothing fluffy about The Princess Helpmate. In fact, though at that place's plenty to giggle about in the story of Buttercup and Prince Humperdink, you might also call this novel a tightly-plotted thriller. So if you're of a nervous disposition, mayhap stick to fairy tales meant for kids.

10. Tess of the D'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy

Reading Hardy's Tess of the D'Urbervilles is an affecting experience that will stay with you for a lifetime. Its heroine, Tess Durbyfield, is so beautifully and sympathetically drawn that y'all cannot aid but experience crushed as the world conspires against her; betrayed by men who exploit her, a club that casts her out, and by the callousness of her religion. As the seasons change, and Tess changes with them, it's clear that she identifies most with the natural globe — and it is here that the intensity of Hardy's imagination comes into its ain. His lush and evocative descriptions, metaphors, and parallels make this tragic romance novel a poetic masterpiece.

11. Wuthering Heights past Emily Brontë

The beginning and merely novel by an elusive icon, Emily Brontë'southward Wuthering Heights plunges headfirst into an exploration of the violence of doomed romance. Amidst the bleak and feral atmosphere of the Yorkshire moors, the novel revolves obsessively around the tempestuous course of Cathy and Heathcliff'southward self-destructive love matter. A gothic novel of intense passion, betrayal, and bitter vengeance — underpinned by the quiet dazzler of Brontë'south lyricism — Wuthering Heights is an iconoclastic masterpiece that has inspired film-makers, novelists, poets, and song-writers for generations.

12. Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

The quintessential love story that has spawned endless retellings and inspired who knows how many writers, Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet —  the story of 2 star-crossed lovers from rival houses — wrote many of the rules of tragic romance. From iconic scenes like the balcony soliloquy, to legendary ane-liners ("A plague o' both your houses", anyone?), and the ending that divers the romantic tragedy genre, any aspiring romance connoisseur should get this i under their chugalug.

13. Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

A dark, twisted tale told almost exclusively as a flashback, Rebecca follows the nameless protagonist and her speedy union to a mysterious but charming stranger, Maxim de Wintertime, whom she meets on a concern excursion. Things rapidly get unsettling, equally the protagonist learns of the troubling questions surrounding Maxim's previous wife, Rebecca, whose spectre haunts their relationship. Equally Saying'southward carefully curated image — and their human relationship — unravels further, the protagonist falls deeper into the shadow of Rebecca's legacy. If you lot're i who enjoys indulging in dark romance plots with thriller or mystery elements, du Maurier's novel may be one for you.

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Historical Romance

14. Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell

Spoiled Southern belle Scarlett O'Hara but ever had to worry about her love life, until poverty threatened to wipe out her family'due south plantation. Doing everything she tin can to save their fortunes, Scarlett embarks on a series of unexpected adventures, traversing called-for cities and bandit-filled forests. Despite her new priorities, Scarlett quickly finds that she cannot go out affairs of the middle backside completely, every bit she is torn between her beloved Ashley and the dashing but unsafe Rhett. A controversial presentation of Civil-War era America, Gone With the Wind explores the complexities of both romantic and platonic love. If you lot've seen the incomparable Vivien Leigh bring her to life on screen, it's fourth dimension to meet Scarlett on the folio.

15. The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough

The Thorn Birds explores the tangled spider web of 3 generations of one Australian Outback family, carefully tracking their loves and losses over the course of l years. The emotional heart of the novel lies in the illicit relationship betwixt Meggie, the daughter of the family, and Ralph, a priest in the local parish. Their attraction is unsafe, forbidden — and hard to resist. Will they always be together, or will the seemingly insurmountable obstacles between them keep them apart? This sweeping panorama of life in a rural sheep station from 1915 to 1969 is an Aussie cultural mainstay — it's the best-selling book in Australian history!

sixteen. The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks

The story of Noah and Allie is captured in iii intertwined snap-shots: their teens, their early on thirties, and old historic period. As our mysterious, elderly narrator unpacks these nesting dolls, we gradually learn about the beloved affair betwixt our protagonists. The universe appears to have conspired to keep these babyhood sweethearts autonomously: with meddling families, possessive fiancés, and Earth War II thrown into the mix, will they always find their way back together? Some might dismiss it equally chick-lit, simply The Notebook is a guaranteed tear-jerker — every time. Who would have idea the words "if you lot're a bird, I'k a bird" could pack such an emotional punch?

17. A Walk to Retrieve by Nicholas Sparks

Pop and approachable grade president Landon doesn't recall he has much in common with the preacher's daughter Jamie, until circumstance forces them together. A last-ditch endeavor to get a date to the loftier school dance leads to an unexpected romance in A Walk to Retrieve, Nicholas Sparks' follow-upward to smash hit The Notebook. Every bit Landon and Jamie slowly find common ground, and an appreciation for one some other, A Walk to Remember proves that love tin exist found in surprising places. It's a charming and sweet read, but, be warned — it'southward another Sparks tear-jerker. How does he always go us?

eighteen. Indigo past Beverly Jenkins

A member of a wealthy, gratuitous Black family, Galen Vachon has a lot to lose when he decides to become a member of the Underground railroad network, and join the effort to free enslaved Southerners. His risky lifestyle catches up with him when, attacked and injured, he is forced to seek sanctuary in the basement of a stranger. That stranger is Hester Wyatt, a erstwhile slave. Despite agreeing to nurse Galen back to health, their ambivalent personalities lead Hester to wonder whether she tin keep her promise — not to mention the hostile forces that accept started to come looking for him. Equal parts history and romance, this novel from NAACP nominee Beverly Jenkins will keep yous on the edge of your seat.

19. Ross Poldark by Winston Graham

If you're a die-hard fan of the television set phenomenon Poldark, you'll be delighted to hear that there are twelve (aye, twelve) novels to consume. A rich Cornish broth of love, rivalry, and discontent, Graham's novels conjure upwardly the lashing rains, the wild winds, and the crashing seas of 18th century Cornwall every bit his plots roar along the coastline. If you start with book one (a sensible choice) y'all'll meet Ross Poldark as he returns from war in America. A Mr Darcy-come up-Robin Hood hero, he rescues an urchin daughter from a brawl and employs her every bit his maid — an human action which volition alter the class of his life for the next twelve books. Did I mention in that location are twelve?

Hurled back in time by forces she cannot understand, Claire is catapulted into the intrigues of lairds and spies that may threaten her life, and shatter her heart. For here James Fraser, a gallant young Scots warrior, shows her a love so absolute that Claire becomes a woman torn between fidelity and desire—and between two vastly different men in two irreconcilable lives.','url':'https://www.amazon.com/dp/0385319959?tag=reedwebs-20','covers':{'large':'https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1584986468l/706072._SY160_.jpg'},'provider':'amazon','authors':['Diana Gabaldon']}" contenteditable="false" draggable="false">

twenty. Outlander past Diana Gabaldon

The best historical romance novels must all make great Goggle box, because here's another one that inspired a super sexy series. Earlier it became an ballsy costume drama, Gabaldon's time-travelling novel introduced us to erstwhile British gainsay nurse, Claire Randall, and her roguish young dear interest, Scotts warrior Jamie Fraser. There'due south only one thing keeping this gorgeous couple autonomously…several centuries. On a trip to the Highlands with her husband Frank, Claire tumbles back in time to 1743, and finds herself defenseless between two very unlike lives, and two very different men. If you're looking for a all-time-selling romance novel that's got it all — passion, intrigue, danger, and time travel — Outlander is your one!

21. A Long Petal of the Sea by Isabel Allende

A recent release that'south already considered vintage Allende, A Long Petal of the Sea is suffused with a vibrant sense of time and identify as it traces its story through forty years of disciplinarian rule in Spain. Allende's novel begins when significant widow, Roser, and her brother-in-constabulary, Victor, flee fascist Kingdom of spain aboard a ship chartered by the poet Pablo Neruda. Arriving in Chile, they immediately embroil themselves in a tangled web of characters connected past beloved and tragedy. A Long Petal of the Body of water is a masterful historical romance novel, tinged with Allende's authentication magical realism. Don't sleep on this one!

22. Tipping the Velvet by Sarah Waters

Living a tranquility life and working in her family's seafood restaurant in late 19th century England, Nan King is happy simply the style she is — that is until Kitty Butler, a male impersonator and performer, whirls into her line of sight. Enchanted by her performances, Nan finally manages to come across Kitty and ends up condign her dresser. The two caput for big cities that Nan has never fifty-fifty dreamed of — and a passionate romance unfurls backstage that rivals the action onstage. For fans of historical fiction and lesbian romance, this rollercoaster of a novel will accept you on exhilarating ride, filled with titillating insight into the raunchy underbelly of 1890s England and the thrill of forbidden love.

23. Birdsong past Sebastian Faulks

Beginning during WWI and spanning three generations, Sebastian Faulks' Birdsong is an ballsy novel nigh the power of state of war to strip everything from you, whether that be home, family, nobility — or honey. With a few key couples dominating the pages in the style of Anna Karenina, we see the activeness through their eyes and feel their struggle to maintain hope after endless sacrifices. For those inspired by stories of love in the time of state of war, Birdsong evokes classics like State of war and Peace , wrapping wartime drama in a healthy coating of romance, intrigue, and sacrifices for the greater good.

Contemporary Romance

24. Phone call Me by Your Name by André Aciman

A long, hot Italian summer provides the properties to an equally steamy romance in Phone call Me by Your Name, the story of a young man's romance with his family's lodger. Equally tender and heartfelt as information technology is intense and passionate, Elio and Oliver's dearest matter begins awkwardly, slowly, and tacitly, before building to unprecedented heights as the summer draws to a shut. A modern classic of LGBT+ literature, this exploration of starting time honey and sexual awakening is vividly realised, and astonishingly honest. The second you're through reading, you're sure to exist clamouring for more than. Luckily for you, Aciman released a sequel last year — and then yous won't have to say goodbye to Elio and Oliver only withal.

25. The Time Traveler's Married woman past Audrey Niffenegger

When Henry and Clare bump into one some other at the local library, information technology's a classic encounter-cute. Except, it's non. Because Clare and Henry have met each other before —  in fact, she'southward known him her whole life. As it turns out, Henry'southward a time traveler, and Clare is his time to come married woman. A rare genetic condition causes Henry to spring uncontrollably along the timeline of Clare's life. They make up one's mind to give things a shot afterward their 'first coming together', simply, despite their deep love for one another, they face  lots of challenges along the fashion; after all, it'southward difficult to keep upward a relationship when one party is constantly dropping in and out of reality. Niffenegger'due south touching novel is certain to pull at your heartstrings, as she leads us to consider how gratuitous will and destiny combine to determine who we end upward loving.

26. The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang

Stella loves logic. The problem is, love isn't logical. A highflying mathematician, she'southward never put much thought into finding a romantic partner. Just when she decides it's finally fourth dimension to settle downwardly, Stella comes up with a characteristically businesslike plan: she'll hire someone to teach her how to do it. Enter Michael, a handsome escort, who commonly doesn't do echo customers. When he agrees to give Stella lessons in love, he finds himself fatigued deeper into her life; all of a sudden, Stella isn't the only ane who's learning. A charming and appreciating portrayal of the love life of a neurodivergent adult female, The Buss Caliber is a breath of fresh air — we incertitude you lot'll have read a romance quite like this earlier.

27. When Katie Met Cassidy by Camille Perri

When Katie Met Cassidy is every inch the archetype Nora Efron-style rom-com, with one simple divergence — both our protagonists are women. Katie is a small boondocks girl, reeling from the breakup of her engagement. Cassidy is a high powered businesswoman, living and thriving in New York'south gay scene. A chance coming together is enough to cement their fate, and the two women are drawn uncontrollably to one another. Joyous, hilarious, and securely sexy, Perri's novel is non just an exploration of sexuality and gender nonconformity, just a sparkling subversion of the romantic one-act form.

28. Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

Will Traynor is living a lone life. Recently left quadriplegic by a motorbike accident, his formerly fast-paced life has basis to a halt. Enter Lou; bubbly, funny sunshine in human being class. Will's mother has hired her to assist care for Will, in the hopes of lifting his perpetually dour mood, but the intrusion is not a welcome one — at least at first. Over time, the two come to understand one another a footling better, though Will remains insistent on keeping Lou at arm's length, while she struggles to sympathize what he's and then afraid of. Volition she be able to interruption down his walls? Y'all'll shed a tear or two, only you won't be able to resist falling in beloved with Me Before You.

29. Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin

Emily Giffin's best-selling romance novel is for every woman that'due south been the sidekick in a lopsided friendship. In this story, it's Rachel White: difficult-working attorney, complete good girl, and diligent maid of honour to her dazzling best friend Darcy — who happens to be marrying the man that Rachel is in love with. Yes, that wasn't part of the plan. (Well, she did set them upward, only what are best friends for?) Things start to spiral out of control when Rachel drunkenly confesses her feelings to Darcy'south fiancé, and is both delighted and devastated to hear he feels the same way. It might exist a classic romance trope, but this knotty love triangle volition have you on the edge of your seat to the very end.

xxx. Red, White & Royal Bluish by Casey McQuiston

Probably the best romance novel of 2019, Casey McQuiston's queer, imperial love story didn't just take the New York Times bestseller list by tempest, information technology broke the net. A kaleidoscope of popular influences, dripping in internet lingo, Ariana Grande references, and memes ample, Ruby, White & Purple Blue is the book we were screaming for. It's set in an alternating reality where in 2016, a Democrat became the first female president of the U.s.a., and follows First Son Alex — a twenty-something, biracial, modern-mean solar day Kennedy. The action begins at a imperial wedding, when Alex is told to play dainty with his childhood nemesis, the Prince of Wales. As the famous pair faux a bromance for the cameras, behind the scenes… well, you know where this is going.

31. The Hating Game past Emerge Thorne

Lucy Hutton doesn't dislike Joshua Templeman. She doesn't reluctantly tolerate him. She hates him. And she has to sit across from his joyless, infuriatingly handsome face every day. To be fair to Joshua, the feeling's mutual. Lucy's a people pleaser — the kind who wears yellow to piece of work — and she pushes all his buttons. Now they're upwards for the same promotion, and this bitter workplace rivalry is nigh to reach boiling point. But when tensions run high, you lot know what they say: at that place'southward a thin line between love and detest. Sally Thorne's The Hating Game is an unmissable treat for anyone who loves a rom-com about that undeniable spark between nemeses.

32. Normal People by Sally Rooney

Sally Rooney was recognised as both a gifted writer and a perceptive and nuanced observer, when she released her debut novel Conversations With Friends. In Normal People, she captures the zeitgeist with the aforementioned subtlety and skill. It'due south an intimate dear story of deceptive simplicity: Marianne and Connell are two mismatched immature people —unlikely friends, unlikely lovers — who share a profound understanding. All the same, as their small town lives in rural Ireland are eclipsed past the heady and confusing world of student Dublin, the means in which they mould each other reveal a universal truth about the lasting bear upon that ane person can take on another. Dripping with longing and regret, and steered by ii deeply vulnerable characters, this novel remains immensely readable — one of the best romance novels of the 21st century.

33. Beach Read by Emily Henry

Henry's smart and steamy page-turner, Beach Read, gave us all a sizzling slice of the summer romance nosotros missed out on in 2020. In an effort to crack a crippling case of writer's block, January, a hopeless romantic, and Gus, who thinks happy endings are for fairy tales, don't swap numbers, merely genres. Before the summertime is out, Jan must write the next smashing work of literary fiction, while Gus has to pen a bestselling romance novel. Two writers, two beach huts, and enough of whipcrack banter — let's hope Henry is an author with a soft spot for happily-ever-later on.

As questions about her new relationship overwhelm her, so do thoughts of Atlas Corrigan — her first love and a link to the past she left behind. He was her kindred spirit, her protector. When Atlas suddenly reappears, everything Lily has built with Ryle is threatened.','url':'https://www.amazon.com/dp/1501110365?tag=reedwebs-20','covers':{'large':'https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1470427525l/27276318.jpg'},'provider':'amazon','authors':['Colleen Hoover']}" contenteditable="false" draggable="false">

34. It Ends with The states by Colleen Hoover

Everything in Lily's life seems to be falling into place. She'southward got a new place in Boston, her own business organisation, and she's convinced gorgeous neurosurgeon Ryle Kincaid to break his "no-dating" rule. Her old life in small-scale-boondocks Maine certainly seems a long mode backside her. But as questions about her new relationship, and Ryle's stubborn aversion to dating, begin to overwhelm her, Lily tin can't help but wonder about Atlas Corrigan — her first love, and a link to the world she left behind. So when Atlas appears in Boston, everything she has with Ryle is suddenly thrown into question. This unforgettable tale is as heartbreaking as it is thrilling; gear up yourself for a rollercoaster ride of emotions.

35. The Proposal by Jasmine Guillory

A New York Times bestselling romance novel and a favorite amid book clubs and celebrity book-lovers alike, The Proposal is a fun and flirty novel about a 2d hazard at dearest. Guillory kicks off with a human on 1 human knee; it's not the usual manner to start a love story, but this proposal isn't followed past happily ever afterwards. When Nik's fellow asks her to spend the balance of her life with him, saying no isn't the hard part (the guy can't even spell her name correct!) — it'due south doing information technology in front of a stadium full of disappointed baseball game fans. Luckily, handsome medico Carlos is at that place to sweep her away from the frenzy and into an epic rebound of food, fun, and fantastic sexual practice. Just how serious can their glorified hookups get before someone slams on the brakes?

36. On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong

Part tragic romance, role coming-of-age, part state of war trauma — Vuong'southward On Earth Nosotros're Briefly Gorgeous is a centre-wrenching, expansive look at a lot of hard truths. Little Dog, a Vietnamese refugee in the U.Due south. and protagonist of this semi-autobiographical novel, tries to find solace in the small comforts of his life in the working form town of Hartford, Connecticut but realizes that he wants to grow beyond his electric current horizons. The reader follows Little Dog equally he chases the American Dream, pursues a growing romance with a subcontract boy who'southward struggling with his family's homophobia, and questions how to exist happy in the shadow of grief and trauma. A raw, poetic, and dark experience, if you enjoy a large helping of hardship and identity crises with your romance, this might be your loving cup of tea.

37. Kiss an Angel by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

Become to jail or ally the mystery homo her male parent has set her up with — headstrong Daisy Devreaux chooses the latter. Her new hubby, Alex Markov, is a deadpan form-A jerk who seems to accept no patience for Daisy's conservative tastes and flights of fancy. But as they work on restoring a rundown traveling circus, their growing influence on each other becomes impossible to ignore. Fans of stubborn romantic leads (à la Annie and Frank from Annie Get Your Gun), quirky settings, and the time-tested urban center-girl-in-the-state trope may find a winner in Buss An Angel.

38. Vision in White by Nora Roberts

Mackensie Elliott is caput of her ain wedding planning business and firmly believes she's better at capturing other people'south special days than she would exist at experiencing her own. But when Mackensie hits it off with the seemingly humdrum Carter Maguire, a high school English teacher who's definitely non her type, her friends encourage her to brand the first move. What begins equally a coincidental fling becomes something more than, and Mackensie has to ask herself if she'due south willing to step out from behind her cool and collected facade and seize her ain happiness. Readers looking for a tentative slow burn and a potent female lead will notice a perfect match in Roberts' charming Vision in White.

Immature Adult Romance

39. Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

It's faced more than its off-white share of backfire, derision, and parody, but it'due south impossible to deny that few books have influenced the cultural zeitgeist as much as Twilight. It's the book that led a generation of teenage girls to genuinely contend whether vampires or werewolves were hotter, and that launched an entire renaissance of paranormal romance books. No matter what the critics say, it'south the definitive high school romance turned struggle against a vampiric death cult — so why non revisit Twilight mania, and see what all the hype was about? Oh, and P.S., we're totally team Edward.

forty. Forever . . . by Judy Blume

'Sybil Davison has a genius IQ and has been laid by at least 6 different guys'. And so begins Judy Blume's Forever… Is it any wonder that this YA book has been a favorite under-the-covers read ever since its release in the lxx'southward? This refreshingly honest presentation of teenage sexuality was securely controversial because of its raunchy subject matter — it's even been banned from several libraries — but it remains a archetype. Katherine and Michael's high school romance is a mannerly coming-of-age story that's certain to take you laughing and cringing in equal parts.

41. To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han

Imagine if all your high schoolhouse crushes suddenly knew every embarrassing thought you've ever had most them. That's what happens to Lara Jean, a sixteen-year-old girl whose life is turned upside downwards when messages she's written to all the boys she's ever loved — letters that the recipients were never supposed to see — are sent. Naturally, the fallout is chaotic. Jenny Han's sugary sweet novel non only spent 40 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list, information technology was too adapted into a blockbusting movie. If in that location's one thing you lot should take away from this 1, information technology'south to keep your tiptop secret honey letters nether lock and key.

42. The Selection by Kiera Cass

Fans of dystopian novels (think The Hunger Games) volition find a lot to love in The Selection, the first in Kiera Cass' Choice series. After existence selected to compete for the middle of a Prince, America is forced to leave behind her habitation and the boy she secretly loves but cannot be with. What she doesn't await is to start falling for the handsome prince. With a Netflix adaptation in the works, now'southward your hazard to get ahead of the hype and bring together this YA series' cult following before it'southward cool.

43. Fangirl past Rainbow Rowell

An internet miracle that has a special place in the hearts of superfans everywhere, Rainbow Rowell's young developed romance is as mannerly every bit it is candid. Cath is a fanfiction-writing, premiere-attending, menu-conveying fangirl. Her twin sister Wren used to be the same, Only now they're in college, Wren has lost involvement in geeky pursuits — she'due south far too busy partying, making friends, and beingness cool. She'due south also lost interest in Cath. Without her sis for the first fourth dimension, Cath is forced to navigate the confusion and loneliness of being a freshman all solitary. Will the cute guy in her creative writing form be a welcome distraction? How about her new roommate's friendly ex-boyfriend...?

44. Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

Another Rainbow Rowell novel met with disquisitional acclamation, Eleanor & Park is an urgent, breathless, gut-punch of a love story near two teen misfits and one life-changing school year. Information technology'south 1986 when Eleanor arrives in her new town, all cluttered red hair and mismatched dress. She takes a seat on the school passenger vehicle and finds herself adjacent to Park — quiet, understated, and impossibly cool. Advisedly yet wholeheartedly, over late night phone calls and countless mix tapes, Eleanor and Park fall in love. It'south that pure, fright-laced, heartbreaking kind of love you but experience when yous're xvi — and trust us, your middle volition melt.

45. Anna and the French Buss past Stephanie Perkins

When Anna'south father ships her off to boarding school in Paris, she's less than thrilled to exist leaving behind her friends in Atlanta — particularly that cute guy she works with at the multiplex. But all is forgiven (and cute coworkers forgotten) when she meets Etienne St. Clair. He's charming, smart, gorgeous...and tragically taken. But hearts have a mode of meeting in the City of Love. And so if Anna plays her cards right, her senior twelvemonth might just end with the perfect first kiss. Relive the flutters of start love in Perkins' wonderfully cheesy tale of crushes, complications, and croissants.

46. Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

It's 1987 and a hot summertime'due south twenty-four hours in El Paso, Texas, when Ari and Dante meet at a pond puddle. On the face of things, they have nothing in common. Ari is guarded, angry, and struggling to feel like he belongs. Dante is an open up-hearted know-it-all, nevertheless figuring out who he is. But, equally they spend the summer learning about each other, and discovering themselves, a friendship floods the lives of these two loners like a golden light. Aristotle and Dante Detect the Secrets of the Universe is a tender and lyrical reminder that beloved in all its many forms should be open up, deep, and without shame.

47. Simon vs. the Human Sapiens Agenda past Becky Albertalli

High schoolhouse junior Simon has a lot on his mind; but when a devious email falls into the wrong hands and he's blackmailed by class clown Martin, he's forced to play along — or he'll be outed as gay, along with his increasingly flirtatious pen pal. As his friend grouping starts to fray and the situation becomes increasingly tenuous, Simon will have to keep upwards with the pace of modify, or risk the life he knows crashing down around his ears. Simon vs. the Man Sapiens Calendar is a gay romance filled with warm fuzzies, dry out humor, and supportive friendships. Albertalli's feel-good novel is still able, even so, to flirt with some bigger questions about homophobia and the experience of being a closeted teen in the American South.

48. The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

In this romantic retelling of a perennial Classics favorite, Homer'due south Iliad, Madeline Miller casts Patroclus every bit the awkward but lovable ancient Grecian nerd to Achilles' jock. Equally the unlikely duo fight in battle, quarrel, and grade a bail that grows deeper every day, their conflicting beliefs about the Trojan War threaten to tear them apart. Miller, a classics instructor herself, takes up Homer'southward thread of lyrical prose while adding her ain unique style and story elements. If you're fractional to Rick Riordan (who, incidentally, gave this volume a glowing review!) and his ancient mythology serial, just wished they had a more mature and romantic tone, look no further than The Song of Achilles.

49. More Happy Than Not past Adam Silvera

16-year-one-time Aaron Soto is trying to recover from a family unit tragedy, supported past his friends and his girlfriend Genevieve. But when Aaron starts spending his fourth dimension almost exclusively with new male child Thomas, he quickly comes to a number of realizations that he's not altogether thrilled with. At the aforementioned time, a slot opens up for a memory-alteration procedure at the Leteo Establish, and Aaron has the selection of wiping the things he'd rather not dwell on out of his head forever. A grittier accept on young developed romance, More Happy Than Non goes deep into themes of low, homophobia, and suicide, while exploring the scientific possibilities of the not-too-distant future.

50. The Fault in Our Stars past John Light-green

For three years, Hazel's life has been nothing only terminal. Diagnosed with incurable cancer at the age of xiii, she's never had the chance to experience the thrilling awkwardness of being a teenager. In an attempt to find kids who understand, Hazel'due south mother forces her to attend a truly miserable cancer support group. Enter: Augustus Waters. A charming, and unremarkably handsome amputee with an alarming optimism for life, Gus is a much-needed plot twist in the story of Hazel Grace. Bold, irreverent, and raw, The Fault in Our Stars is a witty bout de forcefulness about the thrilling and tragic business of beingness alive, and a heartbreaking (only never depressing) story about a honey that lasts 'forever, within the numbered days.'

Regency Romance

51. The Grand Sophy by Georgette Heyer

When Sophia Stanton-Lacy is dropped on her aunt'due south doorstep past her diplomat father, she'south not quite what any of her extended family were expecting. Cocky-assured, confident, and more than a touch rebellious, the beautiful and charismatic Sophy sweeps through London similar a breath of fresh air. In the opinion of her stern cousin Charles, however, that fresh air feels more like a hurricane. This witty, sophisticated tale of societal intrigue and domestic dramas has a lot to offer Austen fans, and Heyer'south pacy comedy-of-manners is served with a generous helping of heart-stopping romance.

52. Secrets of a Summer Night past Lisa Kleypas

Annabelle needs a rich husband, and fast. Her family are in dire financial straits, and she must employ every tool at her disposal to salve them. There's ane major issue, however — her about tenacious suitor, entrepreneur Simon Hunt, has no interest in marrying her. Every bit Annabelle struggles to resist his advances and go on her head in the game, Simon finds the chase even more exciting. This steamy regency romance is the offset volume in Kleypas' mega-pop Wallflowers series, and then once you've devoured this one (and we bet y'all will) there's plenty left to relish.

53. Flowers from the Storm by Laura Kinsale

A devilishly debonair womanizer is of a sudden interred in an insane aviary, having suffered a stroke. The sheltered and naïve Maddy, fascinated by his scandalous reputation, is tasked with his care. Despite her Quaker upbringing and the brutality of their environs, the unlikely pair observe themselves swept up in a passionate and intense love thing. As she grows closer to the Duke of Jervaux, Maddy begins to realise his playboy facade conceals subconscious depths. New York Times bestseller Kinsale reminds us there's often much more than meets the center in this gripping, steamy, and desire-drenched novel.

54. Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase

Lord of Scoundrels may be the tertiary in its serial, but nosotros can't resist including it on this list. I of the most well-known and well received historical romance novels of all fourth dimension, this regency read has had readers seriously hot nether the starched neckband for 25 years. When the contained and beautiful Jessica Trent rolls into town to relieve her brother from the influence of the caddish Sebastian, the two engage in a fierce boxing of wits. When the tension between them reaches fever pitch, they're defenseless in a compromising state of affairs at a club party. Volition Sebastian do what's right to save Jessica's reputation, or is he really equally unscrupulous equally she always suspected?

Erotic Romance

55. 50 Shades of Grey by E. L. James

You've probably already read Fifty Shades — it was the biggest selling volume of the 2010's, after all. Simply if the popular civilization miracle somehow passed you lot past, it's never as well tardily to give this kinky thriller a try. The story of hunky, troubled billionaire Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele, a naïve pupil who (quite literally) falls headfirst into his life, started out as self-published Twilight fanfiction. Who could have imagined that this steamier-than-a-sauna novel would get on to sell over 125 million copies!

56. Delta of Venus by Anaïs Nin

If at that place's one matter more heady than erotic fiction, information technology's vintage erotic fiction. If yous're looking for retro erotica with a disarming feminist twist, look no further than Delta of Venus, a collection of 15 short stories written past Anais Nin in the 1940s. In sexy bitesize chunks, Nin regales united states of america with stories of torrid love diplomacy and passionate trysts, told in what Nin herself refers to every bit 'women'southward language, seeing sexual experience from a woman's point of view'. Information technology'southward as gorgeous as it was groundbreaking.

57. Twice In A Lifetime past Clare Lydon

Would you take a second take chances at get-go love? This is the dilemma that Sally and Harriet face in Twice in a Lifetime. Teenage sweethearts, they bankrupt up when Harriet moved abroad to higher, breaking Sally'due south heart. Only a risk luggage botch at the airport brings them crashing back together. The sexual tension is heavy — but the emotional baggage is, too. Is it worth some other shot? Scorching sex scenes are balanced out past genuine warmth and deeply likeable main characters in this LGBTQ+ erotic novel.

58. Rush by Maya Banks

Forbidden desire takes center stage in Rush, the first book in bestselling author Maya Banks' Breathless trilogy, which follows the exploits of 3 very handsome, very successful, and very debauched business partners. Blitz focuses on Gabe, who finds himself in a tight spot when he lays eyes on his best friend's younger sister for the first time in several years. The attraction is instant. But volition he get what he wants, or will outside forces intervene? Raunchy and compulsively readable, you lot'll be rushing (pun intended) to notice out what happens adjacent in this erotic page-turner.

59. Bared to You lot past Sylvia Solar day

Another self-publishing success story in the vein of Fifty Shades of Greyness, Sylvia Twenty-four hours's Bared to Yous boasts a similarly devoted fan base — and a similarly intense beloved story. It's ofttimes heartwarming, and always hot, only Bared to Yous is much more than just titillating. The story of Eva, a sexual assault survivor navigating her way to a salubrious romantic life is surprisingly heartfelt. You'll notice you can't aid but root for our heroine every bit she finds love with the charismatic and as complicated Gideon.

threescore. On Dublin Street by Samantha Young

Scotland's respond to L Shades of Gray, this erotic romance novel is much more than than just "innocent young graduate meets gorgeous billionaire and dot, dot, dot". Jocelyn and Braden — the innocent young graduate and gorgeous billionaire, respectively — are exquisitely written characters, engaged in a captivating and bittersweet love story. They meet when Jocelyn moves to Edinburgh and takes up an apartment in a building owned past Braden. He immediately feels an intense allure, but, knowing Jocelyn'south past has left her guarded, Braden proposes a 'no-strings-attached' arrangement. Witty dialogue and steamy sexual practice scenes ensue, simply how long can the fun last before they want more than just mind-blowing passion?

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Developed a gustation for fiery dear stories? Why not check out our guide to New Adult books and their sleek, steamy collegiate romances?

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