The quintessential love story that has spawned countless retellings and inspired who knows how many writers, Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet the story of two star-crossed lovers from rival houses wrote many of the rules of tragic romance. Margaret finds a new calling, advocating for the poor and disenfranchised, but it brings her into direct conflict with imposing mill owner John Thornton. and I was just going to recommend this - one of my favorites, an oldie-but-goody. But her willpower and determination are what endear her to Felix, whos sort of an antihero and an arsehole but a very enjoyable one. This book doesnt try to gloss over some of the realities of 11th century life; both Ceidre and Rolfe are in marriages of convenience to other people, and he has many illegitimate sons he cheerfully abandons in Normandy. This is how diplomacy should always work! Its also absolutely brimming with emotion its so well-written that I find reading some parts of it physically painful, because of how much it affects me. 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. Its 1986 when Eleanor arrives in her new town, all chaotic red hair and mismatched clothes. In this romantic retelling of a perennial Classics favorite, Homers Iliad, Madeline Miller casts Patroclus as the awkward but lovable ancient Grecian nerd to Achilles jock. Sally Thornes The Hating Game is an unmissable treat for anyone who loves a rom-com about that undeniable spark between nemeses. Early on heroines tended to be normatively slim with perky breasts. His lush and evocative descriptions, metaphors, and parallels make this tragic romance novel a poetic masterpiece. So if youre of a nervous disposition, maybe stick to fairy tales meant for kids. Now theyre up for the same promotion, and this bitter workplace rivalry is about to reach boiling point. The reader follows Little Dog as he chases the American Dream, pursues a growing romance with a farm boy whos struggling with his familys homophobia, and questions how to be happy in the shadow of grief and trauma. You know the fantasy about the gorgeous soccer star who picks you from a crowded room and leaves you with an epic kiss? why you should read it. One of the authoritative classics of the genre, Jane Eyres enduring popularity is testament to the power of its central romance. The setting totally makes the book. You know what I mean: they have the generic Regency setting, generic rake hero, generic wallflower heroine. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Smart women (in STEM, no less) will always be catnip for me as a reader because I love the inner conflict between hard-fought career goals and wanderings of the heart. Annabelle needs a rich husband, and fast. Katherine and Michaels high school romance is a charming coming-of-age story thats sure to have you laughing and cringing in equal parts. But Kya is not what they say. If you're feeling overwhelmed by the number of great romance novels out there, why not take our 30-second quiz to narrow it down quickly and get a personalized romance book recommendation? Riley also has other unusual historical romances in this period. 1. Over time, the two come to understand one another a little better, though Will remains insistent on keeping Lou at arms length, while she struggles to understand what hes so afraid of. why you should read it. The lines between work and play tangle even as Parsons and Charlie try to keep them separate. If you want to enter the world of the Borgias and Medicis, this isthebook to read. In an effort to crack a crippling case of writers block, January, a hopeless romantic, and Gus, who thinks happy endings are for fairy tales, dont swap numbers, but genres. They decide to give things a shot after their first meeting, but, despite their deep love for one another, they face lots of challenges along the way; after all, its hard to keep up a relationship when one party is constantly dropping in and out of reality. In the course of her duties she meets Colin Faulkner, Earl of Clifton. So whether youre searching for a how-to guide or cautionary tale (and there are plenty of those), youre hungry to read the next rom-com blockbuster before it hits Netflix, or you just want to lose yourself in timeless romance tropes, weve got you covered! Little Dog, a Vietnamese refugee in the U.S. and protagonist of this semi-autobiographical novel, tries to find solace in the small comforts of his life in the working class town of Hartford, Connecticut but realizes that he wants to grow beyond his current horizons. But, as they spend the summer learning about each other, and discovering themselves, a friendship floods the lives of these two loners like a golden light. Also some of the Bluewater Billiomaires books. The Hating Game, Denys also has another book,The Flesh and the Devil,uniquely set in the 17th-century Spanish court. Captain Mattie St Armand is not just a woman: shes the biracial bastard daughter of a pirate and a freedwoman, so she needs a nave white man to help deflect the authorities while she smuggles slaves from Florida to freedom in the Bahamas. Not only does the hunky blast from her past work at the same aerospace company where she's just started in the IT department, he's the CEO's son.Jeremy's got a girlfriend and a reputation as a bad boy, so Melody resolves to keep her distance and focus on building a new life for herself in Los Angeles. Yes, they existed! Probably the best romance novel of 2019, Casey McQuistons queer, royal love story didnt just take the New York Times bestseller list by storm, it broke the internet. Another Rainbow Rowell novel met with critical acclaim, Eleanor & Park is an urgent, breathless, gut-punch of a love story about two teen misfits and one life-changing school year. authors picked But when Mackensie hits it off with the seemingly humdrum Carter Maguire, a high school English teacher whos definitely not her type, her friends encourage her to make the first move. Miss Delilah Bard, pickpocket, would-be pirate, and street fighter extraordinaire, is not one of them. *AAR top 100 romances of all time*New York Times Bestselling Author Penny Reids debut novelThere are three things you need to know about Janie Morris:1) She is incapable of engaging in a conversation without volunteering TMTI (Too Much Trivial Information), especially when she is unnerved,2) No one unnerves her more than Quinn Sullivan, and3) She doesn't know how to knit.After losing her boyfriend, apartment, and job in the same day, Janie Morris can't help wondering what new torment fate has in store. Written at a time when most romantic heroines were preternaturally pretty, the headstrong, wilful, yet utterly average Jane is a subversive breath of fresh air or should we say Eyre? The Hating Game Would you take a second chance at first love? But then she comes across charming, light-hearted Zander FitzHugh, who forces her to be his squire, and things become a lot more complicated than she was anticipating. Without her sister for the first time, Cath is forced to navigate the confusion and loneliness of being a freshman all alone. Jiang Nian used to be an actress. A charming and affectionate portrayal of the love life of a neurodivergent woman, The Kiss Quotient is a breath of fresh air we doubt youll have read a romance quite like this before. This You cant go wrong when the son of Madame President falls in love with Englands dishy prince. Merlin is a highly unconventional heroine: extremely intelligent and obsessed with her work, but very sweet. But when theyre forced to marry each other, he discovers quickly that theres nothing sophisticated and urbane about the way he loves her. A modern classic of LGBT+ literature, this exploration of first love and sexual awakening is vividly realised, and astonishingly honest. Henrys smart and steamy page-turner, Beach Read, gave us all a sizzling slice of the summer romance we missed out on in 2020. New York Times bestseller Kinsale reminds us theres often much more than meets the eye in this gripping, steamy, and desire-drenched novel. Theres only one thing keeping this gorgeous couple apartseveral centuries. So begins Judy Blumes Forever Is it any wonder that this YA book has been a favorite under-the-covers read ever since its release in the 70s? Chief among the suspects is Randall, an amiable, elegant snake. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. Her appearance is unapologetically masculine shes tall and bony, which is why she gets away with her disguise for so long. Beautiful Player by Christina Lauren. Enter: Augustus Waters. Thats my life, except Im an awkward introvert and hes my opposite in every way. Some might dismiss it as chick-lit, but The Notebook is a guaranteed tear-jerker every time. Romance novels rule the worldwell, . First we have Peggy Grahame, a 17-year-old girl who goes to live with her uncle Enos. I love this book for its smart heroine, but also for its humor and the reminder that brainy STEM women deserve to be main characters. (Well, she did set them up, but what are best friends for?) Some people fall in love. 535 books She's charming and accommodating and prides herself on being loved by everyone at Bexley & Gamin. Tragically, she died in a car crash in the mid-80s, so these are her only two books. When Katie Met Cassidy is every inch the classic Nora Efron-style rom-com, with one simple difference both our protagonists are women. Joyous, hilarious, and deeply sexy, Perris novel is not just an exploration of sexuality and gender nonconformity, but a sparkling subversion of the romantic comedy form. 8. A grittier take on young adult romance, More Happy Than Not goes deep into themes of depression, homophobia, and suicide, while exploring the scientific possibilities of the not-too-distant future. show more. This is a slightly odd book, but undeniably wonderful. The heroine is a very bright mathematician but socially awkward. No matter what the critics say, its the definitive high school romance turned struggle against a vampiric death cult so why not revisit Twilight mania, and see what all the hype was about? As a black woman in the court of 16th century monarch James IV of Scotland, Agnes Moor knows she is an exotic. When the king makes a kiss from her the prize in a tourney, the mysterious Wild Knight is determined that he will be the winner. Nothing is more distracting than his attraction to the brilliant, beautiful computer scientist on his team, but hes determined to overcome it since he needs her to help America win. Stella loves logic. This is the second book in the Secret Scientists of Love series, and the enemies to lovers journey of Letty and Grey hits all the right notes with swoony banter and hot chemistry. It might now be a rom-com trope, but Pride and Prejudice is one of the oldest and greatest examples of the thin line between love and hate. why you should read it. Raunchy and compulsively readable, youll be rushing (pun intended) to find out what happens next in this erotic page-turner. why you should read it. This refreshingly honest presentation of teenage sexuality was deeply controversial because of its raunchy subject matter its even been banned from several libraries but it remains a classic. Opposites attract when a nerdy computer whiz meets billionaire playboy.The last thing Melody expects when she accepts a dream job offer is to run into her college one-night stand again. I also recommend McKinneysLions and Lace, which takes place in New York during the Gilded Age. Heroine is a very smart and awkward undergrad in her last semester, about to go off to get an MD-PH.D at Harvard/MIT. Which unusual historical romances have you read? No matter who plays them, in what adaptation, her characters never fail to be laugh-out-loud funny! The mogul and the muscle she's a engineer/ceo, price of scandal she's a scientist/inventor. Computer nerd meets billionaire! Then the time comes when she yearns to be Part tragic romance, part coming-of-age, part war trauma Vuongs On Earth Were Briefly Gorgeous is a heart-wrenching, expansive look at a lot of hard truths. The editorial staff did not catch its inclusion, and we apologize for that and for any harm its inclusion caused. This is a wonderful blend of romance and historical focus on the struggle for womens rights. Get the Audible book in a deal **. Youve probably already read Fifty Shades it was the biggest selling book of the 2010s, after all. From my experience, it does a good job of capturing that kind of smart driven personality (Worth noting that Emily Foster is a pen name for Emily Nagoski, Ph.D, bestselling author of "Come as You Are" and "Burnout," so her knowledge of academia makes sense). It's an older book with a pregnancy trope fyi but the FMC is like a physics genius. 3. The book also explores, in great depth, the implications of Rhines decision to pass as white (for both himself and the black community). Something went wrong while loading recommendations. Dante is an open-hearted know-it-all, still figuring out who he is. This is no easy task for a wealthy, successful woman like Stella, who also happens to have Asperger's. But despite her good intentions, she can't seem to stay away from Katie is a small town girl, reeling from the breakdown of her engagement. As our mysterious, elderly narrator unpacks these nesting dolls, we gradually learn about the love affair between our protagonists. Her old life in small-town Maine certainly seems a long way behind her. A gothic novel of intense passion, betrayal, and bitter vengeance underpinned by the quiet beauty of Bronts lyricism Wuthering Heights is an iconoclastic masterpiece that has inspired film-makers, novelists, poets, and song-writers for generations. Did I mention there are twelve? The silver devil himself is also a completely unique character, but probably the truest representation of a Machiavellian antihero in fiction. I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Their clash of wills leads to many humorous moments, and their love for each other might be atypical but its delightful. After reading this book, youll want an office nemesis just so you can play the gameand drive Human Resources a little crazy in the process. Topics are things like World War 1, dinosaurs, grief, or jazz. Trust real people, not robots, to give you book recommendations. But despite all that, I honestly did feel the love between them, and Ilikedthat it wasnt crazily anachronistic. He wont rest until he finds the culprit who turns out to be a delightful young woman named Prudence Haversham, who actually meant to tattoo the previous duke as revenge. Trust book recommendations from real people, not robots . Lucy and Josh have so much chemistry that it manifests as anger, frustration, and, yes, hate. ), By: Emma Barry, Genevieve Turner | 244 pages | Published: 2016 | Popular Shelves: romance, historical, historical-romance, romance-historical, ebook | Search "Earth Bound by Emma Barry". as one of their favorite books, and they share Where the Crawdads Sing, His risky lifestyle catches up with him when, attacked and injured, he is forced to seek sanctuary in the basement of a stranger. Randall is an extremely underrated Heyer hero, and hes absolutely one of my favourites. Adrian is a very interesting character: hes tormented by lust, but also by an extreme religiosity, which is woven into the fabric of his personality. authors picked Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe is a tender and lyrical reminder that love in all its many forms should be open, deep, and without shame. But they can never be together, because the year is 1811, and an entire continent plus her loyalty to her father lie between them. Amid the bleak and feral atmosphere of the Yorkshire moors, the novel revolves obsessively around the tempestuous course of Cathy and Heathcliffs self-destructive love affair. Victorian rat-catcher Mick Tremore might be handsome, but it isnt his looks Lady Edwina Bollash is interested in. But those who persevere with this colossus of a novel are richly rewarded. The bastard daughter of an innkeeper, Felicia knows she is destined for an uneventful life. Merlin Lambourne is an eccentric genius and possibly the only hope England has of defeating Napoleon. 91 Chapters Every 2.2 Day (s) 854 Readers 6 Reviews 03-02-2023. Medical researchers, nerdy humor, mistaken cues, and missed romantic opportunitiessign me up! the flawed but indomitable human spirit. author picked With a few key couples dominating the pages in the style of Anna Karenina, we see the action through their eyes and feel their struggle to maintain hope after endless sacrifices. In my travels, Ive also come across some wonderful, truly unusual historical romances which deserve special recognition. This witty, sophisticated tale of societal intrigue and domestic dramas has a lot to offer Austen fans, and Heyers pacy comedy-of-manners is served with a generous helping of heart-stopping romance. A last-ditch effort to get a date to the high school dance leads to an unexpected romance in A Walk to Remember, Nicholas Sparks follow-up to smash hit The Notebook. When Ransom, Lord Falconer arrives to meet the reclusive inventor, hes stunned to discover that its a beautiful woman. With a publication date of 1958, this is the second-oldest book on my list and one of the absolute best. Theres also a sweet F/F side romance! | Source, Not sure if you'd like this because the hero is super alpha, but I've recently read Nobody's Baby But Mine by Susan Elizabeth Phillips. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. its doing it in front of a stadium full of disappointed baseball fans. Tragedy dogs his life; he leaves behind him a trail of dead wives and children. With a Netflix adaptation in the works, nows your chance to get ahead of the hype and join this YA series cult following before its cool. Owner of a successful all-women newspaper, she campaigns to prove to 1877 society that equal rights is something that can and should happen. Guillory kicks off with a man on one knee; its not the usual way to start a love story, but this proposal isnt followed by happily ever after. What she doesnt expect is to start falling for the handsome prince. Her fathers character is basically the whole reason this book is on this list. Popular and outgoing class president Landon doesnt think he has much in common with the preachers daughter Jamie, until circumstance forces them together. If youre a die-hard fan of the television phenomenon Poldark, youll be delighted to hear that there are twelve (yes, twelve) novels to consume. Louisa Cantwell is a mercenary. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. . Related list: Brainy/Genius Romantic Heroines flag All Votes Add Books To This List Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 Next A member of a wealthy, free 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. Spoiled Southern belle Scarlett OHara only ever had to worry about her love life, until poverty threatened to wipe out her familys plantation. This list was created and voted on by Goodreads members. Nothing else matters, and she is perfectly willing to expend her own life in the pursuit of this aim. An astonishing exploration of devotion and reunions, and the unrealistic expectations we place on those we love, Love in the Time of Cholera doesnt just ask whether the hero will get the girl it asks whether he should. When Sophia Stanton-Lacy is dropped on her aunts doorstep by her diplomat father, shes not quite what any of her extended family were expecting. why you should read it. The nerves and angst as the hero/heroine tries to keep a handle on their feelings in an attempt to not spoil the friendship is chef's kiss. It chronicles the experiences of a privileged but modest young man, who comes up against unrequited love, heartbreak, and society politics on his journey to self-discovery.