Any time we embark on a new romance, we know it could end any way from heartbreak to happily ever after. No matter how a couple concludes their story, the thrill of tension and drama in their buildup keeps us turning pages for more. These 10 novels are full of moments that might just make readers gasp, blush, or even swoon.
Lady Gallant by Suzanne Robinson
The romance between Nora, a spy of Queen Mary’s court, and Christian, a rogue who arrives on the scene in a moment of crisis, both crackles with intensity and simmers with intrigue. With unbridled emotions that teeter on an edge between passion and turmoil, and secrets and fears on both sides, their love is tested throughout Lady Gallant. In their ups and downs, readers discover just how much Christian will bare his soul for a chance at a happy ending with the person he loves.
Luna and the Lie by Mariana Zapata
Tough and storied pasts are features of both sides to the romance of Luna and the Lie. For protagonist Luna, the struggles of her upbringing don’t stop her from building a full life for herself, including three sisters and a network of friends and coworkers. When it comes to her new boss, Lucas Ripley, or Rip, his history contextualizes the hard exterior he puts out towards Luna and everyone else in his life. For all of his attitude, however, Rip not only fails to escape the slow-burning flame of his passion for Luna but also finds himself groveling to keep it ablaze with everything he has.
The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro
For those who prefer their romantic yearning with a thread of tragedy, Ishiguro’s tale of a man reckoning with his identity as a butler of a stately English home is the perfect novel. In his faithful attendance to his profession, the story’s protagonist, Stevens, views and interacts with the world through a strict code of loyalty and etiquette. While such a lifestyle is fundamental to his character, deep feelings for a fellow servant of the estate stir beneath the surface and refuse to be stifled completely.
Kiss an Angel by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
The match between flighty, spoiled socialite Daisy Devreaux and cold, gruff circus owner Alex Markov was made not in heaven, but arranged as the only alternative to Daisy facing jail. With their marriage being thrust upon both of them, Alex’s patience for his new wife is scant as he whisks her away to his circus, and the frost is slow to thaw into affection. However, as Daisy finds a new footing throughout Kiss An Angel, power in their relationship shifts, leaving Alex to beg for a place next to the woman he once commanded without a second thought.
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Not even this novel’s title vices could stand in the way of the epic love between Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennett. Their path towards a happy ending, however, is rife with desires and affections kept at bay. Despite the initial impressions left on Ms. Bennett and readers alike, gestures from impassioned declarations in the pouring rain to humble acts of service all come to reveal the depth of passions in one of literature’s most helplessly devoted men.
The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks
In a society of “men who can never let it go,” Noah Calhoun is president. That is to say, his love for Allie Hamilton, daughter of an upper-class family with whom he shared a passionate summer fling, never dimmed over their fourteen years of separation, even despite the disapproval of her parents. In expressions of affection from manual labor and artistry to persistent letter-writing, Allie’s reunification with Noah shows her that the young love they shared was something to last through all seasons, forcing her to weigh her family’s expectations against the desire in her heart.
This is How You Lose the Time War by Max Gladstone
Forbidden love across warring parties is taken to a worldwide scale in Gladstone’s science-fiction novel, This is How You Lose the Time War. In the desolate landscape of a time war, where agents move through and manipulate the course of history for their agency’s desired outcome, love blossoms unexpectedly in written correspondence between two members of opposing groups. Their dedication to one another and to a future together endures, even through life-or-death stakes and perilous journeys across dimensions.
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Is there anyone who could top Jay Gatsby in grand gestures? Whether having been subjected to Fitzgerald’s tale in high school English class, or having picked up the classic novel for pleasure, many readers are well-acquainted with the aristocrat’s lavish lifestyle, and the one woman for whom all his theatrics were orchestrated. Love seems almost the wrong word for what is at play in The Great Gatsby, with obsession and delusion eating at Gatsby as much as true affection, but no one can deny his devotion to pining away.
Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez
The relationship of the two ER doctors at the heart of Yours Truly begins in a flurry of emotion and miscommunication. Beyond tricky first impressions and the confusion of a fake-dating scenario, the love that emerges between protagonist Briana and her newest coworker, Jacob, develops alongside trust, vulnerability, and healing. Gestures of affection in Jimenez’s story are big, some even life-saving, but the romance simultaneously reveals how some of the grandest things we can do for our partner transcend heart-shaped boxes or dozen-count bouquets.
Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë
Though there is only a short distance between the houses of Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange, a great divide exists between those who reside in the two homes. Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff battle their way through the pages of Wuthering Heights, sharing at once a deep affection and stubborn vengefulness towards one another. The intensity of their connection lingers over Heathcliff even through their sparring and separation, haunting him as a lifelong, all-consuming attachment.
These novels give us the emotional rollercoaster we yearn for and satisfy that need our bookish hearts crave.
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