It’s easy to see why Best Romance Novels of All Time is such a popular genre among readers all across the world. A good love tale contains drama, intrigue, jokes, and, in case you’re fortunate, a little warmth; whereas the absolute best romance books can feel very much like falling head over heels — close and individual, yet tremendous and life getting updated at the same time.
From historical regency romance to modern novels about love in the digital era, we’ve assembled a list of our greatest romance novels. So if you’re looking for a how-to or cautionary story (there are plenty), want to read the next rom-com blockbuster before it hits Netflix, or just want to lose yourself in classic romantic cliches, we’ve got you covered.
Sometimes you just want to read a book that makes you feel happy and cozy and gives you a positive outlook on the world. You want a book that completely ruins your emotions while making you a better person as a result. And believe us when we say we’ve found the ideal book for you.
A selection of some of our favorite novels that have made us cry in public can be found below. Book enthusiasts, have fun reading. Don’t blame us if we didn’t warn you!
1. The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang
A pleasant and exciting debut novel that illustrates one thing: no amount of data can forecast what will make your heartbeat. Stella Lane believes that arithmetic is the only thing that holds the universe together.
She creates algorithms to forecast client purchases, a career that has provided her with more money than she knows what to do with and far less dating experience than the average thirty-year-old. Stella has Asperger’s syndrome, and French kissing makes her think of a shark getting its teeth cleaned by pilot fish. She requires a great deal of practice, preferably with a professional. That is why she hires Michael Phan, an escort.
The Vietnamese and Swedish beauty can’t say no to Stella’s offer, so she offers to help her check off all the boxes on her lesson plan, from foreplay to a position that’s more than missionary… Stella soon discovers that she not only enjoys his kisses but also craves all of the other sensations he gives her.
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Their no-nonsense relationship soon begins to make bizarre sense. And the pattern that emerges will persuade Stella that the best type of logic is love. A charming and affectionate portrayal of the love life of a neurodivergent woman, The Kiss Quotient is a breath of fresh air — we doubt you’ll have read a romance quite like this before.
2. The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
Henry has the ability to travel through time. He travels across time without being able to stop himself. On one of his future self’s excursions into the past, he meets young Clare, his wife. That is, in fact, when she meets him for the first time.
Clare and Henry met when Clare was six years old and Henry was thirty-six years old, and they married when Clare was twenty-two and Henry was thirty. Henry suffers from an unusual genetic ailment that causes his genetic clock to reset regularly, causing him to be pushed into his past or future. Henry and Clare’s attempt to live regular lives in the face of a force they can neither prevent nor control is both profoundly touching and completely unforgettable.
The only constant part in their story, aside from their love for each other, is the waiting, especially on Clare’s side. The wait for him to resurface, for them to genuinely meet in the present, for them to be together at long last.
3. Loving Mr. Daniels by Brittainy Cherry
“Loving Mr. Daniels” is an emotional roller coaster of a story, which unfolds in a non-linear manner. Secrets are revealed almost to the end. The novel is filled with secrets, betrayal, loss, death, forgiveness, redemption, with love shining through.
This is a beautiful story about how life doesn’t always turn out the way we want it to, but if we’re willing to work hard enough, we can still have a wonderful life. It’s a good, fascinating story that’s also simple to read.
This is the ideal holiday read; you can pick it up and immediately immerse yourself in the plot. The novel “Loving Mr. Daniels” is a fun read that moves along at a good clip. It’s not too fast, but it’s fast enough to keep the reader interested in finding out what happens next.
4. The Way I Used to be bt Amber Smith
I’ll begin by giving a solid trigger warning for this one, as it deals with the aftermath of a sexual assault — however, this is additionally a book about healing, trauma, and finding inward strength that is profound and ensured to make you cry.
Eden had a knack for being a kind person. She didn’t change so much after starting high school. Eden’s world comes crashing down the night her brother’s best friend rapes her.
What was once simple has become more complicated. Eden despises what she once adored, as well as the people she previously adored. What she thought she understood to be true has now been proven to be false. Nothing makes sense now, and she knows she should tell someone what occurred, but she is unable to do so. She decides to bury it instead. And she buries the person she was before.
This startling debut is told in four parts—freshman, sophomore, junior, and senior year—and portrays the deep cuts of trauma. But it also shows one young woman’s strength as she navigates adolescence’s disappointments and agonizing sorrows, first love and first heartbreak, shattered and rebuilt friendships, and learning to accept a force of survival she never realized she possessed concealed within her heart.
This book is a noteworthy, miserable story of determination and endurance, told in four primary school areas.
5. The Last True Love Story by Brendan Kiely
The Last True Love Story is a touching multi-generational tale about the importance of family as well as falling in love. There’s lots of fun adventure in this novel, but what I really liked about it was how it respected moments that are both quiet and life-changing at the same time.”
A calm, meditative take on scorching summer nights and the classic teen love story comes from the New York Times bestselling and critically acclaimed coauthor of All American Boys and author of The Gospel of Winter, as two youngsters embark on a cross-country journey of the heart and soul.
Learning to love is the purpose of life. That is Gpa’s opinion. That sounds like another line from a pop song that tries to persuade kids that life doesn’t have to be so bad. To Hendrix and Corrina, both seventeen but otherwise only similar in their loneliness, that sounds like another line from a pop song that tries to persuade kids that life doesn’t have to be so bad. So, let’s talk about love. Yes, of course.
Corrina’s adoptive parents are stifling her, trying to shape her into someone acceptable, predictable, and like them. She’s a musician on the lookout for any opportunity to break free and become the person she truly desires. Whoever it is, thank you.
Hendrix is also cool. I’m a poet in a way. But I’m also a little lost. His father is no longer alive, and his mother is committed to her job. Gpa is his sole true family, but he is rapidly deteriorating due to Alzheimer’s disease. Hendrix has made an impossible promise to Gpa, hoping to help the man who reared him: he’ll get him back east to the hill where he first kissed his wife before his disease erases all memory of her.
Hendrix and Corrina decide to take a chance one hot July night. They steal a car, drag Gpa out of his assisted care home, cram Old Humper the dog into the back seat, and set out on a cross-country journey from Los Angeles to New York. With their parents, Gpa’s physicians, and the cops on their tails, Hendrix and Corrina set out to see if what Gpa believes is true—that love stories are the only stories that last.
6. Barely Missing Everything by Matt Mendez
In this sad, no-holds-barred debut novel, three young Mexican Americans fight to overcome their particular challenges while struggling with how to make a better life for themselves when it appears like brown lives don’t count. “There are times when a narrative shakes you…Barely Missing Everything is one of those stories, and Mendez, a great storyteller with a distinct voice, is destined to cause a literary tremor.” Long Way Down author Jason Reynolds, New York Times bestselling author.
Juan has a game plan. He’s going to acquire a basketball scholarship and get out of El Paso, Texas, to make a name for himself—or at least find something better than his mother Fabi’s filthy apartment, her stream of bad partners, and a dead father. Basketball will be his route out, as well as his route up. All he has to do now is make it happen.
JD, his best friend, has his own intentions. He wants to be a filmmaker like Quentin Tarantino or Guillermo del Toro one day (NOT Steven Spielberg). He’s got a camera and a burning desire—what more could he ask for?
Fabi no longer has a strategy. When you’re sixteen and pregnant, and you’ve been bartending to make ends meet for the past seventeen years, you learn that plans don’t always work out and that there are some things you can’t prepare for…
Juan’s run-in with the cops, a sprained ankle, and a dreadful math grade will almost certainly cost him a scholarship. JD, for example, is responsible for his family’s disintegration. Like letters from a death row inmate named Mando. It’s like learning that this man could be your mother’s father, whom she claimed was deceased.
Soon, Juan and JD will be on a road trip to see Mando, a la Thelma and Louise. Juan will meet his father for the first time, JD has found the perfect subject for his documentary, and Fabi is determined to stop them. However, as we all know, there are some things you simply cannot plan for…
7. You’ll Miss Me When I’m Gone by Rachel Lynn Solomon
A compelling and poetic debut novel about twins navigating first love, Jewish identity, and opposing results from a genetic test that determines their fate—whether they inherited their mother’s Huntington’s disease or not.
Adina and Tovah, twins aged eighteen, have little in common other than their ambition. Adina, a viola prodigy, dreams of becoming a soloist and persuading her music teacher that he wants her the way she wants him. Tovah, an overachiever, is waiting for her acceptance letter from Johns Hopkins, the first step in her medical school journey and a career as a surgeon.
A genetic test for Huntington’s disease, a rare degenerative disease that slowly robs control of the body and mind, could jeopardize their carefully planned lives. It’s made their Israeli mother feel like an outsider, and it’s shattered the sisters’ own closeness in ways they’ll never confess. Adina defies the precepts of their Jewish religion, while Tovah finds comfort in it.
When the test results come back, one twin tests negative for Huntington’s disease, while the other tests positive. As they grapple with shame, treachery, and the surprising thrill of first love, these opposing consequences force them more apart. Is their relationship worth salvaging, and how can they mend it?
Rachel Lynn Solomon’s debut novel is a bright, tragic story about life, death, and the fragile link between sisters.
8. Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson
Taylor Edwards never felt like she stood out, even though she was sandwiched between two remarkable siblings—except for her habit of fleeing when things became too complex. Then Taylor’s dad is diagnosed with cancer, and the prognosis is bad — only a few months left to live bad. The Edwards’ decide to spend one last summer all together at their lake house.
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Taylor hasn’t been to the summer house since she was twelve, and she definitely never planned on going back. Up at the lake, she is confronted with people she thought she left behind, like her former best friend, Lucy, and Henry Crosby, her first crush, who’s all grown up…and a lot cuter. Suddenly Taylor is surrounded by memories she’d rather leave in the past—but she can’t run away this time.
Taylor realizes she has a second chance—with friends, family, and perhaps even love—as the days on the beach turn into nights gazing at the sky. But she realizes that once the summer is over, there would be no way to make up for what she has lost. This is a stunning story about hope in the face of painful tragedy from Morgan Matson.
9. Teach Me to Forget by Erica M. Chapman
Ellery’s pain over the death of her young sister is pushing her down a dark path in this heartwrenching story of misfortune and the excursion to trust that is ideal for fanatics of Girl in Pieces and All the Bright Places.
Ellery has decided that she no longer wishes to live. She can’t face the rest of her shattered family or take the grief of losing her younger sister in a car crash she blames on herself. So she’s created a plan: she’s bought the pistol, planned her funeral, and set the date. Everything has come together.
Then, on the day she plans to commit herself, she meets Colter, a young man who senses her desperation and becomes determined to stop her. Ellery isn’t easily influenced, but as she grapples with her despair, it becomes evident that Colter has strong reasons for his vigilance—deep, emotional reasons. Ellery can’t let go, whether he likes it or not.
10. Three Things I Know Are True by Betty Culley
Yes, this narrative deals with some very serious issues, yet the moving and incredibly honest verses will break and reassemble your heart.
When Liv’s elder brother, Jonah, unintentionally shoots himself with Clay’s father’s rifle, his life is permanently changed. Jonah now needs 24-hour care just to stay alive, and Liv believes she is the only one who can see that her brother is still alive within his damaged body.
With Liv’s mother suing Clay’s family, the community is divided in ways Liv isn’t supposed to traverse. But Clay is a friend of hers, and she refuses to abandon him, just as she refuses to abandon Jonah.
This magnificent novel-in-verse explores tragedy, grief, compassion, and forgiveness.
11. Just Breathe by Cammie McGovern
This novel is a cross between Five Feet Apart and If I Stay, so there’s no way you won’t be crying at some (or many) parts. You’ll be frantically hoping that David and Jamie can both find healing and happiness as their relationship develops.
David Scheinman, who has cystic fibrosis, is the popular president of his senior class. Jamie Turner is a shy sophomore who is suffering from despair.
The two quickly find that they can be more themselves with one other than with anybody else, and their odd friendship begins to blossom into something much more.
But neither Jamie nor David can bring themselves to divulge the secrets that are weighing the most heavily on their hearts—and their window of opportunity for honesty may be closing.
12. The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks
Noah and Allie’s narrative is told through three connected snapshots: their adolescence, the early thirties, and old age. We eventually learn about our characters’ love story as our enigmatic, old narrator unpacks these nesting dolls. Will these childhood sweethearts ever be reunited? With meddling families, possessive fiancés, and World War II was thrown into the mix, the universe seemed to have conspired to keep them apart. Although some may dismiss it as chick lit, The Notebook is a surefire tearjerker every time. Who’d have guessed that the words “if you’re a bird, I’m a bird” could elicit such strong emotions?
13. Call Me by Your Name by André Aciman
Call Me by Your Name, the narrative of a young man’s love with his family’s lodger is set against the backdrop of a long, hot Italian summer.
Elio and Oliver’s love affair is as sweet and heartfelt as it is intense and passionate, and it begins awkwardly, slowly, and subtly before reaching new heights as the summer draws to a conclusion.
This examination of first love and sexual awakening is brilliantly realized and surprisingly honest, making it a modern classic of LGBT+ fiction.
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You’ll be clamoring for more the second you’ve finished reading. You won’t have to say goodbye to Elio and Oliver just yet, thanks to Aciman’s release of a sequel last year. It’s an instant classic and one of our generation’s greatest love stories.
14. They Both Die At The End by Adam Silvera
In this tragic yet uplifting book about two people whose lives transform over the course of one unforgettable day, Adam Silvera reminds us that there is no life without death and no love without loss.
On September 5, a little after midnight, Death-Cast calls Mateo Torrez and Rufus Emeterio to give them some bad news: They’re going to die today.
Mateo and Rufus are total strangers, but, for different reasons, they’re both looking to make a new friend on their End Day. The good news: There’s an app for that. It’s called the Last Friend, and through it, Rufus and Mateo are about to meet up for one last great adventure—to live a lifetime in a single day.
In the tradition of Before I Fall and If I Stay, They Both Die at the End is a tour de force from acclaimed author Adam Silvera, whose debut, More Happy Than Not, the New York Times called “profound.”
The book includes a map of the novel’s characters and their connections, an exclusive essay by the author, and a behind-the-scenes look at the novel’s early concepts.
Best Romance Novels of All Time:: They Both Die At The End by Adam Silvera
New York Times bestseller * 4 starred reviews * A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year * A Kirkus Best Book of the Year * A Booklist Editors’ Choice of 2017 * A Bustle Best YA Novel of 2017 * A Paste Magazine Best YA Book of 2017 * A Book Riot Best Queer Book of 2017 * A Buzzfeed Best YA Book of the Year * A BookPage Best YA Book of the Year
15. Beach Read by Emily Henry
Do you like to liven up your week with something light and fun? Perhaps a light book that may restore your faith in love? I’ve got just what you’re looking for. Emily Henry, the author of The Love That Split The World in 2016, comes back with Beach Read.
Beach Read is a classic tale of “girl meets boy, girl despises guy, girl assumes boy despises her as well when, in fact, this is not the case, and they fall in love.” Nerds like myself, on the other hand, will adore the adorable literary twist, in which both protagonists are writers.
Beach Read, Henry’s witty and sensual page-turner, offered us all a taste of the summer romance we’d missed out on in 2020. January, a hopeless romantic, and Gus, who believes happy endings belong in fairy tales, trade genres rather than numbers in order to break a crippling case of writer’s block. January must complete the next great piece of literary fiction before the end of the summer, while Gus must complete a bestseller romance novel. Two authors, two beach bungalows, and plenty of witty dialogue — let’s hope Henry is a fan of happily-ever-after endings.
16. Early Departures by Justin A. Reynolds
For readers of Nicola Yoon, Becky Albertalli, and Adam Silvera, Justin A. Reynolds returns with another entertaining and strong YA contemporary novel with a speculative twist, Opposite of Always.
What if you could bring your best friend back to life—but only for a short time?
Q, Jamal’s best friend, has no idea he died, or that he’s likely to die again. He has no idea that Jamal attempted to save him. And that the reason they haven’t been friends in two years is because Jamal holds Q responsible for his parents’ deaths in a car accident.
But what if Jamal was given another chance? Q can be reanimated for a few weeks before he dies… permanently, according to breakthrough technology. And Q’s mother will not allow anyone to sabotage this miracle by informing Q of his impending death. So, if Jamal can’t give Q the truth, how can he fix everything?
Early Departures weaves together loss, sadness, friendship, and love to create a one-of-a-kind tribute to the ties that bind individuals for life—and beyond.
17. The Proposal by Jasmine Guillory
The Proposal is a lighthearted and flirty tale about a second shot at love that is a New York Times bestselling romance novel and a favorite among book clubs and celebrity book-lovers alike.
Guilty begins with a man on one knee; it’s an unusual way to begin a love story, but this proposal doesn’t end happily ever after.
When Nik’s boyfriend proposes to her, saying no isn’t the difficult part (he can’t even spell her name correctly!) – it’s saying no in front of a stadium full of unhappy baseball fans. Fortunately, attractive doctor Carlos arrives to whisk her away from the chaos and into an epic rebound of food, fun, and spectacular sex.
But how serious can these sham hookups grow before someone intervenes?
18. Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
After an international crisis compels them to pretend to be best friends, the First Son falls in love with the Prince of Wales in this big-hearted romantic comedy.
Have you ever wondered what would have happened if a woman had won the 2016 presidential election, a British royal had fallen in love with a different American, and a global epidemic hadn’t struck in 2020? (Hand raises.) Alex Claremont-Diaz is the son of the United States president, and he has one problem: he despises British nobility, particularly Prince Henry and his absurdly attractive face. When the two come to blows at a royal wedding, putting the two countries’ relations in jeopardy, what else could you do but manufacture a phony relationship to make things right?
This is a comical yet heartwarming story about enemies-to-lovers that will make you laugh and cry at the same time. This is a must-read!
19. How to Make Friends with the Dark by Kathleen Glasgow
From the New York Times bestselling author of Girl in Pieces comes a novel about love and loss and learning how to continue when it feels like you’re surrounded by darkness that Karen M. McManus, the New York Times bestselling author of One of Us Is Lying, calls “rare and powerful.”
Make sure you have plenty of tissues on hand for this tale of a girl who finds strength in the face of adversity.
When your mother passes away, this is what occurs.
It’s the hottest day of the year, but it’s dark outside. Your house is dark, your room is dark, and your heart is gloomy. You have the feeling that the darkness is going to tear you apart.
That’s how Tiger is feeling right now. Tiger and her mother have always been pitted against the world. Then Tiger’s mother passes away on an ordinary day. And now Tiger is on his own.
This is how you become friends with the darkness.
20. Kiss an Angel by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Kiss An Angel is a classic contemporary romance novel has released the audiobook in 2020. Daisy Devreaux, a flighty socialite, is given an ultimatum by her father: either go to prison for not paying her debts or marry the stranger he has chosen for her. Daisy opts for the second option and marries circus manager Alex Markov, who wants her to work at the circus to make ends meet.
With the exception of Daisy and the circus animals, every character in this novel has the ability to fall off a cliff and die a horrible death. In fact, I’ll be the one to shove them off. Daisy’s father, stepmother, and late mother are all manipulative jerks. Daisy is a victim of parental neglect and emotional manipulation. Her stepmother and parents have little regard for her. Her hubby isn’t any better. Daisy had no faith in Alex, which I could understand at first. But that doesn’t give him the right to humiliate her or to stand by and watch as others do so. He eventually sees he was a jerk for making assumptions about Daisy. He starts defending her, and that’s when the relationship begins.
Despite the fact that Alex begins to care for Daisy and the two begin to spend a lot of time together, he still has reservations about her. And he conceals essential information from her, such as his true profession outside of the circus.
As I already stated, Alex became tolerable…until the climax, when he says something completely unforgivable to the heroine. In the end, he does some groveling and fights for her, which takes some of the stings out of his heinous behavior.
21. From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout
From Blood and Ash is a seductive, engrossing, and unexpected fantasy that will appeal to readers of Sarah J. Maas and Laura Thalassa.
Poppy’s life has never been her own, having been chosen from birth to usher in a new era. The Maiden’s life is lonesome. To be avoided at all costs. To be avoided at all costs. Never, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever Never to have a good time. She would rather remain with the guards, fighting back the evil that had taken her family, than prepare to be considered worthy by the gods, as she awaited her Ascension. But she’s never had a say in the matter.
Poppy is responsible for the entire kingdom’s destiny, something she isn’t sure she wants for herself. A Maiden has a heart, after all. There’s also a soul. As well as a sense of longing. When Hawke, a golden-eyed guard honor bound to ensure her Ascension, enters her life, fate and duty become entwined with desire and need. He arouses her rage, causes her to doubt everything she believes, and tempts her with the forbidden.
A fallen nation, forsaken by the gods and hated by mortals, is rising once more, determined to reclaim what they believe is rightfully theirs via bloodshed and retribution. The boundary between what is unlawful and what is right gets increasingly blurred as the shadow of the cursed grows closer. Poppy is on the verge of losing not only her heart and being deemed unworthy by the gods, but possibly her life, as the blood-soaked threads holding her world together begin to unravel.
Final Words:- Best Romance Novels of All Time
All of the passionate love scenes and heart-melting moments you’ve seen in movies are amplified in romance novels. Now, if you could please read the following statement with a British accent: Without further ado, here are the 21 Romance Best Romance Novels of All Time that will pique your interest—and who knows what else? 😉
So these were some of the best Romance Best Romance Novels of All Time that we reviewed. Have you also read these books? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
