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Romance novels that’ll make you swoon
Once read in private and relegated to the back of bookshelves, romance novels are having something of a moment. Their cutesy (or spicy) covers are on proud display. They’re the subject of countless BookTok videos, where unabashed readers recount the swooniest moments. And they’re absolutely dominating when it comes to book sales.
And, well, there’s a good reason for that. Romance novels are escapism at its finest. The best books in the genre are comforting and captivating, featuring great plots, snappy dialogue and characters readers can’t stop talking about. (Need proof? The hashtag #Rhysand, the name of the love interest in Sarah J. Maas’s A Court of Thorns and Roses series, has 2.9 billion views on TikTok.)
So where can you find the best romance novels of all time? Our list is a good place to start. Our picks represent voices and stories that deserve recognition. They’re surefire page-turners: bestselling hits that have become blockbuster movies or hit TV series, swoonworthy openers to romance book series, classics that have withstood the test of time and stories that have garnered thousands of rave reviews from fans. We even asked Reader’s Digest book editors to weigh in—their favorites are noted with a Reader’s Digest Editor’s Pick seal.
Join the free Reader’s Digest Book Club for great reads, monthly discussions, author Q&As and a community of book lovers.
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1. Happy Place by Emily Henry
Release date: 2023
Last summer, Emily Henry did it again: gifted romance lovers with another contemporary love story in a beachy setting tied together with complicated characters, witty banter and steamy sex scenes, that is. Happy Place is a second-chance romance about Harriet and Wyn. They’re a picture-perfect couple—or at least they were before they broke up five months ago. Now they’re stuck in the same house for a summer reunion with friends who don’t know they’re no longer engaged. As Harriet navigates newly strained friendships alongside her newly estranged fiancé, tension mounts. Can she get through the week with love left for her longtime happy place?
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2. Love & Other Scams by Philip Ellis
Release date: 2023
Recommended by one of our favorite authors, R. Eric Thomas (who wrote Congratulations, the Best Is Over!), this feel-good rom-com follows a con-artist duo as they attempt to pull off a high-dollar heist at one of the most lavish weddings of the year. The fake-dating scenario in Love & Other Scams will have you laughing out loud and rooting for romance as the two play a flirty cat-and-mouse game with the bridal party … and each other’s hearts.
Looking for your next great book? Read four of today’s bestselling novels in the time it takes to read one with Fiction Favorites!
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3. Bride by Ali Hazelwood
Release date: Feb. 6, 2024
This year, Ali Hazelwood, the bestselling author of the sexy STEM rom-com Love, Theoretically, takes fans on a wild ride with a romantic fantasy featuring vampires and werewolves. This first foray into the paranormal romance genre may have hit fans of her contemporary rom-coms like a plot twist, but readers who received advance copies of the book say Bride delivers. It’s a slow-burn love story that ignites with a marriage of convenience between two sworn enemies: a vampire named Misery and an alpha wolf named Lowe. Get ready for Hazelwood’s classic whip-smart banter and complex character development in a brand-new paranormal universe.
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4. The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen by KJ Charles
Release date: 2023
Who’s in the mood for a delightful LGBTQ tryst between a smuggler and a baronet? This roguish historical novel offers a second-chance romance shot through with a whole lot of sexiness and derring-do. Gareth Inglis is a lonely clerk who has just inherited a mansion in remote and strange Romney Marsh. Joss Doomsday is his one-time fling who happens to operate a smuggling ring in the area. When the two men’s paths cross once again, they must decide whether to trust those around them, or their hearts. Once you’ve turned the final page of The Secret Lives of Country Gentleman, pick up the second installment in the series, the equally fun A Nobleman’s Guide to Seducing a Scoundrel.
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5. A Love Song for Ricki Wilde by Tia Williams
Release date: Feb. 6, 2024
Desperately seeking a new magical realism romance to read? Tia Williams’s A Love Song for Ricki Wilde to the rescue! One of the most anticipated books of 2024 follows Ricki, a lonely flower shop owner in Harlem, as she falls in love with the music and culture of her neighborhood while growing increasingly intrigued by a handsome stranger named Ezra. Fate keeps bringing the two together, so what’s left to do but give into the feelings he sparks within her? Yet there’s more than one kind of magic at play. Can she and Ezra stay linked against all odds?
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6. Honey & Spice by Bolu Babalola
Release date: 2022
Fake relationship? Snarky heroine? University setting? Yes, please! Kiki Banjo is an independent Black British woman known for her quick wit, sharp tongue and the advice she gives her friends about avoiding relationships with men who don’t deserve them. She certainly wouldn’t fall in love with a player like Malakai Korede, no matter how much chemistry they have. But when the pair find themselves “dating” to maintain their reputations, Kiki’s ideas about love are tested. Bolu Babalola’s sexy, hilarious debut novel was an instant bestseller and a Reese’s Book Club pick.
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7. The Good Part by Sophie Cousens
Release date: 2023
Feel-good fiction at its finest, The Good Part by Sophie Cousens wonders what life would be like if we could suddenly skip to the good part. You’ll fall for the tender story of down-on-her-luck Lucy and the bond she forges with her future husband and kids when she’s whisked decades ahead in life. Pick up this novel when you need a major mood boost.
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8. Full Exposure by Thien-Kim Lam
Release date: 2023
Full Exposure is Thien-Kim Lam’s sophomore romance novel and a perfectly breezy summer read. It follows photographer Josie Parks and ex-corporate drone Spencer Pham, who meet in New Orleans’s famous Mardi Gras parade. Spencer has left his boring job to make a film about his family’s history as the first Vietnamese Mardi Gras krewe, and Josie is taking a rare vacation from her workaholic lifestyle. Sparks fly despite their opposing personality types, and soon the Big Easy fling gets serious. But can they balance their artistic pursuits, different locations and love affair? This latest work from the author of the acclaimed Happy Endings is sure to make you laugh, sigh and crave some beignets.
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9. Love on the Brain by Ali Hazelwood
Release date: 2022
If the paranormal plot of Ali Hazelwood’s 2024 release, Bride, isn’t your thing, don’t worry: The New York Times bestselling author has plenty of modern romances to read. Our favorite? Love on the Brain. Bee Königswasser is a purple-haired scientist and self-proclaimed STEMinist who’s just been offered her dream job at NASA. There’s just one problem: Her co-lead on the project is her grad school archnemesis, the unfairly attractive Levi Ward. What would Marie Curie do in this situation? What will Bee do? This hilarious yet brainy story will charm and entice anyone who loves romance novels, especially fans of the classic enemies-to-lovers plot line.
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10. A Caribbean Heiress in Paris by Adriana Herrera
Release date: 2022
Adriana Herrera has crafted a lush historical romance in A Caribbean Heiress in Paris. It’s 1889, and Luz Alana is on her way to Paris with her two best friends, 300 casks of Santo Domingo rum and one goal in mind: to expand her family’s rum business at the Exposition Universelle. She’s also determined not to fall in love along the way.
Fortunately, that won’t happen with the Earl of Darnick, James Evanston Sinclair. Sure, he’s the only man who wants to help her build her business, despite her being a woman of color. And yes, Luz can’t access her inheritance unless she marries. But she’s certainly not going to fall for some entitled Scottish earl. Especially not one with a successful whiskey business. Herrera’s steamy, feminist tale is a must-read. Even better? It’s just the first in a sizzling book series.
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11. Seven Days in June by Tia Williams
Release date: 2021
Biding your time until A Love Song for Ricki Wilde‘s February release? We suggest picking up Tia Williams’s previous novel, Seven Days in June, while you wait. So what are you in for? Eva Mercy writes bestselling vampire books, but she’s an exhausted single mom with no time for real-life romance. Instead, she channels desire into her novels. But then she sees Shane at a conference. He stole her heart during a wild week 15 years ago. Could the two give it another go? Get ready for laugh-out-loud writing in this steamy romance novel with genuine heart.
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12. Love at First by Kate Clayborn
Release date: 2021
One of Kate Clayborn’s most romantic books yet, Love at First combines beautiful writing with an affecting story and endearing characters. Will is a busy doctor who inherits an apartment he plans to sell. But that doesn’t work for the other tenants of the building, especially Nora, who’s determined to keep things as they were when her grandmother owned her unit. She sets out to sabotage his plans, but love has a way of foiling them. You’ll dog-ear this one for its wonderful storytelling—it rivals the writing in any of our favorite romantic movies.
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13. A Spot of Trouble by Teri Wilson
Release date: 2021
Set in a charming beach town, this light and lovely romance novel follows two Dalmatian owners whose dogs look exactly the same. Violet is the police chief’s daughter and the proud owner of Sprinkles. After the arrival of a new fireman, a rival for her father and the owner of a dog that looks just like Sprinkles, shenanigans ensue. Violet finds herself falling in love in this humorous enemies-to-lovers romance. Sounds like a rom-com blockbuster in the making!
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14. The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory
Release date: 2018
If you’re on the hunt for good romance books featuring Black characters and written by Black authors, you’re in luck: Jasmine Guillory has a veritable library of outstanding titles to pick from. Start with her debut contemporary romance novel. The first in a six-book romance series, it sizzles with flirty, funny pizazz as it explores interracial love. The Wedding Date begins in a stalled elevator when successful and stylish Alexa gets stuck with a handsome pediatric surgeon. Fireworks ensue when a date to a wedding becomes way more.
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15. Meet Me in Paradise by Libby Hubscher
Release date: 2021
Marin is still grieving her mother’s passing, so an island spa trip with her sister seems like the perfect remedy. But when her sister misses the flight, she finds herself flying solo. Meet Me in Paradise sees Marin embarking on an adventure filled with unexpected love and self-discovery.
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16. Virgin River by Robyn Carr
Release date: 2007
A widowed nurse leaves Los Angeles to start over in a charming mountain town with a population of 600. Once there, she finds a desolate hovel where nothing goes as expected. She’s about to leave when handsome hero Jack catches her eye. He’s a rugged, muscular bartender with a nice smile—and this is a romance novel, so you can see where their relationship is going. Virgin River is the first entry in Robyn Carr’s Virgin River series about the characters in this small mountain town, and it’s the basis for the Netflix TV series of the same name.
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17. Me Before You by Jojo Moyes
Release date: 2012
If you’re a sucker for heartbreaking romance books, you’ll love Jojo Moyes’s tender Me Before You. It was made into a movie with Sam Claflin and Emilia Clarke, and—warning!—it’s a total tear-jerker. The story follows a man who needs a caregiver after an accident has paralyzed him. He ends up with headstrong Lou, who needs a job … but gets much more when she finds herself falling in love.
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18. Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli
Release date: 2015
Becky Albertalli’s debut young adult novel was acclaimed, beloved and adapted into a hit film and Hulu series. In Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda, the titular character writes anonymous emails to another gay teen at his high school—whose identity he doesn’t know. Neither is ready to come out, but when Simon is blackmailed by a classmate, his secret may be exposed. Is it possible that being out might not be a bad thing after all?
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19. Maggie Finds Her Muse by Dee Ernst
Release date: 2021
Travel to France in this funny page-turner about a romance novelist who’s suffering from writer’s block. Her fans eagerly await her next book, but Maggie can’t get started, and her quickly approaching deadline makes it worse. A stay in a Paris apartment seems like the perfect solution, but romantic entanglements ensue with a Frenchman and the arrival of her ex-husband. Maggie Finds Her Muse is a witty, heartfelt romp with moving moments and a relatable heroine.
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20. Lizzie Blake’s Best Mistake by Mazey Eddings
Release date: 2022
Lizzie Blake is no stranger to mistakes (hence the title of Mazey Eddings’s steamy novel). But with a two-night stand, she really messes up—and ends up pregnant. Rake is willing to do anything for his baby, but he’s been burned before and won’t get emotionally attached to a woman again. What could go wrong? A lot, as it turns out. Fortunately, even the greatest mistakes can have the best results.
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21. To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han
Release date: 2014
Fans of Jenny Han’s The Summer I Turned Pretty books will fall for the author’s follow-up YA romance, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before. Teenager Lara Jean writes letters to all the boys she’s ever loved and hides them in a box. To her surprise and embarrassment, the letters end up being sent and delivered. Of course, things get awkward, especially when one of the letters is addressed to her sister’s boyfriend. Come for the conflict but stay for the moving portrayal of loss and sisterhood (and, of course, romance).
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22. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Release date: 1813
It may not have been the first romance novel ever written, but Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice was arguably the most influential on the modern romance genre. Though penned in the early 19th century, the book is timeless, still attracting contemporary readers in love with the details of British courtship and society. Probably the most-read romance of all time, Pride and Prejudice follows the five Bennet sisters and their romantic entanglements as they try to make a good match. The chemistry between Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy—the inspiration behind many a modern enemies-to-lovers tale—makes epic hate-love sparks fly.
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23. The Right Swipe by Alisha Rai
Release date: 2019
Meet Rhiannon, the creator of a hot dating app who has vowed to block any dates who stand her up. But when a hottie who ghosted her asks for a second chance, she has to revise her own rules. Readers love Alisha Rai’s The Right Swipe for its modern, multicultural romance filled with wit and fire. Of course, there’s also a deliciously fun happily ever after (or HEA, if you’re up on the latest book terms).
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24. Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
Release date: 2019
Casey McQuiston’s instant bestseller offers up a royally fun twist on the fake-dating trope: When the American president’s son is caught in a scandal with his nemesis, the Prince of Wales, the two are forced into a fake friendship. Of course, this is a romance novel, so what begins as a publicity stunt soon transforms into respect and then romance. They’re not sure if they’re ready to take their relationship to the world stage, but they may be making history whether they like it or not.
Red, White & Royal Blue may sound like a frothy romance—and you’ll get a satisfying mix of sweetness, sexiness and hilarious banter—but McQuiston adds layers with an exploration of queer history and what public figures owe us. When you’ve hit the last page, beat your book hangover with the Amazon Prime movie based on the book.
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25. The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang
Release date: 2018
The heroine of Helen Hoang’s The Kiss Quotient is a math whiz with Asperger’s syndrome who hires an escort to get her up to speed in the love department. The two try to keep it transactional, but that soon proves impossible in this witty, breezy read that’s filled with equal parts sizzle and heart.
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26. Heartbreaker by Julie Garwood
Release date: 2000
Author Julie Garwood is known for her suspense-driven romances, and Heartbreaker doesn’t disappoint. In this first book of the Buchanan-Renard series, FBI agent Nick is hot on the trail of a psychotic killer. But when he uncovers the name of the maniac’s next victim, he quickly realizes that he’s drawn to her as well. This suspenseful page-turner is a great pick for anyone who loves a good thriller but misses the heat of a sexy love story.
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27. Wolf Rain by Nalini Singh
Release date: 2019
Bestselling author Nalini Singh’s Wolf Rain is part of her Psy-Changeling Trinity series, which focuses on paranormal, fantasy romance. In this one, an empath gets saved by a wolf shifter. The two don’t seem to have a future in their dark world, but each awakens something in the other that’s hard to resist.
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28. Once Ghosted, Twice Shy by Alyssa Cole
Release date: 2019
In this modern love story, Likotsi runs into the woman she met on a dating app who broke her heart. Once ghosted, how can she ever trust Fabiola again? But … how can she let her go? Author Alyssa Cole is known for her riveting, popular and acclaimed romance novels across several subgenres, including LGBTQ books like this one.
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29.A Bollywood Affair by Sonali Dev
Release date: 2016
This is the first book in Sonali Dev’s acclaimed Bollywood series, and it offers a transcontinental romance caught between cultures. Mili’s marriage was arranged at age 4, but she hasn’t seen her husband in decades. Yet despite the emotional and physical distance—she’s left India for Michigan—she holds out hope that her husband will arrive and their marriage will be real. When her husband’s half-brother (and famous Bollywood director) shows up to get her signature for a quick divorce, they find they are enraptured by each other.
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30.The Passing Playbook by Isaac Fitzsimons
Release date: 2021
Nobody at his new high school knows that Spencer is transgender, and no one will, because he’s passing just fine. That is, until playing on the champion soccer team forces him to take a stand for who he is. As far as heartfelt, inclusive YA fiction books go, Isaac Fitzsimons’s The Passing Playbook is a big win. It features a can’t-put-it-down love story between Spencer and his teammate Justice that fuels captivating social themes and complicated realism in this brilliant, funny debut.
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31.Twice Shy by Sarah Hogle
Release date: 2021
Maybell has always indulged in lush, romantic daydreams, but she never dreamed of this: inheriting her great-aunt’s sprawling Victorian-era estate. And she never would have imagined sharing the house with a co-inheritor, the grumpy groundskeeper, Wesley, who her aunt had taken a liking to in her final years. But what starts off as animosity beautifully blossoms into more in Sarah Hogle’s sophomore novel, Twice Shy. If you enjoy it as much as we did, keep an eye out for the author’s upcoming second-chance romance, Old Flames and New Fortunes.
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32. Mrs. Miracle by Debbie Macomber
Release date: 1996
Debbie Macomber’s novels focus on faith and happy endings. In Mrs. Miracle, a cozy Christmas romance that was adapted into a popular Hallmark movie, a widower needs help with his twin sons, especially since it’s the holidays. When a magical housekeeper shows up, the single dad gets the encouragement he needs to find love with a travel agent who’s also been hurt before.
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33. Tipping the Velvet by Sarah Waters
Release date: 2000
This sensual, critically acclaimed, Lambda award-winning erotic novel follows two music-hall performers, Nan and Kitty, in late-1800s England. Sarah Waters uses beautiful, evocative language and rich historical detail to explore love and the lesbian experience. Is it a little racy? Yes. But Tipping the Velvet is also a masterfully crafted must-read story.
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34. Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan
Release date: 2013
Kevin Kwan’s breakout novel is a modern-day retelling of a classic story: A regular girl meets a prince in disguise, and a fairy-tale romance ensues. Rachel’s boyfriend, Nicholas, isn’t actual royalty; he just comes from one of the wealthiest families in Singapore—something that he neglected to mention. Considering how rich he is (um, crazy rich), it’s no surprise his family assumes she’s in it for the cash. But Rachel’s not a gold digger, and she’ll have to decide whether the man she loves is worth his family’s scorn.
Crazy Rich Asians may be familiar to many because of the blockbuster hit it inspired, but don’t overlook the novel. It’s not only one of the best Asian and Asian American books of the past decade but also a great romance novel all around.
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35. The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
Release date: 2014
Every love has its challenges. And while your husband being a time traveler may not be a romance-novel trope you’re personally familiar with, the four-hanky tale that is The Time Traveler’s Wife will still tug on your heartstrings. Henry and Clare are true soulmates who just want to be together—if only Henry’s uncontrollable slips in and out of Clare’s timeline would stop.
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36. In Her Shoes by Jennifer Weiner
Release date: 2002
Adapted into a 2005 film starring Toni Collette and Cameron Diaz, Jennifer Weiner’s moving novel follows sisters Maggie and Rose: one a perfectionist, the other a mess. In Her Shoes is a realistic portrayal of sibling rivalry and love, reminding readers that the path to self-healing often starts with love for, and friendship with, the women in your life … no matter how messy that process may be.
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37. I’ve Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella
Release date: 2013
Sophie Kinsella is known for her Shopaholic series and for writing funny, breezy novels that touch your heart and keep the pages turning. In this delightfully quick read (yes, it’s quick despite the 448 pages!), Poppy loses her phone and her engagement ring while planning her wedding. Enter Sam Roxton, whose phone Poppy commandeers and who doesn’t appreciate his life being flipped upside down by the frazzled bride-to-be. If you’re in the mood for romance, wit and wonderful high jinks, I’ve Got Your Number needs to be your next read.
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38. Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë
Release date: 1847
One of the most significant and enduring romance novels of all time, Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights is a sweeping Gothic tale. Considered by most to be a must-read, this classic book was originally published in 1847 under a pen name. It’s set on the windy, blustering moors near the estate where Catherine falls for Heathcliff, a stable hand of low birth. When Catherine chooses another man, Heathcliff’s ire erupts in angered, vengeful passion.
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39. Bridget Jones’s Diary by Helen Fielding
Release date: 1996
Helen Fielding’s hit novel, written in diary entries, spawned a hit film franchise starring Renée Zellweger. As good as the films are, the books are better. Bridget Jones’s Diary is filled with witty asides, hilarious cynicism and relatable charm. Bridget captures life as a “singleton” in your 30s with the kind of satire that draws out belly laughs and pulls your heartstrings. The men in her life barely matter, though she still gets a happy ending.
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40. Matchmaking for Beginners by Maddie Dawson
Release date: 2018
The heroine in Maddie Dawson’s bestselling Matchmaking for Beginners loses her marriage just two weeks in. Then she inherits a Brooklyn brownstone from Blix, her ex’s great-aunt. It’s the perfect place to start over—and continue Blix’s matchmaking. The heartwarming story suggests there’s always hope after a disaster and a new love (or two or three) right around the corner. Need more incentive to check out the book? It’s currently free for Kindle Unlimited subscribers.
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41. Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel García Márquez
Release date: 1985
Gabriel García Márquez’s magical realistic masterpiece is considered one of the greatest love stories of all time. The Nobel Prize–winning novel follows a man who waits 50 years to be with the woman he loves after she originally married another. The language is breathtakingly beautiful in this exploration of what it means to love.
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42. The Gravity Between Us by Kristen Zimmer
Release date: 2013
Kristen Zimmer’s racy contemporary adult romance is about BFFs who dare to move out of the friend zone. Kendall is a Hollywood starlet on the road to major celebrity. She invites her best friend, Payton, to Los Angeles to help her keep it real. When Kendall realizes that Payton is in love with her, she comes to terms with her own attraction in this sweet, heartfelt debut.
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43. Because of Miss Bridgerton by Julia Quinn
Release date: 2016
Julia Quinn’s Because of Miss Bridgerton centers on the Rokesby brothers and the woman who most likely will marry one of them. That’s fine, since she played with the younger two as children and either will do. It’s the eldest brother, George, who Miss Bridgerton despises … and who suddenly catches her attention and attraction. If you’re addicted to Netflix’s frothy Bridgerton series and love choosing books based on TV shows, this Bridgerton prequel is a must-read.
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44. Adiós to My Old Life by Caridad Ferrer
Release date: 2006
Caridad Ferrer’s acclaimed young adult debut presents Ali, a young Cuban American girl who makes it to the final round of an American Idol–style music competition. Along the way, she copes with sudden fame, changing relationships and a budding romance with the show’s intern. It’s the sort of charming coming-of-age love story that’s a delight for teens and adults alike.
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45. Call Me by Your Name by André Aciman
Release date: 2007
André Aciman’s bestselling novel (which was adapted into an Oscar-winning film) is set in Italy during the 1980s and follows the story of Elio, a teenager who falls for an older guest staying at Elio’s family’s house for the summer. One of the great novels about summer love, Call Me by Your Name focuses on a love affair destined to end too soon.
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46. The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro
Release date: 1990
Kazuo Ishiguro’s acclaimed and prizewinning The Remains of the Day tells an understated love story about the heartbreak of repressed passion. The manservant Stevens commits to being perfect in his service to an English lord who’s also a Nazi sympathizer. World War II serves as a backdrop for Stevens’s misperception of what really matters—especially his feelings for the housekeeper who works beside him. Ishiguro is a masterful storyteller, so if you’re looking for something on the speculative end of the genre spectrum, pick up the author’s Nobel Prize–winning Never Let Me Go next.
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47. Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel
Release date: 1989
Some of the best books by Hispanic authors use magical realism to tell deeply moving tales, and Laura Esquivel’s Like Water for Chocolate is no exception. This masterful and original novel tells the story of Tita as she grows up on a ranch in turn-of-the-century Mexico. She becomes a chef, infusing her food with passion, tears and love. This is the perfect novel for cookbook collectors, as it contains recipes and infuses cooking with rich magic.
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48. The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary
Release date: 2019
Tiffy and Leon have a lot in common: Their flat, for instance. The bed they share. And the little fact that they’ve never spoken a word to each other. In Beth O’Leary’s brilliant debut novel, The Flatshare, the pair take turns sharing a small flat—Tiffy at night, and Leon during the day. What begins with quick notes about their shared space blooms into a friendship and then more. But what happens when they finally meet face to face?
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49. The Hating Game by Sally Thorne
Release date: 2016
Sally Thorne’s much-loved debut is set in the workplace, where two assistants to two co-CEOs are up for the same promotion. It might’ve made for a friendly competition if Lucy and Joshua didn’t absolutely hate each other. But as they’re forced to spend time together, their animosity transforms in this witty novel about love on the job. Romance readers who appreciate longing you can practically feel will want to start reading The Hating Game ASAP.
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50. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
Release date: 2012
John Green’s bestseller (and the basis for the movie of the same name) about two teenagers who meet in a cancer support group may seem too sad for romance. But Hazel and Augustus don’t let diagnoses stop them from living and loving with a power that inspires. Come for the romance with heart—but bring plenty of tissues. This sad book will definitely make you cry.
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51. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
Release date: 1847
“Reader, I married him.” It’s one of the most famous lines in literature and a testament to Jane Eyre‘s enduring appeal to nearly two centuries of readers. Charlotte Brontë’s Gothic masterpiece, with its unyielding heroine, dashing love interest, Mr. Rochester, creepy manor house and foggy English countryside, has become synonymous with 19th-century romance. And writing love stories ran in the Brontë family: Emily Brontë’s classic, Wuthering Heights, is also on this list.
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52. The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks
Release date: 1996
Nicholas Sparks has made a name for himself as a spinner of love stories, but while he has dozens of books under his belt, none hit quite like The Notebook. It’s stood the test of time for a reason—a reason beyond the ultra-popular film adaptation. Noah and Allie’s tear-jerking, decades-spanning romance remains the wonderfully escapist read it was nearly 30 years ago.
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53. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
Release date: 1992
A powerhouse time-travel novel, this is the first in Diana Gabaldon’s hugely successful Outlander series. Strong, beautiful Claire Randall leads a double life, married to a man in one century, with a lover in another century. Filled with passion, humor, wit and a wonderful Scottish setting (not to mention one strapping Highlander hunk), this is a fast read for an 800-plus-page book. And the best part? Once you’re done with the books, you can watch the popular TV series.
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54. Not Quite a Husband by Sherry Thomas
Release date: 2009
Sherry Thomas is considered one of the most innovative historical romance writers, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that Not Quite a Husband took home the Romance Writers of America’s 2010 RITA Award in the genre. In this second book in the Marsdens series, you’ll follow Bryony, a woman who dared to become a doctor in the late 1800s, as her ex-husband escorts her on a dangerous journey back home. Their marriage was quickly annulled due to Bryony’s rebellion, but now they’re thrown back into the path of passion.
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55. A Knight in Shining Armor by Jude Deveraux
Release date: 2012
Loved Outlander? You’ll want to pick up Jude Deveraux’s A Knight in Shining Armor, another classic tale of time travel across centuries. Prepare for heart-swelling romance, tear-jerking turns and a dashing 16th-century knight who rescues a contemporary damsel in distress à la a classic fairy tale.
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56. Until the End of Time by Danielle Steel
Release date: 2014
Danielle Steel’s name is synonymous with romance: She’s written more than 160 books, many of them bestselling romances known for their meticulous research, historical plot lines and epic emotions. It’s a challenge to single out her best book of all, but we’d be remiss if we didn’t recommend Until the End of Time. It features two love stories in two different time periods. In one, a couple leaves the city for a life of rural ministry; in the other, an Amish novelist is paired with a big-city publisher. Both relationships intertwine and highlight the mysteries of fate and destiny.
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57. The Lost and Found Necklace by Louisa Leaman
Release date: 2021
The Lost and Found Necklace centers on—what else?—a once-lost necklace that has been found. But there’s so much more to this engrossing story. Jess is tasked with taking part in an art auction to buy back a family heirloom, an exquisite art nouveau necklace that supposedly brings the wearer their soulmate. But a mysterious stranger outbids her and insists she join him for dinner. From there, Jess gets caught up in a quest to discover her family’s history in this engaging romance novel that takes her across the world and back.
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58. Vision in White by Nora Roberts
Release date: 2012
The first book in Nora Roberts’s Bride Quartet series, Vision in White overflows with wedding wonder. The series follows four friends with a wedding-planning business who take their own trips down the aisle. In the first novel, a wedding photographer meets a handsome BOB (brother of the bride) who captures her eye. Roberts is one of the most popular writers of romance novels, with more than 200 published books, each immersing fans in detailed, dramatic worlds filled with romance.
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59. The Secret History of the Pink Carnation by Lauren Willig
Release date: 2004
Lauren Willig’s sweeping and detailed The Secret History of the Pink Carnation takes place during the Napoleonic Wars but is interspersed with present-day interludes. In the latter, graduate student Eloise makes sense of documents and letters related to the Pink Carnation, a spy who helps the Purple Gentian and continuously foils Napoleon. If you like your romance with a dash of daring and a heaping helping of history, this is the book for you.
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60. Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire
Release date: 2012
With an edgy, modern twist on the good-girl-meets-bad-boy trope, Beautiful Disaster tops lists of must-read romance novels for a reason. After reinventing herself just before college, Abby finds herself involved in a tantalizing bet with her school’s resident tattooed player. Neither of them is prepared for the results. The story recently became a movie, so be sure to check it out—but read the book first!
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Additional reporting by Leandra Beabout and Chloë Nannestad.
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At Reader’s Digest, we’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. For this piece, our book writers tapped their experience as journalists, book reviewers and big-time readers to pull together a list of their favorite romance novels of all time. We relied on reputable primary sources, including the New York Times bestseller list, Publisher’s Weekly, Kirkus Reviews and the Goodreads Choice Awards, and verified all facts and data and backed them with credible sourcing. We will revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.
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Molly Pennington, PhD
Molly is a writer and collage artist with a PhD in film and cultural studies from the University of Pittsburgh. Her professional astrology services and artwork are available at Baroque Moon Astrology. She covers the zodiac, books, movies, TV and culture for Reader’s Digest, and loves to talk about all the ways we make meaning.
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