Favorite Characters: Jo and Kurl- the author does such a good job I actually can’t choose.
This book was… Wow. Just wow. This book was incredibly moving. I cried and laughed and screamed while reading. The love story between Jo and Kurl is one of the most beautiful, moving, and convincing romances I’ve ever read. And I’ve read a lot of romances. But my god, this was something special. Made entirely out of letters written between Jo and Kurl, the book switches between their perspectives, and you can completely sympathize with both of them, even when they’re at odds. What begins as an English assignment turns into beautiful, passionate love letters. The two characters are so in love that it makes you cry. Seriously- I sobbed. Each one has incredibly complicated family issues which get in the way, as well as private insecurities that they struggle with, which complicate their relationship. However, the two truly have a love that endures. Heaven knows the book made me believe in their love. I cannot recommend this book enough; seldom do books have as much feeling as this one did. There is so much emotion that it overflows, spilling right off the page and into your heart. You fall in love right alongside the characters. As the characters fell in love with each other, I fell in love with this book.
Iconic Quote: “I fell in love the way you fall asleep. Slowly and all at once.”
This is a love story for the ages that will make you sob your eyes out.
Anne of the Island by L.M. Montgomery
Iconic Quote: “I don’t want sunbursts or marble halls, I just want you.”
The third book in a series, this is a sweet story of love, growing up, and coming into one’s own. Sometimes, the most beautiful romance come from friendship.
Spy by Danielle Steel
Iconic Quote: “Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.”
The story of a female British operative who serves in World War II, the romantic relationship in this story is sweet and exemplary, as the two support each other throughout their lives.
The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory
Iconic Quote: “You can smile when your heart is breaking because you’re a woman.”
A book about Mary Boleyn, a variety of romantic relationships are described. The impossible love stories are heart breaking. The story of a woman who risked everything for love, in the end, Mary’s story is truly romantic.
Ribbons of Scarlett by Kate Quinn, Stephanie Dray, Laura Kamoie, Sophie Perinot, Heather Webb, and E. Knight
Iconic Quote: “Freedom is the first need of the human heart.” -Sophie de Condorcet, Letters on Sympathy
This story follows seven different women during the French Revolution. Three of them experience great love; relationships in which, unlike so many at the time, both members have equal power.
Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
Iconic Quote: “We were like gods at the dawning of the world, & our joy was so bright we could see nothing else but the other.”
Told from Patroclus’ perspective, this book tells the passionate love story of Patroclus and Achilles.
Red White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
Iconic Quote: “That’s the choice. I love him, with all that, because of all that. On purpose. I love him on purpose.”
This book is, hands down, the most romantic story I have ever read. Full of love letters and other romantic gestures, it’s impossible not to become invested in the love between the Prince of England and America’s First Son.
A Civil Contract by Georgette Heyer
Iconic Quote: “He did love her: differently, but perhaps more enduringly; and he had grown to depend on her. She thought that they would have many years of quiet content: never reaching the heights, but living together in comfort and deepening friendship.”
Unlike some other books, the type of love this romance novel is about is an enduring, yet quiet one. It is a love that has far more of understanding than passion, and is, perhaps, all the more beautiful for it.
More Than Just a Pretty Face by Syed M. Masood
Iconic Quote: “You can do it too, I thought, remembering how the rhythm of my heart had changed when she’d wrapped her arm around mine.”
This story features a young couple that, despite the odds, fall in love and choose to fight for it. A quiet relationship in which both people make each other happy, this book warms the heart.
The Virgin’s War by Laura Anderson
Iconic Quote: “In a fractured and fractious world, reading is an act of defiance that proclaims that understanding and tolerance are values worth fighting for.” (Perhaps not romantic, but a wonderful quote.)
The third book in the second series in a universe, the relationships portrayed in this book are poignant and varied. The impossible loves and complicated marriages are a delight to read.
Favorite Character(s): Mary Boleyn and William Stafford
I loved this book. As someone who is a huge historical fan of books that involve court politics but is also a die-hard romantic, this book was the perfect mix between sweet and cynical. All of the characters are very complex, with several motivations to most things they do. The book draws a very poignant portrait of what it was like to be a woman in the Tudor period. Both Anne and Mary deal with the lack of control the have over their lives as women in different ways, revealing the discrepancy in power between the genders. This book draws an intriguing picture of a period of huge change in England from the people at the very center of the controversy. The story explores just what a relationship with the king might cost a woman. In the end, the story follows Mary’s life as she charts her course through the increasingly troubled waters at court. She is the one who begins the Boleyn’s rise to power due to the king’s favor, and despite the odds, she manages what was even more rare among her peers at that time; she falls in love, building a life for herself with which she is content. This story is a wonderful way to learn about a fraught time period in England’s history, as we see it through Mary’s eyes, and is utterly captivating.
In this beautifully written romance, Masood makes creates varied and dynamic characters. Danyal, despite not being academically inclined, has a passion for cooking. However, this makes him a rather poor marriage prospect according to his crush, Kamal, and her parents. Meanwhile, he meets Bisma, who is brilliant, but receives harsh treatment due to an incident in her past. When she helps him prepare an essay-speech harshly criticizing Churchill and racism in the context of the Bengal famine, the two grow closer. Danyal is a genuinely good person, and his relationships with the people he loves are absolutely moving. This book, with its cultural commentary and feminist undertones, is kind and truly makes one feel loving.
Favorite Characters: Lara and Niamh (but mostly Lara)
Though in the beginning, this book may appear to be a modern, LGBTQ+ retelling of Grease, the story soon develops into a complex, intense plot. The two main characters, Ollie and Will, meet over the summer and begin a relationship. When Ollie has to move from California to North Carolina to help take care of his Aunt Linda, who is suffering from cancer, and her family, he is surprised to find that Will goes to his new school. However, unlike Ollie, Will is completely in the closet. As the two try to navigate their relationship, which is often hindered by Will’s fear, they learn to put in the effort to show their care for each other. If you’re looking for a charming love story, then this book is perfect for you.
This book follows Michael, a gay teen living in New York City in the 1980s. This book describes the difficulties and joys of Michael’s life. His brother was disowned and kicked out of the house by his abusive father for being gay. Michael’s mother, despite loving both brothers anyway, remains quiet, allowing his father to dictate her life. However, there are some bright spots in Michael’s life, namely his friends, Becky and James, though they both have their own problems they face. Meanwhile, the AIDS pandemic is a shadow haunting the whole story, creating an atmosphere of fear. While reading this book, I spent a significant amount of time crying on the floor. This book is poignant and extremely well-written, as the story transports you into Michael’s world, making you feel his heartbreak and doubt.
Centering around the story of Queen Anne of England from the house of Stuart and her favorites, this story, despite being based on real historical events, is full of intrigue and concentrates on the relationships between the characters. Originally Queen Anne is very strongly influenced by her friend Sarah, the Duchess of Marlborough. Sarah is loud, boisterous, domineering, and opinionated. However, Sarah becomes careless and her ambition alongside her arrogance soon becomes her ruin, as she is unexpectedly replaced by a poor cousin of hers, Abigail Hill. This book details the court politics in England during Queen Anne’s time, and how her favorites influenced the government. I found this book fascinating, and so full of tension that I just couldn’t put it down.
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