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28 Best Romance Books

The best romance books, ranked by how many expert sources recommend each one, with notes on who each book suits and where to start for different reading moods.

Our take

Romance can offer witty courtship, intense attraction, historical escape, or the comfort of watching people find each other. This selection also includes literary love stories and family sagas with sadder outcomes, so think about the emotional experience you want. A tragic love story can be moving without delivering the reassurance many readers expect from genre romance.

For sharp dialogue and changing first impressions, begin with Pride and Prejudice or try the workplace friction of The Hating Game. Red, White & Royal Blue offers a playful royal fantasy, while The Kiss Quotient pairs emotional tenderness with explicit intimacy. Historical readers can choose the wit of Lord of Scoundrels, the wider stakes of Indigo, or the expansive adventure of Outlander. If you want something more reflective or sorrowful, consider The Song of Achilles or The Time Traveler’s Wife. Start with a setting and tone you already enjoy, then branch into a different kind of love story.

28 books · 7 sources · Last updated

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How to choose from this list

Skip to the full ranking

If you want wit and romantic friction: Pride and Prejudice → The Hating Game
If you want a contemporary romantic comedy: Beach Read → The Love Hypothesis
If you want queer romance with a lighter mood: Red, White & Royal Blue → When Katie Met Cassidy
If you want historical romance: Indigo → Lord of Scoundrels
If you want teenage first love: To All the Boys I've Loved Before → Anna and the French Kiss
If you want a sorrowful literary love story: The Song of Achilles → The Time Traveler's Wife

The 28 books, ranked

Ranked by how many expert sources name each book. Ties go to the book more people recommend.

1

Pride and Prejudice

by Jane Austen1813

For readers who enjoy sharp dialogue and romantic misunderstandings rooted in social life. Austen makes changing judgments part of the pleasure, though the restrained courtship and period language differ from modern, sexually explicit romance.

What it's about

Elizabeth Bennet thinks she has Mr. Darcy figured out, until pride, gossip, and a disastrous first impression force her to look again. It's a love story powered by wit, family chaos, and painful self-correction.

Also recommended by

2 people
  • Hillary Clinton recommended this book
  • Tim O’Reilly recommended this book
2

For readers who like historical romance with combative wit and a self-possessed heroine. The verbal clashes give the attraction its momentum, though the hero's harsh behavior and heightened drama will not suit every taste.

What it's about

Jessica Trent goes to Paris to rescue her foolish brother from Sebastian Ballister, Marquess of Dain, only to discover Dain is as dangerous as his reputation. Their war of wills makes the romance as fierce as the attraction.

3

Red, White & Royal Blue

A Novel

by Casey McQuiston2019

For readers who want a playful queer romance with public stakes. The banter and wishful political setting give it a buoyant energy, though the idealized world may feel distant from real royal and electoral politics.

What it's about

After a public clash, the American president's son Alex and Britain's Prince Henry stage a friendship to contain the diplomatic fallout. Their growing intimacy complicates political ambitions, royal expectations, and a reelection campaign already under intense scrutiny.

Also recommended by

2 people
4

Beach Read

by Emily Henry2020

For readers who want romantic banter with room for grief and family complications. The two-writer setup makes its questions about happy endings feel personal, though it is more emotionally heavy than the sunny packaging suggests.

What it's about

Romance writer January Andrews and literary novelist Augustus Everett spend a summer in neighboring beach houses, both struggling with writer’s block. They agree to exchange genres and research methods, challenging their assumptions about storytelling as their rivalry gives way to attraction.

5

The Song of Achilles

A Novel

by Madeline Miller2011

For readers drawn to lyrical writing, mythology, and intense devotion. The intimate perspective makes an ancient story emotionally immediate, though the war and tragic trajectory suit a different mood from an uplifting genre romance.

What it's about

The Song of Achilles retells the Trojan War through the eyes of Patroclus, an awkward prince exiled to Achilles' kingdom. As their childhood friendship deepens into love, prophecy and war pull them toward a choice that could cost everything.

Also recommended by

4 people
6

Indigo

by Beverly Jenkins1996

For readers who want historical romance centered on Black lives and freedom. Jenkins balances warmth with a setting that gives the relationship wider stakes, though the realities of slavery bring danger beyond ordinary romantic misunderstanding.

What it's about

Formerly enslaved Hester Wyatt now hides runaways for Michigan’s Underground Railroad. When she’s asked to shelter the legendary “Black Daniel,” wounded conductor Galen Vachon, their uneasy partnership turns into a dangerous love hunted by slave catchers and traitors.

Also recommended by

1 person
7

Outlander

Outlander, Book 1

by Diana Gabaldon1991

For readers who want romance embedded in a large historical adventure. The sense of place and extended relationship offer more immersion than a short standalone, though the length and sexual violence make it a demanding choice.

What it's about

Former World War II combat nurse Claire Randall steps through a circle of standing stones in the Scottish Highlands and lands in 1743, where clan politics, Jacobite unrest, and a forced marriage to Jamie Fraser change her loyalties and life forever.

Also recommended by

1 person
  • George R. R. Martin recommended this book
8

The Hating Game

by Sally Thorne2016

For readers who enjoy workplace rivalry and flirtation disguised as competition. Its tightly focused romantic tension makes it a quick contemporary choice, though the office antagonism and heightened behavior can strain believability.

What it's about

Lucy Hutton and Joshua Templeman share an office, hate each other on principle, and are both chasing the same promotion. When their daily mind games turn into something hotter, Lucy has to decide whether rivalry is hiding something much more dangerous.

9

For adults who want a tender romance with explicit intimacy and an autistic heroine. The emotional vulnerability distinguishes it from cooler romantic comedies, though the paid-intimacy premise and sexual detail may not suit everyone.

What it's about

Stella Lane, a brilliant autistic econometrician, hires escort Michael Phan to teach her about dating and intimacy. Their practical lessons turn complicated when a carefully limited arrangement begins to feel like a real relationship.

10

For readers who enjoy fake dating, a reserved romantic lead, and an academic setting. The familiar tropes make it easy to settle into, though the power imbalance and improbable misunderstandings require some suspension of disbelief.

What it's about

Biology PhD candidate Olive Smith panics and kisses stern professor Adam Carlsen to convince her best friend she is happily dating. Their fake relationship, played out across labs and conferences, slowly turns into something much riskier and far more real.

11

For readers who want sentimental devotion and a strong emotional release. Its compact, earnest approach makes it easy to enter, though the framing around memory and aging brings sadness alongside the romantic feeling.

What it's about

Working class Noah Calhoun and heiress Allie Nelson fall in love during a North Carolina summer, then are torn apart by class, war, and family expectations. Decades later, their story is read aloud in a nursing home, testing how long love and memory can last.

12

For readers who want a gentle contemporary romance grounded in friendship and work. The wedding-business setting gives the central relationship a supportive social circle, though the quieter stakes may disappoint readers seeking dramatic conflict.

What it's about

Wedding photographer Mac Elliot begins a casual relationship with English teacher Carter Maguire, despite believing he isn't her type. As deeper feelings emerge, she relies on her friends and business partners to help her face her own romantic future.

13

Call Me by Your Name

A Novel

by Andre Aciman2007

For readers who prefer reflective literary writing about desire to a brisk romantic plot. The close attention to memory and longing is distinctive, though the obsessive inner voice and age imbalance may limit its appeal.

What it's about

On the Italian Riviera, seventeen-year-old Elio becomes consumed by his attraction to Oliver, the older scholar staying with his family. Their intense summer affair turns into a story about desire, risk, and the memory of first love.

Also recommended by

3 people
14

Jane Eyre

by Charlotte Bronte1847

For readers who want a forceful heroine and a romance entangled with conscience. The Gothic atmosphere adds mystery and moral tension, though the slower pacing and nineteenth-century language ask more patience than contemporary romantic fiction.

What it's about

Orphaned and mistreated, plain but fiercely self-respecting Jane Eyre grows up in a harsh charity school before becoming governess at Thornfield Hall, where her deepening love for the enigmatic Mr Rochester collides with class, conscience, and a dangerous secret.

Also recommended by

3 people
15

For adult readers curious about an explicit billionaire fantasy built around control and attraction. Its accessible, heightened style offers an easy entry, though the relationship dynamics can feel troubling and the writing becomes repetitive.

What it's about

Anastasia Steele, a shy college student, agrees to interview enigmatic young billionaire Christian Grey and is swept into his world of contracts, control and forbidden desire. As their affair deepens, she must decide where her own boundaries truly lie.

Also recommended by

1 person
  • Aubrey Marcus recommended this book
16

Gone With the Wind

by Margaret Mitchell1936

For readers who want a sprawling historical saga with a turbulent romantic thread. Its scale and difficult heroine sustain substantial drama, though the romanticized Confederate perspective and racist portrayals require a critical reading.

What it's about

Following Scarlett O'Hara through war, loss, hunger, and social upheaval, this sweeping novel traces one woman's fierce will to survive, and the tangled pull of love, in Georgia during the Civil War and Reconstruction.

Also recommended by

1 person
17

For readers who enjoy teenage romance, friendship, and a Paris setting. The conversational voice makes the social uncertainty easy to follow, though romantic indecision and messy existing relationships can test readers wanting cleaner courtship.

What it's about

Anna Oliphant expects a great senior year in Atlanta, not a sudden move to boarding school in Paris. As she finds new friends and falls for Étienne St. Clair, homesickness and bad timing make every choice messier.

18

Eleanor & Park

by Rainbow Rowell2012

For readers who want first love to feel awkward, vulnerable, and shaped by everyday life. The alternating perspectives build intimacy, though bullying, abuse, and racial stereotyping make it heavier and more uncomfortable than a light school romance.

What it's about

Set in 1986 Omaha, this YA romance follows misfit new girl Eleanor and quiet comics fan Park as they share a bus seat, swap mixtapes and slowly fall in love while facing bullying, racism and trouble at home.

19

For readers open to a love story that asks difficult questions and aims for tears. The contrasting voices make the relationship accessible, though its treatment of disability and assisted dying can be upsetting and divisive.

What it's about

Louisa Clark, an ordinary girl with a steady life, loses her job and becomes a caregiver for Will Traynor, a wealthy man confined to a wheelchair after an accident. Will has lost his will to live, but Lou becomes determined to show him that life is still worth living.

20

Something Borrowed

A Novel

by Emily Giffin2004

For readers interested in a morally messy relationship rather than an uncomplicated couple to cheer for. Giffin makes friendship and romantic loyalty collide, though the central infidelity can make emotional investment difficult.

What it's about

Rachel White, a hardworking attorney and lifelong good girl, wakes up after her thirtieth birthday to find she has slept with her best friend Darcy’s fiancé. As the secret affair deepens, she must choose between loyalty, self-respect, and real love.

21

The Princess Bride

by William Goldman1973

For readers who want love wrapped in comic adventure. The playful narration and fairy-tale absurdity offer a different pleasure from earnest romance, though the framing interruptions keep pulling attention away from the central couple.

What it's about

Part fairy tale, part comic fake abridgment, this novel follows Buttercup, Westley, swordsmen, schemers, and one unforgettable revenge quest. Goldman plays every adventure trope straight and sideways at the same time.

22

The Royal We

by Heather Cocks2015

For readers who enjoy royal fantasy with friendship, publicity, and social pressure. The long view of a relationship gives the romance room to develop, though the sprawling cast and royal-world detail can slow the pace.

What it's about

American student Bex Porter goes to Oxford seeking adventure and falls for Nick, heir to the British throne. Their romance brings tabloid scrutiny, royal family complications, and public expectations. As their wedding approaches, Bex weighs the personal sacrifices that loving him has demanded.

23

For younger readers who like romantic rivalry in a palace competition. The accessible voice and social hierarchy make it an easy escape, though the political world is lightly developed and the wider story continues beyond this installment.

What it's about

America Singer, a musician from a lower caste in Illéa, is chosen for the Selection, a contest to marry Prince Maxon. Moving into the palace, she must balance loyalty to her first love Aspen with new feelings for the prince, all while rebels threaten the kingdom.

24

The Thorn Birds

by Colleen McCullough1977

For readers who want forbidden love within a long family saga. The Australian setting and passage of generations add breadth, though tragedy, religious conflict, and the extended timeline make it a substantial emotional commitment.

What it's about

On the remote Australian sheep station Drogheda, young Meggie Cleary grows up in a hard working Irish Catholic family and forms a forbidden bond with ambitious priest Ralph de Bricassart, a love that shadows decades of drought, war, and family tragedy.

25

For readers who like romance shaped by an unusual narrative structure. Its shifting chronology makes longing and absence especially vivid, though keeping track of different ages and dates takes more attention than a straightforward love story.

What it's about

Henry DeTamble slips uncontrollably through time, while Clare Abshire has to love him across missed meetings and sudden disappearances. Their marriage becomes a deeply human story about fate, memory, and how to build a life when time refuses to behave.

26

For younger readers who enjoy romantic embarrassment alongside family life. Han gives private feelings a warm, approachable voice, though the teenage misunderstandings and opening installment leave less room for the concerns of adult romance.

What it's about

Sixteen-year-old Lara Jean keeps unsent love letters to every boy she’s ever crushed on—until the letters are mysteriously mailed. When one reaches popular Peter Kavinsky, a fake relationship meant to save face quickly turns into something disarmingly real.

27

Twilight

Twilight, Book 1

by Stephenie Meyer2005

For readers who want teenage attraction heightened by supernatural danger. The intensely personal narration makes the infatuation immersive, though the possessive relationship dynamics and slow stretches may frustrate readers seeking a more independent heroine.

What it's about

Bella Swan moves to Forks, Washington, and falls for Edward Cullen, whose strange behavior conceals his identity as a vampire. Their growing relationship draws her into a dangerous world where attraction and survival cannot easily coexist.

28

When Katie Met Cassidy

by Camille Perri

For readers who want a contemporary queer romance with an active social world. The community around the couple gives the story warmth, though its quick emotional shifts leave less space for a gradual relationship development.

What it's about

After her fiancé leaves her, conventional Katie Daniels meets confident New Yorker Cassidy Price across a negotiating table. A subsequent encounter introduces Katie to Cassidy's close-knit queer community, while their growing attraction challenges both women's assumptions about love and identity.

Sources

Edited by

Richard Reis

Software engineer whose passion for tracking book recommendations from podcasts inspired the creation of MRB.

Anurag Ramdasan

Lead investor at 3one4 Capital whose startup expertise and love for books helped shape MRB and its growth.

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