Romance

"The course of true love never did run smooth," wrote William Shakespeare in A Midsummer Night's Dream—and he knew what he was talking about. A text from this study guide collection might be just the thing to remind you of the bliss and pain of love.

Publication year 2014

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief

Tags Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Historical Fiction, Romance

Susan Meissner’s A Fall of Marigolds (2014) is an amalgamation of several literary genres, including historical fiction and romance. Meissner is well-known for setting her stories against the backdrop of significant historical events, and this particular story was inspired by filmmaker Lorie Conway’s documentary about Ellis Island, Forgotten Ellis Island. Meissner intends to donate a portion of her profits of the book to the Save the Ellis Island foundation, which is working to restore the... Read A Fall of Marigolds Summary


Publication year 1929

Genre Novel, Fiction

Tags The Lost Generation, Modernism, American Literature, Military / War, History: World, Historical Fiction, Romance, Classic Fiction

A Farewell to Arms, written by Ernest Hemingway and published in 1929, is the story of Frederic Henry, an officer with the Italian army in World War I, and his relationship with Catherine Barkley, a British nurse. Some have noted the similarities between the main character and Hemingway, who also served in the Italian army as an ambulance driver in 1918, and his nurse, Agnes Von Kurowsky, who cared for Hemingway after he was wounded.The... Read A Farewell to Arms Summary


Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Identity: Femininity, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Marriage, Self Discovery, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed

Tags Fantasy, Romance, Mythology, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Gender / Feminism


Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Fantasy, Romance


Publication year 2023

Genre Graphic Memoir , Nonfiction

Themes Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Gratitude, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Emotions/Behavior: Courage

Tags Children's Literature, Romance, Biography, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Travel Literature


Publication year 2014

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Sexuality, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt

Tags Romance, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Realistic Fiction, Love / Sexuality, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction, Drama / Tragedy

After by Anna Todd is a fan fiction romance novel with characters loosely based on the band members from One Direction. The novel principally features the band’s lead singer, Harry Styles, as the inspiration for main character Hardin, and Anna Todd herself as the inspiration behind the protagonist, Tessa. Todd originally wrote After on Wattpad, a social storytelling platform, but it was adapted as a published novel by Simon and Schuster in 2014. After is... Read After Summary


Publication year 2010

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Identity: Disability

Tags Realistic Fiction, Health / Medicine, Grief / Death, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance, Humor

After Ever After is a young adult novel written by American author Jordan Sonnenblick and published in 2010. It is the sequel to Sonnenblick’s debut novel, Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie, which came out in 2004 but focused on a different protagonist. While the first book revolves around Steven Alper, After Ever After explores his younger brother Jeff’s perspective as he navigates eighth grade alongside his best friend, Tad, and his girlfriend, Lindsey. Sonnenblick, who... Read After Ever After Summary


Publication year 2014

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Marriage, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: The Future, Relationships: Family, Self Discovery

Tags Romance, Domestic Fiction


Publication year 2013

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Relationships: Fathers, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt

Tags Romance, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Love / Sexuality, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Relationships, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction, Drama / Tragedy


Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Gender, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Society: Colonialism, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Emotions/Behavior: Courage

Tags History: U.S., Military / War, History: World, Historical Fiction, Romance, American Revolution


Publication year 1847

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Relationships: Marriage

Tags Classic Fiction, Victorian Period, Romance, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, British Literature, Education, History: World, Historical Fiction, Victorian Literature / Period

Agnes Grey is the first novel by Anne Brontë (1820-1849), the youngest of the three celebrated Brontë sisters, who all wrote novels now considered classics of English literature. Anne drew on her experience as a clergyman’s daughter and as a governess in telling the story of a young woman looking for her place in the world. Published in 1847 under the pseudonym Acton Bell, Agnes Grey was read as an incisive commentary on the status... Read Agnes Grey Summary


Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride

Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Relationships, Psychology, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance


Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Society: Community, Natural World: Environment, Life/Time: Coming of Age

Tags Realistic Fiction, Race / Racism, Class, Modern Classic Fiction, Drama / Tragedy, Romance


Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Emotions/Behavior: Love

Tags Romance, Fantasy, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Action / Adventure, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Class, Love / Sexuality, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Religion / Spirituality


Publication year 1928

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Relationships: Mothers, Society: Community

Tags History: World, Historical Fiction, Western, Romance, Classic Fiction


Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Sexuality, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed

Tags Fantasy, Romance, New Adult


Publication year 2013

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear

Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy, Romance, Action / Adventure

Allegiant, written by New York Times Bestselling author Veronica Roth, is the third and final novel in the Divergent trilogy. Allegiant was published in 2013 by Harper Collins and is a dystopian novel with a romance element written for a young adult audience. Roth tells the story from the perspective of Tris Prior and Tobias Eaton. Allegiant is the first novel where Roth uses a different narrator, as she wrote both Divergent and Insurgent from... Read Allegiant Summary


Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Relationships: Friendship, Society: Immigration, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance

Tags Historical Fiction, Romance, Realistic Fiction, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 1602

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Gender, Relationships: Marriage, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Classic Fiction, Play: Drama, Play: Comedy / Satire, British Literature, Humor, Drama / Tragedy, Romance

All’s Well That Ends Well is a play by William Shakespeare (1582-1616), one of the most influential writers in the English language. The date of composition is not known, but All’s Well That Ends Well was first performed between 1598 and 1608. It was published in 1623, in the First Folio. Shakespeare’s work is part of Early Modern English literature, alongside playwrights like Ben Jonson and Christopher Marlowe, during which time the play and theater... Read All's Well That Ends Well Summary


Publication year 2015

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love

Tags Romance, Depression / Suicide, Mental Illness, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

All the Bright Places (2015) is a young adult novel with elements of romance written by Jennifer Niven that deals with the topic of teen suicide. The book was winner of the Goodreads Choice award and has become a popular read among the BookTok community. Niven tells the story from two different voices, those of high school students Theodore Finch (who goes by “Finch”) and Violet Markey. The characters first meet at the top of their... Read All The Bright Places Summary