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 Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Society: War

Tags Romance, Fantasy, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Religion / Spirituality


Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Humor, Contemporary Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance


Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Gender, Identity: Sexuality, Self Discovery, Emotions/Behavior: Love

Tags Romance, Humor, LGBTQ, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 2014

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Art, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: The Past, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Siblings, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose

Tags Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Magical Realism, Romance, Realistic Fiction, LGBTQ, Grief / Death, Love / Sexuality, Modern Classic Fiction

I’ll Give You the Sun (2015) is an award-winning novel penned by Jandy Nelson about relationships, art, and destiny. It follows the story of twins Noah and Jude Sweetwine who once shared a close relationship but find themselves barely speaking to each other two years after their mother’s death.Jandy Nelson is an American author who writes young adult fiction. I’ll Give You the Sun is her second novel, which won numerous awards and honors, including... Read I'll Give You the Sun Summary


Publication year 2015

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Natural World: Space & The Universe, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge

Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Romance, Fantasy, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Action / Adventure, Grief / Death


Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal

Tags Historical Fiction, Military / War, History: European, History: World, Romance


Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Relationships: Siblings, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Place, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Art

Tags Romance, Holidays & Occasions, Humor


Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Grief

Tags Romance, Survival Fiction, Drama / Tragedy, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Action / Adventure


Publication year 2006

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Jewish Literature, Romance, History: World, Religion / Spirituality


Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Fate, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Relationships: Friendship

Tags Romance, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Magical Realism


Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality

Tags Romance, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction


Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Sexuality, Society: War

Tags Historical Fiction, Romance, LGBTQ, Military / War, WWI / World War I


Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Fate, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship

Tags Romance, Magical Realism, Modern Classic Fiction, Fantasy


Publication year 2012

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt

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

Insurgent, by Veronica Roth, is the second novel in the three-part Divergent series and describes a revolution in a post-apocalyptic Chicago. That society is founded upon principles that divide people into factions based on their personalities and function within the society. The selfless belong to Abnegation; the brave belong to Dauntless; the intelligent belong to Erudite; the honest belong to Candor; and the peacemakers belong to Amity. Each 16 year old undergoes an aptitude test to... Read Insurgent Summary


Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Identity: Disability, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Midlife, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Siblings, Society: Class, Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose

Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Romance


Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Society: War, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Love

Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Romance, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Military / War, Mental Illness, Trauma / Abuse / Violence


Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Love

Tags Fantasy, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Romance, LGBTQ, Fairy Tale / Folklore


Publication year 2017

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love

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

Isabel Allende’s In the Midst of Winter is a novel published in 2017 that follows the alternating perspectives of three immigrants whose lives become intertwined after a car accident during a snowstorm in New York City. This study guide refers to the Kindle edition of the novel.Plot OverviewOne night, during a brutal snowstorm in New York City, Richard Bowmaster is driving home when he accidentally crashes into Evelyn Ortega’s car. While he assumes it is... Read In the Midst of Winter Summary


Publication year 2009

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Mothers

Tags Humor, Play: Comedy / Satire, Education, Education, Gender / Feminism, History: World, Drama / Tragedy, Historical Fiction, Romance

In the Next Room (or The Vibrator Play), which premiered on Broadway in 2010, has since become one of Sarah Ruhl’s best-known and most popularly produced plays. Prior to Ruhl’s Broadway debut with In the Next Room, she earned a MacArthur Genius Fellowship and a PEN/Laura Pels International Foundation for Theater Award, and her 2004 play The Clean House was a Pulitzer Prize finalist. In the Next Room was also a Pulitzer Prize finalist and... Read In the Next Room (or The Vibrator Play) Summary


Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Self Discovery

Tags Realistic Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Romance, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Modern Classic Fiction