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 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Self Discovery

Tags Fantasy, Romance, Animals


Publication year 2016

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Identity: Gender, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Siblings

Tags Fantasy, Magical Realism, Romance, Fairy Tale / Folklore, LGBTQ, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Mental Health, Relationships: Family

Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Romance, Love / Sexuality, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 2016

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Family

Tags Romance, Mental Illness, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

When We Collided is a young adult novel written by Emery Lord and published in 2016. The novel explores themes of mental illness, grief, and familial bonds. Lord presents the story to her readers through alternating chapters between two characters: Vivi and Jonah. They are the main protagonists of the novel who find themselves in a summer romance that changes them forever. Through their bond, both Jonah and Vivi learn more about themselves, their families... Read When We Collided Summary


Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Identity: Gender, Relationships: Family, Society: Nation

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


Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Friendship

Tags Romance, Realistic Fiction, LGBTQ, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 2011

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Fame

Tags Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Music, Romance

Book Details & Major ThemesWhere She Went is a work of young adult fiction by Gayle Forman. The novel was published in 2011 and is the sequel to Froman’s earlier work If I Stay.In If I Stay, Mia Hall is 17 years old and involved in a fatal car crash that kills both her parents and younger brother. The novel unfolds over a 24-hour period where Mia is in a critical condition and has the... Read Where She Went Summary


Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Beauty

Tags Romance, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Trauma / Abuse / Violence


Publication year 2018

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age

Tags Realistic Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Historical Fiction, Romance

Where the Crawdads Sing is the debut novel of Delia Owens. Set in the marshes of coastal North Carolina from the 1940s to the 2000s, the novel is Southern literary fiction that tells the story of Kya, a little girl who comes of age alone after her family abandons her.  Published in 2018 by Putnam, the novel was a New York Times bestseller and a selection of Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine book club. In 2022 it... Read Where the Crawdads Sing Summary


Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Literature, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Values/Ideas: Art, Society: Community

Tags Fantasy, Romance, Gothic Literature


Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Relationships: Family, Self Discovery, Identity: Mental Health, Values/Ideas: Fate

Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Romance, Magical Realism, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Relationships, Mental Illness, Modern Classic Fiction, Fantasy


Publication year 1995

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Society: Class, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Family, Society: Community

Tags Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Drama / Tragedy, Romance

Where the Heart Is was published in 1995 and is the first novel by award winning American novelist Billie Letts. The novel is set in Letts’s home state of Oklahoma and follows the story of teenager Novalee Nation and her ne’er-do-well boyfriend, Willy Jack Pickens. The novel was chosen as a selection for Oprah’s Book Club in December of 1998. It also won the Walker Percy Award in 1994. The novel was made into a... Read Where the Heart Is Summary


Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Family, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Music

Tags Romance, Contemporary Literature, Western, Music


Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Relationships: Fathers, Self Discovery

Tags Romance, New Adult, Sports, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 2013

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Sexuality, Identity: Masculinity, Life/Time: Coming of Age

Tags Humor, Realistic Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, LGBTQ, Bullying, Sports, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance

Winger is a young adult novel written by American author Andrew Smith and first published in 2013. It belongs to the genre of contemporary early 21st century teen fiction and garnered recognition from the American Library Association (ALA), Publishers Weekly, and the Junior Library Guild. Because of Winger’s storyline involving LGBTQIA+ issues, it was also chosen as part of the ALA’s 2014 Rainbow List in 2014, made up of books for children and young adults... Read Winger Summary


Publication year 1922

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Emotions/Behavior: Hope

Tags Classic Fiction, American Literature, Relationships, Education, Education, History: World, Romance

“Winter Dreams” (1922) is one of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “Gatsby cluster stories,” which informed the creation of his renowned novel The Great Gatsby. Like The Great Gatsby, “Winter Dreams” features the themes of love and longing, the futility of the American dream, illusion and disillusionment, and the fleetingness of time.This study guide references Collected Works of F. Scott Fitzgerald (45 Short Stories and Novels), released in 2013 by ESCBO Publishing.“Winter Dreams” begins in Minnesota when... Read Winter Dreams Summary


Publication year 2010

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Society: War, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Mothers, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: The Past, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance

Tags Historical Fiction, Romance, WWII / World War II, Russian Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World


Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Life/Time: Mortality & Death

Tags Romance, Realistic Fiction, Health / Medicine, Modern Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction


Publication year 2017

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Sexuality, Relationships: Mothers

Tags Romance, Mental Illness, Modern Classic Fiction, Drama / Tragedy


Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family

Tags Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance, Food

With the Fire on High is a 2019 young adult coming-of-age novel by Dominican American author Elizabeth Acevedo, who won a National Book Award for her 2018 young adult novel, The Poet X. It tells the story of Emoni Santiago, a teenage mother of Puerto Rican descent, and her senior year at a Philadelphia high school. The novel focuses on Emoni’s enrollment in a culinary arts class and her subsequent journey of self-discovery. With the... Read With the Fire on High Summary