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 2016

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Mortality & Death

Tags Love / Sexuality, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance


Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Mental Health

Tags Romance, Modern Classic Fiction, Love / Sexuality


Publication year 2001

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Sexuality, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Life/Time: Coming of Age

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

Atonement (2001) is an award-winning novel by British author Ian McEwan that spans the last two-thirds of the 20th century. The novel was a New York Times Bestseller for seven straight weeks and shortlisted for the Booker Prize for fiction in 2001. The 2007 film adaptation won an Academy Award, two Golden Globes, and a BAFTA Award. McEwan is critically acclaimed with over a dozen novels and other works of fiction to his name, as... Read Atonement Summary


Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Mothers, Values/Ideas: Fate

Tags Fantasy, Romance, Mythology, Religion / Spirituality


Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Values/Ideas: Fame, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil

Tags Fantasy, Romance, Mythology, New Adult


Publication year 2018

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Relationships: Friendship

Tags Auto/Biographical Fiction, Race / Racism, September 11 Attacks, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Romance

A Very Large Expanse of Sea by Tahereh Mafi is a 2018 semi-autobiographical young adult novel set in America one year after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Sixteen-year-old Shirin, a Muslim girl born in America to Persian immigrant parents from Iran, experiences intolerance and hatred in her school and the outside world. Shirin tries to maintain emotional distance from peers to protect herself, but the hesitant romance that develops between Shirin and Ocean... Read A Very Large Expanse of Sea Summary


Publication year 1924

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Society: War, Self Discovery

Tags Classic Fiction, Romance, WWI / World War I, The Lost Generation, Education, Education, American Literature, Drama / Tragedy

“A Very Short Story” is one of Ernest Hemingway’s earliest literary works. It originally appeared as one of 18 vignettes that made up the chapbook in our time, published in 1924. The story was later republished, along with the original vignettes and 14 additional short stories, in a new and expanded edition of In Our Time in 1925. This guide refers to that later edition.“A Very Short Story” is semi-autobiographical, based loosely upon Hemingway’s own... Read A Very Short Story Summary


Publication year 1993

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil

Tags Historical Fiction, Christian literature, Romance, History: World, Religion / Spirituality

A Voice in the Wind (originally published in 1993) by American author Francine Rivers is an amalgam of history, Christian allegory, and romance novel. Set in ancient Rome, the novel uses the decadence and cruelty of the Roman Empire as a backdrop for a tale of religious persecution, forbidden love, and the triumph of faith. Rivers has written extensively in the Christian fiction genre, producing four multi-book series and several stand-alone novels, including Redeeming Love... Read A Voice in the Wind Summary


Publication year 1999

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Love

Tags Romance, Love / Sexuality, Modern Classic Fiction, Drama / Tragedy

A Walk to Remember is a 1999 novel by bestselling American romance writer Nicholas Sparks. It was adapted into a movie in 2002. The novel, set in 1958 in the coastal North Carolina town of Beaufort, builds on the brand Sparks established in his earlier bestselling 1996 novel, The Notebook, which is a historical romance set in a North Carolina coastal town during the 1940s. This North Carolina setting is also a locale of subsequent... Read A Walk to Remember Summary


Publication year 2012

Genre Novel, Fiction

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

Tags Romance, Irish Literature, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 2014

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Gender, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Teams, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos

Tags Fantasy, Fairy Tale / Folklore, Romance, Action / Adventure


Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

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


Publication year 2012

Genre Novel, Fiction

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

Tags Romance, Love / Sexuality, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Modern Classic Fiction

A New York Times bestselling novel, Bared to You by Sylvia Day chronicles the relationship between independent Eva Tramell and successful Gideon Cross. Published in 2012, Bared to You explores the impact of trauma as Eva and Gideon navigate their past experiences with childhood sexual abuse. The first book of the Crossfire Saga, Bared to You precedes four novels that document the turbulent relationship of Eva and Gideon. Classified as erotic fiction, Day’s novel features... Read Bared To You Summary


Publication year 1963

Genre Play, Fiction

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

Barefoot in the Park is a 1963 play by Pulitzer Prize-winning American playwright Neil Simon. Born in the Bronx in 1927, Simon grew up during the Depression. Financial strains characteristic of the time caused tension in his parents’ marriage, and Simon sought escape at the movies, with comedic films in particular. Laughter and comedy served as emotional balms for him, as they do in his semi-autobiographical plays. His plays are often set in New York... Read Barefoot In The Park Summary


Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Literature, Relationships: Family

Tags Romance, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 2002

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Mothers, Society: Community, Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Fantasy, Animals, Romance, Canadian Literature, Classic Fiction


Publication year 2009

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil

Tags Fantasy, Romance, Southern Gothic, Relationships

Beautiful Creatures (2009) is a young adult paranormal romance novel written by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl. Garcia and Stohl combine their interest in Southern Gothic literature with supernatural romance. Beautiful Creatures is the first book in the four-part Caster Chronicles. The novel follows the romance between Ethan Wate and Lena Duchannes as Lena comes to terms with the supernatural powers that make her a Caster. Lena and Ethan struggle to find a way to... Read Beautiful Creatures Summary


Publication year 2011

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love

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

Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire is a new adult romance first published in 2011. The book became an international bestseller and was made into a feature film released in 2023. The book is part of McGuire’s Beautiful Disaster series; several of the subsequent books also became New York Times bestsellers. This guide refers to the Atria paperback edition published in 2012.Content Warning: The novel depicts and romanticizes character traits that are often precursors of abusive... Read Beautiful Disaster Summary


Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Family, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Art

Tags New Adult, Romance


Publication year 2012

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Fame, Life/Time: The Past

Tags Romance, Historical Fiction, Italian Literature, Modern Classic Fiction