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 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Relationships: Friendship

Tags Class, Love / Sexuality, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance, Irish Literature


Publication year 1740

Genre Novella, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Marriage, Society: Class

Tags Fairy Tale / Folklore, Classic Fiction, Fantasy, Love / Sexuality, Relationships, Children's Literature, French Literature, Romance

Beauty and the Beast by Gabrielle-Suzanna Barbot De Villeneuve first appeared in her collection of fairy tales La jeune américaine, et les contes marins (The Young American and Marine Tales) in 1740 and was abridged into a Christian moral tale by Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont in 1756. As a fairy-tale classic, Beauty and the Beast has been retold around the globe and in several mediums, including books, film, theater, and opera. The most well-known adaptations... Read Beauty and the Beast Summary


Publication year 1978

Genre Novel, Fiction

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

Tags Fairy Tale / Folklore, Fantasy, Romance

Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast (1978) is author Robin McKinley’s debut novel. It’s an adaptation of the original Beauty and the Beast fairy tale written in 1740 by Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve, with genre elements of fantasy and romance and marketed for a middle grade readership. McKinley’s version of the story maintains an 18th-century setting while modernizing thematic explorations of outer versus inner beauty, ideals of faithfulness and selflessness... Read Beauty Summary


Publication year 2018

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Literature, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Mothers, Self Discovery, Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Life/Time: Midlife

Tags Historical Fiction, Romance, Auto/Biographical Fiction, British Literature, Christian literature, History: World, Religion / Spirituality


Publication year 2007

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love

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

Before I Die is a young adult novel by Jenny Downham published in 2007. The narrator is Tessa, a 16-year-old British girl who has terminal leukemia. The novel’s title refers to the things that Tessa would like to experience and accomplish before she dies: having sex, taking drugs, and breaking the law.Plot SummaryTessa lives with her patient and devoted father and her younger brother Cal; her mother, who left the family when Tessa was twelve... Read Before I Die Summary


Publication year 2010

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Fate

Tags Bullying, Grief / Death, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Fantasy, Romance, Religion / Spirituality

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver is a young adult novel about redemption, written in 2010. Following her death in a car accident, high school senior Sam Kingston wakes the next morning to find that she’s reliving the same day—February 12, or Cupid Day. She juggles the complexities of bullying, blossoming sexuality, self-confidence, and self-sacrifice after reliving the same day seven times. Through this experience, she reconnects with her family and friends, but mostly with... Read Before I Fall Summary


Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Marriage, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Identity: Mental Health, Emotions/Behavior: Hope

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


Publication year 2017

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Marriage

Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Romance, Relationships, Mental Illness, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Grief / Death, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

Behind Her Eyes, a psychological thriller, was written by Sarah Pinborough and published in 2017. The book has sold over 1 million copies worldwide and was adapted for a TV series by Netflix. While clearly a best seller, there is great divergence of opinion on the book’s very unexpected twist at the end, with the publishers using the hashtag #WTFThatEnding to promote the book.Plot SummaryLouise is a single mother living in London and working as... Read Behind Her Eyes Summary


Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Family, Self Discovery

Tags Sports, Romance, New Adult


Publication year 2013

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Music, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance, Action / Adventure


Publication year 1801

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Marriage

Tags Classic Fiction, British Literature, History: World, Historical Fiction, Romance

Written by Irish novelist Maria Edgeworth (1768-1849) and published in 1801, Belinda remains one of the landmark works of the late Restoration novel and a precursor of the realistic novel of the mid-19th century. Its purpose is made clear by Edgeworth herself in a brief preface that begins the novel: “The following work is offered to the public as a Moral Tale” (1). Edgeworth was distressed by the glut of frivolous novels that sought only... Read Belinda Summary


Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Femininity, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Self Discovery

Tags Fantasy, Romance, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Gothic Literature, Religion / Spirituality


Publication year 2004

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology

Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Humor, Romance, Modern Classic Fiction, Fantasy

Be More Chill (2004) by Ned Vizzini is a young adult novel about a teenage boy trying to increase his social status in high school. The work employs humor and a science fiction premise to satirize the absurdity of social norms in contemporary youth culture. The main character, Jeremy Heere, is a socially awkward high school student who ingests a pill that contains a quantum supercomputer that advises him on how to modify his behavior... Read Be More Chill Summary


Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age

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


Publication year 2011

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Good & Evil

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

Between Shades of Gray is a fictionalized account of what happened to many Lithuanians—and others from Estonia and Latvia—after the Soviet Union annexed and occupied the Baltic States in 1940. Thousands of citizens of these countries were deported and imprisoned, and many of them ended up in Siberian forced labor camps like the ones Lina Vilkas and her mother and brother are sent to in the book. The novel is told from the first-person perspective of a... Read Between Shades of Gray Summary


Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Self Discovery, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Emotions/Behavior: Hope

Tags Historical Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Romance, WWII / World War II, Class, Education, Finance / Money / Wealth, Love / Sexuality, Relationships, Military / War, Grief / Death, History: World, Parenting


Publication year 2002

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love

Tags Romance, Education, Education, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

Big Mouth & Ugly Girl is a young adult novel written by Joyce Carol Oates. Published in 2002 after the high-profile Columbine High School shooting and attempted bombing in Columbine, Colorado, Big Mouth & Ugly Girl recounts three months in the lives of two 16-year-old high school juniors, Matt “Big Mouth” Donaghy and Ursula “Ugly Girl” Riggs.Plot SummaryThe first protagonist introduced is Matt Donaghy, a high school junior accused of threatening to blow up the... Read Big Mouth & Ugly Girl Summary


Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Hope

Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Romance, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Mental Health, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Relationships: Marriage, Identity: Sexuality

Tags LGBTQ, Love / Sexuality, Romance, Humor, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 2018

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Gender, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Teams, Self Discovery, Society: Class

Tags Romance, Sports, New Adult, Modern Classic Fiction, Trauma / Abuse / Violence