With a cold Valentine’s Day looming, now seems like as good a time as any to delve into a good old romance novel. Grab some chocolate, your favorite mug of chai tea, and one of the seven books from this list and I promise you’ll be in for a Valentine’s Day filled with all the romance and love that St. Valentine himself promised.
1. The Night Circus, Erin Morgenstern
The Night Circus is one of those books that is able to effortlessly combine romance, intrigue and just a hint of other-worldliness to create a masterpiece of romantic fiction. The story follows two magicians, a handful of rich socialites and a magical circus through a multi-generational game of real-world chess and forbidden romance. If you’ve ever considered running away with the circus, this is the book for you.
2. Goddess of the Sea, P.C. Cast
P.C. Cast is probably most well known for her vampire-romance series House of Night, however, her Goddess Summoning Series takes the cake when it comes to old-fashioned romantic writing. Goddess of the Sea tells the tale of a woman who is offered to trade places with the legendary Mermaid, and daughter of Poseidon, Undine. She encounters sexy mermen, conservative Priests and the Goddess of the Earth herself. This book is the literary version of a candlelit dinner beneath the stars so if you’re looking for a little wooing then look no further.
3. Graceling, Kristin Cashore
This book screams girl power to the absolute max. Katsa, Cashore’s feisty heroine, is an assassin whose skills are feared in all corners of her world. She creates the adventure and the danger in her story, but Po, her silver and gold eyed opponent, is what gives it an undertone of heart-stopping romance. This book isn’t your traditional romance novel, it’s heart wrenching and frustrating but, ultimately, incredibly beautiful.
4. The Vincent Boys, Abbi Glines
This book is your ultimate simple, and clean romance novel. It takes place in modern-day reality and has no magical or otherworldly elements to it. That is not to say, however, that it is boring or lacking in oomph. The Vincent Boys oozes romance and tension (and as an added bonus there are not one, but two insanely beautiful men hidden amongst the pages).
5. Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen
It would be a crime to the literary gods to create a list of the best romantic reads without including Pride and Prejudice. The book is very well written, brimming with tension and adorably humor; however, the main reason that it makes it onto this list is Mr. Darcy. Why would anyone even consider going out on Valentine’s Day when he exists between these pages? He may be a little old fashioned, but I know that if he were around today he would definitely text back: my kind of man.
6. Bridget Jones’s Diary, Helen Fielding
This one may be a little clichéd, but Bridget Jones’s Diary is a classic. It is unbelievably funny and completely relatable. If binging your favorite TV show while eating copious amounts of chocolate and drinking shameful amounts of wine are your plans for this Valentine’s day then definitely invite Bridget, because she’ll make the party a lot more fun.
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