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.

Almost, Maine

by John Cariani

Publication year 2004

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Love, Grief, Guilt

Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Dramatic Literature, Romance, LGBTQ+

Almost, Maine is a play in two acts, and is comprised of a prologue, a four-scene first act, an interlogue, a four-scene second act (one of which has two different versions one can choose from), and finally an Epilogue. The title refers to an imagined town in Northern Maine, named Almost, that the playwright, John Cariani, writes, “doesn’t quite exist” (11). Each scene consists of at least two main characters, and, aside from the Prologue... Read Almost, Maine Summary

Along for the Ride

by Sarah Dessen

Publication year 2009

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Self Discovery, Perseverance

Tags Romance, Coming of Age, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen is a contemporary YA romance novel published in 2009. The story follows protagonist Auden West, an academically accomplished, shy insomniac and child of divorce. When Auden decides to spend her summer before college with her father Robert, stepmother Heidi, and newborn half sister in a small beach town, she undergoes a personal transformation. Auden meets Eli, a fellow insomniac and professional biker, who helps her find her inner... Read Along for the Ride Summary

Always and Forever, Lara Jean

by Jenny Han

Publication year 2017

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Love, Sexual Identity

Tags Korean Literature, Asian Literature, Romance, Dramatic Literature, Coming of Age, Diversity, Food, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

Jenny Han’s Always and Forever, Lara Jean is a young adult (YA) fiction/romance novel published in 2017. It is the third volume in a trilogy surrounding the high school experience of an Asian-American girl named Lara Jean. The first two novels have been adapted into Netflix films; the third book is also slated to be developed into a film. This guide references the e-book version of the novel.Plot SummaryThis novel opens on a typical high... Read Always and Forever, Lara Jean Summary

A Marvellous Light

by Freya Marske

Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Love, Gender Identity, Sexual Identity, Appearance & Reality, Family, Self Discovery, Social Class, Equality, Loyalty & Betrayal

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, World History, Historical Fiction, Romance, Fantasy, LGBTQ+, Edwardian Era

... Read A Marvellous Light Summary

Americanah

by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Publication year 2013

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Nature Versus Nurture

Tags Race & Racism, African Literature, Gender & Feminism, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance

Ifemelu, a Nigerian woman who has lived in the US for thirteen years, goes to a hair braiding salon in Trenton, New Jersey to have her hair braided in preparation for her return to Nigeria. The narrative flashes back and forth between her afternoon in the braiding salon, her childhood and adolescence in Nigeria, and her adult years in America. Ifemelu grows up in Lagos, Nigeria with a religious mother and a patient, occasionally unemployed father... Read Americanah Summary

American Fantasy

by Emma Straub

Publication year 2026

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Nostalgia, Aging, Midlife, The Past, Friendship, Self Discovery, Fame, Music

Tags Contemporary Literature, Romance

Emma Straub’s 2026 novel, American Fantasy, is a work of contemporary fiction from the New York Times best-selling author of titles such as All Adults Here and This Time Tomorrow. The story is set on a four-day fan cruise for Boy Talk, a fictional 1980s boy band whose members are now in their fifties. Told from the alternating perspectives of a disillusioned band member, a recently divorced 50-year-old fan attending alone, and the cruise’s overworked... Read American Fantasy Summary

American Panda

by Gloria Chao

Publication year 2018

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Mental Health, Race, Coming of Age

Tags Coming of Age, Romance, Humor, Asian Literature, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Asian Literature

... Read American Panda Summary

American Street

by Ibi Zoboi

Publication year 2017

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Loyalty & Betrayal, Family

Tags Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Magical Realism, Romance

American Street is a contemporary coming-of-age novel by Haitian American young adult author Ibi Zoboi. It was published in 2017 and was a finalist for the National Book Award for Young People's Literature the same year. Plot SummaryAmerican Street tells the story of a teenage Haitian immigrant named Fabiola who moves back home to the United States, her country of birth. As she and her mother are reentering the US, immigrant authorities seize Fabiola’s mother... Read American Street Summary

America's First Daughter

by Stephanie Dray, Laura Kamoie

Publication year 2016

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Truth & Lies

Tags US History, World History, Historical Fiction, Romance

Published in 2016, America’s First Daughter by Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie is the fictionalized biography of Thomas Jefferson’s eldest daughter, Martha Jefferson Randolph, known to her family as Patsy. Based on true events, the novel tells the story of Patsy and her relationship with her father, one of America’s Founding Fathers and earliest presidents.In 1826, shortly after Jefferson’s death, Patsy begins the arduous task of sorting through her father’s papers—burning some and editing others... Read America's First Daughter Summary

An American Marriage

by Tayari Jones

Publication year 2018

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Fathers

Tags Race & Racism, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance

On its publication in 2018, An American Marriage received critical acclaim for its examination of the complex dynamic of contemporary relationships and its timely exploration of black identity in 21st century America. Tayari Jones, a professor of creative writing at Emory University in Atlanta, published three earlier novels, but it was An American Marriage that catapulted her to international acclaim. The book was a selection for Oprah Winfrey’s book club, a New York Times best-seller... Read An American Marriage Summary