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.

The Dollhouse

by Fiona Davis

Publication year 2016

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Loneliness, Memory, Regret, Shame & Pride, Femininity, Coming of Age, Death, The Past, Place, Friendship, Self Discovery, Social Class, Community, Beauty, Loyalty & Betrayal, Music

Tags Historical Fiction, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Romance

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The Do-Over

by Lynn Painter

Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Friendship, Family, Conflict, Love, Self Discovery, Order & Chaos

Tags Love & Sexuality, Modern Classic Fiction, Business & Economics, Dramatic Literature, Romance, Fantasy, Humor

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The Duke and I

by Julia Quinn

Publication year 2000

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Social Class, Trust & Doubt, Shame & Pride, Love, Perseverance, Marriage

Tags Historical Fiction, Romance, Trauma & Abuse, Gender & Feminism, World History, Regency Era

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The Elite

by Kiera Cass

Publication year 2013

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Forgiveness, Hope, Love, Regret, Coming of Age, Appearance & Reality, Marriage, Self Discovery, Social Class, Globalization, Politics & Government, War, Justice, Literature

Tags Romance, Fantasy, Science Fiction

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The Enchanted April

by Elizabeth von Arnim

Publication year 1922

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Femininity, Friendship, Marriage, Self Discovery

Tags Romance, British Literature, Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction, Pastoralism

The Enchanted April (1922) is a novel by English author Elizabeth von Arnim. Set in a fictionalized version of a real 15th-century castle near Portofino, it follows four women as they embark on a month-long holiday on the Italian coast. Mrs. Wilkins, Mrs. Arbuthnot, Mrs. Fisher, and Lady Caroline Dester all travel to Italy to escape the dreariness of their daily lives and find themselves transformed by the beauty of the Italian countryside. Not entirely... Read The Enchanted April Summary

The End Of The Affair

by Graham Greene

Publication year 1951

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Love

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

The End of the Affair is a romance novel and work of psychological fiction written by British author Graham Greene, originally published in 1951. The narrative takes place in London between 1942 and 1946, during the middle and end of World War II. The work is comprised of five books, or parts, which center around the tryst of three primary characters: Maurice Bendrix, a blossoming writer; Sarah Miles; and Sarah’s ineffective husband, Henry Miles, who... Read The End Of The Affair Summary

The English Patient

by Michael Ondaatje

Publication year 1992

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes War, Memory, The Past, Race, Community, Grief

Tags Historical Fiction, Military & War, World History, Classic Fiction, Romance, World War II

The English Patient (1992) is a historical romance novel by Canadian writer Michael Ondaatje. The novel explores the relationships between four dissimilar people living in an abandoned Italian monastery at the end of World War II. The eponymous English patient—actually a Hungarian count burned beyond recognition—tells Canadian nurse Hana the story of his forbidden romance with British amateur cartographer Katharine Clifton as their small team attempted, several years earlier, to map North African deserts. Using... Read The English Patient Summary

The Essex Serpent

by Sarah Perry

Publication year 2016

Genre Novel, Fiction

Tags Historical Fiction, British Literature, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Gothic Literature, World History, Romance

The Essex Serpent is a novel by Sarah Perry, released in 2016. Set in 1893, it tells the story of Cora Seaborne, a recently widowed woman with a burning interest in the natural sciences. Escaping London, she visits a small village in the Essex countryside. There, she finds a population in thrall to the local legend of a sea monster lurking in the nearby estuary and a village priest who is desperately trying to dissuade... Read The Essex Serpent Summary

The Ex Hex

by Erin Sterling

Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Forgiveness, Love, Family, Friendship, Self Discovery, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies

Tags Romance, Fantasy, Love & Sexuality, Relationships, Special Occasions, Science Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Religion & Spirituality

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