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 Lover

by Marguerite Duras

Publication year 1984

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Siblings, Family, Memory, Guilt, Community, Shame & Pride, Love, Forgiveness, Fear, Hope

Tags Relationships, American Literature, French Literature, World History, Historical Fiction, Romance, Classic Fiction

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The Love Wager

by Lynn Painter

Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Love, Family, Fate, Perseverance, Fear, Forgiveness, Hope, Loneliness, Sexual Identity, Coming of Age, Self Discovery

Tags Romance, Humor, Contemporary Literature

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The Map of Love

by Ahdaf Soueif

Publication year 1999

Genre Novel, Fiction

Tags African Literature, Romance, Modern Classic Fiction, World History, Historical Fiction

The Map of Love is a 1999 work of literary fiction by the Egyptian novelist Ahdaf Soueif. Critically acclaimed, the novel was a finalist for the 1999 Booker Prize. This guide refers to the 1999 Anchor Books edition.The Map of Love is driven by a series of fabulous coincidences. In 1997, Isabel, a young American woman, contacts Amal, a middle-aged Egyptian who is mourning the dissolution of her marriage and the alienation of her faraway... Read The Map of Love Summary

The Mark Of Athena

by Rick Riordan

Publication year 2012

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Religion & Spirituality, Revenge, Nation

Tags Mythology, Fantasy, Action & Adventure, Children`s Literature, Romance

Published in 2012, The Mark of Athena is the third novel in Rick Riordan’s young adult fantasy series The Heroes of Olympus, his second series in the Percy Jackson universe inspired by Greek and Roman mythologies. The Mark of Athena picks up the narrative where The Son of Neptune left off, with a Greek warship from Camp Half-Blood approaching Roman Camp Jupiter in hopes of collaborating to stop Gaea from waking up and destroying the... Read The Mark Of Athena Summary

The Marriage Of Opposites

by Alice Hoffman

Publication year 2015

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Daughters & Sons

Tags Historical Fiction, Jewish Literature, World History, Magical Realism, Romance, Arts & Culture

Alice Hoffman’s 2015 novel, The Marriage of Opposites, is a work of historical fiction with magical realism and romance elements. The novel begins in the early 1800s and spans three generations of a Jewish family living on the island of St. Thomas after having fled the Inquisition in Europe. The novel follows a linear timeline and, told from different perspectives, creates a sweeping look at a historically significant moment in time. Hoffman based her tale... Read The Marriage Of Opposites Summary

The Marriage Plot

by Jeffrey Eugenides

Publication year 2011

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Love, Gender Identity, Mental Health, Coming of Age, Marriage, Self Discovery, Social Class, Literature

Tags Romance, American Literature, Relationships

Jeffrey Eugenides’s The Marriage Plot (2011), set in the early 1980s, follows a love triangle among a group of recent Brown University graduates. As the 20-somethings forge a path into adulthood, they explore the dynamics of love and commitment while wrestling with ways to imbue their lives with meaning and make a purposeful mark on the world. The title references a plot trope common to 19th-century British novels, such as those by Jane Austen, in... Read The Marriage Plot Summary

The Ministry of Time

by Kaliane Bradley

Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Perseverance, Love, Regret, Race, Future, The Past, Climate, Environment, Social Class, Community, Economics, Globalization, Immigration, Nation, Politics & Government, War, Fate, Good & Evil, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger, Science & Technology, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies

Tags World History, Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Romance, Science Fiction

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The Miseducation of Cameron Post

by Emily M. Danforth

Publication year 2012

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Sexual Identity, Coming of Age

Tags LGBTQ+, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Romance

Written by Emily M. Danforth and published in 2012, The Miseducation of Cameron Post depicts lesbian teen Cameron Post’s coming of age in Miles City, Montana. The book, which comprises three parts—“Summer 1989,” “High School 1991-1992,” and “God’s Promise 1992-1993”—explores themes of homosexuality, grief, and religion. Danforth, who grew up in Miles City, draws from her own experiences of “growing up gay in the 1990s.” In 2018, LGBTQ culture advocate Desiree Akhavan directed the YA... Read The Miseducation of Cameron Post Summary

The Mistake

by Elle Kennedy

Publication year 2015

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Forgiveness, Grief, Guilt, Hope, Love, Regret, Shame & Pride, Femininity, Masculinity, Mental Health, Sexual Identity, Coming of Age, Future, Appearance & Reality, Daughters & Sons, Family, Fathers, Friendship, Marriage, Mothers, Siblings, Teamwork, Self Discovery, Social Class, Community, Education, Politics & Government, Beauty, Fame, Fate, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies, Wins & Losses

Tags New Adult, Romance

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The Mountain Between Us

by Charles Martin

Publication year 2010

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Perseverance, Grief, Guilt, Hope, Love, Memory, Death, The Past, Animals, Appearance & Reality, Food, Place, Family, Marriage, Self Discovery, Beauty, Fate, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt

Tags Christian, Romance, Action & Adventure, Survival Fiction

The Mountain Between Us (2010) is a survival romance novel by Charles Martin. It tells the story of Ben Payne, a surgeon who becomes trapped in the remote Utah wilderness with writer Ashley Knox. The novel interweaves Ben’s personal history with his growing feelings for Ashley as they rely on each other for survival, and their love begins to pose a potential complication in the lives to which they hope to return. Through their journey... Read The Mountain Between Us Summary