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 Last Song

by Nicholas Sparks

Publication year 2009

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Love, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Forgiveness, Grief, Guilt, Hope, Regret, Coming of Age, Death, Appearance & Reality, Family, Fathers, Self Discovery, Social Class, Music, Truth & Lies

Tags Romance, Dramatic Literature, Coming of Age

The Last Song (2009) is a contemporary coming-of-age romance novel by American author Nicholas Sparks, a celebrated writer of best-selling works such as The Notebook and A Walk to Remember that are often set in coastal North Carolina. Sparks developed the novel’s story alongside the screenplay for its 2010 film adaptation. The plot centers on a rebellious teenage girl forced to spend the summer with her estranged father, leading her to reconnect with her passion... Read The Last Song Summary

The Last Tycoon

by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Publication year 1941

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Power & Greed, Love, Fate

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

The Last Tycoon is an unfinished novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald that charts the rise of Monroe Stahr, a film producer in 1930s Hollywood. Its fragments were collected and edited by Fitzgerald’s friend Edmund Wilson and published posthumously in 1941, the year after Fitzgerald’s death. The book’s protagonist is widely considered to be modelled after the real-life film producer Irving Thalberg, whom Fitzgerald greatly admired. The story focuses on the inner workings of the film... Read The Last Tycoon Summary

The Legacy

by Elle Kennedy

Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Love, Family, Marriage

Tags Romance, Sports, Relationships, New Adult, Scandinavian Literature

Published in 2021, The Legacy is a contemporary new-adult romance novel by best-selling author Elle Kennedy. The book serves as the fifth installment and an extended epilogue to her popular Off-Campus series, which begins with The Deal and also includes The Mistake, The Score, and The Goal. Kennedy is a prominent voice in the romance genre, known for works that have appeared on the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestseller lists... Read The Legacy Summary

The Light Between Oceans

by M.L. Stedman

Publication year 2012

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Grief, Fate

Tags Historical Fiction, World History, Dramatic Literature, Romance

The Light Between Oceans is Australian writer M.L. Stedman’s debut novel, published in 2012 by Random House Australia. Categorized as historical fiction, the novel won various accolades, such as the Indie Book Awards Book of the Year in 2013. A film adaptation of The Light Between Oceans was released four years after the novel’s publication in 2016. All citations in this guide are based on the 2012 Scribner edition, accessed via Scribd.com.Plot SummaryIn 1918, after... Read The Light Between Oceans Summary

The Lion & the Deathless Dark

by Carissa Broadbent

Publication year 2026

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Revenge, Justice

Tags Fantasy, Romance

This novel is set in a world plunged into permanent darkness after the sun fell ten years earlier. Vampires, created centuries ago by the goddess Nyaxia, waged war on humanity, while the gods of the White Pantheon, the coalition of deities worshipped by humans, turned on one another in a scramble for power. The story follows Kyrene, a human bounty hunter who wields the Blade of Retribution, a sentient, god-forged sword named Zefiah that once... Read The Lion & the Deathless Dark Summary

The List

by Siobhan Vivian

Publication year 2012

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Loneliness, Femininity, Friendship, Siblings, Truth & Lies

Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Romance, Dramatic Literature

... Read The List Summary

The Little Paris Bookshop

by Nina George, Transl. Simon Pare

Publication year 2013

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Literature, Love, Grief, Death

Tags Romance, Psychological Fiction, German Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, French Literature, Travel Literature

Nina George’s romance novel The Little Paris Bookshop was originally published in German in 2013 and was translated to English by Simon Pare in 2015. The story follows Jean Perdu, a bookseller, as he travels from Paris to Avignon on his floating bookstore, the Literary Apothecary. Perdu leaves Paris on a whim after receiving heartbreaking news about the death of his former lover. Perdu is joined in his travels by Max Jordan, a bestselling author... Read The Little Paris Bookshop Summary

The Longest Ride

by Nicholas Sparks

Publication year 2012

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Love, Marriage, Coming of Age

Tags Romance, Historical Fiction, Relationships, Grief & Death, Love & Sexuality, American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Dramatic Literature

In 2013’s The Longest Ride, Nicholas Sparks, one of the most prolific and successful American romance novelists of the millennium, investigates how despite their differences, opposite personalities can find their way to commitment. In juxtaposing two relationships, one ending after more than 50 years and the other just beginning, this #1 New York Times bestselling novel explores how love can flourish, endure, and sustain even through the most difficult times. The novel is part Western... Read The Longest Ride Summary