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 Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches

by Sangu Mandanna

Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt, Perseverance, Truth & Lies, Conflict, Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Loyalty & Betrayal, Community

Tags Fantasy, Romance, Magical Realism, Education, Love & Sexuality, Relationships, Parenting, Science Fiction, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Religion & Spirituality

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The Viscount Who Loved Me

by Julia Quinn

Publication year 2000

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Aging, Death, Loyalty & Betrayal, Social Class, Friendship, Fate, Siblings, Safety & Danger, Coming of Age, Forgiveness, Memory, Daughters & Sons, Childhood & Youth, Love, Literature, Mothers, The Past, Family, Future, Appearance & Reality, Equality, Beauty, Self Discovery, Hate & Anger, Marriage, Loneliness, Conflict, Masculinity, Trust & Doubt, Grief, Femininity, Fathers, Nostalgia, Truth & Lies, Shame & Pride

Tags World History, Regency Era, Romance, Historical Fiction

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The Voyage Out

by Virginia Woolf

Publication year 1915

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Self Discovery, Colonialism, Literature, Gender Identity, Love

Tags Travel Literature, Coming of Age, British Literature, Colonialism & Postcolonialism, Edwardian Era, The Bloomsbury Group, Gender & Feminism, World History, Romance, Classic Fiction

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The Way I Used to Be

by Amber Smith

Publication year 2016

Genre Novel, Fiction

Tags Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance, Mental Illness, Trauma & Abuse

The Way I Used to Be is a YA novel written by author Amber Smith. The book, published in 2016, is a New York Times bestseller. Smith, an advocate for spreading awareness about issues related to gendered violence, tackles themes of sexual and domestic abuse in her young adult novels. The Way I Used to Be follows Eden McCrorey, a teenager who is raped by her older brother’s best friend, Kevin. The novel is divided... Read The Way I Used to Be Summary

The Well of Loneliness

by Radclyffe Hall

Publication year 1928

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Love

Tags Romance, Classic Fiction, LGBTQ+, Gender & Feminism, World History, Historical Fiction

The Well of Loneliness is a 1928 novel by British author Radclyffe Hall. Banned upon publication due to its lesbian theme, it tells the story of Stephen Gordon, an upper-class Englishwoman and who struggles as a lesbian with the confines of society. A subsequent obscenity trial generated significant publicity for the book, and it has since become a landmark of lesbian fiction.  Plot SummaryAfter 10 years of marriage, Sir Philip and Lady Anna Gordon are... Read The Well of Loneliness Summary

The Wicked King

by Holly Black

Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Power & Greed, Death, Loyalty & Betrayal, Safety & Danger, Siblings, Hate & Anger, Daughters & Sons, Family, Revenge, Fear, Trust & Doubt, Politics & Government, Appearance & Reality, Truth & Lies, Shame & Pride, Conflict, Fathers, Perseverance, Wins & Losses

Tags Fantasy, Romance, Magical Realism, Action & Adventure, Science Fiction

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The Wings of the Dove

by Henry James

Publication year 1902

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Loyalty & Betrayal, Love, Death, Social Class, Power & Greed

Tags Historical Fiction, Romance, Classic Fiction

The Wings of the Dove (1902) by Henry James tells the story of Milly Theale, a young, wealthy, orphaned New York heiress who has been diagnosed with a terminal illness. Seeking to live life to the fullest before she dies, she travels to London with her middle-aged companion, Susan Stringham, where she meets the ambitious and scheming Maud Lowder and her niece, Kate Croy. Kate is secretly engaged to the charming yet penniless Merton Densher... Read The Wings of the Dove Summary

The Winter's Tale

by William Shakespeare

Publication year 1623

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Truth & Lies, Religion & Spirituality, Loyalty & Betrayal, Social Class, Family, Regret, Guilt, Revenge

Tags Classic Fiction, Tragedy, Comedy & Satire, Romance, Education, Education, World History, Dramatic Literature

The Winter’s Tale is a late romance play in five acts by William Shakespeare. Originally published in the First Folio of 1623 but debuted onstage circa 1611, the play follows a man’s reckless jealousy as it destroys his family and his own conscience. Shakespeare’s play is based on the romance Pandosto: The Triumph of Time by the Elizabethan author Robert Greene published in 1588, with Shakespeare taking a more lighthearted approach to Greene’s story toward... Read The Winter's Tale Summary

The Wishing Game

by Meg Shaffer

Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Daughters & Sons, Mothers, Fathers, Literature, Art, Perseverance, Hope, Love, Safety & Danger

Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Fantasy, Romance, Magical Realism, Mystery & Crime Fiction

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The Witch Of Blackbird Pond

by Elizabeth George Speare

Publication year 1958

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Trust & Doubt, Love, Literature, Colonialism, Place

Tags Historical Fiction, Science Fiction, Children`s Literature, Education, Education, World History, Romance, Classic Fiction

Elizabeth George Speare was a well-known author of children’s books during the mid-twentieth century. Her second novel, The Witch of Blackbird Pond (1957), earned her a Newbery Medal in 1959. She won another in 1962 for The Bronze Bow (1961), as well as a Laura Ingalls Wilder Award in 1989 for her lifetime contribution to children’s literature. Her other novels include Calico Captive (1957) and The Sign of the Beaver (1984). Speare’s books are often... Read The Witch Of Blackbird Pond Summary