Valentine's Day Reads: The Theme of Love

Our Valentine's Day Reads: The Theme of Love Collection features titles centered on love and all of its complexities. This Collection represents authors who have grappled with romantic, familial, and other forms of love through writing. With titles ranging from contemporary romance picks to works by Shakespeare, this Collection has something to offer any reader who has ever lost or found love.

Troilus and Cressida

by William Shakespeare

Publication year 1601

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Love, Loyalty & Betrayal, Conflict, War, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Truth & Lies, Wins & Losses

Tags Classic Fiction, Tragedy, British Literature, Military & War

Troilus and Cressida (1602) by William Shakespeare is one of his lesser-known works, often categorized as a “problem play” due to its ambiguous tone that blends elements of tragedy, comedy, and history. Set against the backdrop of the Trojan War, the play traces the doomed love story of Troilus, a Trojan prince, and Cressida, whose loyalty is tested when she is traded to the Greeks. Through its themes of infidelity, romantic disenchantment, and the futility... Read Troilus and Cressida Summary

Troilus and Criseyde

by Geoffrey Chaucer

Publication year 1385

Genre Novel/Book in Verse, Fiction

Themes Love, Gender Identity, Coming of Age, Marriage, Social Class, War, Beauty, Literature, Religion & Spirituality

Tags Classic Fiction, Medieval, Narrative Poem, Romance, Military & War, Education, Education, World History

Troilus and Criseyde is an epic poem by Geoffrey Chaucer written between 1382 and 1386 in Middle English. The poem is divided into five books and features Chaucer’s innovation, the Rhyme royal stanza form, which is a seven-line stanza in iambic pentameter with an ABABBCC rhyme scheme. The poem is set during the Trojan War and tells the tragic story of Troilus, a prince of Troy who falls in love with a young woman named... Read Troilus and Criseyde Summary

Tropesick

by Lauren Okie

Publication year 2026

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Grief, Forgiveness, Guilt, Loneliness, Love, Memory, Regret, Shame & Pride, Mental Health, Sexual Identity, Childhood & Youth, Death, The Past, Fathers, Mothers, Siblings, Self Discovery, Loyalty & Betrayal

Tags Romance, Contemporary Literature

... Read Tropesick Summary

Trumpet

by Jackie Kay

Publication year 1998

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Gender Identity, Grief, Race, Love, Family, Music, Sexual Identity

Tags Historical Fiction, LGBTQ+, Music, Grief & Death, Race & Racism, Love & Sexuality, Modern Classic Fiction

... Read Trumpet Summary

Twilight

by Stephenie Meyer

Publication year 2005

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Community, Love, Sexual Identity

Tags Fantasy, Romance, Action & Adventure, Science Fiction, Religion & Spirituality

Twilight, by Stephenie Meyer, is a young adult adventure-romance about a teenage girl who falls in love with a vampire. Her struggle to build a relationship in a world filled with suspicion and danger helped make the book a number-one New York Times bestseller. The novel launched the Twilight book series including New Moon (2006), Breaking Dawn (2008), and Midnight Sun (2020), which has sold more than 100 million copies and received multiple young reader... Read Twilight Summary

Twisted

by Emily McIntire

Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Hate & Anger, Love, Sexual Identity, Coming of Age, Family, Self Discovery, Beauty, Good & Evil, Loyalty & Betrayal, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger

Tags Romance, New Adult, Fairy Tale & Folklore, Horror & Suspense, Fantasy

... Read Twisted Summary

Twisted Hate

by Ana Huang

Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Love, Truth & Lies, Trust & Doubt, Loyalty & Betrayal, Beauty, Self Discovery, Friendship, Family, Appearance & Reality, Hate & Anger

Tags Romance, Love & Sexuality, Modern Classic Fiction, Health

... Read Twisted Hate Summary

Twisted Pawn

by L. J. Shen

Publication year 2026

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Love, Revenge, Loyalty & Betrayal, Safety & Danger, Family

Tags Romance, Horror & Suspense

Twisted Pawn (2026) is a dark mafia romance by L. J. Shen, a New York Times and USA Today best-selling author. The novel is the second installment in the Society of Villains series, which follows warring crime families. The story traces the volatile relationship between Tierney Callaghan and Achilles Ferrante, former teenage sweethearts who are now bitter enemies. Their bond is violently reignited when Achilles is tasked with delivering Tierney into an arranged marriage, forcing... Read Twisted Pawn Summary

Two Gentlemen of Verona

by William Shakespeare

Publication year 1594

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Loyalty & Betrayal, Love, Coming of Age, Social Class, Friendship

Tags Comedy & Satire, Classic Fiction, British Literature, Humor, Dramatic Literature, Romance

Two Gentlemen of Verona is a romantic comedy generally assumed to be the first play written by William Shakespeare. It was likely written between 1587 and 1593, though the exact date of composition is unknown. The play describes the fallout that ensues when two young men (one of whom is engaged) fall in love with the same woman. Important themes in the play include The Restrictions of Courtly Love for Women, The Fickle Nature of... Read Two Gentlemen of Verona Summary

Under the Never Sky

by Veronica Rossi

Publication year 2011

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Perseverance, Fear, Guilt, Love, Coming of Age, Self Discovery, Community, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos, Safety & Danger, Science & Technology, Truth & Lies

Tags Science Fiction, Fantasy, Romance, Action & Adventure, Religion & Spirituality

... Read Under the Never Sky Summary