14 Romantic Novels That Will Lift Your Mood
The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang
Stella Lane lives her life by numbers, but her algorithms can’t help her with her lack of dating experience – and it doesn’t help that Stella has Asperger’s and French kissing reminds her of a shark getting its teeth cleaned by pilot fish. A refreshing debut.
The Proposal by Jasmine Guillory
From the author of The Wedding Date comes the story of a public proposal which does not have a happy ending, for Nikole or for the 45,000 disappointed baseball fans. A fresh and unique voice on the romance scene.
Me Before You by Jojo Moyes
You might have seen the film, but we promise the book is better – you won’t be able to forget quirky Lou’s journey with Will as she becomes his caregiver and their relationship blossoms. You will be needing tissues.
Sofia Khan is Not Obliged by Ayisha Malik
Described as the Muslim Bridget Jones, Sofia Khan is Not Obliged is the story of a young woman tasked with writing a book about the Muslim dating scene in Britain. Although she’s not looking for love, writing the book will require Sofia to do a little research… heart-warming and hilarious.
More Than Words by Jill Santopolo
Nina Gregory has always been a good daughter, but when her father dies, he leaves behind a secret that will turn her life upside down. As her world falls apart, Nina begins to see the men in her life in a very different light, in a journey through grief, loss, love and self-discovery.
The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary
Two cash-strapped Londoners embark on an unusual flat-share where Leon has the flat during Tiffy’s 9–5 job and Tiffy occupies it weekends and nights while hospice worker Leon is on nightshift or at his girlfriend’s. Crazy ex-boyfriends, wrongfully imprisoned brothers and, most importantly, super cute Post-It notes, we dare you not to fall in love with this one.
Normal People by Sally Rooney
Although they’ve grown up in the same small, rural Irish town, the lives of Connell and Marianne are vastly different. But, when they both earn places at Trinity College in Dublin, a connection that has grown between them lasts long into the following years. It’s a love story of two seemingly mismatched people that explores the impact one person can forever have on another.
The Stationery Shop by Marjan Kamali
A romance blossoms in a dusty stationery shop in 1950s Tehran, the shop an oasis amid the political upheaval of the period. But tragedy strikes the young couple on the night of a coup d’état, separating them for more than six decades before they meet again.
Creature Comforts by Trisha Ashley
Izzy has broken off her engagement to her fiancée and returned to her childhood home, the aptly named village of Halfhidden. But Halfhidden was the scene of a terrible accident that Izzy was involved in as a teenager – and now she wants to find out what actually happened that night. Are the unresolved issues of her past preventing her from finding happiness?
A Vintage Wedding by Katie Fforde
The bestselling romance novelist returns with a new novel set in a small country town in the Cotswolds. Three friends set up a vintage wedding business and soon they are organising stylish and affordable retro nuptials for other people – but what they don’t realise is that romance will soon be on the cards for them too.
A Spool of Blue Thread by Anne Tyler
Four generations of family life are recorded in the latest novel by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Anne Tyler. The Whitstanks are a Baltimore family who outwardly appear to be closely bound together by love. But jealousy, sadness and secrecy also lie beneath the surface. The novel explores the highs, lows and heartache of family life from the 1920s to the present day.
A Touch of Stardust by Kate Alcott
Step behind the scenes of the classic film Gone With The Wind with this novel that examines the romance between Clark Gable and Carole Lombard. The world of 1930s Hollywood and the daily pressures of creating a piece of movie history should provide enough fodder for a novel on their own, but the behind-the-scenes passions that fuelled the on-screen chemistry is the focus of this glamorous romance.
The Dandelion Years by Erica James
Saskia lives in a pink cottage on the edge of a Suffolk village, restoring books and recovering from a tragedy which shattered her childhood. One day she discovers a notebook concealed in an old Bible, which tells the story of love in wartime. Soon she is drawn deeper into the life of a stranger – but will it hold the key to solving her own problems?
The Cake Shop in the Garden by Carole Matthews
Fay Merryweather’s garden is no ordinary garden – it’s also a cake shop, where the pleasures of bakery and blooms collide. But when Danny Wilde walks into Fay’s life and tragedy strikes, she has to decide where her priorities lie. Plenty of drama about life, love and family – and enough cake to make you salivate.
