This article contains the top eight highly cherished romantic novels of all time, which promises to leave you in waterworks, with their passionate romance, twisted life tragedies and the ups and downs ahead of the happily ever after.
Best Romantic novels
1. Me before You
“Me Before You” is a heart wrenching love tale of two unfortunate love birds written by Jojo Moyes. The narrative follows Louisa and Will, tangled in their miserable worlds, crossing paths and becoming each other’s only reason to live.
Where Louisa is an ordinary girl, who lives in her own limited bubble, Will is full of life, yet wheelchair bound for eternity. Hence, when the two encounter each other as a care taker and patient, the love sparks, and Louisa and Will live the happiest six months of their existence.
However, where Louisa is looking forward to a new journey and their optimistic future ahead, Will isn’t willing to live another second of this depressed life. And, that is where the life happens.
Me Before You earned wide acclamations and became one of the bestselling romantic novels. The original book has two sequel novels too, titled After You, and Still Me. However, the sequels did not garner as much of praises as “Me before You.”
Moreover, a film adaption of “Me before You” also came out in 2016, and was also running success like the novel. The movie had grossed over $200 million worldwide.
2. Eleanor and Park
Eleanor and Park is the first young adult novel written by Rainbow Rowell, which garnered massive applauses and accolades for its diverse timeline.
The story revolves around a chubby and weird Eleanor and her love interest half-Korean Park. Eleanor comes from an abusive family, and has been a target of bullying, negligence and poverty, for all her life. Meanwhile, Park is blessed with loving and caring family, who supports him no matter what.
‘Eleanor and Park’ is focused on the adorable young romance and adventurous endeavors of the sixteen year old pair. However, it also tests the lengths; Park is ready to set for Eleanor’s happiness and wellbeing, even if it means saying goodbye to their future together.
3. The Time Traveller’s wife
Written by American author Audrey Niffenegger, The Time Traveller’s wife is known to be one of the best fiction romantic novels, thanks to its mysterious plots and out-of-the-ordinary storyline.
Classified as both science fiction and romance, the novel examines the themes of love, loss, and free will, blended together flawlessly. It uses time travel to explore miscommunication and distance in relationships, while also investigating deeper existential questions.
The time Traveller’s wife is a passionate tale of Henry and his wife Clare, who stands by her husband, throughout his strangely welded life. Henry has a disorder named as chrono-impairment, on account of which he travels to past and future unexpectedly, that too without his consent.
However, being crazy in love, the duo struggles to meet each other, and cope with their twisted love life, followed with the ugly present and future they discover after a few visits into the future.
4. A walk to remember
Set in 1958–1959 in Beaufort, North Carolina, one of the most intense romantic novels ‘A walk to remember’ is a narrative of two teenagers who fall in love with each other despite the disparity of their personalities, and keep their love alive, even if the one has to die.
The novel opens with 57 years old Landon, narrating his soul-touching love story, with his wife Jamie. From starting off with puppy love, to being head over heels for the other, the novel portrays Landon and Jamie in an endearing romance bubble. However, when the time is right for the two to start off a new life, their fate has something horrible in store.
Read More: Top 10 Best Sci-Fi Movies Of All Time
5. The fault in our stars
One of the John Green’s exclusive hit romantic novels, The Fault in our star became the talk of the town the year it was published. The novel had beautifully portrayed the excruciating love story of two cancer patients, Hazel and Augustus, who come across at a cancer patients support group, and eventually for each other.
Nevertheless, the two full of life teens have a limited time together, yet the duo makes the most of it.
6. The thorn birds
The Thorn Birds is a 1977 best-selling novel by the Australian author Colleen McCullough. Set primarily on Drogheda, a fictional sheep station in the Australian Outback named after Drogheda, Ireland, the story focuses on the Cleary family and spans the years 1915 to 1969.
This masterpiece of romantic novels is the best-selling book in Australian history, and has sold over 33 million copies worldwide.
7. Five Feet Apart
Known to be one of the saddest romantic novels of all time, Five Feet Apart by Rachael Lippincott promises you a storm of tears, with its heart-breaking plot and conclusion. The novel centers on Stella and Will, two unfortunate teenagers who spent the most precious times of their lives in hospitals, due to cystic fibrosis.
The two couldn’t be any more different, Stella is in control of her illness and must do everything in her power to stay well enough, and far away enough from others in order to hopefully receive some new lungs. While Will is a little reckless with his treatments, waiting for the day he turns 18 so he can leave the hospital and experience the world with the time he has left. Will is exactly what Stella doesn’t need but when they’re living against the clock; can they steal a little time back that their lungs stole from them?
The movie of the same name was adapted in 2017, which left the huge population in waterworks, but came out as a critical success.
8. The sun is also a star
Written by Nicola Yoon, the sun is also a star is the story of two teenagers Natasha and Daniel, who are complete opposite, yet destined to be together.
Where Natasha is a practical, intellectual, Daniel is a believer of fate, destiny and rely on “meant to be”. However, despite the differences, Daniel fall for Natasha at what is termed as love at first sight, and so, the story follows their one-day venture together that results in changed perspectives, and birth of two passionate lovers.
