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.

Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Friendship

Tags Historical Fiction, Military / War, Relationships, Race / Racism, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Romance


Publication year 1973

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Race, Society: War, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil

Tags Historical Fiction, Romance, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, WWII / World War II, Holocaust, Children's Literature, Military / War, History: World, Classic Fiction

Summer of My German Soldier (1973) is a young adult novel by American author Bette Greene. The book is heavily based on Greene’s own childhood in Arkansas and Tennessee during World War II and her experiences growing up Jewish in the conservative Christian South. A made-for-TV film adaptation starring Kristy McNichol was released in 1978. The sequel to the novel, Morning Is a Long Time Coming, was published in 1978. Summer of My German Soldier... Read Summer of My German Soldier Summary


Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Midlife, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Mothers, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos

Tags Romance, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Family, Society: Class, Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed

Tags Romance, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 1998

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Relationships: Family

Tags Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Romance, Love / Sexuality, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

Judy Blume is the author of the bildungsroman and romance Summer Sisters, which she published in 1998. A prolific author, Blume is famous for her young-reader books, including the canonized Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret (1970), but Summer Sisters is for adults. The book follows the friendship of two girls from different socioeconomic classes from adolescence through adulthood as it addresses themes like The Elusive Power of Sex, The Fluidity of Families, and... Read Summer Sisters Summary


Publication year 2010

Genre Novel, Fiction

Tags Satire, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance, Humor

Gary Shteyngart’s 2010 novel Super Sad True Love Story is a futuristic tale of love, mortality, family, and technology. In the tradition of science fiction and apocalyptic storytelling, Shteyngart creates a world full of all-consuming technology that distracts from the fall of America and the rise of a new global economy. Told through the diaries of an old-timey Russian Jewish protagonist, Lenny Abramov, and the online messages of his youthful Korean-American love interest, Eunice Park... Read Super Sad True Love Story Summary


Publication year 2016

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Identity: Mental Health

Tags Food, Romance, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 2012

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Society: Nation, Values/Ideas: Literature

Tags Historical Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Relationships, Arts / Culture, History: European, Politics / Government, British Literature, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Romance

Sweet Tooth is a 2012 novel by Ian McEwan. Set in the 1970s, it tells the story of one woman’s involvement with MI5 and the world of literature. Themes include the balance of power, navigating lies and deceit, and conditional versus unconditional acceptance.Plot SummarySerena Frome grows up in a small, uninteresting English city. In the 1960s, her mother encourages her to study mathematics at Cambridge University even though Serena (a keen reader) would rather study... Read Sweet Tooth Summary


Publication year 2020

Genre Memoir in Verse, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Sexuality, Self Discovery, Society: Politics & Government

Tags Historical Fiction, LGBTQ, Romance, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World


Publication year 2018

Genre Novel/Book in Verse, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Coming of Age

Tags Realistic Fiction, Sports, Romance, Music


Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Mental Health, Relationships: Family

Tags Romance


Publication year 1964

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Marriage

Tags Romance, Relationships


Publication year 2018

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Gender, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Mothers, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Romance, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman


Publication year 2016

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Emotions/Behavior: Grief

Tags Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance

Tell Me Three Things is Julie Buxbaum's first young adult novel, published in 2017. Sixteen-year-old Jessie Holmes narrates this contemporary story in real-time over the course of two months, as she navigates the daunting halls of a new high school, a life without her mother, and anonymous messages from a classmate. Buxbaum intersperses Jessie's narration with digital conversations in the forms of text messages, emails, and instant messages (IMs), adding a modern epistolary element to... Read Tell Me Three Things Summary


Publication year 1934

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Relationships: Marriage, Emotions/Behavior: Love

Tags Classic Fiction, Romance, Drama / Tragedy, American Literature, Mental Illness, French Literature, History: World

In 1934, F. Scott Fitzgerald published his fourth and final (completed) novel, Tender Is the Night. Considered by the author to be his masterpiece, the book captures the same Jazz Age-prose style and Lost Generation philosophy as his previous novels, with the added depth of being arguably his most personal novel. Unlike The Great Gatsby, which was published in the middle of the 1920s, Tender Is the Night reflects upon the Roaring Twenties after they... Read Tender Is the Night Summary


Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Marriage, Society: Class

Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Romance, New Adult


Publication year 1891

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Sexuality, Identity: Gender, Society: Class, Society: Community, Natural World: Environment, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride

Tags Romance, Victorian Period, Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, British Literature, History: World, Victorian Literature / Period

Tess of the D’Urbervilles is Victorian writer Thomas Hardy’s 12th novel. It was first published in 1891 as a serial in the newspaper The Graphic; this serialized publication was followed by a three-volume edition in 1891 and a single volume in 1892. Like many of Hardy’s other realist novels, Tess is set in the fictional, southwestern English region of Wessex, using fictional locations closely modelled after real ones. Hardy’s sympathetic portrayal of a young woman... Read Tess of the D'Urbervilles Summary


Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Relationships: Marriage

Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Romance, Realistic Fiction, Gender / Feminism, Social Justice, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Self Discovery, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Race, Identity: Sexuality, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Teams, Society: Community, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice

Tags Fantasy, Romance, Action / Adventure, Humor


Publication year 2013

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Society: Community, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy, Romance

The 5th Wave is the first young adult science fiction novel in Rick Yancey’s trilogy of the same name. The book was published in 2013 by G.P. Putnam’s Sons. It follows the story of Cassie Sullivan, a young woman left on her own after aliens attack the Earth in three waves. The first wave is an electromagnetic pulse that shuts down all electricity; the second wave causes natural disasters on the coasts of each continent... Read The 5th Wave Summary