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 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Teams, Society: Colonialism, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger

Tags Fantasy, Romance, Action / Adventure, Fairy Tale / Folklore


Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Siblings, Identity: Mental Health, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear

Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Romance, Fantasy, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Grief / Death, Gothic Literature


Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt

Tags Fantasy, Romance, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Fairy Tale / Folklore


Publication year 1910

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Art, Society: Class

Tags Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Relationships, Class, British Literature, History: World, Romance

E. M. Forster’s Howards End (1910) tells the story of two families, the Schlegels and the Wilcoxes, who represent different aspects of society in Edwardian England. Specifically, it follows the Margaret Schlegel, the novel’s protagonist, amid her attempts to manage her own family as she becomes engaged to and marries the widowed Mr. Wilcox. In 1992 it was adapted into an Academy Award-winning film, directed by James Ivory, and in 2017 it was adapted into... Read Howards End Summary


Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Gender, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Flora/plants, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Mothers, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Fantasy, Romance, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Fairy Tale / Folklore, Religion / Spirituality


Publication year 1974

Genre Short Story, Fiction

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

Tags Romance, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Class, Gender / Feminism, Love / Sexuality, Post-War Era, History: World, Historical Fiction, Canadian Literature, Classic Fiction

“How I Met My Husband” is a short story by Alice Munro. It appeared in her 1974 collection Something I’ve Been Meaning To Tell You. Munro's other works include the collection Runaway (2003) and the novel Dear Life (2012). This guide is based on the Vintage eBook edition of the collection, published in 2014.Fifteen-year-old Edie comes of age in postwar rural Canada. She is from a large, farming family. When she fails high school, she... Read How I Met My Husband Summary


Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Mental Health, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Identity: Sexuality

Tags Realistic Fiction, LGBTQ, Mental Illness, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance


Publication year 1986

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Identity: Language

Tags Fantasy, Romance, Action / Adventure, Love / Sexuality, Children's Literature, Classic Fiction

Howl’s Moving Castle was written by Diana Wynne Jones and published in 1986. It won the Phoenix Award for Children’s Literature 20 years after its publication. It is the first in a series of three books, followed by Castle in the Air, published in 1990; and House of Many Ways, published in 2008. Howl's Moving Castle introduces the main characters of Howl and Sophie and discusses themes of acceptance, identity, and the enemies-to-lovers trope. Howl’s... Read Howl’s Moving Castle Summary


Publication year 2020

Genre Novella, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Society: Class

Tags Fantasy, Romance


Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Natural World: Animals, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Natural World: Environment

Tags Humor, Romance, Animals, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Society: Community, Society: Immigration, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Literature

Tags Romance, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 2016

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Mothers, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger

Tags Fantasy, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Historical Fiction, Romance, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Religion / Spirituality


Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Life/Time: The Past

Tags Romance, Literary Fiction, Realistic Fiction


Publication year 2017

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Mortality & Death

Tags Romance, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World


Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Gender, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt

Tags Romance, New Adult, Trauma / Abuse / Violence


Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Identity: Gender, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Family

Tags Romance, History: World, Modern Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction


Publication year 2010

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil

Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Relationships, Science / Nature, Class, Fantasy, Romance, Action / Adventure, Religion / Spirituality

I Am Number Four (2010) is the first book in the modern young adult science fiction series Lorien Legacies by Pittacus Lore, the pseudonym of authors James Frey and Jobie Hughes. Despite the novel’s mixed reviews, I Am Number Four spent seven successive weeks at the top of the New York Times children’s bestseller list. The novel was adapted into a film of the same name in 2011 by DreamWorks Pictures.Other works by this author... Read I Am Number Four Summary


Publication year 1948

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Femininity, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Marriage, Emotions/Behavior: Love

Tags Classic Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Historical Fiction, Romance, British Literature, History: World

I Capture the Castle is a young adult novel published in 1948 by Dodie Smith. It follows the fictional journal of aspiring author Cassandra Mortmain as she writes about her family’s rise from poverty to wealth through their association with the Cotton brothers. The novel discusses themes of authorship, history, and the multiplicity of feminine identities. I Capture the Castle was adapted for film in 2003 by director Tim Fywell. This summary uses the St... Read I Capture the Castle Summary


Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Self Discovery, Relationships: Teams, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Love

Tags Romance, New Adult, Sports, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 2015

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Natural World: Space & The Universe, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Femininity

Tags Romance, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy, Love / Sexuality, Religion / Spirituality