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 1992

Genre Novel, Fiction

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

Tags Romance, Realistic Fiction, African American Literature


Publication year 2017

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Emotions/Behavior: Grief

Tags Chinese Literature, Asian Literature, Technology, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Fantasy, Romance, Action / Adventure

Marie Lu’s young adult science fiction Warcross (2017) is the first book in the Warcross series. Set in the future, bounty hunter Emika Chen takes part in an international online game to track down her mark. Lu writes primarily dystopian and science fiction for young adults and is well known for her bestselling trilogy, Legend. Kirkus Reviews included Warcross on its Best Teen Science Fiction books of 2017. This guide references the 2017 Random House... Read Warcross Summary


Publication year 1880

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Gender, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt

Tags Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, American Literature, History: World, Romance

Washington Square is a novel by American author Henry James published in 1880. It is a novel of manners, which turns on individual choices amidst social constraints and expectations, a style typical of James. The novel focuses on the romance between Catherine Sloper, a wealthy young woman in line to inherit even more from her father, and Morris Townsend, a handsome, charming suitor who lacks money and a profession. Catherine’s relationship with her father, Dr... Read Washington Square Summary


Publication year 2006

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Life/Time: Aging, Identity: Disability, Natural World: Animals, Society: Class, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Fathers, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal

Tags Historical Fiction, Romance, Great Depression, Mental Illness, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World

Water for Elephants, a New York Times bestseller and author Sara Gruen’s third novel, was published in 2006 by Algonquin. The novel was adapted into a full-length film in 2011 starring Reese Witherspoon and Robert Pattison.Gruen often features animals in her novels, and Water for Elephants is no exception, as she follows two lovers in a forbidden relationship set against the backdrop of a circus and its eclectic mix of characters and exotic animals. The... Read Water for Elephants Summary


Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Mothers, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt

Tags Fantasy, Romance


Publication year 2017

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief

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

We Are Okay is the story of an 18-year-old girl, Marin’s, experience with grief, loss, and sadness. Marin’s mother dies in a surfing accident when she’s almost 3; she is raised near that same beach in San Francisco by her grandfather, Gramps. The narrative is divided between Marin’s present in New York and her past in California. The present-day events occur in December during the winter break of Marin’s first year in college; the past... Read We Are Okay Summary


Publication year 2016

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Sexuality, Relationships: Friendship, Life/Time: Mortality & Death

Tags Magical Realism, LGBTQ, Mental Illness, Bullying, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Depression / Suicide, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Fantasy, Romance

We Are the Ants by Shaun David Hutchinson is a young adult science fiction novel that follows the coming-of-age story of Henry, a teenager whose life is in shambles. Hutchinson uses the first-person point-of-view of his protagonist to explore themes of family, grief, universal unknowns, and the development of identity. Published in 2016, Hutchinson’s novel questions the value of human life while incorporating science fiction elements to portray the smallness of human existence in the... Read We Are the Ants Summary


Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Relationships: Siblings

Tags Romance, Modern Classic Fiction, Drama / Tragedy, Irish Literature


Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Race, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Grandparents, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice

Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, LGBTQ, Romance, Realistic Fiction, Race / Racism


Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Fate, Relationships: Friendship, Identity: Gender, Self Discovery, Emotions/Behavior: Love

Tags Fantasy, Romance, Action / Adventure


Publication year 2011

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Siblings, Self Discovery, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict

Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Romance, Realistic Fiction


Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Midlife, Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Relationships: Marriage, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Relationships: Family

Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Romance


Publication year 2014

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Disability

Tags Humor, Inspirational, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Romance, Disability, LGBTQ, American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Biography

Josh Sundquist is a cancer survivor, Paralympic ski racer, motivational speaker, and stand-up comedian. Sundquist’s memoir Just Don't Fall: How I Grew Up, Conquered Illness, and Made It Down the Mountain was published in 2010 and became a national bestseller. While his first memoir showed how he was able to overcome health challenges to become a sporting hero, his second book We Should Hang Out Sometime: Embarrassingly, a True Story (2014) deals with the most... Read We Should Hang Out Sometime: Embarassingly, A True Story Summary


Publication year 2014

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance

We Were Liars is a 2014 young-adult novel by E. Lockhart, a pen name of writer Emily Jenkins. The book tells the story of Cady (short for Cadence), who is nearly 18, as she recounts the story of her life. She is a member of the wealthy New England Sinclair family whose patriarch and matriarch, Harris and Tipper, still dominate the family as the story begins. The Sinclair family is so wealthy that it owns... Read We Were Liars Summary


Publication year 2009

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Marriage, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Relationships: Siblings

Tags Romance, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Mental Illness, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness

Tags Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Romance, Realistic Fiction, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 2018

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Fate, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Self Discovery, Emotions/Behavior: Hope

Tags Romance, LGBTQ, Realistic Fiction


Publication year 1997

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Siblings, Society: Community

Tags Realistic Fiction, Romance, African American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction

Pearl Cleage’s debut novel, What Looks Like Crazy on an Ordinary Day, traces one summer in the life of the protagonist, Ava Johnson. Ava’s once independent and exciting life in Atlanta, Georgia, changes forever when she tests positive for HIV (human immunodeficiency virus), the virus that can lead to AIDS. As a Black woman living in the 1990s, Ava is immediately met with social and cultural stigmas surrounding the virus. Unable to maintain her hair... Read What Looks Like Crazy on an Ordinary Day Summary


Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Society: Colonialism, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt

Tags Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Action / Adventure, History: World, Romance


Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Society: Colonialism, Identity: Language, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: The Past, Society: Politics & Government, Relationships: Family, Society: Nation

Tags Historical Fiction, Romance, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy, Love / Sexuality, Military / War, History: European, Politics / Government, History: World, Irish Literature