But despite all that, I honestly did feel the love between them, and Ilikedthat it wasnt crazily anachronistic. She's a big personality and the first two chapters do a great job of introducing her, so I'd recommend checking out the preview and reading those two chapters to see if it's for you. Quick Transmigration with Female Lead Aura - Novel Updates Although the book is more murder mystery than anything else, the romance is satisfying enough and its a must-read for Heyer/Christie fans. Merlin is a highly unconventional heroine: extremely intelligent and obsessed with her work, but very sweet. To be fair to Joshua, the feelings mutual. One of the most well-known and well received historical romance novels of all time, this regency read has had readers seriously hot under the starched collar for 25 years. Morganna is also totally not one of those people who immediately forgets her mission because of a man. New books are added every day. Reading Hardys Tess of the DUrbervilles is an affecting experience that will stay with you for a lifetime. author picked Their clash of wills leads to many humorous moments, and their love for each other might be atypical but its delightful. A rich Cornish broth of love, rivalry, and discontent, Grahams novels conjure up the lashing rains, the wild winds, and the crashing seas of 18th century Cornwall as his plots roar along the coastline. Love in the Time of Cholera (Oprah's Book Club) by Gabriel Garcia Mrquez Buy on Amazon Add to library Florentino Ariza has been waiting for 50 years for his true love to return. Brainy/Genius Romantic Heroines (265 books) - Goodreads Sarah MacLean is a New York Times bestselling author of historical romances including Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake and her most recent release, One Good Earl Deserves a Lover. But life isnt as unemotional or predictable as code, and things soon boil over with the intriguingly demanding Parsons. Trust book recommendations from real people, not robots . 4 Captain Mattie St Armand is not just a woman: shes the biracial bastard daughter of a pirate and a freedwoman, so she needs a nave white man to help deflect the authorities while she smuggles slaves from Florida to freedom in the Bahamas. show more. It soon transpires that her house is filled with the ghosts of her Colonial ancestors. This one interweaves three separate romances, in two different periods. A college romance book featuring an intelligent heroine the hero can't resist, yes please! Although this is technically just a Regency novel, its location in the Highlands really brings Scotland to life. DM me! The story of Eva, a sexual assault survivor navigating her way to a healthy romantic life is surprisingly heartfelt. Popular and outgoing class president Landon doesnt think he has much in common with the preachers daughter Jamie, until circumstance forces them together. A good love story has drama, intrigue, laughs, and, if youre lucky, a little heat; while the very best romance novels can feel just like falling in love intimate and personal, yet huge and life-changing all at once. As she grows closer to the Duke of Jervaux, Maddy begins to realise his playboy facade conceals hidden depths. Click the Magic Search Button in our sidebar which will take you to a google webpage. There's another who's a doctor and another that's an astronaut. As our mysterious, elderly narrator unpacks these nesting dolls, we gradually learn about the love affair between our protagonists. Because Clare and Henry have met each other before in fact, shes known him her whole life. Computer nerd meets billionaire! It might now be a rom-com trope, but Pride and Prejudice is one of the oldest and greatest examples of the thin line between love and hate. Adrian is a very interesting character: hes tormented by lust, but also by an extreme religiosity, which is woven into the fabric of his personality. Lists are re-scored approximately every 5 minutes. Cookie Notice The book also explores, in great depth, the implications of Rhines decision to pass as white (for both himself and the black community). Neanderthal Seeks Human I want some action! Youve probably already read Fifty Shades it was the biggest selling book of the 2010s, after all. *What happens when America's First Son falls in love with the Prince of Wales?When his mother became President, Alex Claremont-Diaz was promptly cast as the American equivalent of a young royal. This classic fish-out-of-water tale follows Margaret, a nineteen-year-old girl whose life is turned upside down when her family relocates from a sleepy village to Darkshire a rough and restless industrial town in the north of England. Donovan is nothing like the player I expected. This is how diplomacy should always work! Ivory doesnt skim over the grim realities of working-class life in the 1890s. Its a tale as old as time: boy meets girl; boy and girl bicker and declare their contempt for one another; boy and girl realise over time that there is, in fact, more to one another than meets the eye but has this realisation come too late? Luckily for you, Aciman released a sequel last year so you wont have to say goodbye to Elio and Oliver just yet. It is a truth universally acknowledged that any list of the best romance novels must be in want of at least one Jane Austen title (weve gone for three!). He could never show her love or even affection and he certainly never believed in her. *AAR top 100 romances of all time*New York Times Bestselling Author Penny Reids debut novelThere are three things you need to know about Janie Morris:1) She is incapable of engaging in a conversation without volunteering TMTI (Too Much Trivial Information), especially when she is unnerved,2) No one unnerves her more than Quinn Sullivan, and3) She doesn't know how to knit.After losing her boyfriend, apartment, and job in the same day, Janie Morris can't help wondering what new torment fate has in store. Beginning during WWI and spanning three generations, Sebastian Faulks Birdsong is an epic novel about the power of war to strip everything from you, whether that be home, family, dignity or love. I want some action! The universe appears to have conspired to keep these childhood sweethearts apart: with meddling families, possessive fiancs, and World War II thrown into the mix, will they ever find their way back together? Spoiled Southern belle Scarlett OHara only ever had to worry about her love life, until poverty threatened to wipe out her familys plantation. Shes also lost interest in Cath. Sixteen-year-old Aaron Soto is trying to recover from a family tragedy, supported by his friends and his girlfriend Genevieve. Its set in an alternate reality where in 2016, a Democrat became the first female president of the US, and follows First Son Alex a twenty-something, biracial, modern-day Kennedy. I love the friendships between the brainy female scientists at their secret lab and the humorEverett always brings the humor in big, satisfying doses. women in mathematics. Cry No More by Linda Howard. And when I second Beautiful Player by Christina Lauren and How Not to Fall by Emily Foster that others have mentioned, along with {The Countess Conspiracy by Courtney Milan} and anything by Rachel Grant (she writes romantic suspense and all her heroines are very smart), The Countess Conspiracy (Brothers Sinister, #3), By: Courtney Milan | 309 pages | Published: 2013 | Popular Shelves: romance, historical-romance, historical, historical-fiction, fiction | Search "The Countess Conspiracy by Courtney Milan", 88413 books suggested | Bug? Her task is to collect aura of a female lead and prevent each world from collapsing. In this romantic retelling of a perennial Classics favorite, Homers Iliad, Madeline Miller casts Patroclus as the awkward but lovable ancient Grecian nerd to Achilles jock. Theres only one thing keeping this gorgeous couple apartseveral centuries. Sure, hes hiding secrets, but they wont be enough to break us. Nothing else matters, and she is perfectly willing to expend her own life in the pursuit of this aim. Its heroine, Tess Durbyfield, is so beautifully and sympathetically drawn that you cannot help but feel crushed as the world conspires against her; betrayed by men who exploit her, a society that casts her out, and by the callousness of her religion. A last-ditch effort to get a date to the high school dance leads to an unexpected romance in A Walk to Remember, Nicholas Sparks follow-up to smash hit The Notebook. Before it became an epic costume drama, Gabaldons time-travelling novel introduced us to former British combat nurse, Claire Randall, and her roguish young love interest, Scotts warrior Jamie Fraser. show more. But when a mission goes wrong, theyll have to put aside their pride for the greater goodand discover that matters of the heart have a logic all their own. As they relate to her their own humorous, frustrating and romantic life stories, Peggy develops a flirtation with a local scholar against whom her uncle has a mysterious grudge. But those who persevere with this colossus of a novel are richly rewarded. Will Sebastian do whats right to save Jessicas reputation, or is he really as unscrupulous as she always suspected? I need more recs I know Ive left a ton of options off this list! geniuses, scholars, scientists, computer geeks, professors, math whizzes, inventors, philosophers, etc.) The Love Hypothesis Did I mention there are twelve? why you should read it. With a few key couples dominating the pages in the style of Anna Karenina, we see the action through their eyes and feel their struggle to maintain hope after endless sacrifices. This playful romcom reminded me of the pillars of romance: juicy conflict, lovable characters, and pacing that never quits. They are not modern, being published in the 70s/80s, but they are very fun, and Amelia Peabody is quite brilliant! This looks like an average Regency noble, complete with duke, butit has the wackiest plot ever. This So, Okay, let me explain my choice here. One of the authoritative classics of the genre, Jane Eyres enduring popularity is testament to the power of its central romance. An astonishing exploration of devotion and reunions, and the unrealistic expectations we place on those we love, Love in the Time of Cholera doesnt just ask whether the hero will get the girl it asks whether he should. If youre a die-hard fan of the television phenomenon Poldark, youll be delighted to hear that there are twelve (yes, twelve) novels to consume. (Well, she did set them up, but what are best friends for?) In the eyes of the town, Delilah Desmond is the devils daughter. Having Her life is suddenly anything but uneventful as she enters the violent politics of Renaissance Italy. Everyone except for coldly efficient, impeccably attired, physically intimidating Joshua Templeman. Type your search request after where it says site:reddit.com/r/romancebooks. Strong Heroine Romance Novels | Novel Updates This sweeping panorama of life in a rural sheep station from 1915 to 1969 is an Aussie cultural mainstay its the best-selling book in Australian history! Agree bloody fab book! This wouldnt have been a historical to Heyer herself its one of her contemporary detective stories. Except, its not. It takes place during the 12th century Anarchy, the period of English civil strife when Matilda battled Stephen for the crown. The story of hunky, troubled billionaire Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele, a nave student who (quite literally) falls headfirst into his life, started out as self-published Twilight fanfiction. Her emotional thawing is gradual and believable a real pleasure to watch. College Romance Books So Good They Score an A+ What she doesnt expect is to start falling for the handsome prince. Have you tried the magic search button for your book request? Editors note: this post previously contained 25 bookswe have removed one since learning one of the main characters is an ex-Nazi. Merlin Lambourne is an eccentric genius and possibly the only hope England has of defeating Napoleon. Amid the bleak and feral atmosphere of the Yorkshire moors, the novel revolves obsessively around the tempestuous course of Cathy and Heathcliffs self-destructive love affair. In the opinion of her stern cousin Charles, however, that fresh air feels more like a hurricane. Go to jail or marry the mystery man her father has set her up with headstrong Daisy Devreaux chooses the latter. If youre scouring this list for brilliant LGBT books, look no further! Sara hudson has a series set in Houston around NASA. the witness: nora roberts. If youre looking for retro erotica with a disarming feminist twist, look no further than Delta of Venus, a collection of 15 short stories written by Anais Nin in the 1940s. Its told (unusually) in first person, and the setting is so lushly described that I genuinely felt like I was there in 1605. The best historical romance novels must all make great TV, because heres another one that inspired a super sexy series. This is the dilemma that Sally and Harriet face in Twice in a Lifetime. The entire concept of her training and occupation makes this one of the more unusual historical romances! show more. why you should read it. From Patience's list on I also recommend McKinneysLions and Lace, which takes place in New York during the Gilded Age. Under a veneer of good-natured idiocy lies a master manipulator who does not intend to let the most interesting woman hes ever met out of his grasp. They meet when Jocelyn moves to Edinburgh and takes up an apartment in a building owned by Braden. Louisa Cantwell is a mercenary. When he agrees to give Stella lessons in love, he finds himself drawn deeper into her life; suddenly, Stella isnt the only one whos learning. His lush and evocative descriptions, metaphors, and parallels make this tragic romance novel a poetic masterpiece. Grumbly, protective Quinn is her perfect match and readers are especially lucky because their romance unfolds over not one, but two novels. 3 Very few other books are so intrinsically connected to a place like this one is. This is the second book in the Secret Scientists of Love series, and the enemies to lovers journey of Letty and Grey hits all the right notes with swoony banter and hot chemistry. ), and the ending that defined the romantic tragedy genre, any aspiring romance connoisseur should get this one under their belt. After being selected to compete for the heart of a Prince, America is forced to leave behind her home and the boy she secretly loves but cannot be with. Brainy/Genius Romantic Heroes flag All Votes Add Books To This List Previous 1 2 3 Next But she is determined to hitchhike her way from Grey London, poorest in magical resources, to . Her father is the sort of criminally wicked rake we love reading about in other books, and it was great to see the kind of children a man like that would raise (think Lisa KlepyassDevils Daughter, where we got to see Sebastian as a dad). The setting is relatively usual, and Blake has meticulously researched the topic she makes it obvious that she knows her stuff here. There are shades of Romeo and Juliet with the whole Cavalier vs Roundhead conflict. YOU GUYS, THIS BOOK IS INCREDIBLE. But when a man whom she once spurned tries to shut down her efforts, she must enlist the help of his brother aristocratic forger and scoundrel Edward Clark to keep her campaign alive. Id also like to draw your attention to Joyces novelThe Game, featuring a romance between an Elizabethan pirate and an Irish loyalist noblewoman. why you should read it. | Popular Shelves: romance, kindle-unlimited, sports, contemporary-romance, sports-romance | Search "Rocket Science by Emily Mayer", 88342 books suggested | Bug? As much a cautionary tale as it is a romance novel, Anna Karenina is a richly imagined portrait of both the agonies and ecstasies of love. Academy fantasy Possession Pure Love Romance. For example, for friends to lovers, it will look like: site:reddit.com/r/romancebooks FRIENDS TO LOVERS. As tender and heartfelt as it is intense and passionate, Elio and Olivers love affair begins awkwardly, slowly, and tacitly, before building to unprecedented heights as the summer draws to a close. Alisha Rai and Sonali Dev have expanded the genre with love stories that feature Indian and Indian-American protagonists. She has only one goal: to take revenge on the FitzHughs who murdered her family. A member of a wealthy, free Black family, Galen Vachon has a lot to lose when he decides to become a member of the Underground railroad network, and join the effort to free enslaved Southerners. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. I promptly embarrass myself because I have no idea who he is. So I just finished reading Heavy by Cate C Wells about a hacker heroine with autism and the president of a motorcycle club. This is a list of romance novels (largely JP shoujos) with heroines that DO NOT cry at every turn of a hat, heroes that DO NOT appear every single time a supposedly 'strong' heroine needs rescue, GOOD TRANSLATIONS (!!) Self-assured, confident, and more than a touch rebellious, the beautiful and charismatic Sophy sweeps through London like a breath of fresh air. The silver devil himself is also a completely unique character, but probably the truest representation of a Machiavellian antihero in fiction. She hates him. As someone whos been reading historical romance for nearly half my life, its true that many of them blur into each other. Hazelwoods book is funny, human, quirky, swoony, and delicious from page one. With a publication date of 1958, this is the second-oldest book on my list and one of the absolute best. Books with a extremely intelligent/genius heroine? Some people fall in love. A charming and affectionate portrayal of the love life of a neurodivergent woman, The Kiss Quotient is a breath of fresh air we doubt youll have read a romance quite like this before. Guillory kicks off with a man on one knee; its not the usual way to start a love story, but this proposal isnt followed by happily ever after. Florentino Ariza has been waiting for 50 years for his true love to return. It comes with being a woman in engineering, but its worth it to join the space raceeven if she cant figure out whats behind the intense looks one tightly wound engineer keeps sending her. Naturally, the fallout is chaotic. We may earn an affiliate commission when you buy through links on our website. We think you will like Maybe One More Time by Christina C. Jones. scholars, scientists, computer geeks, professors, math whizzes, inventors, philosophers, etc.) Fans of stubborn romantic leads ( la Annie and Frank from Annie Get Your Gun), quirky settings, and the time-tested city-girl-in-the-country trope may find a winner in Kiss An Angel. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns. What begins as a casual fling becomes something more, and Mackensie has to ask herself if shes willing to step out from behind her cool and collected facade and seize her own happiness. The heroine is a very bright mathematician but socially awkward. But if the pop culture phenomenon somehow passed you by, its never too late to give this kinky thriller a try. I need more badass hacker heroine's storylines. Convincing Anh that Olive is dating and well on her way to a happily ever after was always going to take more than hand-wavy Jedi mind tricks: Scientists require proof. Below are 24 books which, by virtue of their plot, characters, or setting, stand out from the crowd. Shepherd is reader supported. What we have here is a long, slow-burn-yet-sexy romance set in 1644, during the Civil War. Yeah, that wasnt part of the plan. Dont sleep on this one! However, as their small town lives in rural Ireland are eclipsed by the heady and confusing world of student Dublin, the ways in which they mould each other reveal a universal truth about the lasting impact that one person can have on another. And some people love books about falling in love. Jane, a destitute young orphan, arrives at the home of the mysterious Mr Rochester in search of employment, but finds far more than she bargained for. authors picked The sexual tension is heavy but the emotional baggage is, too. And Im obsessed. The book is strong on the historical detail, which is AWESOME because not many stories are set during the 17th century! by. Theres also a heart-wrenchingly doomed love between a gay man and the oblivious object of his affections, who is straight. Riley also has other unusual historical romances in this period. Her new husband, Alex Markov, is a deadpan grade-A jerk who seems to have no patience for Daisys bourgeois tastes and flights of fancy. 535 books The Hating Game Despite her new priorities, Scarlett quickly finds that she cannot leave affairs of the heart behind completely, as she is torn between her beloved Ashley and the dashing but dangerous Rhett. The Duke of Shadowsis not just noteworthy for its in-depth look at India under the British Raj (though it does a great job at that). But! The Frenchmen living there feel that their motherland has betrayed them, and tempers are running high. Its too bad the man she left for dead is determined not to let her go. if you like this list. This wonderful, wonderful book delivers two romantic heroines for the price of one: Christabel, the 19th-century poet who pays the . When the unpopular businessman Gregory Matthews suddenly dies, the police immediately suspect his whole family. list created December 21st, 2013 Following two sisters one wild and impulsive, the other quiet and sensible it brilliantly portrays a world of money and status, gossip and innuendo, where rigid social convention governs the impulses of the heart. Where the Crawdads Sing Jiang Nian used to be an actress. Raunchy and compulsively readable, youll be rushing (pun intended) to find out what happens next in this erotic page-turner. as one of their favorite books, and they share The reader follows Little Dog as he chases the American Dream, pursues a growing romance with a farm boy whos struggling with his familys homophobia, and questions how to be happy in the shadow of grief and trauma. 1 You cant go wrong when the son of Madame President falls in love with Englands dishy prince. Brainy/Genius Romantic Heroes For all those genius, highly intelligent, scientific-minded, critically-thinking heroes in romance! Also some of the Bluewater Billiomaires books. Brainy/Genius Romantic Heroines For all those genius, highly intelligent, scientific-minded, critically-thinking heroines in romance! In this story, its Rachel White: hard-working attorney, consummate good girl, and diligent maid of honour to her dazzling best friend Darcy who happens to be marrying the man that Rachel is in love with. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. 50 Best Romance Novels of 2021 So Far - Oprah Daily As my feelings grow, I start finding it impossible to pretend Im only in this for a promotion.