It can be difficult to remain optimistic about love if you’ve recently experienced heartbreak or are going through a difficult period in your dating life. The truth is that in this world, for every chance of heartache, there are also infinite possibilities for love and happiness. It’s sometimes as simple as surrounding oneself with beautiful stories to feel positive about love—and books are a terrific place to start. To loosen up those cobwebs in your heart and remind yourself that love is, in fact, all around us, get lost in the pages of one of the eleven titles below.
Julie, a graphic designer in Laura May‘s debut novel, manipulates what the eye cannot see. Julie’s life and her relationship with her partner Mark are, no matter how she looks at them, monotonous. That is, until she meets Ann. Ann is a successful businesswoman who is also sweet and caring. Julie can’t deny that their chance encounter produced chemistry. The spark is uncontrollable when their past and present collide once more in Barcelona. When tragedy strikes, Julie has to choose between her love for Ann and her loyalty to Mark. Is pure love capable of surviving when the clock has stopped?
Someone else, especially her employer, Demeter Farlowe, seems to be enjoying the life Katie Brenner wishes for. Demeter is clever and artistic, lives in a nice townhouse with her perfect family, and dresses in the most fashionable outfits. Katie’s life, on the other hand, is a constant battle.
Then the worst happens, just as she’s getting her bearings—not to mention a possible new romance. Katie is fired by Demeter. Katie retreats to her family’s farm in Somerset, shaken but determined to be positive, to help them set up a vacation business. Until Demeter shows up unexpectedly as a visitor. Secrets are revealed and relationships are rearranged, and as the stakes for Katie’s future rise, she is forced to confront her own preconceptions about what constitutes a truly meaningful existence.
Beth Fremont and Jennifer Scribner-Snyder are aware that their work e-mail is being monitored. Everyone in the newsroom is aware. It’s a matter of business policy. They can’t force themselves to take it seriously, though. They continue to write each other constantly amusing e-mails in which they explore every facet of their personal lives.
Meanwhile, Lincoln O’Neill can’t believe that reading other people’s e-mail is now his job. He imagined himself creating firewalls and smashing hackers when he applied for the position of “internet security officer,” not drawing up a report every time a sports writer forwarded a nasty joke.
Lincoln understands he should turn in Beth’s and Jennifer’s texts when he finds them. He can’t stop himself from being fascinated and enthralled by their tales.
Tiffy and Leon live together in the same apartment. Leon and Tiffy have never met.
Tiffy Moore needs a place to live after a horrible breakup. Fast and low-cost. However, the apartments in her price range had her wondering if the bizarrely colored mildew on the walls can be considered art.
She responds to an ad for a flatshare because she is desperate. Leon, who works the night shift, will have the flat during the day, while Tiffy will have it at night and on weekends. He’ll only be available when she’s at work. They’ll never have to meet in the first place.
Tiffy and Leon begin writing notes to one other. Despite their polar contrasts, they quickly become friends. Then there’s the possibility of more.
Hester Wyatt fled slavery as a kid, but today the dark-skinned beauty is a dedicated member of Michigan’s Underground Railroad, providing other runaways with the opportunity to experience the freedom she has come to love. Even after being notified about the price on his head, Hester doesn’t hesitate when one of her fellow conductors sends her an injured man to hide. The man in question is the great conductor known as “Black Daniel,” a critical member of the Underground railroad network in the north, but Hester finds him so rude and arrogant that she begins to doubt her commitment to keep him hidden.
What are your favorite romance novels? Share in the comments!
Photo by Gülfer ERGİN on Unsplash
Author: Mandy Kloppers
Mandy is a qualified therapist who treats depression, anxiety, OCD, PTSD, trauma, and many other types of mental health issues. She provides online therapy around the world for those needing support and also provides relationship counselling.
