The enormous romance genre encompasses a wide variety of subgenres, so there’s plenty to choose from, and we readers of romance tend to be voracious. This doesn’t surprise me. One of my definitions of romance is a story focused on main characters who catalyze self-healing for each other and thus reach true intimacy and a mutual happy ending. Romance stories show us how to love and be loved as our real selves. Of course we want stories (and then more stories) about that.

This starter collection of my favorite romances reflects the organic way I tend to hunt and gather (along with my love of enemies-to-lovers stories). My goal is not to seek out what’s most popular or assess everything in the romance genre. Instead, I zero in on beauty, which may take the form of language, character development, humor, story craft, emotional grip, or other aspects. If the beauty is evident in some part of the story, I’m willing to accept roughness in other aspects. For example, a movie can end up on my list of favorites if the themes touch me deeply, even if the acting or the script is bumpy at points.

The romances listed below are a toe-dip into my extensive list of favorites. As I continue to identify my favorite favorites, I’ll add to this page, so feel free to bookmark it and check back periodically, or join my newsletter to be notified of page updates.

Within each section below, I’ve listed the titles alphabetically. As a bonus, I include a section at the end for books about the romance genre. I hope you find something you enjoy in the wonderful gems listed here.

Romance Books

Almost Like Being in Love, by Steve Kluger – All the different communication formats employed in this novel (newspaper articles, class assignments, to-do lists, and much more) charmed me, as did the humor and joy.

Bet Me, by Jennifer Crusie – This is a romantic comedy I like to reread. The snappy dialogue and crisply delineated characters, along with the humor and the personal development plots, never get old.

A Charm of Finches, by Suanne Laqueur – This second book in Laqueur’s emotive Venery series (all of which are wonderful) is my favorite. Definitely read book one (An Exaltation of Larks) first, since A Charm of Finches continues that story. Laqueur’s luscious language alone is worth reading, but everything about these books is brilliant.

Clear Water, by Amy Lane – For me, this romance has all the bits I crave: interesting characters, big personal issues to overcome, an intriguing setting, and more.

Less, by Andrew Sean Greer – Although this story is more of a quest for self than a standard romance, there’s enough of a romance element for me to sneak it onto this list. I’m a big fan of Greer’s top-notch tale and the main character’s unique voice.

The Wicker King, by K. Ancrum – Whoa. For most of this book, a refrain of What? Wait. What? accompanied my reading, but I gamely dove in (because Suanne Laqueur recommended it) and was very I glad I did. This is a strange book with a loudly beating heart. If at all possible, read this book in hard copy to enjoy the graphic elements.

Romance Movies

Links to movies these days are tricky, as movies come and go on different distributors and in different formats. The links below will give you more information en route to viewing them in your prefered way.

All Over the Guy – In this comedy, we get two romances in one, and coverage of a host of different personal challenges to be navigated and overcome, none of which are blockbuster major, but all of which are relatable.

The Cutting Edge – A story combining enemies-to-lovers, ice skating risks, and the Olympics makes for plenty of tense moments. Fierce competition between the two main characters, who struggle to work together as a team, makes the final results all the more satisfying.

Dear Frankie – Like many of my favorite romance movies, Dear Frankie shows us the intimacy to be found by regular people who struggle day to day to make sense of their lives, and who find allies in surprising places.

Lars and the Real Girl – I’m fascinated by how the small community in this story deals with the mental health challenge and mental healing of one of their own. The movie is full of humorous mishaps and situations, while also being suffused with tender-hearted seriousness. That’s quite the feat.

Moonlight Mile – In this drama played out within a family beset by mourning, the accomplished actors bring a quality of reality and gravity that pulls me in deep. As the characters process their grief and truths rise, the story builds and spills into what comes next, after the pain.

Shelter – The themes of my life include self-acceptance and the intimacy possible when we share our truth with people who do the same. This movie is a great example of those themes, showing the struggle involved in feeling burdened and alone, and the empowerment possible when we dare to accept and share ourselves.

Romance TV Shows

My favorite romance TV shows make a short list because I prefer resolved rather than unresolved romance stories. These shows are technically TV shows, but each is a miniseries—basically a long movie.

North & South – This period drama, based on Elisabeth Gaskell’s book by the same name, pits two strong-headed, strong-minded characters against one another in a fraught enemies-to-lovers tale with plenty of cultural and social overtones.

Shakespeare Retold: The Taming of the Shrew – Within this TV series of Shakespeare plays retold for modern times, my favorite is The Taming of the Shrew (Season 1, Episode 3), for multiple reasons, including the enemies-to-lovers arc and the brilliant extremes of the main characters (both of whom are shrews). Another great romance in this collection (also an enemies-to-lovers story) is Much Ado About Nothing (Season 1, Episode 1).

Books About the Romance Genre

From Hollywood, with Love: The Rise and Fall (and Rise Again) of the Romantic Comedy, by Scott Meslow – A fascinating deep-dive behind the scenes that reads like a chat with a smart and avid researcher who’s as smitten by the romance genre as his reader. The author reveals, analyzes, and entertains. I couldn’t put it down.

The Ultimate Guide to Chick Flicks: The Romance, the Glamour, the Tears, and More!, by Kim Adelman – Great for browsing through to discover options, this mini-encyclopedia covers a broad view of romance (including some movies that don’t have happy endings). Although a bit dated by now (published in 2005), this is still a fun and useful resource.

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You might also be interested in “My Favorite Resources for Reading and Writing Inclusive Romance.”

Alice Archer is the author of the literary romance novels Everyday History and The Infinite Onion. You can subscribe to her newsletter to receive a free story, notification of new articles and books, and more. She also writes nonfiction for quiet people as author Grace Kerina.

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