Romance has been one of my favourite genres for a long time now. Whenever I feel low, there’s nothing like a warm romance novel and a hot cup of coffee. We are already in Feb, and even though all had pinned high hopes on 2021, covid surges in many countries including mine has again put a damper to the mood. Yet, as I said there’s nothing a good romantic novel can’t cheer up. The list of my favourites can be endless, but here I’m listing five of them which leave you pondering and wanting such a kind of love.
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
Hazel Grace and Augustus are battling cancer. Their beautiful love story leaves you teary eyed and thoughtful. Both the teenagers know the numbered days they have, yet they can’t stop falling in love with each other. Together, they travel to Amsterdam to meet an author who has written their favorite book. The book ends abruptly leaving them wondering. They do not find answers from the author, but together they create beautiful memories.As Hazel says,” You gave me a forever, within the numbered days.”On return Augustus health worsens, and he dies. With his death, Hazel discovers the answers she had been seeking for. The book is a roller coaster of emotions.You fall in love with Hazel and Augustus.
I fell in love, the way you feel asleep slowly and all at once.
The fault in our Stars, John Green
If I Stay by Gayle Forman
This is a beautiful, poignant and touching tale of a seventeen old year girl Mia. The story is told by Mia as she lies critical in an Intensive Care Unit. She is the sole survivor of a car crash where her entire family vanishes in the blink of an eye. She is critical at verge of life and death and goes through an out of body experience. The story shuttles between her past memories and her present. She has lost everything, her parents, her little brother, yet she still has something, her love for music and her friend, who’s just like her soul sister and her boyfriend. Her grandparents, her cousins, her aunt everyone want her back. She is convinced she does not want to come back, but their love keeps pulling her back. Is the decision so easy? Will Love be able to bring her back?
“Either way you win and either way you lose. What can I tell you? Love’s a bitch.”
If I Stay – Gayle Foreman
Me before You – Jojo Moyes
Louisa is a witty and intelligent girl who finds herself jobless one day. Having left without finishing her degree, she gets the job of a caretaker for a paraplegic young man. Will is an intelligent and wealthy man but having been left quadriplegic in an accident has lost his will to live. They are like chalk and cheese. Louisa wants to live and enjoy life, Will is always angry, irritable and bitter. Though the relationship starts on a sour note, Louisa slowly wins his heart. Will on the other hand supports Louisa become more confident and independent. Is Louisa able to change Will’s mind? This love story is a roller coaster of emotions.
Sometimes, Clark, you are pretty much the only thing that makes me want to get up in the morning.”
Me before you, Jojo Moyes
A Walk to Remember – Nicholas Sparks
Another story of teenage love, told in a flashback by the protagonist about the year when he was seventeen and how the events in that year change him. Love can give you a purpose in life. Landon is a spoilt brat, who’s always in a bad company. Landon has dated girls but Jamie isn’t his kind. Jamie is a shy girl, daughter of a minister. The kind of girl who makes one feel bad, even though you haven’t done anything wrong. He would have never fallen for Jamie, yet they unexpectedly fall in love. Jamie’s presence in his life acts as a catalyst for change. Jamie’s physical presence in his life is short, yet her love stays around him like the wind. The story ends tragically and leaves you teary eyed.
Take a risk. Dare to move. Love is a leap of faith.
A walk to remember, Nicholas Sparks.
The Forty Rules of Love by Elif Shafak
Ella is a middle aged woman who has a beautiful home, three children and a successful husband. Yet, there’s emptiness. She embarks on a manuscript about Rumi and Shams of Tabriz and his forty rules of love. This work changes her life and in her quest for the author, she discovers herself. This is not a love story yet it is all about love and faith.
A life without love is of no account. Don’t ask yourself what kind of love you should seek, spiritual or material, divine or mundane, Eastern or Western…Divisions only lead to more divisions. Love has no labels, no definitions. It is what it is, pure and simple. Love is the water of life. And a lover is a soul of fire! The universe turns differently when fire loves water.
The Forty Rules of Love, Elif Shafak
Have you read any of these ? Do share your experiences.
This blog post is a part of the Petals of Love Blog Hop hosted by Swarnali Nath.We’re a bunch of 30 writers across the globe, coming to you with 30 different pieces on Love. In the month of February, we will be celebrating different colours of love, together in our own ways.
The Vagabond 
Superb list for reading. Romance is always around winter for me. Do I am normally attracted to novels in that setup. I have seen the movie a walk to remember. Hopefully I read it too after your recommendation.
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Thanks for reading urvashi.. you will definitely like it
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I too am a fan of romance genre. A cup of tea and a good romance story would be one of the best feelings. Loved your list, Ruchi. I’d love to read some of them. Thankyou for sharing. 🙂
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Thanks for reading Darshana..do let me know if you liked any
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Though I don’t call myself an avid reader, I find myself glued to a book if it catches my interest. Romance is certainly a preferred genre. Thanks for the recommendations. Will try to get hold of ‘The forty rules of love’, if I could.
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Do read it navita ..you will like it
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I’m not a romance reader but I’ve read three of those enlisted. Two while I was in college. Understandably so😀😀
Once life happened romance was out of the window😀😀
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I’m a die hard romantic…even with life happening I bring it back through books.
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Great list… I think I left one from the list. Thanks for sharing I will read that one too. My fav among these is “the fault in our stars” I cried a lot while reading it. My fav part is the eulogy… it is a great book full of emotions and it kinda made me thank god for what I have.
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Fault in our stars is my fav too..I cried so much while reading and then my teenage son read and he too cried. It gives you a new perspective to look at the problems in your life.
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I have seen the movie A Walk to Remember and I cried at the end of the movie. Romance movies and books are such treasures that speak so many unspoken words of the heart. I just loved your list of books and have saved your post. Thank you so much for joining us in the blog hop. I am grateful to you. Best wishes 💐💐💐
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It’s my pleasure to have joined you. Thank you 4 reading
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I’ve only read A Walk to Remember. The others I have heard of but never ventured to read. I love this list though… Gives me options. That last one sounds the most intriguing for me, honestly – something unique.
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Give it try, you will like it.
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Loved the list and thankful for sharing it. I have heard about these books but never got the chance to read them. The last one is most intriguing will add few to my TBR list .
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Do read that one ..it will surely be worth the effort
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Such an amazing list! I got the forty rules of Love, but it’s currently with a friend in UAE 😂 Everytime I see anything related to the book, I badly want to read it.
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I have read A walk to remember from your list so far and I really liked it a lot.. and I think 40 rules of love will be one of the top on my wishlist..
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Loved the list and each one sounds so amazing. I love to read and watch romance genre and among all these, I had watched movie a walk to remember. will surly keep other suggestions in mind.
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What a collection you’ve treasured here for us!! Indeed a mesmerizing one labeled with love and its derivatives!! Thankyou so much for the breezy reviews and the list!! Hope I’m able to put my hands on at least a few, this year 🙌
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Thank you Daisy. I’m glad you liked my recommendations. Do let me know if you get your hands on any
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That’s a good list. Have read a few as i am not an avid fan of romance, but reading your list i amy visit a few titles this week
Best wishes
Deepika Sharma
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I am reading the 40 Rules of Love now. I have “Me before you” in my library.
The Fault in our Stars & A Walk to Remember are my all time favs. After reading your post, I am keen to buy “If I Stay”.
Enjoyed reading your post so much. Great recommendations ♥️
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Thanks Purba
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From being a fan of Bollywood romance king SRK to a lover of romantic tales, I am equally fond of reading the romance genre. A fantastic list of books for the month of love. I have read only one from all the five, i.e., The fault in our Stars by John Green. I noted down the rest 4 to my list.
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Oh I love the Fault in our Stars & A walk to Remember. Have seen the Screen adaptations but must say books has more life. Haven’t read The Forty Rules of Love so thank you for sharing Ruchi ☺ Will surely read now.
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I too love romance genre and being a movie buff I have watched the movie adaptations of above listed books after thoroughly enjoying the books . I am eager to read Forty rules of Love as suggested by you. Thank you for sharing this superb list with all of us !
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Me Before You and The Forty Rules of Love are my personal favorites too.
Shall check out the other recommendations. Thanks for sharing.
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It’s been ages since I picked up A Walk to Remember and The Fault In Our Stars!
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Awh, great recommendations for VDay reads! I’ve read a couple of these titles but haven’t seen some of your recs so will check em!
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This is a great list! Some I’ve read and others like The Forty Rules of Love have been on my TBR. Time to finally give it a go. Nothing like a warm romantic novel in the Valentine month indeed.
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This is such a beautiful list. These are some of the books that actually taught me the meaning of unconditional love. The books like ‘Walk to Remember’, ‘Me Before You’, ‘The Fault in our Stars’ are my favorites. I am yet to read ‘If I Stay’ and ‘The Forty Rules of Love’ and adding it to my cart right away.
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I was never into romantic books even though I loved the movies in the same genre. I’ve been looking for some nice cozy romance reads. Thanks for the list, Ruchi! This is exactly what I need right now.
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