10 of the Most Romantic Books of All Time, According to Goodreads Users
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No matter what your taste in steamy romance novels is, there's a good chance the Goodreads community has you covered. According to the site, the following 10 picks are — in no particular order — the most romantic books of all time. While a few titles will no doubt be familiar to you, the mix of beloved new and old authors should ensure there's an option for everyone out there, whether you're into classics like Gone With the Wind and Pride and Prejudice or modern hits that have already made their way to the big screen like Me Before You.
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It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover
In It Ends With Us, we meet Ryle, a handsome neurosurgeon, through Lily, a successful woman who seems to have it all, including a hot relationship with her boyfriend. But what about her first love, Atlas Corrigan? Suddenly Lily finds herself pulled between the two halves of her heart in this romance that uncovers hidden, tumultuous levels of love.
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Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
If you're not quick enough to catch Gone With the Wind during its return to movie theaters, never fear! The film is based on Margaret Mitchell's classic novel, and has been enchanting readers since its original publication in 1936.
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Me Before You by JoJo Moyes
If you haven't read JoJo Moyes's Me Before You, and therefore don't burst into sobs just by looking at the title, then trust me: you have a lot of happy (and sad) tears ahead of you. The 2012 novel follows the blossoming bond between Louisa Clark and the man who she takes a job caring for: the moody, bossy, wheelchair-bound Will Traynor.
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Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
Even if you watch Starz's adaptation of Diana Gabaldon's first hit, Outlander, you should still read the book about time-traveling British combat nurse Claire Randall, who falls in love with Jamie Fraser, a gallant young Scottish fighter. But fair warning: you'll immediately go in search of a Jamie of your own.
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Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Pride and Prejudice remains a classic for a reason! Jane Austen's tale of "girl meets boy, girl hates boy, boy hates girl, boy and girl realize they're actually in love but don't want to admit it," has continued to captivate audiences with its timeless themes of love, pride, and (you guessed it) prejudice ever since it first hit shelves.
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The Hating Game by Sally Thorne
Once you take Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Darcy for a spin, check out The Hating Game. Like Pride and Prejudice, Sally Thorne's workplace romance walks the thin line between love and hate, only this time it's between two competing employees at a publishing company.
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The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough
1970s hit The Thorn Birds is a good read no matter the decade. In it you'll encounter a sweeping family drama that includes forbidden love and dark passions, all set against the Australian Outback
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Bared to You by Sylvia Day
And here's where things start to get steamy! In Sylvia Day's Bared to You, a woman meets "beautiful and brilliant, jagged and white-hot" Giden Cross, and discovers that the obsessive love they share might not be enough to hold them together.
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Fallen Too Far by Abbi Glines
The first in the Rosemary Beach series, Fallen Too Far centers on young Blaire Wyn, who's forced to move in with her father's new family in Florida. But when she meets her new stepbrother from her stepmother's previous marriage, the cynical and unapologetic Rush Finlay, things start to heat up. (Disclaimer: they're not related by blood . . . if that helps.)
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Dark Lover by J.R. Ward
Vampires! Romance! You'll get it all in Dark Lover, which tells the story of the only purebred vampire left on the planet (named Wrath, because of course), and his gorgeous new protégé, Beth. (Side note: why do the dudes always get the coolest names in these books? Anyway . . . happy reading!)