Top 10 Best Romance Novels of All Time | You Should Not Miss to Read Them

We all have enjoyed the romance in many stages of our lives. Everyone says that there is no age bar for anyone to love. Many writers have influenced our romance through their powerful words and imaginations filled with emotions. So here, I am sharing with you the best romantic novels of all time.

10. The Princess Bride

The Princess Bride was a romantic fantasy novel written by the American novelist William Goldman which was published in 1973. The novel is about the classic love tale of a beautiful girl named Buttercup and a farm boy working in her family named Westley.

As Buttercup commands anything Westley always answers “As You Wish”. Later she realizes it as “I Love You”. Soon she too develops a feeling for him and they fell in love with each other. But Westley decided to sail to America to earn and leave her for a while. Buttercup then heard the news of the attack on his ship and assumes him to be dead.

Disappointed and sad Buttercup was then forced to marry the Prince Humperdinck of Florin. Before her marriage Buttercup was kidnapped and the kidnappers wanted their revenge on the arrogant prince. But Westley came there as a mysterious black man and rescue Buttercup.

They recognize each other and Westley tries to stop her marriage. But the prince took them and torture Westley. Buttercup was forced to marry the prince again, so she decides to suicide. But in the end, she was saved by Westley and they end up together.

9. After Forever Ends

After Forever Ends is a best seller contemporary pure romantic novel by Melodie Ramone published in 2004. The story mainly revolves around three characters – Silvia, Oliver, and Alexander.

The story begins with old widowed Silvia narrating her life story to her granddaughter; Kitty. Silvia was orphaned by her mother and brushed off by her father. She had a lonely and depressing life until she met the charming Dickinson twins; Oliver and Alexander when the family moved to the Midlands of Wales.

Silvia was enrolled in a private boarding school there. Her sucking life changed after the Dickinson twins came into her life. She soon fell in love with Oliver. Their wonderful, sweet, romantic, and deep love for each other crosses the path of few other people, not least Alexander and Silvia’s sister Lucy.

The whole story is about their everlasting love and struggles. This reveals what true love is! Even though Silvia widowed, it won’t makes us sad or grief. That’s the beauty of this story and the novelist.

8. Sense and Sensibility

The novel ‘Sense and Sensibility’ by Jane Austen was published in 1811. This romantic novel is the story of the Dashwood family mainly characterizing Dashwood sisters; Elinor and Marianne (also Margaret but not a central character).

Henry Dashwood, his second wife, and their children live with Henry’s wealthy and bachelor uncle. But the uncle decides to use the will, and income of their property to Henry’s first son John Dashwood. After Henry’s death, the girls were left out with small incomes.

Despite John’s promise to Henry, he and his wife treat the sisters badly. When they move to a cottage in Devonshire, they meet Colonel Brandon who got interested in Marianne. But she was attracted to John Willoughby. Later when he deserts Marianne, she ends up with Colonel Brandon.

At the same time, Elinor develops a strong bond with Edward Ferrars (brother of John’s wife). But she was shocked to hear that Edward was engaged with Lucy Steele (Elinor’s distant cousin). But in the end, Lucy marries Edward’s brother and Elinor marries Edward.

7. The Notebook

The Notebook is a 1996 romantic novel by the American writer Nicholas Sparks. The novel with an old man named Noah Calhoun reads to his wife diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. She was not able to recognize her own husband.

Noah reads so many stories to his wife so as to make her remember the beautiful moments of their life. Once she recognized her husband and spent hours talking but again, she hallucinated and forgets everything.

At the end of the story, he visits his wife who recognizes him and they believe their love will last forever even in death. It is the story of love, hope, faith, and miracle.

6. Devil in Winter

Devil in Winter is an eighteenth-century romantic novel by Lisa Kleypas. The story is about the shyest Wallflower; Evangeline Jenner, daughter of an ex-boxer and gambling club owner.

As the heiress of a large fortune, she forced to marry her revolting cousin named Eustache by her mother’s nasty relatives, the Maybricks. Evie’s father is on the edge of death, but the Maybricks won’t let her go to him.

So, she escapes from the house and seeks the help of the infamous notorious rake; Sebastian, Viscount St.Vincent, who kidnapped Evie’s friend desperately needed to marry into money.

Evie made a proposal to marry him but on one condition: no intercourse after their marriage was made legal. After marriage, Evie took care of her father and also had a slight feeling for her husband who is now a hard worker.

Sebastian also desires her more than any woman he’s ever known. When Evie is threatened by his past enemies Sebastian saves her at any cost.

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5. Wuthering Heights

Wuthering Heights is a tragic, gothic, and romantic novel in 1847 by Emily Bronte. The novel is the story of the Earnshaw family. Mr. Earnshaw was the owner of the manor ‘Wuthering Heights.’ Their flashback starts with Earnshaw bringing Heathcliff, an orphan, to the family and loving more than his own children- Hindley and his younger sister Catherine.

Hindley treats Heathcliff badly whereas Catherine and Heathcliff fell in love with each other. After their father’s death, being the owner of Wuthering Heights, Hindley makes Heathcliff their laborer. With Hindley’s wife’s death after giving birth to their son- Hareton- Hindley becomes an alcoholic and Heathcliff ran away from the place.

But he returns after Catherine’s marriage with Edgar Linton. Then the whole story narrates the revenge of Heathcliff to Catherine and Hindley. Towards the end, young Catherine is forced to marry Heathcliff’s son; Linton who was ill.

But after the death of Linton, Heathcliff, and all others in their family; only Hareton and young Catherine were left and they marry each other, making them the owner of both Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange.

4. The Time Traveler’s Wife

The Time Traveler’s Wife is a fictional, romantic novel by Audrey Niffenegger in 2003. The novel depicts the love story of Henry who is suffering from a genetic disorder causing him to time travel. His traveling is beyond his control but often travels to places connected to his own life.

While he travels in his wife Clare’s childhood days, he makes friends with her and gives hints of their future life. Soon they get married. Later Clare gave birth to their child named Alba. She too has the same disorder as Henry, but unlike him, Alba has control over her travel destinations.

Henry discovers that when Alba is 5 years old, he will die. On a New Year’s Eve, Henry time travels and was accidentally shot by Clare’s brother. But he returns to his present and dies in Clare’s arm.

Later, Clare found Henry’s letter saying that they will meet in the future again. They unite again and even though Clare has done most of her life, she still waits for her husband.

3. Outlander

Outlander is a fantasy, romantic and fictional novel in 1991 by Diana Gabaldon. The novel centralizes an army nurse, Claire Randall, who is the wife of a history professor; Frank Randall.

Claire accidentally travels to history and encounters Frank’s ancestor, Captain Jack Randall. But she was saved by a highlander and she met a comrade, Jamie, and she fixes his dislocated shoulder. But the highlanders consider her as an outlander who was working as an English spy. She was captured by Randall’s men but was saved by Jamie.

Claire and Jamie’s relation get closer and she told him her real story. He takes Claire to the place where she was brought to the history and gives her a chance to go or stay. She decides to stay. Later, Jamie was betrayed by one of his tenants and was imprisoned.

Claire tries to rescue him but instead, she too gets captured by Randal. Jamie offers himself in place of Claire and lets her go. In the end, Claire saves Jamie and reveals her pregnancy.

2. Jane Eyre

Jane Eyre was a famous social and romantic novel by Charlotte Bronte published under her pen name ‘Currer Bell’ in 1847. The novel was about the life experience of an orphan girl named Jane Eyre.

Because of her maternal uncle’s dying wish, Jane lives with her uncle’s family where she was treated so badly. But she becomes defensive against cruel judgment. Jane was sent to Lowood Institution, a school for poor and orphaned girls, where she was influenced by her friend Helen and the superintendent Miss Temple.

Helen died of consumption and after some years Jane went to Thornfield Hall as a governess. She fell in love with the master of the house, Edward Rochester. When they decide to marry, it was revealed that Jane had once married to a woman, who was congenitally mad, without his consent.

After the marriage ceremony was broken, Jane leaves Thornfield and works as a teacher in a nearby village with the help of a clergyman St. John Rivers. She became friends with his sisters also. St. Johns becomes closer to Jane and discovers her true identity.

He reveals that they are her cousin and Jane’s paternal Uncle John Eyre, who died and left his rich fortune to her. Jane shares the money equally with her cousins also.

Later, she came back to Edward and realizes that his wife committed suicide and Edward was badly injured while trying to save her. Jane then marries him and they live together.

1. Pride and Prejudice

Pride and Prejudice was a popular and famous romantic novel in 1813 by Jane Austen. The novel depicts the importance of love, rather than money and social privilege, for a marriage.

A rich single man Mr. Bingley came to the neighborhood of the Bennet family consisting of five daughters. Mrs. Bennet wants Bingley to marry one of her daughters. At the local ball, Bingley impressed everyone whereas his friend Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy created a bad impression, especially on Elizabeth (second elder one of Bennet sisters).

Bingley and Jane (elder one of Bennet’s sisters) become attached. Darcy gradually becomes interested in Elizabeth whereas she was sympathetic to Wickham who made her believe that Darcy was selfish and cruel.

When Bingley moves to London unexpectedly, Jane was heartbroken. Elizabeth visits her friend in London and she met Darcy there. She was surprised to see his change in behavior. One day, Darcy proposes to Elizabeth, but she not only rejects him but also accuses him of his cruelty and for separating Jane and Bingley.

When Darcy clears all her misconceptions, she too starts attracting to him because of his change in attitude and behavior. Then she discovers that her little sister Lydia eloped with Wickham.

More to her surprise she realizes that Darcy gave a huge amount to Wickham to marry Lydia just to save the reputation of the Bennet family. Bingley decides to unite and marry Jane. Darcy again reveals his interest in marrying Elizabeth and this time she accepts him and both the couples live happily ever after.

So, these are the top 10 best romance novels that you should read at least once in your life.