Can anyone recommend a book that is a romance but something unique and not cliche?
Can anyone recommend a book that is a romance but something unique and not cliche?
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Can anyone recommend a book that is a romance but something unique and not cliche?
A shaft of sunlight by Barbara Cartland
Have you read the black jewel series? it’s magical, kind of disturbing but ultimately a love story of a different kind.
Love, love, love this series!
Outlander, by Diana Gabaldon. Only the first 100 pages are not exciting, but they are necessary. The remaining 900 are very exciting, romantic, well, everything!
At the end of 1000 pages you will say, where’s the next in the series? That was way too short!
And it will stay with you forever. This is a series I keep and won’t loan out. I reread them from the beginning about every other year. I cry, I laugh, I get angry and by the end of the whole thing….I still want more and have to reread all the side books too
Me, too, @Allison. I loan mine out to get others started. Some are very tattered now, and Outlander is missing. Isn’t it funny how you just accept time travel without question?
@Iris I know. It makes perfect sense the way she wrote it ….lol. I have read a lot of time travel books and hers never made me question it.
I agree! I loved Outlander!
Favorite series ever.
The Art of Hearing Heartbeats by Jan-Philipp Sendker
I’m in the middle of the Winston Brothers series by Penny Reid – quirky, funny romances. Maybe a liiiittle cliche, but I now have a crush on a fictional character named Cletus, so take that as you will. ?
The Rosie Project
The Marriage of Opposites by Alice Hoffman
I don’t know but Elle Casey cracks me up.
The Time Traveler’s Wife is a favorite of mine.
A Town Like Alice by Nevil Shute.
I love the Keller Family Series by Bernadette Marie. 10 book series that goes through and builds on all the relationships in the family. Great story lines too all the way through! ?
The Amelia Peabody series by Elizabeth Peters is mystery with a bit of romance. Totally fun!
I love them, too. I was so sad when I heard that she had died, but there is one more Peabody book which was released this summer.
@Mary I bought that book…The Painted Queen. I generally don’t purchase fiction, but get it from my library, but I own a few books and fave series that I like to own… Including these.
I am not letting myself read it yet. I’m teasing myself by re-reading all the books in the series.
I find that my favorite “romances” are those spread over a series of books — usually Urban Fantasy or thriller/mysteries. Favorites are Ilona Andrews, Patricia Briggs, Dana Stabenow, Seanan McGuire, Outlander… Anne Bishop’s “novels of the others” are a charming and unique romance.
I don’t know all these, but I like Dana Stabenow.
The Wolves of St. Peter’s (I think I’ve recommended this book a few times now so i better stop before everyone thinks I have a vested interest!)
Princess Bride!!!!
Let the Right One In. John. A. Lindqvist
The Selection Series by Kiera Cass
Dysfunction in love. Try Graphic Novels. Joker and Harlequin. Mad Love.
Check out any of the books by Anita Shreve, really good writer.
I am half way through this one, just got to where they are moving to the current time frame. Loving it. http://www.jojomoyes.com/books/the-last-letter-from-your-lover/
Loved this book!! The Girl You Left Behind is really good, too.
Thanks. The only other one of hers I had read was One Plus One, which I really enjoyed. I like her writing style, and I plan to wander through her other stuff. I think she really nails challenging relationships without being whiney. Thanks for the suggestion, I will add The Girl You Left Behind to my TBR list.
PS I love You. Cecelia Ahern.
Americanah is really good. Set between Nigeria, USA and UK, about lots of things but also a good romance! X
Moby dick
In The heart of the sea
Watership down
Sorry I didn’t see you wanted a romance
Moby Dick *could* be construed as a romance, I suppose….??
Sorry I don’t get it
Sorry, I just saw this!
I was joking – meaning we’ve all spent time chasing that one that got away, haha 🙂
The Art of Hearing Heartbeats by Jan-Phillip Sendker
The innocent by Ian mcEwan. Can’t put it down. Fantastic.
Second The Rosie Project, Last Letter From Your Lover, and Time Traveler’s Wife. Also adding Me Before You and Lilac Girls (mostly historical fiction with an ultimate romance).
Um… can I veto your vote for Lilac Girls? It was really bad.
The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend!
My sister LOVED this book!
Loved this book. The romances in it are almost all surprises! Haha! My book group loved talking about it too.
I listened to it as an audiobook. Delightful!
The Little Paris Book Shop!
The Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon!
The Lost Book of the Grail…romance, mystery, history.
Heading Out to Wonderful.
The Hypnotist’s Love Story.
Warm Bodies is basically an amusing zombie version of Romeo & Juliet
And even though it was corny, I really like Cinnamon and Gunpowder. It was a fun book
Yes!
The Housekeeper and the Professor, not sure this is what your looking for. It is a lovely book.
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo – has some romance in it, many twists though
Love this book.
I recently read Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma which is a YA romance about incest between a brother and sister. Defy by LJ Sheen is a steamy, adult romance about a student-teacher relationship.
??? incest?? Pretty sure that would be a HUGE turn off for me lmao
It was for me too before I read it, but it’s really good (and many on GR seem to agree with me).
I heard some talk about this one a few months ago and there are strong feelings on both sides in the reviews. For people who could get past the incest, the reviews were very good. For me, I have read some pretty questionable things over my almost 45 years. I will probably pick this one up at some point and give it a go.
The Shoemaker’s Wife by Adriana Trigiani
Katherine by Anya Seton.
I read all of her books when I was in high school and college. How lovely to see her listed here!
Have you read The Nightingale? It’s not a romance but there is one in it and it’s beautiful. Trying to think of others.
So many layers to uncover in this book! What a storyteller Hannah is!
The Marriage of Opposites and The Museum of Extraordinary Things- Alice Hoffman.
I really enjoyed The Marriage of Opposites
Beautiful book. Mystical, art, love-
@Kathy on my to read list. Glad u liked it. I am currently reading Bel Canto by Ann Patchett…amazing!!!
Bel Canto is AMAZING!!! I didn’t want it to end.
@Sara have you read “The Identicals ” was a great summer read!
no, I’ll add it to my list on Goodreads-<3
@Sara seems we might have the same tastes in books. I am also on Goodreads. Pls look me up and I will do the same?
I searched your name but couldn’t find you- you may search me using my email sarachesterfield1@gmail.com or as Sara Chesterfield.
@Ann that’s in my pile–may need to move it to the top!
I agree with Ann & Sara – if you have not read Bel Canto yet, that should be at the top of your list!
Where’d You Go Bernadette, Maria Semple
All the Birds in the Sky
The Rosie Project!
Exactly the one I was thinking about.
The Night Circus – I don’t do romance, and upon reading the final chapters I realized it was a romance novel all along.
The Fault in Our Stars
Beneath a Marble Sky by John Shors. It’s a fabulous historical fiction surrounding the building of the Taj Mahal. And John is a very accessible author.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/94672.Beneath_a_Marble_Sky
The Engagements
The Lost Child of Philomena Lee.
Oh, another book I fell absolutely in love with…if you like historical fiction and music. It’s called And After the Fire by Lauren Belfer. Beautiful!
Oh! Oh! I have another one! Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand! Perfectly charming!
Loved that book! I just loaned it to my mom.
The Time Traveler’s Wife. Sci Fi romance, the best kind.
Yes!
As She Crawled Across the Table by Jonathan Lethem also fits this bill.
Dark Matter is part romance
I will have to look for that one to add to my tbr pile.
I have another, too!
The Geurnsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society is so charming, I still get warm fuzzies when I think of it.
It’s a wonderful story. Very different.
Awesome read!
Perfect choice.
Wonderful story!
I rarely read a book twice because I have so many I haven’t read. This was an exception!
Out of Africa
The Museum of Impossible Things
The Light We Lost. Just came out a few months ago (melancholy). The Rosie Project (light and funny).
The Ice Queen by Alice Hoffman. Very different and unusual. Loved it!
Gail Carriger!
The Samurai’s Garden by Gail Tsukiyama, Beginner’s Luck or Heart’s Desire by Laura Pedersen, All a little older – but wonderful reads!
Ruby red
Carry On by Rainbow Rowell. It’s the gay Harry Potter you never knew you needed.
Anything by Rainbow Rowell, esp. Fangirl.
I’ve been on the fence about Carry On becuase I hated Fangirl and Attachments, but loved El & Park. I’m wondering if Rowell is a one hit wonder for me – like John Green.
I REALLY liked Carry On and haven’t read Fangirl and Attachments soooooo
@Jack Thanks for the rec! I do love gay romance and I find it rare in YA compared to adult/erotica. I will add to my never-ending Amazon cart.
My gf says that the big kiss in that book is the sexiest thing she’s ever read, so hopefully that moves it up a notch!
Fangirl was a nice light read. Kinda like Star girl.
Maybe the book Wool.
All Our Wrong Todays by Elan Mastai
I was just going to post that suggestion!
I thought it was really interesting, and not just because I’m also born on Oct. 2!
Dark matter. So good!
Loved this one. It messed with my head for days after I read it. I love Blake Crouch
@Allison he’s on my must read list now. This had to be one of the most romantic reads of the year for me
@Amber he is great! Realllllly made me think hard about string theory and if it’s a possibility. Most of his stuff leans toward graphically gory but this one was different
We just read this for book club and had a great discussion around paths not taken in our own lives.
The Outlander series is also good.
Love in the time of cholera
Cold Mountain
The French Gardener
Bel Canto by Ann Patchett
Jill Chesler why does any book have to “fit”. It is when we are out of our comfort zone that the magic really happens.
The Art of Hearing Heartbeats ?
Love Walked In by Marissa de los Santos!!!
Oh, I loved that book.
Such a great book! Belong To Me was also very sweet ❤
The Rosie Project
Silent in the Grave by Deanna Raybourne. Mystery.
Our Souls at Night. Kent Haruf. Beautiful book!
I think Our Souls at Night tops them all. But I did love Plain Song.
The Night Circus!!!!!!!
AMERICANAH!!! Chimamanda is a goddess of storytelling!!
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine. Quirky and good.
I’m so close to being done with it, and I LOVE it!!
I loved this one. I find myself missing that character. She really grew on me. It reminded me of The Rosie Project.
Totally agree with The Night Circus
Lots of my favorites were already mentioned! Here are a few others that I really connected with: Broken for You, Those Who Save Us, I’ll Give You the Sun, The Improbability of Love, The Sun is Also a Star, Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe
The Mystic of Twin Flame Relationship
https://www.amazon.in/dp/1618134361/ref=cm_sw_r_wa_apa_Crl.xbAHMNQG0
evergreen
The Little Paris Book Shop. Its wonderful
. By Nina George
@Jamie Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet!
Storied Life of AJ Fikry; Rosie Project; the Six of Crows.
AJ Fikry was quite good.
Six of Croooooows! I LOVE that series. I especially loved the easter eggs she stashed in there from the Grisha trilogy.
And AJ Fikiry is wonderful, too!
yes , a sweet love story, more than a romance
Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk, Kathleen Rooney. Also, The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, Rachel Joyce. Both excellent, reflective type reads.
The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead. https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/colson-whitehead/the-underground-railroad/
The Engagements
All the Light We Cannot See, Doerr.
The light between oceans
A Year of Wonders: Novel of the Plague! Totally different, not cliche, fascinating.
By Geraldine Brooks
Yes, great choice ?
Fantasy and Romance…Princess Bride.
Romance/love angst literature – the great Gatsby
Like Water For Chocolate
The majority of the recommendations are far from romance. I’m really confused, ??
The scarlet pimpernel
“The course of love” by Alain de Botton
Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell
I adore Rainbow!
Have you read Fangirl yet?
Yes! I loved that one too!
Outlander.
❤❤❤❤❤❤
Hi who’s the author?
Presuming it’s the Outlander series (which is great!) – the author is Diana Gabaldon
@Valerie thank you ?
No judgement here. Sometimes I have to read stupid stuff to reset my brain. As long as you read, that’s what matters. ?
I tried to find you on goodreads. Which maryme are you? I am http://www.goodreads.com/Book_Drunkard If you want to find me and send me a request
The witness-Nora Roberts
How to fall in love-cecelia ahern
One plus one-jojo moyes
Twenties girl-Sophie kinsella
Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey. She pranks the cliches of romance at every turn.
Gothic pastiches…the locked drawers and doors..shadows and candlelight. Fantastic.
The Gargoyle!
A History of Love, The Rosie Project
Rosie Project is a great suggestion. Lovable Aspy guy creates spreadsheet to assist in finding true love. Funny and sweet.