Books for Every Type of Love | Romance Week 2021

Happy Valentines Day!

This week I’ve been celebrating all things love and have shared a few other posts to help everyone get into the romantic mood and spirit, so I thought I conclude this week with a few romantic recommendations.

I saw this trend over on Bookstagram, and knew I had to do it too! Below is a list of some of the different types of love and some romantic tropes we can’t help but love! I’ve decided to only include books I’ve read on this list, otherwise these recommendations would be as long as my TBR, but feel free to leave any other recommendations in the comments below!

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Enemies to Lovers

Everyones favourite romance trope, and the start of some of my favourite fictional couples, including Feyre and Rhys, Anthony and Kate and Bryce and Hunt. What I love the most about these enemies to lovers tropes is the constant bickering and witty remarks that slowly uncover each others hidden feelings for one another and that moment of realisation where they declare their love! I just can’t get enough and I love that we know they’re going to end up together but they just don’t know it yet!

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Fake Dating

Again another ‘unexpected love’ trope that pushes two people in intolerable circumstances to form a ‘fake romance’ in order to solve their problem. However, it’s not that simple, and things start to develop romantically!

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Friends to Lovers

This ‘will-they-won’t-they’ trope, already has the strong foundations of friendship and sometimes things blossom into something more!

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Arranged Romance/Marriage

What’s more romantic than two people being forced to fall in love with each other? This is very similar to our enemies-to-lovers trope but it’s still a classic theme in YA fiction that us readers can’t help but love. One of my favourites in this category is The Wrath and the Dawn by Renée Ahdieh, a beautiful reimagining of The Arabian Nights legend and series I hope to dive back into this year.

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Forbidden Romance

Whether it goes against social conduct, family rules or just the universe pushing two people apart, forbidden romances prove that love can conquer anything and to find peace in those ephemeral moments of adoration. But it also teaches us the importance of communication, am I right?

I will never stop going on about how wonderful The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller is, and I highly recommend that it’s on next months TBR because it is such a beautifully heartbreaking read.

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Heartbreak

These books broke my heart and left me emotionally shattered, so forewarning for anyone who has these books on their TBR to make sure you have your tissues at the ready. As expected not every relationship ends with a ‘happily ever after’ but it does remind us to cherish those fleeting moments of pure happiness and blissful adoration. They remind us to reflect on them, because these are the moments that ultimately aid us in the moulding of ourselves and our future. Heartbreak is something may of us will endure, but it’s what’s waiting for us on the other side that make it all worthwhile.

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Slowburn Romance

There’s nothing I hate more than an ‘insta-love’ situation, I’m much more a slow-burn and gradual romantic development kind of person, ever if the anticipation and teasing does kill me at times! With a slow-burn relationship we’re able to truly see our characters grow and develop meaningful feelings for each other resulting in a strong connection and heartwarming romance that just melts my heart. These longer relationships also allow our characters to slow identify and appreciate each others little quirks and create something beautiful.

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Loving Yourself

In the wise words of RuPaul, ‘if you can’t love yourself, how in the hell are you going to love somebody else?’! These books embrace who we are and celebrate loving ourselves unconditionally as we follow our characters on insightful and beautiful journeys of self-discovery and worth. The reading experiences I had with all these books was unlike any other and I’m grateful to have been apart of them.

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Family Love

There’s more to love than just the romantic kind, sometimes love can be found within our family, whether they are blood related or a found family, and is the type of love that has no bounds and will be there unconditionally. These books celebrate and reflect on the importance and fragility of family, so be sure to have your tissues at the ready.

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And Finally,

Highlander Romance

I know that this isn’t a type of ‘love’ but it is a love of mine! I’m obsessed with these trashy romance novels and I’m making it my mission to read as many as I can. It all started in a pub in Glasgow, where my best friend and I decided to start a book club with some friends from university, and since then I’ve forced them all to experience the wonderfully cheesy romance that is these highlander adventures. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon is the exception on this list, and is anything but a trashy romance, instead it’s the perfect alternative for anyone looking for a Scottish inspired historical romance.

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