Believe it or not, in Spain the romance novel is one of the best-selling, even more so than other well-known or acclaimed literary genres, which gives us a clue of the type of books that are consumed in the country. And this reading is not only by women, men also read the best romantic books, even though they are not saying it in public.
But, speaking of the large number of works that exist, Do you know which are the best romantic books? How many of them have you read? Do you recommend any? Here we present a list of books of this genre that will undoubtedly appeal to lovers of love.
What characterizes a good romantic book
The romance novel is characterized by several important aspects, which define it itself. To begin with, the works in which the plot itself is classified as romantic are centered on the love story of the characters, In other words, all the other stories (action, suspense, thriller ...) are not as important as showing feelings and seeing that the characters are carried away by impulses related to passion, affection ...
Thus, you can find a novel that deals with a very specific fact: love, loss, the first romance ... And it always does so by giving priority to demonstrating between the words the feelings that govern the lives of the protagonists. In other words, they always act driven by relationships, sensations and what happens to that person, not really by their analytics.
Many Romance novel authors believe that the best romantic books are those that have a happy ending. And it is that they do not conceive that, in a love novel, evil triumphs over good. However, in the literature we have many examples where this is not the case. For example, it is the case of Romeo and Juliet, a work in which, despite the love that both characters profess, this one is destined to fail, and with it the theme of death is a central axis throughout the story.
The top 7 of the best romantic books
Now that you know the romance novel a little more, it's time to comment on which are, for us, the best romance books. We must note that, since we cannot spend long hours talking to you about books (something we would like), we have chosen one small selection so there are not all the books that we would like, but what we think are the best of this literary genre.
Thus, our favorites are:
Noah's Notebook by Nicholas Sparks
This name may sound a lot like a movie to you, Noah's Diary. The adaptation was a success and made those who did not know the book read it seeking to know more about the protagonists. And what can you find in it? Well, it talks about Noah Calhoun, a 31-year-old who returns home after World War II.
There, in addition to trying recover from the horrors he has experienced in the war, he also wants to return to the girl The one he's in love with, Allie Nelson. The problem is that she is already with another man.
Best Romantic Books: Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen
Not only is it one of the best romance books, it is also considered one of the best books ever. And it is that the plot, the way in which the author knew how to write the right and appropriate words to present the characters, with their acid questions and answers, etc. it's the best.
The story tells us the life of Elisabeth, the second marriageable daughter of the Bennet family. Is she meets Fitzwilliam Darcy, a man who is in a different social class, and with whom she does not get along at all. In fact, their first meeting ends with Elisabet hurting her pride. And of course, she is not a woman who lets herself be flattened, but seeks revenge on him at any cost.
Me Before You, by Jojo Moyes
If before we told you that not all romance novels should end well, this is perhaps one of the best examples. In it, the protagonist, Louisa "Lou" Clark, is looking for a job and building up the strength to tell her "boyfriend" that she doesn't want him. On his way, he comes across a job opportunity that is difficult to reject, and it is when he meets Will Traynor, a young man almost his own age who, due to an accident, is completely incapacitated.
Both are two opposite poles; while she exudes light and life, he is darkness and death. However, the day to day, and the personality of Lou, makes Will begin to see things in a different way.
Of course, we already tell you to prepare a few tissues because you are going to need them.
Best Romantic Books: Doctor Zhivago, by Boris Pasternak
This novel is one of the best known. It has been adapted into a film and the truth is that it never ceases to amaze those who dare to read it. The history It will place you in the First World War, in Russia. There you will meet two people, Yuri and Lara; both in love. However, life is determined to hinder them to prevent that love from developing, keeping them separated in all possible ways.
Ana Karenina, by Liev N. Tolstoy
Can you imagine a married woman with a child who finds the love of her life in someone else? Well, that's exactly what this novel is about, a classic of world literature, which talks to you about issues such as rejection in the face of a situation "that stands out from what a family is," about the coexistence of a couple, and about everything, of love and passion that love must move.
Passion Through the Red Thread of Fate, by Kayla Leiz
We are now going to Scotland, and towards a trip back in time, to present a very "modern" protagonist, and a protagonist "very from another era". Why do we say that? Well basically because it is a novel in which the girl, to begin with, is not the typical pretty and thin girl who has lots of men behind her. She is chubby and also has no self-esteem. On the other hand, he is a man who has made himself, who knows his worth and who, remember that at that time being in the flesh meant that that person was beautiful, he recognizes the value of that woman when he sees it.
It is striking that the author has known how to "foresee" a problem, and that is that if there is a trip back in time, from ancient times and from other countries, the language was different, and therefore part of the novel is written in another language , obviously, with its translation.
Best Romantic Books: Dracula
A horror novel among the best romance books? Well yes, we are not wrong. And it is that we must not forget that Dracula wasn't born bad. Actually, it was "love" that made it so.
According to his story, Count Dracula's wife dies while trying to defend Christianity and, in revenge, Dracula renounces God and becomes a vampire, an "undead." Many years later, a lawyer visits the count to discuss with him some issues that cannot be delayed any longer. The problem is that, when he discovers a photo of the lawyer's fiancée, he discovers that she is very similar to his wife, and decides to go in search of her to seduce her.
"Me before you" I find extremely charming, although a little honeyed, it grabs you from the first moment.
-Gustavo Woltmann.