Okay, I’m a couple of days late, but my apartment’s still full of flowers and chocolate, so Valentine’s Day is still very much on the brain. With that in mind, I realized that it’s been a minute since I posted a list of my favorite love stories!

A lot of y’all know that I write a lot of romance, and I read quite a bit of it as well. So of course, a few of my favorite romances have made their way onto the list. But many of my favorites come from… well, less expected places. So without further ado, let’s get into it!

Okay, I take back my intro to this list, since the first one is indeed some ado. Specifically, Much Ado. About Nothing, that is.

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It’s easily my favorite Shakespeare play, mostly because of the love story at its center. Enemies to lovers, witty banter, and mutual respect between the central lovers. Also, comeuppance for slut-shaming (kind of). It’s pretty great! My first favorite adaptation of this is admittedly the 2013 Whedon version, but for those who don’t particularly want to deal with the general problematic-ness that is he-who-shall-not-be-named (or watch a movie filmed in his house), I can happily suggest that you go watch The Candle Wasters’ “Nothing Much to Do,” which is a genuinely delightful take on the story as a web-series set and filmed in New Zealand.

Red, White, and Royal Blue, by Casey McQuiston.

I’ve talked about this book before, I think. Put simply, the bisexual biracial son of the first female president of the United States falls in love with the prince of England, and it’s enemies-to-lovers. Obviously, it’s completely delightful.

The Simple Wild (series), by K.A. Tucker.

I’ve liked this author’s books for quite a while now, but the Simple Wild series is my favorite of hers. It’s about a city girl who moves to Alaska and ends up falling in love. Found family, wilderness survival, airplanes, and… also kind of enemies to lovers? It speaks to the parts of me that were obsessed with My Side of the Mountain and Gordon Korman’s books as a kid, but also happens to be a really good love story.

Well Met (series), by Jen DeLuca.

Oh, crap. Writing out my quick pitch for this book has made me realize that the first four entries on this list are basically the same story; enemies-to-lovers-with-lots-of-witty-banter-and-a-happy-ending. Oops? This one’s set in a small-town renaissance fair, and it’s completely wonderful. Summer romance between the uptight English teacher who plays a swaggering pirate and the super-caring-but-kind-of-a-mess girl running the tavern. It’s great. There’s a human chessboard, a bookstore, and it will make you want to run away with a Ren faire for the rest of your life.

The Night Circus, by Erin Morgenstern.

This book has had my whole heart for almost ten years now. And hey, it’s star-crossed lovers, not enemies-to-lovers! Some variety! In all seriousness, though, this book is one of the most gorgeous, lush, well-written love stories I’ve ever read. Can’t recommend it enough.

The Georgina Kincaid series, by Richelle Mead.

An adult take on the YA-fantasy standbys of vampires and angels and demons, this book is about the weirdly star-crossed relationship between a fantasy author and the succubus who works at the bookstore he likes to write at. It’s somehow an expansive, well-done urban fantasy and also a coffeeshop AU? It’s great.

The Lord of the Rings (hear me out!)

Okay, yeah, not much of an epic romance. BUT I’d argue that it’s still very much a love story—about the love between friends, who would go to the ends of the earth and beyond for one another. I am openly a die-hard Sam Gamgee fan, and Legolas and Gimli’s friendship is something that lives in my head rent-free. I think there’s also a case to be made that the whole series is just Tolkein’s love letter to linguistics, but that’s a different kind of post…

Speaking of friendship love stories, I also wanted to mention Kushiel’s Legacy.

Yeah, no, not Joscelin and Phedre. They’re epic in their own way, and also so, so dumb right up until the end of Book 2. Does their romance make me happy? Yes, of course. But I don’t think it’s the primary love story of the series. Nope, not Melisandre, either. I think the true love story of the main trilogy is actually Phedre and Hyacinthe. Not in a romantic way at all. He gives up everything for her, and she for him, and they each end up with other people, and it’s a genuinely gorgeous friendship that I love.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians.

I know, it a kids’s series, blah blah blah. Well, guess what? I still love it plenty as an adult. And frankly, I’m not sure it’s a kids’ series at all by the time the story’s done, especially the second series. It’s one of my favorite love stories for a reason, though—please note that across the whole gigantic fandom, no one ever disputes that Percy and Annabeth are destined to be together. There’s none of that love triangle nonsense except for like ten seconds in the fourth book. For them, love isn’t an obstacle or an objective, it’s simply something that is. And it’s amazing.

Anne of Green Gables, by Lucy Maud Montgomery.

Okay, maybe not the first book. But books 2 and 3 are about two different kinds of love. 1, adult female friendships against a surprisingly progressive backdrop of coed education, and 2, realizing that perfect is overrated, and that an enemies-to-rivals-to-friends-to-lovers path is a much more sensible way to go. Anne and Gilbert might be my favorite love story of all. And… yes, it’s another enemies-to-lovers. Or, I guess, enemies-to-rivals-to-friends-to-lovers. Whatever. It’s excellent. Also, if you’re in the mood to revisit these characters but don’t want to reread three whole books (I will continue to ignore the fourth one and the follow-up series), may I recommend either the miniseries starring Jonathan Crombie and Megan Follows, or perhaps the modernized web-series, Green Gables Fables?

And finally, Dog Songs, by Mary Oliver.

Because yes, the love between people and dogs deserves a spot here, too. And even better if it’s told through poetry. Mary Oliver’s got a special way of just hitting core emotional truths with such distinct lyrical specificity. It’s just such a lovely collection.

Honorable mentions: I thought about throwing in The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, but frankly, my love for bittersweet stories does not extend to romances for Valentine’s day. I like my HEAs, dammit. I also thought about tossing my own romance novel on here, because I do indeed love Bryce and Kaylee an awful lot, but I thought that felt a little too self-promo-y for V-day (that said, if you’re interested, check it out here!).

Also, here are a few love stories from other media, aka things that are not books, but they are most certainly love stories! The Illusionist, which happens to be my favorite movie. Hadestown, a musical that is sweet and sad and tragic and wonderful (but again, probably a little too bittersweet for the main list). Where TV’s concerned, I’d have to throw Harley Quinn and Ted Lasso in there. And in real life… yes, my own love story! Because, yes, I live my life like it’s a novel and I do so intentionally. And I’m really happy with my person. So, yeah. That.

What are your favorite love stories, platonic, romantic, or otherwise? Please let me know in the comments, I’d love to check them out!

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