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A list of romance novels that helped shape and influence an entire generation of readers and future writers in the genre ~ from the best (and worst) of the bodice rippers, to the most heartfelt and emotional of love stories. The ones that swept us away. The ones with the greatest impact. The ones that have been reread so often they're falling apart.
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4.17 avg rating — 13,693 ratings
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4.32 avg rating — 1,274,482 ratings
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4.20 avg rating — 11,209 ratings
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3.99 avg rating — 21,180 ratings
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4.20 avg rating — 13,665 ratings
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9

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4.19 avg rating — 39,230 ratings
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10

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4.02 avg rating — 5,366 ratings
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11

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4.27 avg rating — 17,531 ratings
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12

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4.04 avg rating — 20,204 ratings
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13

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3.97 avg rating — 5,419 ratings
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14

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4.05 avg rating — 18,375 ratings
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14

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really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 20,092 ratings
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16

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3.98 avg rating — 4,071 ratings
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17

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4.01 avg rating — 10,192 ratings
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18

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4.12 avg rating — 13,280 ratings
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19

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4.09 avg rating — 12,734 ratings
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20

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4.08 avg rating — 9,042 ratings
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21

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3.91 avg rating — 3,430 ratings
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22

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4.10 avg rating — 23,857 ratings
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23

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3.42 avg rating — 179 ratings
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24

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4.12 avg rating — 17,295 ratings
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25

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4.05 avg rating — 12,660 ratings
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26

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3.74 avg rating — 9,364 ratings
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26

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3.98 avg rating — 6,483 ratings
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28

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4.05 avg rating — 6,916 ratings
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29

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3.90 avg rating — 6,763 ratings
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29

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3.90 avg rating — 4,459 ratings
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31

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3.98 avg rating — 8,911 ratings
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32

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4.01 avg rating — 9,924 ratings
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33

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3.87 avg rating — 3,486 ratings
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34

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4.26 avg rating — 5,856 ratings
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35

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4.36 avg rating — 898 ratings
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36

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4.29 avg rating — 487 ratings
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37

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4.12 avg rating — 7,970 ratings
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38

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3.26 avg rating — 1,859 ratings
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39

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4.02 avg rating — 369 ratings
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40

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3.99 avg rating — 5,971 ratings
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41

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3.97 avg rating — 6,728 ratings
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42

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3.89 avg rating — 6,277 ratings
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43

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3.89 avg rating — 5,549 ratings
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44

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3.97 avg rating — 7,321 ratings
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45

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3.96 avg rating — 7,155 ratings
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46

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3.86 avg rating — 5,108 ratings
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47

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3.66 avg rating — 7,466 ratings
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48

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4.13 avg rating — 8,835 ratings
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49

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4.07 avg rating — 7,550 ratings
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50

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3.99 avg rating — 7,299 ratings
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51

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3.66 avg rating — 65,704 ratings
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51

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3.79 avg rating — 7,342 ratings
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53

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3.98 avg rating — 9,084 ratings
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53

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3.88 avg rating — 4,455 ratings
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55

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4.01 avg rating — 6,050 ratings
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56

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4.21 avg rating — 37,135 ratings
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57

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3.81 avg rating — 4,027 ratings
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57

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3.82 avg rating — 14,733 ratings
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59

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3.81 avg rating — 3,885 ratings
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60

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3.90 avg rating — 4,857 ratings
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61

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3.85 avg rating — 5,417 ratings
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62

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3.94 avg rating — 6,754 ratings
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63

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4.08 avg rating — 14,396 ratings
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64

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3.96 avg rating — 16,662 ratings
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65

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4.12 avg rating — 12,544 ratings
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66

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4.01 avg rating — 8,482 ratings
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67

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4.02 avg rating — 6,115 ratings
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68

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3.94 avg rating — 5,684 ratings
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68

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really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 762 ratings
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68

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4.20 avg rating — 45,676 ratings
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71

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3.90 avg rating — 3,140 ratings
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71

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4.22 avg rating — 3,514 ratings
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73

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4.24 avg rating — 158 ratings
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74

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3.93 avg rating — 10,077 ratings
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75

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3.98 avg rating — 298 ratings
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76

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3.90 avg rating — 4,788 ratings
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76

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4.16 avg rating — 296 ratings
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78

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3.95 avg rating — 432 ratings
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78

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3.90 avg rating — 3,774 ratings
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80

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4.35 avg rating — 1,117 ratings
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80

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4.12 avg rating — 386 ratings
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80

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3.89 avg rating — 4,892 ratings
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83

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4.39 avg rating — 1,514 ratings
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83

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3.99 avg rating — 6,186 ratings
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85

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4.39 avg rating — 969 ratings
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85

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3.90 avg rating — 2,181 ratings
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85

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3.85 avg rating — 4,074 ratings
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88

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3.83 avg rating — 1,162 ratings
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88

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3.80 avg rating — 2,770 ratings
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90

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3.92 avg rating — 6,391 ratings
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91

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3.82 avg rating — 203 ratings
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91

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3.93 avg rating — 3,834 ratings
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91

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3.80 avg rating — 70 ratings
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91

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3.88 avg rating — 5,058 ratings
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95

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3.88 avg rating — 114 ratings
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95

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3.86 avg rating — 347 ratings
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95

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3.86 avg rating — 4,899 ratings
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98

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3.88 avg rating — 3,699 ratings
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98

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3.31 avg rating — 49 ratings
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98

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3.82 avg rating — 2,309 ratings
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172 books · 37 voters · list created September 30th, 2012 by Chantilly White (votes) .
18 likes · 
Lists are re-scored approximately every 5 minutes.


Chantilly 1423 books
973 friends
Terrie 3635 books
12 friends
Carolyn 1174 books
0 friends
Susan 744 books
14 friends
Maranda 231 books
11 friends
Grace 778 books
28 friends
Midalis 320 books
0 friends
Midalis 2544 books
1 friend

More voters…


Comments Showing 1-1 of 1 (1 new)

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message 1: by Julie R (new)

Julie R Ok, I'm past middle age now (59) and I remember just loving these books and the idea of having such a romantic and passionate life. I started these kind of books before I even had a boyfriend and kept reading them through marriage and young kids. Sometimes I think that they're what kept me sane. Anyone else feel kind of the same way? Why did we get so hooked on these? (Along with Strawberry or apple wine and (God forbid, a cigarette!)


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