Book Reviews : My Favourite Love Stories


Happy Valentine's Day! Here is a list of some of my favourite novels that tell great romantic tales. This list is spoiler free so please read on while listening to sad love ballads. I hope you are all having a romantic evening whether with a real love interest or a fictional one from a novel.

1. Just One Day by Gayle Forman




When the very talented Gayle Forman debuted her first novel ‘If I Stay’ it became an international best seller. While that novel is one of my most loved, the ‘One Day’ series is less appreciated so I’m here to give it the credit it deserves. This novel is full with Shakespeare, romance and wanderlust. It is a tale I hope everyone gets the live once in their lifetime, meeting a mysterious stranger in a new city and having one day to create memories. American Allyson meets Dutch Willem on a train bound to London and they decide to go spend the day together in Paris. This book and the sequels ‘Just One Year’ and ‘Just One Night’ are full of adventure and inspire you to take the road less travelled. It is vital that within this lifetime we take adventures we never planned to and forge connections with strangers. Sometimes just one day is all that is needed to change our outlook on life. Travelling to places we have never been to and experiencing the culture, really living like locals, provides the greatest lessons. We must never stop seeking out places and people if we want to continue to grow into the most authentic versions of ourselves.

2. The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks




Nicholas Sparks and his one hit wonder. Okay that's not true, the author is arguably the most popular romance novelist of this time and this is his most triumph and famous novel. I mean when it comes to romance authors they are seen as the D grade celebrities of the writing world. If you would describe Nicholas Sparks you would describe him as the Kardashian of the best sellers list. Sparks tends to stick to a formula for all his many novels that include tragedy and love with a healthy dose of ridiculous twists that add nothing to the plot. While The Notebook has tragedy, love and twists, it is simply elegant. I would say he should have stopped here but as much as I do not enjoy his novels, I do enjoy watching the movies. Here the novel is even better than the almost perfect movie.  Set in a nursing home, an elderly man reads a notebook to an elderly lady who is living with Alzheimer’s disease. This notebook contains the story of a summer romance set in North Carolina 1932 where two teenagers, Noah and Ally, from vastly different backgrounds fall in love while riding Ferris Wheels, going to the movie theatre and swimming in the creek. The passion conveyed in this novel is one of the very best I have ever read. It is beautiful and a classic that will stand the best of time.

3. Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell




Lets judge a book by its cover. The cover of this novel, designed by Anna Gorovoy, is so beautiful I splurged and bought a hard cover copy. Set in 1986 this novel follows the love story of Eleanor and Park. This novel alternates telling the experiences of both main characters from chapter to chapter. Eleanor is a ‘weird’ girl who wears ‘weird’ clothes and has messy bright red hair. Eleanor is living with a secret. Park is a nice, shy boy who loves music. Park is biracial with a Caucasian father and an Asian mother. Against all odds they form an unbreakable bond and are faced with challenges no one should have to face. Both Eleanor and Park are complex yet wonderful people who found their soulmate with the other. Your heart especially aches for Eleanor because as you can imagine, kids at school aren’t kind. While Park is ordinary in every sense of the word, him standing by Eleanor is what makes him extraordinary. This novel is often funny and clever; it holds your attention from start to finish. It is beautifully written; like a masterpiece of art where every lovely word has been woven together to create something profound and unique. 

4. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald




This is obviously one of the greatest American novels of all time. Every school board tends to leave this on the English curriculum because it has stood the test of time. Honestly including this in my list here seems a bit ridiculous given how well known it is but going over my book shelf I came to this decision because it is unlike the rest. This story is a love story unlike any other. Written in 1925 it tells the story of Nick Carraway, an ordinary man who befriends his neighbour Jay Gatsby. Gatsby is a mysterious millionaire who throws lavish parties but no one is quite sure who he is. Picturing these parties, during the roaring twenties, opens up the imagination. Parties so elaborate one would do anything to attend. All the glitz, glamour, jazz music and boot leg alcohol. The motion pictures have managed to showcase this world. What makes this a love story unlike any other is the level of obsession and desire. Showcasing the great depths one can fall into when chasing another. This is a classic for a reason, it tells vital lessons about social status, political games, betrayal and friendship.

Wishing everyone a day filled with roses and don’t forget to ask out your crush.

I just want to finish up by mentioning I would of put Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli on this list but since I did a review of that in my my first blog post I left it out but I’m sorry there isn’t a LGBT love story on this list because Simon deserves to be here. I have also left out The Fault In Our Stars by John Green because I will do a review on that masterpiece in an upcoming blog so visit back soon. Please read these romantic tales as well as the above. 


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