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There has been a lot of discussion online over the last few months about literary romance books. A lot of articles and opinions I’ve seen are complaining that there aren’t more of this type of book. But I actually think there are a lot of literary romance books, both within the romance novel category and in other genre-bending or multi-genre books that still fulfill the basic promises of a romance. In this list, you will see a mixture of both kinds of books: romance novels that pay extra attention to the language choices and thematic story elements, and other genres where the love story and relationship development are prominent and with a happy ending. If you don’t want a spoiler for those books, stop reading. But who am I kidding? Romance readers don’t find a guaranteed happy ending a spoiler. For us, it’s a sweet relief.
I also just want to clarify that when I use the term “literary” to describe the following books, I don’t mean they have more literary merit than other romance novels. To me, there is no hierarchy where books like the ones on this list are above romances like A Nun for the Viking Warrior like Ice Planet Barbarians. In fact, those are two books I’ve loved and read at least twice. But when I think about why I love them, it’s not the language on a sentence level.
I also haven’t included authors like Lily King or Sally Rooney, who are often described by others as writing literary romance. They don’t reliably execute the beats of a romance novel or the sacred promise of a happy (even just a happy for now) ending. And that doesn’t mean that I, like many romance readers, don’t love their books. I swooned over Heart the Lover last year like everyone else I know. But while it is very romantic, it’s not Romance. It just isn’t. You will find books on this list that aren’t technically categorized as Romance, but they do have the all-important HEA/HFN.
From a time-travel, flower-filled story in Harlem to a Booker-winning novel about scholars uncovering a secret relationship between two British poets, the following four books all bring the romance. And if you are looking for lush, lyrical writing, deep thematic statements, or just something that feels literary, these are the romance books for you.
A Love Song for Ricki Wilde by Tia Williams
When I think of the term “literary romance,” Tia Williams is the first author that comes to mind. Her stories undeniably fit into the romance genre. But on a sentence level, it feels like she is writing poetry. In this book, a chance encounter with a wealthy older woman gives Ricki the opportunity to leave behind her stifling family and move to NYC to open the flower shop of her dreams. There she meets a mysterious musician with a huge, supernatural secret, and their lives are changed forever. Interwoven into the love story are reverential setting descriptions and a secondary historical plot from the Harlem Renaissance. Seven Days in June by Tia Williams is another book that would 100% fall under the literary romance categorization.
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This Is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone
This genre-bending sci-fi sapphic love story features time-traveling spies from warring empires. Red and Blue jump from timeline to timeline and universe to universe. They start out on opposite sides, but start leaving each other messages that slowly morph from adversarial to friendly to loving. Through the letters they write each other, the book takes on a lyrical and often philosophical quality. At just under 200 pages, it’s a short read that will keep your mind occupied with big thoughts long after you finish.
Possession by A.S. Byatt
A.S. Byatt subtitles this book “a romance,” but while it is very romantic, it is not a romance novel. I’ve seen it described as literary, historical, postmodern, mystery, and even historiographic metafiction, but I included it on the list. While it’s longer and experiments with format more than most genre romances, I think the prominence of the love story will still satisfy romance novel readers. There are two love stories in this big doorstop of a book. The first is between rival scholars researching a pair of Victorian poets. When they uncover a link between the poets, letters, diary entries, and poetry is used to tell a hidden tale of longing, lust, and literary influence.
You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty by Akwaeke Emezi
Five years ago, Feyi’s husband died in an accident. When the young artist, and her best friend Joy, decide it’s time for her to start dating again, she finds Nasir—a man who is perfect for her on paper. Her feelings are lukewarm, but this is actually hotter than Feyi’s felt in years. So she tries to make it work, even agreeing to go on vacation to Feyi’s family home in the Caribbean. But then she meets Nasir’s father, Alim, and feels all the sparks, electricity, and fireworks. The two fight their feelings, but are tied together by chemistry, shared experiences of grief, and something neither of them can explain. From the characterization of Feyi to the lush setting descriptions, the writing in this age-gap, forbidden romance certainly has a literary quality.
The Dead Romantics by Ashley Poston
Florence is a ghostwriter for a famous romance novelist. But she hasn’t been able to turn in a manuscript since going through her own awful breakup. And now she has a new (kind of hot) editor who isn’t going to let her stall anymore. Also, she can see dead people as ghosts. And ends up seeing said editor and falling in love with him on a trip back to her hometown for her father’s funeral—which probably means her hot editor is dead because he has no idea why or how he got from NYC to South Carolina. This is another romance that really leans into the theme of grief, while exploring love and life and the power of storytelling. I was panicked the whole time I was reading thinking it wouldn’t have a happy ending. But, without offering more sweet spoilers than I need to, I was very happy with the unique way the author worked around the literal life-or-death obstacles she created for herself.