With Valentine’s Day around the corner, the knowledge and sadness of being single hits many of us stronger than it might the rest of the year. We all know that the holiday is just another way for capitalism to take our money, but it can be tough to go through the holiday of love without a significant other. Of course, people say that there’s the love of family and friends but sometimes it feels like people are just trying to make you feel better for being single, and sometimes you tell yourself that make yourself feel better about not having a partner.
Here is a short list of good and short romance novels to sit down and read this Valentine’s Day because some of us must live love through others, *sigh
1. To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before (Jenny Han)
You have probably seen the Netflix film of this novel, but for those that have not, here’s a little summary. Sixteen-year-old Lara Jean Song Covey has written a love letter to all the boys and has kept them hidden in a little box that was given to her by her mom. One day, her little sister finds them and decides to send the letters to all the boys since they all were addressed and ready to send. Lara finds herself in a fake relationship with the school’s popular boy, Peter Kavinsky, in order to avoid confronting her sister’s ex-boyfriend whom she had also written a letter for. Although the movie was very good, I recommend cracking open the novel this Valentine’s Day. It’s not the same to watch the film adaptation and then read the author’s words as they were written.
https://www.amazon.com/All-Boys-Ive-Loved-Before/dp/1442426705
2. The Fault In Our Stars (John Green)
This novel, written by John Green in 2012 and made into a movie 2014, is a heart-breaking, must-read novel for Valentine’s Day. Narrated by Hazel Grace Lancaster, the novel follows her journey with Augustus Waters, a boy she meets at a support group her mother is forcing her to attend, and her journey through her own thyroid cancer and the osteosarcoma of Augustus. Both teenagers fall in love as they get to know each other, bonding over their understanding of their illness and their love for the book An Imperial Affliction. With tragedy ahead of them, Hazel and Augustus try to make the most of their time together before they can no longer be together.
https://www.amazon.com/Fault-Our-Stars-John-Green/dp/014242417X/ref=sr_1…
3. This Is How You Lose Her (Junot Diaz)
Diaz’s novel is a collection of short stories that all tie back together to the protagonist, Yunior. Within all the short stories there is a struggle of the male infidelity that Yunior is trying hard to rid himself of. With the culture training and inner habits that Yunior has grown up with, he seems to see women as inferior to him, making it easy for him to disregard the women he has dated in the past. Towards the end of the novel, Yunior gains an understanding of the world and begins to see women as whole human beings, breaking free from those inner habits and finally knowing how to form lasting relationships.
https://www.amazon.com/This-How-You-Lose-Her/dp/1594631778/ref=sr_1_1?ke…
4. The Wedding Date (Jasmine Guillory)
Alexa Monroe finds herself going to a wedding with a man she just met in the elevator named Drew Nichols. Although she never saw herself agreeing to such a proposal, something about Drew draws her in and she accepts the offer. Once there, both enjoy the evening of dancing, toasting and laughter more than they thought they would. Once they go back to their own lives, which are completely different to each other’s, Alexa and Drew cannot stop thinking about the other. Will they continue the relationship even though they live far apart and have different lives? Go buy the book if you want to know!
https://www.amazon.com/Wedding-Date-Jasmine-Guillory/dp/0399587667/ref=s…
5. Beautiful Disaster (Jamie McGuire)
This self-published novel by Jamie McGuire follows good girl Abby Abernathy as she goes to college with her best friend and looks forward to a new life. Abby knows she will continue to make good decisions in college, but is met with the university’s one-night stand boy, Travis Maddox. Although doesn’t find him appealing, Travis begins to take notice of her and decides to make a simple bet with her. If he loses the bet between them, he must remain completely abstinent for an entire month. But if she loses the bet, she must move into Travis’s apartment for an entire month. Both have no idea that they have met their match as the story unfolds.
https://www.amazon.com/Beautiful-Disaster-Novel/dp/1476712042/ref=sr_1_1…