From: The Scene Blog
Top romance novels for Valentine’s Day
BEBE McDERMOTT/THE EAGLE
As an avid reader, I’ve read my fair share of romance novels. I generally know what to look for: a strong female lead, her dreamy male lover and a story filled with passion and love. While choosing my top romance novels was a difficult process, I found that my mind instantly jumping to these books. Each book listed here captures the Valentine’s Day spirit of eternal love. While romance is not in store for my Valentine’s Day, these books certainly are.
The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
A tragic love story about a man and a woman torn apart by time, Audrey Niffenegger’s novel shows the importance of patience and the power of love. Henry, the protagonist, is burdened with the ability of time travel and has traveled through time to see Clare at all stages of her life. She’s known him since she was a little girl. But what happens when they both meet when their natural timelines? It’s a first meeting for Henry, but one of many for Clare. Despite the confusing timeline, this love story is captivating from from the very first chapter.
The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks
Beginning in 1940s North Carolina, The Notebook chronicles the epic love story of Allie and Noah, a rich city girl and a blue collar country boy. Allie and Noah fall in love almost at first sight and their relationship consumes them, passionately. As time goes on, Allie eventually moves, and the two characters part ways. Noah promises that he will wait for Allie, but he never hears from her. Years later, they reunite, and the sparks return,just like old times. But Allie must choose if she wants Noah, the passionate love of her life, or a life in which she knows that she will be financially stable, but with someone she doesn’t know if she loves as much.
One Day by David Nicholls
One Day spans the almost 20-year adventure of best friends Emma and Dexter. They are unlikely friends, Dexter is a charismatic schmoozer, and Emma is a sensible bookworm. Obvious to everyone but Dexter is Emma’s love for him. The only thing that really keeps this pair together is the promise they made to each other: to always contact the other every July 15th, which is the anniversary of the day they met. We watch them rejoin every July 15 and see that as their lives change, so does their friendship. The question is, will they ever become more than friends? Or are they destined to drift apart, never reaching their full potential?
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Considered by many to be the greatest love story of all time, Pride and Prejudice tells the story of Lizzie Bennet, whose mother is constantly trying to marry Lizzie and her sisters off. She meets Mr. Darcy at a ball. Sparks emerge between the two, but Mr. Darcy’s lack of communication skills and outright rudeness make it almost impossible for Lizzie not to despise him at first, as he refuses to dance and makes rude jokes. But eventually, after Mr. Darcy begins to show his true personality and kindness, Lizzie begins to warm up to him. A story of first impressions and unspoken emotions, Pride and Prejudice exemplifies the idea that love at first sight is not always the way life works.
