50 All-Time Favorite Romance Books

This is one of the 759 lists we use to generate our main The Greatest Books list.

About this list

New York Public Library, 50 Books

"NYPL Romance Committee have chosen what we think are some of the best romance novels, both recently published and classics, that we return to again and again. Somehow we managed to narrow it down to just 50—categorized by classics, contemporary, LGBTQ, historicals, sci-fi/fantasy, and thrillers. These are the books that we can't forget and that still have the power to make us smile or catch our breath".
The 2021 NYPL Best Romance Committee: Anne Rouyer and Kate Fais (co-chairs), Annie Lin, Anthony Murisco, Avigail Sharon, Christel Ellis, Danielle Shur, Digna Motta, Emily Small, Emily Valentine, Grace Loiacano, Hannah Spratt, Roxanne Russell, Ruth Guerrier-Pierre, and Stephanie Anderson (advisor).

This list was originally published in 2022 and was added to this site over 1 year ago.

View: List Grid Table
Rank Book Authors Year Country Language Actions
192 Persuasion Jane Austen 1817 British English
641 Bridget Jones's Diary Helen Fielding 1996 British English
9640 All Your Perfects Colleen Hoover 2018 American English
6891 Bared To You Sylvia Day 2012 American English
8374 Beautiful Disaster Jamie McGuire 2011 American English
8657 Beyond The Velvet Rope Tiffany Ashley 2013 Unknown English
5741 Can You Keep A Secret? Sophie Kinsella 2003 British English
9175 The Cocktail Collection Alice Clayton 2016 Unknown English
8995 The Deal Elle Kennedy 2015 Canadian English
3429 Get A Life, Chloe Brown Talia Hibbert 2019 British English
9352 Hard Hitter Sarina Bowen 2017 American English
6528 The Hating Game Sally Thorne 2016 Australian English
8725 It Happened One Summer Tessa Bailey 2021 American English
8794 It Happened One Wedding Julie James 2014 American English
9640 Josh And Hazel's Guide To Not Dating Christina Lauren 2018 American English
6706 The Mac Gregor Grooms Nora Roberts 1998 American English
8167 One Day In December Josie Silver 2018 British English
8374 The Perfect Play Jaci Burton 2011 American English
5491 Royally Screwed Emma Chase 2016 American English
8523 Ten Tiny Breaths K.A. Tucker 2012 Canadian English
3598 The Wedding Date Jasmine Guillory 2018 American English
4097 Boyfriend Material Alexis Hall 2020 British English
10268 How To Find A Princess Alyssa Cole 2021 American English
3050 Red, White & Royal Blue Casey McQuiston 2019 American English
8794 The Understatement Of The Year Sarina Bowen 2014 American English
7887 The Courtesan's Daughter Claudia Dain 2007 American English
4927 Dreaming Of You Lisa Kleypas 1994 American English
6968 The Duchess Bertrice Small 2001 American English
3842 An Extraordinary Union Alyssa Cole 2017 American English
8657 The Heiress Effect Courtney Milan 2013 American English
7696 It Happened One Autumn Lisa Kleypas 2005 American English
8657 Lord Of Wicked Intentions Lorraine Heath 2013 American English
8162 Loving A Lost Lord Mary Jo Putney 2009 American English
8374 Never A Gentleman Eileen Dreyer 2011 Unknown English
6648 Nine Rules To Break When Romancing A Rake Sarah MacLean 2010 American English
10268 The Spinster And The Rake Eva Devon 2021 Unknown English
7052 A Summer To Remember Mary Balogh 2002 British English
8162 To Catch A Bride Anne Gracie 2009 Australian English
4737 When A Scot Ties The Knot Tessa Dare 2015 American English
2329 Whitney, My Love Judith McNaught 1985 American English
10045 Would I Lie To The Duke Eva Leigh 2020 Unknown English
8374 Belong To Me Shayla Black 2011 American English
3814 Dark Lover J. R. Ward 2005 American English
5096 A Hunger Like No Other Kresley Cole 2006 American English
6074 A Knight In Shining Armor Jude Deveraux 1989 American English
7149 Magic In The Wind Christine Feehan 2003 American English
7580 The Midnight Hour Brenda Jackson 2004 American English
5012 Slave To Sensation Nalini Singh 2006 New Zealand English
7149 Tempting The Beast Lora Leigh 2003 American English
7887 The Vampire Queen's Servant Joey W. Hill 2007 American English