Looking for the best classic romance novels? These 12 amazing love stories are sure to give you your classic dose of romance. from iconic couples like elizabeth and mr. darcy, to classic tales of tragic love like romeo and juliet, to tales with some sweet romantic elements (even if they’re not strictly a romance), to modern classics with charming love stories, this list will help you find the perfect classic and… romantic and clean reading to enjoy!
1. pride and prejudice by jane austen
When you’re looking for the best classic romance novels to read, you can’t go wrong with pride and prejudice. this book is absolutely charming and a classic for a reason!
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the bennet family has five unmarried daughters, so of course mrs. Bennet must make sure everyone is married and happy. Fortunately, a rich young man has just decided to rent the house nearby… and of course, every rich young man must be in need of a wife!
Thus begins a story filled with emotion, scandal, a great deal of pride and prejudice and human insanity… and, yes, ultimately, love as well. This is definitely one of the most famous love stories in literature, and we are all grateful to Austen for giving us one of the most beloved couples of all time: Elizabeth and Darcy. when you’re looking for a popular romance story to enjoy, this is the perfect one to pick!
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2. jane eyre by charlotte brontë
Another one of the best classic romance books you’d be remiss not to read is Jane Eyre. when you’re looking for a classic romance, this is the perfect book to pick if you haven’t read it yet!
The story follows a young orphan girl as she grows from childhood to adulthood, ultimately becoming a governess at Thornfield Hall, home of the brooding Edward Rochester! She is attracted to him, but soon discovers that there are startling secrets here at Thornfield Hall…
This very influential classic is well worth a read, though I must admit I’ve never been a huge fan of this book…mainly to do with never getting over my dislike for mr. rochester because of some of his actions (but I won’t spoil the book by saying what he did that made me so mad!). however, I know a lot of people who absolutely love this book and the romance, and regardless of my personal distaste for the male lead, it’s a classic for a reason and a phenomenal read!
buy jane eyre now at the bookstore or amazon!
3. romeo and juliet by william shakespeare
old romance novels don’t get much more classic than the story of romeo and juliet, as told by william shakespeare. while the work was not entirely his own invention and he borrowed it from earlier tales, he also expanded on it and made it his own and the well-known tale we admire today.
This story of star-crossed lovers is one of the most famous books about forbidden love affairs, so if you’re in the mood for a tragic love story, this is definitely the classic to read. With star-crossed lovers, feuding families, and (spoiler alert!) the death of two young lovers, what more could you want from tragic romance literature?
this play was one of the most popular during shakespeare’s lifetime and is also one of the most popular today…with tons of stage, film, musical, opera and other adaptations including a multitude of modern versions. but there’s nothing quite like shakespeare’s version, so be sure to grab a copy to enjoy!
buy romeo and juliet now in bookstore or amazon!
4. jane austen’s emma
one of the most popular romance novels and a delightful read, emma is another romance you won’t want to miss. Austen is a master and you will surely enjoy this witty read!
This story follows the charming but slightly spoiled Emma Woodhouse. she’s beautiful, rich, and of course smart too… and she’s just found her calling: matching! There’s nothing she loves more than interfering in other people’s lives, so she ignores the advice of her friend, Mr. Knightley and tries to find a mate for a young woman named Harriet Smith. But soon things start to go wrong…and Emma may find out that she doesn’t know as much as she thought!
This is another thoroughly charming story from one of the best classic romance authors out there, so you definitely need this book in your life! It’s definitely up there with the best romance books ever written, so you won’t regret reading it.
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buy emma now in bookstore or amazon!
5. wuthering heights by emily brontë
When searching for famous romance books, Wuthering Heights is a novel you’ll find frequently mentioned. however, it tends to get mixed responses. some believe it to be one of the greatest literary love stories of all time, while others don’t even consider it a love story. so you’ll have to pick it up and decide for yourself!
heathcliff and catherine grew up together on the moors of yorkshire and as they grow older they begin to love each other madly. their destinies seem intertwined. But Catherine ends up marrying a rich man because of his social status…and now Heathcliff wants revenge!
This story feels gothic in nature as a kind of dark romance, though I personally think it’s more about revenge and destruction and a variety of social issues. but it’s considered by many to be one of the greatest love stories of all time, so if you’re looking for literary love stories to read, you should definitely give this one a try and see if you like it!
buy wuthering heights now at bookstore or amazon!
6. north and south by elizabeth gaskell
Another one of my favorite classic romance novels is North and South, an enjoyable read with a captivating TV series adaptation as well.
This story begins when Margaret Hale’s father has a crisis of conscience and leaves the church, forcing her family to move from their cozy vicarage to the factory world of Northern England. As Margaret adjusts to his new life, he soon discovers the depths of poverty in this part of England and worries about the plight of local mill workers. With justice for the mill workers in mind, he soon finds himself in conflict with the local mill owner, John Thornton. But is he really the evil overlord Margaret thinks he is?
This is a delightful tale and one of the best literary romances, while also delving into social class differences and a general social concern that makes this a fascinating read. When you’re looking for great romance stories, you can’t go wrong reading this one!
buy north and south now at bookstore or amazon!
7. Anne of Green Gables by L.M. mongomery
if you’re looking for classic books to read with a sweet love story, anne of green gables is the way to go! Although the romance actually unfolds over several books in the series (and there’s more romance in the later books than the first), this is a delightful read from start to finish.
anne shirley is an orphan… and after hoping to have a family, she has finally been adopted. The only problem: the Cuthberts thought they were adopting a boy! Will they allow this girl with romantic dreams to stay? And can she make new friends with the kids who live near her, like Diana and prankster Gilbert Blythe?
If you’re looking for great romantic stories that will make you gasp, look no further than this adorable series. You’ll love following along as anne grows up and falls in love with her!
buy anne of green gables now at the bookstore or amazon!
Looking for more classic children’s books to read? Check out this list of the best children’s classics!
8. the princess bride by william goldman
While the old classics are fun, there are also some classic love stories in books that could be considered modern classics as well. One such story is The Princess Bride, which you’re sure to adore!
goldman claims his father used to read him a classic called the princess bride from s. morgenstern while he was growing up. he imagines his surprise when, as an adult, he discovers that the book is actually full of boring parts that his father left out when reading to him. now, he has decided to abbreviate morgenstern’s script so that it only fills in the “good parts”.
what are these good parts about? well, buttercup lives on a farm in florin with his family and a farmhand, westley, whom he calls farmer. One day, Buttercup and Westley fall in love and he leaves to seek his fortune so he can get married… but he is attacked at sea and dies! poor buttercup is desperate, but now prince humperdinck, the heir to the throne of florin, wants to marry her and she reluctantly agrees…
But when Buttercup is kidnapped before her wedding to Humperdinck, it sets off a chain of events that leads to exciting fights, revenge, and of course, true love! Although there is actually no “original Morgenstern version” of this book, Goldman uses this narrative framework to weave a compelling and funny story that he is sure to enjoy.
buy the princess bride now in bookstore or amazon!
9. little women of louisa may alcott
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Any list of romance novels wouldn’t be complete without including the classic Little Women by Louisa May Alcott.
When their father goes off to war, the march sisters jo, meg, beth, and amy stay home and are in charge of keeping up the house. As the girls grow from childhood to adulthood, they learn more about themselves and the love they share as a family as they strive to find their own place in the world.
While this novel focuses on brotherhood, it also explores themes of growth, life and death, falling in love, and more. It will take you on a thrilling and exciting journey through the lives of the March sisters as you explore the world through their eyes!
buy little women now in bookstore or amazon!
10. sense and sensibility of jane austen
Honestly, if you’re looking for famous romance novels, I should tell you to go read all of the Jane Austen books! But for the sake of this list, I’ll go ahead and recommend just one more must-read: Sense and Sensibility.
elinor and marianne dashwood are as different as two sisters can be. Marianne is impulsive, Elinor is always cautious… but now both sisters have fallen in love, and it seems that both cases may end in disappointment!
Filled with the struggle to find happiness, some very unsuitable men (as well as, thank goodness, some suitable men too), romantic rivals, and more, this story tells of the sisters’ parallel adventures as they fall in love…and May they find their happily ever after!
This is one of Austen’s most famous romance novels, and it’s a delight to read and enjoy. And the element of family and brotherhood adds an extra edge to the story, too!
buy sense and sensibility now at bookstore or amazon!
11. a room with a view of e.m. forster
When looking for romantic classics to read, another novel you’d like to add to your list is A Room with a View. This book is both a romance and a critique of English society at the time, and makes for a fascinating read.
Lovely young Lucy visits Florence with her conventional and uptight cousin Charlotte, and while she longs to see the sights and experience the freedom of Italy, she soon finds her world turned upside down when she witnesses a murder and then passes out in the arms of an Englishman. called george emerson. But George is completely unsuitable, for many reasons, and soon Charlotte forces Lucy to flee to Rome to escape.
but now she’s home and engaged to a boring, proper young man named cecil… will she really leave the vibrant life she found in italy to spend the rest of her life with him?
This novel is full of unusual and sometimes eccentric characters that you may or may not like (in fact, my personal opinion is that you may not like any of the characters in this story). however, it is a funny social critique with a sweet if somewhat strange love story that will make you start to feel lucy and george’s plight. if you’re looking for a classic to read, this is a great one to try!
buy a room with a view now on bookshop or amazon!
12. arabella by georgette heyer
If you’re looking for other hilarious classic love stories, then the works of Georgette Heyer are a good place to look. Heyer wrote 24 Regency Romances in all, but Arabella is a good place to start if this is your first time reading Heyer.
arabella is the eldest daughter of a penniless clergyman, so when she’s invited to stay with her godmother in london, she’s thrilled! And all her mother expects from her is for Arabella to nab a rich husband while she’s there for her stint in London…
but when arabella’s carriage breaks down outside wealthy robert beaumaris’s hunting lodge, arabella overhears him comment that she is a schemer hoping to marry him for his wealth. So with stinging pride of her own, the brash Arabella immediately claims to be an heiress! Amused but not deluded, Beaumaris decides to cast her into high society as an “heiress” and she is soon subjected to gold diggers and more… but in the end, will she be able to find true love?
This novel is an entertaining read, and with Heyer sometimes compared to Jane Austen (although who can really compare?), you know it’s going to be a great time. And you’ll have plenty of other heyer reading to read next!
buy arabella now in bookstore or amazon!
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