IN case you forgot, today is Valentine’s Day — the day when people celebrate love in fancy restaurants and with sappy cards, love letters, bouquets of roses, and fancy chocolates.
Whatever your relationship status may be — whether you have it bad for someone, you just got ghosted, or you’re just testing the water with someone new — Valentine’s Day is the perfect time to pick up a cheesy romance novel in your favorite local bookshop and get in the spirit of this romantic holiday in the literary way.
Here are five romance novels you can enjoy during this special time of the month!
Alone With You in the Ether by Olivie Blake
Are you a sucker for love stories that take place in museums? Alone With You in the Ether might be the perfect book for you.
This 288-paged novel is a quick read that narrates the story of two emotionally wounded people who happen to have met by chance in an art institute.
Charlotte Regan is a bipolar artist who committed forgery and is undergoing court-ordered psychotherapy. She later meets Rinaldo Damiani, an anti-social, clinically depressed university professor who is trying to uncover the mysteries of time traveling.
With their mental issues and the trauma they acquired from their tragic histories coming into play, the pair discovers what it means to truly love someone.
Soulmates by Holly Bourne
In Plato’s The Symposium, the ancient Greek philosopher explained the notion of soulmates — that inherently, the gods created two humans joined at the rear. But due to Zeus’ fear that they might become a threat to the Olympians, he separated them, compelling them to spend the rest of their lives finding their other halves.
But how do you know if you’ve already met your soulmate? According to Holly Bourne’s young adult novel called Soulmates, one would know he is the one if you experience thunderstorms, lightning strikes, and lashings of rain whenever he’s near.
This novel follows the story of teenagers Poppy and Noah as they get caught in an intense whirlwind romance after meeting in a local band night.
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
They say young people know nothing about love, but Aristotle Mendoza and Dante Quitana proved them wrong.
This coming-of-age novel is the chronicle of the budding romance between two teenagers who fall in love at first sight in a local public swimming pool.
Plagued by discrimination and prejudice against homosexuals, Aristotle and Dante navigate the world, to which they think they do not belong, as they come to terms with their sexuality, racial and ethnic identity, and family relationships.
South of the Border, West of the Sun by Haruki Murakami
Grief and love come hand-in-hand, and regret goes along with them. This 1992 novel from Haruki Murakami transcends the boundaries of time as it recounts the ill-fated romance of two adults caught in the turmoils of infidelity.
Hajime is stuck in a childless marriage with Yukiko and owns a downtown bar. During one of his late night duties at his business, he encounters his first love, Shimamoto. This has him reflecting on their history and nurturing his interrupted passion for Shimamoto.
As the story goes on, their love for each other blossoms at every rendezvous. Eventually, Hajime is forced to choose between staying with his wife or throwing away everything in his life to be with Shimamoto.
Normal People by Sally Rooney
They say if love is meant to be yours, it will always find its way back to you. This is the perfect description of Marianne and Connell’s relationship — a love that slips off your palm but is fated to return.
Normal People by Sally Rooney follows the indelible connection between the pair as they move from adolescence to adulthood, trying to discover their true selves by meeting other people, only to be magnetically, irresistibly drawn back to each other.
