Literary Romances That Don't Make Me Cringe

Hey hi hello friends, and welcome back to my blog!

So, we all know that I'm not a fan of reading romance. I avoid the actual genre whenever possible, and if there is a heavy romance subplot in other genre fiction, I tend not to enjoy myself as much. Reading about two characters falling in love is boring and cringey to me. But of course, there are always exceptions to the rule. They are few and far between, but in my lifetime of reading I have found a handful of romances that I don't actually hate. 

Today I thought I would go over the books that I enjoy the romances in. I've divided them between "romances/high subplot" - meaning books that are either categorized as actual romance novels or books in other genres with a prominent romance subplot - and "low romance subplot" - meaning books that don't necessarily focus on the romance, but I still find it enjoyable. I will say that these categories are pretty subjective, so if you consider one of these books to be more or less romance heavy, I'm sorry that they're not in the category you would put them in. Since I'm not a usual romance reader, I recognize that my idea of high or low romance is probably skewed. I hope that this is still enjoyable for you to read!

One last thing: I won't necessarily be saying character names for some of these books, just in case it verges into spoiler territory, especially for the series mentioned or for the books that have a low romance subplot.

Alright, let's get into it!

==========

Romance/High Romance Subplot

Red White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

This book remains, to this day, one of the only romances I've ever read. It's also one of the only books I've reread over five times since I've started this whole blogging thing. I'm sure everyone and their mother has heard of Red, White & Royal Blue, but in case you haven't, it follows Alex (the First Son of the United States) and Henry (HRH the Prince of England) as they go from enemies, to friends, to...something more? I have never laughed so much while reading, and I also cried a fair amount too. Now this is one of my go-to books when I need a pick-me-up.

The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh

This is my most recent addition to this list. I actually have an entire review for this book on my blog from last month (check it out here if you haven't already seen it). I thought the romance in this YA historical fantasy was done very well. I mean, it was pretty obvious from the get-go who the main character was going to end up falling for, but I still enjoyed watching it happen. There was a surprising amount of depth added to their relationship for such a short novel, especially when the romance wasn't the main plot point. 

Heartstopper by Alice Oseman 

I couldn't make a list about my favorite romances without including Nick and Charlie! The Heartstopper graphic novels are the definition of a feel-good read. We just follow two high school boys as they fall in love and navigate their relationship, and it's so pure and heartwarming. I also highly recommend the Netflix show. There's only one season right now, but there are more on the way, and right now it's a perfect show to binge-watch in a day. 

Fruits Basket by Natsuki Takaya

And yes, of course I have to talk about my favorite shoujo manga. While Fruits Basket is about a lot of things - family, friendship, trauma, healing - at its core I believe it's a love story. It drives home the idea that love comes in many different forms, that it's different for each person, and that it can be a true saving grace. The whole point of the story is for certain characters to find and accept love in their lives. It's absolutely wonderful, and I also recommend you watch the 2019 reboot of the anime, because it's equally as wonderful. Plus if you're thrown off by the art style of the manga (as a lot of people are; it was made in the late 90s after all, and the art is definitely defined by that time period), the anime has a more modern art style and that might be more to your liking.

Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson

It's been a while since I read this book, but I'm planning a reread of it soon so I can go into the newly published novella, Mysteries at Thorn Manor, with a fresh mind. What I do remember from this book is how much I swooned over the romance. Well, mainly the love interest. I just think he's neat. Plus, this was a very easy book to self-insert with, since the main character is a librarian with a deep love for books. Can you relate, because I certainly can. I'm excited to see what the novella has in store for me.

Low Romance Subplot

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

I feel like its been ages since I've talked about the Raven Cycle on my blog, so naturally I need to rectify that immediately. When I think about the romances in this series, I feel myself getting all gooey inside. These characters just do that to me. I know that the relationships are more focused on family and friendship rather than romance, which actually makes me appreciate those even more. It's because the romance isn't such a big deal that I obsess over it. Less is more!

The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon

Part of the reason I was so hyped about this book was the sapphic romance at the center of it. Of course, I love Priory for so many reasons, it's one of my favorite epic fantasies. But before it hit the shelves, it was marketed as a "Saint George and the Dragon retelling but gay" and I mean...say no more, am I right? And even though the romance was a pivotal point in the marketing and it's also mentioned in the synopsis, it's definitely a background plot to all of the main fantasy elements. Some people found that frustrating, but it was bread and butter for me.

Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson

The romance in this series feels very safe to me. And by safe, I mean that there isn't really any drama. It's just two characters who meet, fall in love, and stay in love. I like that there isn't any unnecessary conflict added between them just to create tension in the rest of the book. I think a big reason for that is because the romance truly is a secondary plot. It's established in the first book, a steady point in the second, and in the third it's barely mentioned but you can still see it every time the characters interact with each other. It reminds me a lot of Astrid and Hiccup in the "How To Train Your Dragon" movies. If you like that relationship, then I highly recommend these books. 

Tokyo Ghoul by Sui Ishida

I had a hard time deciding between this and Fullmetal Alchemist for this section because I do actually like the romance in Fullmetal more, but the romance in Tokyo Ghoul happens earlier on and so we get more content with the two characters being in a relationship. This is truly the definition of a background relationship, because a lot of the development between the two characters happens off-page. But it's done in such a tasteful way that I don't find myself thinking that it was rushed or unplanned. Every panel dealing with romance is intentional and so, so good. 

The Mercies by Kiran Millwood Hargrave

Last but certainly not least, I have to talk about the relationship in The Mercies. This is another sapphic romance, but the tone is entirely different from Priory. This very much fits into the "forbidden romance" trope, so do with that what you will. It's also the romance that feels the most consequential in this section. The reason I put it under low subplot is because there's only a few pages of it, but it hits you so hard. When I finished this book, it felt like the wind had been knocked out of me. 

==========

Alright, that's all I have for today! I'd love to know: what is your favorite romance in a book? It can be from a romance novel, or just a couple you love! Let me know in the comments below, or DM on Instagram (link in the sidebar).

Until next time, and Happy Valentine's Day!