10 modern romance novels

1. On Christmas Eve by Rosamund Pilcher

The last novel by the successful British novelist Rosamund Pilcher was written in 2000 and, strictly speaking, ends the 2011th century. However, it would be very symbolic to open our list to them – firstly, Pilcher, a recognized master of the women’s novel, deliberately puts an end to his biography with this book and seems to pass the baton to his young colleagues. And secondly, this novel has the perfect New Year’s atmosphere. Five not-too-happy people by chance find themselves on Christmas Eve in the same house in the north of Britain. And each of them is waiting for wonderful changes. Mountains of snow, fire in the fireplace, good old Scotland… A warm book that has a place for light melancholy, humor, and lively intrigue. (Word, XNUMX)

2. Just Together, Anna Gavalda

A wise book about love and loneliness, which many readers still consider unsurpassed in the work of the French writer. The story of the girl Camilla and two young people living in the neighborhood is gracefully woven from everyday routine, small quarrels, unexpected victories and accidents, joyful and not very happy. The novel has collected many literary awards and has been translated into dozens of languages. Director Claude Berry partially managed to convey this lacy atmosphere in the film of the same name with Audrey Tautou and Guillaume Canet. (Fluid, 2008)

3. Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

After a divorce, job loss and depression, the heroine (and alter ego) of the writer Elizabeth Gilbert travels to Italy, India and Indonesia. Following her adventures, the reader himself becomes a participant in an exciting journey, joining the values ​​of other cultures together with the heroine. Following in the footsteps of Elizabeth’s route, some enterprising agencies began offering turnkey travel packages to “magic pill” lovers. When buying one of these, do not forget to check with the operator: is the clause “achieving happiness” provided for in the contract? (RIPOL classic, 2014).

4. “Look at me”, Cecilia Ahern

A light female novel touches on quite serious topics: how not to be afraid of memories, why you should not try to keep everything under control. Are we always able to understand those who are close to us, and isn’t it time for us to finally stop looking at the beautiful landscape around us from the outside and become part of it? The young Irish writer Cecilia Ahern asks these simple questions with sincere fervour, thanks to which the fantastic love story between the always busy stern Elizabeth and the imaginary friend of her little nephew acquires unexpected depth and volume. (Foreigner, 2008).

5. “The Solitude of Prime Numbers” by Paolo Giordano

The young heroes of Paolo Giordano feel pain and loneliness from childhood. Alice, as if in retaliation to her father, who forced her to play sports, unsuccessfully got off the track and forever remained lame. Matia took his underdeveloped sister to the park, just not to embarrass herself with her at a classmate’s birthday party, and the sister disappeared without a trace. Alice and Matia seemed to be made for each other, but Giordano did not even think of treating the readers with a happy ending. His debut novel became a sensation in Italy and has been translated into several languages, which means that too many people saw in the elegant title of the book a metaphor for their own existence. But by saying that people are doomed to loneliness, like prime numbers that are divisible only by themselves, Giordano does not deprive the reader of hope. And together with his heroes, he nevertheless smiles at us through tears with the famous smile of Juliet Mazina in the finale of “Nights of Cabiria”. (RIPOL classic, 2009)

6. “Call of the Angel”, Guillaume Musso

Is it possible to build a prosperous life by avoiding any thoughts about the past? Turn, say, this past into an encrypted file and bury it in the memory of your mobile device? It seems that Madeleine, the heroine of a short story by the young and already very famous French writer Guillaume Musso, successfully coped with this task. However, Madeleine’s chance meeting at the Paris airport with restaurant owner Jonathan will show that electronics are the best way not to keep secrets, but … to get rid of them! (Eksmo, 2013)

7. Petrushka Syndrome by Dean Rubin

The protagonist of the book is the brilliant puppeteer and puppet master Pyotr Uksusov, who since childhood has been in love with one beautiful little girl, the spitting image of a doll. This, however, is not a fairy tale, as one might think, but the story of Petya’s painful passion for Lisa, the story of her dependence on him and his inability to give her freedom. The Petrushka Syndrome is one of Dina Rubina’s most long-suffering and mature novels. Everything is a little theatrical, the heroes scream too loudly from pain and tenderness, but real blood is shed on this stage, and perhaps that is why a genuine catharsis is happening in the auditorium. (Eksmo, 2010)

8. Chronicles of Love, Nicole Krauss

A sentimental and bright epic by a young American writer, translated into dozens of languages. Its main storylines run through topics close to everyone (eternal love, betrayal, loyalty) and key points in European and American history – World War II, the Holocaust, mass emigration. And at the same time, the events taking place are full of secrets and intertwined so bizarrely that to understand how a Jewish emigrant, a deep old man Leo Gursky is connected with a 15-year-old girl Alma, who dreams of learning to live in the wild, who is the mysterious stranger who wished to receive a translation of the old novel “Chronicles of Love”, and who is its author, you need to read the book to the very end. To finish reading and be amazed: all the characters turn out to be really deeply connected, and everyone is necessary to each other. (Corpus, 2011).

9. See You By Jojo Moyes

Louise Clark is twenty-six years old, lives in a small town, has not the most sensitive family and not the most attentive boyfriend. In search of work, she decides to become a nurse for the young and rich, but paralyzed Will Traynor. He would like to control other people’s destinies, or at least his own, but even more – he would like to die. Of course, they will quarrel many times, and then fall in love with each other according to the laws of the genre. And yet, the book by the British Jojo Moyes is a novel about true love, where lovers are free to choose and can count on the support of their loved ones, no matter how difficult a decision they make. (Azbuka, 2013).

10. One Day, David Nichols

The story of Emma and Dexter is the story of two completely different young people who will take years to learn to truly love, or rather … be friends – that is, understand, hear, support each other. When will it happen? In five, seven, twelve years? A warm, sincere book, which – a rare case – a wonderful film adaptation with Anne Hathaway in the title role only enriched (RIPOL classic, 2011)