Romance is the most cheerfully misjudged shelf in the shop — and the one readers devour fastest. These are love stories with proper writing: funny, sharp, occasionally devastating, and reliable joy from the first meet to the last page.
Editor's Picks
- Fourth Wing — the romantasy phenomenon
- Me Before You — the big-hearted weepie
- Red, White & Royal Blue — pure joyful escapism
01One Day
Emma and Dexter, same date, twenty years. Funny and true about how lives tangle — and famously, brutally moving. The modern British love story.
02Beach Read
Two rival novelists swap genres for a summer in neighbouring lake houses. Henry writes banter with real feeling underneath — the queen of the smart rom-com.
03The Flatshare
Tiffy and Leon share a flat — and a bed — but have never met, trading Post-it notes across shifts. Warm, inventive and impossible not to root for.
04Fourth Wing
A brutal war college, dragon riders and an enemies-to-lovers slow burn. The romantasy phenomenon — read it and understand what everyone's on about.
05Me Before You
Louisa takes a job caring for the paralysed, furious Will Traynor. Big-hearted, funny and devastating — have tissues within reach.
06Red, White & Royal Blue
The First Son of the United States falls for a Prince of England. Pure joyful escapism with a surprising amount of heart.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where should a romance sceptic start?
One Day — it's simply a great novel that happens to be a love story. If you want banter, Emily Henry's Beach Read converts doubters by chapter three.
What is romantasy?
Romance plus fantasy — love stories set in worlds with dragons, courts and magic, with the relationship front and centre. Fourth Wing is the one to try.
Are these all happy endings?
The rom-coms, yes — it's the point of the genre. One Day and Me Before You play by different rules; we've warned you.
Shelf 01Fiction
Literary novels, contemporary storytelling and the books everyone's talking about.
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Shelf 02Crime & Mystery
Cosy crime, gritty thrillers and a good whodunnit for a wet afternoon.
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Shelf 03Nature & Countryside
Nature writing, walking, farming and the wild places — our house speciality.
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Shelf 04History
Popular history, biography and the stories behind the stories.
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