The 5 Most Romantic Non-Romance, Non-Valentine’s Day-Themed Books

All the Light We Cannot See, by Anthony Doerr
Werner is a boy and Marie-Laure is a girl. They likely never would have met if not for the deft hand of fate and the impending crisis of the Second World War. Marie-Laure was blind by age six, and circumstances have conspired to land Werner squarely in the middle of the Hitler Youth. This unlikely pair teaches one another about determination, humility, and love against the backdrop of the greatest fight between good and evil that the world has ever known. How’s that for romance?

The Tea Rose, by Jennifer Donnelly
Take one part Victorian London, one part brash, whip-smart heroine, one part rugged-handsome husband-to-be, a whole heap of misfortune, and a pinch of Jack the Ripper, then add boiling water and steep for a few hundred pages. What you’re left with is an intoxicating brew that is seductive, lovesick, and even a little bit scary (in a good way, as love so often is).

I’ll Give You the Sun, by Jandy Nelson
Twin brother and sister Noah and Jude are moody, bickering, and idealistic. In other words, they’re teenagers. They’re intensely close until tragedy strikes, at which point they’re separated, forever changed, and searching for the missing pieces of a story only the other holds. The author’s writing is luminescent, especially in her treatment of the many romantic, platonic, and familial love stories that lace the pages of this heart-opening book.

The Rosie Project, by Graeme Simsion
If Don Tillman doesn’t remind you of yourself, he’s sure to conjure up an image of someone you know and love. He’s a brilliant, good-natured, and likely autistic genetics professor who is determined to find the woman of his dreams. In his characteristically meticulous fashion, he crafts a surefire algorithm that will net him the perfect bride. Cue Rosie, a high-spirited charmer who decidedly does not compute with Don’s equation. Yet, when Rosie enlists Don’s help in solving a lifelong DNA dilemma, love somehow manages to trump Don’s logic. Which is good because, you know, nerds need love too.

Paradise Alley, by Kevin Baker
Are you dating an uber-masculine type? The sort who maybe likes Daniel Day-Lewis movies and whiskey and might be a bit taken aback if you give him a book about feelings? Then Paradise Alley is your ticket, since all the mushy business is woven around some hardcore stuff like the Civil War draft riots and fire brigades. There’s a fireman on the cover, for the love of Pete (and firemen named Pete)! However, as the book navigates its way through the Irish Potato Famine and the abject poverty of the Lower East Side, a love story for the ages begins to emerge. Ruth and Billy must fight through racism, a city under siege, and a villainous thug to be together. It’s a race against time to find out just how much their love is strong enough to overcome. Warning: this epic tale may leave you (and/or your manly man) fighting back a tear or two. But then, what’s a tear or two shed for love?
What romantic non-romance novels make you weak in the knees?