Five Books in Which Romance Sneaks Up on You
Good love stories are irresistible: They appear in almost every genre and culture, and are the subject of centuries of lore. Love in Color, the British Nigerian writer Bolu Babalola’s collection retelling myths from around the world, demonstrated just this last year. These stories persist because they carry healing and hope. Everyone can use the vicarious drama and swooping emotion a truly great romance brings, especially in these dark days.
Yet as much as I adore and respect the genre, not every reader takes to , where these tales are most easily found. Thankfully, plenty of other options exist—some obvious, some more unexpected. All kinds of narratives can follow characters falling for each other or building lives together. In fact, sometimes the greatest companions show
