Tearjerker Romance Book Recommendations

 


1. A thousand boy kisses by Tillie Cole

One kiss lasts a moment. But a thousand kisses can last a lifetime. One boy. One girl. A bond that is forged in an instant and cherished for a decade. A bond that neither time nor distance can break. A bond that will last forever. Or so they believe.

When seventeen-year-old Rune Kristiansen returns from his native Norway to the sleepy town of Blossom Grove, Georgia, where he befriended Poppy Litchfield as a child, he has just one thing on his mind. Why did the girl who was one half of his soul, who promised to wait faithfully for his return, cut him off without a word of explanation? Rune's heart was broken two years ago when Poppy fell silent. When he discovers the truth, he finds that the greatest heartache is yet to come.

A stand-alone young adult tearjerker romance recommended for ages fourteen and up.
 

2. The Wrong Heart by Jennifer Hartmann

When my husband died, he left my broken heart behind.

He left another heart behind, too—his.

I know it's wrong. I shouldn't be contacting the recipient of my husband's heart. I don't even expect him to reply...
But there's a desperate, twisted part of me that hopes he will.

No names.
No personal details.

Just a conversation.

The only thing I have left of my husband is inside him.

***

'The Wrong Heart' is an angst-filled contemporary romance standalone. This book deals with heavy themes, such as the loss of a loved one and self-harm/suicide.

3. Still Beating by Jennifer Hartmann

WARNING: This is a dark romance. This book contains subject matter that may be sensitive for some readers, including rape, as well as strong language and explicit sex. 18+ only. Please read responsibly.

When Cora attends her sister’s birthday party, she expects at most a hangover or a walk of shame. She doesn’t anticipate a stolen wallet, leaving her stranded and dependent on Dean—her arch nemesis and an ultimate thorn in her side.

And she really doesn’t anticipate waking up in shackles in a madman’s basement.

To make matters worse, Dean shares the space in his own set of chains.

After fifteen years of teasing, insults, and practical jokes, the ultimate joke seems to be on them. The two people who always thought they’d end up killing each other must now work together if they want to survive.

But Cora and Dean have no idea their abductor has a plan for them. A plan that will alter the course of their relationship, blur the line between hate and love, and shackle them together with far more than just chains.
 

4. The Ravenhood Trilogy (Book 1 Flock) by Kate Stewart

Can you keep a secret?

I grew up sick.⁣

Let me clarify.⁣

I grew up believing that real love stories include a martyr or demand a great sacrifice to be worthy.⁣

Because of that, I believed it, because I made myself believe it, and I bred the most masochistic of romantic hearts, which resulted in my illness.⁣

When I lived this story, my own twisted fairy tale, it was unbeknownst to me at the time because I was young and naïve. I gave into temptation and fed the beating beast, which grew thirstier with every slash, every strike, every blow.⁣

Triple Falls wasn’t at all what it seemed, nor were the men that swept me under their wing. But in order to keep them, I had to be in on their secrets.⁣

Secrets that cost us everything to keep.⁣

That’s the novelty of fiction versus reality. You can’t re-live your own love story, because, by the time you’ve realized you’re living it, it’s over. At least that was the case for me and the men I trusted my foolish heart to.⁣

Looking back, I’m convinced I willed my story into existence due to my illness.⁣

And all were punished.

5. A Love Letter to Whiskey by Kandi Steiner

It’s crazy how fast the buzz comes back after you’ve been sober for so long.

Whiskey stood there, on my doorstep, just like he had one year before. Except for this time, there was no rain, no anger, no wedding invitation — it was just us.

It was just him — the old friend, the easy smile, the twisted solace wrapped in a glittering bottle.

It was just me — the alcoholic, pretending like I didn’t want to taste him, realizing too quickly that months of being clean didn’t make me crave him any less.

But we can’t start here.

No, to tell this story right, we need to go back.

Back to the beginning.

Back to the very first drop.

This is my love letter to Whiskey. I only hope he reads it.

6. Bright Side by Kim Holden

Secrets.
Everyone has one.
Some are bigger than others.
And when secrets are revealed,
Some will heal you ...
And some will end you.

Kate Sedgwick’s life has been anything but typical. She’s endured hardship and tragedy, but throughout it all, she remains happy and optimistic (there’s a reason her best friend Gus calls her Bright Side). Kate is strong-willed, funny, smart, and musically gifted. She’s also never believed in love. So when Kate leaves San Diego to attend college in the small town of Grant, Minnesota, the last thing she expects is to fall in love with Keller Banks.

They both feel it.
But they each have a reason to fight it.
They each have a secret.

And when secrets are revealed,
Some will heal you …
And some will end you.

7. No Tomorrow by Carian Cole

The people we love are thieves.
They steal our hearts. They steal our breath.
They steal our sanity.
And we let them.
Over and over and over again.


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

They say you never forget your first love.
Mine was a homeless musician who wandered straight into my soul.
He was my first everything. And fourteen years later, I still can't get him out of my head.
He broke all my rules.
He also broke my heart.
I watched him climb to stardom, cheering him on from afar.
But I was never a fan; just a girl in love.
Like a tornado, he spiraled, leaving a path of destruction in his wake.
But love conquers all, right? It has to. Because here I stand, ravaged and ruined, needing it to be true.
You can't go back, but I want to. Back to the park. Back to when he sang only for me. Before he was famous. Before he shattered my heart.
I thought I knew everything about him.
But I could not have been more wrong.
He promised me every tomorrow. And here I am, waiting.
And hoping.
Again.

_______________________

Note: This is not a fluffy, light read or a swoony romance. It's a journey of love between two people who can't let each other go, even though they are far from perfect. It's about loving someone who is struggling with mental illness and addiction and all the ups and downs that come with it. It's about finding a happily ever after that works between two people loving each other the best they can with patience, understanding, and unconditional love. Not everyone will agree with this kind of love and acceptance - but it exists, it's real, and it happens every day.

8. Sweet Dandelion by Michela Smeltzer

Dandelion Meadows is cursed.
Horrible name.
Horrible luck.
At eighteen she should be headed off to college, all smiles and naivety.
Instead, a victim of a school shooting, she’s starting her senior year in a new city and living with her brother.
Nightmares of that terrible day haunt her, affecting her daily life and the relationships around her.
Forced to meet with the school counselor, Dani finds him chipping away at the walls she’s built around herself, and even her heart.
Lachlan Taylor doesn’t know what to make at first of the broken student he’s tasked with helping. She’s survived a trauma he’s not sure he can save her from, but he knows he has to try.
The more time they spend together, the more they learn about what it really means to live.
Some things are forbidden.
Some things are necessary for survival.
Their love is both.

9. The Confidence of Wildflowers by  Michela Smeltzer

My future is a big ‘what if’ at the moment and I’m fine with that.
For the most part.
When Thayer Holmes moves in next door, the grumpy landscaper both fascinates and amuses me.
When he asks me to nanny his kid, it’s a great way to make some extra money.
It’s impossible not to fall in love with Thayer and his adorable son.
There’s a big problem though.
I’m eighteen. He’s thirty-one.
Falling for someone almost fifteen years older than me wasn’t part of my plans, but sometimes things happen when you least expect them.

10. Darling Venom by Parker S. Huntington

My first love ended in tragedy.
My second began with his brother.

From Wall Street Journal bestseller Parker S. Huntington comes a broken love story laced with angst and forbidden romance.

I wasn’t supposed to be on that roof on Valentine’s Day.
Neither was Kellan Marchetti, the school’s designated freak.
We met on the verge of ending our lives.
Somehow, the tattered strings of our tragedies tangled and tightened into an unlikely bond.
We decided not to take the plunge and agreed to check on each other every Valentine’s Day until school ended.
Same time.
One roof.
Two restless souls.
We kept our promise for three years.
On the fourth, Kellan made a decision, and I was left to deal with the consequences.
Just when I thought our story ended, another one began.
They say all love stories look the same and taste different.
Mine was venomous, disgraceful, and written in scarlet scars.
My name is Charlotte Richards, but you can call me Venom.

~Book information and blurbs found on goodreads.com

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