Sometimes a gal just has to light a few candles, run a bath, and drown out the daily noise with a good ol' book, but not just any kind oh no, the only kind worth fully escaping into; the romance novel. With both old classics [hello, Pride and Prejudice] and brand new page turners [we're talking to you Sally Rooney] there is a little something for everyone.

Whether you warm up over a period piece romance, the melancholy theatrics of war time love, the feel good tales that explore the sweeter side of courting, or even the salacious romantasy that get a little steamy, consider this your list of all lists for romance for any occasion.

The romance genre these days has a lot to offer beyond the cliche books you have seen getting dusty in second hand bookshops. Alongside the classic plots, many of our new favourites also feature interesting plot lines, BIPOC and LGBTQ+ love stories and poetic language that keeps us hooked in right until the last page. Consider this your essential guide to romantic reading.

1. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

If we're talking about classic romance novels, there is no conversation that doesn't start and end with Austen's seminal novel Pride and Prejudice. Endlessly adapted, and with a feverish fandom that's spanned more than a century since the book's publishing in 1813, it's the tale of Elizabeth Bennet and Mr Darcy, exploring the timeless ideals of love, social class, and personal growth.

3. Call Me by Your Name by André Aciman

André Aciman’s best-selling novel (also made into a movie) is set in Italy during the 1980s and follows the story of Elio, a teenager who falls for the young professor who’s staying at Elio’s family’s house for the summer. Equally beautiful and heartbreaking, a must if you're ready for a cry.

3. Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

Not your traditional love story by any shape or measure, but Ishiguro's Nobel-prize winning dystopian novel is not to be overlooked as one of the great love stories of 21st century literature. As you follow childhood friends Kathy, Tommy, and Ruth through seemingly idyllic yeras at an English boarding school, they – and we as the reader – grow to understand their true purpose.

4. Intermezzo by Sally Rooney

Certainly not Rooney's most famous or beloved work, but I stand by my affections for this book. Her latest novel Intermezzo was published just last year, and follows two brothers in the wake of grief navigating tempestuous relationships. The characters are endearing despite their short-comings, and it makes you reconsider your preconceptions about what a modern relationship can look like.

5. Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

Spanning thirty years between the lives of friends, lovers, colleagues and the something-in-betweens, this story is an epic tale of modern love and grief, identity, disability and failure. It's about game designers and often blurs the lines between reality and the online. The novel takes its namesake from the great Shakespeare tragedy, Macbeth, so you know there's some great references in this one.

6. Just Kids by Patti Smith

A romance for the ages, Patti Smith's autobiographical novel about her days in 70s New York and her fateful meeting and creative kinship formed with photographer Robert Mapplethorpe during these years, is a true modern classic. I've yet to meet someone her words don't resonate with. Which is apt, given she's dubbed the Godmother of Punk.

7. Insomniac City by Bill Hayes

Hayes' tender, poetic memoir on grief, renewal, and unexpected love captures his life in New York City and his intimate relationship with the neurologist Oliver Sacks. It's a love letter to Sacks, to New York, but also to life itself. I read this for a book club once and was profoundly affected by Hayes' prose.

8. Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami

A classic in its own right, Norwegian Wood is the haunting love story that turned the author into a superstar. In it, we follow Toru Watanabe, who looks back on his days as a college student living in Tokyo, and his devotion to Naoko, a beautiful and introspective young woman.

9. The Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

Romantasy is all the rage right now, and if you're looking for an easy access point to romance literature, then Yarros' mega-watt adult fantasy romance (the first book in the Empyrean series) is the one to tackle first. In it, we follow Violet, through the brutal world of a war college for dragon riders.

10. Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Another cult favourite (now adapted for TV by Amazon too), Daisy Jones was inspired by the on-again, off-again relationship of Fleetwood Mac's Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham. It charts the rise and fall of a fictional 70s rock-and-roll band through a series of interviews with each of the band's members. At its centre are some powerful love stories.

11. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

Another classic romance that doesn't play out how you would expect. Laurie and Jo's chemistry through their youth doesn't necessarily translate to the kind of love you'd hope, but I'd argue there are many forms of romance in this life – and theirs is one I wouldn't be too quick to discount.

12. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Another classic (and a personal favourite). The inventor of longing and limerance himself, Jay Gatsby, and his obsession over a lifetime to be reunited with his once-great love Daisy, is one for the history books. And hopefully, one for your winter reading list.