Alison Doherty is a writing teacher and part time assistant professor living in Brooklyn, New York. She has an MFA from The New School in writing for children and teenagers. She loves writing about books on the Internet, listening to audiobooks on the subway, and reading anything with a twisty plot or a happily ever after.
Longing. Thirst. Yearning. It doesn’t matter what you call it. One of the most fun elements of a romance novel is when one of the characters has been pining for the other – preferably for a long time and even better if both characters have been full of longing. Yes, the smooching and the sex and the main characters actually getting together is one of the most satisfying parts of reading romance. But you know what they say: hunger makes the best sauce. And the yearning in romance is what makes the characters getting together so incredible to read.
I don’t know if I should blame Gilbert Blythe’s decade-long crush in Anne of Green Gables or Mr. Darcy struggling in vain in Pride and Prejudice, but I might just love the pining in a romance most of all. The most important part of a romance plot is conflict—a reason the characters can’t be together. And when you add pining into the mix, it makes the obstacles on the way to the happily ever after feel like the author is twisting the knife into their characters’ backs. These five romance novels feature a love-lorn R&B star, childhood best friends who never got over their first love, an utterly and completely inappropriate Regency pairing with regrettably good sexual chemistry, and the alpha from a werewolf pack. They all contain very different characters, plots, and subgenres, but what they all have in common is intense, delicious yearning.
The Love Lyric by Kristina Forest
Famous R&B singer Angel hasn’t just had a crush on his stylist’s sister, Iris, for years. He also wrote a song about their brief encounter at a wedding. And now it’s the song of the summer. Swoon. But Iris is a single mother and widow who wants professional success and companionship, not the kind of all-encompassing love she had and lost when her first husband died. A professional opportunity throws the two together when Angel becomes a brand ambassador for the makeup and beauty company where Iris works. Angel views this as his chance to finally woo the woman he’s been pining after. And despite Iris’ focus on doing a good job and getting a promotion, there is something about Angel she just can’t resist.
Count Your Lucky Stars by Alexandria Bellefleur
Margot and Olivia are childhood best friends, first loves, and first heartbreaks, and it’s been 10 years since they’ve seen each other. Margot has never been able to move on from their relationship and has only had casual hookups in the decade since they were together. Olivia has gotten married and divorced, but never stopped thinking about Margot and what could’ve been. A chance encounter, when Olivia becomes the wedding planner for Margot’s best friend, throws the pair back towards each other. Then circumstances bring them even closer when Margot accepts an offer to live temporarily in Olivia’s spare bedroom. After years of longing, will the two give in to fate and accept this second chance at love?
Mate by Ali Hazelwood
Serena has lived her whole life believing she’s second best, an orphan who nobody wants, and that she’s human. But she’s recently learned she’s half werewolf … which shouldn’t be possible. And now that everyone knows, her life is in danger from many different threats. Koen is the alpha wolf of the brutal and respected Northwest pack. The moment he sees Serena, he knows she is his mate. Despite the biologically encoded longing he feels for her, he’s determined not to force her into a relationship she doesn’t want. But he’s equally determined to keep her safe.
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Hate to Want You by Alisha Rai
I’m going deep into Alisha Rai’s backlist, because this is one of my all-time favorite romance novels. And I’m pretty sure when you look up yearning in the romance dictionary, all you see is this book. Livvy and Nicholas are first loves from feuding families. When tragedy tore their families apart, they broke up, too. Nicholas stayed in New York to run the family business and Livvy ran away to become a tattoo artist and travel the world. For nine years, Livvy and Nicholas met up on her birthday for a night of mind-blowing, deep, emotional sex. Last year, Livvy didn’t show up, but now she’s back in town for the first time. And the two of them can’t seem to stay apart even in the face of family disapproval, long-held resentments, and the uncovering of past secrets.
Her Night With the Duke by Diana Quincy
When the Lady Delilah is stranded at a small inn, she gives in to a night of passion with a handsome stranger. They agree it has to be for one night only and don’t share any personal details. But then the next day, she discovers the handsome stranger is Elliot Townsend, Duke of Huntington—also known as her stepdaughter’s fiancé. And Elliot discovers the woman he can’t stop thinking about is his future mother-in-law. They agree to keep the night before a secret and never get close to each other again. But neither of them can forget the passion they shared or resist the chemistry that comes out every time they are in the same room. The way they long for each other in this very forbidden romance is so intense.
Ready to fall into a yearning ring of fire? Or maybe to find out if this yearning is an eternal flame? I’ll stop with the song puns, and let you pick which of these romance novels full of pining you want to read first!
English (US) · 