Quick Look Books: Modern Love Stories (February 2020)

Love is in the air, Tartlets! Happy Valentine’s Day! I originally wasn’t planning to post anything today, but after scrolling through Instagram last week, I saw lots of “Literary Love Stories” and “Love Story Lists” being posted by book bloggers. I loved the idea and decided to jump on the bandwagon.

This month’s Quick Look Books list features modern love stories. We all know the great, classic love stories, like Wuthering Heights *swoon* and Pride and Prejudice, Romeo and Juliet and Cinderella. This book list is meant to introduce you to great love stories written by contemporary authors.

Now, these modern love stories aren’t your typical meet-cutes followed by happily-ever-afters. Love encompasses so much more emotion, drama, and uncertainty than Hallmark movies would have you believe, and, while I do enjoy me some predictably sappy romances, my heart really leans toward more complex love stories that shake you up and make you think.

Here’s my list of five modern love stories that you should read if you want to re-invigorate your love story life.

1. After I Do by Taylor Jenkins Reid.

You may recall Taylor Jenkins Reid as the author of the fantastic The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and the currently popular Daisy Jones & The Six.  Well, After I Do was the first book I ever read by TJR, and it immediately made me a believer. This novel follows a troubled couple’s unusual decision to take a “year off” from their marriage to decide if they really want to be together.

After I Do takes a real, honest, bitterly hilarious, and comfortingly familiar look at the complexities of committed relationships. This novel will strike a chord with anyone who’s been part of a relationship that they thought was “it” and then had it derail.

There’s a line in After I Do that goes, “It is comforting when you share your pain with someone, and they say, ‘I can’t even begin to understand how difficult that must be.’ But it is better when they can say, ‘I understand completely.'”

Jenkins Reid completely understands the devastated, befuddled heart. You see the broken relationship from both sides, and both sides, strangely, make sense. After I Do offers various insights into marriage and relationships; each character has a different opinion, and none of them is wrong since what makes a relationship work differs from person to person, couple to couple.

Before I married Mr. Tart, I thought I had found “the one.” Recovering from the implosion of that relationship was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. I identified so much with After I Do, in the best and worst ways possible. Even though I’m no longer grieving that derailed relationship, it was comforting to read about someone who was where I was back then — someone who felt like I felt and who had thoughts like I did, both in terms of coming to grips with the loss and also in learning to rebuild yourself and the life you thought you had figured out.

Read After I Do if you’ve ever had a broken heart and are looking for a kindred spirit.

2. Mr. Maybe by Jane Green

We all know of my love for Jane Green. Mr. Maybe is the book that started it all. I first read it in college, and it was my first “chick lit” novel that made me obsessed with the genre. I’ve re-read Mr. Maybe countless times since then, taking particular solace in Green’s familiar words when I’d be caught in relationships that I knew weren’t right for me.

Main character Libby Mason is Every Girl — at least, every girl who’s in her mid-20s, single, and searching for Mr. Right. She becomes entangled in two relationships, one with a guy who seems perfect for her but is nothing like she thought her dream man would be, and another who, while rather dull, can give her the lifestyle and stability she’s always craved.

Mr. Maybe is a fun, sexy, and relatable foray into the world of romantic deliberation: do you follow your head or your heart? Libby leads the adventure with her witty and self-deprecating humor, sweetly vulnerable sensibilities, and her earnest desire to find security and love, even if she’s looking for it in the wrong places.

Now that I’m in my mid-30s (and happily married), I can’t understand how Libby could have even considered what she does. But, looking back on the overwhelming insecurities of being in one’s 20s, when you’re watching friend after friend get married to her Mr. Right while you hop from failed relationship to failed relationship… yeah, I get it. Libby will forever be my champion for Single Girl Against the World.

While Mr. Maybe admittedly follows the typical plotline for most “chick lit” love stories, Green’s endearing rendition remains one of my most treasured reads, in any genre.

3. The Hypnotist’s Love Story by Liane Moriarty 

Confession: I didn’t like how this book began, but I love how it turned out. This modern love story beings with your typical Girl Meets Boy scenario, then quickly morphs into Girl Meets Boy’s… STALKER?? Yeah. Unconventional, to say the least.

At first, I was put off by the whole stalker aspect. ‘Cause, it’s creepy. But, my husband encouraged me to keep reading (he said the premise sounded interesting), so I kept going. I’m glad I did.

The Hypnotist’s Love Story is a very different and original take on the classic love triangle. It’s also a good example of what’s truly involved with starting a relationship and blending your lives together, as well as what realistically can happen once that relationship is over or, alternatively, succeeds to the next level.

I loved hypnotherapist Ellen’s point of view, which really forces you to take a look at your own actions and thoughts when you’re in a relationship. However, Moriarty does an excellent job at making you empathize with stalker Saskia, with whom, surprisingly, pretty much any scorned lover can identify, to a certain level. The complicated and emotional dynamic between Ellen and Saskia drives the entire novel, and I really appreciated the fact that the man they’re both in love with takes a backseat to their “love story.”

The Hypnotist’s Love Story is one of Moriarty’s undersung novels, but it’s definitely one of my favorites by her.

4. The Shark Club by Ann Kidd Taylor

I was first drawn to this modern love story is its unique protagonist– a shark expert! I was obsessed with sharks (and most marine life) as a child, so it was great to read a novel that made marine biology and oceanography an easily accessible, central plot focus.

The Shark Club actually contains few love stories. First and foremost, there’s the one between Maeve and her sharks, which brings a smile to my face every time I think about it. Marine biology, diving, and studying these fascinating creatures is what Maeve lives for, and her devotion to her career and her sharks is palpable in every aspect of the novel.

Then, there’s the love triangle between Maeve, her first love, and her research partner. Most love triangles I encounter in books seem heavily contrived and completely predictable, but I’m happy to say that the one in The Shark Club is refreshingly plausible. You’re swept up along with Maeve in the magic of rekindled romance and the exciting promise of new love. Both options are appealing, and for once I wasn’t sure which guy would be chosen in the end. (Note: I’m quite happy with who Maeve picked).

The Shark Club is a warm, rich, sensory, and intelligent book brimming with appeal and creativity, and I recommend it to everyone looking for a realistic love story with a fun, quirky twist.

Interesting note: Author Ann Kidd Taylor is the daughter of Sue Monk Kidd, who wrote the ever-popular The Secret Life of Bees. While I enjoyed Sue’s book, I’m keeping my eye on Ann; her fresh, easy writing style and unique storyline really captured my attention. I can’t wait to see more from her.

5. The Man of My Dreams by Curtis Sittenfeld 

Despite the fact that I’m a huge Curtis Sittenfeld fan, I didn’t even know The Man of My Dreams existed before I randomly discovered it in a used bookstore. This novel follows protagonist Hannah, who continually feels awkward in her own skin and like she doesn’t fit in with those around her (similar to the main character in Sittenfeld’s Prep, if you’ve also read that).

Not to stereotype here, but I think feeling socially awkward and out of place is something many of us introverted, book-loving types can relate to. Hannah embodies many traits I recognize, particularly from the high school and college years: battling low self-esteem and anxiety over seemingly normal, everyday situations; constantly wishing you could be as “cool” as the people around you; or, feeling like you’re a 30-something-year old trapped in an 18-year-old’s body when it comes to participating with what’s socially acceptable for your age group.

Unsurprisingly, Hannah also has trouble with love — notably, the unrequited kind. The Man of My Dreams hit me right in the feels with Hannah’s main problem: desperately hoping that one time, please, just one time, YOU will be the girl that The Boy You Like chooses over all the others. Because, y’know, it always seems that, no matter who you’re interested in, The Boy will invariably choose Someone (or Something) Else over you. *sigh* #BeenThere

Sittenfeld’s keen insight into human interaction and understanding is on full display as you journey with Hannah through college and into her adult years, watching her navigate the landmines of dating. Hannah’s is not the sweetest of love stories, but it’s one of the most heart-wrenchingly familiar for some of us. And, there’s some solace in that for the Hannah in all of us.

I hope you enjoyed this book list and learned about some new modern love stories you’d like to read!

What are some of your favorite love stories, Tartlets? I’d love to hear some recommendations in the comments below!