Grab the Lapels

Books with Love for Valentine’s Day

  1. Frenchman’s Creek by Daphne du Maurier—a bored, troublesome lady of the house falls in with a pirate whose ship is secretly docked in the river behind her country manor. Shenanigans ensue.
  2. Canadian Boyfriend by Jenny Holiday—an author who always includes serious content in her romance novels, this time addressing eating disorders perpetrated by parents who force their children to be success driven while risking the child’s health.
  3. The ADHD Effect on Marriage by Melissa Orlov—not romance, per se, but a book that will help you respect your spouse when the two of you may not think the same way at all due to bran chemistry. A truly loving perspective on relationships between people who have ADHD and those who don’t.
  4. When Madeline Was Young by Jane Hamilton—the story of a couple who marry, caring for the husband’s first wife who became disabled after a bicycle accident leads to a traumatic brain injury.
  5. The Garden of Small Beginnings by Abbi Waxman—the story of finding a hobby after the main character’s spouse dies and making romantic connections with time and common interests.
  6. The Words in My Hands by Asphyxia—a novel/collage about a near future in which food is scarce. Set in Australia, the main character is a deaf girl who meets a CODA (child of a deaf adult) who teaches her sign language and how to grow food.
  7. Seven Days in June by Tia Williams—two authors meet at a literary conference and fall in love while navigating disability and systemic racism.
  8. Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston—a story of how finding love is often a journey, one which may take a few marriages and a lot of bravery to be happy when no one wants you to be.
  9. IN&OZ by Steve Tomasula—a postmodern novel in which people don’t have conventional names, but are called whatever their occupation is. We get some cute romance stuff shown in bizarre, postmodern ways.
  10. The Price of Salt by Patricia Highsmith—a lesbian romance, foundational among lesbian fiction, in which the romantic leads are not killed for the sexuality.
  11. Dietland by Sarai Walker—a novel ultimately about patriarchy and anti-dieting, yet it’s heart is about loving yourself, about choosing you over others that has an undercurrent of Fight Club and A Clockwork Orange.
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Published by Grab the Lapels

I'm a graduate of the MFA fiction writing program at the University of Notre Dame, which inspired me to follow along with trends in teaching, publishing, and reviewing. I also have an MA and BS from Central Michigan University. I used to teach composition, creative writing, and literature in higher education, then did a brief stint at a civic theater, followed by two years at a references desk at a public library. I'm now working toward my ASL Interpreter license.

19 comments

  1. You’re too late! Valentine’s Day is already over in Australia. Did I have a date? No. Though Milly and I had a pleasant lunch at a vineyard yesterday.

    I’ve read a couple of your V Day books. The Asphyxia one was published as ‘Future Girl’ here. Am I reading something romantic? I’m afraid not. I have not one but two dystopian near futures on the go.

    Hope you have something romantic planned with your pirate mate.

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    • I would argue most of these books are not romantic, but they do show different kinds of love. Even in Future Girl, the young man and the protagonist struggle because he turns into her interpreter (a common problem), which is an issue for the relationship, so he chooses to love himself rather than become a “staff member,” so to speak, at least until they can figure out their dynamic.

      Sounds to me like you and Milly had a date, though not a romantic one. Did your feeties touch? Maybe it was more romantic than you thought.

      Nick and I baked and decorated some heart-shaped cookies and watched the rom-com-horror movie Heart Eyes.

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  4. When I was growing up, I read all the time and DuMaurier was my favorite, keeping me company on long weeks I stayed at my grandparents home in rural Georgia. I am glad to be reminded of this wonderful writer.

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    • I don’t think my weepy little heart could have tolerated Frenchman’s Creek when I was a teen. I was sappy enough about it when I was in my 30s! Was it your grandparents who owned the books, and you stumbled upon them?

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    • Honestly, it’s hard to put together a list of romance novels that aren’t crazy problematic or annoying. Maybe there are no icky issues, but a lack of communication is what keeps the book from concluding for 100 pages. Or, if the characters communicate beautifully, one of them is domineering or toxic, etc. Finding true romance (except maybe the movie True Romance) is hard to do.

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      • I’m sure it is hard to put together such a list! I think in real life, actual healthy relationships would not be that interesting to read about. But so many stories rely on over the top drama or poor communication. Problems that could be solved by one honest conversation are my pet peeve when it comes to romance stories!

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    • I think both books have the same kind of tension and amazing writing, characters you like/hate but aren’t sure if you’re supposed to like/hate them. I’m sure you’ll love it. Same thing for My Cousin Rachel by Daphne du Maurier.

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