When you're looking to get lost in a book, sometimes you need your reading material to match your mood. With Marie Claire's series "Buy the Book," we do the heavy lifting for you. We're offering curated, highly specific recommendations for whatever you're looking for—whether you're in your feels or hooked on a subgenre trending on #BookTok.
Don’t tell the Heated Rivalry guys, but forbidden love might be one of our favorite kinds of romance novels. There’s just something about brooding that really gets us going. How fun is it to imagine the apple of your eye sitting on a park bench somewhere, yearning for you? There’s also nothing quite like the wonderful agony of unrealized love (or lust, let’s be real). But these books don’t end there. To our absolute delight, the two could-be lovers unite. Obstacles are overcome, societal norms are smashed, and even if only for a moment, love wins out. The payoff is worth it, no matter what comes next.
In a world with so much uncertainty and upheaval, enjoying the reprieve of a forbidden-romance book provides sustenance to take a beat and reconnect with your S.O. (or yourself). From beloved classics to literary fiction that brings on the spice to forthcoming thrillers, below are some of the best novels about forbidden love that are sure to whisk you away on unforgettable rides.
If your group chat has been dogging you to read this book by author/filmmaker Miranda July, now’s the time. A married, perimenopausal artist in L.A. decides to road trip to New York to clear her head and jumpstart her work. But less than an hour from home, she pulls off the freeway into a small town, where she meets a mechanic. Soon, they begin a torrid, sexy scheme—kind of. Torn between their undeniable attraction and their marriages they’ve been working to resuscitate, it’s unclear what will come of them. A book on sexual (re)awakening, creativity, and marriage, All Fours went viral for a reason. Come for the steamy encounters, stay for the unhinged everything else.
Folks who devoured Will There Ever Be Another You? by Patricia Lockwood or have a soft spot for Rachel Cusk will especially enjoy this nutty novel.
A sprawling epic, everyone should try (it is, in fact, really long) at least once to read Anna Karenina. This iconic love story features a rotating cast of characters and so much drama it might leave you saying, Traitors, who? Set in 19th-century Russia, Anna Karenina is a married aristocrat who’s visiting Moscow from St. Petersburg. She’s come to town to help her brother salvage his marriage after his affair with the governess was discovered. While in Moscow, she meets Count Vronsky and the two race into an affair of their own.
But when Anna and Vronsky return to Russia from a trip to Italy, she finds that she’s been exiled by her former social circle because of her affair. And so goes the sprawling story of Anna and Vronsky—one of betrayal, forbidden love, turmoil, and class. With rich subplots that could be standalone novels, intricate character development, and scene setting by one of the best to ever be in the game, Anna Karenina is an all-time classic sure to sink you into its moody tension and breathless proclamations of love from the first page.
Greta has broken up with her fiancé and moved to the Hudson Valley, living in a dilapidated barn with her dog and the homeowner, Sabine. Setting out on a new chapter, Greta secures a job transcribing sessions for Om, a sex and relationships therapist. Drunk off all the gossip she’s guzzling, Greta becomes fixated on one patient in particular, a married woman whom she’s coined Big Swiss.
Then, one day at the dog park, Greta recognizes Big Swiss’s voice, and soon enough, they become involved. Greta keeps her secret from Big Swiss, knowing that should she find out, it would end them. Greta falls hard for Big Swiss, and things appear to be progressing. That is, until Big Swiss invites her to visit her and her husband at home.
Like a season of In Treatment gone off the rails, Big Swiss is at once comical and heart-wrenching, portraying one woman’s love fest as another’s side piece. Does it get more painful than that? We say no.
What would you do if you were heartbroken, but wrote romance novels for a living? Welp, this is the predicament Florence has landed in. Working as a ghostwriter for one of the top romance authors, Florence is mired in the aftermath of a messy breakup. And though the last thing she wants to do is write about romance, she needs to keep a grip on her career—even if she thinks love is for losers. Making matters worse, her hottie editor won’t extend her deadline on her latest project. But all that stress is overshadowed by the unexpected death of her father.
Back at home, Florence helps prepare for her father’s funeral. Then a ghost interrupts her mourning. (The nerve!) Over time, she realizes that the ghost is, in fact, her editor (some writers have nightmares about this), swinging by from the afterlife to help her complete her project ahead of its looming deadline. As they work together, their chemistry erupts. But what happens if you fall in love with a ghost? Is anything more forbidden than that?
Low-key Casper for adults, avid Ali Hazelwood followers will savor the setup and lovable characters. (Psst: Watch Ghost after this.)
All hail weird girl lit. The reigning high priestess of the subgenre, Ottessa Moshfegh, announced herself with this award-winning, disturbing yet quirky novel. It’s the early '60s, and Eileen works as a secretary at a juvenile detention center. Here, Eileen is immersed in the prison's ongoings, even developing a crush on one of the guards. Her day-to-day is shaken up when a new hire, a counselor named Rebecca, joins the staff. Rebecca is everything Eileen is not: glamorous, flirtatious, and mysterious. And suddenly, Eileen spins off into an entirely new orbit, becoming infatuated with her new colleague.
More accurately, she’s besotted. As she idolizes Rebecca, she pictures a life where she’s more like her coworker and less like, well, herself. As the two spend time together, Eileen begins to mirror Rebecca's appearance and mannerisms. But Rebecca isn’t some flawless angel. In fact, she harbors her own strange obsessions. So, when a prison matter is brought to Rebecca, Eileen becomes ensnared in a misunderstanding that could send her to prison.
A masterful, dizzying tale wound by one of lit fic’s contemporary greats, Moshfegh brings new meaning to letting your freak flag fly.
This one is for all the romantasy girlies. The first of the Angels of Elysium trilogy, Feather introduces Leigh, an angel who’s currently working to earn her feathers and complete her wings. To do so, she must reform a human sinner by having them perform an act of kindness.
Once her wings are fully feathered, she will be allowed to rise to Elysium and have the chance to marry a seraph, a powerful angel. Should Leigh entice him into marriage, she would be able to influence Elysium and bring it into modernity. But first, Leigh must finish her wings. With less than 100 feathers to go, Leigh takes on a Triple, which will garner plenty of feathers to do the trick. But there's a catch: A Triple is the worst type of human sinner, and the one she takes on, Jarod, is the leader of the Paris Mafia.
For those pining for the next book in the A Court of Thorns and Roses series, or deep in their latest rewatch of True Blood, this novel will be a confectionery pleasure.
We do a happy dance anytime we learn Jessica Knoll has a new book coming out. Helpless, the author’s upcoming fourth novel, is an erotic thriller steeped in lusty tension. Faye has left L.A. to return to her alma mater in Upstate New York for her mentor’s funeral. It’s surreal to be back in the leafy enclave that helped shape her into the successful film and TV producer she is today. Though she’s happy to see her friends (and frenemies), there’s one person she’s hoping to avoid: Henry, her college ex. Despite the ages it’s been since they’ve seen each other, she’s still surprised to find him changed. No longer the person whose love was so intense it nearly broke her when she went to L.A. for an internship that would later launch her career. That guy is nowhere to be found. Now, he’s a father and husband.
So, when Henry suggests that they grab a drink, Faye is intrigued—and a little (a lot) turned on—especially because it’s been years since her husband has touched her. (That's not to mention that no one has ever touched her like Henry.) But when Henry reveals he’s the same old guy willing to compromise his marriage, her safety, and her career, Faye wonders if this isn’t what she’s been longing for. Someone who knows how to pleasure her, even if the consequences are deadly.
The 1970s were a pivotal time for a slew of reasons. Chief among them: the sexual revolution. At the opening of Lake Effect, it’s 1977, and Nina is in a stagnant marriage. She senses more is out there, but doesn’t know where to look. Then her friend gives her a copy of The Joy of Sex, and her life irrevocably changes. Instantly, her marital problems are crystallized. That’s where her neighbor comes in. As Nina’s love life heats up, her daughter’s is derailed, impacting them for years to come.
A propulsive read that covers everything from intimacy to family dynamics and trust, Lake Effect is a zip of a book. Read this in tandem with watching Mad Men for juicy vintage vibes on ever-prescient issues.
Fans of Lauren Groff’s Fates and Furies, Sliding Doors, or The Affair need to add this to their cart ASAP. New parents Cora and Sam meet at a baby group. Though both are married—happily so—to other people, their connection is undeniable. So, as they fantasize about the other, neither crosses the line of no return. Or…do they? Told over split timelines, where one features Sam and Cora walking the straight and narrow, and the other in which they indulge their curiosity and attraction, The Ten-Year Affair is a look into longing for someone other than your spouse, what it may cost, and if it’s worth it.
When we talk about forbidden love, Wuthering Heights should be on everyone's mind. Well worth a (re)read (or listen—the audiobook doesn’t disappoint) ahead of watching the newest film adaptation, Emily Brontë’s only novel delves into the tortured love of Catherine and Heathcliff. However, it’s more than love, really; what's between them is more of a cosmic connection.
But that doesn’t keep Catherine from accepting a marriage proposal from Edgar Linton, who lives at an adjacent estate to her family’s. Why would she do that when her feelings for Heathcliff are so deep? Well, for one, money. Linton belongs to the same class as Catherine and can provide a respectable social standing. Heathcliff, meanwhile, was adopted as a child and thus is lower-class than Catherine. He doesn’t stand a chance.
All that changes when, years later, Heathcliff returns newly (and mysteriously) wealthy. Then Heathcliff, riding high on his riches, seduces Linton’s sister to settle the score, infuriating Catherine and reigniting their old flame. Imbued with yearning unlike anything that came before or after, Catherine and Heathcliff put pining on the map. Brimming with toe-curling will-they-won’t-they tension, Wuthering Heights is a top classic.
Feyi, an artist, is emerging from the cloud of grief that’s been hovering over her since her husband tragically died. With her friend Joy by her side, Feyi decides to dip her toe in the dating pool. After a surprise encounter, she also begins reconnecting with her sensual side. Then she meets Nasir—he’s wonderful, and it feels like things are turning around her. Beyond her new boyfriend, her work has been selected for an exhibit at a Caribbean gallery. Needed on the island to put the finishing touches on her work, she and Nasir decide to make a trip of it and stay at his father’s compound near the gallery.
But when she meets someone unexpected on the island, everything she and Nasir have begun to build becomes threatened. Feyi must choose whether she’s willing to cross a line and potentially destroy Nasir and their relationship to explore being with someone who understands her, or play it safe and never act on the feelings churning in her stomach. A love story anchored in grief and forbidden attraction, You Made Death a Fool With Your Beauty is perfect to pack for an upcoming vacation (or to pretend you’re already on one).
