From Austen to Brontë to all of our contemporary writers, there’s a love story for everyone out there. Narrowing down our favorites wasn’t easy but these are the 25 love stories we think everyone needs on their must-read list.
Of course The Notebook, Titanic, and When Harry Met Sally all have a special place in our heart (and film queue). But you know what we adore even more than these classic rom-coms? Tales of love that are actually real. In anticipation of Cupid’s favorite holiday, we’ve rounded up the most touching and tear-jerking true romantic stories that are sweeter than anything you’ll find in a Valentine’s Day movie.
So, while you’re stressing about scoring the perfect gift for him, her, and everyone in between, let these tender accounts, stripped from actual headlines, remind you what February 14 is actually about…besides chocolate.
Bob Harvey first met Annette Adkins during study hall in 1955—and was immediately smitten. “I couldn’t take my eyes off her,” Harvey told the New York Times. “She had auburn hair and a stunningly beautiful face and her eyes were just, wow.” The two teens ended up going to prom together, but as many young relationships go, they lost touch after high school and married other people. Harvey never forgot about Adkins,
though. In 2017, after his wife died, he searched for Adkins on Google and discovered she had also become widowed. He sent her a card with his phone number and after chatting for a bit, Harvey drove 500 miles to visit her, stopping only for gas and a bouquet of carnations.
“I handed her the flowers, and then I cupped her face in my hand and said, ‘Whether you like it or not, I’m going to kiss you,'” he recalled. In October, the high school sweethearts married at a ’50s-style diner and danced to Johnny Mathis—just like they did at prom 63 years earlier.
