Sometimes, even when everyone is happy, including you, and you’re surrounded by positivity, you still want an amazing, heartbreaking novel to curl up and read. These books keep you grounded and show you the beauty and strength in pain, and maybe that’s your favourite kind of book. When it comes to love stories, some books are just there to remind us that fairy tales don’t always end the way we want them to, and sometimes we need to be okay with that. Here is our list of recommendations for the most heartbreakingly beautiful books that you should read now.

1. ‘The Light We Lost’ by Jill Santopolo

If you love stories that make you cry until you’ve run out of both tissues and tears, this is the book for you. Jill Santopolo’s very popular novel, The Light We Lost, is a gorgeous and tragic story about two college seniors, Lucy and Gabe, whose love affair shapes the rest of their lives. From the first page, this novel will grab a hold of your heart and leave you thinking about it long after you’ve set it down.

2. ‘Heartless’ by Marissa Meyer

Heartless shows us that fairy tales don’t always have happy endings, by telling us the story of the Queen of Hearts, including its terrible beginning. In Meyer’s incredibly sad re-imagining of the fairy tale you thought you knew, we see a sweet young girl, Catherine, dreaming of her future. But life in the Kingdom of Hearts can be merciless, and Heartless shows us that dark side of lost childhood and lost love in a way that will change your perception of this classic tale forever.

3. ‘A Hundred Summers’ by Beatriz Williams

A Hundred Summers is a heartbreaking love story full of emotions, broken hearts, and a historical 1938 New England storm. Lily Dane goes to her family’s summer home in Rhode Island to escape New York and her tattered life, only to find an impending storm and the two people who broke her heart waiting for her. This exciting beach read will provide enough sadness and dramatic plot to keep you turning pages frantically, and maybe shed a few tears along the way.

4. ‘Me Before You’ by Jojo Moyes

Janet Pearle, a lifestyle blogger at Writinity and Last Minute Writing, says “this well-known tearjerker has been made into a movie, but if you’ve been living under a rock the past few years, it’s not one to miss. Moyes will most certainly make you cry as you read through Lou and Will’s ill-fated love story, but you’re sure to love it and it will leave an impression long after you’re done.”

5. ‘Norwegian Wood’ by Haruki Murakami

This book will definitely shake you to your core as you follow Toru, a responsible and serious college student in love with Naoko, a beautiful girl from his past. As they grow older, their love and relationship evolves as well, shaped by a shared tragic event in their past which affects them in different ways. Murakami shows us in the most heart wrenching way that loss can tear us apart just as easily as it can bring us together.

6. ‘All the Bright Places’ by Jennifer Niven

Frances Jackson, a writer at Draft Beyond and Research Papers UK, tells us that “young adult novels are known for showing us heartbreaking love stories, but the one that probably takes the cake above them all is All the Bright Places. This bestseller spins a tale of a beautifully tragic love story between Finch and Violet. This book is about romance, love, and family, and you won’t be able to stop crying from start to finish – in a good way.”

8. ‘History Is All You Left Me’ by Adam Silvera

Another young adult novel, this one tells the story of Griffin’s life and the grim path it takes after the tragic death of his ex-boyfriend and love of his life, Theo. No one understands what he’s going through except Theo’s boyfriend, Jackson, but there are certain things Griffin can’t share. This story will tug at your heart strings as it addresses themes of love, loss, and moving on, and you certainly won’t get through it with dry eyes.

Ashley Halsey, a professional writer at Lucky Assignments and Gum Essays, enjoys reading, travelling, and spending time with her family. Her writing is focused on her passion of reading and sharing new book discoveries with others.