Love likes to surprise us all, and who doesn't need some love? Perhaps that's why romance forms one pastry desert twistable into different stories in light novels. Despite being a genre by itself, romance always comes up in every other genre and uniquely in light novels. Still, it’s rare for light novels to focus solely on romance.
They often fall into other genres like fantasy, shoujo, and the ever-popular isekai. But truth be told, romantic light novels are pretty underrated when discussed under light novels in general. For light novel readers who fancy the aesthetics of words coming to reality, here are the top romance light novels fans will find immensely satisfying.
8 Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings In Russian
Since its first publication, the romance light novel Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian has been a hit and only gets more fame. The romantic comedy novel revolves around Alya, a half-Japanese, half-Russian school girl and her neighbor, and the main character Masachika Kuze.
Alisa Mikhailovna Kujo, who goes by the name Alya, is a high school girl with a mind-blowing beauty. With her silver hair, Alya is so beautiful and turns heads when she walks by. Masachika is lucky to sit next to Alya but is always the unmotivated student who sleeps in class. Alya likes to complain about it and sometimes speaks aggressively in Russian. Unknown to her, Masachika understands Russian as well.
7 I’m Fine Being the Second Girlfriend
The light novel portrays an ideal love triangle filled with intense love and secret romance. Even though the secret lovers have the person they’re most attracted to, they still have their second best. They walk home together, meet secretly, and do things they can’t tell anyone.
I'm Fine Being the Second Girlfriend is a romance manga series that concentrates on two classmates Kirishima-Kun and Hayasaka-San, who have a secret affair. They act as strangers at school, but there’s much more than anyone can see. Their relationship sparks just as a fling but quickly escalates to a hard-to-break entanglement.
6 Survival In Another World With My Mistress
In the isekai story Survival In Another World With My Mistress, the main character has some video game crafting powers that help him survive in a fantasy world. Kousuke wakes up in this fantasy world that is certainly not anywhere in the world. He’s alone in the vast forest and must find a way to eat, drink, and survive.
Luckily, he meets Sylphyel, a sexy dark elf who takes Kousuke as her property. She claims him and vows to protect him as they face the non-human races that despise humans.
5 You Like Me, Not My Daughter
In the shoujo manga, You Like Me, Not My Daughter, we see a 20-year-old love strike and defying the age rule. The romantic comedy series begins with Ayako’s sister and brother-in-law dying in an accident, leaving their 5-year-old daughter Miu. As a recent graduate, Ayako volunteers to adopt Miu, and they live a happy, comfortable life.
Ten years on, Miu has Takumi, their 20-year-old neighbor’s son, tutor her. Ayako is sure Takumi has a crush on Miu, but she is mistaken. As the title suggests, Takumi is actually in love with Ayako.
4 Under The Oak Tree
The Manga Under The Oak Tree presents a perfect cocktail of historical romance, steamy intimate scenes, and genuine love. Maximilian is the eldest daughter of the Duke Croyso family. She is a disgraced child and was abused by her father growing up, making her lack self-respect and suffer from an inferiority complex.
Maximilian would later be married off to Riftan Calypse, the Rendragon Knights commander, as part of her father’s plot to strengthen ties. Their marriage starts rocky, with Riftan leaving for three years after their first night, but they fall madly in love upon his return.
3 I’m In Love With The Villainess
In the isekai tale, I’m In Love With The Villainess, Rei Ohashi is an ordinary office worker who dies and is reincarnated as Rae Taylor, the protagonist in Revolution, her favorite otome game. Now, Rae has no interest in the male characters in the game.
Instead, she sets her eyes on Claire Francois. Claire is the first person to greet her when she wakes up. She is her favorite character and the game’s main antagonist. She is determined to win and romance Claire, but how will the villainess love react to her courtship?
2 Spice And Wolf
The anime series Spice And Wolf revolves around Kraft Lawrence and Holo. Lawrence is the male lead, a merchant who loves to travel and dreams of owning a store. He casually goes about his life and business, ignoring the church rules of the land. He one day finds Holo, a true goddess sleeping in his wagon.
They then enter the lands while encountering issues centered around finances and love. Eventually, they settle down together and have a daughter, Myuri, who carries all her mother’s traits.
1 Unnamed Memory
In the light novel Unnamed Memory, Kuji Furumiya writes about Oscar and Tinasha, whose love is hurdled by a curse. The novel blends romance with mythical concepts of magic powers and curses. Oscar is a prince who lives with a curse that will kill any woman he marries.
Oscar marvels at Tinasha’s beauty, so he climbs a deadly tower to seek its master’s powers for the magic to break the curse. Oscar believes Tinasha is strong enough to survive the curse and opines she should marry her. She agrees to stay at the royal castle with him as she researches the curse.