Romance Books With a Little Family Drama
As much as I enjoy reading about two people falling in love, I am always intrigued by the relationships that exist outside a budding romance––the connection between a character and their family. I want to know the issues that complicate these relationships––perhaps a complex mother-daughter dynamic, meddling relatives, secrets, or unwavering cultural expectations. Whatever the case, I have found that these issues are often key to understanding what drives a character. They also make stories a lot more interesting. So here are a few romance novels that give us a good dose of love as well as serious family drama—which hopefully ends in a happily ever after.
Jane Igharo is the author of Ties That Tether and The Sweetest Remedy
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Add to BookshelfNatalie Tan’s Book of Luck and Fortune
by Roselle Lim
This delightful story is all about culture, romance, food, family, and a bit of magic. Natalie returns home to San Francisco after the death of her estranged mother. When she takes on the job of running her grandmother’s restaurant, she’s presented with challenges while simultaneously discovering things about herself and exploring her family’s past.
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$16.00Buy from Other Retailers:
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The Bride Test
by Helen Hoang
This book has the best example of an interfering mother, who goes as far as Vietnam to pick a bride for her son. When Esme Tran lands in America, she knows she’s there to woo Khai––it’s the deal she made with his mother. But then she gets caught chasing the American dream and a father she never knew, but who has left a gaping hole in her life.
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$17.00Buy from Other Retailers:
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The Marriage Game
by Sara Desai
This book puts a twist on the meddling mother by introducing the meddling father. When Layla moves back home, her dad signs her up on a dating site and starts vetting potential husbands. This is such a hilarious book with an interesting look into an Indian family and their approach to dating and marriage.
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$18.00Buy from Other Retailers:
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Next Year in Havana: Reese’s Book Club
by Chanel Cleeton
When Marisol loses her grandmother, she travels to Havana to spread her grandmother’s ashes and begins to discover the secrets her family has hidden for years. I love the way this book intertwines the history of Marisol’s family with the history of Cuba. It’s just such an incredible book.
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$19.00Buy from Other Retailers:
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Ayesha at Last
by Uzma Jalaluddin
This thought-provoking retelling of Pride and Prejudice explores the emotional complexities within a family, among other things. An independent Muslim woman with dreams of becoming a poet, Ayesha wants to get married but doesn’t want an arranged marriage. She deals with her family’s expectations while trying to work through her feelings for the conservative and judgmental Khalid, who has family issues of his own.
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