What are romance novels? How does one categorize a novel as belonging to this genre? Which are the most famous novels of the genre? These are just some of the questions that we answer for you in this article. The genre that is today popularly called the 'romance genre' was developed sometime in the early eighteenth century, with the publication of what must have been the first romance novel, Pamela which was also published under the name Virtue Rewarded. Over time, the genre was crowded by many literary gems including the many works of Jane Austen and the Bronte Sisters. The books that are categorized under the romance genre are those that have at the core of the story, a passionate relationship and a love store between the protagonists. Most romance novels are written from the female perspective. Check out a list of the best romance novels of all time, and you will notice that women and their perspectives are described in length in these novels. From the best historical romance novels of all time to the vampire romance novels that are a rage today, this is a genre that will always remain popular. In this article, we give you a list of the best selling novels of the romance genre. 100 Best Love Stories Look at sales charts of any book store, and you will see that romance novels are the most popular genre of literature, mostly amongst women. This is especially true for the Americas. But to a large extent, besides the classic of the romantic genre, which will always be heralded amongst the best romance novels, most books in this category are often criticized for their crowd-pleasing content, which is often less than literary in nature. But there are many books in this category that have been called classics, and have been favorites with bibliophiles for many generations. Given below is an alphabetically arranged list of the best romance novels ever.

1. A Countess Below Stairs by Eva Ibbotson
2. A Knight in Shining Armor by Jude Deveraux
3. A Room with a View by E.M. Forster
4. A Summer to Remember by Mary Balogh
5. According To Jane by Marilyn Brant
6. Angelique and the King by Sergeanne Golon, Anne Golon
7. Angelique by Sergeanne Golon
8. Angelique in Barbary by Sergeanne Golon, Anne Golon
9. Bet Me by Jennifer Crusie
10. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
11. Christy by Catherine Marshall
12. Comanche Moon by Catherine Anderson
13. Cotillion by Georgette Heyer
14. Danger in the Shadows by Dee Henderson
15. Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier
16. Dawn's Early Light by Elswyth Thane
17. Devil in Winter by Lisa Kleypas
18. Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon
19. Dream Man by Linda Howard
20. Dreaming of You by Lisa Kleypas
21. Family Blessings by LaVyrle Spencer
22. Flowers from the Storm by Laura Kinsale
23. Forever Amber by Kathleen Winsor
24. Frederica by Georgette Heyer
25. From This Day by Nora Roberts
26. Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen
27. Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
28. Heaven, Texas by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
29. Honor's Splendour by Julie Garwood
30. I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith
31. It Had to Be You by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
32. It Happened One Autumn by Lisa Kleypas
33. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
34. Katherine by Anya Seton
35. Knight of a Trillion Stars by Dara Joy
36. Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel
37. Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase
38. Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel García Márquez
39. Love Story by Erich Segal
40. Mark of the Lion Trilogy by Francine Rivers
41. Message in a Bottle by Nicholas Sparks
42. Morning Glory by LaVyrle Spencer
43. Nobody's Baby But Mine by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
44. On the Night of the Seventh Moon by Victoria Holt
45. Once and Always by Judith McNaught
46. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
47. Paradise by Judith McNaught
48. Perfect by Judith McNaught
49. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
50. Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy
51. Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
52. Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers
53. Say You Love Me by Johanna Lindsey
54. Secrets of a Summer Night by Lisa Kleypas
55. Shanna by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss
56. Short Straw Bride by Dallas Schulze
57. Smooth Talking Stranger by Lisa Kleypas
58. Sugar Daddy by Lisa Kleypas
59. Sunshine and Shadow by Sharon Curtis, Tom Curtis
60. Sylvester by Georgette Heyer
61. Tempt Me at Twilight by Lisa Kleypas
62. The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton
63. The Bride by Julie Garwood
64. The Bridges of Madison County by Robert James Waller
65. The Bronze Horseman by Paullina Simons
66. The Convenient Marriage by Georgette Heyer
67. The Corinthian by Georgette Heyer
68. The Flame and the Flower by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss
69. The Fury by L.J. Smith
70. The Grand Sophy by Georgette Heyer
71. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
72. The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie by Jennifer Ashley
73. The Manny by Holly Peterson
74. The Morning Gift by Eva Ibbotson
75. The Nonesuch by Georgette Heyer
76. The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks
77. The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux
78. The Princess by Lori Wick
79. The Prize by Julie Garwood
80. The Quiet Gentleman by Georgette Heyer
81. The Rake by Mary Jo Putney
82. The Raven Prince by Elizabeth Hoyt
83. The Reluctant Widow by Georgette Heyer
84. The Secret by Julie Garwood
85. The Secret Pearl by Mary Balogh
86. The Shell Seekers by Rosamunde Pilcher
87. The Song of the Lioness Quartet by Tamora Pierce
88. The Struggle by L.J. Smith
89. The Summer Before the Dark by Doris Lessing
90. The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough
91. The Unknown Ajax by Georgette Heyer
92. The Wolf and the Dove by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss
93. These Old Shades by Georgette Heyer
94. Truly Madly Yours by Rachel Gibson
95. Wake by Lisa McMann
96. When the Splendor Falls by Laurie McBain
97. Where Dreams Begin by Lisa Kleypas
98. Whitney, My Love by Judith McNaught
99. Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë
100. Years by LaVyrle Spencer

Romance is a genre of novels that has had many little girls building castles in the air, weaving little dreams of their own love stories, imagining their own tall, dark, and handsome princes. While these dreams may not often come true, the best selling romance novels of all times keep the hope alive in most women, even if it is foolish to do so. The best love stories are an escape from the dreariness of life, a place where anything is possible, and everything ends in a happily ever after.