Books About Love: 14 Nonfiction Titles for Every Romance

In this book, scholar and feminist bell hooks takes a deep dive into the concept of love itself. After examining her own search for connection, she challenges readers to set aside the notion that ideal love is all about romance, sex, and desire and offers them a new way to think about love: by focusing on compassion, unity, and forgiveness. It’s a love, she hopes, with the potential to heal both individuals and society as a whole.

For readers who are prepared to totally rethink love, these anecdotes and cultural and scientific reflections will provide plenty of inspiration. Jenkins examines the social and physical factors of love, the recent increase in acceptance of homosexual, interracial, and non-monogamous relationships, and her own motivations when it comes to connection. The author invites readers to accept the complexities and decide for themselves what it means when they say “I love you” to someone else. 

After years of advising patients in her OB-GYN practice, Dr. Hilda Hutcherson figured there must be a lot of women out there who had the same questions — so she wrote a book to give them the answers. Her engaging, honest talk about everything from anatomy and orgasms to aphrodisiacs and birth control isn’t just informative for women. According to multiple reader reviews, men find her book just as helpful in understanding how to tackle sexual challenges as well as how to achieve pleasurable experiences. And there’s even a chapter designed to help mothers talk to their daughters honestly about sex and sexuality.

This book about love is penned by an experienced clinical psychologist and creator of a practice called Emotionally Focused Therapy. Dr. Sue Johnson believes that solid relationships are built on preserving the attachment bond. She guides couples through seven conversations that will help them recognize key moments that stand in the way of maintaining a safe emotional connection. Her practical exercises are supplemented with case studies from her practice and designed to help couples nurture lifelong relationships.

Ever wonder why some people seem to have a harder time than others when it comes to navigating relationships? These authors — one a psychiatrist, the other a neuroscientist — suggest it might have to do with a person’s attachment style: anxious, avoidant, or secure. This book is designed to help readers figure out which attachment style they follow and which one their mate — or potential mate — follows. Then, readers can explore methods and guidelines to help them build strong relationships that will fulfill both partners.

“What’s your love language?” You’ve probably been asked that question more than a few times in recent years — and this is the book about love that started it all. The concept behind love languages is that understanding how you and your partner express and receive love through words and actions will help you build a rewarding relationship by better interpreting each other’s romantic intentions. The latest edition has been updated with insights and advice that address the complexities of modern relationships.

This is an author whose mission is to help readers navigate online dating, offline interactions, and of course the phrase “it’s complicated.” Brunson doesn’t shy away from answering questions every dating person ponders, from the best way to ask someone out to dating more than one person without hurting anybody’s feelings to whether marriage is right for everyone. Full of conversational insights, probing questions, and real-life examples, this book about love is designed to leave readers feeling prepared and, more importantly, optimistic about the journey ahead.

Single readers who are exhausted from ghosting, overanalyzing texts, keeping up with dating apps, and dodging the dreaded question “Why are you still single?” will welcome this title from psychologist Jennifer Taitz. The author draws on her professional experience, recent scientific research, and patient interviews to not only explain to readers why being single doesn’t make them inferior, but also give them dating advice and help them develop happy, healthy mindsets — single or not.

Psychologist Guy Winch asks readers to pay the same respect to a broken heart as they would to a broken arm. Winch turns to research and scientific studies to explain how and why brokenheartedness impacts brains and behavior. Romantic heartbreak, he suggests, is just as painful as the loss of a close family member, but isn’t deemed as significant, so doesn’t get as much attention. Winch invites readers to give themselves permission to treat it seriously and also offers methods to cope with, heal, and eventually move on from a broken heart.

Through a collection of personal essays, Ada Calhoun candidly explores the realities of her own marriage. Calhoun confirms that marriage is not a cliche about living in eternal harmony, nor is it an outdated idea doomed to end in divorce. Her essays open up discussions of infidelity, anxiety, boredom, and all the other challenges of staying with another person for a lifetime. And yet, at the end of the day, Calhoun describes marriage as something filled not only with love, but also hope and warmth: “What a burden,” she writes, “and what a gift.”

Hurvitz wrote this book specifically for couples who are contemplating separation or divorce. The author, who is both divorced and also a divorce coach, tells readers she finally figured out how to work toward a lasting marriage — but only after hers was over. Hurvitz gives a frank perspective of what it’s like to go through the divorce process and what the other side really looks like, while offering important considerations to take into account before making a decision that can’t be undone.

From Mauritus to Manila to Zagreb and more cities around the world, these are the stories of women who are deeply in love and committed to building strong marriages. Fawn Weaver, a happy wife, was determined to spread a more positive message about marriage amidst the increasingly negative portrayals she’d been seeing in the media. In order to learn the secret of a happy marriage, Weaver traveled across the globe to meet with women who shared her optimistic view. Through their stories, she invites readers to be inspired by the proof that happy, healthy marriages exist and can be experienced by everyone.