Romance comic books are a great way to experience fictional love. Not only do you get amazing love stories, but you also get to see it rendered in wonderful art to complete the writers’ and the artists’ vision. They’re also usually fun and easy reads if you need something to break you out of a reading slump.
I’ve always liked romantic comics and graphic novels (yay for Tapas and Webtoon), but I’ve been enjoying them even more since I got my Kindle Scribe (yay bigger screen!). I’ve found many great books to love, some that started out as webtoons, some that received awards, and some that might break your heart a little (sorry?). All of them you can find below, and I hope you like them all as much as I did.
Sunstone by Stjepan Šejić (8 parts)
If you’re looking for a romance comic that pushes boundaries while still being emotionally engaging, Sunstone by Stjepan Šejić is an absolute must-read. Ally and Lisa meet online in order to explore shared kinks but what starts out one way ends up in a surprising amount of emotional vulnerability and something neither of our main characters expected. It’s a lovely story, and beautifully drawn too, so give it a try.
Saga by Brian K. Vaughan
If you’re looking for a comic that’s part space opera, part family drama, and completely impossible to put down, Saga by Brian K. Vaughan is your new obsession. This series kicks off with Alana and Marko, two soldiers from warring planets who are trying to escape the chaos of their war-torn universe to raise their daughter, Hazel. Along the way, they’re pursued by bounty hunters, chased through galaxies, and face a whole lot of otherworldly challenges, all while trying to make sure their little family survives.
Heartstopper by Alice Oseman
This graphic novel follows the relationship between Charlie, a shy and thoughtful high schooler, and Nick, a popular and seemingly carefree rugby player. What starts as an unexpected friendship gradually blossoms into a beautiful, tender romance that stumbles through some issues, but always remains soft. At its heart, Heartstopper is about more than just first love but also about self-acceptance, and finding the courage to be yourself in a world that often wants to label you. I absolutely adore this series and it always feels like a warm hug when I return to it.
Strangers in Paradise by Terry Moore (6 books)
This is a timeless classic with romance, drama, and intrigue. At its core, the series revolves around the complex relationships between three main characters Francine, Katchoo, and David who are caught in a web of love, friendship, betrayal, and secrets. Katchoo is in love with her best friend Francine and also pursued by a young man named David. And then her employer comes looking for her and some missing mob money, which puts everything and everyone she loves in danger. The art is mostly black and white, but it’s beautifully rendered and I highly recommend this series if you want some romantic suspense.
On A Sunbeam by Tillie Walden
Mia joins a crew restoring beautiful, destroyed structures in space. As she gets to know her new friends, she reveals she’s really there to find her long-lost love, a girl she met long ago in her boarding school days. We get pieces of the story from back then, and then pieces from the present, all drawn in beautiful, dream-like art. The first part is more emotional, and about love, friendship and loss, and then the second part gets a little bit of mystery and solutions, so it creates this really engaging, devastating but also balm to the soul kind of story. I loved it and I hope you will too!
Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me by Mariko Tamaki and Rosemary Valero-O’Connell
This is kind of coming-of-age, kind of a love story but of a different sort. Freddy is overjoyed when she starts dating Laura Dean who’s popular and cute. But she also keeps breaking up with Freddy which breaks her heart, strains her friendships, and so much more. She looks for advice in a local mystic, an advice columnist, and some new friends. This one is very beautiful but sometimes very sad and might make you cry as well.
Mooncakes by Suzanne Walker and Wendy Xu
Mooncakes is an adorable cozy fantasy story where a hard-of-hearing witch works in a spell shop selling spells by day but then by night she helps solve supernatural cases. One such night she runs into a case of the white wolf in the woods, and this leads her to her childhood friend, a wolf without a family or a place to call home, in desperate need of help. As they work together to solve a case, they become closer and rekindle their lingering feelings for each other. This is super cute, super cozy, and just perfect if you’re looking for a little witchy romance.
Bloom by Kevin Panetta and Savanna Ganucheau (2 books)
Bloom is a beautifully drawn love story between Ari, a baker who really wants to get away from dough and his bakery, and the friendly, easy-going guy who is meant to replace him, Hector. They bond over dough and bread, but with Ari’s desire to leave and Hector wanting to stay, they have a lot to figure out.
Lore Olympus by Rachel Smythe
Lore Olympus by Rachel Smythe is a must-read if you like Hades and Persephone. Persephone moves to Olympus and she faces other gods and godesses, with some meaning well, some not quite so much. Then there’s Hades, an older man who wants her but also wants to keep her safe and believes he’s too old for her and she’s too innocent. But she also has a big secret she’s keeping. The art is very abstract and pretty, and you can also try it on Webtoon for free to see if you’ll enjoy it.
Northranger by Rey Terciero and Bre Indigo
The full title of this book does share this information immediately, but it’s way too long so I didn’t include it all: basically, this is based on Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen. In this story, a closeted Latino teen from Texas who loves horror movies, is sent to a ranch to work as a ranch hand and earn some extra money. He’s horrified by everything he has to do, but equally charmed by the company of Henry, a very cute and very mysterious boy who lives at the ranch. His mother’s death is mysterious as well, and Henry won’t share more about it, so Cade begins to suspect there might be more that he’s hiding.
The Girl from the Sea by Lee Knox Ostertag
The Girl From The Sea follows Morgan, who can’t wait to finish high school and escape her little island: her sad mom, angry little brother, and great friends who don’t know her at all because she keeps so many secrets. The biggest one of all is that she wants to kiss a girl. One night, she does just that: kisses a girl who saves her from drowning, and the girl is revealed to be a selkie. Morgan wants to be with her, but is embarassed to have her around her friends. This is a really refreshing, heartfelt and adorable read, so I highly recommend it!
The Princess and he Grilled Cheese Sandwitch by Deya Muniz
Lady Camembert doesn’t want to get married (at least not to a man) but as a woman, she can do nothing else. So, when her father dies, she disguises herself as a man (Count Camembert) and goes to the capital of Kingdom of Fromage, where she meets a brilliant princess Brie. But obviously, there’s the big secret of her identity standing in the way of this cheesy romance.
Pumpkinheads by Rainbow Rowell and Faith Erin Hicks
Deja and Josiah are seasonal friends, which means they’re friends for as long as their work at the pumpkin patch lasts. But now it’s their final year there, and Josiah is melancholy about it, which Deja will not allow, so she takes off across the patch and its activities, dragging Josiah along and having a blast of a night. Plus, there’s a girl they’re looking for, a girl Josiah wants to ask out and whom he liked for several years…
Adorable, lovely, just so cute, and a perfect autumn read with the best little world in it!
The Tea Dragon Society by K. O’Neill
Greta is a blacksmith apprentice who finds a tea dragon and goes to tea shop owners for help in taking care of him. Together with their beautiful, shy daughter Minette, Greta learns the lost art of caring for tea dragons, and finds love and family along the way.
Ruined by Sarah Vaughn
Catherine is followed by scandalous, ever changing rumors of how she lost her virtue, and no one can agree on exactly how. All they know is that no one will marry her now. But a desperate man named Andrew needs her dowry to repair his estate, and so he marries her. As they slowly grow from distant strangers, to friends, to so much more, you get a wonderful love story between two people who needed each other. There’s plenty of great side characters and the world itself is so fun as well. This is an open-door romance though, so do be aware of that before going into this.
We Could Be Magic by Marissa Meyer and Joelle Murray
We Could Be Magic is a lovely story about Tabitha, who always wanted to work at Sommerland as a princess. The only problem is, her body doesn’t fit the park’s image of a princess, so she lands in a nacho stand instead. But she finds some awesome friends, a new crush, and some magic along the way. The art is adorable, and the story is very wholesome, so give it a try!
To Dance the Moon and Stars by Tasia M.S. and Barbara Perez Marquez
The art in this book is spectacular (as you can imagine, just look at the cover!) and the story is equally great too. We follow Myra, who’s trained her whole life to be a priestess to the god Alrun, but she’s not sure if she can ascend because Alrun forbids the thing Myra loves to do the most, which is dancing. But the king needs the gods’ advice, and the kingdom needs her. So, she’s torn between her duty and her passion, and the only person who makes it bearable is her childhood friend and crown prince. I found this very cute and charming, if a little predictable, but I loved the romance!
Clara & the Devil by Olivie Blake and Little Chmura
If you want something moodier and perhaps even a little philosopical, then this is the book for you. The art is really gorgeous and the story is quite interesting. So, Clara works at the library and plans to have a pretty normal life with her boyfriend. But then the Devil comes to town and asks for a library card, strikes up a relationship with her handsome best friend Jonah and keeps tempting her with talks of passion and desire. This was one of my most highly anticipated graphic novels, and while I found Clara annoying at times, I really loved everything else.
