Popular Asian Romance Books
Find romance books written by authors from Asia for the next part of the Read Around The World Challenge. (103)
71.
Swimming in the Monsoon Sea by Shyam Selvadurai EN
Sri LankaDescription:
Although life for Amrith in 1980 Sri Lanka seems rather uneventful and orderly, things change in a hurry when his male cousin arrives from Canada and Amrith finds himself completely enamored with his new visitor. The setting is Sri Lanka, 1980, and it isthe season of monsoons. Fourteen-year-old Amrith is caught up in the life of the cheerful, well-to-do household in which he is being raised by his vibrant Auntie Bundle and kindly Uncle Lucky. He tries not to think of his life before, when his doting mother was still alive. Amrith's holiday plans seem unpromising: he wants to appear in his scho... continue
72.
The Book of Fate by Parinoush Saniee EN
IranDescription:
A bestselling novel in Iran, despite being banned twice by the government, "The Book of Fate" follows a teenage girl in pre-revolutionary Iran through five turbulent decades, from before the 1979 revolution, through the Islamic Republic, and up to the present in this powerful story of friendship, passion, and hope. A teenager in pre-revolutionary Tehran, Massoumeh is an average girl, passionate about learning. On her way to school she meets a local man and falls in love, but when her family discover his letters they accuse her of bringing them dishonour. She is badly beaten by her brother, and... continue
73.
The Broken Wings by Kahlil Gibran EN
LebanonDescription:
This is the exquisitely tender story of love that beats desperately against the taboos of Oriental tradition. With great sensitivity, Gibran describes his passion as a youth for Selma Karamy, the girl of Beirut who first unfolded to him the secrets of love. But it is a love that is doomed by a social convention which forces Selma into marriage with another man. Portraying the happiness and infinite sorrow of his relationship with Selma, Gibran at the same time probes the spiritual meaning of human existence with profound compassion.
74.
The Cat Proposed by Dento Hayane EN
JapanDescription:
Matoi Souta is an overworked office worker tired of his life. Then, on his way home from a long day of work one day, he decides to watch a traditional Japanese play. But something strange happens. He could have sworn he saw one of the actors has cat ears. It turns out that the man is actually a bakeneko -- a shapeshifting cat from Japanese folklore. And then, the cat speaks: "From now on, you will be my spouse."
75.
The Color of Earth by Dong Hwa Kim EN
Country: Asia / 
South Korea
South Korea
Description:
Contains graphic sexual topics.
76.
The Forbidden Daughter by Shobhan Bantwal EN
IndiaDescription:
Set in the sensual richness of India, Shobhan Bantwal's gripping new novel asks: Where can a woman turn when her life's greatest blessing is seen as a curse? It's a girl! For most young couples, news of their unborn child's gender brings joyful anticipation. Not so for Isha Tilak and her husband, Nikhil. They already have a beloved daughter, but Nikhil's parents, hard-wired to favor male children above all, coldly reject little Priya at every turn. Vain and selfish, they see female grandchildren as burdens, and would just as soon never meet the one growing in Isha's belly. Even the obstetricia... continue
77.
The Fraud Squad by Kyla Zhao EN
SingaporeDescription:
A working-class woman who infiltrates Singapore’s high society to fulfill her dreams risks losing everything in the process—including herself—in this propulsive novel by debut author Kyla Zhao. For as long as she can remember, Samantha Song has dreamed of writing for a high-society magazine—and she’d do anything to get there. But the constant struggle to help her mom make ends meet and her low social status cause her dream to feel like a distant fantasy. Now Samantha finds herself working at a drab PR firm. Living vicariously through her wealthy coworker and friend, Anya Chen, is the closest s... continue
78.
The Friend Zone Experiment by Zen Cho EN
MalaysiaDescription:
From the renowned, award-winning author Zen Cho comes a delightfully funny romance about family, class, and love in modern London. From the outside, Renee Goh’s life looks perfect. She’s thirty and beautiful, runs a glamorous—and profitable—women’s clothing company in London, and is dating a hot Taiwanese pop star. But Renee is lonely. Estranged from her family in Singapore, she practically lives at the office, and now she’s just been dumped by her supposed boyfriend. Who she never saw anyway, so why is she ruining her Instagram-ready makeup by crying? Before she can curl up on the couch with ... continue
79.
The Golden Legend by Nadeem Aslam EN
PakistanDescription:
Originally published: London: Faber and Faber, 2017.
80.
The Guru of Love by Samrat Upadhyay EN
NepalDescription:
"Ramchandra is a math teacher earning a low wage and living in a small apartment in Kathmandu with his wife and two children. Moonlighting as a tutor, he engages in an illicit affair with one of his tutees, Malati, a beautiful, impoverished young woman who is also a new mother."--Jacket.