Trust

A Fine Balance

The Arbornaut is a fantastic books about a woman who pursues a career as a field biologist and struggles in her marriage. I don’t remember the ending but loved it.

Less is a funny book about a breakup and rolling with the punches while you’re down.

Anonymous wrote:OP you seriously need to up your reading game. I don't think I've ever read a book with an HEA. Most of the literature of the 20th century doesn't contain those.

NP. So true! That's why I don't read serious literature and seek fluff.

I like US-authored Chinese history novels. It seems to me that they usually don't end too happily for women.

How about "Peony in Love" by Lisa See?

It bugged me after I read it. I plan to read it again. It's a sumptuous novel about making dumb mistakes and things working out wrong. Definitely no Disney ending. It is about infatuation and love though.

Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan is good...the HEA is only self-actualization plus non-romantic outcome.

I love Walden by Thoreau, even though some of the self-sufficiency was overblown. Maybe that's a good "focus on yourself" NON-fiction with a very literary slant?

YA - Julie of the Wolves. Screw society and hang with the pups.

The Lord of the Rings trilogy always seemed like a giant bummer to me, but it has a lot of literary aficionados.

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe - a depressing masterwork I actually liked.

Move on from Romance, Cozy, and Chick Lit genres.

OP you seriously need to up your reading game. I don't think I've ever read a book with an HEA. Most of the literature of the 20th century doesn't contain those.

HEA: Happily Ever After

What is HEA?

I don’t think any of the books I’ve read recently have had any real romance/focus on romantic relationships.

Some random good ones: Birnam Wood; Glorious Exploits; Bear; Wandering Stars; A Month in the Country; In Ascension; The Terror.

The last Mrs. Parrish.

I never read this but I wonder if The Year of Rest and Relaxation would fit the bill. Maybe instead of a sad ending you just need a sad book about how someone coped?

One Day
Beaches
My Sister's Keeper
A Little Life

Due to the pandemic books with sad endings haven't sold well, so all of the above are older books.

A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihari

Im currently going through a rough patch in my marriage and cannot stand any books with a happily ever after. Too depressing for me right now.

Please share books without HEA. They can be romance books or not, or not even feature a relationship at all- I just can’t read a book about people falling in love and knowing they’ll be together forever.