The Best Romance Book Of Every Year Of The '00s, According To Reviews

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Young adult books ruled the shelves in the '00s. So much so, many of us were too engrossed in angsty teen romance novels like Stephenie Meyer's brooding "Twilight" series and the dark, action-romance hybrid of "The Hunger Games" to even update our first-gen iPods or catch up with who was dumped from "American Idol" that week. But it wasn't all about glittering vampires and hunky Tributes. The era also introduced us to more traditional romance books via the likes of Julia Quinn's historical tales of the hoity-toity Bridgerton family and Audrey Niffenegger's heartwrenching "The Time Traveler's Wife" novels.

But what if we told you these book club staples, with legacies that lasted well into the 2010s and beyond, aren't considered the decade's best in the eyes of reviewers? To find out what readers really feel are the noughties' best love stories, we looked through Goodreads' most popular books from 2000 to 2009. We then analyzed each one's average rating out of 5 stars and read reviews to determine which stories readers truly fell in love with.

"The Rescue" by Nicholas Sparks currently has over 214,000 ratings on Goodreads and an average score of 4.13 out of 5 stars. In the 2000 novel, protagonist Taylor McAden is a brave volunteer fireman who has no problem running into burning buildings, yet he's afraid of committed relationships. However, things change when Taylor's independent path crosses with that of single mom Denise Holton. Taylor rushes to the aid of her and her 4-year-old son, who has learning difficulties, when her car runs off the road, but can only find and save Denise following the accident. As the two try to work out what happened to her son on that fateful day, they begin to forge a deep bond. To truly get close to the woman he's falling for, though, Taylor is forced to confront issues from his past and get to the bottom of why he's such a commitment-phobe.

"A small town story, a story of how different people have a fight going on everyday, a heart warming and a heartbreaking slow burn romance that left me baffled in the end," one Goodreads review stated, giving the touching novel a score of 4 out of 5 stars. Another encouraged fans to look past what may seem like a standard romance formula, writing, "It may look like a cliché at first: a sweet love story between a beautiful woman in need of rescue and a rugged handsome hero on the background of an idyllic small town. But trust me, it is much more than that!" We've got you covered if you're looking for diverse romance books to broaden your horizons.

With a 4.17 rating out of 5 stars from over 155,000 reviews on Goodreads currently, James Patterson's romantic 2001 novel "Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas" proved a big hit with readers. Patterson made the move from mystery novels for this love story, in which he introduces us to Katie Wilkinson. Katie thinks she's finally found the love of her life in her partner Matt, but she's left utterly heartbroken when the man she loves suddenly walks out on her. He leaves a diary behind, but not to profess his love for her. Katie discovers it was written by a woman named Suzanne, who had always intended to hand it down to her son, Nicholas. As Suzanne becomes gripped by page after page, she soon realizes Matt is Nicholas's dad and learns some hard truths about the man who's just walked out of her life that could change everything.

The book was adapted into a TV movie starring Christina Applegate in 2005 and has 47% 5-star rating on Goodreads. "Although this story was heart wrenching, touching, and, at times quite sad, it was still a beautiful love story," one reviewer stated. Another praised Patterson for bringing his tension-building skills for thriller books into the romance genre (the author is also featured on our list of the best thriller books for every year of the 2010s and a collection of novels to read if you love a good heist movie). A third fan wrote, "I adored this book. It was, to me, a beautifully written story which describes a mother's love for her child and husband in the most colourful fashion."

Sarah Dessen's "This Lullaby" has a solid 4.01 out of 5 stars on Goodreads from more than 180,000 ratings at the time of writing. It's about a teenager named Remy who always pulls away from her romantic partners before things get too serious. However, she finds herself struggling to let go of her new love interest Dexter — even though he's far from perfect or the man she always dreamed of. That means breaking dating rules she's long set for herself and taking a deep dive into the relationship patterns she always defaults to.

The 2002 romance has 39% 5-star ratings on Goodreads, where multiple readers praised how real the characters felt because of their relatable flaws. One fan highlighted how Dessen (an author we think would feature on a young Elle Woods' from Legally Blonde's reading list) incorporated a lot of humor into the book, which set it apart from other tales in the genre. Another reviewer also praised the book for being well-rounded beyond Remy and Dexter's central romance. "I like teen novels that don't focus on a central romance at the expense of everything else. Remy has friends and family, and they're as much a part of the story as Dexter is," they wrote on the platform.

"The Guardian" by Nicholas Sparks currently has more than 193,000 reviews on Goodreads, and an average score of 4.16 out of 5 stars. The love story introduces us to protagonist Julie Barenson, who's been grieving her late husband for four years. However, she's decided she's ready to find love again, and she's not short of suitors looking to help her move on. She soon finds herself torn between the man who could take good care of her for the rest of her life, Richard Franklin, and the down-to-earth Mike Harris, whom she's also falling for — even though he's the best friend of her late husband! The course of true love never did run smooth, though, and Julie finds she gets far more than she bargained for when she lets the two men into her life.

The twisty 2003 book proved a big hit with readers, as it has a predominantly 5-star average rating on Goodreads. One reviewer likened it to Cecelia Ahern's iconic love story "PS, I Love You," while a second wrote, "I love the romance concept of the book and the slow realization of Julie as she comes to love Mike. It is also a nice concept of her lost husband watching over her and letting go when he sees she is finally at peace without him." A third reader appreciated how the book stood apart from others in the genre because of the way it combines romance and thriller elements.

"Dead to the World" by Charlaine Harris was the inspiration for the sexy TV series "True Blood," so it's no surprise readers were gripped by its dark, romantic tale. The fourth installment in the Sookie Stackhouse series (books you should definitely pick up if you want "Twilight" vibes) brings us back into her complicated world, where she can read minds. She finds vampires are much harder to read than people, which is why she's so attracted to the undead. When she finds a vampire named Eric out in the wild, love blossoms (even though his amnesia means he has no idea who she is or what's going on). But everything could come crashing down when the two discover that the less-than-sweet Bill is hot on Eric's tail — and he doesn't have pure intentions. With more than 267,000 ratings, the 2004 book currently has 4.12 out of 5 stars on Goodreads and 40% 5-star reviews.

Reviewers made it clear the raunchy book has NSFW sex scenes (it's no cozy, PG love story), while another praised the palpable chemistry Harris created between Sookie and Eric. "I loved to finally see Sookie and Eric in a real relationship. It seemed so natural." a reader wrote on the platform, while a 3-star review described the popular vampire love series as "addictive and entertaining ... the writing is amazing."

"A Breath of Snow and Ashes" by Diana Gabaldon is the sixth historical romance in the "Outlander" series that had fans gripped (country star Reba McEntire named "Outlander" as one of her favorite books). Released in 2005, it has a 4.44 out of 5 stars Goodreads rating from more than 192,000 reviews at the time of writing. It picks back up with Jamie Fraser, from the 18th century, and his wife Claire Randall, from the 20th century. Set in 1772, the two are preparing for the Revolutionary War when Jamie is asked to pledge his loyalty to the monarchy (which is handing down dire consequences to those who dare to go against it). But Jamie knows from his time-traveling wife that things don't end well for those who support them. Is their love enough to pull them through serious upheaval?

On Goodreads, where the novel has 58% 5-star ratings, one reviewer praised how Gabaldon still kept Jamie and Claire's romance strong after so many books, while a second shared how much they enjoyed seeing the couple, for once, make it through tough times. "Masterfully told and sensationally intricate, Gabaldon amazes fans with her long and drawn-out narrative, holding the interest of true fans from beginning to end," a third review stated.

"Lover Awakened" by J.R. Ward was released in 2006 and is the third installment in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series. It's one of the best-rated in the collection at the time of writing, with a 4.43 out of 5 stars from more than 189,000 reviews on Goodreads. The paranormal romance book is a classic spin on the vampire love story. Amid the ongoing bad blood between vampires and vampire slayers, Zsadist is an unapologetic member of the vampiric Black Dagger Brotherhood determined to defend his people's right to exist. Zsadist is arguably the most vicious and terrifying member of the brotherhood with a dark past, but that doesn't scare Bella. The two start getting close until it becomes too much for Zsadist, whose past prevents him from getting serious with a lover.

Goodreads reviewers shared how in love with the characters they fell, with one stating they particularly enjoyed seeing Zsadist confront his demons for love. "It was so wonderful to watch him heal, get past it, all with Bella's help," they wrote in their 5-star review (which made up a massive 60% of the ratings). "Their love is...Gah!!! It's push and pull. There isn't another love like theirs. He pushes her away so many times, but he cannot resist her love because she gives so much of herself to him," another reader stated. A third gave full marks to the book's strong plot, characters, writing, and ending.

"Lover Revealed" by J.R. Ward is the second Black Dagger Brotherhood book on our list (and fourth in the series). It comes out just below "Lover Awakened" with a 4.28 out of 5 stars on Goodreads, at the time of writing, based on more than 144,000 ratings. It brings us back into the vampire world, this time focusing on Butch O'Neal, who's the only human allowed inside the Black Dagger Brotherhood. Butch is besotted with a vampire named Marissa and is determined to fight for her. But things don't go the way he plans when he ends up sacrificing himself and is left for dead. It's then up to Marissa to find Butch and save him from a fate worse than death.

Five-star ratings made up exactly half of the scores for this 2007 release on Goodreads, where one reader praised the story's dedication to both romantic and platonic love. "'Lover Revealed' is a great love story. But more than that, it's a great story about friendship, too," they wrote. But don't be fooled into thinking "Lover Revealed" is a cozy, clean read; it gets spicy, too. "Sensitive readers should be forewarned that as in the past books, there is quite a bit of strong language and violence, and the sex, due to the BDSM element is a bit more explicit than what one would typically find in an average romance novel," a reviewer, who gave the novel a 4.0 rating, stated.

Two thousand and eight's "Shadow Kiss" by Richelle Mead has an impressive score at the time of writing, with an average of 4.33 out of 5 stars and more than 381,000 ratings (with 54% being 5 stars). The third in the Vampire Academy book series delves into Rose Hathaway's story. She must protect her best friend Lissa Dragomir, a vampire with a rare magic gift, which puts her on the hit list of vampires jealous of her powers. However, her dedication to protecting her friend at all costs wavers when Dimitri Belikov enters the fray. Rose is besotted by Dimitri and finds her allegiances split between him and Lissa. When Lissa falls into grave danger, she needs to decide if she'll stand behind her friend or lover.

"Incredible! This series continues to get better. This is one of the best vampire-themed series out there," one 5-star reviewer — who wrote of Rose: "She is one of my all time favorite literary characters," – stated. In a 4-star review, a second fan wrote, "The VA world becomes more real, relatable and defined. The relationship become more involved, less childish and the main character, Rose, receives a healthy dose of adulthood." Others praised the romance's sad ending and heavy dose of action throughout.

"An Echo in the Bone" by Diana Gabaldon is the second Outlander book on our list (and the seventh in the time-traveling series). The 2009 release currently has a high score of 4.44 out of 5 stars on Goodreads, based on over 166,000 ratings. Jamie Fraser and Claire Randall are back and still dealing with the trials and tribulations of coming from two different worlds while knowing what the future holds. In this volume, set in the 1770s amid the American rebellion, Jamie grapples with the prospect of fighting against his son on the frontlines. At the same time, Claire knows the outcome of the devastating war — but not what it means for the man she loves. This addition to the historical fiction series also focuses on Jamie and Claire's daughter Brianna as she learns more about her family's unique past.

"If history, time travel, war and romance and a little darkness [are] your thing then I recommend you jump straight in," one review stated on Goodreads, where more than half of the ratings are 5 stars. Others shared love for how well the relationships were written. One reviewer declared, "Another fascinating and intriguing addition to this spectacular series."

To find the best romance book for each year of the '00s, we only considered novels included in the top 50 on Goodreads' compilation lists of the most popular novels published each year. Each book had to be explicitly defined as a romance novel in its Goodreads genre listing, and the romantic plot needed to be fundamental to the storyline. Each book required an average rating of 4 stars or higher and over 100,000 reviews.

In cases where two or more romance novels had the same rating to two decimal places, we chose the novel with the higher figure. We only considered each book's original release date (re-release dates did not count) and consulted in-depth Goodreads reviews to reach a consensus on how readers felt about each novel.