Fall in love with five books for Valentine’s Day

Love is in the air ... and in the pages of these books. 

They are a must-read for anyone looking to make a lasting impression – on a special date or just to expand your understanding of relationships and romance.

Here’s a look at our top five books to help you get in the mood for Valentine’s Day:

Discover the science behind sex and desire

Impulse: The Science of Sex and Desire

We all have questions about sex that are too uncomfortable to ask – how do we get reliable answers? In this go-to guide, authors Grant and Chamberlain will help you understand common sexual issues, behaviours, and learn how our sex lives adapt to changing technology or in times of crisis. It also provides step-by-step advice for dealing with a range of sexual issues, as well as practical strategies for strengthening relationships.

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Dive into the complexities of love and emotions

The New Psychology of Love

This book explores love from a diverse range of standpoints: social-psychological, evolutionary, neuropsychological, clinical, cultural, and even political. A "timely and a must-read for any student or scholar of relationships", The New Psychology of Love also analyses why and when love relationships both succeed and fail, which means readers will be rewarded with a better understanding of their own relationships and those of others, as well as what can be done to build a lasting, loving relationship.

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Revisit the literature of the romantic past

The Cambridge History of English Romantic Literature

The romantic period was one of the most creative, intense and turbulent periods of English literature, an age marked by revolution, reaction and reform in politics, and by the invention of imaginative literature in its distinctively modern form. Reflecting the most up-to-date research, the essays are designed both to provide a narrative of romantic literature and to offer new and stimulating readings of key texts. With a comprehensive bibliography, timeline and index, this volume is an important resource for research and teaching in the field.

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Navigate love and connection online

Love Online: Emotions on the Internet

Computers have changed not just the way we work but the way we love. Falling in and out of love, flirting, cheating, even having sex online have all become part of the modern way of living and loving. This book will help you navigate the complexities and novelties of finding love in the age of technology – and will change the way you look at cyberspace and love forever.

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Explore the instincts of mating and partnerships

Monogamy: Mating Strategies and Partnerships in Birds, Humans and Other Mammals

Why do some females pair only with one male, and not with several partners? Why do birds usually live in pairs and feed chicks together whilst mammals often live in larger groups with females rearing their young without male help? Social monogamy is a complex, multi-faceted phenomenon that does not always correspond with reproductive monogamy, so a paired male may not necessarily be raising his own offspring. Exploring the variables influencing and maintaining the fascinating diversity of social, sexual and reproductive monogamous partnerships in birds, mammals and humans, this book provides clues to the biological roots of monogamy for students and researchers in behavioural ecology, evolutionary anthropology, primatology, zoology and ornithology.

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Discover other books about love, romance, and sex, curated by our Bookshop.