Marriage is a beautiful and sometimes challenging bond between two people. Even the strongest relationships can face difficult times, leaving couples struggling to find their way back to each other. If you’re a fan of romance novels, you’ll know that stories about marriages in trouble can be some of the most gripping and emotionally intense reads out there. These books explore the trials and tribulations that can come with marriage and the strength of love that can overcome even the toughest obstacles.
In this blog post, we’re gonna take a closer look at some of the best marriage in trouble romance books that are sure to make you feel all the feels. Whether you’re in a relationship, single, or just looking for a good read, these novels are a must-read for anyone who loves a good love story.
So, grab a cup of tea and settle in as we dive into the world of troubled marriages and the power of love to overcome adversity.
NOTE: If infidelity is a sensitive issue for you, don’t worry, this theme is not present in these books.
Fast Facts
The Bromance Book Club – Lyssa Kay Adams
RATING: ★★★★★/5
MARRIAGE ISSUE: Physical intimacy
Synopsis
Nashville Legends second baseman Gavin Scott’s marriage is in major league trouble. He’s recently discovered a humiliating secret: His wife Thea has always faked the Big O. When he loses his cool at the revelation, it’s the final straw on their already strained relationship. Thea asks for a divorce, and Gavin realizes he’s let his pride and fear get the better of him.
Distraught and desperate, Gavin finds help from an unlikely source: a secret romance book club made up of Nashville’s top alpha men. With the help of their current read, a steamy Regency titled Courting the Countess, the guys coach Gavin on saving his marriage. But it’ll take a lot more than flowery words and grand gestures for this hapless Romeo to find his inner hero and win back the trust of his wife.
Best Quotes
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After I Do – Taylor Jenkins Reid
RATING: ★★★★/5
MARRIAGE ISSUE: Resentment, lack of honesty
Synopsis
When Lauren and Ryan’s marriage reaches the breaking point, they come up with an unconventional plan. They decide to take a year off in the hopes of finding a way to fall in love again. One year apart, and only one rule: they cannot contact each other. Aside from that, anything goes.
Lauren embarks on a journey of self-discovery, quickly finding that her friends and family have their own ideas about the meaning of marriage. These influences, as well as her own healing process and the challenges of living apart from Ryan, begin to change Lauren’s ideas about monogamy and marriage. She starts to question: When you can have romance without loyalty and commitment without marriage, when love and lust are no longer tied together, what do you value? What are you willing to fight for?
This is a love story about what happens when the love fades. It’s about staying in love, seizing love, forsaking love, and committing to love with everything you’ve got. And above all, After I Do is the story of a couple caught up in an old game—and searching for a new road to happily ever after.
Why it’s not 5 stars
- Lauren, the female MC, came off a bit juvenile and stuck in her perspective. I liked that her youthful exuberance made her playful and fun to read about, but it also made her actions childish and hard to agree with sometimes.
- I disagreed with a few plot points because it felt like an invasion of privacy on the MC’s part
- the plot progresses slowly and quickly depending on the storyline. The underlying issues of the marriage are not dealt with directly until the end, when everything is wrapped up too hastily.
Best Quotes
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Love Her or Lose Her – Tessa Bailey
RATING: ★★★★/5
MARRIAGE ISSUE: Different love languages
Synopsis
Rosie and Dominic Vega are the perfect couple: high school sweethearts, best friends, madly in love. Well, they used to be, anyway. Now, Rosie’s lucky to get a caveman grunt from the ex-soldier every time she walks in the door. Dom is faithful and a great provider, but the man she fell in love with 10 years ago is nowhere to be found. When her girlfriends encourage Rosie to demand more out of life and pursue her dream of opening a restaurant, she decides to demand more out of love, too. Three words: marriage boot camp.
Never in a million years did Rosie believe her stoic, too-manly-to-emote husband would actually agree to relationship rehab with a weed-smoking hippie. Dom talking about feelings? Sitting on pillows? Communing with nature? Learning love languages? Nope. But to her surprise, he’s all in, and it forces her to admit her own role in their cracked foundation. As they complete one ridiculous – yet surprisingly helpful – assignment after another, their remodeled relationship gets stronger than ever. Except just as they’re getting back on track, Rosie discovers Dom has a secret…and it could demolish everything.
Why it’s not 5 stars
- there were instances where Dominic’s alpha maleness was very controlling that it almost gave off “toxic caveman” vibes and I didn’t think this was necessary because he was a complete character without it.
- And with Dominic’s reclusiveness starting after his return from the military, there wasn’t any mention of PTSD or any discussion about his time as a soldier. And I felt like this was a missed opportunity for the author to talk a bit about mental health.
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Ever After Always – Chloe Liese
RATING: ★★★★/5
MARRIAGE ISSUE: mental health issues
Synopsis
Aiden
I’ve spent 12 years loving Freya Bergman, and 12 lifetimes won’t be enough to give her everything she deserves. All I want is to make her happy. But the one thing that will make her happiest is the one thing I’m not sure I can give her: a baby. With the pressure of providing and planning for a family, my anxiety’s at an all-time high, and I find myself pulling away, terrified to tell my wife how I’m struggling. But when Freya kicks me out, I realize that pulling back has turned into pushing too far. Now it’s the fight of a lifetime to save our marriage.
Freya
I love my cautious, hard-working husband. Until one day I realize the man I married is nowhere to be found. Now Aiden is quiet and withdrawn, and as the months wear on, the pain of our growing distance becomes too much. As if weathering marriage counseling wasn’t enough, we’re thrown together for an island getaway to celebrate my parents’ many years of perfect marriage while ours is on the brink of collapse. Despite my meddling siblings and a week in each other’s constant company, this trip somehow gets us working through the trouble in paradise. I just can’t help worrying, when we leave paradise and return to the real world, will trouble find us again?
Why it’s not 5 stars
- Because of the conflict towards the end – Aiden and Freya had been through a lot up to that point, and I didn’t think the conflict at the end was necessary, especially since it made some of the characters seem very hypocritical. The conflict was very preventable and relied on miscommunication to work.
Best Quotes
Where to Buy
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Before I Let Go – Kennedy Ryan
RATING: ★★★/5
MARRIAGE ISSUE: pregnancy loss, depression, grief
Synopsis
Their love was supposed to last forever. But when life delivered blow after devastating blow, Yasmen and Josiah Wade found that love alone couldn’t solve or save everything.
It couldn’t save their marriage.
Yasmen wasn’t prepared for how her life fell apart, but she’s is finally starting to find joy again. She and Josiah have found a new rhythm, co-parenting their two kids and running a thriving business together. Yet like magnets, they’re always drawn back to each other, and now they’re beginning to wonder if they’re truly ready to let go of everything they once had.
Soon, one stolen kiss leads to another…and then more. It’s hot. It’s illicit. It’s all good—until old wounds reopen. Is it too late for them to find forever? Or could they even be better, the second time around?
Why it’s not 5 stars
- romance was underdeveloped – alot of emphasis on their physical attraction and this made their interactions feel too superficial. I would have loved to see more of their emotional connection beyond their sexual chemistry.
- there were a couple of moments in the story where Yasmen acted a bit childish toward other characters, which I didn’t like and felt were unnecessary to the storyline.
- the romance plot felt rushed, without diving into what actually tore them apart until the very ending, when it wrapped up fairly quickly.
- many filler scenes that had no significant impact on the main storyline and could have been replaced with more character development.
Best Quotes
Where to Buy
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Do I Know You? – Emily Wibberley
RATING: ★★★/5
MARRIAGE ISSUE: Complacency
Synopsis
Eliza and Graham are anticipating an anything-but-sexy, weeklong getaway to celebrate their five-year anniversary. Nestled on the Northern California coastline, the resort prides itself on being a destination for those in love and those looking to find it. For Eliza and Graham, it might as well be a vacation with a roommate.
When a well-meaning guest mistakes Eliza and Graham for being single and introduces them at the hotel bar, they don’t correct him. Suddenly, they’re pretending to be perfect strangers and it’s unexpectedly…fun? Eliza and Graham find themselves flirting like it’s their first date, and waiting with butterflies in their stomach for the other to text back.
Everyone at the retreat can sense the electric chemistry between Eliza and Graham’s alter egos. But when their scintillating game of roleplaying ends, will they still feel the heat?
Why it’s not 5 stars
- Eliza’s immaturity and reluctance to talk through issues got frustrating. The game of pretend starts as her idea, but it quickly becomes an easy way for Eliza to hide from her problems.
- relied heavily on miscommunication to work – the pretending eventually got too tiring and seemed to overcomplicate things without dealing with the marital problems. The book would have been much shorter if they had just sat and talked to each other.
- repetition of each MC’s inner monologue was tedious. It could have been replaced with other things, such as flashbacks to earlier, happier times of their relationship, to allow the reader to better understand the gravity of the rift between them and how much they have grown apart.
- by the end, though they made progress on their issues, it feels like they’ve only skimmed the surface of their insecurities and what drove them apart.
Where to Buy
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