Successful time travel romance stories are often emotional, beautiful, and incredibly moving.
Reading one of these books can whisk you away to an entirely different land, time, or even dimension.
These can vary from traveling back centuries back in time, or forward to a future dystopian landscape.
Many fans of the genre love these romance tales as they depict how love can beat adversity, along with time.
You may love reading about how two characters fall in love with each other, but it’s especially beautiful when they are both from completely different worlds.
If you’re interested in giving time travel romance novels a go, you’ll find some of the best examples of the genre below. These all touch on various themes, including science fiction, fantasy, and YA fiction.
If you’re ready to be whisked away into an entirely different world and explore some moving romantic stories, try one of these time travel romance novels on this list!
The Best Time Travel Books That Are Dripping With Romance
This time-travel romance novel revolves around lawyer Dannie Kohan. At an interview, Dannie is asked where she sees and is prepared with a well-thought-out answer.
After acing her interview and accepting a marriage proposal, Dannie falls asleep and awakens five years in the future. Her apartment, ring, and man are all different from the ones she knew.
A memorable hour passes and Dannie wakes up back in the present. She tries to ignore the event and moves on with her life.
Four and a half years pass and Dannie comes into contact with the same man from her time travel experience.
This time travel romance novel is different from traditional ones as the time travel event only lasts for an hour.
The plot is full of fun moments and heartbreak, reminding readers about female friendships, loyalty, and the uncertainty of fate.
If you’re looking for a more modern time-travel romance story, you should give In Five Years a try.
Pros
Time travel only lasts an hour, which makes for an interesting read
Set in the modern era, differs from mainstream time travel romance novels
This moving novel depicts grief, love, and overcoming adversity in an incredibly moving manner.
Lydia Bird and Freddie, her fiance, have been in love ever since they were teenagers. As adults, they are preparing for their wedding and to spend the rest of their lives with one another.
All of their dreams are shattered when Freddie dies in a car accident, leaving Lydia broken and alone. Lydia’s family tries to comfort her, but she struggles with day-to-day life.
Her bond with her oldest friend Jonah, who was also Freddies best friend, has also changed.
Jonah was in the accident with Freddie, so the survivors’ guilt, along with Lydia’s agony, is distressing for both characters.
Lydia starts taking pills to help her sleep, but they seem to transport her into a different universe where Freddie still lives.
Amazed at these transportive effects, Lydia starts to take the pills more often, escaping into a world with Freddie by her side.
Lydia soon finds out that things aren’t amazing in the ‘sleeping’ world.
People still experience loss here, and there are also delights to enjoy in the waking world, though it’s difficult to accept this following Freddie’s loss.
Silver’s novel is an incredible depiction of a flawed woman who after so much loss, is trying to find herself again.
The Two Lives Of Lydia Bird is a perfect book for those looking for a somber, yet poignant story.
Pros
Depicts the devastation surrounding grief in a vivid, believable way
All characters are developed well and add to the story
Cons
Though the story is moving, some may find the plot predictable.
The first book in Chapman’s Pine Creek Highlanders series is a unique and delightful tale.
The plot centers around Grace Stutter, a woman who, as her sister died, is responsible for delivering her sister’s baby to the father.
She waits several weeks before getting on a plane, with the belief that she’d be making a fresh start.
Grace’s plane then crashes on a glacial mountain in Maine, leaving her, the baby, and handsome fighter Greylen, as the sole survivors.
Greylen is a medieval warrior who has traveled through time to find the woman he’s destined to be with.
Pushed together to battle the dangerous, icy setting, neither Grace nor Greylen expect the deep passion that awakens within them.
Grace, with her logical scientist background, isn’t used to letting her heart rule, but Greylen is committed to doing whatever it takes to be with her forever.
Chapman draws readers in with classic romance elements, like passion, a feisty heroine, and devotion to love. The writing is very vivid, you’ll feel like you’re right there in the story!
If you’re after a time travel romance that’s simultaneously amusing and moving, Charming the Highlander is the book for you!
Pros
An entertaining plot that keeps the reader engaged
The connection between the two develops believably
Cons
The story is far-fetched, though that is often the case with time-travel romance novels
Time After Time features a swoon-worthy romance, exotic travel destinations, and a beautiful and believable connection.
This is the second book in Stone’s series which delves into more of Bennett and Anna’s story.
The time distance between the central characters, Anna and Bennett, only spans 17 years. Anna is from 1995 Chicago, while Bennet time travels back from San Francisco in 2012.
The two weren’t supposed to fall in love, but they did, finding a way to be with each other despite everything. However, this relationship isn’t without its problems.
Bennet cannot stay in the past for long, so all visits are temporary. He misses large pieces of his present life to remain in Anna’s world.
Things change when Bennett is the eyewitness to an incident he wasn’t supposed to see. He has to work out if his choices from then on will create a future that he doesn’t want.
Bennett is the narrator, so we see more about his world in 2012. Stone does a great job of showcasing the difficulties he faced as he came to terms with his love for Anna.
The characters are also realistic, as they act maturely about the troubles their connection causes them.
Readers will certainly feel the love that Bennett and Anna share and will be rooting for the couple throughout this story.
This charming story is ideal for those looking for some light reading. Like a lot of time travel romance novels, the plot is far-fetched, but entertaining nonetheless.
The story starts with Mairie Callahan. She is skydiving and jumps out of her plane above Nevada, but has no idea that she’s about to land 122 years in the past.
The plot also features Jack Delaney, a man who in 1877, has returned home after fighting in the Civil War.
Jack takes on a vision quest with his adoptive Paiute Indian brothers in the hopes that he will discover peace, only to see a peculiar, yet beautiful woman falling from the heavens.
Jack finds Mairie’s ramblings about the future weird, but he still feels attracted to her. He’s never met a woman like her before.
As the plot unfolds, the two characters are trying to send Mairie back to her time, hoping to save her dying brother with an extinct plant that may heal him.
O’Day Flannery’s writing will make you feel that you’re right there with the characters, thanks to her descriptive and vivid prose.
You’ll be turning the pages to find out if Mairie can get back in time, if the two can fight the dangers that are before them, and whether their connection is something deeper than friendship.
Anywhere You Are is great for readers looking for a lighthearted, yet touching tale about a connection that defies time.
Pros
The plot is easy to follow without being sluggish
Characters and scenery are boldly descriptive
Cons
The far-fetched plot, though the story is entertaining.
We couldn’t put this list together without mentioning Outlander, a book that is arguably the most popular romance novel ever written.
This is the first of six books from Gabaldon’s Outlander series. The plot begins in 1945. Claire Randall has come back home from the war where she worked as a combat nurse.
She’s enjoying a second honeymoon with her husband when she walks through a monolith in one of the historical circles around the British Isles.
Unexpectedly, Claire finds herself in a Scotland affected by war and marauding border clans in 1743, almost two centuries in the past.
Thrown back in time, Claire is a Sassenach, or ‘outlander’ in this world. She’s thrust into the plots of spies and lords that put her life at risk, as well as her heart.
James Fraser, a courageous Scottish warrior, shows Claire a love so true that she becomes trapped between loyalty and desire.
Outlander is very well written. Gabaldon has done her research into 18th-century life, as you notice the details of castles and Scottish Highland estates.
Readers soon notice that the characters Claire and Jamie are meant to be together, as their friendship develops into something deeper.
The connection between the two sends life into every page, making it incredibly tough to put down.
This is the perfect book for anyone looking for a moving tale about a love that transcends time itself.
Pros
The historic setting and details are vivid and realistic
A mix of romance, history, and adventure
Cons
The story does contain gory elements and vivid descriptions of violence.
If you’re a fan of vampire stories, this is the book for you.
For All Eternity is Miller’s second book in her Vampire series. It does the job of mixing the thrilling aspects of time travel with the darker elements of supernatural romance.
The plot centers on Maeve Tremayne, a vampire who is struggling to deal with life after loss. Maeve uses her powers to go back in time to the American Civil War.
While she walks across the gloomy, bloody fields of battle, she uses her lethal bite to liberate dying soldiers from the anguish of war.
It’s here where Maeve meets the compassionate and human doctor, Calder Holbrook.
A greater war starts to form amongst the vampires and Maeve needs to fight her instincts as her thirst for the doctor grows.
For All Eternity’s story is very enthralling. Both Maeve and Calder care about humanity, which makes you root for their relationship throughout the book.
Miller’s writing makes you feel like you’re reading this book for the first time, no matter how many times you’ve read it before.
This is a great example of a vampire romance that’s sure to get you hooked on the Miller’s Vampire series!
Pros
The second book in the series features an engaging plot
The heroine is simultaneously powerful and realistically flawed
Cons
Not the best tale for those that aren’t interested in vampire novels.
Transcendence is certainly a love-hate book, but if you like it, it’s a great addition to a time-travel romance collection!
This prehistoric romance centers on Ehd, a caveman who lives alone in a rough wilderness.
Ehd is bright and strong but is lonely without anyone around him. Ehd finds a gorgeous young woman in his pit trap and believes that she is destined to be his mate.
The woman, Elizabeth, doesn’t understand where she is or how she got there. She’s perplexed and upset about her plight, and to top everything off, there’s a caveman carrying her back to his home.
Elizabeth isn’t interested in Ehd’s advances and struggles to communicate with this primitive, yet attractive man.
Soon, the winter months and dangers of the wild push the two together, as they have to rely on each other to survive.
Both Ehd and Elizabeth start to develop a connection and resolve their cultural differences. Even though the plot is far-fetched, the characters are innovative and refreshing.
Funny, warming, and certainly unique, Transcendence is certainly a time travel romance you won’t forget!
Pros
Fun, lighthearted read
The story becomes very engaging once the reader adapts to the narration style
Cons
A love-hate tale, some may find the plot too contrived.
A blend between time travel romance and fantasy, this book has the protagonist traveling to the future.
Our heroine, Myra, is a medieval druidess from a powerful family. She has lived a sheltered life so far but finds herself in danger from a cursed witch.
Attempting to escape, she travels 500 years into the future but finds herself confronted by a skeptical, yet attractive 21st-century cop.
Officer Todd Blakely believes Myra is hiding something but is taken aback by her innocent allure.
Fate throws both characters into a mysterious and fascinating world. We’re left wondering whether Todd can be the savior Myra needs, or if the obstacle of time will keep them apart.
Both of the characters are believable. Myra is hardly a feisty heroine, but we admire her resilience to face a new world, despite her sheltered upbringing.
Todd’s hard exterior and fear of commitment are understandable when you read more about his past. It’s hard not to feel sorry for our hero in this story.
The pages in this story are dripping with tension and danger, which makes for a gripping read.
If you’re looking for a book that successfully interweaves the past with modern society, you can’t go wrong with Silent Vows.
Pros
Suspense and tension keep the reader turning the pages
The heroine is courageous, despite a sheltered past
Cons
The second book in a series, some readers may want to read the first one to understand the characters in this novel.
Ridgway’s debut novel features an imaginative plot and a romance that makes you root for the characters throughout.
The plot begins in 1815, as Julia Percy sits with her grandfather as he’s taking his final breaths. Julia thinks that her grandfather’s power to manipulate time has died with him.
The plot then jumps 200 years in the future, where Lord Nicholas Falcott, who was just about to die in battle, awakens in 21st-century London.
The Guild, a secret society of time travelers, tells Nick that he cannot return to the past, but Nick still longs for Julia who remains in 1815.
As destiny pulls Julia and Nick together, the two characters need to be smart and risk heartbreak as they fight the laws of time.
All of the characters in this story are fleshed out well. Each person has a life they left behind without being able to decide for themselves, which makes it easy to empathize with each character.
This book explores how our actions, no matter how insignificant they seem, can affect the future.
The River of No Return is an intriguing novel that will have you hooked on its pages, from beginning to end.
A classic novel that cannot be left out of a time travel romance list, The Time Traveler’s Wife will have you enthralled in its story from the very beginning.
The plot covers the remarkable romance between Henry and Clare. They met when Clare was six and Henry was thirty-six but married when Henry was thirty and Clare was twenty-two.
This inconceivable reality is possible due to Henry’s rare condition. His genetic clock resets from time to time, pulling him into his future or his past.
Neither Clare nor Henry can prevent this force from occurring, which makes it difficult for the two characters to live regular lives.
Despite every obstacle they face, the deep love and passion the two feel for each other never dies.
This unique love story is incredibly captivating. Readers soon understand that Clare and Henry weren’t just compatible, they were real soulmates fated to be with each other.
If you haven’t read The Time Traveler’s Wife yet, this heartbreaking story should be the next one on your list.
Pros
A strong visual tale helps the story seem more moving
Told from two sides, helps the reader understand the couple’s predicament
Cons
The concept of various time periods may feel too complex and confusing.
Many of us have wished for a chance to travel back in time and undo things, which is what this novel explores.
Olive, our main character, awakens on New Year’s Day in 2011, but it should be New Year’s Day 2012. She is distressed by the thought of reliving a year full of rock-bottom events.
Olive soon finds out that she isn’t the only one who has gone back in time, as she meets Sherry Witan, a proficient ‘repeater’.
Olive discovers that she can rewrite her future, which means that she has to figure out what she really desires.
One of Olive’s many regrets is ending things with her partner, Phil.
Once Phil realizes why the 2012 breakup occurred in the first place, the question remains if Olive and Phil will be able to sustain their relationship once more.
Gifted with a miraculous opportunity, Olive needs to decide if she should make different decisions, or accept life as she once lived it, regardless of its pros and cons.
Lochen’s writing makes the characters leap to life with every page.
Readers will notice how much each character influences Olive’s life, as well as how each little decision, action, and choice changes the events of Olive’s year.
The Repeat Year will have you thinking about the ways a slight moment can change your destiny long after you read it, as well as whether or not you would want to experience a ‘repeat year’ for yourself.
Pros
Set in the ‘modern’ world, makes it different from mainstream time travel romance novels
The heroine is described vividly and comes to life on every page
Cons
The book contains several storylines that may make the tale too complex
This contemporary romance has a festive feel, but you can read it throughout the year as Christmas isn’t the plot’s main focus.
Our protagonist Maelyn is visiting a cabin in Utah to celebrate the holidays with her friends and family.
To her dismay, she awakens the morning after Christmas having kissed her best friend, instead of his brother, the person she’s been crushing on since her teenage years.
As she drives away, Mae asks the universe to show her what will make her happy.
The sounds of metal and screeching metal ensue, which starts a Groundhog Day-reminiscent time loop.
Maelyn is stuck living the same holiday over and over again. However, this gives her the chance to change the past and tell her real true love how she feels, once and for all.
Full of holiday magic, a range of noteworthy characters, and romance galore, In A Holidaze will have you laughing out loud with every page you turn.
Pros
A lighthearted tale that’s easy to read
Amusing characters that add humor to the story
Cons
The story may not interest you if you find ‘Groundhog Day’ style plots tedious
This charming LGBT love story will have you engrossed in its story from the first page!
We begin with August, a cynical young adult who has just moved to NYC. She isn’t interested in the magic of the big city and doesn’t believe that the love stories you see in the movies are real.
Everything changes when August sees a beautiful girl on the train. Jane is the epitome of rock n roll, but there’s a huge problem.
Jane is from the 1970s but has found herself lost in time in the future. August needs to start confronting the darker elements she left in her past to help Jane.
Time travel romance novels, for the most part, center on white, heterosexual stories.
It’s incredibly refreshing to find an example that has a queer storyline and an ethnic minority love interest.
One Last Stop is packed with the antics of young adulthood, authentic characters, and classic New York charm.
It’s the perfect read for anyone interested in a romance novel that explores deeper themes, like loneliness, queer identity, and the importance of friendship.
This novel blends romance, time travel, and historical fiction, along with a hint of the supernatural.
Our heroine, Eva, leaves California after her movie star sister passes. She heads back to Cornwall where the two enjoyed summer breaks in childhood.
Eva soon discovers that her childhood home isn’t just where her old friends live now, but people who lived there in the eighteenth century.
Eva figures out that she can move between different periods and communicate with people many years in the past.
She then meets and starts developing feelings for Daniel Butler, a man who lived hundreds of years before she was even born.
After laying her sister to rest, Eva starts to wonder whether she belongs in her time, as the one person she loved was no longer in her life.
The question remains, will Eva choose her life in the present or the past that she feels a deep connection with?
The time travel elements deliver enough tension and suspense to make this story an incredible read.
Readers are left wondering whether Eva can make her relationship with Daniel survive when she cannot control the time travel.
With fleshed-out characters, well-researched prose, and an incredibly moving story, The Rose Garden is a book that will speak to your heart each time you read it.
Pros
Many surprises keep the reader invested
The historical setting is vivid and authentic
Cons
The story loses pace in the middle but does pick up again for an engaging end.
Emma Washington is a Ph.D. student that has returned to her education after a tough start in life.
The day that she and her mother escaped the clutches of her brutal father, Emma decided that she would never let herself fall in love.
As Emma walks back home from a party, the lights of a car come speeding toward her. When she wakes, it isn’t in a modern-day hospital, but in London, England in 1881.
Everything Emma once held dear is considered witchcraft. Victorian London is a tough environment for women that don’t hold status or wealth.
Her only chance of surviving here involves the thing she never wanted to do – marry.
Emma needs to betroth herself to Lord William Blackwell, the influential duke of England. However, her heart wants a different man, Lord John Evergreen.
Can Emma find her way back home before she has to marry Lord Blackwell, and will she ever act on her feelings for John?
Trapped In Time contains all the elements of a fantastic time travel romance – emotions, history, and surprise events that keep the suspense running throughout the whole novel.
With drama, tension, and an undeniable chemistry between characters, you can’t go wrong with this historical romance.
Pros
Entertaining story with a fast pace
A well-written book that brings characters to life
Cons
The depiction of 19th-century English dialogue isn’t very realistic.
Anne Gallagher’s childhood years were spent listening to her grandfather’s delightful tales of Ireland. Broken after he passes away, Anne journeys to his family home to lay him to rest.
Overwhelmed by the memories of a man she loved so much, she finds herself transported to a different time.
Ireland in 1921, on the brink of war, is a dangerous place to find herself in.
Anne, injured and confused, finds herself under the care of Dr. Thomas Smith. Thomas is the guardian of a boy who is strangely peculiar.
People mistake Anne for the boy’s missing mother, which leads Anne to take on her identity, as she believes the woman’s disappearance is linked to her predicament.
Thomas becomes part of the fight for Ireland’s independence and Anne is pulled into the struggle with him.
Trapped between her feelings and history, Anne needs to choose between her life in the present for a connection she never believed she’d discover.
This beautiful story explores survival, love, and the magic of Ireland in an incredibly moving way. What the Wind Knows will tug at your heartstrings and will remain with you long after you read it.
Pros
A great depiction of Ireland’s historical struggles
The tale is romantic without including excessive emotional prose
Cons
Some readers may find the novel’s historical elements tedious.
Striking, riveting, and incredibly romantic, Christmas Moon explores the life of pregnant and unmarried history teacher, Emma Carlyle.
On Christmas Eve, Emma travels to Wyoming on an expedition for her thesis. The topic is the well-known legend, J.D. McNulty.
Her car is lost in a snowstorm as she tries to get back home, but this transports her back in time to 1870, when she goes into labor.
Trying to find help at a remote lodge, Emma finds J.D. himself answering the door. J.D. and Emma begin a burning romantic relationship, but as Emma is from the future, she knows a secret – J.D. is meant to die a few weeks down the line.
The setting and cold weather drive the two characters together, but readers soon discover that there is more between them than simply physical attraction.
Knowing that J.D. is meant to die will have you riveting through the pages to see if things work out for the couple.
With a fantastic blend of time travel, sensuality, and humor, Christmas Moon will have you falling in love with its very pages.
Pros
The suspense keeps the reader turning the pages to reach the story’s conclusion
The connection between characters becomes realistic and believable
Cons
The plot is entertaining but contains a few holes.
This is the first book in the Sterkam series, a science fiction romance trilogy that will please fantasy fans and time travel enthusiasts alike.
When a 21st-century enterprise creates a Time Tube back to the 16th century, the CEO aims to exploit the tourism opportunities and minerals from the English-Scottish border.
His plans are obstructed by the Sterkams, a clan he believes is savage and primitive.
Anthropologist Andrea Mitchell is sent to live with the Sterkams to be an informant and translator.
She is subsequently shocked by the clansmen’s warm nature and even more astonished when she develops a connection with the allegedly barbarous man, Per.
Pressure rises on either side of the Time Tube, which puts Andrea in the center of the developing war.
Will she remain faithful to her employers and life in the present, or remain in the past to be with her archaic lover?
Price vividly depicts the conflict between different cultures in a believable and occasionally amusing way.
Other than the time travel elements, the plot, characters, and prose seem definitively real.
The impending war between each side has a sense of danger running through the book, which makes you wonder whether Andrea and Per will last until the end.
Overall, The Sterkarm Handshake is a great start to a series that will have you rushing to read the sequel.
Pros
Full of danger and suspense to keep the reader invested
Different mindsets of main characters help us understand the ‘villain’s’ point of view
Cons
The female protagonist’s appearance and size are constantly referred to.
Buyers Guide: What To Look For In Time Travel Romance Books
Here are a few things to consider before choosing a time-travel romance novel:
Time Period
Time travel novels will have a plot that involves traveling to the future, traveling to the past or both.
Several examples also include the present-day period, though this setting may vary depending on when the novel was written.
If you are finding it difficult to choose a time travel romance novel, think about the time period which interests you.
For instance, would you prefer to read about an 18th-century historical romance or an imaginative vision of the future?
There are even books like The Repeat Year, which only travel forward a year in time.
If the idea of reading about women in corsets and petticoats fills your heart with dread, you may find a modern setting more appealing, and vice versa.
Sequel Or Standalone Novel
It’s also a good idea to think about whether your novel is part of a book series or a standalone book.
Consider the stories you currently like to read. Do you prefer when a story is wrapped up concisely at the end, or like reading a plot that spans a few books in length?
Novels like One Last Stop are great if you want a story that finishes in a single book.
If you’d like a few novels to whisk you away to a different world, the Outlander series may be more to your taste.
If you do prefer book series, remember to start with the beginning novel, as this prevents the time travel elements from being confusing!
Multiple Narration
Many time travel novels involve multiple perspectives. In the case of time travel romance novels, a couple’s story may be told in dual narration, depicting both sides of the relationship.
Multiple narrative books do have an advantage, as they help you get into the head of different characters.
This can help give you an unbiased view of the story, but keep in mind you may end up liking one point of view a lot more than the other.
If you find the idea of multiple narrations interesting, the Time Between Us series starts with Anna’s perspective in the first book, then switches to Bennetts in the second.
However, if you are prone to taking sides, you may want to stick to single-narration novels.
Multiple perspectives also give a story depth, but they can make a story too complex.
If you think that you may find it hard to navigate several points of view, there are lots of single-narrative novels from the genre to choose from.
Final Thoughts
Though there are some common themes between each story, you’ll find a range of enjoyable stories in the list above.
These gripping tales will take you to an entirely different world while you read them.
If you’ve never tried time travel romance novels before, try one of our recommendations out for yourself. Who knows, it may just become your new favorite book genre!
We hope you enjoy reading some of these enchanting time-travel romance novels!
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is The Oldest Story About Time Travel?
Edward Page Mitchell’s ‘The Clock That Went Backward’ is one of the first stories that involved time travel. The story was first published in 1881 in the New York Sun.
Is Time Travel A Paradox?
Time travel involves several paradoxes. One example is that If a person travels back in time, they will become a part of the past, and may end up causing the actions they wanted to prevent.
Who Is The Number 1 Romance Author?
Daniel Steel is a romance author that has sold nearly a billion copies of her work. Steel is also known as the no 4. best-selling fiction author of all time.
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