I love a good love story - they make me smile without even realizing it - and I really don't read enough of these types of books. So here's a list of books published in 2011 (with 1 or 2 cheats), that have some lovin' going on - and that I hope to get through before the next Valentine's day comes around. There are some books on here that show the dark side of "love" too.

10 Books on Love, Marriage and Romance {on My 2012 Reading List}

The Lover's Dictionary by David Levithan. The nameless narrator of this book has constructed the story of his relationship as dictionary-like entries.

The Marriage Plot, Jeffrey Eugenides. Madeleine is a self-described "incurable romantic" who is slightly embarrassed at being so normal. So it's odd that Madeleine finds herself in a highly charged erotic and intellectual relationship with Leonard Bankhead, a charismatic loner, college Darwinist, and lost Portland. At the same time, her old "friend" Mitchell Grammaticus resurfaces, obsessed with the idea that Madeleine is destined to be his mate.

Everneath, Brodi Ashton. Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath, where immortals Feed on the emotions of despairing humans. Now she's returned, but she only has 6 months before the Everneath comes to claim her again ... for good.

The Wedding Wallah, Farahad Zama. Can true love triumph in the face of fierce family opposition? Mr Ali's marriage bureau is flourishing but trouble isn't far away once son Rehman begins secretly to woo TV journalist Usha in the small cafes and on the beautiful beaches of South Indian Vizag in an ill-advised romance.

Eleven Scandals to Start to Win a Duke's Heart, Sarah MacLean. Scandal is the last thing Simon Pearson has room for in his well-ordered world. The Duke of Disdain is too focused on keeping his title untainted and his secrets unknown. But when he discovers Juliana hiding in his carriage late one evening--risking everything he holds dear--he swears to teach the reckless beauty a lesson in propriety. She has other plans, however; she wants two weeks to prove that even an unflappable duke is not above passion.

When Beauty Tamed the Beast, Eloisa James. Miss Linnet Berry Thrynne is a beauty betrothed to a beast. Piers Yelverton, Earl of Marchant, lives in a castle in Wales where, it is rumored, his bad temper flays everyone he crosses. And rumor also has it that a wound has left the earl immune to the charms of any woman. But Linnet is not just any woman.

Scandalicious, Allison Hobbs. Solay is the proud owner of Scandalicious, a trendy cupcake boutique that's raking in the dough. Practically married to her business, she doesn't have time for romance or its complications. What she needs is a friend with benefits ... Lincoln has been a faithful husband for 7 years. His world collapses when he discovers that his trophy wife has been cheating. Though she pleads for forgiveness, he simply can't. Will his desire for vengeance overpower his ability to forgive? ... Melanee is a quiet assistant baker by day and part of a secret sex society at night ... What happens when you combine sweet treats, explosive sex, and dirty little secrets is absolutely Scandalicious!

The Angel Makers, Jessica Gregson. When the men of a remote Hungarian village go off to war in 1916, the women left behind realize their lives are much better without them. Suddenly, they are not being beaten; they have time for friendships; they even find romance with the injured Italian soldiers staying just outside of town. But then the men return at war's end and the freedom the women have enjoyed is suddenly snatched from them.

Widow: Stories, Michelle Latiolais. This collection of short stories describes events surrounding a narrator who has lost her husband suddenly to suicide.

Songs of Love and Death: All-Original Tales of Star-Crossed Love, George R.R. Martin and Gardner Dozois (Editors). In this star-studded cross-genre anthology, seventeen of the greatest modern authors of fantasy, science fiction, and romance explore the borderlands of their genres with brand-new tales of ill-fated love.

What's the last book you read with an unforgettable love story?