Netflixis one of the leading streaming services for good reason. Netflix is behind many original shows that have cultivated strong, dedicated fanbases. Additionally, shows and movies from other companies and platforms often find their way onto the streaming giant’s extensive catalog. From documentaries to epic adventure stories, Netflix has it all. One genre that the platform continues to excel in isromance. Romance lovers are voracious consumers of their preferred genre, easily bingeing seasons of a show in one sitting and ready to move on to the next one.
Romance is a safe genre because seasoned romantics know that the story will end in a happily-ever-after (HEA) or happy-for-now (HFN). Despite knowing this, it’s the journey the characters go on to reach that happy ending that makes a great story. Whether it be challenging their perceived unworthiness of love, fighting against societal pressures, or other obstacles, romance is fertile ground for tension. If you’re scrolling through Netflix for your next romantic watch, check out one of these 20 shows.
20Summertime
Summertimeis an Italian romance series set in a small town on the Adriatic coast. Summer Bennati, played by Rebecca Coco Edogamhe, gets a job at a hotel to help support her mother and help the summer move along a bit quicker. The other half of this couple is Ale Alba, a Roman man who is a talented motorcyclist looking for meaning in his life after a near-fatal accident.
Ale meets Summer because his family owns the hotel and once they meet they can’t seem to shake each other. Summer herself is interested in motorcycles, and this unexpected connection provides moments of connection and challenges as they figure out if they fit into each other’s vastly different worlds.
19Sex/Life
Sex/Lifeis a Netflix original series that doesn’t shy awayfrom steamy scenes. Billie Connelly is a woman that has the stereotypical “perfect” life: a successful, “good” husband; two children; a house in a well-to-do suburb — but she’s not satisfied. And when she starts thinking about the wild time she had with an ex, her discontent becomes something she can no longer ignore.
Billie looks back on the past and compares it to her present, all the while grappling if she can truly be content now and if she was truly content then. The plot is not the most unique, but for fans of spicy scenes, it’ll certainly scratch that itch.
18The Cook of Castamar
La cocinera de Castamar, or in English,The Cook of Castamar, is a Spanish period drama based on a book by Fernando J. Muñez. Clara Belafonte is agoraphobic, someone who is afraid to go outside due to perceived danger. This condition sprouted up after the death of a loved one. One place Clara manages to find some semblance of peace is in the kitchen of Castamar Palace.
She forms a bond with Diego, the Duke of Castamar, who is dealing with struggles of his own. Their connection may begin to heat up in the kitchen, but it blooms beyond the walls of Castamar Palace. Both Clara and Diego learn to open up and learn to deal with their dark pasts. This 18th-century romance is bound to pull at your heart.
17Crash Landing On You
The K-DramaCrash Landing On Youprovides political intrigue mixed with an engaging forbidden romance. A South Korean businesswoman named Yoon Se-ri is paragliding when a tornado changes her trajectory from Seoul into North Korean territory. The setup seems a bit outlandish, but once she meets the other lead, Ri Jeong-hyeok, the show becomes a lot more “grounded” and it’s not just because Se-ri’s feet are on the earth.
There is tension between them, especially because Jeong-hyeok is a member of the North Korean military. However, Jeong-hyeok shows there’s a heart behind his buttoned-up military facade, and he plans to help her hide and make it back to Seoul. The constant political threat looming over the character’s heads makes this romance absolutely bingeable.
16Love Alarm
Love Alarmhas a cool (and slightly terrifying) technology at the heart of it. In this world, there’s an app called Love Alarm that will notify you when someone within a certain radius has romantic feelings for them. High schooler Kim Jo-jo at first can’t dedicate much time to the app. She doesn’t have a lot of money and has a strained relationship with her mother, who seems to have more time for work than family.
But Jo-jo’s romantic life won’t be easy to ignore, when feelings for a childhood friend crop up, as well as a crush on another student at her school. Whilea love triangleis a classic trope, the introduction of thisBlack Mirror-esque technology and conversation starters about technology’s impact on relationships makeLove Alarmquite special.
15Insecure
Originally on HBO,Insecure’s five seasons are all available tostream on Netflix. In this dramedy, two best friends named Issa and Molly are in that tricky stage of life that is your late-20s and early-30s. Romance lovers will enjoy watching Issa and Molly navigate their very different love lives. Issa is in a relationship that has love but struggling. Molly is trying to find the one and bumps into challenges when trying to juggle love and her ambition. This show is about a lot more than the women’s romantic relationships, as they attempt to become comfortable within themselves and their careers.
Related:10 TV Shows That Defined Millennials Living in Their 20s
14The Empress
If modern dating woes don’t appeal to you,The Empressprovides plenty of romantic tension set against a historical backdrop. This German series is based on real-life figures, Empress Elisabeth of Austria and Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria. Sometimes reality is more dramatic than fiction, and when viewers see young Elisabeth steal her sister’s betrothed, this point is confirmed.
When the two move to Vienna to start their lives as a couple and rulers, Elisabeth is tasked with the enormous pressure her title brings as well as the shady behavior of her husband’s family. While some historians won’t hesitate to point out a few historical inaccuracies, it’s nonetheless a great introduction to the politics going on during this time while watching two people fall in love.
13Little Things
Little Thingsis a quiet show, without big, sweeping stakes, which adds to the authenticity. This Indian romantic comedy follows the lives of a couple, Kavya and Dhruv. That’s really it. There’s no huge murder plot or alien invasion, rather the show focuses on the everyday moments in a couple’s lives and how beautiful it can be yet also how that predictability can lead individuals to question their relationship.
The chemistry between the two leads is palpable, and you can’t help but root for them, as a unit and on their own.Little Thingsexcels at centering their relationship but making the characters feel whole and complex outside their love for each other as well.
12Business Proposal
Business Proposalhits on many beloved romance tropes while still managing to feel fresh due in large part to the stellar performance of the leads. In this film, Shin Ha-ri does her friend a solid by taking her place on a blind date she really wants to avoid. Blind dates are stressful enough on their own, and Ha-ri is thrown an extra mountain of stress when the date turns out to be the CEO of her company, a man named Tae-moo.
He doesn’t know who she is and just wants to marry this date to appease his family. Of course, once Ha-ri’s identity is exposed, and they get to know each other more, a bunch of conflicts surface, and the two constantly have to decide if their feelings for each other are worth all the heartache.
Related:15 K-Dramas Featuring Office Romances That Will Make You Swoon
11Heartstopper
Heartstopperis a wildly successful series adapted from a graphic novel series by Alice Oseman. Assigned seating is the bane of many students' existence, yet it’s the catalyst for quiet student Charlie Spring’s story. When he is required to sit next to the popular rugby-playing Nick Nelson, he develops a crush.
While Charlie is openly gay, he is unsure whether Nick is. Not to mention the tiny complication at the start of the series of Charlie being in a relationship already, albeit one that seems to have run its course. This touching, sweet story traces the path of these two boys from friends to perhaps something more.
