There’s never a bad time for romance. Sometimes, all you need is a good romance show to dive into to make you feel better, help you relax, or watch while curled up with someone special for date night or a lazy Sunday. The advantage of romance shows over romance movies is that it’s a slow-burn story that is told over multiple episodes and, in many cases, even multiple seasons.
Whether it’s the depiction of what life is like for a real couple or a fantastical look at exaggerated romance, the best romance shows on Netflix are always entertaining. With new shows coming to Netflix all the time, the collection of romance shows is always changing, too. Many will make you both laugh and cry, and feel warm and fuzzy inside, too. Others, meanwhile, are total guilty pleasures that you talk to your friends about after binging the latest season or the newest episodes. Whatever the case, these are the best romance shows on Netflix right now.
Recently added to Netflix
-
Emily in Paris2020 -
The Empress2022
-
Love Is Blind2020
-
Jane the Virgin2014
4 Seasons
Genre
Drama, Comedy
Cast
Mithila Palkar, Dhruv Sehgal
Created by
Dhruv Sehgal
The Indian rom-com, offered in English language (with some Hindi dialogue), is the sweet story of a young man and woman living together in Mumbai. The episodes through the show’s four-season run follow Kavya (Mithila Palkar) and Dhruv (Dhruv Sehgal) through their everyday lives trying to make life interesting and fun. Exploring the typical mundane conversations between couples in a realistic but humorous fashion, Little Things is all about, well, the little things that test a relationship and love for one another. It’s also about the challenges young couples in today’s modern society face, from career aspirations to the fear of missing out on things with friends, long distance, and life goals. As a show without all the frills and exaggerations of romance, Little Things’s ability to be relatable is what makes it entertaining.
3 Seasons
Genre
Drama, Comedy
Cast
Lily Collins, Ashley Park, Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu
Created by
Darren Star
Despite all the criticism, Emily in Paris remains the perfectly predictable, corny, funny, sweet, and modern show that takes the concept of romance right to its source: Paris. While Emily initially moves to the city of love for a one-year work project, she quickly finds herself wrapped up in the beauty, culture, and attractive men the city has to offer. From torrid romances to jealous jaunts, career setbacks, and culture shock, it’s like a Hallmark holiday movie extended for every season, with gorgeous people in love (and lust), stereotypical French storylines, and stunning fashion to boot. If you like exploring an indulgent, guilty pleasure show every now and then, Emily in Paris won’t disappoint.
1 Season
Genre
Drama
Cast
Devrim Lingnau, Philip Froissant, Melika Foroutan
Created by
Katharina Eyssen
Netflix quickly snapped up this German historical drama series based on the life of Empress Elisabeth of Austria (Devrim Lingnau). This sultry, mostly true tale finds 16-year-old Bavarian duchess Sisi falling in love with her sister’s betrothed, Emperor Franz Joseph (Philip Froissant). When Franz Joseph returns her love, Sisi picks up and moves to Vienna, causing a rift in the family and prompting many in her husband’s family to scheme to sabotage the marriage. With a bevy of political complexities, captivating characters, and an enduring romance at the heart of the show, The Empress is a fascinating historical drama.
3 Seasons
Genre
Reality
Cast
Vanessa Lachey, Nick Lachey
Netflix’s cheesy, weird, trashy social experiment is back for a third season! Thirty singles from across America join to “meet” other singles, talking to them from separate enclosed pods without ever seeing one another. After courting multiple people, they decide who they made connections with and talk more. If they ultimately decide this person is “the one” and want to propose marriage (and it’s accepted), the two finally get to meet in person. From there, they go on vacation together, live together, meet one another’s families, and discover if it is truly meant to be, all while planning their weddings. The concept is completely backward, but there are enough raw, romantic moments intertwined with the juicy drama to keep you hooked the entire way through.
5 Seasons
Genre
Comedy, Drama
Cast
Gina Rodriguez, Andrea Navedo, Yael Grobglas
Created by
Jennie Snyder Urman
Jane (Gina Rodriguez) has been raised by her Catholic, telenovela-obsessed grandmother to believe that a woman’s virginity is sacred, and it must stay intact until marriage. But when 23-year-old Jane is accidentally artificially inseminated by donor sperm, the technically still-a-virgin woman experiences a bold new awakening of her sexuality. Suddenly, the opposite sex never seemed so appealing and attainable. You can watch all five seasons of this hit romantic dramedy on Netflix.
1 Season
Genre
Documentary, Reality
Love On the Spectrum has delighted and moved Australian and British audiences to happy tears over the past few years, and now there’s finally an American season. This innovative documentary series is almost like a dating show, following a number of young (and older) people on the autism spectrum as they search for love in an extra-complicated world. The show helps the participants navigate the dating pool in a positive way and gives them tools to make meaningful connections that will hopefully last forever.
6 Seasons
Genre
Drama, Sci-Fi & Fantasy
Cast
Caitriona Balfe, Sam Heughan
Created by
Ronald D. Moore
Adapted from Diana Gabaldon’s bestselling books, Outlander has been one of the decade’s most popular romance shows. After serving as a nurse in World War II, Claire Randall (Caitriona Balfe) enjoys a second honeymoon in Scotland with her husband. But suddenly and inexplicably, Claire finds herself whisked to the year 1743, a mysterious, foreign world in which her life and freedom are threatened. To survive, Claire marries a Scotsman, but soon develops a very real and very passionate relationship with him. Caught between two men in different timelines, Claire must navigate an extremely tumultuous affair.
3 Seasons
Genre
Comedy, Drama
Cast
Gillian Jacobs, Paul Rust, Chris Witaske
Created by
Judd Apatow, Paul Rust, Lesley Arfin
This series has a pretty basic name for a pretty basic series. It’s a show about a nice guy named Gus (Paul Rust) who moves into a new apartment after his relationship falls apart only to meet the free-spirited Mickey (Gillian Jacobs). Although they’re at different stages of their lives and appear to be polar opposites, Gus and Mickey find they just plain work.
7 Seasons
Genre
Comedy, Drama
Cast
Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, Martin Sheen
Created by
Howard J. Morris, Marta Kauffman
It’s a situation no person ever wants to find themselves in, particularly in their 70s. But alas, Grace and Frankie learn, while in the golden years of their lives, that their husbands and business partners are actually gay and have secretly been in a relationship with one another for more than 30 years. So goes the story of two women who are completely different from one another trying to not only re-start their lives in an elder age, leaning on one another for support, but also trying to find that romantic spark by dating again. Spoiler alert: They succeed on both fronts, offering a compelling look at romance at a time when some would consider these women to be past their primes.
7 Seasons
Genre
Comedy, Drama
Cast
Lauren Graham, Alexis Bledel, Scott Patterson
Created by
Amy Sherman-Palladino
While Gilmore Girls is primarily focused on the mother-daughter relationship between Lorelai (Lauren Graham) and Rory (Alexis Bledel) Gilmore, the lighthearted drama has more than its fair share of romance. Lorelai’s the young single mom who has the eye of just about every eligible bachelor in Stars Hollow, Connecticut, while Rory is the driven, straight-A student and witty daughter who’s the apple of her mother’s eye. And just about every boy’s eye in town, too. But through all the romantic entaglements and drama, the two women remain one another’s best friend.
2 Seasons
Genre
Drama
Cast
Regé-Jean Page, Phoebe Dynevor, Julie Andrews
Created by
Chris Van Dusen
Lines like “I would burn for you” say it all. Bridgerton is not just romantic; it’s also a juicy drama that takes romance, rebellion, and high society life to an entirely new level. Set in Regency-era London in 1813, the show takes its liberties with history, depicting a racially integrated society and using modern undertones. Romance here is not about falling in love, but rather making one’s own choices to do so (or not) and, of course, giving in to intense passion. Opt for this show if you’re looking for something sexier than your traditional cookie-cutter romance and enjoy the gorgeous scenery, costumes, and wonderful acting to boot.
18 Seasons
Genre
Drama
Cast
Ellen Pompeo, James Pickens Jr., Chandra Wilson
Created by
Shonda Rhimes
One of the longest-running dramas on television has no shortage of romance. In fact, the romantic entanglings at this Seattle hospital are so ever-present, you almost wonder how the doctors ever have any time to actually practice medicine. At the center of it all is Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo), daughter of a famous surgeon and an extraordinary talent in her own right. Over the years, Grey and her colleagues grow through both personal and professional relationships, tragedy, and much more.
4 Seasons
Genre
Comedy
Cast
Rachel Bloom, Donna Lynne Champlin, Vincent Rodriguez III
Created by
Aline Brosh McKenna, Rachel Bloom
Rachel Bloom is a revelation in this wacky romantic comedy about a woman who impulsively throws her successful Manhattan life away to chase a former romantic interest across the country to West Covina, California. Despite her success, she just feels something missing, and she hopes that this new adventure will help her find the happiness — and love — that she’s been missing. The musical comedy is simultaneously a send-up of rom-coms and a touching tribute.
6 Seasons
Genre
Crime, Sci-Fi & Fantasy
Cast
Tom Ellis, Lauren German, Kevin Alejandro
Created by
Tom Kapinos
Despite being part of the DC Comics universe, based on the character from The Sandman comic book series, and falling under the police procedural/urban fantasy genre, make no mistake: Lucifer will satisfy the desires for romance television, too. It’s a slow burn from the romance angle but predictable from the get-go in that respect as well. Nonetheless, the intertwining, ever more fantastical stories, characters that draw you in, and the right amount of comedy mixed with drama and corniness all make Lucifer a worthwhile watch. Check out all six seasons, which wrap up the series with an equally satisfying end.
1 Season
Genre
Comedy, Drama
Cast
Julie Delpy, Sarah Jones, Elisabeth Shue
Created by
Julie Delpy
Praised for representing 40- and 50-something women, On the Verge is about middle-aged women trying to find, or reignite, love again while also dealing with the other complicated aspects of their lives. Each woman is faced with her own challenging life situation, from the chef with a demanding job to the single mom, the heiress with the seemingly perfect life, and the one looking to return to the working world. It’s Sex and the City without all the glamour, presenting more relatable characters instead who delve into not just the topic of romance, but all the things that can get in the way of it later in life.
4 Seasons
Genre
Comedy, Drama
Cast
Asa Butterfield, Gillian Anderson, Ncuti Gatwa
Created by
Laurie Nunn
It’s more about physical relationships than emotional ones, but Sex Education provides a good look into romance and how it impacts the youth of today. At the heart of the story is high school student Otis, who has become ambivalent about sex because of his mother, who is not only a sex therapist but also quite promiscuous. Call it an anti-romance series, but it’s unconventional and relatable, with themes and topics that will teach you a thing or two about Gen Z.
5 Seasons
Genre
Drama
Cast
Alexandra Breckenridge, Martin Henderson, Colin Lawrence
Created by
Sue Tenney
A surprise hit for Netflix, this romantic drama has already been renewed for fourth and fifth seasons following the release of season 3. Alexandra Breckenridge stars as Mel, a woman struggling with her life who makes an impulsive decision to move to a remote California town and work as a midwife and nurse practitioner. She wants to leave her old life and the painful memories that come with it behind and believes a change of scenery is just what the doctor ordered. But upon arrival, she learns that what she really needs to heal is herself before she can find lasting love.
1 Season
Genre
Drama, Comedy
Cast
Lauren Graham, Alexis Bledel, Scott Patterson
Created by
Amy Sherman-Palladino
A continuation of Gilmore Girls, Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel return as mother-and-daughter duo Lorelei and Rory, who find themselves supporting one another as they both deal with their lives and unique relationship troubles. It’s a sweet look back at the fast-talking series that enthralled viewers through the early 2000s. With Rory now all grown up and Lorelei married to Luke for a decade, the pair rely on the advice of one another once again in hopes of finding their individual happiness.
3 Seasons
Genre
Comedy, Drama
Created by
Joe Swanberg
Love and romance are never easy, which is precisely the focus of this comedy-drama anthology series. With three seasons under its belt, each has a different star-studded ensemble cast that depicts the trials and tribulations of navigating love and relationships. Set in Chicago, the focus is on depicting the many different types of modern love, from married couples in open relationships to living up to your partner’s expectations, threesomes, reignited love, and old flames. There’s no romantic relationship type left untouched through the 25 episodes.
2 Seasons
Genre
Drama, Sci-Fi & Fantasy
Cast
Kim So-hyun, Jung Ga-ram, Song Kang
Created by
Yoo Bo-ra
Hailing from South Korea and based on the Daum webtoon of the same name, Kim Jo-jo is a high schooler who starts to use a new mobile app that alerts the user when someone nearby has romantic feelings for them. So begins the love triangle story of the beautiful but troubled young girl, the handsome model, and the son of a domestic worker who secretly loves Jo-jo. As the app eventually reveals itself to cause more societal problems than it helps, the story takes a dramatic turn. But it’s ultimately about understanding what it truly means to like, or love, someone without technology getting in the way.
Editors' Recommendations
- The best movies on Peacock right now
- The 49 best shows on Netflix right now (March 2023)
- The best anime on Hulu right now
- The 10 most popular movies on Netflix right now
- The best Hulu original series right now
