What’s common between a dishonest student, disinterested spouse, and a crafty con artist? They all cheat. Infidelity is a common problem in many relationships, even long-term ones. It’s a game of strategy and denial, of hearts and half-truths.
The rules of deception are simple. Hide the affair at any cost and don’t get caught. But the house always collects its debt, and guilt is a ruthless dealer. That’s exactly what books about cheating teach us. They don’t just expose betrayal. They dissect it. They show us to what extent a partner can go to cheat on you. This is honestly my favorite genre because it has all the great ingredients for human chaos. Love, lies, and the discovery of truth.
Perhaps that’s precisely why these books about toxic relationships and extramarital affairs are so addictive. Read along and discover how loyalty can turn into lies in just a matter of time.
1. Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
Let’s begin the list with one of the best classic books of all time. Anna Karenina. The book unfolds the tragic story of a woman who is torn between two things: passion and duty. The plot of the book is simple. Anna is trapped in a loveless marriage and falls in love with a dashing county named Vronsky.
The brilliance here isn’t in the story. It lies in Tolstoy’s writing and how he dissects the morality and hypocrisy of society. Of course, infidelity has devastating consequences and the authors portray that in a riveting manner. If you are looking for some affair romance books with complex emotions and marital problems, this is the perfect read for you.
2. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
This is THE affair book you need to pick if you love to read thriller books. Honestly, I’ve read this book thrice and it always leaves me amazed. It’s the ultimate thriller novel about marriage, manipulation, and madness. All hells break loose when Amy finds out about her husband’s secret affair.
Flynn masterfully turns infidelity into a weapon, using it to blur the lines between victim and villain. I don’t want to say anything more and spoil it for you. But as a fellow reader, I can guarantee that this will be one among the darkest books you’ll ever read with mind-blowing revenge plots. Also, this is one among the rare books that turned into a blockbuster movie.
3. Adultery by Paulo Coelho
Books about lying and betrayal don’t get more interesting than Adultery by Paulo Coelho. Linda has a perfect life. A successful career. A good marriage. And a cozy home in Geneva. Yet, beneath the surface, she feels empty. However, she soon meets a former lover and she rekindles the relationship.
The best part about this book is that Coelho doesn’t glorify secret relationships and emotional betrayal. He skilfully explains how infidelity doesn’t come from lust but from an inner desire to feel something. A desperate need to feel wanted. To feel alive. If the premise sounds interesting to you, go ahead and add this to your TBR list.
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4. The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
The Girl on the Train is more than just a story about a missing woman. It’s a gripping psychological thriller that revolves around obsession, deceit, and the dark corners of the human mind. The protagonist, Rachel, is going through a dark time. She is drowning in alcohol, trying to forget about her husband’s betrayal.
She soon witnesses something that pulls her inside a work of lies, deceit, and deception. Paula Hawkins crafts a world where no memory is reliable, no relationship is pure, and every truth is tainted by self-deception. This is a masterclass in psychological tension, where infidelity is only the spark that ignites total unraveling and the plot twist will shock you.
5. Written on the Body by Jeanette Winterson
Ever read a book where every sentence drips with sensuality, longing, and passion? If you haven’t, then Written on the Body should definitely be on your list of books about lying and betrayal.
The narrator is genderless here and falls in love with Louise who is a married woman. They start having an affair and things go haywire. The author doesn’t write about infidelity without passing any judgements. She pens down with honesty what it feels like to cheat and be cheated on.
6. The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera
Infidelity theme is the central plot of Milan Kundera’s The Unbearable Light was of Being. I’ve read this book twice and I’ve been dumbfounded by the way Kundera creates his characters. They are flawed and deserving of the reader’s contempt and hate.
His protagonist, Tomas, has countless extramarital affairs and he says that is the philosophy of life. It makes him feel light. On the contrary, his wife is extremely loyal and devoted. Tomas’ perspective on relationships can make a monogamy supporter red with anger.
The Unbearable Lightness of Being is a mesmerizing meditation on how infidelity both liberates and destroys the human heart. It’s one among the best books about infidelity that also touches upon humans and their moral ambiguity. What some people find liberating can be heartbreaking for others.
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7. Bad Business by Robert B. Parker
Next in the list of toxic romance books is Bad Business that starts off as a classic infidelity tale. But soon it takes a turn into a fast-paced detective story. I am not complaining! In fact, that’s my another favorite genre. Here, the main lead, Spenser, hires a private investigator to find out more about her husband’s affair.
This book has more than just adultery. It has deceit, corporate corruption, and murder. It’s a cleverly written book and teaches a very valuable lesson to its readers. Cheating always comes with a price.
8. The Days of Abandonment by Elena Ferrante
Elena Ferrante is an Italian novelist who is famous for her Neapolitan books like My Best Friend. Her writings are real and raw. In The Days of Abandonment, Olga’s husband leaves her for a much younger woman. What follows is not just heartbreak but rage, humiliation, despair, and her descent to madness.
I’ve always been a fan of Elena Ferrante’s writing and this book certainly lives up to the hype. She writes with honesty and doesn’t hold back. If you want to read a book about cheating in a marriage, this needs to be on your list.
9. The Good Soldier by Ford Madox Ford
The Good Soldier is all about humans and their devious behavior. Narrated from the hazy memories of an unreliable narrator, the novel follows the story of two seemingly respectable couples whose lives are bound together by lies and infidelity.
What stands out the most here is the author’s elegant prose. The first line of the book itself is enough to convince you to read it: “This is the saddest story I have ever heard.” From infidelity themes to reconciliation stories and extramarital affair stories, this one has everything.
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10. East Lynne by Ellen Wood
Searching for dramatic Victorian novels to read? Easy Lynne by Ellen Wood has got you covered. Lady Isabel Vane is a beautiful woman who abandons her husband to elope with another man, who strings her along and doesn’t marry her.
Life doesn’t go as hunky dory as she had imagined despite giving birth to their illegitimate child. The plot of the book still resonates with us because of society’s judgment toward women who have children out of wedlock.
It’s a must-read book to understand that even after almost two centuries, we haven’t progressed much. From the outside, yes. We have come a long way. But beneath the facade of modernity, we are still the victims of double standards and hypocrisy.
11. Rabbit, Run by John Updike
Harry “Rabbit” Angstrom, a former football star, feels trapped in his marriage. He is fed up with his suburban life and feels suffocated. So, what does he do? He leaves his pregnant wife and toddler son for freedom.
His affair becomes both an escape and a mirror which reflects his inner emptiness. If cheating romance books are your guilty pleasure, you should definitely give this book a chance.
12. Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty
Women standing against abuse? That’s the central plot of Big Little Lies where three women are fighting silent battles behind their smiles. They live in a suburban town where everything is gossip. Moriarty exposes how women are often dismissed or judged and how they find strength in sisterhood and truth.
Big Little Lies isn’t just about cheating. It’s about reclaiming power in a world that expects women to stay quiet. It’s clever, bold, and a thrilling testament to female resilience under all the chaos. Also, Liane Moriarty is one feminist writer everyone should read.
13. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Many women would do anything to have a lover like Gatsby. Who wouldn’t? The man throws one party after another hoping his lover would arrive. He has hopelessly devoted his entire life to win Daisy Buchanan, a married woman who was once his beloved.
Fitzgerald uses adultery not just as a scandal, but as a metaphor for the corruption of the American Dream that many people have and crave. The Great Gatsby glitters with desire and bleeds with deceit. It’s a great book to read on intense, messy relationships.
Conclusion
Cheating comes in different forms. Smiling and stealing glances at someone when your partner isn’t looking. Lying to your husband. Hiding things from your wife. Meeting them in secrecy. Indulging in a physical relationship when you’ve agreed to monogamy. It’s always the same story. Desire collides with deception and ends up in destruction.
From the classic Anna Karenina to contemporary The Unbearable Lightness of Being, all these books about cheating remind us that infidelity is wrong. No one deserves to be at the receiving end of betrayal. In the end, it’s all about making better choices and reading good books.
