Letter O
Obsessive Love & Attachment
Exploring intense romantic fixation, attachment and the emotional patterns that can make relationships feel consuming.
Loading the reading list…
Frequently asked questions
What are the best books to read about obsessive love & attachment?
A good place to start is the fiction, nonfiction, and poetry suggested in this reading list. They each explore this theme differently, so you can select what you are connecting with the most.
Can reading really help with obsessive love & attachment?
Yes, although it should not be viewed as a substitute for therapy. The right book can help you articulate feelings you have struggled to explain, offer reassurance that you are not alone, and provide a new perspective. Sometimes that insight is exactly what you need; at other times, it can encourage you to seek further support.
Who curates the Obsessive Love & Attachment reading list?
Bijal Shah, a bibliotherapist, founder of Book Therapy and The Book Therapy Method and the author of Bibliotherapy: The Healing Power of Reading (Hachette, 2024). She has spent over ten years matching readers to books for all kinds of emotional and life themes, including obsessive love & attachment.
Do I need a Book Therapy membership to see the full obsessive love & attachment list?
Yes. The full Obsessive Love & Attachment reading list, with my notes on each book and the personal reading tools, lives inside the Book Therapy membership. You also get the whole A to Z of Book Prescriptions, the journalling, and writing tools and reading progress tracking.
Are these obsessive love & attachment books suitable if I've never read anything on the topic before?
Yes. The list is deliberately diverse in order to ensure there is something for everyone, whether that's a short memoir, a poem to sit with over a cup of tea, or a novel to properly disappear into. If something feels too close to what you're going through right now, you have the option to put it down. And another book on the list might be more helpful.
Related reading lists
If Obsessive Love & Attachment resonates, these companion themes from the A–Z of Book Prescriptions may meet you next.
Letter O
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Exploring intrusive thoughts, compulsions and the lived emotional experience of obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Letter O
Overthinking
Exploring repetitive thoughts, rumination and uncertainty, with perspectives that encourage greater clarity and mental space.
Letter W
Workplace Bullying
Exploring repeated intimidation, exclusion, humiliation or mistreatment at work and its effect on confidence and wellbeing.
Letter C
Cyberbullying
Understanding harassment, humiliation or exclusion through digital spaces and its impact on confidence, safety and wellbeing.
Letter P
Physical Intimidation
Understanding the use or threat of physical presence, aggression or violence to create fear or exert control.
Letter E
Emotional & Psychological Bullying
Understanding manipulation, humiliation, intimidation and other behaviours that can undermine confidence and emotional wellbeing.