Far from the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy
I remember reading this years ago but had forgotten what happened completely.
The story feels like a standard romantic novel when Gabriel Oak first meets Bathsheba, who at first teases him almost flirtatiously. Although it seems apparent that they don't have a future together, you sort of want them to be able to get together in the end.
Of course, things are made more difficult by the appearance of Farmer Boldwood and Sergeant Troy, who also both have their eye on Bathsheba. While my sympathies were mostly with Gabriel Oak, I found myself feeling sorry for Farmer Boldwood too, especially as he constantly waits for Bathsheba to agree to marry him. Sergeant Troy, on the other hand, comes across very quickly as a dislikeable rogue.
The book felt very talky, but it was a story that felt very accessible and easy to follow throughout. Of course, the biggest shock in the story comes when...
[Spoiler (click to open)]About half way through, Bathsheba turns out to have unwisely married Sergeant Troy. If you've read the book, you will know he becomes increasingly dislikeable after this, particularly in a sequence where it seems that he deliberately faked his own death, and returns to get Bathsheba back, only to be shot dead by Farmer Boldwood.
I was glad to see that she and Gabriel Oak ended up together in the end.