YA Romance Books
Romance books focus on a central romantic storyline.
What are the sub-genres of Romance?
- Contemporary Romance: Modern-day problems and themes, Contemporary Romance includes realistic scenarios and sticks with realism in general.
- Young Adult Romance: Focusing on awkwardness and confusing emotions and "impossible love". Usually ends with a "happily ever after".
- Erotic Romance: Contains not only strong plot and characters but also strong sexual content.
- Historical Romance: Usually well research, Historical Fiction sets love throughout the centuries.
- Regency Romance: While this could be a sub-set of Historical Fiction, Regency Romance focuses entirely in England during the reign of King George III. It emphasizes dialog and social conventions and may or may not include sexual content.
- Romantasy: Combining Romance and Fantasy where romance is more in the forefront.
- LGBTQIA+ Romance: Challenges the norm of sexual expression and focuses on queer character relationships.
- Romantic Comedy (RomCom): Usually following romantic tropes, Romantic Comedy lends itself to light, funny, and heartwarming reads.
- Religious Romance: Focuses on faith-driven romance, shying away from sexual content.
- Paranormal Romance: Not only about ghosts, Paranormal Romance can contain anything from ghosts to angels to pixies to vampires to werewolves and more.
- Gothic Romance: Explores love stories through macabre and haunted settings. Most likely includes horror, gore, and mystery.
- Romantic Suspense: Blends romance and high-stakes scenarios, but the suspense is secondary to the romance narrative.
Spice Levels
When talking about romance, we also need to talk about spice, aka steaminess, aka smut, aka sexual content. Here's a handy little guide for you:
🌶️: Rated G (or E for everyone), no sexual content.
🌶️🌶️: Rated PG, some references to sexual content but nothing explicit.
🌶️🌶️🌶️: Rated PG–13, some references to sexual content and contains one intimate scene.
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️: Rated R, references to sexual content and contains two or more intimate scenes with explicit language.
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️: Rated X, many references to sexual content and contains many intimate scenes with explicit language throughout the entire book.
What sets your heart a-flutter?
Check & Mate by Ali Hazelwood
"I am reliably informed that you're a Gen Z sex symbol."
Spice Level
Synopsis
Mallory (Mal) Greenleaf is done with chess, but it's not done with her. After a remarkable win against current chess world champion, Nolan Sawyer, Mal is back in the game. In this enemies-to-lovers romance, the games are not always on the chess board, instead the competition is down-right fierce(-ly attractive).
Awards
- GoodReads Winner for Best Young Adult Fiction (2023)
Spotlight
You don't need to like or know how to play chess with Check & Mate to be able to enjoy it. The book features a bisexual main character, not just a minor character. Mal's life is pulled in many directions from family to work, with no time for herself. It promotes following your dreams instead of martyring to the life you think you need to lead. It deals with imposter syndrome, sexism, and, of course, relationships between family, friends, and lovers.
Additional Information
Every Day / Another Day by David Levithan
"Every day a different body. Every day a different life. Every day in love with the same girl."
Spice Level
Synopsis
(Every Day, 2012) Every day A wakes up in a different person's body. Then one day A wakes up as Justin and falls in love with Justin's girlfriend, Rhiannon. How can A truly be themselves and love when they are always in someone else, every day?
(Another Day, 2015) Taking place at the same time as Every Day, Rhiannon has one perfect day with Justin ... a day Justin doesn't remember. But then a stranger approaches Rhiannon and tells her the person she had the perfect day with wasn't Justin at all, and Rhiannon starts to question everything.
Awards
- Andre Norton Nebula Award for Middle Grade and Young Adult Fiction, Nomination (2012, Every Day)
- ALA's Best Fiction for Young Adults (2012, Every Day)
- New Atlantic Independent Booksellers Association Award—Young Adult (2013, Every Day)
Spotlight
Every Day is such a unique love story from the perspective of A. A has no gender, except whosever body they inhabit that day. The narrative goes beyond a person's skin color, body shape, and even gender. “If I woke up in a different body every day—if you never knew what I was going to look like tomorrow—would you still love me?” (pg. 302) It's an impossible love overcoming impossible odds.
And of course, if you read Every Day, you also need to read it's companion, Another Day, which tells the same story but from the perspective of Rhiannon. Who doesn't love both sides of a story?!
Additional Information
Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender
"Felix Love has never been in love—and, yes, he's painfully aware of the irony."
Spice Level
Synopsis
Felix Love desperately wants to find someone to love, but being Black, queer, and transgender he feels marginalized. But when a mysterious person posts pictures of Felix's deadname and pre-transition photos, Felix is out for revenge. What he doesn't plan for is landing in a quasi-love triangle and navigating complicated feelings leading him on a journey of self-discovery.
Awards
- GoodReads Nominee for Best Young Adult Fiction (2020)
- Stonewall Book Awards - Mike Morgan & Larry Romans Children’s & Young Adult Literature Award Honors (2021)
- YALSA Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers (2021)
- BookList Best Fiction for Young Adults (2021)
Spotlight
The author, Kacen Callender (they/them and he/him) is Black, queer, and trans just like the main character. The Own Voices representation brings depth and beauty to gender identity. Felix's loneliness is heartbreaking yet completely relatable as you listen to his inner thoughts as he struggles with transphobia and his identity, bringing up a lot that can be hard to read. Yet the story ends with a heartwarming tug on your emotions.
Additional Information
Misfit in Love by S. K. Ali
"Janna Yusuf is so excited for the weekend: her brother Muhammad is getting married, and she's reuniting with her mom, whom she's missed the whole summer."
Spice Level
Synopsis
Love is in the air during the preparations for Janna's brother's wedding ... or is it? While her brother is set to be married, Janna's love interest (her sweet, constant Nuah) is treating her differently and everyone around her seems to be acting strange as well. Could this summer of love be summer of bummer?
Awards
- Kansas NEA Reading Circle List Starred High School Title (2021)
- Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year Selection Title (2021)
Spotlight
This Own Voices romance highlights relationships over sexual desires. It shows a positive representation of muslim teenagers who wear hijabi and also deals with racism, divorce, and self-discovery. It weaves in faith, family life, and different kinds of love. While it's classified as "romance" it also teaches that it is okay to let people go / loose touch with people and find new people in your life as you keep the good memories to hold on to.
Additional Information
When the Vibe is Right by Sarah Dass
"Bacchanal. ... A Trinidadian term used to refer to an incident involving scandal, conflict, or disorder. A large celebration. Total confusion. Much ado about a whole lot of nothing."
Spice Level
Synopsis
Tess Crawford knows two things: (1) she is destined to be a great Carnival costume designer (like her uncle), and (2) Brandon Richards (the rival band's son) is the worst. But when they have to team up to save Grandeur (her family's masquerade band), it's more than just sequins that sparkles in this enemies-to-lovers romance.
Awards
- YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults (2023)
- Junior Library Guild Selection Young Adult Selection (2023)
Spotlight
An Own Voices spotlight on Caribbean (Trinidad) culture, highlighting the old Carnival with the new age evolution. It details the design and creation of Carnival costumes and culture which is a joy to read. Inspired by Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing, it's a slow-burn romance with the exuberant spectacle of Mardi Gras.
Additional Information
Ryan and Avery by David Levithan
"When Ryan and Avery meet at a queer prom, they feel an instant connection."
Spice Level
Synopsis
Ryan and Avery meet at a queer prom. This novel is about their first 10 dates, in non-chronological order, showing their fears, difficulties, and hopes for the future.
Awards
- Junior Library Guild Selection Pick (2023)
Spotlight
What do we love about romance books? Sure the anticipated happy ending, but what about that feeling you get when the main characters meet? What about their beginnings when love is new, fears and insecurities are high, and hope is on the horizon? That's what you get with Ryan and Avery. It's a coming of age story of two queer (gay / trans) teenage boys as they handle homophobia, bullying, and unsupportive parents. "There is always a need for navigation. There is always a need for steadying." (pg. 307)
Additional Information
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