Recent Favorite YA Romances!
Since it is almost Valentine's Day, we are focusing on romance, and if you have ever visited WLABB before, you know I love romance. My favorites are the terribly sweet romances, that leave me with a sappy smile and a bursting heart. There is romance in many of my favorite books, but I tried to select books that were focused on the romance.
Wendelin Van Draanen
Series: n/a
Publisher: Knopf
This is technically a middle grades book, but what a sweet and precious little romance it is. I loved how these two had this flip of their emotions and they matured and began to really see each other. But you know what really got me? The grand gesture! I was pretty floored by a middle grades book have a grand gesture, but I'll take it, because I love that stuff.
Rachel Allen
Series: n/a
Publisher: Amulet Books
Another great book, where we meet the protagonists when they are young, and follow them for several years as their relationship grows and changes. This is a friends-to-more story, that just won me over. It was painful at times, but the ending was perfection.
Stephanie Kate Strohm
Series: n/a
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Strohm's last three books should technically make my list, because they were all so much fun, but I picked this one, because it was probably my favorite of the three. Like all her books, this was charming and witty and filled with great banter, but it also featured a sweet romance, which warmed my heart.
Emma Mills
Series: n/a
Publisher: Henry Holt
Emma Mills sure knows how to write fabulous characters, who you want to be BFFs with, but she also gave me a bunch of romances in this book. I was able to ship all the couples, and the main romance was so adorably awkward and just perfect.
Sara Barnard
Series: n/a
Publisher: Simon Pulse
This one left in the happiest of happy tears. I my heart actually exploded, while I read this one, because it was so precious and splendid. This was the story of first love that everyone should be so lucky to experience. It just gave me all sorts of happy feels.
Sara Jade Alan
Series: n/a
Publisher: Entangled TEEN
Entangled romances are always fun and sweet, but this one was a little different, because one of the protagonists was dealt a cancer diagnosis early in the story, which I think added a little more drama to the romance, but it was handled really well. I just adored watching the romance between Ellie and Craig blossom and yeah, I shed some happy tears.
Christina Lauren
Series: n/a
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Tanner and Sebastian totally own a piece of my heart. This was another sweet romance, which unfolded slowly and with a lot of caution, as Sebastian had to work out his issues with his sexuality. These two had obstacles to overcome, and I was rooting for them the whole time.
Ashley Poston
Series: n/a
Publisher: Quirk Books
What's more romantic, than falling for someone you never met? This romance was cultivated largely via text message, and that texting-romance made my heart pitter patter. I will also say that I was NOT disappointed when they finally met face to face. So fun and adorable and it made me feel great!
Meg Leder
Series: n/a
Publisher: Simon Pulse
In case you didn't notice, I have a weakness for friends-to-more romances, and this one was so smart, funny, sweet, and adorable, that I had to include it. These characters were interesting and had lots of quirks, and though it was hard watching them drift apart, it was a delight when they finally realized what was always there.
Jennifer E. Smith
Series: n/a
Publisher: Poppy
I have many 5-star JES reads, but this one is one I remember most fondly. One accidental email turned into a little on-line romance, which turned into a real-life romance. It was light, breezy, and I just loved spending time with Ellie and Graham.
Flipped is such an adorable book! I loved it as a kid, and I figured when I reread it as an adult I wouldn't like it, but it was still great!
ReplyDeleteThat book was so, so precious, and I went and watched the movie last night. It was also, so, so precious. It's all the ways she "flipped" the characters. It wasn't just about this crush, but about how they saw the world and the people in their world. Watching their views of people and things change was such a powerful way to show us them growing up. This is on my list of books I can gush about.
DeleteI agree with you about A Quiet Kind of Thunder. Such a lovely story. I still have Foolish Hearts, Geekerella, and Autoboyography on my TBR so it's good to know they're favorites of yours :)
ReplyDeleteHow perfect was A Quite Kind of Thunder? I can't stop gushing over that book. If you have those books, you should try to work them in, because all three were fabulous feel-good books.
DeleteLove love Foolish Hearts and Autoboyography. Taxonomy of Love and Prince in Disguise are two I need to get to ASAP. The Museum of Heartbreak and This is What Happy Looks Like are two I have but need to get to. Great list!!
ReplyDeleteTaxonomy will make you cry, and Prince will make you laugh a lot. So, pick your poison. If you can make it happen and you are in the mood for something light and happy, I think TMoH and TiWHLL will be pleasing to you.
DeleteI have only read Foolish Hearts, Autoboyography and Queens of Geek from your list, but I loved them too. I need to look into Prince in Disguise. It sounds so cute!
ReplyDeleteStrohm is hilarious and Prince was so funny, heartwarming, and sweet. If you like that sort of think, you would appreciate that book.
DeleteThe Museum of Heartbreak and Flipped both look adorable and I need them in my life. Foolish Hearts was a big YES for me. I loved all the couples too-- and the awkwardness!!!
ReplyDeleteFlipped is legit one of the sweetest books I have ever read. It delivered feels similar to that of Wonder. TMoH was fabulous. I read it quite a while ago and can still call up those feels. Mills knows how to write fabulous characters. Foolish Hearts was perfection.
DeleteI haven't read any of these, but they look great and a few of them are on my TBR list.
ReplyDeleteI hope you get to try one (or more). These all made me really happy.
DeleteI'm currently listening to the audio version of Geekerella and it's so cute!
ReplyDeleteHere is our Top Ten Tuesday. Thanks!
Yeah! I loved Geekerella. So fun and adorable. I was actually sad that Poston's new book was not a contemporary, because I love her contemporaries so much.
DeleteFlipped looks adorable, and Geekerella and Foolish Hearts both look nice too. :)
ReplyDeleteI read Flipped and then found the movie on HBO on Demand. So, I had a sweetness overload. It just made me so happy.
DeleteGeekerella was adorable and I keep meaning to read Autoboyography! I've also heard really good things about Foolish Hearts.
ReplyDeleteKaren @ For What It's Worth
Geekerella was terribly adorable. Both Autoboyography and Foolish Hearts were spectacular reads.
DeleteCute picks! All new to me ones since I don't read contemps! Though I find a surprisingly good amount of paranormal/fantasy reads with good romances in them too!
ReplyDeleteHere's my Tuesday Post
Have a GREAT day!
Old Follower :)
I read almost all contemporaries. I used to read a lot of paranormal romance back when I first started pleasure reading again, and I definitely have a few faves (Beautiful Creatures, Bloodlines, VA, TID, Parasol Protectorate)
DeleteGreat list! I haven’t read any of these, but I’ve heard of all of them. I’m so behind on my YA reading!
ReplyDeleteAj @ Read All The Things!
I know you are taking that YA break.
DeleteWow, how have I managed to not read ANY of these yet!? That is a huge fail on my part, especially since most of them are on my list- and my shelf! I am super excited for Autoboyography, A Quiet Kind of Thunder, The Museum of Heartbreak, and Foolish Hearts! Great choices!!
ReplyDeleteYou see, these are all contemporaries, and you've been busy reading SFF. Autoboyography was such a standout from 2017 for me. Besides the fact that the romance and the family relations were so fantastic, the authors handled the religious aspect well. The other 3 books were just so sweet and precious and feel good. My heart is pitter-pattering just thinking about them.
DeleteAutoboyography is still fresh enough that I’m still feeling all gushy over it. My heart broke for Tanner and Sebastian so many times. And there was one line in particular from Sebastian that cued up a little sob-fest. I’d love to revisit them in a few years and see how they’re doing. One can hope! :)
ReplyDeleteI read that book last year, and I still get gushy about it. Yes. A follow up would be amazing.
DeleteI've never read Flipped but I loved that author's Sammy Keyes series. :)
ReplyDeleteI want to read more of her books, because this one touched me so much.
DeleteFlipped is one of the sweetest books I've ever read. Have you seen the movie? It's actually a pretty good adaptation.
ReplyDeleteSeriously! That book is up there with Wonder for feel-good feels. I just watched the movie this week, and was very impressed with the adaptation. They really captured the beauty of the story. I was surprise though, because I thought the book was contemporary, not historical (was that just for me movie or did I miss something?)
DeleteIt is contemporary, they changed the time period for the sake of the movie.
DeleteThat's what I thought! I remember them talking about listening to music with headphones and loud, thrashing music. I'm old, so I always worry that maybe I am remembering wrong. XD
DeleteWhen I read the author's note, and found out there was a movie, I found it on HBO and watched it (on Monday as a matter of fact). It was a very good adaptation. They really kept a lot of the book in tact. I think they changed the time period though, which was an interesting choice, but I guess it fit how wholesome the story was. It read as contemporary, but I may be wrong. I also liked that they gave us that last scene in the film. The book is left more open ended, but I totally need that scene. And yes! I do need to read Roomies.
ReplyDeleteI loved Geekerella. Prince in Disguise is on sale so I grabbed a copy. I can't wait to read this now.
ReplyDeleteI just saw Prince was $0.99. I promise, you will laugh a lot. Strohm is absolutely hilarious, and the story was fun and sweet. Lots of quirky characters. I am a huge fan of the author.
DeleteI haven't managed to read ANY of these (though several are on my TBR), but I did recently get A Quiet Kind of Thunder from the library after reading your review!
ReplyDeleteNicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction
AQKoT is such a feel good book. Aww, heck, these are all feel good books, but AQKoT has a lot to offer in terms of the way Barnard explores this romance, mental health, and Deaf culture. This one really captured my heart.
DeleteGeekerella was so much fun, and very cute.
ReplyDeleteI haven't read flipped but I do have a soft spot for that author's Sammy Keyes series. :)
I loved Flipped so much, and from what I heard, it was an "it" book when my daughter was younger. Absolutely one of the most precious, charming books I have read. I will definitely check out more from that author.
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