This Valentine's Day, instead of snuggling up with a date, snuggle up with a good book. I know that's what I'll probably be doing (No, this is not a cry for help). In all seriousness though, there are so many amazing novels that are full of meet-cutes, first kisses, and all things romance. There's also no better genre at these books than Young Adult. I've compiled a love-filled list of some fantastic rom-coms (and a few that would be more considered romantic dramas) that you should pick up this February. A few notes first- I don't repeat books, so if your favorite didn't make this list, then it might be on one of my other book ones. Also these are all YA contemporaries; I'm not big into sci-fi or fantasy. Happy Valentine's Day & Happy Reading!! (Update: I've tried my best to add trigger warnings to all the books that I remember deal with sensitive topics at some point. I'm sure I forgot some though, so please make sure to look the book up if you're concerned before reading)
1. "It's Not Me, It's You" by Stephanie Kate Strohm
Reason why you should read: It's a short and sweet read about a girl reviewing her entire dating history.
2. "Love and Other Train Wrecks" by Leah Konen
Reason why you should read: This love story takes place on a train, and I just think that makes it much better.
3. "From Twinkle, with Love" by Sandhya Menon
Reason why you should read: Our main character is falling in love with the mystery guy emailing her and pursuing her dreams of being a filmmaker.
4. "The Game Can't Love You Back" by Karole Cozzo
Reason why you should read: The only girl on the baseball team goes from hate to love with the new star pitcher.
5. "Windfall" by Jennifer E. Smith
Reason why you should read: A girl buys her best friend who she's in love with a lottery ticket for his birthday, and he actually wins.
6. "Love, Hate, and Other Filters" by Samira Ahmed
Reason why you should read: A Muslim teen has to deal with family, school, the boy she likes, and the Islamophobia running rampant around her.
7. "I'll Meet You There" by Heather Demetrios
Reason why you should read: Two people going through tough situations fall in love while working at a motel.
8. "Love & Luck" by Jenna Evans Welch
Reason why you should read: While traveling through Ireland, a girl tries to follow a guidebook called Ireland for the Heartbroken.
9. "Technically, You Started It" by Lana Wood Johnson
Reason why you should read: Miscommunication ensues, when a girl thinks she's texting one guy in her class, but she's actually texting another one with the same name.
10. "We Are the Perfect Girl" by Ariel Kaplan
Reason why you should read: This is a Cyrano de Bergerac retelling, where two best friends work together for one to win the affections of the perfect guy.
11. "Alex, Approximately" by Jenn Bennett
Reason why you should read: Another novel full of miscommunication, because here, a girl moves to the same town as her online crush and doesn't realize that she's working with him at her new museum job.
12. "Lucky Caller" by Emma Mills
Reason why you should read: A girl finds love while making a radio show for her radio broadcasting class.
13. "Verona Comics" by Jennifer Dugan (TW: anxiety-related disorders)
Reason why you should read: It's basically Romeo and Juliet but with comic bookstores.
14. "This Is My Brain in Love" by I.W. Gregorio (TW: anxiety-related disorders, depression)
Reason why you should read: Two teens work together to help save one's struggling family restaurant.
15. "Once and For All" by Sarah Dessen
Reason why you should read: A girl spends the summer helping with wedding planning and might just meet the guy of her dreams while still grieving the last one she loved.
16. "Prince Charming" by Rachel Hawkins
Reason why you should read: Our main character's big sister just got engaged to a real prince and now she has to learn how to be royal.
17. "The Beginning of Everything" by Robyn Schneider
Reason why you should read: After suffering a slew of life changes, a boy is swept into a romance with an unpredictable new girl.
18. "By the Book" by Amanda Sellet
Reason why you should read: A girl uses classic novels to provide advice about people's love lives.
19. "Anna K: A Love Story" by Jenny Lee
Reason why you should read: This is a modern retelling of Anna Karenina that takes place in the high society of Manhattan.
20. "Maybe This Time" by Kasie West
Reason why you should read: A southern girl working in a flower shop goes from foes to friends to something more with a rude new guy at each special event in a year.
21. "The Way You Make Me Feel"by Maurene Goo
Reason why you should read: Spending a summer stuck in a food truck with a mean girl sucks, but our main character has caught the eye of a cute boy too.
22. "Our Chemical Hearts" by Krystal Sutherland (TW: PTSD)
Reason why you should read: It might have its own movie, but the book is better (sorry for that cliché) and is about a boy falling in love with a mysterious new girl dealing with trauma.
23. "The Sun is Also A Star" by Nicola Yoon
Reason why you should read: Another movie that was a great book first! It's about two teens that fall in love in the course of one day in New York City before one of them is deported.
24. "Five Feet Apart" by Rachael Lippincott, Mikki Daughtry, Tobias Iaconis
Read why you should read: You've probably heard of this one, but it's a book too! Two teens with cystic fibrosis fall in love even though they aren't allowed to touch.
25. "To All the Boys I've Loved Before" series by Jenny Han
Reason why you should read: Of course, this list could not be complete without one of the most beloved teen rom-com novels of all time and enormous hit on Netflix. In case you don't already know, it's about a girl who writes unsent letters to all of her crushes until the day they are all sent out.
sunrise
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bonfire friends
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sadness
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purple skies
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true love
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My Cheerleader
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womans transformation to happiness and love
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future life together of adventures
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