Books
15 Romantic YA Novels To Warm You Up In A Blizzard
Sometimes, it snows. And sometimes that snow comes in the middle of March when all you want is spring flowers and sunshine, and times can start to feel pretty tough. That's when it's time to pull out the big guns... a fluffy blanket, a mug of something hot, and a good old fashioned obsession-worthy, romantic young adult novel.
Whether you've read them 100 times before or are picking one up for the first time, there is something super cozy about losing yourself in a sweet (or steamy) love story. There is something for everyone on this list of fifteen favorites, from secret romance and first love to friends who turn into something more and enemies who find themselves in each other's arms. Whatever mood you're in, there's a YA romance to fulfill your need for something seriously swoon-worthy.
And, if you're just looking for a little taste of the love, keep scrolling to the very end of this list. We've got link to a couple of excerpts from two super exciting upcoming releases that are just as ship-worthy as any of our old favorites. So ignore the piles of slush accumulating on the ground outside and get comfortable on the couch... you're not going to be able to put these books down.
1'Amy & Roger's Epic Detour' by Morgan Matson
Amy Curry is not looking forward to her summer. Her mother has decided to move across the country and now it's Amy's responsibility to get their car from California to Connecticut. But there's one problem. Since her father died in a car accident, she hasn't been able to get behind the wheel. Enter Roger, an old family friend who also has to make the cross-country trip... with plenty of baggage of his own. The road home may be unfamiliar, especially as their friendship starts venturing into uncharted territory, but together, Amy and Roger will figure out how to map their way to a new destination.
2'Eleanor & Park' by Rainbow Rowell
Set over the course of one school year, this is the story of two star-crossed sixteen-year-olds: Eleanor, with red hair and the wrong clothes and a rough home life, and Park, who looks different from everyone else and acts different than what is expected of him. They're both smart enough to know that first love almost never lasts... but that doesn't mean that they're not brave and desperate enough to try.
3'The Truth Of Right Now' by Kara Lee Corthron
Lily is returning to her privileged Manhattan high school after a harrowing end to her sophomore year, and it’s not pretty. Her friends are either not speaking to her or suffocating her, and nothing seems to give her joy anymore. Enter Dari, the artistic and mysterious transfer student. Dari is everything that Lily needs: bright, creative, honest, and unpredictable. And in a school where no one really stands out, Dari finds Lily magnetic. Their attraction ignites, and for the first time in forever, they find happiness in each other. In twenty-first-century New York City, the fact that Lily is white and Dari is black shouldn’t matter that much, but nothing is as simple as it seems. When tragedy strikes, can their friendship survive even if their romance can't?
4'Everything Leads To You' by Nina LaCour
Emi has already started to find her way in the competitive Hollywood film world as a wunderkind young set designer. She is a serious film buff and a true romantic, but her real-life relationships are always a total mess. But then a mysterious letter from a silver screen legend leads Emi to Ava. Ava is unlike anyone Emi has ever met. She's enigmatic and beautiful but has a tumultuous, not-so-glamorous past, and lives an unconventional life. And she is about to change everything Emi thought she knew about family, acceptance, and the true meaning of romance.
5'Aristotle And Dante Discover The Secrets Of The Universe' by Benjamin Alire Saenz
Aristotle is an angry teen with a brother in prison and a father with PTSD. Dante is a know-it-all who has an unusual way of looking at the world. When the two meet at the swimming pool one summer, they seem to have nothing in common. But as they start spending more time together, they discover that they share a special friendship... the kind that changes lives and lasts a lifetime. It is through this friendship that Ari and Dante will learn the most important truths about themselves, their loved ones, and the kind of people they really want to be.
6'Look Both Ways' by Alison Cherry
Look Both Ways follows Brooklyn Shepard during a summer away from the city, what she thinks will be the beginning of everything. Her theater apprenticeship is a chance to prove that she can carve out a niche all her own, surrounded by people who don’t know anything about her or her family of superstar performers. Brooklyn immediately hits it off with her roommate, Zoe, and soon their friendship turns into something more. Brooklyn wants to see herself as someone who’s open to everything and everyone, but as her feelings for Zoe intensify, so do her doubts. She’s happier than she’s ever been — but is it because of her new relationship? Or is it because she’s finally discovering who she wants to be?
7'The Weight Of Feathers' by Anna-Marie McLemore
The Palomas and the Corbeaus have been rivals and enemies for over a generation, locked in an ever escalating feud. Both families make their living as traveling performers in competing shows—the Palomas swimming in mermaid exhibitions, the Corbeaus, former tightrope walkers, performing in the tallest trees. Lace Paloma is new to her family’s show, but she knows as well as anyone that the Corbeaus are pure magia negra, black magic from the devil himself. Just touching one could mean death, and she's been taught from birth to keep away. But when disaster strikes, it’s a Corbeau boy, Cluck, who saves Lace’s life. And his touch immerses her in their world, where falling for him could turn his own family against him, and one misstep can be just as dangerous on the ground as it is in the trees.
8'Simon Vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda' by Becky Albertalli
When one of not-so-openly gay Simon Spier's emails falls into the wrong hands, his secret is at risk of being thrust into the spotlight. Simon is actually being blackmailed: if he doesn’t play wing man for his classmate Martin, his sexual identity will become everyone’s business. Worse, the privacy of Blue, the pen name of the boy he’s been emailing, will be compromised. With some messy dynamics emerging in his group of friends, and his emails with Blue growing more flirtatious every day, Simon’s junior year has suddenly gotten super complicated. Now, change-averse Simon has to find a way to step out of his comfort zone before he’s pushed out — without alienating his friends, compromising himself, or fumbling a shot at happiness with the most confusing, adorable guy he’s never met.
9'To All The Boys I've Loved Before' by Jenny Han
Lara Jean, has never openly admitted her crushes, but instead wrote each boy a letter about how she felt, sealed it, and hid it in a box under her bed. But one day Lara Jean discovers that somehow her secret box of letters has been mailed, causing all of her crushes from her past to confront her about the letters: her first kiss, the boy from summer camp, even her sister's ex-boyfriend, Josh. As she learns to deal with her past loves face to face, Lara Jean discovers that something good may come out of these letters after all.
10'Everything, Everything' by Nicola Yoon
Madeline's disease is as rare as it is famous. She has SCID, also know as "bubble baby" disease. She is allergic to the world and hasn't been able to leave her house in seventeen years. The only people she ever sees are her mom and her nurse, Carla. But then one day, a moving truck arrives next door. A new family is moving in... including the very tall, very cute, very broody Olly. He catches Madeline looking at him from the window, and they soon start sending each other messages online. But when her feelings for Olly lead Madeline to take the biggest risk of her life, will it all be worth it?
11'Emmy & Oliver' by Robin Benway
Emmy just wants to be in charge of her own life. She wants to stay out late, surf her favorite beach — go anywhere without her parents’ relentless worrying. But Emmy’s parents can’t seem to let her grow up — not since the day Oliver disappeared. But suddenly Oliver is back after being kidnapped by his father ten years ago. Emmy and Oliver were going to be best friends forever, or maybe even more, before their futures were ripped apart. In Emmy’s soul, despite the space and time between them, their connection has never been severed. But is their story still written in the stars? Or are their hearts like the pieces of two different puzzles — impossible to fit together?
12'The Distance Between Us' by Kasie West
Seventeen-year-old Caymen Meyers studies the rich like her own personal science experiment, and after years of observation she’s pretty sure they’re only good for one thing — spending money on useless stuff, like the porcelain dolls in her mother’s shop. So when Xander Spence walks into the store to pick up a doll for his grandmother, it only takes one glance for Caymen to figure out he’s oozing rich. Despite his charming ways, she’s smart enough to know his interest won’t last. But Xander keeps coming around, despite her best efforts to scare him off. And much to her dismay, she's beginning to enjoy his company. But just when her feelings for Xander are about to convince Caymen that there is more to him than just being rich, she finds out that money is a much bigger part of their relationship than she’d ever realized. And that Xander’s not the only one she should’ve been worried about.
13'Anna And The French Kiss' by Stephanie Perkins
Anna is looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. Which is why she is less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris — until she meets Étienne St. Clair. Smart, charming, beautiful, Étienne has it all — including a serious girlfriend. But in the City of Light, wishes have a way of coming true. Will a year of romantic near-misses end with their long-awaited French kiss or is heartbreak all that's on the horizon?
14'When Dimple Met Rishi' by Sandhya Menon (May 30, 2017)
When Dimple Met Rishi is a YA romantic comedy about two Indian-American teens whose parents have arranged for them to be married. Dimple Shah has just graduated and she is on her to a summer program for aspiring web developers. She's so ready to get a break from her family and their expectations... especially finding the "Ideal Indian Husband." But Rishi Patel is on his way to the same summer program. And his parents have already informed him that his future wife will be there, too, and he's got to woo her. Rishi wants to be arranged. He believes in the power of tradition, stability, and in being a part of something bigger than himself. Dimple and Rishi may think they have each other figured out. But when opposites clash, love can work in the most unexpected ways. Bustle has an excerpt right here.
15'The Gentleman's Guide To Vice And Virtue' by Mackenzi Lee (June 27, 2017)
Mackenzi Lee's The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue is going to be one of your favorite reads of 2017, we can almost guarantee it. Henry “Monty” Montague who was born and bred to be a gentleman, but neither the finest boarding schools in England or his father's the constant disapproval have been able to curb any of his roguish passions: gambling halls, drinking, and waking up in the arms of women and men. Soon, Monty is sent on a grand tour of Europe, along with his little sister and his best friend, Percy, on whom he is nursing an impossible crush. Though he is expected to take over the family’s estate upon his return, he vows to make this yearlong escapade one last hedonistic hurrah. But when one of Monty’s reckless decisions turns their trip into a harrowing manhunt, everything he knows is called into question, including his relationship with Percy. This is a witty, romantic, sumptuous romp that you won't be able to put down. And you can check out an excerpt right here.
