In honor of Teen Thursday and Bookstore Romance Day this Saturday, we’re sharing some of our favorite YA romcoms! Bookseller AND Teen Press Corps approved! See any of your own favorites?
Counting Down with You by Tashie Bhuiyan
“I loved this book!! Karina is a Bangladeshi Muslim girl struggling with her parents’ strict expectations. She is yet another strong and brave heroine that is written so painfully real. Karina deals with anxiety, and as I struggle with anxiety myself, I really relate to her emotions, thoughts, and different methods to help ground her. Along with the great anxiety representation, there’s a lot of Bangladeshi culture entwined throughout the book, which is refreshing to read. There’s a diverse list of side characters as well, and I enjoyed reading relatable text messages from Karina and her friends… Lastly, the romance: Ace Clyde is everything you could ever wish for in a boy, and he constantly sees the light in Karina and respects her. He’s also a well fleshed out character, and his story is equally as entertaining. Ace makes such sweet gestures, and I was pretty much swooning the entire book.” – Andi P., Teen Press Corps
Instructions for Dancing by Nicola Yoon
“What a beautiful book! I felt totally devastated but also uplifted by the ending. There’s romance, magical realism, a touch of ballroom dancing, and an incredibly poignant lesson about how love (romantic and otherwise) is worth all the endings and all the pain that we inevitably endure as a result. This one may well be my favorite of Nicola Yoon’s books.” – Olivia, Bookseller
Meet Cute Diary by Emery Lee
“Noah is a fantastic YA protagonist, lovably and understandingly ignorant about his romantic future without being annoyingly so. The book slips in red flags and red herrings in fairly obvious ways, but it made the story no less entertaining. Meet Cute Diary is a perfect summer book that encapsulates the time sweetly, where aspiration meets real life and in the end, love is what truly matters.” – Ivy M., Teen Press Corps
Flash Fire by TJ Klune
“Nick Bell and Pyro Storm are back in this hilarious, lovable, action-packed follow-up to The Extraordinaries. TJ Klune has created this lovely world that feels REAL; our characters are dealing with homophobia, racism and police brutality, having sex for the first time, as well as the anxiety of prom and moving away for college just like real life teens– oh, and there are superheroes involved. Both books in the series are reminiscent of Spiderman: Homecoming except a lot more Seth Cohen than Tom Holland, with a heartwarming queer love story to boot, not to mention great friendships, neurodiversity rep, and father-son relationship.” – Eugenia, Bookseller
Hani and Ishu’s Guide to Fake Dating by Adiba Jaigirdar
“When Adiba Jaigirdar says TROPES, you LISTEN! Admit it! You live for tropes! With her attention to detail, every word infused with love for her culture, Hani & Ishu’s Guide to Fake Dating is a wholly unique story with a self aware use of cliches. I loved every second and am now a forever fan of her work!” – Gina, Bookseller
Instant Karma by Marissa Meyer
“The book is the epitome of witty banter and I am here for it. Overall, Instant Karma is everything I love in a contemporary book: unique characters, complicated family dynamics, hilarious banter, and an unexpected, feel-good love story. Without a doubt this book receives 5/5 stars and a glowing recommendation for your first summer read from me. I enjoyed every page of this book and savored a story centered around such fantastic characters and themes of change, understanding, and advocacy. Instant Karma truly tackles the importance of listen first, judge later, and reveals the passions people hold beyond initial impressions.” – Colleen, Teen Press Corps
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