Valentine’s Day is the perfect time to get in the spirit of love with one of these six romance novels. A variety of novels are featured that portray an array of romantic experiences. From unexpected relationships to academic rivals there is sure to be one that catches your eye.
To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han
The young adult romance novel “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before,” is the first book in the three-part series, written by American author Jenny Han. The novel follows the main character, Laura Jean Song Covey, a 16-year-old girl, who throughout the years wrote love letters to every boy she has ever liked. Jean had never intended to mail any of the letters and stored them in a hat box she kept in her room until one day, she noticed the box was gone. All five of the letters that were in the box had been mailed, causing her love life to take some unexpected turns. The novel was adapted into a movie, which was directed by Susan Johnson and released in 2018. The movie has a 96% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The novel won multiple awards including the ILA Young Adults’ Choices and the Louisiana Young Readers’ Choice Award in 2016. Audiences gave the novel a rating of 4.05/5 on Goodreads.
Heartstopper: Volume One by Alice Oseman
The graphic novel “Heartstopper: Volume One” by Alice Oseman is the first novel in the series and delves into themes of self-acceptance, young love and navigating through high school. Charlie Spring is in his second year of high school at Truham Grammar School for Boys. The previous year, Charlie was sent to this school and was harshly bullied because of it. Charlie ends up meeting Nick Nelson after being assigned to sit next to him in class. Nick is popular and on the school’s rugby team, while Charlie is more introverted. The two end up hitting it off and forming an unlikely friendship. Over time, Charlie starts to develop feelings for Nick but doubts the feelings are reciprocated. The novel was adapted into a Netflix series that came out in 2022 and has a 98% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The book has won multiple awards, including the Readers’ Choice prize at the 2022 Books Are My Bag Readers Awards and the TikTok Book Award for “Best Book I Wish I Could Read Again For The First Time” in 2023. Audiences give the novel a 4.48/5 on Goodreads.
My Mechanical Romance by Alexene Farol Follmuth
From the New York Times bestselling author Alexene Farol Follmuth, also known by her pen name as Olive Blake, the young adult romance novel “My Mechanical Romance” explores the vulnerability of young love. After revealing her hidden talent for engineering, Bel Maier is encouraged to try out for her school’s robotics team. Once on the team, Bel struggles to connect with her teammates, who don’t take her seriously because she is a girl. Bel also butts heads with team captain Mateo Luna, who is very intent on winning nationals. The two end up forming an unlikely friendship that starts to grow into something more. The novel is romantic and fun, but also delves into the discrimination that women in STEM face. Audiences give the novel a 3.88/5 on Goodreads.
Better Than the Movies by Lynn Painter
The young adult novel “Better Than the Movies,” written by Lynn Painter, follows high schooler Liz Bauxbaum who has always been a hopeless romantic and has had a crush on a boy named Micheal for most of her life. After Michael moves back into town, Liz makes it her mission to make him her date at prom and have a storybook prom night. To get closer to Michael, Liz has to befriend her annoying next-door neighbor, Wes Bennet, whom she has never been fond of. As Liz starts to spend more time with Wes to plot to win over Michael, she starts to question her feelings toward who she really likes. Audiences have reviewed this light-hearted rom-com with a 4.29/5 on Goodreads.
Never Ever Getting Back Together by Sophie Gonzales
“Never Ever Getting Back Together” by Sophie Gonzales is a romantic comedy with an unexpected twist. After being cheated on by her ex-boyfriend, Maya Bailey is set on getting revenge. Maya sees her chance after being invited to star on a reality TV dating show to compete for her now-famous ex-boyfriend Jordy’s affection. On the show “Second-Chance Romance,” Maya is competing against five other of Jordy’s exes. While on the show, Maya meets Skye Kaplan, another competitor who hopes to reconnect with Jordy. The two team up to expose Jordy and end up growing closer in the process. Audiences reviewed this fun and humorous novel with a 3.70/5 on Goodreads.
Not Here to Be Liked by Michelle Quach
“Not Here to Be Liked” by Michelle Quach follows the classic “academic rivals” trope between two high school students. Eliza Quan is set on being the next editor-in-chief for her school’s paper, but her plans are hindered after losing the election to ex-jock Len DiMartile. Eliza is angered by the decision since she has more than the required qualifications while Len has little experience. Eliza believes that because Len is a male and “charming,” he won the election. She takes to writing to express her frustration, which later becomes published and goes viral around the school. This leads to Eliza and Len being forced to work together on the paper. While working together, Eliza starts to realize that Len might not be too bad and is actually very smart. Audiences review this novel 3.68/5 on Goodreads.
