Let’s be honest—we all have a favorite YA romance trope we can’t resist. Tell us your romance trope of choice (your secret is safe with us), and discover your next favorite novel! Whether it’s second-chance romance or forbidden love, we’ve got a YA book rec that you’ll adore.
YA Romance Trope: Second-chance romance
Book Rec: Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute by Talia Hibbert
If you love second chances as much as we do, then you’re going to adore Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute! It’s about ex-best friends Bradley and Celine who are forced to work together when they both sign up for a survival course in the woods. These two teens must trudge through not just mud and dirt but their messy past. And as this adventure brings them closer together, they begin to remember the good bits of their history. But has too much time passed . . . or just enough to spark a whole new kind of relationship? If you need a story about the ups and downs of love and friendship, you’ll love this book!
YA Romance Trope: Not looking for love
Book Rec: Queen Bee by Amalie Howard
Lady Ela Dalvi’s life was forever changed when her best friend betrayed her without qualm over a boy, the son of a duke. Ela was sent away to the countryside in disgrace. Now, nearly three years later, eighteen-year-old Ela is consumed with one goal: revenge. With an audacious plan to get even, Ela disguises herself as a mysterious heiress and infiltrates London’s elite. But when Ela reunites with the only boy she’s ever loved, she begins to question whether vengeance is still her greatest desire. In this complicated game of real-life chess, Ela must choose her next move: Finally bring down the queen or capture the king’s heart?
YA Romance Trope: Dating on vacation
Book Rec: Well, That Was Unexpected by Jesse Q. Sutanto
To ensure that their children find the right kind of romantic partner, Sharlot’s mother and George’s father do what any “good” parent would do: they strike up a conversation online, pretending to be their children. When the teens find out about their parents’ actions, they’re horrified. Not even a trip to one of the most romantic places on earth could possibly make Sharlot and George fall for each other. But as the layers peel back and the person they thought they knew from online is revealed, the truth becomes more complicated. As unlikely as it may seem, did their parents manage to find their true match after all? Snuggle up with this laugh-out-loud romance novel about fabricated love turning real while on vacation.
YA Romance Trope: Fake dating
Book Rec: Fake Dates and Mooncakes by Sher Lee
Dylan Tang wants to win a Mid-Autumn Festival mooncake-making competition for teen chefs—in memory of his mom, and to bring much-needed publicity to his aunt’s struggling Chinese takeout in Brooklyn. Enter Theo Somers: charming, wealthy, with a smile that makes Dylan’s stomach do backflips. Their worlds are sun-and-moon apart, but then Theo convinces Dylan to be his fake date at a family wedding in the Hamptons. In Theo’s glittering world of pomp, privilege, and crazy rich drama, their romance is supposed to be just pretend . . . but Dylan finds himself falling for Theo. For real. But with the mooncake contest looming, can Dylan save his family’s business and follow his heart—or will he fail to do both?
YA Romance Trope: Forbidden romance
Book Rec: The Borrow a Boyfriend Club by Page Powars
Noah Byrd is the perfect boy. At least, that’s what he needs to convince his new classmates of to prove his gender. His plan? Join the school’s illustrious (and secret) Borrow a Boyfriend Club, whose members rent themselves out for dates. But when Noah’s interview is a flop, he strikes a deal with the club’s prickly but attractive president, Asher. Noah will help them win an annual talent show—and in return, he’ll get a second shot to demonstrate his boyfriend skills in a series of tests that include romancing Asher himself. If Noah can’t bring home the win, his best chance to prove that he’s man enough is gone. Yet even if he succeeds, he still loses . . . because the most important rule of the Borrow a Boyfriend Club is simple: no real boyfriends (or girlfriends) allowed.
Discover more of your favorite romance tropes in these titles!
