Do you find yourself swooning over every cheesy, adorable romance in young adult literature? Are you a fan of Kacie West’s heartwarming, feel-good stories that make you believe in love? Well then, I have five book recommendations that are perfect for you.
About the Book
Kisses and Croissants by Anne-Sophie Jouhanneau
Genre: YA Contemporary Romance
Book Review
Ah Paris! The perfect place to set a sweet romance.
Mia arrives in Paris for an intensive six-week summer ballet program. Representatives from the top ballet companies attend the final performance of Swan Lake and invite dancers to auditions. It’s Mia’s chance to make her dreams come true.
But when Mia meets the handsome Louis on the steps of the Academy, she thinks she might have time for a distraction. Especially when Louis offers to help her investigate the family legend that one of Mia’s ancestors was a ballerina who posed for the famed painter Desgas. Mia believes this will prove ballet is in her blood and her destiny.
I loved seeing Paris through Mia’s eyes! And her romance with Louis was so sweet! Those two are adorbs, even when dealing with the inevitable complications that come their way.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
A Show for Two
About the Book
A Show for Two by Tashie Bhuiyan
Genre: YA Contemporary
Book Review
This is a fun take on the enemies-to-lovers trope.
Mina has a plan. She’s focused on winning a film competition so she can escape her strict Muslim parents who care more about appearances than Mina’s dreams and happiness. Mina’s plans for her school year definitely do not include babysitting an Indie film star going undercover at her high school. In fact, she despises him. Mina and Emmitt have the opposite of a meet-cute when she crashes into him on the street, and he assumes she’s a crazed celebrity stalker.
But it turns out they both need each other. Mina needs Emmitt to guest star in the film club’s film to ensure they win the competition, and Emmitt needs a guide around NYC for a photography contest who won’t rat him out to his mom.
Their banter is to die for. I loved the natural feel of the progression from enemies who despised each other to friends to more than friends. They are an adorable couple!
The city of New York was almost a character in this book, too. As Mina tours Emmitt around the city, the readers get a peak at places that only the locals know about. We also see its beauty and wonder through Emmitt’s photographer eye.
Mina’s torn between love for her friends and sister and the bright new future she’s imagined for herself in California.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Never Vacation with Your Ex
About the Book
Never Vacation with Your Ex by Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka
Genre: YA Contemporary
Book Review
A cute romance about a perfection freak who can’t date for long because love is messy.
Kaylee’s just broken up with Dean, but their families refuse to cancel the joint yearly vacation. Now Kaylee’s stuck spending time in the same house as him! Not even the beautiful California ocean can be enough to make that bearable when it’s clear Dean’s still hurting. Kaylee’s a take-charge personality, so she decides the perfect solution is giving Dean her lessons on how to get over a break-up. But spending time together makes her tap back into her messy, messy emotions.
Dean’s a super-sweet, nerdy guy who somehow is the perfect foil to competitive, driven, athletic Kaylee. He’s the yin to her yang. There’s a side plot about the mothers’ different choices in life – going pro in volleyball vs. not – and it reflects on how Kaylee and Dean treat their life passions. It takes Kaylee a long, long time to figure out what she really wants when it comes to Dean, but it’s worth watching her get there.
A perfect summer beach read.
Thank you to the publisher for the advance review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Check & Mate
About the Book
Check & Mate
Genre: YA Contemporary Romance
Book Review
One of the best simmering YA romances of the year.
When Mallory agrees to play in a chess tournament, it’s only as a favor to her best friend who’s leaving. Mallory left that world behind a long time ago, when her father broke her heart. Now, she’s working to keep her family afloat, with a sick mother who struggles to work and two sisters who she’s attempting to shelter from worries.
But when Mallory ends up beating Nolan Sawyer, who’s been the reigning chess champion for seven years, she’s captured the attention of the world she left behind. A chess club offers her a too-good-to-be true fellowship, and as she begins to collect prize money, she sees a way out of her family’s troubles. But both chess and Nolan are beating at the closed door of her heart, trying to worm their way in.
I loved the author’s description of Nolan’s intensity and drive, and how he finds his match in Mallory. Mallory’s great as the daughter trying so hard to take care of everyone else that she has no time for herself. When they both begin to open up to each other, sparks fly.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
When You Wish Upon a Lantern
About the Book
When You Wish Upon a Lantern by Gloria Chao
Genre: YA Contemporary Romance
Book Review
As sweet as a cinnamon roll, this YA romance centers two teens who love their community and each other, but don’t dare admit it. With a dash of humor and a generous helping of lyrical lines, this author has written romance to remember.
Kai and Liya are best friends, but their families are rivals, a long-standing feud ignited by trash in a shared alleyway and an exploding dumpster. When a hilarious-for-the-reader misunderstanding pulls them apart, it takes Liya discovering her family’s shop is in crisis to pull them together. Together, they find new ways to pull their Chinatown community together through cultural festivals and granting wishes while they work to save Liya’s grandmother’s beloved business.
The cutest part of this book is the wishes. Liya and Kai work as wish fairies behind the scenes to help the wishes people write on the lanterns come true. In addition to playing matchmaker for elderly couples, they also get a dog adopted and help a boy’s father accept his dreams of playing basketball. A few nudges, a little manipulation and presto, wish granted! But the biggest question is: will Liya and Kai ever get the courage to grant their own wish and be together?
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Need more to read? Find all my YA romance recommendations here.
As a Clevr Blends affiliate, I may earn commission from qualifying purchases made after clicking links in this post. All opinions are my own.
