Hey there, book lovers! Are you ready to embark on a journey through the magical world of YA romance? If you’re anything like us, there’s nothing quite like curling up with a captivating love story that makes your heart flutter and your cheeks flush. So, without further ado, here are five amazing YA romance authors who are absolute must-reads!

Sarah Dessen:

Ah, Sarah Dessen – the queen of YA romance! If you haven’t delved into her world yet, you’re seriously missing out on relatable characters, heartwarming stories, and just the right amount of swoon-worthy moments. Dessen’s books are like a warm hug on a chilly day – cozy, comforting, and oh-so-romantic. Check them out below:

• That Summer: Fifteen-year-old Haven struggles with her changing family dynamics and unrequited love while spending the summer at her family’s beach house, where she forms an unexpected bond with the enigmatic Sumner family next door.

• Someone Like You: After her best friend Scarlett becomes pregnant and her boyfriend dies in a tragic accident, Halley struggles to navigate the complexities of friendship, love, and loss while discovering her own strength and identity.

• Keeping the Moon: When Colie spends the summer with her eccentric aunt Mira in Colby, she learns valuable lessons about self-acceptance, friendship, and the importance of staying true to oneself.

• Dreamland: After her sister runs away from home, Caitlin feels increasingly isolated and invisible, but finds solace in an intense and ultimately dangerous relationship that forces her to confront the dark realities of love and self-worth.

• This Lullaby: Remy, a cynical and pragmatic girl who doesn’t believe in love, finds herself drawn to Dexter, a charming musician who challenges her beliefs and teaches her the true meaning of romance and vulnerability.

• The Truth About Forever: Following the sudden death of her father, Macy embarks on a transformative journey of self-discovery and healing while working at Wish Catering, where she forms deep connections with a quirky and supportive group of friends.

• Just Listen: After witnessing a traumatic event, Annabel struggles with guilt, secrets, and the pressure to maintain her perfect facade, but finds redemption and healing through her unlikely friendship with Owen, a passionate and perceptive musician.

• Lock and Key: When Ruby is abandoned by her mother and forced to live with her estranged sister, Cora, she learns to confront her past, embrace her new family, and trust in the power of love and forgiveness.

• Along for the Ride: Auden, a studious and sheltered girl, spends the summer in the beach town of Colby, where she discovers the joy of friendship, romance, and late-night adventures while coming to terms with her own insecurities and fears.

• What Happened to Goodbye: After her parents’ divorce, Mclean reinvents herself with each move, but finds unexpected comfort and belonging in the small town of Lakeview, where she learns to confront her past and embrace her true self.

• The Moon and More: As Emaline navigates the complexities of love, family expectations, and her future plans, she grapples with her feelings for her longtime boyfriend, Luke, and the charming outsider, Theo, who challenges her to pursue her dreams and embrace change.

• Saint Anything: Sydney struggles to find her place in her family’s shadow, but finds solace and acceptance in the warm and welcoming Chatham family, where she discovers the healing power of friendship, love, and forgiveness.

• Once and for All: As Louna, a wedding planner’s daughter, helps her mother execute perfect weddings for her clients, she grapples with her own heartache and cynicism towards love, but finds unexpected romance and hope in the charming and persistent Ambrose.

Jenny Han:

Raise your hand if you’ve fallen head over heels for Lara Jean and Peter K.! Jenny Han stole our hearts with her To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before series, and let me tell you, her other books are just as enchanting. With Han, you can expect loveable characters, witty banter, and enough butterflies in your stomach to start a butterfly farm. Seriously, check out her books:

• To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before Series:

1. To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before: Lara Jean Covey’s secret love letters accidentally get sent out to her crushes, leading to a whirlwind of romantic complications as she navigates fake relationships, real feelings, and the unexpected twists of high school romance.
2. P.S. I Still Love You: In this sequel, Lara Jean faces the challenges of a real relationship with Peter Kavinsky while dealing with the reappearance of one of her past crushes, John Ambrose McClaren, forcing her to confront her feelings and insecurities about love.
3. Always and Forever, Lara Jean: Lara Jean prepares for college and the future with Peter, but unexpected changes and decisions threaten to disrupt their plans, forcing her to reevaluate her dreams, priorities, and the enduring strength of their love.

• Summer Series:

1. The Summer I Turned Pretty: Belly spends every summer at the beach house with her family friends, the Fisher brothers, but as she grows older, her feelings for Conrad and Jeremiah become more complicated, leading to a summer of love, heartbreak, and self-discovery.
2. It’s Not Summer Without You: Belly returns to Cousins Beach for the summer, grappling with the aftermath of last year’s events, while Conrad and Jeremiah’s relationship with her and each other becomes increasingly tangled, forcing them to confront their past and their feelings for each other.
3. We’ll Always Have Summer: In the final installment of the series, Belly must make the ultimate choice between Conrad and Jeremiah, while navigating the complexities of family expectations, friendship dynamics, and the bittersweet realities of growing up and moving forward.

• Burn for Burn Series (co-written with Siobhan Vivian):

1. Burn for Burn: Three girls – Kat, Lillia, and Mary – form an unlikely alliance to seek revenge on those who have wronged them, leading to a web of secrets, lies, and unexpected consequences.
2. Fire with Fire: The sequel to Burn for Burn delves deeper into the girls’ quest for revenge, as their actions escalate and tensions rise, threatening to tear apart their fragile alliance and expose the truth behind their schemes.
3. Ashes to Ashes: The final installment of the trilogy brings Kat, Lillia, and Mary’s journey to a thrilling and dramatic conclusion, as they confront the consequences of their actions and face the ultimate test of friendship, loyalty, and redemption.

• Shug: Annemarie “Shug” Wilcox navigates the challenges of middle school, family dynamics, and first crushes while discovering her own strength, resilience, and the true meaning of friendship and love.

Becky Albertalli:

Ready for a dose of pure joy and laughter? Look no further than Becky Albertalli. Whether she’s exploring the ups and downs of teenage romance or making us root for her quirky characters, Albertalli knows how to tug at our heartstrings – and make us snort with laughter at the same time. Have you read any of her books? If not, check out the ones below:

• Simonverse Series:

1. Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda: Simon Spier navigates the challenges of high school, friendships, and romance while keeping his sexual orientation a secret, but when his emails fall into the wrong hands, Simon must step out of his comfort zone to protect his privacy and find love in the most unexpected place.
2. The Upside of Unrequited: Molly Peskin-Suso grapples with unrequited crushes, body image issues, and the complexities of sisterhood while navigating the highs and lows of teenage romance and self-discovery, learning that love comes in many forms and sometimes the perfect match is closer than she thinks.
3. Leah on the Offbeat: In this companion novel to Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda, Leah Burke, Simon’s best friend, navigates the challenges of senior year, friendship dramas, and her own bisexuality, while struggling to find her voice, embrace her identity, and follow her heart.
4. Love, Creekwood: A Simonverse Novella: In this novella set in the Simonverse, Simon Spier and his friends navigate the challenges of long-distance relationships, college applications, and the uncertainties of the future, as they reflect on the importance of love, friendship, and staying true to themselves.

• Yes No Maybe So (with Aisha Saeed): Jamie Goldberg and Maya Rehman, two individuals with contrasting personalities, unite to work on a political campaign, where their friendship blossoms into romance. Despite Jamie’s shyness and Maya’s outgoing nature, they find a perfect balance in each other, navigating cross-cultural relationships and self-discovery along the way. 

• Kate in Waiting: Best friends Kate Garfield and Anderson Walker are often mistaken for being codependent, but they see their shared activities and mutual support as just good sense. However, when their long-distance crush, Matt Olsson, unexpectedly arrives at their school, Kate finds herself falling for him, causing tension as both she and Anderson develop real feelings for him, putting their friendship at risk. As their communal crush turns into a complicated love triangle, Kate and Anderson must confront their emotions and the possibility of losing each other.

• Imogen, Obviously: Imogen Scott, a dedicated ally to the LGBTQ+ community, finds herself navigating a web of lies when her newly-out friend Lili mistakenly tells others they used to date, leading Imogen to question her own sexuality, especially as she grows closer to Lili’s freckle-faced best friend, Tessa. As Imogen grapples with her feelings and the consequences of her actions, she discovers that the truth about herself may not be as clear-cut as she once thought.

Nicola Yoon:

Get ready to have your heartstrings well and truly tugged by Nicola Yoon. Her books are like emotional rollercoasters – in the best possible way. Yoon has a knack for crafting beautifully written stories that explore love, identity, and the myriad ways in which our lives intersect. Warning: tissues may be required for the following books: 

• Everything, Everything: Seventeen-year-old Madeline Whittier, who has a rare disease that confines her to her home, falls in love with her new neighbor Olly, sparking a life-changing journey of risk-taking, self-discovery, and the power of love against all odds.

• The Sun Is Also a Star: Natasha Kingsley, a pragmatic Jamaican-American girl who believes in science, crosses paths with Daniel Bae, a dreamy Korean-American poet, on a fateful day in New York City, leading to a whirlwind romance that challenges their beliefs, dreams, and the notion of fate.

Rainbow Rowell:

Last, but certainly not least, we have the incomparable Rainbow Rowell. If you’re craving a romance that’s equal parts quirky and heartfelt, Rowell is your go-to gal. Whether you’re diving into the world of fanfiction or rooting for Eleanor and Park to find their happily ever after, Rowell’s books are guaranteed to make you smile, sigh, and maybe even shed a tear or two. Check out the following books:

• Eleanor & Park: Set in the 1980s, this novel tells the story of the unlikely romance between Eleanor, a red-haired misfit, and Park, a half-Korean teenager, as they bond over music and comics while navigating the challenges of family and identity.

• Simon Snow Series:

1. Carry On: In this fantasy novel set in the magical world of Watford School of Magicks, Simon Snow, a powerful magician, and his roommate and nemesis, Baz Pitch, navigate danger, intrigue, and their complicated feelings for each other.
2. Wayward Son: The sequel to Carry On follows Simon Snow and Baz Pitch on a road trip across America as they confront demons, secrets, and their growing affection for each other.
3. Any Way the Wind Blows: Simon, Baz, Penelope, and Agatha grapple with decisions about their futures amidst familial crises and personal revelations. Returning to England and Watford, they confront their deepest fears and resolve long-standing conflicts, culminating in a finale that unveils secrets, provides answers, and offers closure for the characters.

• Fangirl: College freshman Cath Avery, an introverted fanfiction writer, faces the challenges of independence, love, and self-discovery while grappling with family dynamics and the allure of a charming new roommate, Levi.

• Attachments: Set in the late 1990s, this novel follows Lincoln O’Neill, an IT technician who becomes captivated by the witty email exchanges between coworkers Beth and Jennifer, leading him to confront his own loneliness and the possibility of love.

• Landline: TV comedy writer Georgie McCool discovers a magical landline phone that allows her to communicate with her husband Neal in the past, prompting her to reassess her priorities, choices, and the true nature of love and commitment.

So, there you have it, my fellow bookworms – five YA romance authors who are absolute gems. Whether you’re in the mood for a swoon-worthy romance, a laugh-out-loud comedy, or a tear-jerking love story, these authors have got you covered. So grab your favorite blanket, pour yourself a cup of tea (or coffee – no judgment here), and get ready to fall head over heels in love with these enchanting reads. Happy reading!