Here are romances– a few are old favorites and most are brand new. We’ve included the title and a brief little book description to catch your interest.
If you would like to borrow one of these books you can either send Ms. Mac an email, smcnerneyoe@olatheschools.org or place a hold online.
10 Blind Dates
After getting dumped at the start of winter break, Sophie’s intense family convinces her to go on ten blind dates they will arrange. Some are funny, some are horrible, but will any end in romance? This is a dating story, but it’s also a story about family and finding yourself. A quick read for fans of authors like Sarah Dessen or Morgan Matson.
Breathless
Claudine’s summer plans are derailed when her parents’ divorce results in a summer on a remote island in Georgia. She’s broken-hearted and doesn’t trust love, but local guide Miah is hard to resist.
The Dark Tide– romance and fantasy
Sixteen-year-old Lina sacrifices herself to her sinking island’s Witch Queen, Eva, to save her brother and her secret crush, but when she and Eva fall in love, everyone is in danger.
The Devil you Know
Cadie makes an irresponsible decision to go with her best friend on a weekend roadtrip with two handsome cousins. But are they hiding dangerous secrets from her? This one is a suspenseful thriller to the end!
Early Departures
New technology allows Jamal’s best friend to be brought back to life for two short weeks before his life ends again permanently. What secrets will Jamal share, and what secrets will he keep? This is scifi, but falls into realistic fiction as well because it’s mostly about the friendship– what destroyed it and what might save (at least) it’s memory.
Emmy & Oliver
When Emmy’s best childhood friend Oliver suddenly is located after being kidnapped ten years earlier, it’s not exactly an easy reunion. Though she’s longed for her friend all these years, he’s completely forgotten her. And the life he’s “returning” to looks quite different. His mom is remarried, has siblings he’s never met, and he doesn’t exactly know how to process any of it. Emmy tries to be there for him, but is her relationship with the returned Oliver, or with the ghost Oliver of her childhood memories?
Every other Weekend
Adam and Jolene meet when their divorced parents rent apartments next to each other. Though their initial meeting is contentious, soon they are both counting down the time until their next shared weekend. But family trauma has a way of bleeding into other relationships, so their friendship isn’t always smooth sailing, and a happy ending doesn’t always feel like it’s guaranteed. But the honesty of their relationship, as the chapters alternate which one tells the story, will hold you captive. Perfect for fans of Eleanor and Park or Emergency Contact or Sorry for your Loss.
Field Notes on Love
Hugo’s one of a famous British set of septuplets. They’ve been given a scholarship to a local university– but the catch is that they ALL have to go. He’s resigned to it, until his girlfriend picks a college in California. They plan a train ride across America to drop her off, until she dumps him at the last minute. Heartbroken, Hugo makes an unusual decision (you’ll have to read to find out) that leads him to a cross country journey with a girl of the same name. This one captures the magic of train travel, embracing the unexpected, and facing the truth about yourself (and maybe a romance too!) I really loved this one.
The Fill-In Boyfriend
After being dumped in the parking lot of prom, Gia desperately asks a stranger to be her “fill-in boyfriend.” The “fill in” is intrigued enough to agree, but wary enough of her rather frantic mindset that he doesn’t reveal his name. But after prom fate keeps bumping them up against each other and their relationship grows. Will the Fill In Boyfriend become something more? This one’s funny and cute, but also has some surprising explorations of the many ways in which Gia’s attitude towards relationships have developed.
Forever For A Year
Two teens fall in love for the first time, can it last forever?
Frankly in Love
High school senior Frank takes a risk to go after a girl his parents would never approve of, but his plans will leave him wondering if he ever really understood love–or himself–at all.
Graffiti Moon
Told in alternating voices, an all-night adventure featuring Lucy, who is determined to find an elusive graffiti artist named Shadow, and Ed, the last person Lucy wants to spend time with, except for the fact that he may know how to find Shadow.
The Handsome Girl & her Beautiful Boy
Zee and Art, both declared gay by their peers despite not being certain themselves, form a powerful connection in the wake of her mother’s death and his own family’s troubles. Beautiful, complex, funny, and thought-provoking in its raw honesty.
The Heir and the Spare
Going all the way to England for college–to Oxford, no less–for college would be exciting enough. But no sooner does Evie set foot on English soil than she falls for a boy who turns out to be a real prince. But there’s a mystery here too, as riddles from Evie’s past lead to suspicions that may change everything…
How (not) to ask a Boy to Prom
Nolan’s been out for years, but he has no plans to go to prom until his sister pretty much blackmails him into asking Si, his long-term crush. But it all goes wrong when baddish boy Bern, recently dumped by his girlfriend, accepts instead. Nolan’s an adorable mess of insecurities, and he tells this story in sometimes choppy fits and starts. I was annoyed at first, and then found myself unexpectedly falling in love with his quirkiness, his oddball family, and the intensity of his unexpected (maybe) fake relationship with Bern. An unusually excellent cast of characters.
I Love You so Mochi
Kimi’s feeling pressured by her artistic mother to study painting rather than fashion. Frustrated, she escapes to Japan for a solo spring break trip to meet her mother’s parents. There she immerses herself in Kyoto’s markets and cherry blossom festival and bonds with a cute med student while uncovering family secrets. Like My Almost Perfect Tokyo Dream Life this one made me dream of a spring trip to Japan.
If There’s No Tomorrow
Beginning her senior year of high school determined to finish college applications and reveal to her best friend how she really feels about him, Lena is devastated by a terrible accident that leaves her overwhelmed with guilt.
Kiss Number 8- graphic novel
Amanda’s kissed seven people, but it’s the eighth that really puts her world into a tailspin. This is the story of friendship, faith, family secrets, and being true to yourself. This graphic novel expresses lots of emotions just in the drawings.
Laura Dean Keeps breaking up with Me– graphic novel
Been dumped before? Dumped someone before? Then this book is for you. Freddy adores the flashy and popular Laura Dean, and hopes they’re meant to be together. But Laura Dean can’t seem to help herself and is always hooking up with other people, and/or dumping Freddy, until Laura decides it’s time to get back together. Is it time for Freddy to actually dump Laura Dean? This graphic novel captures heartbreak and longing as well as anything I’ve ever read. Love this one.
Love from A to Z
Eighteen-year-old Muslims Adam and Zayneb meet in Doha, Qatar, during spring break and fall in love as both struggle to find a way to live their own truths.
Not Your #Lovestory
Hoping to earn enough on her YouTube channel to leave her small Midwestern town, Macy is targeted by internet trolls whose fascination with her fictional viral romance complicates her real-world relationship with the shy boy next door.
The Other Side of the Sky #1
The prince of a sky city and an earth goddess are linked by a terrifying prophecy that forces them to choose between saving their people or succumbing to their forbidden love.
Permanent Record
Nineteen-year-old Pablo isn’t sure about college and instead works at a NYC bodega as he tries to figure out his future. When mega pop star Leanna Smart rushes in it turns his life upside-down.
The Problem with Forever
Mallory was an abused child, but after years of homeschooling with loving adoptive parents it’s time for her to attend high school. On her first day she runs into her childhood protector and friend, Rider. As they grow closer and his life begins to spiral out of control, she realizes she must make a choice between staying silent or speaking out to help him.
Sick Kids in Love
Isabel has one rule: no dating. She’s got issues. She’s got secrets. She’s got rheumatoid arthritis. But then she meets another sick kid. He’s got a chronic illness Isabel’s never heard of, something she can’t even pronounce. He understands what it means to be sick. He understands her more than her healthy friends. He understands her more than her own father who’s a doctor. He’s gorgeous, fun, and foul-mouthed. And totally into her. But what about her rule? Funny but also really honest– and don’t worry, as the book cover promises, “This isn’t one of those books where the characters die!” Love it.
Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda
Simon’s got a huge crush on Blue, the mysterious online identity of a guy at his school communicating with him via email. Neither guy has come out to his friends and family yet, so when a fellow student learns of their emails and threatens Simon with blackmail things get complicated. This one feels completely real, it’s funny, it’s dark, it’s intense, and you won’t be able to put it down once you start!
Since we Last Spoke
Aggi and Max, longtime neighbors and best friends, were on the cusp of romance when tragedy struck both their families. Now they’re separated by grief, anger, and a restraining order. But they can’t seem to stop thinking about each other, and neither knows if they should move on or try to bridge the seemingly insurmountable gap. Chapters alternate perspectives, allowing you to see each character’s confusion, pain, and longing. This one has lots of gut-wrenching heartache, but it’s also a tale of surviving loss and trying to rebuild.
Spies, Lies, and Allies
Laurel’s dad’s successful business provides the family with a very comfortable lifestyle, but it means he rarely sees his daughter. Determined to get his attention, Laurel volunteers to spend the summer working as a company intern. Her dad agrees– but only if she agrees to spy on the other company interns who will be competing for a $100,000 scholarship. At first this seems OK, but the more she gets to know the interns the more conflicted she is about her role in controlling their futures. This one has good banter, a realistic exploration of Laurel trying to find her own dreams, and a compelling potential romance as well.
The Stars and the Blackness Between Them
Told in two voices, sixteen-year-old Audre and Mabel, both young women of color from different backgrounds, fall in love and figure out how to care for each other as one of them faces a fatal illness.
Super Adjacent
Landing a coveted internship with the Warrior Nation superhero network, Claire clashes with Girl Power, the newest superhero in town, and befriends Bridgette, the longtime girlfriend of the famous Vaporizer.
Sweethearts
After losing her soul mate, Cameron, when they were nine, Jennifer, now seventeen, transformed herself from the unpopular fat girl into the beautiful and popular Jenna, but Cameron’s unexpected return dredges up memories that cause both social and emotional turmoil.
These Witches Don’t Burn
When evidence of dark magic begins to appear all over Salem, Massachusetts, Elemental Witch Hannah and her ex-girlfriend Veronica are forced to team up to stop the deadly attacks.
Three Sides of Heart– short stories
Short stories about love triangles– but not always the way you expect! Perfect for when you just have short amounts of time to read because you can pick this book up and read a single story and then start something new the next time you read! This also has a mix of romances– from hetero to LGBTQ to the unexpected- one features a girl, a guy, and a city! Love that this romance mixes things up!
This is My Brain in Love
Rising high school juniors Jocelyn Wu and Will Domenici fall in love while trying to save the Wu family restaurant, A-Plus Chinese Garden.
This Train is Being Held
Told in two voices, ballet dancer and private school student Isabelle Warren and poet and baseball star Alex Rosario grow closer after meeting on a subway, bonding over their parents’ expectations and their own dreams. But do those dreams include each other?
Tweet Cute
Can snarky tweets between an overachiever from a successful family and the class clown lead to romance?
Within These Lines
Italian-American Evalina and Japanese-American Taichi’s vow to be together, although interracial marriage is illegal in 1941 San Francisco, is tested when Taichi’s family is sent to Manzanar internment camp.
You Asked for Perfect
Ariel is the perfect college applicant until a failed Calculus quiz sends his grades into a tailspin that can only be halted by a handsome tutor, but adding a burgeoning romance to his other commitments may push Ariel past his limit.
Where I end and you Begin– romance and scifi
As punishment for breaking into their high school Ezra, his crush Imogen, Ezra’s best friend Holden, and Imogen’s best friend Wynonna must perform in the school’s Shakespeare play. Things only get worse (and weirder) when socially inept Ezra and fierce Wynonna wake up in each other’s bodies. Let the Shakespearian-influenced confusion begin…
Popular Romance Series!
American Royals Series
In an alternate America, princesses Beatrice and Samantha Washington and the two girls wooing their brother, Prince Jefferson, become embroiled in high drama in the most glorious court in the world.
- American Royals #1
- Majesty #2 (on order, will hopefully arrive later this spring)
Anna and the French Kiss Trilogy
Anna finds herself spending her senior year at a boarding school in Paris. Which sounds glamorous but she’s left her friends and boyfriend behind and is stuck among strangers where she can’t even speak the language. But her roommate seems to have friendship potential, and her roommates friend Etienne seems to have romantic potential, if it wasn’t for his girlfriend. This one really captures what it’s like to live separately from your family for the first time, make friends on your own, and navigate the complicated world of romance while you’re living on your own. I love this, and there are two equally amazing sequels. Always a reader favorite!
- Anna and the French Kiss #1
- Lola and the Boy Next Door #2
- Isla and the Happily Ever After #3
Creekwood Trilogy- Includes the book that’s the basis for the movie Love, Simon
This trilogy follows a friend group at Creekwood High as they navigate romance, coming out, graduation, blackmail, secrets, and friendship. Funny and sarcastic characters navigate believable funny, infuriating, sad, and touching moments together.
- Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda #1
- Leah on the Offbeat #2
- Love, Creekwood #3
Rebel Belle Trilogy
Seventeen-year-old Harper’s charmed life is turned upside down when she discovers she’s been given magical powers in order to protect her school nemesis David Stark, who’s an Oracle.
- Rebel Belle #1
- Miss Mayhem #2
- Lady Renegades #3
The Start of You and Me
Paige is ready to stop being “The Girl Whose Boyfriend Drowned,” and finding out that her long-term crush is available again might be the key.
- The Start of You and Me #1
- The Map from Here to There #2
Three Dark Crowns
On the island of Fennbirn, triplet sisters must fight to assassinate each other after their sixteenth birthday– only the survivor will be crowned Queen. Lots of twists and turns, magic, betrayal, secrets, etc etc!
- Three Dark Crowns #1
- One Dark Throne #2
- Two Dark Reigns #3
- Five Dark Fates #4
Twilight Saga
You may know the story of Bella, who fell in love with the very “unusual” Edward Cullen. But Midnight Sun is the first time we get to hear Edward’s side of the story…
- Twilight #1
- New Moon #2
- Eclipse #3
- Breaking Dawn #4
- Midnight Sun #5
When Dimple Met Rishi
Can finding true love really involve the interference of matchmaking parents who still believe in arranged marriages?
- When Dimple Met Rishi #1
- There’s Something About Sweetie #2
Olathe East Library 