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February 12, 2014 by Karen Jensen, MLS

A Little Bit of Romance, a guest post by Jennifer Rummel

February 12, 2014 by Karen Jensen, MLS   4 comments

It’s two days until Valentine’s Day and I’m looking for a great romance book (as always.) I love teen romances and so do my teen patrons. I’m constantly giving out romance book recommendations in the stacks. There are so many great teen romances that it’’s easy to give out a pile of books. It’s even better when they come back asking for more. Here’s just a few of my favorites.

Old Favorites: 

Lonely Hearts Club by Elizabeth Eulberg

Frustrated with boys Penny Lane starts the Lonely Hearts Club where she swears off dating and boys. At first, her friends think she’s crazy but soon others start joining. What started as a single girls only club soon becomes a sisterhood who studies together, hangs out together, and supports each other. I love the idea of the sisterhood and girls supporting each other. Of course everything changes when a potential romance comes into play.

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The Summer My Life Began by Shannon Greenland

Em’s summer has been decided for her, but she jumps at the chance to visit her family in North Carolina for a month. The month changes everything. Instead of having everything planned for her, Em begins to discover her true self. She likes cooking, exploring the island, and learning how to surf. Of course this peaceful summer isn’t complete without a summer romance.

 
Truth about Forever by Sarah Dessen


Macy’s father died. The guilt drives her to become the ultimate daughter. She has the perfect summer plans and they didn’t include working for Wish Catering.  However, Macy feels peace in the chaos surrounding the catering company – peace that almost has nothing to do with a certain co-worker.

Secrets of my Hollywood Life by Jen Calonita

Kaitlin Burke, one of the teen stars of the uber popular show Family Affair, feels exhausted. Since the filming of her show’s currently in hiatus, more than anything Kaitlin wants to normal life. She convinces everyone around her to allow her to attend a local high school under a false identity. It’s her turn to see if people can likeher for herself and not just her celebrity status.

Smart Girls Get What They Want by Sarah Strohmeyer

Gigi, Bea, and Neerja are smart –smart enough to know that their life won’t peak in high school. That doesn’t mean they need to wait until college for their lives to start; they decide to take matters into their own hands. They make a pact and decide to challenge themselves. They’re saying goodbye to a fear of public speaking and their introverted ways. Can these former wallflowers make some high school memories?

New Favorites:
 
Also Known As by Robin Benway
I love spy books. Maggie wants more than anything to be normal, to put down roots, and to have friends. She’s a world class safecracker and has lived mission to mission with her parents working for the Collective. Now she has her first solo assignment – infiltrate a high school and gain access to a boy’s father. There’s just one problem – he’s a cutie.
Roomies by Sara Zarr and Tara Altebrando
Taking place during the summer after high school, this falls into the New Adult category, but works as a teen novel too. I love the dual perspectives and how the summer changes how both girls look at the world around them as they’re about to embark on the biggest journey of their lives. EB and Lauren write emails back and forth about their last days of living at home, their parents, their friends, and summer romances.
Just One Day by Gayle Forman
All it takes is one day for Allyson to fall in love with both Willem and Paris. They only have one day to spend together and despite several issues, it ends perfectly. In the morning, Allyson wakes up alone, but forever changed.
Taste Test by Kelly Fiore
Nora joins a reality teen cooking show where pranks, friendship, and maybe love are on the menu. I loved the cooking competitions and the banter between Nora and Christian. Interviews and cooking challenge results mix with the text, making this a fast read.
Unbreak My Heartby Melissa Walker
I love this one because even though there’s a summer romance, a major part of the plot is a love from a broken friendship. Clementine and her family are spending the summer on a boat. While it’s great being away from all the drama, it gives Clem time to think about her actions. Soon she meets James, who’s traveling the same path, and the summer gets a little bit brighter.
Here’s a few coming out this year that I’m looking forward to reading:
Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins
Fine Art of Pretending by Rachel Harris
17 First Kissesby Rachael Allen
Since Last Summerby Joanna Philbin
My Faire Lady by Laura Wettersten
Biggest Flirts by Jennifer Echols
Now and Foreverby Susanne Colasanti
Royally Lost by Angie Stanton
To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han
Chapel Wars by Lindsey Leavitt 
I happen to have an ARC of TO ALL THE BOYS I’VE LOVED BEFORE by Jenny Han.  Leave a comment between now and the end of Valentine’s day (Friday at Midnight) and you’ll be entered to win it.  Tell us your favorite YA Lit Romances.  Be sure to leave a Twitter handle or email so we can get in touch with you if you win.  Open to U.S. residents. Also, if you win the ARC, you have to be willing to write a review of the book here at TLT 🙂
Jennifer Rummel is the YA Librarian at the Otis Library in Conneticut and she blogs at YA Booknerd.  Jennifer blogged about YA romance last year as well, so here are more recs.

Filed under: Collection Development, Reader's Advisory, Romance, YA Lit

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About Karen Jensen, MLS

Karen Jensen has been a Teen Services Librarian for almost 30 years. She created TLT in 2011 and is the co-editor of The Whole Library Handbook: Teen Services with Heather Booth (ALA Editions, 2014).

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Britney Cossey says

    February 12, 2014 at 9:38 pm

    Oh my goodness, I love YA contemp, which has a lot of romance subgenres. Some of my favorites:

    Perfect Chemistry trilogy by Simone Elkeles
    My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick
    Truth About Forever and This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen
    Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta (I wouldn't necessarily classify this as romance but it has so many great swoon worthy moments!)
    The Summer I Turned Pretty trilogy by Jenny Han
    Dairy Queen by Catherine Gilbert Murdock

    My twitter handle is @bookishbritney

  2. Vivien says

    February 12, 2014 at 11:41 pm

    I adore the Summer trilogy by Jenny Han. I just read and loved The Truth about Forever by Sarah Dessen.

    Vivien
    kellis_amberlee at yahoo dot com

  3. Alisha M says

    February 13, 2014 at 7:05 pm

    Oh I love Jenny Han! The Summer Trilogy was one of my favorites, and kind of my intro into YA. I also love love all of Sarah Dessen's books, but one of my favorites is Along for the Ride. Oh, and I'm reading These Broken Stars right now, which is obviously not strictly romance but it is so so good!

  4. Christy says

    February 14, 2014 at 4:53 am

    I LOVE The Summer Trilogy by Jenny Han! Some of my other all-time favorites is Zachary and Aura from the Shade trilogy, Cammie and Zach from from the Gallagher Girls series, Emerson and Michael from the Hourglass series and Hazel and Augustus from A Fault in Our Stars.

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