A Little Bit of Romance, a guest post by Jennifer Rummel
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?
Filed under: Collection Development, Reader's Advisory, Romance, YA Lit

About Karen Jensen, MLS
Karen Jensen has been a Teen Services Librarian for almost 32 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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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
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
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!
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.