10 best romance books for teens

Despite being in London for their first Season, Thalia, Kalliope and Charis have other things on their mind than romance. For Thalia, the capital is the place to fulfil her ambitions to be a published poet, Kalliope hopes to become part of the fashion set, and Charis dreams of becoming a scientist. As the friends navigate the capital with all its decadence and luxury, they each find themselves drawn into the city’s world of romance and scandal. Set in Regency London, Rosalyn Eves’ novel about three young women chasing their dreams is perfect for fans of Bridgerton. 

Emma Lord’s romance novels hook you in right away with their “will they, won’t they” storylines and relatable characters – Begin Again is no different. Andie Rose thinks transferring from community college to the competitive, sorority-filled college of her dreams to join her boyfriend, Connor, is all she’s ever wanted. However, the path to true love never runs smoothly, and faced with juggling family drama, the challenges of long-distance love and diving into campus life with her new-found friends, Andie learns sometimes even the best-laid plans can unravel. 

When high-school basketball star Scottie Zajac has her heart broken by her girlfriend and ends up in a parking-lot crash with her nemesis, head cheerleader Irene Abraham, she doesn’t think it can get much worse – until the girls are forced to ride together to school every day. Luckily for Scottie, she soon senses an opportunity to get back at her ex. Persuading Irene to participate in a fake-dating plot, the girls’ frosty relationship begins to thaw, and reveal feelings they never knew they were harbouring. With witty prose, characters you’ll love, and an enemies-to-lovers storyline, She Drives Me Crazy has all the ingredients an unputdownable teen romance book needs.

A story about the magic that can happen when you embrace who you are, My Mechanical Romance is a charming teen love story by the BookTok sensation and bestselling author of fantasy series The Atlas Six (which she wrote under the penname Olivie Blake). Despite being talented engineers, Bel and Mateo could not be more different. But when their school robotics club enters the National championships, the pair are forced to spend time in the lab together, and they soon realise that opposites attract. Find out whether their first love survives the pairs’ very different dreams for their futures in this nerdy and heartwarming teen romance.

Ophelia Rojas is a hopeless romantic through and through, even if she gets teased by her family for having a crush on a new boy every week. With her prom dreams dashed by her ex-boyfriend, Ophelia should be devastated about not having the perfect night, but her mind is too preoccupied with Talia Sanchez, a quiet, pretty girl she keeps running into at school. With high school ending and Ophelia opening her mind to her queerness, she’s faced with a choice – to follow her heart and bare her soul to her family, or keep quiet and live the life she’s always imagined for herself. 

After realising that she and her boyfriend are looking for different things, Nar is ready to find someone more on her wavelength – but she’s not the only one with an opinion on who that person should be. When Nar’s mum sets off on a mission to find her a nice, parent-approved Armenian boy at San Fransisco’s festival of Armenian culture, Nar agrees to attend, albeit unenthusiastically. That is until she meets Erebuni. Cool, intelligent, and in touch with her culture, Erebuni lights a fire in Nar that leads her to examine her queerness and discover more about the person she truly is. The debut romantic novel from Taleen Voskuni, Sorry, Bro is an #OwnVoices celebration of queer love and cultural identity.  

When Tilly meets new girl Katherine Cooper-Bunting, her first thought is to set her up with her best friend Teddy. After all, she’s not looking to fall in love; she’s got far more important things on her mind. However, Tilly soon learns that you can’t choose who you fall for and finds herself finding any excuse to spend time with pretty, charming Katherine. Cupid’s Revenge is the hilarious new romance novel from Wibke Brueggemann that perfectly captures the feelings of infatuation that only first love can bring. 

With fans including The Hate U Give author Angie Thomas, Opposite of Always is one of the most anticipated debut romance novels of 2023. When Kate and Jack meet at a party, Jack knows that she’s the only girl for him, and introducing her to his best friends only makes him love her more. After tragedy strikes and Kate dies suddenly, Jack is transported back to the moment they met, giving him a chance to save her. Soon, Jack realises that time travel isn’t without consequences and that he must decide how to protect the people he loves.

I Kissed Shara Wheeler is the debut YA novel from bestselling romance writer Casey McQuiston, a queer-positive love story about finding romance where you least expect it. After they share a kiss that surprises her, Chloe Green sets out to find her school’s perfect prom queen Shara Wheeler and get answers about the meaning of their kiss. Soon, she realises that Shara has vanished without a trace and that it wasn’t just Chloe she kissed before disappearing. Chloe joins forces with Smith, Shara’s sweetheart, and her neighbour Rory to decipher the cryptic clues and track Shara down. 

When Hugo’s girlfriend dumps him a week before they’re about to take the cross country train trip of a lifetime across the USA, he thinks the perfect cure for his heartache will be to go solo. That is until he realises his ex booked the trip in her name. Hatching a plan, Hugo places an ad online to find another Margaret Campbell who might want to take the journey with him and in a twist of fate Mae, aka Margaret, sees it. A one-in-a-million love story for the digital age, Field Notes on Love will engross you as you follow Hugo and Mae on an adventure like no other.