Five Awesome YA Romance Novels You Will Love to Read

Do you love to read YA romance novels? Do you love books filled with first love and relationships…and swooning? I sure do. I’m a grown woman and an author of YA fiction myself, and I admit it, I’m totally obsessed with reading Young Adult books. I want to introduce you to five of my recent favorite reads in the YA contemporary romance genre. I will provide a short review of the book, a list of themes, the steam level, and my rating. Keep reading to get the scoop on five awesome YA Romance Novels you will love to read!

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Reading rocks!

I love to read YA novels. Yeah, I already said that, I know, but I just love it so much! I also love to write YA novels and my own debut novel is coming out in 2020 with Swoon Romance.  The audiobook will come out in the fall of 2020. In the past year, I have read thirty-one YA fiction books; a combination of romance and contemporary, but mostly romance. Love is the best thing to write about in my opinion, I just love to write about love!

I love to read about love too. Enjoying a good book with a positive HEA (Happily Ever After) is my jam. And my peanut butter. And the coffee in my cup:) The kissing is the creamer that makes it extra delicious! It’s the full real deal for me!

I love experiencing the thrills and the joys along with the characters in a romance novel. It really makes me feel good when I read a romance novel, and I want to feel good, and share in the characters’ journey of love…that’s why I read. Reading is an absolute joy for me and time flies when I read, I barely notice time passage until I look at a clock. Reading is the best hobby ever. Grab yourself a book.

I read on the treadmill too, which helps me get my exercise time in while enjoying a good read. Try it!

***If it’s not HEA, it’s not a ROMANCE! HEA is a requirement:) of romance novels; & Thank Goodness for that! HEA is my fave!

For this book review blog post, I chose five books I really enjoyed…so the spoiler here is they are all rated high by me:) That’s why they are on this list.

 

5 YA Romance Novels You Will Love to Read:)

Plus, a few more when the book is the first in a series.

 

 

EYES ON ME by Rachel Harris

I really enjoyed reading this sweet and fun YA romance novel, it was steamy yet delicately delicious. Dancing is a thread that runs throughout the book and it is highlighted both as an art form and as a way of connecting with others; plus, it is the springboard for the romance between the male and female main characters of the book. If you like dancing and romance, you will love this book. It is a very positive book and I love how both the female and the male main characters each grow and evolve throughout the story.

The novel is filled with the joys and struggles of falling in love with the scenario being a first real love for the couple, plus, it illustrates relevant topics about teen life and all the associated emotions.  It contains positive male and female friendships as well. Family life is also a strong theme where the story contains both a loving functional family and a dysfunctional family, that heals along the way.

I loved the male main character Stone. He was sweet, kind, hard-working, and likable. Lily was also a very likable character. It was really pleasant to read along in the story as her character transforms so positively in the book. She gains confidence, a boost in self-esteem, and begins to enjoy her life. We also witness Stone experiencing personal growth.

The book is told in dual first-person POV which gives us as readers a front row seat to witness both Lily’s and Stone’s personal growth. It was fun to read the thoughts of both characters. It’s a great book!

The main themes of this book include the following:

• romance and first love
• friendships
• football
• dance
• grief and loss
• social media bullying
• mild mental illness
• teen life
• high school stressors

This book will make you feel good. It will make you smile. I totally recommend this book and I loved it even as a grown woman. This book would be a great mother-daughter book club read. (for more books ideas for a Books for a mother-daughter book club click here.)

Steam level= The characters portray steamy thoughts with kissing, but no actual sex scenes.

My Rating: *****5 stars!

Eyes on Me

 

BROKEN BEAUTIFUL HEARTS by Kami Garcia

This was an enjoyable book to read.  I felt it was a positive book and it made me feel good while I read it…this is what I look for in a book! This book is an HEA romance. The love story is steamy and delicious, sexy and fun!

I really enjoyed the positive support the main character receives from her family in her times of need during the story. The characters were all fun, well-developed and interesting…except the villain of the story was not fun, of course! I really enjoyed all the characters, especially the two who fall in love during the story and the female main character’s cousins. It was a super yummy romance! I also enjoyed the MC’s (main character’s) voice a lot.

I also felt the book was realistic in its portrayal of teen life. It was enjoyable to read along as the female main character struggled, healed, and then grew. She learns to trust again which is a fun thread running throughout the book.

There were some thriller-like action sequences in the book as well that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

This is an important book in that it deals with heavy topics such as abuse in teen relationships, bullying, dealing with loss, sexual relations, and drug use. I loved how the author added her own story at the end of the book and added information for teens seeking help if they are in abusive relationships themselves. What a great resource for teens!

Unfortunately, abuse occurs in our world and teens need to be prepared to keep themselves safe. Books like this can help teens because they can experience the MC’s life right along with her and learn from the story.

The main themes of this book include the following:

• romance
• love triangle
• abuse
• soccer
• sport fighting
• drug use
• friendship
• bullying
• family relations and a cousin story
• grief and loss
• health and illness
• recovery from injury and trauma

Steam Level= Steamy kisses and there is a sex scene.

My Rating: *****5 stars!

Broken Beautiful Hearts

 

EFFORTLESS WITH YOU by Lizzy Charles

I really enjoyed this book. It was stunning, beautiful, exquisite, and a truly satisfying read. The characters were lively and fun, the love story was spirited and a joy to read. This is a feel-good story full of slow-burn romance angsty moments. I enjoyed lots of smiles while reading this book. The main character female has a chip on her shoulder in many ways and the story leads us through her journey to a better place. It was fun to read along and experience her transformation both in her family life and within herself.

This is also a good story with a strong theme of forgiveness and the healing relationships in family life. Navigating the ups and downs of friendships and peer bullying are also embedded in the storyline.

The book takes place in my home state of Minnesota, so that made it fun for me to read too!

The story takes place in the summer, which always makes for a good summer read. I adored the male main character, he was a true golden hottie. I just loved his character so much!

The main themes of this book include:

• romance and love
• friendships: on both a positive level and a negative one
• family life
• bullying
• LGBQ
• navigating relationships
• sports-basketball
• depression

Steam level= kissing

My Rating: *****5 stars!

 

Effortless With You

 

I’ve also read the second book in this series and loved reading the continuation of the couple’s romance.

Perfectly Messy (Effortless With You Book 2)

These books were published by Swoon Romance. To find out more about books published by Swoon Romance, click here.

 

 

GIRL OUT OF WATER by Laura Silverman

This was a good clean coming of age story.

I found the story to be sweet and genuine, but I wanted just a bit more romance and swoony moments, personally. It’s a great story, I just happen to love more swooning than this book offered. But I still really did like the book. It’s really good.

This book is about love, friendship, sacrifice and caring for family in times of need. It’s about accepting differences in people and recognizing that disabilities aren’t always limiting for people, meaning people with disabilities are still very capable individuals who can overcome limitations. I liked that theme a lot in this story. The main character was generous and fierce with her dedication to helping her extended family who had a great need for her help due to unfortunate circumstances.

The romance was sweet but slow to build, which can be good, but, it was almost too slow for my taste. I love it when a writer is generous with the romance and lets the reader enjoy a lot of the romance (and kissing!!) and swooning throughout a good portion of the book. But still, a really good novel about teen life, love, family, and friendship.

The main themes in this book include the following:

• romance and love
• surfing
• the beach
• family relations and extended family
• abandonment
• physical disability
• skateboarding
• diversity

Steam Level=sweet and clean

My Rating: 4.5 stars just because I would have loved a bit more swooning;)

 

Girl out of Water

 

ABOUT LAST SUMMER by Patricia B. Tighe

I simply adored this book! This is a really fun book to read. I adored all of the lively fun-loving characters. Their friendships are rock solid and the characters are generous. I loved all the banter back and forth between the cast of characters; it made the book such a fun one to read. The storyline was unique and very entertaining as friends are spending time together at a cabin in the summer. This would be a perfect summer read, really, for any time of year:)

I loved all the swooning in the book and the main romance of the storyline was pure and genuine. I found myself rooting hard for their love. There are a few other romances that are touched on a bit in the story which added to the sweet love theme in the book. This book ended in a joyful HEA which is what always makes me happy I read the book. Love it!!

I enjoyed a lot of smiles while I read this book and it just made me feel good. It’s a really positive read. This one is ideal for a mother-daughter book club read. It’s the first in a trilogy. I’m looking forward to reading the next two!

The main themes in this book include the following:

• romance and first love
• basketball
• theater & acting
• friendships
• family
• summertime
• crushes
• family life
• teen life

Steam Level= Kissing

My Rating: *****5 stars!

About Last Summer (Second Chances Book 1)

 

Or buy the three pack, I did!

Second Chances

These books were published by Swoon Romance. To find out more about books published by Swoon Romance, click here.

To learn more about the author of these books, click here to visit Patricia B. Tighe’s website.

 

Moms…read alongside your daughter and get in on the swooning!

Keeping reading YA romance novels…

Make reading your mission this summer, winter, or spring break. You will love it!

I hope you found some new YA romance novels to read here:) I enjoyed them, so I think you will too.

For more book ideas, see these posts:

Books for Teenage Girls to Read alongside Moms: Make your own Mother-Daughter book club!

Kid-Approved Favorite Books for 9-year-old Boys

 

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