Romance
2024 curated booklist
Romance is a genre that primary focuses on the relationship and romantic love between two people, typically with an emotionally satisfying and optimistic ending.
Heartstopper Vol. 1
Alice Oseman
Charlie, a highly-strung, openly gay over-thinker, and Nick, a cheerful, soft-hearted rugby player, meet at a British all-boys grammar school. Friendship blooms quickly, but could there be something more…?
Charlie Spring is in Year 10 at Truham Grammar School for Boys. The past year hasn’t been too great, but at least he’s not being bullied anymore. Nick Nelson is in Year 11 and on the school rugby team. He’s heard a little about Charlie – the kid who was outed last year and bullied for a few months – but he’s never had the opportunity to talk to him.
They quickly become friends, and soon Charlie is falling hard for Nick, even though he doesn’t think he has a chance. But love works in surprising ways, and sometimes good things are waiting just around the corner…
Category: Young Adult, Romance, Comic, Series
Representation: Bisexual, gay, diverse genders, diverse sexualities, lesbian, transgender
Content Warnings: Mental illness, disordered eating/eating disorder, self harm
ISBN: 9780063067776
Find it in your local library (WorldCat)
I Kissed Shara Wheeler
Chloe Green is so close to winning. After her moms moved her from SoCal to Alabama for high school, she’s spent the past four years dodging gossipy, classmates and a puritanical administration at Willowgrove Christian Academy. The thing that’s kept her going: winning valedictorian. Her only rival: prom queen Shara Wheeler, the principal’s perfect daughter.
But a month before graduation, Shara kisses Chloe and vanishes.
On a furious hunt for answers, Chloe discovers she’s not the only one Shara kissed. There’s also Smith, Shara’s longtime quarterback sweetheart, and Rory, Shara’s bad boy neighbour with a crush. The three have nothing in common except Shara and the annoyingly cryptic notes she left behind, but together they must untangle Shara’s trail of clues and find her. It’ll be worth it, if Chloe can drag Shara back before graduation to beat her fair-and-square.
Thrown into an unlikely alliance, chasing a ghost through parties, break-ins, puzzles, and secrets revealed on monogrammed stationery, Chloe starts to suspect there might be more to this small town than she thought. And maybe – probably not, but maybe – more to Shara, too.
Category: Young Adult, Romance
Representation: Bisexual, non-binary, lesbian
Content Warnings: Racism, homophobia, substance use/abuse, bullying, abuse, religion
ISBN: 9781035001262
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All That’s Left in the World
Erik J. Brown
Jamie and Andrew are strangers, and two of the last people on Earth. They don’t know what they’ll find on their perilous journey … but they may just find each other. A queer romance about courage, hope and humanity – this is How I Live Now with the heart of Simon Vs The Homo Sapiens Agenda.
When the Superflu wipes out most of the population, Jamie finds himself completely alone in a cabin in the woods – until an injured stranger crosses his path.
Life is dangerous now and, armed with a gun, Jamie goes to pull the trigger. But there’s something about Andrew … something that stops Jamie in his tracks. Jamie takes him in, and as Andrew heals and they eventually step out into the strange new world, their relationship starts to feel like more than just friendship …
But trouble isn’t far behind. As the boys make a perilous journey south, they’ll come face to face with a world torn apart and society in ruins. And who, or what, will they find waiting for them at the end of it all?
Category: Young Adult, Romance, Science Fiction
Representation: Bisexual, gay
Content Warnings: Character death, violence, gore, mental illness, substance use/abuse, racism, religion, suicide, homophobia
ISBN: 9781444960167
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Gwen & Art Are Not in Love
Lex Croucher
It’s been hundreds of years since King Arthur’s reign. His descendant, Arthur, a future Lord and general gadabout, has been betrothed to Gwendoline, the quick-witted, short-tempered princess of England, since birth. The only thing they can agree on is that they despise each other.
They’re forced to spend the summer together at Camelot in the run up to their nuptials, and within 24 hours, Gwen has discovered Arthur kissing a boy and Arthur has gone digging for Gwen’s childhood diary and found confessions about her crush on the kingdom’s only lady knight, Bridget Leclair.
Realizing they might make better allies than enemies, they make a reluctant pact to cover for each other, and as things heat up at the annual royal tournament, Gwen is swept off her feet by her knight and Arthur takes an interest in Gwen’s royal brother. Lex Croucher’s Gwen & Art Are Not in Love is chock full of sword-fighting, found family, and romantic shenanigans destined to make readers fall in love.
Category: Young Adult, Romance, Historical
Representation: Lesbian, gay
Content Warnings: Discrimination, substance use/abuse, violence, sexual activity, homophobia
ISBN: 9781250847218
Find it in your local library (WorldCat)
Meet Cute Diary
Emery Lee
Noah Ramirez thinks he’s an expert on romance. He has to be for his popular blog, the Meet Cute Diary, a collection of trans happily ever afters. There’s just one problem; all the stories are fake … When a troll exposes the blog as fiction, Noah’s world unravels. The only way to save the Diary is to convince everyone that the stories are true, but he doesn’t have any proof. Then Drew walks into Noah’s life, and the pieces fall into place.
Category: Young Adult, Romance
Representation: Demisexual, diverse genders, diverse sexualities, non-binary, transgender
Content Warnings: Transphobia, mental illness, suicide, racism, bullying, substance use/abuse
ISBN: 9780063038837
Find it in your local library (WorldCat)
Red, White & Royal Blue
Casey McQuiston
First Son Alex Claremont-Diaz is the closest thing to a prince this side of the Atlantic. With his intrepid sister and the Veep’s genius granddaughter, they’re the White House Trio, a beautiful millennial marketing strategy for his mother, President Ellen Claremont. International socialite duties do have downsides—namely, when photos of a confrontation with his longtime nemesis Prince Henry at a royal wedding leak to the tabloids and threaten American/British relations.
Category: Young Adult, Romance
Representation: Gay
Content Warnings: Sexual activity, homophobia, racism, character death, substance use/abuse, sexual violence, mental illness
ISBN: 9781250316776
Find it in your local library (WorldCat)
What if it’s us
Becky Albertalli & Adam Silvera
Arthur is only in New York for the summer, but if Broadway has taught him anything, it’s that the universe can deliver a showstopping romance when you least expect it.
Ben thinks the universe needs to mind its business. If the universe had his back, he wouldn’t be on his way to the post office carrying a box of his ex-boyfriend’s things.
But when Arthur and Ben meet-cute at the post office, what exactly does the universe have in store for them?
Maybe nothing. After all, they get separated.
Maybe everything. After all, they get reunited.
But what if they can’t quite nail a first date . . . or a second first date . . . or a third?
What if Arthur tries too hard to make it work . . . and Ben doesn’t try hard enough?
What if life really isn’t like a Broadway play?
But what if it is?
Category: Young Adult, Romance
Representation: Gay
Content Warnings: Homophobia, mental illness, sexual activity, racism, substance use/abuse
ISBN: 9780062795250
Find it in your local library (WorldCat)
Beating Heart Baby
Lio Min
When artistic and sensitive Santi arrives at his new high school, everyone in the wildly talented marching band welcomes him with open arms. Everyone except for the prickly, proud musical prodigy Suwa, who doesn’t think Santi has what it takes to be in the band.
But Santi and Suwa share painful pasts, and when they open up to each other, a tentative friendship begins. And soon, that friendship turns into something more. . . .
Will their fresh start rip at the seams as Suwa seeks out a solo spotlight, and both boys come to terms with what it’ll take, and what they’ll have to let go, to realize their dreams?
Category: Young Adult, Romance
Representation: Gay, pansexual
Content Warnings: Homophobia, transphobia, sexual activity, sexual violence, abuse, character death, mental illness, suicide
ISBN: 9781250819093
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They Both Die at the End
Adam Silvera
On September 5, a little after midnight, Death-Cast calls Mateo Torrez and Rufus Emeterio to give them some bad news: They’re going to die today.
Mateo and Rufus are total strangers, but, for different reasons, they’re both looking to make a new friend on their End Day. The good news: There’s an app for that. It’s called the Last Friend, and through it, Rufus and Mateo are about to meet up for one last great adventure—to live a lifetime in a single day.
Category: Young Adult, Romance, Science Fiction
Representation: Gay, bisexual
Content Warnings: Character death, violence, suicide, mental illness, homophobia
ISBN: 9780062457790
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Lark & Kasim Start a Revolution
Kacen Callender
Lark Winters wants to be a writer, and for now that means posting on their social media accounts––anything to build their platform. When former best friend Kasim accidentally posts a thread on Lark’s Twitter declaring his love for a secret, unrequited crush, Lark’s tweets are suddenly the talk of the school—and beyond.
To protect Kasim, Lark decides to take the fall, pretending they accidentally posted the thread in reference to another classmate. It seems like a great idea: Lark gets closer to their crush, Kasim keeps his privacy, and Lark’s social media stats explode. But living a lie takes a toll—as does the judgment of thousands of Internet strangers. Lark tries their best to be perfect at all costs, but nothing seems good enough for the anonymous hordes––or for Kasim, who is growing closer to Lark, just like it used to be between them . . .
In the end, Lark must embrace their right to their messy emotions and learn how to be in love.
Category: Young Adult, Romance
Representation: Non-binary, transgender, diverse genders, BIPOC
Content Warnings: Bullying, mental illness, racism, suicide, police violence/brutality, transphobia, substance use/abuse, character death
ISBN: 9781419756870
Find it in your local library (WorldCat)