13 Best YA Romance Books of 2025

This year marked the year of the lady knight, and this YA pick showcases all the reasons why powerful women were at the center of everyone’s minds. Lady Isobelle is not looking for a husband, but a husband she shall receive as the prize in the forthcoming Tournament of Dragonslayers, where knights will battle for her hand in marriage. Teen Gwen knows she can fight with the best of the boys and has always dreamed of entering the competition, but as a young woman, she won’t be allowed. When a chance encounter brings the pair together, they scheme up a plan that could benefit them both: Isobelle will act as Gwen’s sponsor for the tournament if Gwen enters as “Sir Gawain” and hides her true identity throughout the competition. And upon her victory, Gwen will release Isobelle from the contract of the marriage, granting them both the futures they desire. The stakes are raised impressively as Gwen fights her way through the competition, and Isobelle feels the pressure of their plan’s potential failure, but through it all, Gwen and Isobelle find that while they’ve learned to rely on only themselves, they can trust one another not to let the other fall.

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Looking for that perfect holiday romance that will make you want to cozy up with hot cocoa? Mariama Lockington has got you covered. Teen Lyric has big dreams for herself: She plans to attend cosmetology school and start her own makeup line, and all of that begins with her current career as a beauty influencer. When Lyric runs into classmate Juniper at the town’s Christmas tree, she thinks nothing of asking her to take a cute photo together to post online. Only, the post goes viral with everyone assuming they are dating. Lyric, in need of eyes on her page, and Juniper, desperate for some money that will fund her gap year travels, agree to fake date for online engagement until they both acquire enough views and cash before they go their separate ways. A blend of prose and verse, Lockington beautifully showcases how both girls are grappling with the pressure of their futures and finding safety in one another in this charming holiday read.

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Riley Redgate faces the trauma of homophobia in a small town head-on in this tender offering. It is unlikely that Gloria and Xia would ever cross paths, even in Fisherton, South Carolina. Gloria strives to be the perfect daughter, an overachiever with perfect grades, and definitely not a lesbian, no matter what her heart says. Xia is the school loner, keeping everyone at an arm’s distance in order to protect herself and her identity as a lesbian. But when Gloria’s parents discover her internet search history full of queer and lesbian content, she’s unceremoniously kicked out of the house and off the social pedestal she’s worked her entire life to create. Her sole refuge is the bookstore where Xia works, and in her time of crisis, these polar opposite teens hiding the same secret forge a bond that infuses them both with confidence, security, and a pocket of comfort in a place that never quite felt like home.

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Susan Lee pens the ultimate love letter to rom-com readers in this meta-rom-com about a teen using tropes to fall in love. Romance book reviewer Irene knows plenty about romance on the page, but not so much in real life. When she’s offered a deal with a dating company, Irene hopes to impress them with her IRL romance experience by dating across her college campus, utilizing tropes until she finds the perfect boyfriend. The only problem is that rival reviewer Aiden Jeon is enrolled at her school and is seemingly everywhere she turns. When they learn that Aiden is also being considered for the same sponsorship, Irene’s dating scheme turns into a competition to see who can find love first. And of course, where else would it be than the person standing right in front of them?

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There’s no doubt that hockey romances are all over your FYP, and Emily Charlotte’s debut Heart Check is the best of its kind in the YA arena. The town of Hamilton Lakes, Michigan, cares about one thing and one thing only: hockey. It makes life difficult in drastically different ways for Luke, the hockey team captain who struggles to keep up with the pressure to perform on the ice, and Harper, a jewelry maker who has grown tired of all of the town’s resources being poured into sports and nothing else. When the hockey coach is fired from the school, and Harper’s name gets dragged into the mix, it pits Harper and Luke at each other’s throats, both in the classroom and at the local diner where they both work. It soon becomes clear, however, that they are more alike than they think, and if they can move past their complex past, what looms on the horizon could be something beautiful.

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Lady Alissa Paine was born into a family that hunts Wielders, who are capable of magic. The only problem is that Alissa is a Wielder herself and is expected to pledge her loyalty to helping her family eliminate Wielders and join the hunt on her eighteenth birthday. When the family’s compass for tracking Wielders goes missing, Alissa decides to participate in Rose Season at the royal palace, promising to track down the compass’ whereabouts. Alissa assumes she’d be able to investigate in peace, but draws the attention of two powerful political players — a power-hungry king and the ambassador of a land where Wielders are free. Azar draws a rich and lush world filled with political power plays, tested alliances, and a daring heroine at the center of it all.

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If there’s one word for Ava Reid’s dystopian YA novel, it’s heart-wrenching (devastating was a close second). Set in a post-apocalyptic society, everything in seventeen-year-old Inesa’s world is run by the corporation Caerus. Inesa is informed that she has been nominated by her mother to enter the Gauntlet, a live-streamed hunt where Angels, modified humans, hunt down Lambs to pay off their debts, but should a Lamb survive, they can win the earnings. Melinoë is the Angel assigned to hunt down Inesa, but is struggling with her latest charge as her tech breaks down. Upon seeing Inesa, the pair understands that their enemy is not one another — but a system forcing them to play a deadly game — and no matter how much compassion they might build for one another, only one can come out on top.

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Calling all Gilmore Girls fans! This one is for you! Senior year has turned into a disaster for future-focused student Ellis. Her parents have announced that they are separating, and Ellis will be moving to Bramble Falls with her mother, a small town in Connecticut from her childhood summers where Ellis will finish off her high school experience away from everyone she has ever known. Ellis does recognize a familiar face in Bramble Falls, Cooper, a childhood friend she once used to spend days running through the small town with. But now, Cooper seems to want nothing to do with her, and Ellis cannot figure out why. Wilson manages to transform this tense reunion into a heartwarming second chance romance that will leave all the small town romance girlies screaming.

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Brian Selznick is no stranger to a good story (he does have a Caldecott Medal after all). And in his YA debut, Selznick transports readers to Italy for a whirlwind romance between two gay teens. No one would ever expect a vacation to Rome to be boring, but for sixteen-year-old Danny, it just might be. Left alone while his mother is working, Danny is roaming the streets aimlessly until he comes across a mysterious map that leads him to a beautiful Italian boy, Angelo. Danny is shocked when Angelo reveals that he is not actually a teen, but that he’s 3,000 years old and wants to show Danny the true essence of Italy. Together, the boys trace the history of queer couples who have loved and longed and lost along the same streets that they walk today, developing not only a deep appreciation for their queer ancestors but for the person standing right beside them.

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If you haven’t been introduced to a novel in verse just yet, let us recommend Vinson’s charming tale about a summer love story. Sixteen-year-old Jae might have a lot on her plate — her friendship with her bestie is imploding, and she’s on the edge of giving up hope her father can ever show up for her the way she needs. But all of those troubles melt away as soon as she sets foot in the local rink WestSide Roll, where she can express herself on skates like no other. Upon learning that the rink might be closing due to gentrifiers taking over the neighborhood, Jae turns to her new crush, Trey, for help to save the community staple. It turns out fighting for something bigger than yourself can change your life (and maybe even your relationship status).

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Laura Steven introduces an irresistible trope — doomed lovers — to her deeply romantic debut. Evelyn knows what Arden is coming for; it’s what he’s done for the last thousand years. In every lifetime, they are destined to fall in love and kill each other, only to restart the cycle. In this lifetime, however, Evlen is reincarnated as teen Branwen, and Branwen needs to live in order to help her sick sister. Her only solution is to uncover who Arden is in this lifetime and convince him to help her, and if not…kill him first. Steven traces Evelyn and Arden’s love story across decades, changing genders and sexualities, and what remains in every lifetime is a deep and true love that can withstand anything.

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It’s no shock that Tia Williams, writer behind romance favorites such as Seven Days in June and The Perfect Find, would craft an absolutely delectable rom-com for her YA debut. Fans might recognize the novel’s star, Audre, from Williams’ novel Seven Days in June, and the ambitious tween we all loved has grown up. When Audre’s trip to California to visit her father, a much-needed reset from the cracks showing up in her relationship with her mother, is cancelled, she decides the best way to keep herself on track is with a new project. That project being a teen self-help book, Audre quickly realizes that to help teens, one must experience teen troubles for oneself. And so, Audre enlists the assistance of Bash, a charming troublemaker, to help her understand the woes of teendom, only to find that navigating one’s first love is more difficult than she might have thought.

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Kiara Greer has always been the wallflower among her reality TV starlet family, and the pressure to step up and take the reins of her own empire is slowly becoming too much. At a glamorous birthday, Kiara encounters pop star Cass, and Kiara can’t deny that she’s curious about this sweet and charming celeb, who has more going for them than just music. Falling deeper into her romance with Cass, Kiara navigates the public’s desire to pick apart her relationship, her mother’s demand that she step into the spotlight on her own, and attempt to define herself and her life on her own terms. Bennett’s celebrity coming of age has one of the most touching portrayals of young love that is both patient and fervent in its race towards both love and independence.

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