Favourite Romances in YA Books

It’s Valentine’s Day! The day of love is upon us so I thought I’d do a little something to celebrate it. I’ve asked a number of bloggers and authors what their favourite romances in YA books are so today I’m here to share them all with you. I love reading everyone’s entries and I got a lot of new book recommendations as well.

Sofia – The Reading Fangirl:

Romance is something I completely fall head over heels for in a book. If there is a very cute and swoonworthy romance, I will most likely fall in love with your book. But when trying to think of my favourite romance in a book, I struggled a little bit. There are so many amazing couples that I love and that I want to show recognition to. However, I do have one ultimate couple and this may be a slightly cliched answer but I absolutely love Finnick Odair and Annie Cresta from The Hunger Games. I have always loved their undying love for each other which is especially shown in Mockingjay. They were probably the first couple that I truly ‘shipped’ and that’s why they will forever hold a special place in my heart. There are many many many other couples that I ship but these two will always reign supreme for me.

Anna McKerrow- Author of Crow Moon:

My favourite romance specifically in YA (excluding Daphne Du Maurier’s Rebecca, where the heroine is in her teens and is surely one of the best and moodiest, lush, dark romances of all time) at the moment is between Cornish surfer girl Iris and Hawaiian sex god and all round good guy surfer Zeke in Lisa Glass’ Blue. Both characters are fully rounded, well written and self possessed, and Iris is an independent, strong, opinionated young girl that faces the prospect of surf success and landing (let’s face it) the best boyfriend ever with calm and practicality. Their romance is sweet and honest, with the obligatory romance-genre misunderstandings and cross purposes, but one that you really root for, and the atmosphere of their relationship sits perfectly against the natural, romantic power of the Cornish sea. Lush.

Charli – To Another World:

Charli Talks about Her Favourite Romances, aka Charli is a Lonely Nerd and is a Sucker for Romance

Favourite YA romances? Sofia, are you trying to kill me with decisions? Well. Avoiding TFiOS as an option, because some other books need some love, have some recommendations…

Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins – Anna is great; as is Isla. But Lola is my favourite, because I really love both characters and their family situations.

Skin Deep by Laura Jarrett – I love this one because it’s full of hope and sadness (sadness is a gorgeous, leads-to-fluff way).

Lobsters by Lucy Ivison and Tom Ellen – Read this one in the summer, preferably on a beach. It’s cute and fluffy and full of that beautiful awkwardness that us teenagers love.

Since You’ve Been Gone by Morgan Matson – This way in no way a perfect book to me; but the romance was my favourite bit about it. Also read on a beach (sensing a theme…).

Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell – Do I need to explain this one? Really?

The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion – This is an adult book, but I’m sneaking it in, because I loved this. It’s great. Definitely not for everyone, but I adored it.

Asmaa – Asmaa The Critic:

The first relationship that comes to mind when I think of my favourite YA romance is the relationship between Sydney Sage and Adrian Ivashkov (from Richelle Mead’s Bloodlines series). The dynamic of their relationship evolves with the series and it is amazing to be able to read about them as two separate people learning about each other, and for me, as a reader, to learn with them about the world they live in. It is nice to see how Sydney matures throughout the books and learns to the love Adrian and accept him for who he is. I think it’s my favourite romance because they are two very unlikely people who develop in such a way that isn’t portrayed much. There’s normally the whole “love at first sight” cliche, but Sydney and Adrian’s relationship shows that people have to work with each other to fall in love. It gives us a real insight to a relationship and how the couple both have to work, it’s not as effortless as films make it out to be.

Makayla – Always That Book Addict:

When Sofia asked me to write about my favourite romance in a book, too many things came to my head at once but nothing individual really stood out so I asked her and she said I could talk about any romance so that’s what I’m going to do. I thought it would only be right to talk about Sofia’s favourite author as she is one of mine too. Rainbow Rowell. Although I love all of her books, I’m only allowed to talk YA, so in Fangirl, I love the cuteness between Cath and Levi. They are one of the cutest couples ever and I love how the relationship is slowly built on throughout the book and I love the character development of Cath that ultimately allows her to be with Levi. Another author that I love is Stephanie Perkins, the author of Anna and the French Kiss, Lola and the Boy Next Door, and Isla and the Happily Ever After. I think my favourite book is Lola because Lola and Cricket Graham Bell. What is not to like? I love Lola because I love the way that Lola and Cricket just come together. I love how the thought of them being together just takes away the fact that Lola was with the idiot named Max when the book began. Another thing I love about this book is that Anna and Etienne return and I loved their romance in Anna but somehow I loved it more in Lola because it all just comes together for them too.
Honourable mentions: Cassandra Clare, Richelle Mead, Lauren Oliver

Heather – Heather Reviews:

Okay, I thought about this a lot and jumped between a few couples, but I’ve decided to settle on: Mac & Lottie (Love, Lies & Lemon Pies. I adored this pairing. The way that Lottie was originally attracted to him for his bad boy ways and how Mac turned out to be a really sweet guy. I also loved how he didn’t care what other people thought about him, only what she did. It was adorable. He fought for their relationship and it turned out to be perfect in the end. It melted my heart.

Sally – The Dark Dictator:

I’ve become very picky these days when it comes to Romance in YA, mostly because I’ve experienced some worst cases of insta-love. Romance needs to be executed in a certain way to win me over. My favourite as of right now would have to go to Allie & Carter from the Night School series by C.J. Daugherty. Now that’s a romance that has been built and developed with precision and thought. The relationship is filled with heart-wrenching angst and fluffy moments that make your heart soar and plummet again and again – they are two perfect characters that work well together. CJ nailed that one.

Melinda Salisbury – Author of The Sin Eater’s Daughter:

I like romance. I could talk all day about YA romance. I like doomed, dangerous romances like Alina and the Darkling’s. I like sweet, heart-breaking romances like Augustus and Hazel Grace’s. I like Etienne and Anna, and how their chemistry made my stomach lurch as if I’d just gone over a hill in the car. I like all kinds of love; passionate; forbidden; love-at-first-sight; love that no-one realises is love until it’s almost too late. There are a lot of different kinds of love, and I love all of them.

So I was kind of surprised when the first romantic relationship that came to mind when Sofia asked me if I’d like to be part of her Valentine’s post was Alanna and George Cooper’s, from the Song of the Lioness quartet. Basically, George Cooper is a Good Man. He makes it very clear that he loves Alanna deeply, but also that he’ll never trap her, manipulate her, or coerce her in any way. He gives Alanna room to learn who she is and what she wants, even when that means she chooses other men over him. He makes sure he’s her friend first – always – then her love interest, and even when she cannot be what he wants her to be, he accepts her wholly for herself.

Plus he’s mortally sexy. Seriously. He’s the King of Thieves.

So whilst I’d enjoy the heat of Etienne and Anna, or the dark need of Alina and the Darkling, I think they’d be my dress rehearsal loves. Ultimately, I’d want the main stage show to be with someone like George Cooper.

Faye – A Daydreamer’s Thoughts:

There are so many great romances in YA, an abundance of them really, but here’s a selection of the couples that I’ve really enjoyed reading about in a selection of genres. I will probably miss some greats like Hazel and Gus but hopefully you’ll forgive me. One of my favourites has to be Cather and Levi from Fangirl; this is just such a real and cute romance. Then you have Rachel and Logan from Defiance; these two are made for each other and their romance is deep and emotional. Lastly, because I shouldn’t ramble too much, there’s Molly and Arthur Weasly from Harry Potter; not your average couple but one that shows how relationships work and they are so good together, despite their differences. Honestly you can’t help but love them. So there we have it. Just a small selection of some great romances I have loved reading.

Eve Ainsworth – Author of Seven Days:

I absolutely adored the romance in Eleanor and Park. This might be quite an obvious choice, as the book has been such a success, but for me the relationship is such a convincing one. When I first read the book, I was completely drawn to the wonderfully quirky Eleanor and the equally well developed Park.Their friendship seemed so honest and real, that I ended up really routing for them – I so wanted it wanted it to be happy ever after for them. This book represents the wonder and frustrations of first love so well.

Kerry Drewery – Author of A Brighter Fear and A Dream of Lights:

Maybe not a traditional romance but I’ve picked Brian Selznick’s The Invention of Hugo Cabret.  The friendship between the two main characters, Hugo and Isabelle, has the kind of deep-seated love between two people who have become to mean so much to each other, yet without the romance, and in my head imagining what would happen in the future – I wouldn’t ever want them to be more than friends because their friendship is magical the way it is.  Of course, this book’s also full of the romance and love of film.  Papa Georges was deeply in love with film in his past and the children help him realise he still is.  There’s Georges’ traditional love for his wife, oh and of course there’s the character whose love for Georges’ work brings them all together at the end.

It’s full of love.  It’s beautiful.

Michelle – Tales of Yesterday:
I mulled over Sofia’s question for a while….I love a good romantic story and whilst I am a huge fan of Hazel and Gus from The Fault In Our Stars I wanted to go against the grain and think of one of my favourite genres! Horror! Now you would think there was no way romance could play a part in a horror book…in Cruel Summer it did and I loved it and the characters involved. Now as everyone who knows me probably knows I love this book so so much and one of the reasons (there are many) I do is because of a certain romantic relationship within the book. This is slightly an odd paragraph to write as I cannot really reveal the actual relationship as I don’t want to spoil this wonderful book for people, but those of you who have read it will hopefully know who I mean. It’s a bit of twist and is a fantastic break form the holiday from hell that the group of friends are having and keeps you hooked right to the end where I cried my eyes out (yes in a horror book!). I urge you to read it and find out what this cryptic paragraph means…and if you have read already …I’m still not over it *cries*
Priya- Priyapiggle:
My fictional OTP is probably Maxerica (Maxon and America) from ‘The Selection Series’. I didn’t really realise how much I shipped them until I read the second book, ‘The Elite’. Every time they were in a scene together I would giggle (and I’m honestly not a giggler so it’s a rare occurrence for me!) ‘The Selection’ has a pretty complicated love triangle, but I’ve stuck with Maxerica throughout the series and I will until the bitter end! There are a lot of hurdles in their way but that’s what makes their relationship so fascinating! I can’t wait to read more about them in ‘The Heir’!

 

Thanks to everyone for participating and sending me all your fabulous answers to my question. I loved reading all your paragraphs about your favourite YA romances, I know that it must have been hard to write! I hope you enjoyed reading this post as much as I did.