Celestial Monsters by Aiden Thomas is a YA fantasy romance that follows a young semidiós on a dangerous journey to restore a world plunged into darkness. As the stakes rise, so does a tender, slow-burn romance between Teo and Aurelio, offering moments of intimacy and hope amid chaos and loss. Thomas weaves epic adventure with queer first love, centering emotional connection and chosen family as essential forces of survival and resistance.

In this YA romantic comedy, two Indian American teens are brought together at a summer tech program with very different ideas about love and tradition. Dimple is focused on her future and determined to define success on her own terms, while Rishi embraces romance, family expectations, and the possibility of an arranged match. As their connection grows, Menon balances humor and heart to explore ambition, cultural pressure, and the joy of being truly understood. The result is a warm, swoony romance that helped redefine who gets to be the lead in a YA love story—and what happily ever after can look like.

They Both Die at the End is set in a world where people receive advance notice of their death. After two teens connect on the last day of their lives, they choose to spend their remaining hours together, turning an ending into the beginning of something meaningful. Silvera pairs a high-concept premise with an emotionally intimate love story that highlights how love can be both fleeting and transformative. The novel captures the urgency of being fully present, even when time is painfully limited.

This lush YA historical fantasy follows a determined teen who travels to Egypt in search of answers after her parents’ mysterious deaths. Swept into a world of buried magic, political intrigue, and archaeological danger, she finds herself locked in a rivals-to-lovers dynamic with an infuriatingly compelling companion. Ibañez blends adventure and romance with a vivid historical setting, creating a story where attraction sparks amid secrets, power struggles, and the pull of the past.

Infinity Alchemist by Kacen Callender is a YA fantasy romance about a teen forced to practice magic in secret who forms an uneasy alliance with a brilliant, sharp-tongued apprentice. As they work together on a dangerous quest, a slow-burn romance grows between them, complicating questions of trust, ambition, and power. Callender blends high-stakes adventure with queer, trans-inclusive romance, centering love as both a vulnerability and a source of strength in a world determined to control who gets to wield magic.

In this lyrical YA romance, a teenage boy’s summer in Rome becomes defined by an unexpected connection with another boy he meets while wandering the city. As their bond deepens, the relationship unfolds through quiet conversations, shared discoveries, and the thrill and uncertainty of first love. Selznick creates an intimate, emotionally rich love story that captures how fleeting moments can feel world-altering, especially when love is new and nothing about the future feels certain.

This cozy YA romantic comedy is set on a televised junior baking show, where a teen baker hopes to help save her family’s donut shop. Competing alongside her ex-girlfriend and an unexpected new crush, she finds that the real challenge isn’t just winning the competition—but figuring out what she wants from love. Jaigirdar blends humor, warmth, and queer joy into a sweet rivals-to-lovers romance that celebrates community, creativity, and second chances.

Kevin Christopher Snipes’s Forever Always is a queer YA romance about two boys who discover their connection spans centuries through recurring dreams of past lives. As their present-day relationship deepens, they’re forced to confront the possibility that loving each other has always led to the same devastating end. Blending reincarnation, fate, and first love, Snipes crafts a tender, high-stakes romance that asks whether love is worth the risk—even when history suggests the cost may be everything.

Throwback is a time-travel YA romance about a Korean American teen who is sent back to the 1990s and lands in her mother’s high school years. Forced to navigate an analog world with outdated social norms, she begins to see her mom not as a source of endless expectations, but as a teenager with her own dreams, fears, and romantic longings. With humor, heart, and a swoony cross-era romance, Goo explores generational tension, cultural identity, and the complicated ways love and family shape who we become.