23 New Young Adult Romances We're Loving In 2022
1.One True Loves by Elise Bryant
Release date: January 4
What it's about: This standalone companion to Happily Ever Afters stars Lenore Bennett, who's mastered high school but still has infinite questions about her plans for once she gets to NYU — a definite point of contention with her parents. Then, while on a post-grad cruise, she meets Alex, and of all the things she's never figured out she wanted for herself, he might be the most surprising.
Get it from Bookshop or your local bookstore via Indiebound.
2.Salaam, With Love by Sara Sharaf Beg
Release date: January 4
What it's about: When Dua's forced to spend the entire month of Ramadan in Queens with her cousins, she isn't happy about it, especially since she barely knows this branch of the family tree. But the more time she spends with them, and the better she gets to know hot Muslim drummer Hassan, the more she comes to appreciate the opportunity to open up her world.
Get it from Bookshop or your local bookstore via Indiebound.
3.All the Right Reasons by Bethany Mangle
Release date: February 15
What it's about: When Cara lands her mother on a dating reality show for single parents, she has no idea what to expect from the experience. And it isn't good. She and her mom fight about the other contestants, the producers are a pain in her butt, and the children of the other single parents are off limits...which is highly unfortunate, because Cara is falling for one. Now she'll have to make some tough moves if she wants to find love for her mom and for herself.
Get it from Bookshop or your local bookstore via Indiebound.
4.Rebel Boys and Rescue Dogs, or Things That Kiss With Teeth by Brianna R. Shrum
Release date: January 25
What it's about: Bryn's exceptionally well behaved about 99% of the time, but of course the cops show up during that one exception, landing her in community service at a pit bull rescue alongside none other than Oliver West, a hot trans boy she screwed over for a scholarship earlier in the year. At the rescue, Oliver's in charge, and he agrees to keep her punishment a secret if she helps him get another shot at the scholarship. But the more time they spend together, the more it looks like they may not be finished once community service ends.
Get it from Bookshop or your local bookstore via Indiebound.
5.The One True Me and You by Remi K. England
Release date: March 1
What it's about: In this warmhearted queer romance, Kaylee can't wait to hit up GreatCon and finally meet a whole bunch of fandom friends in person, especially since it'll be the first opportunity to really try out they/them pronouns and maybe even kiss a girl. But when a beauty pageant taking place at the same hotel brings her face to face with the last girl she wants around for any of those things, it puts a major damper on events. Thankfully, the pageant did bring with it one bright spot: Teagan, who's competing for the top prize but finds herself with an eye on Kaylee, too.
Get it from Bookshop or your local bookstore via Indiebound here.
6.Lakelore by Anna-Marie McLemore
Release date: March 8
What it's about: McLemore does it again with another stunning novel steeped in magical realism and tackling identity and self-discovery. Bastián Silvano knows the legendary lake well, and when Lore Garcia stumbles upon it (and the world beneath it) for the first time, it forever changes their perception of what's possible. The two quickly bond over their both being nonbinary and neurodivergent, but when the world beneath the water becomes too much, they'll need to unpack their truths and traumas in order to stay above it.
Get it from Bookshop or your local bookstore via Indiebound here.
7.And They Lived... by Steven Salvatore
Release date: March 8
What it's about: College-set YA alert! Chase Arthur is an incoming freshman with a talent for animation and an eye on the prize: an exclusive mentorship in his dream field of animation. But he's also got some other stuff on his mind, like his struggles with weight and gender identity, the father who makes it all worse, and, most of all, Jack, the boy who's got him absolutely smitten but who struggles with his own internalized homophobia. It's a lot for Chase to navigate, who's learning he needs to come to love himself before he can love anybody else. Salvatore's sophomore is sweet, delightful, and painfully real, with the kind of protagonist you will absolutely love rooting for.
Get it from Bookshop or your local bookstore via Indiebound.
8.Right Where I Left You by Julian Winters
Release date: March 15
What it's about: When Isaac's crush, Davi, distracts him from the tiny purchase window for tickets to his and his best friend Diego's dream fandom convention, Isaac knows Diego's gonna be a little mad. But the bad feelings pile up when Isaac gets stuck spending the summer with Diego's gamer friends, and Diego finds out exactly why Isaac screwed up while buying the tickets. Not that it should matter that Davi was involved, but...it sure seems to, and Isaac's determined to find out why. Winters once again delivers on sweet nerdiness and delightful friendships for a romance that'll have you hugging the book when you're done.
Get it from Bookshop or your local bookstore via Indiebound.
9.She Gets the Girl by Rachael Lippincott and Alyson Derrick
Release date: April 5
What it's about: If this is how it reads when a couple in love writes a couple in love, then bring on all the author couples writing romance. The pair's first cowriting venture is a sweet and hilarious college-set rom-com about an unlikely pair of girls who make a pact to help each other land their girls. Alex is hot, a player, and no stranger to seeking an escape, but she isn't trying to escape Natalie, even if she can't say those three little words back. Molly is shy, anxious, and has no idea how to make friends, especially since her mom is her BFF. But Alex is convinced that if she can hook Molly up with her crush, then Natalie will have to see that Alex is way more good-hearted than she's given credit for, and everybody wins. But when Alex and Molly end up closer than either of them has ever been with anyone before, they'll have to acknowledge that both of them have more to give, if only they can each admit who the right person is.
Get it from Bookshop or your local bookstore via Indiebound.
10.See You Yesterday by Rachel Lynn Solomon
Release date: May 3
What it's about: Solomon just keeps upping her YA romance game, this time with a time loop college-set romance about a girl named Barrett who has a disastrous first day of college, only to find herself reliving it from the beginning again the next morning. But she isn't the only one stuck on Sept. 21. No, she shares that distinction with Miles, the very same know-it-all who humiliated her in her very first physics class. In fact, Miles has been stuck there a whole lot longer than Barrett has, and if they're ever going to get to the 22nd, they're going to need to put their mutual distaste aside and work together.
Get it from Bookshop or your local bookstore via Indiebound.
11.Beauty and the Besharam by Lillie Vale
Release date: May 10
What it's about: Kavya Joshi has always been "a little too much," and having a public breakup with her boyfriend in front of her rival, Ian, doesn't help. But when she decides to spend the summer lying low and working as a birthday party princess, her plan to stay chill fails spectacularly when she's paired up with Ian as Ariel and Eric. Their friends, however, are having none of this, and cook up a little friendly competition to keep the two distracted from fighting, only to find that there just may be a point at which this rivalry tips over into something else entirely.
Get it from Bookshop or your local bookstore via Indiebound.
12.Melt With You by Jennifer Dugan
Release date: May 17
What it's about: Rife with charm, personality, and a whole lot of puns, Dugan's newest Sapphic YA romance sets Fallon on course for a painful summer with her former bestie-turned-one night stand, Chloe, for an ice cream truck road trip neither one will forget. Things between them are stickier than a cone melting on hot blacktop thanks to a hookup that was far more than that for Fallon; she'll never forgive Chloe for disappearing immediately after. But some thoughtful trip-planning by Chloe and a few bumps in the road ("just one bed," anyone?) helps them find a sweet, sweet path back to friendship, and maybe to something else...if they can actually have one reasonable, honest conversation.
Get it from Bookshop or a local bookstore through Indiebound. You can also try the audiobook version through Libro.fm.
13.You, Me, and Our Heartstrings by Melissa See
Release date: May 31
What it's about: There's nothing like a little competition to stir up some fiery romance, and Daisy and Noah both want an in at Juilliard paved for by their violin skills. When a strings duel turns into an awesome viral video that spirals them both to fame, it should be the perfect ticket. But viewers focus more on Daisy's having cerebral palsy than her stunning talent, which also triggers Noah's anxiety, turns everything sour, forcing them to reevaluate whether the spotlight is worth it.
Get it from Bookshop or your local bookstore via Indiebound.
14.Finding Jupiter by Kelis Rowe
Release date: May 31
What it's about: In this verse-and-prose hybrid debut, Ray and Orion are two teens mired in grief and its aftermath when they meet at a skating rink and find in each other the escape they've both been needing. But when a devastating family secret comes to light, it puts their love to the ultimate test.
Get it from Bookshop or your local bookstore via Indiebound.
15.Zyla & Kai by Kristina Forest
Release date: June 7
What it's about: A sunshine-grump romance with an intriguing bit of mystery, from an author who's quickly becoming one of YA romance's most reliable faves? Sign me up! Everyone knows Zyla and Kai broke up, and no one was particularly surprised when it happened. So why on earth did they run away together during a school trip? As the story of their past and present unfolds from both perspectives, we come to see what tore them apart...if anything truly did.
Get it from Bookshop or your local bookstore via Indiebound.
16.A Little Bit Country by Brian D. Kennedy
Release date: June 7
What it's about: Emmett wants to be a country star. Luke isn't a fan of country at all. But when both boys end up working at the same country star-owned amusement park for the summer, they'll find they have plenty in common when it comes to learning how to follow their dreams and their hearts. You don't have to be a Dolly Parton fan to adore this debut romance, but it certainly won't hurt.
Get it from Bookshop or your local bookstore via Indiebound.
17.The Feeling of Falling in Love by Mason Deaver
Release date: August 16
What it's about: Fake-dating meets "And they were roommates!" in this romance about a boy named Neil whose plans to attend a wedding with his best friend on his arm go awry when said BFF, Josh, declares his unrequited feelings. Now Neil's dateless, which has him begging his roommate, Wyatt, to play his date so things won't get extra weird. It's not the perfect plan, but it just might yield pretty great results...
Get it from Bookshop or your local bookstore via Indiebound.
18.The 99 Boyfriends of Micah Summers by Adam Sass
Release date: September 20
What's it about: Micah Summers makes a delightful Prince Charming for our time in this thoroughly modernized Cinderella story about an Instagrammer artist who posts about all the boys he's dreamed of asking out in the past, and who's determined to make number 100 the real thing. When he meets a dreamy boy on the L, only to get separated by a freak slip, Micah grows determined to track him down, knowing he's the one. But the quest to find the boy using the jacket he accidentally left behind turns out to be a romantically enlightening journey in a way Micah never expected.
Get it from Bookshop or your local bookstore via Indiebound.
19.Well, That Was Unexpected by Jesse Q. Sutanto
Release date: September 27
What it's about: Genre-jumper Sutanto flies readers over to Indonesia along with protagonist Sharlot, whose mom is bringing her to her native land in an attempt at behavioral rehab. Sharlot has no idea her mom is taking things a step further by catfishing an eligible boy in town, and unbeknownst to them both is the fact that the boy's father is doing the same with her. When Sharlot and George uncover their parents' questionable moves, they're horrified, but the more time they spend together, the clearer it becomes that their parents may have been onto something...
Get it from Bookshop or your local bookstore via Indiebound.
20.Everyone Hates Kelsie Miller by Meredith Ireland
Release date: October 11
What it's about: Kelsie and Eric despise each other, but they have one important thing in common: They've both been dropped by the people they care about most. When they learn that Kelsie's ex-BFF will be in the same place as Eric's ex-GF at the same time, they agree to team up for a road trip that will finally yield some answers at the end. But that whole thing where life's a journey, not a destination? Kelsie and Eric are about to figure out exactly what that means...
Get it from Bookshop or your local bookstore via Indiebound.
21.Eight Nights of Flirting by Hannah Reynolds
Release date: October 25
What it's about: Shira's got the perfect Hanukkah gift idea to herself: Isaac, her great-uncle's dreamy assistant, who she knows would make the perfect boyfriend. But landing a romantic partner isn't exactly in Shira's skillset, so she enlists an expert in annoyingly charming Tyler Nelson to help her out, only to find her heart wandering in an unexpected direction.
Get it from Bookshop or your local bookstore via Indiebound.
22.Salt and Sugar by Rebecca Carvalho
Release date: November 1
What it's about: Lari and Pedro's families have always been rivals; when you're both Brazilian bakeries and you're situated across the street from each other, it's kinda inevitable. But when a new big business imperils local establishments, the teens will have to work together to make sure both of their businesses survive. And maybe, just maybe, they'll find something sweet amid all the bitterness.
Get it from Bookshop or your local bookstore via Indiebound.
23.How to Excavate a Heart by Jake Maia Arlow
Release date: November 1
What it's about: Making an enemy is the last thing Shani wants when she heads to DC over winter break for an incredible internship opportunity, but when her mom's car nearly runs May over, that's exactly what happens. At least she'll never have to see the girl again...until she very much does. What started as a clash sparks into something romantic, and soon both girls are falling hard. But is it just a winter break thing, or is the connection between them strong enough to last year-round? Smart, witty, romantic, and shippable as hell, this is the perfect Sapphic rom-com to keep you warm all winter.
Get it from Bookshop or your local bookstore via Indiebound.
