Stories of First Love for Teens

Is there anything more exhilarating than first love? Explore first romances, true stories, and more in these great titles for teens!

Updated February 10, 2025
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Love in winter Wonderland
Bello, A.
Paper Book
The Sun Is Also a Star meets You've Got Mail in this YA Christmas love story set in a London Black-owned bookshop. Charming, handsome Trey Anderson balances the pressures of school popularity with a job at his family's beloved local bookshop, Wonderland.
Rise to the sun
Johnson, Leah (Young adult author)
Paper Book
From the author of You Should See Me in a Crown, Leah Johnson delivers a stunning novel about being brave enough to be true to yourself, and learning to find joy even when times are unimaginably dark. Olivia is an expert at falling in love . . . and at being dumped. But after the fallout...
Twenty-four seconds from now : a love story
Reynolds, Jason
Paper Book
A Coretta Scott King Author Award Winner A New York Times Bestseller Seven starred reviews! "Jason Reynolds has done it again!...Fresh from start to finish...This is what it could be, should be, if only we were all as lucky as Aria. Girls (and...
With love, Miss Americanah
Igharo, Jane
Paper Book
A girl moves from Nigeria to America and navigates her senior year with the help of teen movies and a new crush, in this story described as "the next coming-of-age hit, perfect for fans of Jenny Han" by Booklist in a starred review! Enore Adesuwa doesn't dive into things...
Instructions for dancing
Yoon, Nicola
Paper Book
AN INSTANT #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER "A charming, wholehearted love story that's sure to make readers swoon."--Entertainment Weekly "Nicola Yoon writes from the heart in this beautiful love story."--Good Morning America ...
Yesterday is history
Jackson, Kosoko
Paper Book
One of PopSugar's Best New YA Novels of 2021 A Buzzfeed Top LGBTQ+ YA Book A Lambda Literary YA Book to Add to Your TBR Pile A Goodreads Pride Month Pick An epic, heartfelt romance about a boy torn between two loves, one in his present ......
Matchmaker
Lyons, Kelly Starling
Paper Book
From the award-winning author of the Jada Jones chapter books comes an illustrated spinoff series perfect for STEM fans! Valentine's Day is approaching, and Miles Lewis doesn't really like all the mush that comes with it. He is excited about the candy experiments they're...
Blackout
Clayton, Dhonielle
Paper Book
Six critically acclaimed, bestselling, and award-winning authors bring the glowing warmth and electricity of Black teens in love to this charming, hilarious, and heartwarming novel that shines a bright light through the dark. A summer heatwave blankets New York City in darkness. But as the...
Reggie and Delilah's year of falling
Bryant, Elise
Paper Book
From the NAACP Image Award-nominated author of Happily Ever Afters comes a dual POV rom-com about Reggie and Delilah, who fall in love through missed connections and chance meetings on holidays over the course of a year. Perfect for fans of Nicola Yoon and Jenny Han, with crossover appeal...
For all time
Miles, Shanna
Paper Book
A Parade Magazine Best Young Adult Book of 2021 "A romance for the ages...one perfect little novel." --Stacey Lee, award-winning author of The Downstairs Girl The Sun Is Also a Star meets Outlander in this "unforgettable and...
Happily ever afters
Bryant, Elise
Paper Book
Jane the Virgin meets To All the Boys I've Loved Before in this charming debut romantic comedy filled with Black Girl Magic. Perfect for fans of Mary H. K. Choi and Nicola Yoon, with crossover appeal for readers of Jasmine Guillory and Talia Hibbert romances. Sixteen-year-old Tessa Johnson...
Love is a revolution
Watson, Renée
Paper Book
From New York Times bestselling and award-winning author Renée Watson comes a love story about love-not only in a romantic relationship but also in how a girl finds herself and falls in love with who she really is. When Nala Robertson reluctantly agrees to attend an...
How to speak flower : a kid's guide to buds, blooms, and blossoms
Williams, Molly
Paper Book
A beautifully illustrated guide to the history and symbolism of flowers for every plant lover. Sunflowers are symbols of friendship. Gardenias represent secrets and mystery. Irises say, I trust you. Flowers bring color and beauty to the everyday...
Love somebody
Roasek, Rachel
Paper Book
A sparkling YA debut rom-com about a popular high-school girl, her ex-boyfriend-turned-best-friend, and the girl they both fall for--perfect for fans of Becky Albertalli or Casey McQuiston. Sam Dickson is a charismatic actress, ambitious and popular with big plans for her...
Love, decoded
Yen, Jennifer
Paper Book
A hilarious, heartfelt rom-com about the unexpected consequences of one teen's quest to help her friends find love, perfect for fans of Jenny Han and Jane Austen. High school junior Gigi Wong strives to be the best. After all, that's what everyone expects of her-her parents,...
The do-over
Painter, Lynn
Paper Book
A New York Times Bestseller In this "unequivocally hilarious and delightful" (Kirkus Reviews) young adult romp for fans of Recommended for You and A Cuban Girl's Guide to Tea and Tomorrow, a teen girl has the worst Valentine's Day ever--only to...
The love match
Taslim, Priyanka
Paper Book
"Jane Austen meets Bengali cinema" (Publishers Weekly) in this delightful and heartfelt rom-com about a Bangladeshi American teen whose meddling mother arranges a match to secure their family's financial security--just as she's falling in love with someone else. Zahra Khan...
First love language
Valentine, Stefany
Paper Book
For fans of Frankly in Love and Tokyo Ever After comes a romantic dramedy about finding love and reconnecting with your culture in the most surprising ways. Taiwanese American Catie Carlson has never fit in with her white family. As much as she loves her stepmom and...
Forty words for love
Saeed, Aisha
Paper Book
In this tender genre-bending young adult novel by New York Times bestselling author Aisha Saeed, two teen protagonists grow from friends to something more in the aftermath of a tragedy in their magical town. Moonlight Bay is a magical place-or it was once. After a tragic...
Color outside the lines : stories about love
Mandanna, Sangu
Paper Book
Color Outside the Lines brings together diverse, talented YA voices, including Samira Ahmed, Adam Silvera, Anna-Marie McLemore, Lori Lee, and Elsie Chapman, to reflect on interracial relationships. While focusing predominantly on POC voices, the anthology also includes LGBTQ+, religious, minority,...
Summer days and summer nights : twelve love stories
Perkins, Stephanie
Paper Book
Maybe it's the long, lazy days, or maybe it's the heat making everyone a little bit crazy. Whatever the reason, summer is the perfect time for love to bloom. Summer Days and Summer Nights: Twelve Love Stories, written by twelve bestselling young adult writers and edited by the...

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