Happy Valentine’s Day! In order to celebrate this day of love, the staff here at YABC put together a list of the most swoonworthy reads of the season! We hope you will find the next book you love on this list!
The Orphan Queen by Jodi Meadows
Love stories that are secondary to the plot are so much fun to read. It’s the subtle and undercover love that builds I find most rewarding. The Orphan Queen by Jodi Meadows is this kind of slow build love that gets under your skin and warms you all over. Wil and the infamous vigilante, Black Knife, have insta-chemistry. There’s a spark from their first meet that can’t be denied. Their relationship builds out of unwilling trust and loads of respect. By the time we discover Black Knife’s true identity, we know their love is pretty much impossible. A vigilante and a magic-wielding thief? So not going to happen. Or can it?
–Deena Graves, Staff Reviewer
Did I Mention I Love You by Estelle Maskame
The Summer Marked by Rebekah Purdy
When you mix sweet and steamy into a love story, major hookage happens. The Summer Marked by Rebekah Purdy is a super saucy swoon read. On one side, there’s Gareth and Salome. They have fought to be together and now they don’t have to hide how they feel about each other. It’s clear that warrior elf, Gareth, will do anything to keep Salome safe. Who doesn’t love a devoted warrior at your side? We also have Kadie and Winter Prince, Etienne. Holy mother of forbidden attractions! These two sort of jump into things right off the bat. Kadie is not the kind of girl to shy away from a hot guy. BUT! Etienne is not who he seems. Their push and pull attraction is equal parts infuriating (in the best possible way) and heart-wrenching. Both love stories teeter on the brink of destruction if the wrong choices are made.
–Deena Graves, Staff Reviewer
Life and Death by Stephenie Meyer
For the 10th anniversary of Twilight, Stephenie Meyer surprised the world by releasing this gender-bent version of a story many of us already know. Life and Death begins in much the same way: human moves to Forks, human meets vampires, and chaos/romance ensues. The human, Beau, and the vampire Edythe, fall in love. The writing is clear, and dare I say, so much better than its predecessor! Though every character is a different gender (other than Charlie and Renee), they still have many of the same qualities readers fell in love with. Their choices are slightly different, and you will be in for a surprise!
–Kayla King, Staff Reviewer
Gaia’s Secret by Barbara Kloss
There is something so ridiculously powerful about loves that grow between people who don’t realize how much they care about each other. Daria and Alex have known each other their whole lives. From playing house to skinned knees to the onset of puberty, they have seen it all. Then Alex vanishes from Daria’s life after turning cold and distant. When he pops back in, he’s sporting a new man-voice and is only a hint of the boy she remembers. Their relationship comes from a good place with a few wrinkles. This conflict brings about the best banter! Oh, how I love two people who obviously care about each other can toss it back and forth just to show how much they don’t truly care. Not at all. Really! Slowly, they start to trust the other. Daria realizes where her hostility for Alex actually comes from and we get a peek of how Alex felt all along. So worth the wait!
–Deena Graves, Staff Reviewer
Ten Thousand Skies Above You by Claudia Gray
In this beautiful sequel to A Thousand Pieces of You, readers are reintroduced to Marguerite and her impossible task of once again saving the one she loves. The love triangle between Will and Marguerite and Paul remains interesting and will keep you rooting for both as Marguerite faces various versions of them throughout multiple universes. Writing within this novel is just as lush, worlds just as real, and the romance just as swoonworthy!
–Kayla King, Staff Reviewer
The Distance From A to Z by Natalie Blitt
It’s always fun to find a book where a character not only likes French but LOVES it too. THE DISTANCE FROM A TO Z is one of those books that grabs your attention on the first page and doesn’t let you go. I totally loved this contemporary love story with it’s mix of French, bantering, secrets, and half-truths. There is much more than romance going on. Abby’s borderline obsession with French is her way of distancing herself from hurt that has happened to her in the past. She doesn’t want anything to do with baseball. Period. I liked her and could relate with her over the top behavior that is like a wall she puts up to protect herself.
Sweet tale filled with engaging characters that whisks readers off to a romance where opposites do in fact attract. A charming debut.
–Kim Baccellia
What are some of your favorite swoonworthy reads? Let us know in the comments below!