After what felt like the longest winter ever, it’s finally spring. It feels like the year shouldn’t start in January, but in April, when things are starting to come alive. The weather is warming up, the grass is a little greener, and things are being born after the dark cold. There is something so refreshing about the springtime — it’s the perfect time to sit outside with a new book. If you’re looking for something that evokes spring, whether literally or figuratively, this list of YA and Adult Romance has you covered.
The Last Love Song by Kalie Holford
Mia is on the precipice of major changes. With high school ending and her best friend/sort-of girlfriend Britt leaving, she turns to the only thing that can fix it: songwriting. Britt is trying to encourage Mia to live her dreams and leave their small town, but Mia simply couldn’t. Not just because it means too much to her, but because she doesn’t want to be like her late country star mother Tori Rose, who abandoned Mia and her grandmothers in pursuit of music. But then she starts getting letters addressed to her from her dead mom, she starts to learn a lot more about who Tori Rose really was. But with Britt’s departure looming over her, Mia has to move fast. Is she going to fulfill her destiny?
Late Bloomer by Mazey Eddings
Winning the lottery is ruining Opal Devlin’s life. While she was finally able to quit her dead-end job, she has lost track of the amount of people who keep showing up with a kind word and an open palm. So she does the only thing she can to escape: puts most of her winnings into a failing flower farm in Asheville, North Carolina, where she’ll also kickstart her painting business. But when she gets there, she finds Pepper Smith, the gorgeous thorn in her side who claims to be the rightful owner of the farm. The two women agree to cohabitate, and soon, the flowers aren’t the only thing blooming.
The Girl Next Door by Cecilia Vinesse
Cleo has her whole senior year planned like a film script. But then her boyfriend Daniel dumps her for Kiki, the school’s head cheerleader, which was definitely a major plot twist Cleo didn’t see coming. Then the plot thickens — not only did Daniel dump her for Kiki, Kiki dumped her girlfriend Marianne for Daniel. The same Marianne who just happens to be her next-door neighbor…and former best friend. That’s when they create a new scene: They write a fake dating plot sure to throw all the characters further into chaos. But any good filmmaker knows that fake dating eventually turns into real dating. Is Cleo ready for that?
Peaches and Cream by Georgia Beers
Adley Purcell has dreamed of owning Get the Scoop ice cream shop since she was a kid. And now that she does, she is constantly worried that it will go under. That feeling only gets worse when she finds out that national chain Sweet Heaven is opening up mere blocks from her shop. Her dreams are melting faster than an ice cream cone on a warm spring day. Enter Sabrina James, the woman sent to set up Sweet Heaven and then be on to the next. When the two women meet, they have no idea that they’re about to go together like rainbow sprinkles on a vanilla ice cream cone.
Every Time You Hear That Song by Jenna Voris
Apparently this spring is all about country music. Darren is an aspiring music journalist and a huge fan of country music star Decklee Cassel, who is as famous for her music as she is for her partnership with songwriter Mickenlee Hooper. Mickenlee disappeared at the height of the duo’s careers, never to be seen or heard from again. And now that Decklee died, her time capsule is creating buzz. When it’s found empty, Darren knows that she will break the story and find the real time capsule and get the reward, even if she has to pair up with her coworker Kendall. Told in dual POVs, we also get to know more about Decklee and Mickenlee’s partnership, in music and in life. Could Decklee give it all up for love?
Finally Fitz by Marisa Kanter
Ava, aka Fitz, is killing it. She’s created a platform to showcase her love for sustainable fashion and upcycling, maintained a 4.0 GPA, and has a solid relationship with her girlfriend Danica. When Danica breaks up with her before she goes off to college, she claims Fitz is more concerned with her brand than she is with her relationship, which hurts big time. Desperate to win Dani back and prove herself, Fitz finds herself crossing paths with her childhood best friend Levi, who she hasn’t seen since elementary school. Levi is dealing with his own heartbreak, and so Fitz comes up with the perfect plan: she helps him create a fake relationship online that is sure to make his person jealous, and he acts like her boyfriend in front of Dani to make her jealous. But like they always do, fake feelings become real, and Fitz has to decide what feels right for her.
Astrid Parker Doesn’t Fail by Ashley Herring Blake
The second of Blake’s Bright Falls trilogy, Astrid Parker has mostly been known as the uptight member of the group. After her engagement ends, Astrid needs a win to prove that she’s not a total disaster. And she thinks she’s got it when given the opportunities to redesign the Everwood Inn on a popular HGTV show. But just when she thinks she’s got it made, in steps Jordan Everwood, the owner’s contractor granddaughter who isn’t so keen on Astrid’s proposed changes. When the show’s host suggests that Astrid and Jordan work together, sparks fly, but they’re not always good ones. Each woman has to learn a lot about compromise, and also themselves.
The No-Girlfriend Rule by Christen Randall
Hollis isn’t really trying to rock the boat on senior year. She has anxiety, thank you very much. She also has a boyfriend she really likes. Chris is a good guy, and their relationship works for them. In an effort to get closer to him, she wants to learn his favorite role play game, Secrets & Sorcery. But he has a “no girlfriends at the table” rule, so she has to learn somewhere else. Thankfully, she finds an all-girl group to play S&S with, and begins to really find herself. She also finds Aini Amin-Shaw, who’s character develops a crush on Hollis’ character. Can that crush translate off the game table?
Sizzle Reel by Carlyn Greenwald
Luna Roth is too busy trying to make her career as a director of photography to worry about what it means to come out as bisexual at 24. But things change when she meets A-list actress Valeria Sullivan at the talent management office where she works. Valeria is getting ready to direct her first feature, and Luna is hoping to get a PA gig on the set. Plus, Valeria is gay af, and Luna decides that she’ll be the perfect person to take her virginity. Soon, feelings start getting in the way, and Luna worries that her career will be over before it even starts.
I Kissed Shara Wheeler by Casey McQuiston
McQuiston’s YA debut not only opens with action, but also takes place in spring, just before the end of the school year. Shara Wheeler, the most popular girl in school, goes missing, but not before she kisses Chloe Green, her biggest academic rival. Chloe is determined to find Shara, but she realizes that she can’t do it alone. Quickly, she finds out that she’s not the only one who’s been receiving Shara’s cryptic notes — she’s also been leaving them for her boyfriend Smith, and her neighbor Rory. The three couldn’t be more different, but as they are forced together to find Shara, they realize that maybe they’re not that different.
D’Vaughn and Kris Plan a Wedding by Chencia C. Higgins
There’s something about a wedding that screams spring, right? This book has several of my favorite things: a wedding, a reality wedding show, and the fake dating trope. D’Vaughn and Kris are getting married in six weeks thanks to the show Instant I Do. Each woman has different reasons for participating: Kris is an influencer who thinks this show will benefit her brand, and D’Vaughn thinks this is a solid way to come out to her family. Boy is it. From the very beginning, it’s not hard for the women to fake their chemistry; it isn’t really fake. But as they get through the show, they realize that starting their relationship on TV may not be the best choice. Or is it?
What romance novels have your heart pumping this season?
I feel so much for you, Letter Writer! I’ve been in very similar situations and they have been hell on my already anxious mind – it’s been hard to trust that any relationship, even friendships, won’t just end suddenly. I think Em’s advice was good, I don’t have anything else other than to say, you are not alone and I wish you good healing!