Relaxing with a YA Rom-Com

Sometimes if I want to unwind or if I want a palate cleanser between heavy reads, I pick up a short-and-sweet YA rom-com. The issue is knowing which ones are good, and which ones leave something to be desired. I’ve got a short list of tried-and-true rom-coms that are quick and delightful reads. Nothing too heavy, but with a little bit of cheese on top.

The first recommendation is Tweet Cute by Emma Lord. This is a debut Romeo and Juliet-esque novel, but without all the dying at the end. Pepper is the overachieving daughter of a family-owned fast-food empire. Think Whataburger meets Shake Shack. Pepper knows Jack in passing as a class clown, but she has no idea how important he’s going to be to her life and her family’s restaurant chain.

This is a fluffy enemies-to-friends read with a You’ve Got Mail twist. If you don’t know what You’ve Got Mail is, it’s basically two people who feel perfect for each other as their anonymous online personas, but their real life relationship gets bogged down by their responsibilities.

Pros: Adorable, quirky, and set firmly in the land of social media. Also, a lot of cheese-related puns.

Cons: Although this is a light read, Pepper’s mom (and to some extent, Jack’s dad) is a pretty terrible parent. She forces Pepper to work for free as a social media manager because she “gets it” better. And while I feel that IN MY SOUL as a kid of a tech-averse parent, it’s still not a good precedent to set. 

The second recommendation is perfect for that “I should follow my dreams!” feeling. I Wanna Be Where You Are by Kristina Forest has all the hallmarks of a great teen rom-com. All Chloe wants is to dance, and when she decides to apply to the conservatory of her dreams without her mom’s approval, she has to take a road trip with ex-friend and neighbor Eli and his smelly dog. 

This is a perfect, quick summer read with another enemies-to-friends storyline. Well, more like friends-to-enemies-to-friends. If you like a fast-paced romance novel with fun dialogue, this is a great choice. You get a good feel for Chloe’s fear to let down her mother and her passion for dancing, and all the while Chloe and Eli are getting to know each other again. 

Pros: Quick read, a sweet romance with a lot of background, and an inspiring “follow your dreams” narrative.

Cons: It takes a while to figure out WHY Chloe hates Eli so much, and the book suffers a little for having to wait for them to be nicer to each other.

My final recommendation of the day is a comic series called Lumberjanes by Noelle Stevenson. The first volume, “Beware the Kitten Holy”, doesn’t have romance, but as the story builds throughout the series friendships and romantic interests grow and change. All of the characters are really recognizable and lovable, from the over-achieving, preppy April to Ripley, the scrappy wild-child.

This is great read for adventurous teens who prefer graphic novels and comics to a regular novel, but also for people who feel like outsiders and want to read a good example of a friend group where everyone is accepted. So get ready for some lite-supernatural camp hijinks with these butt-kicking best pals!

Pros: Great friendships, colorful art, and a fun adventure storyline

Cons: Very weird paranormal vibe that doesn’t work for everyone, an energetic plot that jumps around. Read this for the characters, not for the plot.

Let us know your favorite reads to relax to, whether they're YA rom-coms or dark and stormy mysteries.

Thanks for reading,

Katie