Maybe this past Valentine’s Day was uneventful for you. If you’re still planning on spending the rest of 2024 searching for “the one,” allow me to redirect your attention to these eight exciting young adult romance novels coming out this year! Click on the titles to find out more!
1. Arya Khanna’s Bollywood Moment by Arushi Avachat – January 9, 2024
Don’t miss this debut rom-com moment from Arushi Avachat about high school senior Arya, who is used to being the mediator for her family and friends. Soon, she comes to realize that there’s only so much she can control, but on the flip side, there’s so much to look forward to when you least expect it. Structured like a Bollywood film (dance sequences included!), Arya Khanna’s Bollywood Moment is sure to have you on your feet, hoping it’ll never end.
2. My Big, Fat Desi Wedding edited by Prerna Pickett – January 16, 2024
You can’t have a desi wedding without food, fashion, aunties and uncles, and well, drama. This YA romance anthology has it all and then some with genre-bending stories from award-winning and debut authors about the messiest, most magical family gathering and celebration.
3. This Day Changes Everything by Edward Underhill – February 13, 2024
Two queer teens bump into each other in New York City. What unfolds is a whirlwind day filled with sightseeing, bonding, and queer love. The title says it all–this day changes everything–but the real question is, will Abby Akerman and Leo Brewer be ready for it?
4. Just Another Epic Love Poem by Parisa Akhbari – March 12, 2024
Best friends Mitra Esfahani and Bea Ortega have been writing an epic, never-ending poem in “The Book” for five years straight. These stanzas are where the two share their most intimate secrets and life experiences. Until Mitra has a secret that just might change everything: the fact that she is hopelessly in love with Bea. Navigate the lyrical prose and confessional poetry, letting it move you through time and friendship.
5. The Last Bloodcarver by Vanessa Le – March 19, 2024
Enter this Vietnamese-inspired fantasy world and meet Nhika, a bloodcarver. In the city of Theumas, bloodcarvers are seen as bloodthirsty monsters. When Nhika’s power is exposed, she is captured by thugs and sold to an aristocratic family to heal the last witness to their father’s murder. There, she meets Ven Kochin, a physician’s aide, who seems to be the only person who is drawn to her in a society that hates her. Nhika will be forced to decide if it’s worth trusting anyone in Theumas or if she should become the very monster everyone else expects her to be.
6. Icarus by K. Ancrum – March 26, 2024
Icarus is an art thief. His sole victim is the wealthy Mr. Black, a man who had a role in his mother’s death. Icarus steals Mr. Black’s art and replaces it with his father’s flawless forgeries. One night, he is caught by Mr. Black’s son, Helios. Instead of getting Icarus in trouble, Helios proposes something far more dangerous: friendship. As their hesitant friendship develops into more, Icarus must tread carefully between his father’s thirst for revenge and the boy he’s come to love.
7. Hearts Still Beating by Brooke Archer – April 2, 2024
Seventeen-year-old girls Mara and Rory loved each other before the world ended, or more specifically, when a zombie virus took over and destroyed society as they knew it. Mara was turned by the virus, becoming a Tick, until thanks to a new treatment, is brought back to herself. She’s sent to the Island, one of the few surviving communities, and reunites with Rory. As the Island devolves into more violence and chaos, the girls must relearn how to rely on each other since their first kiss.
8. Finally Fitz by Marisa Kanter – April 23, 2024
Ava “Fitz” Fitzgerald has successfully grown an online platform dedicated to her passion for upcycling and sustainable fashion. Everything about her junior year is perfect until her girlfriend, Danica, dumps her for caring more about her digital persona. Fitz randomly stumbles into her childhood best friend, Levi. Levi, who is also experiencing heartbreak, teams up with Fitz to craft a fake relationship to make their respective exes jealous. By the end of the summer, Fitz is determined they’ll be back with their “perfect” partners. If only life worked out as perfectly as we want it to.
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Born and raised in Queens, Caitlin Taylor So is a Chinese-Vietnamese writer who is passionate about prioritizing and amplifying marginalized voices. She graduated from Emerson College with a degree in publishing and marketing. Her writing can be found on Business Insider, PopSugar, WebMD, and Her Campus Media.