Stuff for the Teen Age, Biblio File
17 Readalikes for "To All The Boys I've Loved Before"
This is for all the fans, like me, who have fallen head over heels for Lara Jean, Peter K., and the families and friends of To All the Boys I've Loved Before, Jenny Han's great romantic book series and, now, a movie on Netflix. Once you’ve read the two sequels, P.S. I Still Love You and Always and Forever, Lara Jean (or are waiting for your holds to arrive), what do you read next? Where can you go to get your rom-com feels?
Right here, with this list of teen romances filled with book/film/music-loving girls, secret crushes, opposites attracting, fake boyfriends, strangers meeting cute, love triangles, and boys every bit as swoonable as Peter Kavinsky!
The Summer I Turned Pretty series by Jenny Han
Belly and her family spend every summer at the beach house owned by a family friend, but the summer Belly turns 16, she feels her life changing.
That summer, Conrad and Jeremiah, sons of the house’s owner, are treating her differently. Her whole life they’ve been like her brothers, her friends, and her secret crushes, but that summer is the beginning of something more. Caught between two gorgeous brothers, one a brooding bad boy and the other open and funny, who will Belly choose?
I Believe in a Thing Called Love by Maurene Goo
As an A+ student, there’s not much Desi Lee doesn’t know. From carburetors to CPR, Desi is your girl! Unless you’re boy . . . and then she’s a clumsy, stammering disaster.
When Luca, the hottest boy Desi has ever seen walks into her life, she decides it’s time to master flirting and romantic relationships once and for all. With Desi armed with rules and lessons from her favorite Korean dramas—where the girl always gets the guy by episode 10—Luca won’t know what hit him. All’s fair in love and K-dramas.
American Panda by Gloria Chao
A college freshman at MIT, Taiwanese-American Mei has had her whole life planned out by her parents: attend an Ivy League university, go to medical school and, finally, marry a nice Taiwanese boy.
However, now that she is finally away from home, it’s time for Mei to face some hard truths. She’s a germaphobe with no interest in becoming a doctor and she’s falling for someone her parents will hate. With a brother already disowned for choosing his own life path, how much is Mei willing to risk for her own independence?
Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
Cath has spent most of her teen years writing epic fan fiction about the boy wizard Simon Snow, along with her twin sister Wren. Now that they’re freshmen in college, Wren has moved on but Cath doesn’t want to change. She’s perfectly happy keeping to her same routine and habits.
Completely out of her comfort zone and alone, Cath struggles to make friends, and keep up with her classes and fan-fic writing, all while trying not to fall for Levi, her roommate's very charming and easygoing ex-boyfriend.
Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
Anna is sent to boarding school in Paris against her will (I know, poor baby!) But once there, she quickly makes friends and gains a secret crush, on very crushable British/French student Etienne St. Clair. Too bad he has a girlfriend.
To make matters even more complicated, just as Anna starts to move on, Etienne's relationship with his girlfriend seems to be on the rocks. See? So complicated! Luckily for Anna, she’s in Paris, so things have to work out. Don’t they? (Side note: Etienne St. Clair just might be the swooniest boy in all of YA fiction. Peter K., you have some competition!)
The Last Forever by Deb Caletti
With her mother having recently died of cancer, and her father struggling to cope, Tessa takes an impromptu road trip with her Dad, ending up on a small Pacific Northwest island off the coast of Washington State, where her estranged grandmother lives.
Still mourning and unsure of her family, Tessa strikes up a friendship with young library volunteer and storytime wrangler, Henry. Together, they try to a keep alive a mysterious plant—which belonged to Tessa’s mother—and discover the most important love of all.
The Summer of Chasing Mermaids by Sarah Ockler
Elyse d’Abreau of Tobago had a brilliant singing career in her future until a tragic boating accident takes away her voice and sense of self. Elyse goes to the Oregon Coast for a fresh start, where she discovers a place with an ocean too cold to swim in, a little boy who believes in mermaids, a high-stakes sailing regatta, and Christian Kane, the arrogant, charming, notorious playboy, and the only person who doesn’t treat her like a broken doll.
To find her future self, Elyse will have to trust her inner voice and open her heart to a boy best known for breaking them.
From Twinkle, with Love by Sandyha Menon
Aspiring filmmaker Twinkle Mehra writes letters to her favorite female filmmakers and dreams of making her own movies. She finally gets the chance to tell her own story when she’s approached by fellow film geek Sahil Roy to make a film for a summer festival. Score!
Not only will Twinkle finally get to showcase what she can do, she’ll get ever closer to her longtime crush, Sahil’s twin brother, Neil. Caught between hottie Neil (who finally might like her) and the adorkable Sahil, who believes in her talent, what’s a girl to do?
Bookish Boyfriends: A Date with Darcy by Tiffany Schmidt
Merrilee thinks boys are better in books. In real life, boys have none of their charm or style, and Merrilee dreams of being wooed by one of her favorite romantic heroes. Her love life perks up when she transfers to a new school and all the boys look like they've stepped right out of a romance novel.
When the brooding and enigmatic Monroe climbs her trellis in an effort to make Merri his, she can’t help but swoon. However, it is a truth universally acknowledged that love in real life can get really complicated really fast.
Alex, Approximately by Jenn Bennett
Movie buff Bailey has spent months talking online to a witty film geek that she only knows as "Alex." Until now, the've been separated by the entire U.S., but Bailey has just moved across the country to live with her surfer Dad in the same California town as Alex.
Fearing a catfishing situation, she doesn’t tell him she’s moved to town or that she’s gotten a job at the local museum—where’s she’s heckled daily by the annoying, irritatingly hot security guard, Porter Roth. Should Bailey take her online flirting with Mr. Perfect into reality or take a chance on the completely imperfect Porter?
P.S. I Like You by Kasie West
When aspiring songwriter Lily gets her lyric notebook confiscated in chemistry class, she ends up scribbling lyrics on her desk instead. The next day, she finds that someone has finished her lines and left her a note.
Thus begins an anonymous pen pal relationship that quickly goes from sharing lyrics and recommending bands to sharing secrets and opening up to each other. Who is this mysterious pen pal? The hot new boy, Lucas, or Cade, Lily's best friend’s ex?
The Way to Game the Walk of Shame by Jenn P. Nguyen
Taylor is up for valedictorian and known as her school's Ice Queen. So, when she wakes up after a night of partying, in bed (mostly clothed) with Evan, the school’s resident bad boy surfer and hook-up artist, some damage control is in order.
She proposes that Evan, with his sexy, lopsided grin, pretend to be her boyfriend and help repair her reputation. To the surprise of them both, he agrees.
The Boyfriend Bracket by Kate Evangelista
Stella has had a crush on her older brother’s best friend, Will, forever. Now, with her brother and his sexy sidekick off to college and no longer around to distract her, she can finally focus on what matters—like finding an actual boyfriend instead of pining for an unattainable crush.
With that in mind, she constructs the perfect plan to find the perfect boyfriend, with a boyfriend bracket and a series of dates with the most eligible boys in school. However, just as she gets started, Will shows up. Will the boys Stella is dating ever live up to the boy she can never have?
Always Never Yours by Emily Wibberley
Megan is the girl that boys date right before they find true love. Thanks to her, all of Megan's exes are happily in love with other girls. Which is fine. No really! It gives her more time for her theater dreams and finding the next cute boy to hook up with.
This time, she’s playing Juliet in a school production of Romeo & Juliet and has her eye on a sexy stagehand, but things aren’t going as planned. Enter Owen Okita, an aspiring playwright who, in exchange for help with his new play, will help Megan get the attention of the new guy.
Queens of Geek by Jen Wilde
BFFs Charlie, Taylor, and Jamie head to SupaCon, a comic-con for all things cool in Aussie geek culture and fandoms. Actress and vlogger Charlie wants to prove she is over her very public breakup with her recent co-star; meeting her long-time crush, cool-girl actress Alyssa gives her the perfect opportunity to do it.
Taylor loves order and rules, and hates change. She may secretly be in love with her best guy friend Jamie, but she’s too afraid of changing their friendship to actually say anything. But a SupaCon fan contest has her rethinking her need to play it safe.
What If It’s Us by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera
Arthur is a Broadway-loving boy from Georgia, in New York for a summer internship. Ben is a cynical, native New Yorker just getting over his latest breakup. When they literally run into each other at a New York post office, they think the universe has a plan for them. But… what if the universe is actually against them?
What if they aren’t meant to be together at all? What if life isn’t actually like a Broadway musical? But, what if this is just the first step in an epic romance for the ages?
Once and For All by Sarah Dessen
Having a successful wedding planner for a mother means there isn’t a wedding crisis that Louna can’t handle, from runaway brides to sweaty grooms. But when it comes to love and boys, or even a little flirtation, she's out of her depth.
After a failed relationship, Louna's cynicism about love and boys runs deep. Enter Ambrose, the easygoing, incredibly good-looking, serial-dating son of a bride who takes nothing seriously and loves a challenge. The no-nonsense Louna might just be the girl he’s been waiting for. Unfortunately for Ambrose, Louna will be a pretty hard nut to crack.
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