Teen Romance Books That Take You Back to High School

If you love teen romance books, you’ll want to check out these young adult romances. I list some of my most favorite teen romance books and some of the most popular high school romance books worth reading in this category.

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Oh, to be a teen again!

If you’re looking to reminisce about the days of young love, first times and first loves, then a teen romance book is for you.

Teen Romance Books = High School Romance Books

For me, a teen romance book is just that – a book where the major characters are teenagers and the story line takes place during the high school years.

So, you won’t find books with teens who have already graduated high school or who are starting college on this list.

Those will be found on my college romance books list just FYI!

Instead, these teen romance books solely feature high school romance stories.

Audience for Teen Romance Books

The audience for teen romance books is wide, spanning teens themselves to adults who equally love these stories.

While some people lump teen romance books into the young adult romance book category, not all of these books are geared toward the 12-18 age group.

Some teen romance books are geared for the 12-18 year-old crowd (which would fit the young adult romance book distinction), while other teen romance books are written and geared more for 18 and over readers.

I’m not one to judge which books are best for which audience, so I will leave that up to the reader to decide when it comes to the teen romance books on this list!

Trends in Teen Romance Books

What can you expect from a teen romance book?

While you can find story variety in every category of romance books, there are two popular trends that you’ll find in many teen romance books geared toward the more mature audience.

These trends include:

• Bully romances
• Romance amidst trauma

Bully Romance

High school is a microcosm of the world if you think about it. A variety of different people are all interacting in one tiny community.

You’ve got the jocks, the nerds, the wallflowers, the goths, the popular crowd and the ignored crowd.

The list of cliques could go on and on.

All this difference in high school unfortunately can be ripe breeding ground for bullying which is like catnip for romance book authors.

The drama and angst of high school bullying can make the best backdrop for teen romance books, making bully romances widely popular in the teen romance book world.

Teen Romance Amidst Trauma

Another popular trend in teen romance books are storylines with some sort of trauma affecting the teen characters.

And we all know that the high school years have no shortage of trauma and drama that can be woven into a romance story.

Many teen romances can include storylines about abuse, neglect, trauma, addiction, drug and alcohol abuse, depression and anxiety and other mental illnesses.

If some of these triggers are an issue for you, just be aware that more often than not, teen romance books may delve into one or more of these topics.

Diversity in Teen Romance Books

A growing trend that I’m loving in teen romance books is the diversity of characters.

It’s becoming more and more easy to find high school romance books featuring teen romances between young adults of different

• ethnicities,
• social and economic backgrounds,
• shapes,
• abilities,
• orientation and
• gender identification or non-identification.

Love can be found in many ways and in many shapes and colors, so why shouldn’t that be reflected in romance books about young love?

I’m loving this trend and hope to see it reflected in more teen romance books to come.

Teen Romance Books Made into Movies

Because of all the drama and trauma often found in high school romance books, these teen romances often make the best movies.

Hollywood has already snatched up quite a few teen romance books and made them into feature films.

If you like to see your favorite romance book come alive on screen, you’ll want to check out the list of teen romance books made into movies below.

What You’ll Find on this List

If you’re a lover of teen romance books or just looking to check out this category, I have a number of recommendations for you!

On this list I highlight several options in teen romance so that you can find the best book that’s right for you.

It includes:

• My Favorite Teen Romance Books
• Popular High School Romance Books
• Diverse Teen Romance Books
• Teen Romance Books Made into Movies

Happy reading!

My Favorite Teen Romance Books

Dear Ava
by Ilsa Madden-Mills

An Enemies to Lovers Teen Romance Book

Ava is back at Camden Prep for her senior year as the outcast. The popular Sharks may rule the school but one destroyed her and now another is leaving secret love notes in her locker.

Dear Ava is quite a special teen romance book that will have you feeling so deeply for characters who have seen and struggled with way more than anyone ever should during their eighteen years of life.

As seniors in high school, these characters deal with some very serious tragedies but Madden-Mills addresses them in such a thoughtful way that I couldn’t put this book down.

I loved the passing of secret notes and the slight suspense to this high school romance, but it’s the strength of these teens who not only rise from their adversity but ultimately thrive together because of it that will have you falling in love with this book.

Amazon | Goodreads | My Review

Beard With Me
by Penny Reid

A Beautiful, Origin Story Teen Romance Book

Scarlet St. Claire is a survivor. She’s careful and she’s smart, but not when it comes to Billy Winston.

Billy Winston is a fighter. He’d do absolutely anything for his family which is why he must always be in complete control. Billy is fearless and he’s honorable, but not when it comes to Scarlet St. Claire.

This book is the origin story of all origin stories.

I totally fell so hard for the star-crossed lovers, Scarlet and Billy, while reading the Winston Brothers series by Reid, and reading this teen romance book before the series finale was nothing short of amazing.

This story follows these teens during the first weeks of their friendship and how they came to fall in love despite the odds stacked against them.

This book gave me all the feels and is one that I won’t soon forget. A must read teen romance book.

Amazon | Goodreads | My Review

Autoboyography
by Christina Lauren

A MM Teen Romance Book

When Tanner Scott’s family moved from California to Utah three years ago, he was forced to push his bisexual identity back into the closet.

Now he only has one semester left of high school before he can move out of state.

But when his best friend encourages him to take the coveted Seminar at Provost High, he meets TA Sebastian Brother.

Now Tanner has to not only write a book in four months, he also has to try and not fall in love with his mentor.

This book was simply magnificent.

Absolutely one of Christina Lauren’s finest and a book everyone should read.

The heartbreaking romance between Tanner and Sebastian was wonderful but there is so much more to this teen romance book.

Read this book for a reminder of what it means to love unconditionally, to learn about the Mormon religion and lifestyle and to read the most amazing coming of age story.

It also made my list of best teacher student romance books.

Amazon | Goodreads | My Review

Skin
by B.B. Easton

A Gripping Teen Romance Book

At age 15, BB was planning her wedding to the punk hero of Peach State High, Lance Hightower.

Trying desperately to gain his attention by not eating and shaving her head, she instead ends up the object of Ronald “Knight” McKnight’s attention.

The senior skinhead who’s anger scares everyone, including BB, but who ultimately ends up getting under her skin and changing her life forever.

My advice to you when you read this book – start reading it first thing in the morning on a weekend because you will not be able to put this teen romance book down once you start.

Forget about romance books with the perfect heroine and the swoony hero with the fairytale romance.

This is not that type of story. It’s so much more.

Easton pens such gritty, damaged, flawed, raw and devastatingly real teens in this coming of age tale laced with neglectful parents, poor self-esteem and the need to be loved.

I don’t think I’ll ever forget Ronald McKnight or the girl who loved him. This is a high school romance book not to be missed.

Amazon | Goodreads | My Review

Paper Princess
by Erin Watt

An Enemies to Lovers Teen Romance Book

Ella Harper is a survivor. She’s survived drifting from town to town with her mother all her life, but since her mother’s passing she’s been supporting herself.

She’s stripping to make ends meet until Callum Royal uproots her life and plops her into his mansion amongst his own five sons. The Royal boys hate her on the spot, but none more so than Reed.

Now Ella has to learn to survive her new prep school, the wrath of the Royal boys, the deception around her and not fall for the ruthless of them all- Reed.

Wow! This book was so much more than I expected.

While I was initially afraid I might be entering bully romance land, this high school romance book turned out to be a fantastic, enemies to lovers romance that I couldn’t put down.

The tension is high between Ella and Reed from the start, but it’s the spark to their intense chemistry that is felt between these teens when they are at home and at school.

While I was falling for these two apparent enemies, you could sense an underlying mystery to the story that will leave you dying to grab book two in the series.

I highly recommend this well-written and captivating teen romance book and then read all The Royals series!

Amazon | Goodreads | My Review

A Crack in Everything
by L.H. Cosway

A Breathtaking Teen Romance Book to Awaken the Senses

Dylan O’Dea and Evelyn Flynn may live in the same rundown, low income housing development in Ireland and even attend the same high school, but they were never friends.

Until the night Dylan broke into her flat, held her against the wall and told her to stay quiet.

Dylan can’t wait to leave the neighborhood and escape to a new life and create the fragrance line he’s always dreamed of. And he wants to take Evelyn with him, only she has no plans to leave.

Oh, get ready for a bit of heart break with this one!

Cosway is a gifted writer and her words just flow off the page with this teen romance book.

You can’t help but fall for Dylan and Evelyn even though you know that they are two people with different paths set ahead of them.

I don’t think I’ve ever read a romance book that made me think so much about scent and smell! I just wanted to leap into the page and smell every fragrance.

This is book one in a duet so you can be sure that this teen romance book ends in a cliffhanger, but you will LOVE book two just as much.

Amazon | Goodreads

Popular High School Romance Books

Loving Mr. Daniels
by Brittainy C. Cherry

A Teacher-Student Teen Romance Book

Ashlyn is grieving the loss of her sister but when she stumbles into a bar, the music sung by the gorgeous guitar player soothes her heartache.

How is it that one night and one person could be the balm she needs for the loss she feels.

But when she starts her senior year at a new high school, she comes face to face with her musician, her new English teacher.

This high school romance book was a sweet love story between two people dealing with loss and who find comfort in one another.

If you’re a fan of Cherry, you’ll find this to be like most of her novels which have fantastic writing, a heart-tugging story and a romance that may make you sad but one that is hopeful as well.

It too made my list of best teacher student romance books.

Amazon | Goodreads | My Review

Fake It ‘Til You Break It
by Meagan Brandy

An Enemies to Lovers Teen Romance Book

Despite being neighbors and once friends, Nico ghosted Demi once they started high school. That is until senior year when Nico is assigned to be Demi’s chemistry lab partner.

Demi may be less than thrilled about being paired with the hot football star but when he proposes a fake relationship to help her get the attention of a teammate, she finds herself saying yes.

If you like your high school romance books with a bit of drama, then this is the one for you.

I sure do love a good fake relationship love story and this was one keeps you on your toes because Nico is helping Demi get the attention of someone he can’t stand and who he has some interesting history with- queue drama!

You definitely feel like you’re back in high school with this teen romance – attending Friday night football games, suffering through chem lab and hanging out with good friends.

Amazon | Goodreads

Hopeless
by Colleen Hoover

A Teen Romance Book With All The Feels

Sky is entering her senior year of high school and as soon as she meets Holder, she knows he’s nothing but trouble even though he evokes such strong feelings she’s never felt before.

Through his persistence and pursuit, Sky soon finds that Holder isn’t at all who he’s been claiming to be.

Discover the entire Hopeless series and check out my book review of Hopeless.

Amazon | Goodreads

Pretty Reckless
by L.J. Shen

An Enemies to Lovers Teen Romance Book

Four years ago Daria promised all her firsts to Penn but then she went and took the most important thing away from him.

Now he’s back and set to enact some revenge which he can easily do now that he’s living in her house as her new foster brother.

This book kicks off an entire series of high school romance books. While I love Shen’s writing, I think her high school, teenage angst might fall to far into the bully category for me.

But, if I’m going to dive in, this would be the book to do it given its popularity!

Amazon | Goodreads

Tweet Cute
by Emma Lord

A Teen Romance Book Twisted up in Twitter

Pepper is trying to hold down her life while she’s secretly running her family’s fast food chain restaurant’s massive Twitter account.

Jack is Pepper’s classmate and overall pain in the you know what who takes on a Twitter war with the fast food restaurant that stole his Grandmother’s grilled cheese recipe.

Pepper and Jack may have waged a war on social media unknowing that they are also following for each other on an anonymous chat app.

Amazon | Goodreads

Anna and the French Kiss
by Stephanie Perkins

A Boarding School Teen Romance Book

Anna is looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more.

Which is why she is less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris–until she meets Étienne St. Clair. Smart, charming, beautiful, Étienne has it all…including a serious girlfriend.

Amazon | Goodreads

Perfect Chemistry
by Simon Elkeles

An Opposites Attract Teen Romance Book

Brittany Ellis had no idea that her life was about to change when she walked into chemistry class on the first day of senior year.

Forced to be lab partners with Alex Fuentes, a gang member from the other side of town, he threatens everything she’s worked so hard for. Only she doesn’t know that it’s all for a bet.

Amazon | Goodreads

The Problem With Forever
by Jennifer L. Armentrout

A Coming-Of-Age Teen Romance Book

After years in the foster system and now years of being homeschooled, Mallory is entering the public high school for her senior year.

But she never imagined she’d run into Rider Stark, the friend and protector she hasn’t seen since childhood, on her very first day. 

Always one to stay silent, Mallory must make the choice to stay silent or speak out when her friend’s life begins to spiral out of control.

Amazon | Goodreads

Where the Road Takes Me
by Jay Maclean

A Teen Romance Book With a Road Trip

Chloe is the girl with the plan. She’s determined not to let anyone in, to stay invisible and to hit the open road.

But one night throws her in the path of Blake, the perfect star basketball player.  Meeting Chloe changes everything for Blake, but Chloe’s still set on the open road.

Amazon | Goodreads

Eleanor and Park
by Rainbow Rowell

A Coming-Of-Age, Young Love Teen Romance Book

Eleanor is the new girl in town who sticks out with her red hair, mismatched clothes and chaotic family life.

Her life changes for the better after meeting the boy at the back of the bus who thought he was invisible – Park.

This is their story of being friends over late-night conversations and mix tapes before falling for each other.

Amazon | Goodreads

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Diverse Teen Romance Books

Love From A to Z
by S.K. Ali

A Teen Romance Book That Looks Beyond Ethnicity

When Zayneb’s teacher, who won’t stop reminding the class how “bad” Muslims are, she gets angry.

But that anger gets her suspended and an early start to spring break at her aunt’s house in Doha, Qatar where she resolves to be a nicer, less angry version of herself.

It’s there that she meets Adam. Adam too is putting up appearances.

He’s keeping his multiple sclerosis diagnosis a secret from his grieving father and trying to keep his mother’s memory alive for his little sister.

Amazon | Goodreads

You Should See Me in a Crown
by Leah Johnson

An LBGTQ Teen Romance Book

Liz Lighty has a plan to get out of her small midwestern town and that plan includes going to college and coming a doctor.

But when the financial aid she was counting on unexpectedly falls through, her plans are in jeopardy until she remembers her school’s scholarship for prom king and queen.

Willing to do anything to get into the college of her dreams, she runs for prom queen along with the new girl in town, Mack.

Mack makes the whole process more bearable but will falling for the competition keep Liz from her dreams or make them come true?

Amazon | Goodreads

Felix Ever After
by Kacen Callender

A Transgender Teen Romance Book

Felix Love is desperate to find love but also secretly fears that he’s one marginalization too many—Black, queer, and transgender.

When an anonymous student begins sending him transphobic messages Felix comes up with a plan for revenge.

What he didn’t count on: his catfish scenario landing him in a quasi–love triangle and launching a journey to self-discovery.

Amazon | Goodreads

There’s Something About Sweetie
by Sandhya Menon

A Teen Romance Book That Looks Beyond Size

In a moment of weakness after Ashish Patel’s been dumped by his girlfriend, the teen challenges his parents to set him up.

Confident they can make him the perfect match, they insist that he date an Indian-American girl.

Enter Sweetie Nair who is so tired of being told she’s lacking because she’s fat. 

Both Ashish and Sweetie have something to prove, but in dating each other they find their true selves and each other.

Amazon | Goodreads

Teen Romance Books Made Into Movies

Twilight
by Stephanie Meyer

A Paranormal Teen Romance Book

Bella Swan has always been a bit of a loner. When she moves to Washington to live with her father, she starts a new high school where she meets Edward.

Edward is unlike any other teen. He’s a vampire and Bella is in love with him.

Amazon | Goodreads

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before
by Jenny Han

A Teen Romance Book About Crushes

Lara Jean wrote each of her crushes a letter about how she felt, sealed it, and hid it in a box under her bed.

The boys were never supposed to read those letters but somehow they were mailed and now here crushes are confronting her.

As she learns to deal with her past loves face to face, Lara Jean discovers that something good may come out of these letters after all.

Amazon | Goodreads

The Fault in Our Stars
by John Green

A Teen Romance Book About Young Love

Hazel is a teen with thyroid cancer. At the urging of her mother, she attends a cancer patient support group and meets Augustus whose own cancer is in remission.

The two spark a friendship that bonds over books and leads them on an adventure of discovery.

Amazon | Goodreads

All the Bright Places
by Jennifer Nevin

A Teen Romance Book That Looks At Mental Illness

Theodore Finch is considered a freak. He’s fascinated by the loss of life, and he constantly thinks of ways he might end his own. But each time, something good, no matter how small, stops him.

Violet Markey too is ready to escape. She’s ready to escape their Indiana town and her the grief that’s crippling her since her sister’s recent passing.

Meeting each other, it’s unclear who saves whom. But while Finch helps Violet learn to live again, Finch’s world continues to spiral.

Amazon | Goodreads

A Walk to Remember
by Nicholas Sparks

A Teen Romance Book That Looks Back

Every April, Landon Carter remembers his last year at Beaufort High. It was 1958.

He was one of the popular kids in school and he never would have guessed he’d fall for Jamie Sullivan, the quiet daughter of the town’s Baptist minister.

But when Jamie becomes his partner for the Homecoming dance, his life is changed forever.

Amazon | Goodreads

The Kissing Booth
by Beth Reekles

A Best Friend’s Brother Teen Romance Book

It’s junior year and Elle has never been kissed. When Elle and her best friend Lee decide to run a kissing booth for the school’s Spring Carnival, she locks lips with Noah – Lee’s older brother and Elle’s crush.

She wants to explore more with Noah but at what cost to her heart and her friendship?

Amazon | Goodreads

The Duff
by Kody Keplinger

An Enemies to Lovers Teen Romance Book

Bianca Piper may not be the prettiest of her friends but when the school stud, Wesley Rush nicknames her “the Duff,” it solidifies her hate for the boy.

But then she goes and kisses Wesley for a distraction and throws herself into a closeted enemies-with-benefits relationship with him.

 It turns out that his life is just as messed up as hers and she may be falling for the enemy.

Amazon | Goodreads

Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist
by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

A Teen Romance Book With Rock n’ Roll

Nick is a teenager in a band and he’s nursing a broken heart. One night out in NYC he meets Norah, a fellow teen who shares his love of the same music.

What starts out as a pretend relationship, continues as an all-night first date as they search together for a legendary band’s secret show.

Amazon | Goodreads

Related Posts:

• Best College Romance Books
• Best Teacher Student Romance Books
• Romance Books to Movies & TV Shows in 2021
• Romance Books to Movies & TV Shows in 2020

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