Best YA Romance Books
To All the Boys I've Loved Before is the best YA romance to start with — Jenny Han's trilogy is warm, funny, and emotionally genuine without the manipulative emotional devastation that characterizes some YA romance. It's best for teen readers who want romance that feels real rather than designed to make you cry. The tradeoff: The Fault in Our Stars is the most emotionally powerful YA romance and the one most likely to produce genuine catharsis, though it requires acceptance of its terminal illness premise.
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Quick Comparison
| # | Book | Best For | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han | Best Starting Point / Most Warm | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 | The Fault in Our Stars by John Green | Most Emotionally Powerful | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 | Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell | Best 80s Setting / Most Character-Driven | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 | Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins | Best Pure Romance / Happiest | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 | The Sun Is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon | Best Concept / Most Romantic | Buy on Amazon |
Full Reviews
1. To All the Boys I've Loved Before
by Jenny Han
Lara Jean's secret love letters are accidentally mailed to all the boys she's ever had feelings for. Han writes the romantic comedy formula with genuine charm and avoids the dark detours that characterize some YA romance. The relationship dynamics feel age-appropriately real rather than melodramatic.
Skip this if: Skip this if you want edgier content — this is gentle, sweet, and appropriate for readers 13+.
2. The Fault in Our Stars
by John Green
Two teenagers with cancer fall in love at a support group and travel to Amsterdam to meet their favorite author. Green writes the romance as genuinely beautiful while refusing to soften the medical reality. The ending is earned and genuinely devastating. The most emotionally complete YA romance novel.
Skip this if: Skip this if terminal illness content is too difficult — this is a romance between two teenagers with cancer.
3. Eleanor and Park
by Rainbow Rowell
Two misfit teenagers on a school bus fall in love over shared comics and mixtapes in 1986. Rowell writes young love with extraordinary tenderness and the 80s setting gives the story a wistfulness that contemporary settings can't replicate. The ending is intentionally ambiguous.
Skip this if: Skip this for younger teens — Eleanor's home situation involves genuine danger.
4. Anna and the French Kiss
by Stephanie Perkins
An American girl is sent to boarding school in Paris and falls for the perfect boy who already has a girlfriend. Perkins writes with enormous warmth and the Paris setting is genuinely evocative. The least emotionally demanding YA romance on this list — pure joy.
Skip this if: Skip this if you want emotional depth over romantic fantasy — Anna is pure wish-fulfillment romance set in Paris.
5. The Sun Is Also a Star
by Nicola Yoon
A Jamaican-American girl facing deportation meets a Korean-American boy the day before her family must leave the country. Yoon writes the concept as a meditation on fate, choice, and love at first sight — whether it's real or manufactured. The most romantically intense YA novel on this list.
Skip this if: Skip this if you want realistic plotting — the 24-hour timeline is deliberately romanticized.
What to Consider Before You Buy
Age appropriateness
Anna and the French Kiss and TATBILB: 13+. The Fault in Our Stars and Eleanor and Park: 14+ due to darker themes. The Sun Is Also a Star: 14+.
Happy ending vs. bittersweet
Anna, TATBILB, and The Sun Is Also a Star have satisfying endings. Eleanor and Park and The Fault in Our Stars do not.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best YA romance?
To All the Boys I've Loved Before for the warmest experience. The Fault in Our Stars for the most emotionally complete and devastating.
Is The Fault in Our Stars appropriate for 13-year-olds?
The romance is appropriate; the cancer and death content requires emotional readiness. Many 13-year-olds can handle it, but it depends on the individual.
Our Verdict
To All the Boys I've Loved Before for a warm, joyful entry into YA romance. The Fault in Our Stars when you're ready for the most complete emotional experience.