The Sweetest, Cheesiest Moments in YA
It’s National Cheese Day (a holiday we like to celebrate all year long!) and while we’d love to spend it noshing on a delicious chunk of brie, there’s another kind of cheese that’s on our mind: cheesy, sweet young adult romance. Okay, have you read the entire To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before series? Do you know how incredible your summer reading experience is about to get? We love cheesy, sweet YA romcoms. So, go ahead and grab a cheese board (mmmm, mozzarella), find a sunny spot, and dive into a different kind of cheese.
To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han
When Peter Kavinsky told Lara Jean that he wanted to stop being fake boyfriend and girlfriend and start dating for real (for real!) it melted our entire heart. Sure, he was being completely sullen and moody on the annual ski trip. And yes, he was being a little too chummy with his ex-girlfriend Gen. But he was flashing that killer Peter Kavinsky smile. And he was being totally and brutally honest. Who wouldn’t swoon over that kind of vulnerability? And friends: Jenny Han wrote two other Lara Jean novels. Definitely read those this summer before the next Netflix movie comes out!
Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
We are huge fans of Rainbow Rowell’s Fangirl and honestly can’t believe there hasn’t been a Cath and Levi movie yet. Their love story is epic! When Cath reads her fanfic to Levi, it is the cheesiest, most beautiful thing we’ve ever read. Rainbow Rowell writes crushes that feel like a punch to the gut, so when Levi’s gorgeous tallness and gorgeous hair and gorgeous everything finally culminates in a fanfic reading session and a kiss (eek!), we completely lost it. It’s so kind and so college and so incredibly “Take me as I am – fanfic and all!”
Leah on the Offbeat by Becky Albertalli
Becky Albertalli is making a career out of delightfully queer love stories, so it’ll come as no surprise that Leah on the Offbeat is swoon city. Leah is bi and proud – at least around her immediate family. But being openly bi around her friends is, um, complicated. You see, Leah has started falling for her friend Abby, but Abby’s dating her best friend’s best friend. The whole “Who do you have a crush on?” question is too complicated to answer when your friend group’s entire dynamic is on the line. But it’s still so cute to watch Leah fall harder and harder for Abby. Because Abby just might feel the same.
The Summer of Jordi Perez (And the Best Burger in Los Angeles) by Amy Spalding
In Amy Spalding’s latest YA romcom The Summer of Jordi Perez (And the Best Burger in Los Angeles), Abby and Jordi are interns together at a boutique clothing store in Los Angeles, but they’re also kind of rivals? At least that’s what Abby thinks. She’s set her sights on a part-time job there after her summer internship is through. Jordi just wants to build a rad photography portfolio. So, when Jordi and Abby start walking to work together, it’s the cheesiest, most beautiful start to their relationship. Long walks near a beach, right?
Emergency Contact by Mary H.K. Choi
Mary H.K. Choi totally blew us away last spring with her debut novel Emergency Contact. Penny and Sam spend 90% of the novel apart, but the use of texting in this novel makes them feel like they’re in the same room, having the most incredible, vulnerable conversation about their greatest fears, their greatest joys, and the longing they’re starting to feel for each other. The moment they finally see each other again after all that texting is just incredible. Fireworks, friends. Fireworks and lots of cheesy goodness.
