Cover Story: Romance and Comedy

Here are our librarians' picks of the best teen reads in the Romance and Comedy genre.

My Heart and Other Breakables 

Alex Barclay 

Ellery Brown gives us a hilarious but heartfelt insight into her life in this story told in a diary format. Her mum has recently died, and Ellery uses her journal to express her innermost feelings, like wondering who her dad is and if she will ever meet him. With her best friend’s help, she discovers that all three of her potential dads are celebrity authors scattered across the globe on separate continents! So begins an epic adventure around the world.

9780008295202 HarperCollins: 2023 ebook available 

Glow Up Lara Bloom 

Dee Benson 

Lara shares her secrets dreams and fears with her online diary, asking questions like; will her football team be successful? Why is she so clumsy? How can she tame her hair? Then disaster strikes. Lara’s diary goes public and now everyone knows what she thinks (especially new boy Caiden, who Lara was determined to ‘glow up’ for). Can she salvage her self-respect and her budding romance from the catastrophe? A story about friendship, football and learning to love yourself. 

9781471412912 Hot Key: 2023 ebook available 

Just Like Everyone Else

Sarah Hagger-Holt 

Thirteen year-old Aidan can feel overwhelmed in his busy family home. He has four younger sisters and parents who want to discuss EVERYTHING. Aidan doesn't want to talk, especially about the fact that he thinks he might be gay. When Aidan’s mum tells him that she is going to have another baby, this time as a surrogate for a gay couple, Aidan is mortified by his expanding family, but also worried that his confusion about his own sexuality might be revealed. 

9781801315784 Usborne: 2023 ebook available 

The Thing About Lemons

Tasha Harrison

After kissing her best friend’s boyfriend, Ori’s fun plans for the summer have fallen through. Unsurprisingly, her friends do not want to hang out with her. She must now spend the holidays with her estranged grandfather and his sister Odette, in France. Boring? In fact the holiday turns out to be Ori’s best summer ever. The perfect mix of romance, friendship and family relationships with a little humour mixed in! 

9781915235558 UCLan Publishing: 2023 

The Do's and Donuts of Love 

Adiba Jaigirdar

Perfect for baking fans, this romance centres around Shireen who has just broken up with her girlfriend. Luckily, she has also earned her spot on a popular baking show and she couldn’t be more excited. The only problem is that her ex is another contestant. Can Shireen win the competition and drive up business for her parent’s struggling donut shop? Or will her ex, or new crush and fellow competitor Niamh, distract her? 

9781444967579 Hodder: 2023 

Rhubarb Lemonade

Oskar Kroon

Vinga is spending the summer with her Grandpa, playing chess, building boats and exploring the beach on the isolated but beautiful island he calls home. Then cool, confident Ruth arrives, like a flash of lightning, and everything changes. Vinga learns to embrace the unexpected and make peace with her tumultuous family life. This dreamy, lyrical novel is a beautiful coming-of-age story that explores all the magic and pain of first love, first loss and self-discovery.   

9781471413124 Hot Key: 2023 ebook available 

Fake Dates and Mooncakes

Jo Simmons

When a strange man materialises in front of her and announces that Mo Merrydew is 'The Chosen One', the next Vampire Queen, she isn’t convinced. She doesn’t believe in vampires, for a start, and she is a vegetarian, plus being a Vampire Queen is not part of her plan. On the other hand being all-powerful might help her deal with the bullies at school. Has an ordinary fifteen-year-old girl really got what it takes to be Queen of the Undead? Escapist fun.

9781471411786 Hot Key: 2022 – eBook available

Steady for This 

Nathanael Lessore

This laugh-out-loud epic of a young Londoner’s attempt to achieve MC stardom is equal parts hilarious and heartwarming. Shaun, AKA MC Growls, is having a tough time; money troubles at home, an unrequited crush and a humiliating viral video are all making his dreams of superstardom feel out of reach. But an upcoming rap battle competition might just be the answer to everything. Will MC Growls’ sick bars be enough to save his home, win the respect of his peers and get the girl?    

9781471413223 Hot Key: 2023 ebook available 

This Time It's Real

Ann Liang

A swoon-worthy fake-dating romance set in Beijing. Eliza’s essay has gone viral and her dreams of being a writer seem like they are within reach. There is one problem; Her essay was about her dreamy boyfriend – and he doesn’t exist. Enter Caz Song, a famous actor and the perfect fake boyfriend. The couple strike a deal to go on public dates in front of the media. But when feelings start getting a little too real, will the pair last or will their lies ruin their future? 

9780702324291 Scholastic: 2023 

The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea 

Axie Oh 

To save her village from the anger of the Sea God, Mina hurls herself into the sea as a sacrifice to him. Beneath the waves she discovers a spirit world where the Sea God is not angry but is trapped in an enchanted sleep. If she can break the enchantment she will save her village, but she only has a month and not everyone wants her to succeed. Based on Korean legend, this is full of fabulous creatures and constantly shifting intrigues. 

9781529391732 Hodder: 2023 

Friendship Never Ends

Alexandra Sheppard

Told over the span of one summer, this book is about a group of four friends growing up and trying not to grow apart. Sunita is off to France with her step-family, Gifty is going to Scotland to see her grandparents, Dawn is heading to Musical Theatre school in London and May is staying behind to work in her parents’ Chinese takeaway. But will their friendships last whilst they are all apart? A laugh-out-loud, heartwarming story, told in four relatable perspectives.   

9781913311414 Knights of: 2023 

A Curse of Salt

Sarah Street

In this retelling of Beauty and the Beast, Ria sacrifices herself to save her sisters, facing the monster that everyone in her kingdom fears, the Heartless King. She soon discovers that there is more to him then she realised. He is just a misunderstood man, bound to the seas by an ancient curse. As their chemistry turns into something more, Ria finds herself tangled in a web of secrets. 

9781444967661 Hodder: 2023 

The Love Match

Priyanka Taslim

Zahra’s plans for the summer are to work at Chai Ho teashop and earn enough money for writing courses. But her mum has different ideas, setting her up with Harun. He is handsome and wealthy but definitely not Zahra's match. She much prefers the new member of staff at Chai Ho, Nayim. Zahra has a plan. If Harun agrees, she might be able to get away with pretending to fall for her mum’s choice whilst secretly dating Nayim… 

9781398505155 Simon & Schuster: 2023 ebook available

Bad Influence

Tamsin Winter

For reasons that she doesn’t really understand, Amelia (nicknamed Maggot by her classmates) is constantly being picked on at school, and her confidence is fragile. When she meets a new boy that she likes her desperation to impress him makes her do something really foolish, and thanks to social media her moment of madness is soon seen by everyone in the school. This is a powerful, humorous and ultimately uplifting story about peer pressure and the perils of the online world. 

9781474979078 Usborne: 2023 ebook available 

The Agency for Scandal

Laura Wood

Set in the 19th century, this historical novel is the perfect mix of romance, mystery and suspense! Izzy works at a detective agency, specialising in investigating the scandalous upper classes. When the Duke that Izzy has a secret crush on is embroiled in her newest case, she must untangle the web of secrets and discover the truth. Will she solve the case or will her feelings for the Duke get in the way?  

9780702303241 Scholastic: 2023 

Never Trust a Gemini

Freja Woolf

Cat is ready to fall in love. Annoyingly, however, she has got a crush on her best friend Alison who is more interested in chatting with boys. Cat decides that it is time to get over her and begins dating Jamie but she soon discovers that having a boyfriend is hard work. Then Cat notices Morgan, and she can’t help the growing attraction towards her. Will Cat get her love story after all? Funny and relatable. 

9781529509991 Walker: 2023 ebook available