Tia Williams fans, get ready to fall in love with her young adult debut, Audre and Bash Are Just Friends. It is pure, flirty perfection. Think dares, sparks, and a whole lot of “just friends” tension. Once you fall head over heels into Audre and Bash’s messy, magnetic summer, you’ll be craving more love stories with big feelings and even bigger chemistry. Lucky for you, we’ve lined up the perfect reads to keep the butterflies going.
Audre and Bash Are Just Friends by Tia Williams
We’ve all come to know and love Audre from Seven Days in June and Tia Williams is giving readers the chance to tumble headfirst into Audre’s world. Audre and Bash Are Just Friends is full of messy feelings, late-night texts, and the rollercoaster of first love in all its awkward, melodramatic glory.
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Seven Days in June by Tia Williams
In this electric and grown-up second chance romance, bestselling erotica author Eva Mercy reunites with the enigmatic literary bad boy Shane Hall. He is the man who broke her heart two decades earlier during one unforgettable and very formative week. When they cross paths again in Brooklyn, it is all heat, old wounds, and literary longing. This book is a favorite among readers for a reason.
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This Could Be Forever by Ebony LaDelle
What happens when a chemistry-loving, skincare-formulating Black girl from North Carolina locks eyes with a Nepali tattoo apprentice in a Maryland ink shop? Sparks. And then some. Deja and Raja’s romance unfolds in stolen glances and defiant dreams, all while navigating their families’ expectations and their own ambitions.
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If We Were A Movie by Zakiya N. Jamal
If you love the enemies-to-lovers tension Tia Williams writes so well, If We Were a Movie by Zakiya N. Jamal is a must-read. Rochelle “the Shell” Coleman has her life planned to the minute until she’s forced to work under her academic rival and potential crush, Amira Rodriguez at a beloved Black-owned movie theater. Expect sparkling banter, slow-burn romance, and a race to save the theater that will have you swooning and cheering.
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Under The Neon Lights by Arriel Vinson
Under The Neon Lights is for the hopeless romantics who enjoy dreamy romance, complicated friendships, and a nostalgic yet urgent backdrop. Jaelyn’s summer starts with a collision into a very cute boy and turns into a heart-opening, community-centered fight to save her safe space, WestSide Roll. This is the kind of coming-of-age story that stays with you long after the music fades.
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Twenty-Four Seconds from Now by Jason Reynolds
Jason Reynolds is a fan favorite and his latest novel, Twenty-Four Seconds From Now… is an instant hit. This hilarious and heartfelt novel chronicles Neon’s race against time—and his own doubts—in this uniquely structured romantic comedy. His countdown to his first big step with Aria is peppered with embarrassing mishaps, parental oversharing, and an overactive imagination. This whip-smart story is a love letter to teenhood, filled with tender moments and laugh-out-loud dialogue.
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I Think They Love You by Julian Winters
This is the fake-dating exes-to-lovers rom-com we deserve. Denz needs a pretend boyfriend to impress his bougie rich family, and the only person available is his ex. The drama, the unresolved feelings, the awkward glances? All there. But it’s also super heartfelt and gives you that slow realization that maybe second chance romances are the best trope.
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Honey & Spice by Bolu Babalola
Student radio host Kiki Banjo talks a big game about avoiding situationships and “wastemen,” but when she ends up kissing the very guy she warned everyone about on-air? She might have some explaining to do. Cue a fake relationship, academic heat, and slow-burn romance so hot, it’ll melt your library card. This is a love letter to Black British girlhood, sharp tongues, soft hearts, and letting your walls down one laugh and late-night study session at a time.
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Before I Let Go by Kennedy Ryan
In Before I Let Go, Kennedy Ryan delivers a soul-deep, achingly tender second-chance romance about two exes who can’t seem to fully move on. Yasmen and Josiah’s marriage didn’t survive heartbreak, but co-parenting and running a business keeps them orbiting each other and maybe, just maybe, reigniting old sparks.
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Curvy Girl Summer by Danielle Allen
If you’re craving a romance that’s flirty, funny, and full of heart, Curvy Girl Summer by Danielle Allen is the ultimate vibe. After a post-breakup epiphany, Aaliyah James is determined to find her perfect guy in time to show up her doubting family but it turns out love might be standing right behind the bar. With laugh-out-loud moments, sizzling chemistry, and all the feel-good validation, this is the kind of story that will leave you grinning from ear to ear.
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