First love is rarely neat—and that’s exactly what makes it unforgettable. It’s often a whirlwind of exhilarating highs, awkward stumbles, and heart-fluttering uncertainty. These books dive headfirst into that glorious mess, exploring the raw vulnerability, the intense connections, and the unforgettable lessons learned during those formative first encounters with the power of the heart. Whether tender, funny, or bittersweet, each story is a reminder that love doesn’t have to be perfect to feel like magic.
Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender
Seventeen-year-old Black trans artist Felix Love navigates senior year, yearning for romance while competing for a dream art program. Haunted by his absent mother and navigating shifting friendships, he fears his identity will prevent his own love story. When transphobic messages spark a revenge plot, Felix unexpectedly finds himself in a complicated situation that ultimately leads to crucial self-discovery and a re-evaluation of his own worth.
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Emergency Contact by Mary H.K. Choi
Penny Lee’s escape to college unexpectedly leads to a digital connection with Sam, a fellow dreamer living in a café storage room. Their initial awkward encounter blossoms into a text-based intimacy, where anxieties and secret hopes are shared from afar. This unlikely bond explores the hesitant vulnerability and burgeoning connection of first love, all within the safe space of their screens before the messy reality of in-person feelings takes hold.
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To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han
Lara Jean never meant for her love life to go public—but when her secret stash of unsent crush letters mysteriously gets mailed, things spiral fast. With her romantic history now very much in the present (including her sister’s ex, yikes), Lara Jean fumbles through fallout, feelings, and unexpected sparks in this charming tale of accidental vulnerability and the beautiful mess of young love.
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Every Summer After by Carley Fortune
Over the course of one weekend and six unforgettable summers, Persephone Fraser returns to the lake that once held her and Sam Florek’s inseparable bond. After a decade apart, their connection, shattered by tragedy, gets reignited again. As they confront grief and past mistakes, Percy faces the chance to rebuild a love that might surpass everything they once had.
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Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute by Talia Hibbert
Former best friends turned academic rivals, Celine and Bradley would rather trade barbs than memories—until a wilderness survival course throws them together, competing for a life-changing scholarship. Forced to navigate treacherous terrain and confront their tangled past, the unexpected proximity ignites new feelings. As the lines between animosity and attraction blur amidst the challenges, they discover that the greatest survival skill might be admitting what’s truly blossoming between them.
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Always the Almost by Edward Underhill
Determined to win back his ex after coming out, Miles also faces a crucial piano competition while his new teacher urges him to be himself. The arrival of openly queer cartoonist Eric offers instant acceptance and unexpected feelings through a fake date that turns real. Amidst the confusing stirrings of first love with Eric and lingering feelings for his ex, Miles must find his true self, both in life and in his music, to discover where his heart truly belongs.
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Honey & Spice by Bolu Babalola
Kiki Banjo has very few rules she lives by: protect your heart, avoid players, and always keep it real—especially on her hit campus radio show, Brown Sugar. But after a very public kiss with Malakai Korede—the guy she just blasted on air—she’s stuck in a fake relationship to save face. As staged affection turns unexpectedly real, Kiki must rethink what she thought she knew about love.
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Audre & Bash Are Just Friends by Tia Williams
What happens when the fiercely organized junior class president finds herself in serious need of unwinding before college applications? She hires the effortlessly cool new senior, Bash, as her fun consultant for a wild experience. Their desire for friendship clashes with the confusing and exhilarating pull of a connection that feels anything but like friendship as they take on daring adventures together.
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Night Swimming by Aaron Starmer
In their last summer as high schoolers in 1994, Trevor’s long-held crush on the enigmatic Sarah intensifies when she suggests a nightly escapade to swim in every local pool. Their secret adventures ignite an undeniable spark, even as Sarah remains emotionally distant. But their discovery of a hidden natural pool in the woods intertwines their budding connection with an unsettling mystery, making their final summer together anything but ordinary.
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When You Wish Upon a Lantern by Gloria Chao
After a humiliating misunderstanding, best friends Liya and Kai stop speaking. When Liya’s family’s lantern business faces closure, she enlists Kai to secretly fulfill the wishes on the lanterns in hopes of saving them. As they reconnect during this covert mission, their old feelings resurface. But with feuding families and uncertain futures, can they make their wishes—and love—come true?
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