Here Are 14 Titles That Are Perfect To Read Ahead Of Valentine's Day
Valentine's Day can be a polarizing holiday. There are those who love all things love and savor the romance of the holiday, those who lean toward platonic and familial love on this special day, and those who downright hate it.
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No matter how you feel about the holiday, we've rounded up some excellent picks that showcase Valentine's Day in a multitude of ways. Whether you're craving a contemporary YA novel about grief, a supernatural mystery, a tragic time-loop story, or a sweet romance, there's something in here for you!
1.The Do-Over by Lynn Painter
What this book is about: Have you ever wished every day was Valentine's Day? Emilie Hornby didn't, but that's what she got anyway. And not just any Valentine's Day — a truly awful one. Despite planning everything in her power for a perfect day, Emilie's day gets off to a bad start and just keeps getting worse. Now, she's trapped in a time loop, repeating the same day over and over, where she's forced to keep watching her boyfriend Josh cheating on her, again and again and again.
Then there's Nick Stark, Emilie's no-nonsense lab partner and a key part of this awful day. After all, it started with Emilie getting into a fender-bender with him. As Emilie keeps reliving this day over and over again, things change between her and Nick. Maybe it's not the worst (Valentine's) Day after all.
2.Valentine by Jodi McAlister
What this book is about: This is not your average Valentine's Day read! This supernatural YA novel is the first in a series about a group of teens who were all born on the same Valentine's Day. While this ordinarily wouldn't mean much, now those teens are starting to disappear. Pearl Linford, one of the Valentines, decides to start investigating. As she dives deeper into the mystery, she starts to worry about her fellow Valentine, Finn Blacklin. Not only does he seem to be the reason for the disappearances and the Valentine the Unseelie have targeted, but Pearl is finding it harder and harder to ignore her growing feelings for him.
3.The Second You're Single by Cara Tanamachi
What this book is about: Freelance writer Sora Reid hates Valentine's Day. She hates it so much that she wants to boycott it, and she wants you to, too! Well, you as in her readers. She starts a challenge akin to Dry January that she's dubbed Solo February. No dating, no worrying about romance...just doing whatever she wants without worrying about the usual things that make February so miserable for her.
She isn't counting on connecting with someone who might throw a wrench in these plans, so when old schoolmate Jack Mann shows up with all of his muscles and his surprisingly sweet, soft side and affinity for baking, Sora is thrown for a loop. Can she keep her own commitment? Or, will she be forced to change her mind about Valentine's Day, and subsequently, love?
4.P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han
What this book is about: We all know that Lara Jean Song-Covey is a hopeless romantic, so Valentine's Day is important to her. In P.S. I Still Love You, the second book in the To All The Boys trilogy, we get to see just how serious she takes Cupid's holiday.
In a sweet Valentine's scene from the novel, Lara Jean hand-makes Peter a perfect, lacy white valentine and bakes him a tray of cherry turnovers, not skimping on the effort at all. In return, Peter gives her a handwritten poem...that is not exactly from his own creative mind, but the thought is nice! And he also gifts her a perfect vintage heart necklace that he knew she'd been eyeing at his mom's antique store, which more than makes up for it.
5.Exes and O’s by Amy Lea
What this book is about: Tara Chen is known for being a romance connoisseur, so it's no surprise that she loves Valentine's Day — she even keeps a box filled with old Valentines. Her serious approach to the holiday means that finding a date for her job's Valentine's Day gala is not something she takes lightly. With her grandma on her case, she's even more determined to make sure it's a perfect date.
She recruits her roommate, Trevor, to help her go through her list of exes and find the right one to take her to the dance. Working together on something romantic leads to some unexpected feelings and complications to the plan, proving that Valentine's Day is as good a day as ever to open yourself up to big surprises.
6.Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver
What this book is about: High school senior Samantha Kingston is excited to see how many roses she gets at school on Cupid Day, because as one of the prettiest and most popular girls at school, it's usually a lot.
What's meant to be a romantic day for her takes a turn when her boyfriend wants to go to a party instead of a quiet dinner, and the night ends in a tragedy. Even worse is that the next morning, Samantha is forced to relive the same day over again. Stuck in this world of reliving her worst nightmare, Samantha makes some changes to her day, and subsequently her life, taking back the power that she relinquished long ago.
7.Out of Character by Jenna Miller
What this book is about: In Jenna Miller's debut YA novel, Valentine's Day is a touchy subject for Cass Williams. The holiday once had a special history that's now been tainted, not to mention it's also her first Valentine's Day as a girlfriend, which just adds another layer of uncertainty to the day.
Things don't go as planned for Cass's date with her girlfriend, Taylor, but Taylor is more than understanding. And while some things in her life are shaken up, there are still constants she can rely on, like her dad knowing her love language (pasta) and her best friend, Tate, being there for her to vent to.
8.Love? Maybe. by Heather Hepler
What this book is about: Despite being born on Valentine's Day and working at a candy shop, Piper is not a believer of Cupid and his ways. Watching her mom go through not one, but two divorces and losing both a dad and a stepdad in the process has turned her into a cynic when it comes to love. But her friends still believe, and they want her to believe, too.
They hatch a plan to get boyfriends before Valentine's Day, and Piper reluctantly agrees. When she starts finding notes and gifts from a secret admirer, she's touched by how much they seem to know her. Despite the kind gestures, she's still weary of love and the hurt it can lead to. But how can she know if it's worth the risk if she never gives herself a chance?
9.Reggie and Delilah's Year of Falling by Elise Bryant
What this book is about: Elise Bryant's newest YA romance is a book full of holidays. As the title suggests, Reggie, a D&D player, and Delilah, a punk singer, spend a year running into each other on random holidays, where they get to know each other a little better with each subsequent holiday.
It starts with a show on New Year's, where Reggie sees Delilah on stage and starts falling for her. Then, they bump into each other on Valentine's Day...and it doesn't feel like a coincidence. That suspicion is confirmed when they meet again on other holidays, from Free Comic Book Day and National Catfish Day to Juneteenth. This sweet love story about two teens finding the power in being themselves and believing in themselves makes for the ultimate Valentine's Day read!
10.Marly's Ghost by David Levithan
What this book is about: While Marly's Ghost may be inspired by A Christmas Carol, it is a Valentine's Day book. After Ben's girlfriend Marly dies, he becomes a bitter shell of himself, cynical when it comes to all things love, including Valentine's Day. When Marly's ghost shows up and takes him on a tour of Valentine's Day past, present, and future, she hopes it'll remind him about the joy of love and life. This book is just as much about grief as it is about love.
11.11 Paper Hearts by Kelsey Hartwell
What this book is about: Ella's perfect life is upended by a car accident on the night of the Valentine's Day dance. When Ella wakes up in the hospital, she doesn't remember the accident at all...or the 11 weeks that led up to it. She's forgotten so much, including the reason why she broke up with her boyfriend.
Then, a secret admirer starts leaving clues to help Ella jog her memory in the form of paper hearts, scattered in a scavenger hunt-type adventure, and in the process, reminding her how much fun life can be.
12.Not Your Valentine by Jackie Lau
What this book is about: Helen Tsang never wanted to go viral. But when a stranger filmed and posted her very embarrassing and very public breakup during a Valentine's Day dinner, that's exactly what happened. Nearly a year later, she's still dealing with people recognizing her in public and offering her pity, not to mention her own friends and family constantly feeling sorry for her.
To get everyone off her back, she hatches a plan: fake-date her friend Taylor Li, who happens to love all things romance and Valentine's Day. She'll show their relationship off all over social media so everyone can see how happy she is with him, so they'll finally stop worrying about her. When the feelings start to get real, she has to grapple with her views on love and what she believes in.
13.Sweeter Than Chocolate by Lizzie Shane
What this book is about: A classic grumpy-sunshine romance, Sweeter Than Chocolate follows chocolate shop-owner Lucy and cynical reporter Dean in pursuit of the truth about the so-called magical Cupid chocolates that the shop her family has owned for generations sells. According to the lore, if you eat a famous Cupid chocolate on Valentine's Day, you'll meet your soulmate. Dean wants to test the truth of this legend, so with Lucy's help, he seeks out couples who were supposedly brought together by the chocolates to learn about how real their love stories are.
14.19 Love Songs by David Levithan
What this book is about: Friends of YA romance author David Levithan were lucky enough to receive short stories from him on Valentine's Day. Now, we're the lucky ones who get to read some of these in his 2020 short story and poem collection, 19 Love Songs!
Fans of Levithan will recognize characters from his previous books in some of these stories, including "Day 2934," which follows A from Every Day and takes place on Valentine's Day. The story not only showcases a sweet mother-son relationship, but the beauty of early Valentine's Day memories.
