Not Your Mama’s Romance: 10 Romances Your Middle School Student Will Love: Princessreadsalot Presents!

I’m a sucker for a good ADULT rom-com. I regularly recommend The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren

I am also currently internet stalking Lyssa Kay Adams to get the 3rd book in the Bromance Book Club series -Crazy Stupid Bromance.

If you’re an adult and haven’t read those, yet, head to your nearest bookstore ASAP!

This list is NOT adult. As a middle school English teacher, I frequently have students who want cool adult looking covers and resort to what their parents are reading. For that reason, I like to have extra copies of these
books and is a list that I recommend to all 6th through 8th grade students asking for a romance or rom-com!

Lucky in Love by Kasie West

Who doesn’t dream of winning the lottery? In Lucky in Love, Maddie’s excitement of winning the lottery
is overshadowed by the unexpected and conflicting relationships in her life. I have read almost every
Kasie West’s books, and so far they have all been middle school appropriate. It was hard to pick just
one of her books, so I recommend grabbing a few.
Summary: Maddie’s not impulsive. She’s all about hard work and planning ahead. But one night, on a
whim, she buys a lottery ticket. And then, to her astonishment — She wins!
In a flash, Maddie’s life is unrecognizable. No more stressing about college scholarships.
Suddenly, she’s talking about renting a yacht. And being in the spotlight at school is fun… until rumors
start flying, and random people ask her for loans. Now, Maddie isn’t sure who she can trust. Except for Seth Nguyen, her funny, charming coworker at the local zoo. Seth doesn’t seem
aware of Maddie’s big news. And, for some reason, she doesn’t want to tell him. But what will happen if
he learns her secret?

When Dimple Met Rishi By Sandhya Menon

The front cover for When Dimple Met Rishi has a picture of Dimple drinking an iced coffee, and the
back is of her throwing said drink at Rishi. That cover alone was enough to get me to pre-order the
book. The story is adorable. Since then I have pre-ordered all of the other books to quickly read before sending them to my classroom.
Summary: Dimple Shah has it all figured out. With graduation behind her, she’s more than ready for a
break from her family, from Mamma’s inexplicable obsession with her finding the “Ideal Indian
Husband.” Ugh. Dimple knows they must respect her principles on some level, though. If they truly
believed she needed a husband right now, they wouldn’t have paid for her to attend a summer program
for aspiring web developers…right?
Rishi Patel is a hopeless romantic. So when his parents tell him that his future wife will be
attending the same summer program as him—wherein he’ll have to woo her—he’s totally on board.
Because as silly as it sounds to most people in his life, Rishi wants to be arranged, believes in the
power of tradition, stability, and being a part of something much bigger than himself.
The Shahs and Patels didn’t mean to start turning the wheels on this “suggested arrangement”
so early in their children’s lives, but when they noticed them both gravitate toward the same summer
program, they figured, Why not?
Dimple and Rishi may think they have each other figured out. But when opposites clash, love
works hard to prove itself in the most unexpected ways.

I Believe in a Thing Called Love by Maurene Goo

Do you have a teen that loves Kpop or KDramas? This is the book for them! In I Believe in a Thing
Called Love, Desi Lee decides to plan her love story by causing incidents from KDramas that she watches with her father. It’s a little cringe-worthy, but doesn’t every KDrama have that?

Summary: Desi Lee believes anything is possible if you have a plan. That’s how she became student
body president. Varsity soccer star. And it’s how she’ll get into Stanford. But—she’s never had a
boyfriend. In fact, she’s a disaster in romance, a clumsy, stammering humiliation magnet whose
botched attempts at flirting have become legendary with her friends. So when the hottest human
specimen to have ever lived walks into her life one day, Desi decides to tackle her flirting failures with
the same zest she’s applied to everything else in her life. She finds guidance in the Korean dramas her
father has been obsessively watching for years—where the hapless heroine always seems to end up in
the arms of her true love by episode ten. It’s a simple formula, and Desi is a quick study. Armed with
her “K Drama Steps to True Love,” Desi goes after the moody, elusive artist Luca Drakos—and boat
rescues, love triangles, and staged car crashes ensue. But when the fun and games turn to true feels,
Desi finds out that real love is about way more than just drama.

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before series by Jenny Han

Lara Jean is sweet and adorable, and her sisters rival the Marches in Little Women. Since the first two
books have been made into Netflix shows (with the third one on the way), my students rushed my
shelves, and I haven’t been able to keep the whole series stocked since. You’ll enjoy watching these
movies along with your child, and the books are a great segway to motivating them to read!
Summary: This is the story of Lara Jean, who has never openly admitted her crushes, but instead wrote each boy a letter about how she felt, sealed it, and hid it in a box under her bed. But one day Lara Jean discovers that somehow her secret box of letters has been mailed,
causing all her crushes from her past to confront her about the letters: her first kiss, the boy from summer camp, even her sister’s ex-boyfriend, Josh.
As she learns to deal with her past loves face to face, Lara Jean discovers that something good may come out of these letters after all.

What Happened to Goodbye by Sarah Dessen

This story includes restaurant food, a sweet teen who is learning how to deal with her parents’ divorce,
and a guy next door. Sarah Dessen is the queen of teen romances. While this book is perfect for a 6th
grade student, Dessen also has books for more mature audiences that will take your romance-loving
child into high school. So, if you’re looking for a younger audience, make sure you do a quick
reading-level check. (I am a huge fan of http://www.commonsensemedia.org. )
Summary: Since her parents’ bitter divorce, McLean and her dad, a restaurant consultant, have been on the move-four towns in two years. Estranged from her mother and her mother’s new family, McLean has followed her dad in leaving the unhappy past behind. And each new place gives her a chance to try
out a new persona: from cheerleader to drama diva. But now, for the first time, McLean discovers a desire to stay in one place and just be herself, whoever that is. Perhaps Dave, the guy next door, can help her find out.

Anna and the French Kiss series by Stephanie Perkins

An American sent to Paris for her senior year? Sign me up! This entire series is swoon-worthy and
cute!
Summary: Anna is looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best
friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. Which is why she is less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris–until she meets Étienne St. Clair. Smart, charming, beautiful,
Étienne has it all…including a serious girlfriend.
But in the City of Light, wishes have a way of coming true. Will a year of romantic near-misses
end with their long-awaited French kiss?

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith

I am a sucker for sweet and adorable, and Jennifer E. Smith delivers every time. I have read most of
her books, and, like Kasie West, have no problem recommending this author to any 6th grade student.
Summary: Who would have guessed that four minutes could change everything? Today should be one
of the worst days of seventeen-year-old Hadley Sullivan’s life. Having missed her flight, she’s stuck at
JFK airport and late to her father’s second wedding, which is taking place in London and involves a soon-to-be stepmother Hadley’s never even met. Then she meets the perfect boy in the airport’s
cramped waiting area. His name is Oliver, he’s British, and he’s sitting in her row.
A long night on the plane passes in the blink of an eye, and Hadley and Oliver lose track of each
other in the airport chaos upon arrival. Can fate intervene to bring them together once more?

The Selection series by Kiera Cass

Are you and your teen Bachelor/Bachelorette TV viewers? This series takes place in a dystopian
America where there are castes, and one girl from each caste is selected to come to the palace to win
the heart of the prince. This has all of the competition of the TV show without the mature rating!
Summary: For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the
life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in a palace and compete for the heart of gorgeous Prince Maxon.
But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret
love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn’t want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks.
Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she’s made for herself—and realizes that the life she’s always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never
imagined.

My So-Called Bollywood Life by Nisha Sharma

While this book is my first of Nisha Sharma’s teen books, it’s not my first romance. (If you’re an adult check out The Takeover Effect- The Singh Family Trilogy.) After reading this book, I went down a long (and fun!) road of Bollywood viewing, which could be a great family bonding experience.
Summary: Winnie Mehta was never really convinced that Raj was her soulmate, but their love was
written in the stars. Literally, a pundit predicted Winnie would find the love of her life before her 18th birthday, and Raj meets all of the qualifications. Which is why Winnie is shocked to return from her
summer at film camp to find her boyfriend of three years hooking up with Jenny Dickens. Worse, Raj is crowned chair of the student film festival, a spot Winnie was counting on for her film school applications. As a self-proclaimed Bollywood expert, Winnie knows this is not how her perfect ending is
scripted.
Then there’s Dev, a fellow film geek, and one of the few people Winnie can count on to help her
reclaim control of her story. Dev is smart, charming, and challenges Winnie to look beyond her
horoscope to find someone she’d pick for herself. But does falling for Dev mean giving up on her
prophecy, and her chance to live happily ever after? To get her Bollywood-like life on track, Winnie will
need a little bit of help from fate, family, and of course, a Bollywood movie star.

The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson

Cute dogs, mysterious friends, and an unexpected romance make this the perfect summer read. I own 10 copies of this book and there are rarely more than 5 left in my classroom at any one time.
Summary: Andie had it all planned out. When you are a politician’s daughter who’s pretty much raised
yourself, you learn everything can be planned or spun, or both. Especially your future. Important
internship? Check. Amazing friends? Check. Guys? Check (as long as we’re talking no more than three weeks).
But that was before the scandal. Before having to be in the same house with her dad. Before walking an insane number of dogs. That was before Clark and those few months that might change her whole life. Because here’s the thing—if everything’s planned out, you can never find the unexpected. And where’s the fun in that?

Bonus: Cinder (and the Lunar Chronicles series) by Marissa Meyer

A few years ago, I started a book club for students interested in reading the Lunar Chronicles with just as many boys and girls. After one session, a male student came to me and said, “Mrs. Schneider is it true that this is a Cinderella love story?” When I replied in the affirmative, the student looked dejected. I quickly responded with “But there’s definitely more action and adventure!” That student and many more
continued through and finished the action-packed princess re-tellings. So I haven’t had a male student(or his parents) ask for a romance for their son, but with awesome cover art and fantastic stories, this is
a series for them.
Summary: Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages
the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows
that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl.
Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past,
reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined
with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle,
and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover
secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.
With high-stakes action and a smart, resourceful heroine, Cinder is a Cinderella retelling that is
at once classic and strikingly original.

Conclusion

As a teacher and a mom, I believe in sharing the love of reading, and I know your children want to read
what it’s in your hands. (It’s a fantastic way to motivate them to read!) But if you’re not ready to share
some steamy love scenes with your teen, you should try one of these! These authors will have you
loving (pun-intended!) their characters and sweet stories. If you have any more recommendations, Let’s talk about them in the comments!