Bradley and Celine used to be best friends. Bradley is one of the cool kids. He’s a joyful bisexual star football player with OCD who tops most of his classes. Celine is obsessed with conspiracy theories, smart, grumpy and wonders why she isn’t at the cool kids’ table. They turned from best friends to academic rivals, who, like academic rivals do, grab an amazing scholarship opportunity. Except this involves surviving in the wilderness and surviving each other. This is full of fun banter from the first page to the last, and we see how their relationship changes in the wild. The characters are lovable and their bond even more so.

Tansim is a witch who’s cursed with the inability to love because she committed a magical sin. Wren is made of magic but cannot use it herself. Wren is kind-hearted and sweet, while Tansim is morally grey. When a plague hits their queendom, it effects Wren’s father who she loves to bits. Wren makes a deal with Tansim to find the witch who caused the plague in exchange for her love for her father, and a sweet, interesting, character-driven romance builds along the way.

Emmett Maguire loves country music and wants to be its biggest gay superstar. Luke Barnes hates country music because it’s brought his family pain. Both boys end up working at Wanda World—one out of joy and one out of necessity. We watch Luke struggle with his identity, conceal himself to not be outed, and try to make peace with the idea of coming out. Sparks fly between the two boys. It’s all sweet and fun until a long-lost country music secret threatens to change everything.

Theo is the only openly gay guy at school and works at his parents’ Asian American cafe. He wants to escape. Gabi is stuck in the closet, and keeps losing football games while hiding his love for dance. He also wants to take over his parents’ Puetro Rican bakery after graduation. The town’s new fusion cafe jeopardises their plans. So, Theo decides to sell amazing food covertly at school to make some money, and Gabi steps in when Theo sprains his wrist. They realise they might have to work together, despite their rivalry, to save the cafes and their futures. But what happens when feelings are added to the ingredient list?

If you like stories that have a time loop, check this one out. Clark is tired of having to live the same day over and over again. It’s been 309 days of loneliness since this started, and he was lonely before that, too. Expect on the 310th day when a new boy walks in his math class. Clark is sweet and reserved. Beau is impulsive and not the warmest person in the room, but Clark is still drawn to him. But can you fall for someone in just a day, and more importantly, how do you make it last? Clark’s growth throughout the book is heartening to read.

Noah is known for his blog Meet Cute Diary, which is a collection of happy trans stories. They started as his own fantasies but grew to give hope to trans people all around the world. But a troll exposed them as fiction, and now he needs to convince his readers that they’re true. Drew walks in and agrees to fake date him to save his blog. Noah learns how different romance feels when it comes alive, and isn’t limited to the page.

This is a book featuring lesbian witches. However, it is not high fantasy, and can even pass off as fabulism. Eleanor is healing from a traumatic year, and wants to stay several feet away from romance. She does not believe in witches until Pix shows up with her magic and an invitation. Eleanor decides to open up to her while desperately trying to hide her history. It is a story of healing from your past to come into your present. [TW: substance abuse]

Aristotle and Dante might be my favourite grumpy/sunshine pair I’ve ever read on page. On the outside, Ari can come off like he does not care. He’s angsty and confused while still caring so deeply. Dante, on the other hand, is expressive, affectionate, and sweet while still experiencing his dose of teenage angst. They challenge each other starting from the moment they meet in the best ways. They teach each other and learn together all the tender and harsh ways of the world.