It’s that time of year again: Love is in the air! (Or something to that effect.) Despite my skepticism of the Valentine’s Day appeal, I am a romantic at heart, and I adore a good romance novel. The drama, the swooning, the well-delivered lines, the will-they-won’t-they for a hundred pages while you’re screaming at the idiotic characters – what’s not to love? So regardless of if you’re going to be alone on Valentine’s Day or not, here are three book recs sure to ensure you get into the romantic spirit.
“Heartstopper” by Alice Oseman
This book is the first in a series of graphic novels that follow Charlie Spring as he falls for Nick Nelson (and vice versa, though Charlie doesn’t know yet). The story seems lighthearted at first glance, although it proceeds to discuss topics of mental illness such as anorexia, anxiety, depression and OCD tastefully and without judgment. “Heartstopper” is an incredible, romantic story, and an excellent Netflix series as well. I recommend that anyone and everyone read the books to see Charlie and Nick’s story come to life onscreen.
“Dragonfall” by L.R Lam
“Dragonfall” submerges readers into Lumet, a world where dragons are worshiped as gods by humans who have long since forgotten that centuries ago, humans stole magic from the dragons and banished them to another, dying world. Everen is the first male dragon born in 300 years, trapped in a human body, after he falls through the veil separating the two worlds. He meets a thief named Arcady Dalca who has stolen a powerful artifact from the tomb of the most hated man in Lumet history. Bonded by a magic neither understands, Everen and Arcady are forced to work together as the fear that both of their worlds will shatter grows larger each day. My absolute favorite thing about this incredibly well-written, queernormative romantic fantasy book is the worldbuilding. “Dragonfall” is without a doubt the best fantasy book, and one of the best romances, I have read in a long time. I genuinely can’t recommend it enough to get you feeling the Valentine’s Day vibes.
“Stargirl” by Jerry Spinelli
Jerry Spinelli’s New York Times bestseller is a tear-inducing story of how detrimental social norms can be. “Stargirl” is told through the perspective of Leo Borlock, but centers around the titular character. Stargirl arrives in a small town in Arizona, where change is about as rare as rain – until she appears. With her pet rat, banjo and eccentric clothing, Stargirl introduces Leo to how wonderful the world can be. Still, Leo’s story is plagued by a question: Can he unlearn everything his life taught him about conformity for the sake of love? My favorite part of this romance novel was Stargirl’s interactions with the other characters. She is refreshingly different from your average person.
