Young Adult (YA/Teen) Valentine’s Day best book lists are pretty easy to come by. Finding YA books set on Valentine’s Day seems to be a bit more challenging. I love themed reading lists and this is one that took me a bit longer to put together, so I thought I would share it with you. If you are looking for feel-good YA books set on Valentine’s Day, I hope that you find one here that interests you!

Last Updated: February 13, 2024

YA Valentine’s Day Books

1. Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

What if you had only one day to live? What would you do? Who would you kiss? And how far would you go to save your own life?

Samantha Kingston has it all: the world’s most crush-worthy boyfriend, three amazing best friends, and first pick of everything at Thomas Jefferson High—from the best table in the cafeteria to the choicest parking spot. Friday, February 12, should be just another day in her charmed life.

Instead, it turns out to be her last.

Then she gets a second chance. Seven chances, in fact. Reliving her last day during one miraculous week, she will untangle the mystery surrounding her death—and discover the true value of everything she is in danger of losing.

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2.Marly’s Ghost by David Levithan

Love and I once had a great relationship, but I fear we’ve broken up. It cheated on me.

When Ben’s girlfriend, Marly, dies, he feels his life is over and the prospect of Valentine’s day without her fills him with bitterness. But then Marly arrives – or at least, her ghost does – along with three other spirits. Now Ben must take a journey through Valentines past, present and future – and what he learns will change him forever.

A remix of Charles Dicksons’s A Christmas Carol with a Valentine’s twist and the Levithan magic.

 

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3. Valentine by Jodi McAlister

Valentine is the first in a smart, witty and page-turning YA series with a paranormal twist for fans of Holly Black and Sarah J. Maas.

Four teenagers – all born on the same Valentine’s Day – begin to disappear. As the bodies mount up, Pearl Linford has to work out what in the supernatural hell is going on, before it happens to her.

Finn Blacklin is the boy with whom Pearl shares a birthday, the boy she has known all her life and disliked every second of it, the boy her subconscious has a totally annoying crush on. Finn is also the Valentine: a Seelie fairy changeling swapped for a human boy at birth. The Unseelie have come to kill the Valentine – except they don’t know who it is. And now both the Seelie and the Unseelie think Pearl is the Valentine, and if they find out she isn’t, she’ll disappear too.

Pearl must use all her wits to protect herself. Finn must come to terms with his newfound heritage. And then there’s the explosive chemistry between them that neither of them know quite what to do about . . .

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4. How to Keep a Boy From Kissing You by Tara Eglington

Sweet sixteen and never been kissed – and that’s the way Aurora Skye wants it to be.

She’s too busy finding Potential Princes ™ for her two best friends, counseling her sensitive New Age dad and dealing with the unexpected return of her long-absent mum. But always in the background there’s Hayden Paris, the boy next door, the bane of Aurora’s life. Smart, funny, and always around to see her at her worst, he ‘gets’ her like no-one else … and that’s what makes him so infuriating.

When Aurora and Hayden are coerced into the lead roles in the school production of Much Ado About Nothing, things can only get worse. How is Aurora going to save her first kiss for the secret admirer who wooed her with poetry and a spectacular bunch of flowers on Valentine’s Day if she doesn’t know who he is and she’s obligated to lock lips with Hayden in the play’s final dramatic clinch?

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5. Valentine Princess by Meg Cabot

Valentine’s Day means flowers, chocolates, and all-out romance.

That is, it usually means those things. But when you’re Princess Mia, nothing happens the way it’s supposed to. For one thing, Grandmere seems determined to prove “that boy” (or Michael, as he is commonly known) isn’t the right one for the crown princess of Genovia. And Mia isn’t having much luck proving otherwise, since Michael has a history of being decidedly against any kind of exploitative commercialization (Valentine’s Day, as it is commonly known).

Boris can declare his love openly to Lilly, and even Kenny comes through with a paltry Whitman’s Sampler. So why can’t Michael give in to Cupid and tell Mia he loves her–preferably with something wrapped in red or pink and accompanied by roses–in time to prove he’s Mia’s true prince?

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6. 19 Love Songs by David Levithan

The New York Times bestselling author of Every Day, Someday, and Two Boys Kissing is back with a short story collection about love!

A resentful member of a high school Quiz Bowl team with an unrequited crush.

A Valentine’s Day in the life of Every Day‘s protagonist “A.”

A return to the characters of Two Boys Kissing.

19 Love Songs, from New York Times bestselling author David Levithan, delivers all of these stories and more. Born from Levithan’s tradition of writing a story for his friends each Valentine’s Day, this collection brings all of them to his readers for the first time. With fiction, nonfiction, and a story in verse, there’s something for every reader here.

Witty, romantic, and honest, teens (and adults) will come to this collection not only on Valentine’s Day, but all year round.

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7. 11 Paper Hearts by Kelsey Hartwell

A YA contemporary rom com about a girl who follows a trail of paper hearts from her mystery admirer–and it’s a paperback original perfect for fans of To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before and the Kissing Booth.

Ella’s life was picture perfect. She had a circle of close friends, a jam-packed social life, and an amazing boyfriend. But then something completely unexpected happened: a car accident after a Valentine’s Day dance. When Ella woke up in the hospital, she couldn’t remember the accident . . . or anything about the weeks before it, including the reason she broke up with her boyfriend.

Now, a year later, she begins receiving paper hearts from a mysterious admirer who seems to have the answers she craves. Ella is intrigued. The hearts contain clues to help Ella remember her life before . . . and take her on a journey she never imagined. Following the paper hearts is the most spontaneous thing Ella has ever done . . . but will she find love?

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8. The Do-Over by Lynn Painter

In this riotous young adult romp for fans of Recommended for You and A Cuban Girl’s Guide to Tea and Tomorrow, a teen girl has the worst Valentine’s Day ever—only to relive it over and over again.

After living through a dumpster fire of a Valentine’s Day, Emilie Hornby escapes to her grandmother’s house for some comfort and a consolation pint of Ben & Jerry’s. She passes out on the couch, but when she wakes up, she’s back home in her own bed—and it’s Valentine’s Day all over again. And the next day? Another nightmare V-Day.

Emilie is stuck in some sort of time loop nightmare that she can’t wake up from as she re-watches her boyfriend, Josh, cheat on her day after day. In addition to Josh’s recurring infidelity, Emilie can’t get away from the enigmatic Nick, who she keeps running into—sometimes literally—in unfortunate ways.

How many days can one girl passively watch her life go up in flames? And when something good starts to come out of these terrible days, what happens when the universe stops doling out do-overs?

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9. Classic (It Girl, Book 10) by Cecily von Ziegesar

It’s almost Valentine’s Day at Waverly Academy, and love is in the air…and in everyone’s inboxes. Each year, The Waverly Computer Society runs Perfect Match, an online personality survey that pairs up Waverly Owls with their supposed soul mates. Now the campus is overrun with peculiar pairings, odd couples, and mischief makers hoping to play Cupid for a day.

Jenny Humphrey is convinced she’ll be paired with her adorable new boyfriend, Isaac Dresden. But when he starts acting skittish, she begins to wonder if he’s her Perfect Match after all. Brett Messerschmidt and Tinsley Carmichael definitely aren’t feeling the love this Valentine’s Day: when Isla Dresden, Isaac’s sister, steals Tinsley’s thunder-and Brett’s boyfriend-the two girls vow to plot their revenge. Callie Vernon is starting to wonder if a girl can have two soulmates. She’s in love with both Easy Walsh and Brandon Buchanan, but on February 14th, she can only give one of them her heart.

In this final dramatic It Girl novel, the Waverly Owls ponder an age-old question: is all really fair in love and war?

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10. Love? Maybe. by Heather Hepler

Just because Piper’s birthday is on Valentine’s Day does not mean she’s a romantic. In fact, after watching her father and then her stepfather leave, she’s pretty sure she doesn’t believe in love at all. Then her friends concoct a plan to find them all Valentine’s dates, and somehow Piper finds herself with the most popular guy in school. But true love never follows a plan, and a string of heartfelt gifts from a secret admirer has Piper wondering if she might be with the wrong guy.

In this heartwarming romance, true love is more than a maybe—and it might be closer than you think.

 

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11. Be Mine: Today? by Sabrina James

Fall in love like every day is Valentine’s Day with this sweet-read holiday romantic comedy from Sabrina James.

At North Ridge High, Valentine’s Day is only days away and love is in the air. This year the school is sponsoring a “Most Romantic Couple” contest. Everyone wants to win—including Jennifer, who’s not about to be stopped by not having a boyfriend as she sets out to set that right. With lots of romantic twists and turns and comic mishaps along the way as she gets ready for the big event, you will find a lot to warm your heart as Jennifer sends Cupid to find Mr. Right as she gets ready for the big event. Will the right couples hook up so they can be in the contest for the Valentine’s Dance and will Jennifer and her beau be the ones to win?

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12. Sea of Love by Jamie Ponti

When it comes to love, sometimes it’s sink or swim.

As if it’s not bad enough that Darby had to leave NYC and her BF to move to Florida, where her family’s started running a hotel, now she has to help with the hotel’s annual Valentine’s Day Cupid’s Ball. Things start looking up when local beach hottie Zach takes Darby surfing and shows her around. Beach life actually starts to grow on this fish out of water.

Then – surprise! A week before the ball, Darby’s NYC ex decides to pay her a visit. Darby’s knee-deep in guilt because she realizes she’s fallen for Zach! This Valentine’s Day, is Darby ready to dive into a new relationship with the guy who’s captured her heart?

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13. Thwonk by Joan Bauer

Imagine having a personal cupid—an actual winged being—pop into your life and offer to make your dreams come true. The catch is he can help you in only one way: artistically, academically, or romantically. That’s what happens to aspiring photographer Allison Jean (A. J.) McCreary. A. J. knows she should concentrate on getting into a top-notch art school. But she’s spent five torturous months obsessed with handsome hunk, Peter Terris. Just one shot from the cupid’s bow and thwonk, A. J. will have the undying devotion of handsome Peter…forever.

 

 

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14. So, This is Love by Tracy Andreen

In the sequel to Tracy Andreen’s debut romantic comedy So, This Is Christmas, we follow Finley and Arthur back to Barrington Academy for a swoony semester.

Finley and Arthur are back at boarding school and neither quite knows where the other stands–are they couple? Are they not a couple? What does one magical Christmas Eve kiss in Oklahoma mean for their relationship status? This confusion isn’t helped by the re-entry of old enemies into their school lives, especially ones that may or may not be crushing on Arthur. Finley is at a loss when navigating the complexities of her new (maybe) relationship, which could very well turn into love. . . if she doesn’t blow it.

So, This Is Love is a perfect read for the Valentine’s Day season, or for anyone looking for a delightful romantic comedy that has just a dash of drama. Once again, Tracy Andreen has proven that no one writes a holiday rom-com like her.

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15. Reggie and Delilah’s Year of Falling by Elise Bryant

Delilah always keeps her messy, gooey insides hidden behind a wall of shrugs and yeah, whatevers. She goes with the flow—which is how she ends up singing in her friends’ punk band as a favor, even though she’d prefer to hide at the merch table.

Reggie is a D&D Dungeon Master and self-declared Blerd. He spends his free time leading quests and writing essays critiquing the game under a pseudonym, keeping it all under wraps from his disapproving family.

These two, who have practically nothing in common, meet for the first time on New Year’s Eve. And then again on Valentine’s Day. And then again on St. Patrick’s Day. It’s almost like the universe is pushing them together for a reason.

Delilah wishes she were more like Reggie—open about what she likes and who she is, even if it’s not cool. Except . . . it’s all a front. Reggie is just role-playing someone confident. The kind of guy who could be with a girl like Delilah.

As their holiday meetings continue, the two begin to fall for each other. But what happens once they realize they’ve each fallen for a version of the other that doesn’t really exist?

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16. Lonely Hearts Day by Kasie West

It isn’t that Scarlett Landry doesn’t believe in love, her parents’ relationship is perfect, after all. It’s just that she doesn’t think she should be forced to celebrate it. Forced to listen to terrible poetry and watch Valentine’s Day roses being distributed to everyone around her at school. If there is a relationship status that deserves its own holiday, it’s single-hood. So, she enlists the help of her best friend, Jack Bowman, to throw a party for all the lonely hearts of their high school. She’s known Jack for years. He’s fun and nerdy and smart and will make the perfect co-host. There are two problems. the king and queen of school already throw a party on Valentine’s Day. Have for the last few years. And they are not fans of being dethroned. when you become known for throwing a party to celebrate singles, you probably shouldn’t fall in love. This fun, flirty YA contemporary romance novella, takes place over four Valentine’s Days. It follows the ups and downs of friendship, family, and falling in love.

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YA Valentine’s Day Books

YA Valentine’s Day books are the best reads for a swoony Valentine’s Day TBR. I have created a Goodreads shelf for all of these books if you are interested in learning more about any of them. If there are any YA books set on Valentine’s Day that I have missed, let me know in the comments. Happy Valentine’s Day!