For fans of YA, there are so many new books constantly being released that it’s hard to keep track of them all! What’s particularly delightful is that in 2020, there’s a huge range of YA books featuring LGBT+ characters and romances. We’ve come a long way since the 80s when there was an average of only four YA books with LGBT+ content published per year, and the 90s was hardly any better with an average of seven books per year. These days we can expect over a HUNDRED books with LGBT+ characters in starring roles!
Today’s list shines a spotlight on 20 YA books coming out in 2020 which focus on a romantic relationship between two female characters. We have everything from evil queens and prom queens, revolutionaries and rebels to modern-day witches and falling in love via fandom aliases. There are rom-coms, coming-of-age stories, lush romantic fantasy and dark magic plus so much more!
The Midnight Lie by Marie Rutkoski (March 3rd 2020)
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Set in the world of the New York Times–bestselling Winner’s Trilogy, beloved author Marie Rutkoski returns with an epic LGBTQ romantic fantasy about learning to free ourselves from the lies others tell us—and the lies we tell ourselves.
The Winter Duke by Claire Eliza Bartlett (March 3rd 2020)
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An enchanted tale of intrigue where a duke’s daughter is the only survivor of a magical curse. Part Sleeping Beauty, part Anastasia, with a thrilling political mystery, The Winter Duke is a spellbinding story about choosing what’s right in the face of danger.
Witches of Ash and Ruin by E. Latimer (March 3rd 2020)
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Modern witchcraft blends with ancient Celtic mythology in an epic clash of witches and gods. With razor-sharp prose and achingly real characters, E. Latimer crafts a sweeping, mesmerizing story of dark magic and brutal mythology set against a backdrop of contemporary Ireland that’s impossible to put down.
The Truth About Keeping Secrets by Savannah Brown (March 7th 2020)
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Sydney’s dad is the only psychiatrist for miles around their small Ohio town. He is also unexpectedly dead. Is Sydney crazy, or is it kind of weird that her dad-a guy whose entire job revolved around other peoples’ secrets-crashed alone, with no explanation? THE TRUTH ABOUT KEEPING SECRETS is a page-turning, voice led, high school thriller.
We Were Promised Spotlights by Lindsay Sproul (March 24th 2020)
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People think Taylor is living the dream, and assume she’ll stay in town and have kids with the homecoming king…but Taylor is actually desperate to leave home. Also? She’s completely in love with her best friend, Susan. Lindsay Sproul’s debut is full of compelling introspection and painfully honest commentary on what it’s like to be harnessed to a destiny you never wanted.
Look by Zan Romanoff (March 31st 2020)
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It’s a story about what you present vs. who you really are, about real intimacy and manufactured intimacy and the blurring of that line. It’s a deceptively glamorous, feminist, emotionally complex, utterly compelling, queer coming-of-age novel about falling in love and taking ownership of your own self–your whole self–in the age of social media.
Queen of Coin and Whispers by Helen Corcoran (April 6th 2020)
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When teenage queen Lia inherits her corrupt uncle’s bankrupt kingdom, she brings a new spymaster into the fold … Xania, who takes the job to avenge her murdered father. In a world where the throne means both power and duty, they must decide what to sacrifice for their country – and for each other …
Late to the Party by Kelly Quindlen (April 21st 2020)
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From author Kelly Quindlen comes a poignant and deeply relatable story about friendship, self-acceptance, what it means to be a Real Teenager. Late to the Party is an ode to late bloomers and wallflowers everywhere.
Dangerous Remedy by Kat Dunn (May 7th 2020)
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Camille, a revolutionary’s daughter, leads a band of outcasts – a runaway girl, a deserter, an aristocrat in hiding. But their latest rescue is not what she seems. As Camille learns the truth, she’s forced to choose between loyalty to those she loves and the future.
The Henna Wars by Adiba Jaigirdar (May 12th 2020)
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When Dimple Met Rishi meets Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda in this rom com about two teen girls with rival henna businesses. Amidst sabotage and school stress, their lives get more tangled—but Nishat can’t quite get rid of her crush on Flávia, and realizes there might be more to her than she realized.
Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust (May 12th 2020)
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A captivating and utterly original fairy tale about a girl cursed to be poisonous to the touch, and who discovers what power might lie in such a curse…
The Scapegracers by Hannah Abigail Clarke (May 12th 2020)
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An outcast teenage lesbian witch finds her coven hidden amongst the popular girls in her school, and performs some seriously badass magic in the process.
I Kissed Alice by Anna Birch (May 26th 2020)
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I Kissed Alice is a romantic comedy about enemies, lovers, and everything in between. Since only one of them can get the coveted Capstone scholarship, the competition between Rhodes and Iliana is fierce. And despite being worst enemies in real life, their anonymous online identities are starting to like each other…a lot. When the truth comes out, will they destroy each other’s future?
The Dark Tide by Alicia Jasinska (June 1st 2020)
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Every year, Caldella’s Witch Queen lures a young boy back to her palace. Sixteen-year-old Lina Kirk is determined to rescue Tomas Lin, her secret crush. Caught breaking into the palace, the Queen offers Lina a deal: she will let Tomas go, if Lina agrees to take his place. Against their will, they find themselves falling for each other.
I Think I Love You by Auriane Desombre (June 2nd 2020)
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A YA contemporary rom com about arch-nemeses Emma, a die-hard romantic, and more-practical minded Sophia who find themselves competing against one another for a coveted first-prize trip to a film festival in Los Angeles . . . what happens if their rivalry turns into a romance?
You Don’t Live Here by Robyn Schneider (June 2nd 2020)
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Robyn Schneider delivers a witty and heartbreaking tale of first love, second beginnings, and last chances in this timely and authentic bisexual coming-of-age story, perfect for fans of Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera.
You Should See Me In A Crown by Leah Johnson (June 2nd 2020)
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Liz’s plans to attend the uber-elite Pennington College come crashing down until she’s reminded of her school’s scholarship for prom king and queen. There’s nothing Liz wants to do less than endure a gauntlet of social media trolls, catty competitors, and humiliating public events, and the only thing that makes it halfway bearable is the new girl in school, Mack. But Mack is also in the running for queen. Will falling for the competition keep Liz from her dreams . . . or make them come true?
The Falling in Love Montage by Ciara Smyth (June 9th 2020)
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Saoirse doesn’t believe in love at first sight or happy endings. But after a chance encounter at an end-of-term house party, Saoirse is about to break her own rules. For a girl with one blue freckle, an irresistible sense of mischief, and a passion for rom-coms.
Love is for Losers by Wibke Brueggeman (July 14th 2020)
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In this wry and hilarious queer romantic comedy, fifteen-year-old Phoebe realizes that falling in love is maybe not just for losers. This is a laugh-out-loud exploration of sexuality, family, female friendship, grief, and community. Think of this as Bridget Jones’ Diary, if it were written by Bridget’s daughter.
Ruinsong by Julia Ember (November 24th 2020)
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In this dark and lush LGBTQ+ romantic fantasy, two young women from rival factions must work together to reunite their country as they wrestle with their feelings for each other.
