Help A Bitch Out

YA Romance Collection

An Anonymous Librarian sent me the following query, and asked for your help:

I work in a high school library—my alma mater’s, no less—and my responsibilities include selecting and purchasing books (when we have a budget). While most of our fiction purchases are either YA or supportive of the curriculum, we definitely have an audience for grown up romance novels.  Kids who devour Cabot or Brashares are entitled to explore more mature options.  Our collection still includes a few Mary Stewarts, some Victoria Holt, some Danielle Steel, and, of course, DuMaurier, but when it comes to current romance authors, I am at a loss.  Some of the library ladies still read romances, but personal taste alone is not an adequate criteria for choosing books for a library collection.

So here’s my question for you and your readers: Can you suggest a couple of newer romance authors and/or titles that would be appealing for teens and appropriate for a high school library?  It isn’t helpful just to suggest an author like Nora Roberts who is incredibly prolific; a few titles or series’ would be more useful. 

I really need some titles that would interest teens specifically, but not scandalize their mothers.  Please think back to your own teen years and consider which of your current favorites would have appealed to you then.  Ideally, I would also need to be able to back up choices with reviews.  Any feedback on this would be much appreciated.

There are so many kickass YA romances on the market today, especially those by Jennifer Echols (Major Crush and Going Too Far)and Barb Ferrer’s Adios for My Old Life. I have a major weakness for YA romance in general, and I love that so much of it is smart and kickass.

Candy and I also both reviewed Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist – which, since it was made into a film, could also be part of your DVD collection, and I also found Elizabeth Scott’s Stealing Heaven compulsively readable – though not a romance by the traditional sense.

What do you suggest would make a good YA romance selection at a library? Bringeth your suggestions, pleasth!

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