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Top 5 Tuesday

Top 5… cute romances

5 May 2020 / 33 Comments

Good morning bookworms!

Today’s Top 5 Tuesday is cute romances! Honestly, this topic warms my cold, little soul. Partially because it’s now post-ANZAC day here and so it went from 20º days to 7º days in the span of a week, and partially because I have been reading so many adorable romance stories to keep me sane lately!!

Top 5 Tuesday is hosted by the super lovely Shanah over at the Bionic Bookworm. You can visit her here, and join in for Top 5 Tuesday by checking out all the amazing topics that are coming up!

Date Me, Bryson Keller – Kevin van Whye

Date Me, Bryson Keller

OH. MY. FREAKING. GOD. Seriously, this book could not be any cuter if it tried. It’s gentle and warm and comforting. Like a mug of hot chocolate being hugged by a plushie in the middle of a blanket fort with copper wire fairy lights strung up around it. That’s the aesthetic for this adorable own-voices queer YA contemporary romance. And if that doesn’t get you to read it, then I’m not sure if we can be friends any more*.

Synopsis is Bryson Keller, serial anti-dater, is dared to date a new person each week of school – the first person who asks him each Monday. They date until Friday afternoon, and then it’s over. Until Kai.

Unfortunately (for you) this book’s release date has been pushed back to July 2020, but when it does come out, I will be screaming about it from the mountain tops. Sound of Music style. Slightly less yodeling.

But how can I go anywhere when Bryson Keller just said he is attracted to me? How does moving from this spot make any sense? I should live here now, never moving, never budging. Please forward all mail to this address.

Queens of Geek – Jen Wilde

Queens of Geek

I have to admit, it’s been a while since I read this one, but I still remember how absolutely adorbs it is. Nerdy girls at cons. Friends to lovers. Strangers meeting and falling in love. Queer romances. First time awkward encounters. It’s basically high school, but waaaaaaaaay better. (Like a million times better. Where was Jen Wilde when I needed my high school life narrated??)

The next best part of this book is that there are two others set in the same world, and some of the characters make cross-over appearances. And the queer rep in all of them is amazing. While The Brightsiders is my fave of the three, the romance in this one is hands down the sweetest.

Carry On – Rainbow Rowell

Carry On

Snowbaz is pure. Snowbaz is good. Snowbaz is cute. What else needs to be said? *insert heart-eyes emoji x 50,000*

On the off chance that you were raised by wolves under a rock in the middle of nowhere, Simon Snow and Tyrannus Basilton Grimm Pitch (be still my no-longer-beating heart), aka Baz, are a very cute parody of Drarry in another Rainbow Rowell book, Fangirl. In that book, the MC writes fanfic about how they’re in love. Rowell then went on to write the story itself (although I have no idea if this is the real Simon Snow story, or Cath’s story) and to be perfectly honest, it’s freaking amazing. This is one of my annual rereads, and I honestly can’t wait for book 3 – Any Way the Wind Blows.

I am going to die kissing Simon Snow. Aleister Crowley, I’m living a charmed life.

The Hating Game – Sally Thorne

The Hating Game

I just want to cry in gifs about how disgustingly sweet this romance is. It is quite possibly the most kindest, nicest, softest, sweetest enemies to lovers story I have ever had the pleasure of reading. And there’s even a paintball game in it. (I’m still not sure what kind of sorcery Sally Thorne worked to make that happen.)

Don’t get me wrong, there’s also some steaminess (I wish I was stuck in an elevator with Joshua Templeman), but the sheer amount of goodness in this book far outweighs everything else. But honestly, I doubt I will ever find another office romance that gives me so many feels, while simultaneously making me want to eat strawberries.

The Scorpio Races – Maggie Stiefvater

The Scorpio Races

Admittedly, this is probably less “cute”, and more “soft”. Like, it is quite possibly the gentlest romance that you will find in a YA book. It’s so soft and gentle that it’s basically cashmere. Cashmere in a sea of hessian. The hessian being the murderous water horses and callous sexism that is running rampant throughout the rest of the book. (DELIBERATELY. Don’t not read the books for that comment.)

But there is a reason why Puck Connolly and Sean Kendrick are up there with my OTPs. And that reason is because their love is so soft and absolute, even though they are very strong and abrasive. Maggie Stiefvater writes non-romantic romances, and this one kind of exemplifies that. (Although Pynch will always be my favourite of hers – but it is very decidedly the opposite of cute, and definitely more on the sharp end of the spectrum…)

I say, “I will not be your weakness, Sean Kendrick.”
Now he looks at me. He says, very softly, “It’s late for that, Puck.”

Heartstopper – Alice Oseman

Heartstopper Vol. 1

Technically, this does make six… but if I don’t add Nick and Charlie then my soul might actually depart my body, and I couldn’t figure out which other book I wanted to remove… And then I remembered that this is about CUTE ROMANCES and so I thought, why not just add extra?! Surely everyone in the world needs more adorbs love stories in their lives.

I will freely admit that while the actual romance in this gives me life, the first Volume (while still amazing) crushed my soul a little. Despite being one of the sweetest graphic novels I have ever read, it deals with some pretty heavy topics. I support Alice on Patreon so I’m waaaaay ahead of the physical books, but trust me when I say, this story only gets more adorable.

*I mean, of course we can be friends still. It’s ok not to like the same stuff. I’m just letting you know how awesome this was. You’re welcome in advance. But seriously, I think I’m going to copy-paste this description to my book review now…

PLEASE list some of your fave cute romances!! (Seriously, send me links and recs because these stories are giving me life at the moment!!)

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33 Comments

  • Greg

    5 May 2020 at 8:33 am Reply

    These all look fun! I liked Queens of Geek (the only one I’ve read) and how cool that she crosses over some of the characers with her other books. I love when authors do that!

    • meeghan

      13 May 2020 at 11:35 pm Reply

      Hey Greg!! These books are (almost disgustingly) adorable!! I highly recommend Jen Wilde’s books, but unless you want spoilers, I’d also recommend reading them in publication order (Queens of Geek, Brightsiders, Going Off Script) ?

    • meeghan

      7 May 2020 at 12:18 am Reply

      Amazing!! If I can convince anyone to read a book, then my life goal is complete. I hope you really enjoy them both, Amie!! ?

    • meeghan

      7 May 2020 at 12:17 am Reply

      Amber!! I’m so glad you liked those books!! They make me so happy!! Seriously, enemies to lovers is the BEST trope around, closely followed by ‘there was only one bed’, and I love it so much!! ?

  • Marie

    6 May 2020 at 7:24 pm Reply

    Ahh what a fantastic list! I love Queens of Geek and Heartstopper so, so much, both are favorites and they make me so happy. <3

  • Louise

    7 May 2020 at 1:10 am Reply

    I love cute romances! Admittedly, I don’t read very many, but that’s an excuse to read more! Ahh, I want to read Queens of Geek and The Scorpio races so badly 😀

    • meeghan

      7 May 2020 at 1:27 am Reply

      Thanks Louise!! I hope you enjoy them when you do!! The Scorpio Races is my fave book of all time, I HIGHLY recommend it!! ?

  • Malka @ Paper Procrastinators

    7 May 2020 at 12:34 pm Reply

    I loved so many of the books on this list! Carry On is one of the cutest, softest romances I’ve ever read, and if Simon and Baz aren’t safe and happy by the end of Any Way the Wind Blows, I will riot! I also love how you included The Scorpio Races on this list! It’s definitely an unconventional choice, but having read it, I 100% agree with it’s placement on this list! And I’m so happy that you included Date Me, Bryson Keller on here, because I’ve been seeing it around recently, but I didn’t really know what it’s about. But after reading this post I want to read it! The premise sort of reminds me of 10 Blind Dates, which I read earlier in the year and thought was super cute!

    As for cute recs, I literally have written blog posts about this! If cute were a genre, that would be all that I read! Some of my favorite romances are The Kiss Quotient and Red, White, & Royal Blue. I also adore Sick Kids in Love, which is a severely under-hyped book about two teens with chronic illnesses falling for one another. I also thought Bloom and On A Sunbeam (which is a web-comic turned graphic novel, much like Heartstopper) were really cute queer graphic novels. I hope that at least one of my recommendations has what you’re looking for!

    I’m going to stop myself before this comment turns into an essay, but I thought this was such a great post! I your list was perfection, and I was more than happy to share some other cute books that I’ve enjoyed! ?

  • theorangutanlibrarian

    13 May 2020 at 5:04 am Reply

    Oh yes can’t wait for the third carry on book and love rereading it!! It’s one of my favourite romances ever! And I love the hating game too. Heartstopper is so cute as well. love this list!

    • meeghan

      18 May 2020 at 6:47 pm Reply

      I accidentally preordered TWO copies of Her Royal Highness because I’ve been waiting for it since FOREVER… oops?! But I’ve gotten both shipping notifications now, so hopefully they come quickly…

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