Today on the site, I’m delighted to have a guest author writing the Fave Five: Chatham Greenfield, author of Try Your Worst, which comes out tomorrow! Before we get to Chatham’s recs of Fave Five: Queer Enemies-to-Lovers YA Books, here’s a note from the author:
I would say that there’s nothing I love more than enemies-to-lovers romances, but I would be lying. I love one thing more: queer enemies-to-lovers romances.
When I was writing Try Your Worst, I was fortunate to have so many amazing queer enemies-to-lovers YA novels to turn to. There’s just something special about seeing two people realize that the line between hatred and love is blurring, only for it to dissipate completely.
From sprawling soccer fields, to high school journalism programs, to sweaty summer camps, queer YA certainly brings the angst-turned-swooning. Here are just five of my recent favorites.
Wish You Weren’t Here by Erin Baldwin
This sapphic romance marries enemies-to-lovers with one of my other favorite tropes: forced proximity. Two rivals are forced to share a cabin at summer camp and the results are, like everything Baldwin writes, laugh out loud hilarious.
Canto Contigo by Jonny Garza Villa
I’m such a fan of the way Jonny Garza Villa balances pain with lightness, and this book is no exception. This rivalry-turned-romance is set on the backdrop of Mariachi competitions and it’s so satisfying to watch the love interests find their harmony.
We Got the Beat by Jenna Miller
In We Got the Beat, Miller takes enemies-to-lovers back a step and serves up a delicious friends-to-rivals-to-lovers romance. As a fat lesbian who was a journalism nerd in high school, I felt so seen by this sweet story.
Caught in a Bad Fauxmance by Elle Gonzalez Rose
It’s got fake dating, it’s got family hijinx, AND it has the signature Elle Gonzalez Rose heartfelt humor. Caught in a Bad Fauxmance is a delectable hat trick of an enemies-to-lovers romance that’s near impossible to put down.
You Don’t Have a Shot by Racquel Marie
No one writes teenage angst quite like Racquel Marie does. The banter and tender moments are plentiful in this one, and it’s fun to watch the characters come together on the backdrop of a heated soccer rivalry.
Chatham Greenfield is a young adult author born and raised in Florida, which is why their stories often take place in humid seaside towns. After graduating from Sarah Lawrence College, they were selected as a fellow in the inaugural class of LitUp by Reese’s Book Club. You can find them wherever there’s air conditioning, wrapped up in a blanket, reading a gay love story. Connect with Chatham @chatgreenfield on socials and at chatgreenfield.com.
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