Five Romantic Reads to Get Lost in this Valentine's Day

We’ve rounded up five brilliant romantic reads to help you get into the Valentine’s Day spirit! Each of the below books are available to purchase on Hive. Hive is a book-selling website which gives a percentage of each purchase to independent bookshops around Britain. You can even choose which participating bookshop you would like your money to go to. 

Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender

Felix Love is a proud black, queer and transgender teen who loves love and worries that he might not get to have his own happily-ever-after. 

After receiving transphobic messages from an anonymous sender, who also shares his deadname and photos of him pre-transition, Felix comes up with a plan to get revenge - a plan that gives him a little more than he bargained for: ending up in a quasi-love triangle.  

Felix Ever After is a story that explores identity, falling in love and the importance of self-worth.  

The Quiet at the End of the World  by Lauren James

After a virus caused global infertility, Lowrie and Shen are the youngest people in the world and the last of humankind. The duo live a simple life: spending their time mudlarking and rummaging for the treasure of their ancestors. That is until a secret is uncovered that changes everything.

Lowrie and Shen find themselves faced with a huge decision, one that requires tremendous sacrifice. 

Read this if you’re into dystopian fiction with diverse representation and a good old YA romance. 

The Spanish Love Deception by Elena Armas

As seen on TikTok… 

A swoon filled, enemies-to-lovers romance novel that follows the lives of Catalina Martin and Aaron Blackford. Catalina is in desperate need of a date for her sister’s wedding. Unfortunately, the only man willing to step in at such short notice is her irritating and insufferable colleague, Aaron Blackford. But, first impressions can be deceiving… Perhaps he isn’t so bad after all?

A Love Story for Bewildered Girls by Emma Morgan 

Despite having very different experiences, Annie, Grace and Violet all find themselves navigating the complexities of love. Grace falls desperately in love with a woman she meets at a party, Annie finally finds a man who lives up to her mother’s standards, and Violet finds herself on a journey of self-discovery. A beautiful story that follows the wonderful and unique ways we each experience love.   

The Stars and the Blackness Between Them by Junauda Petrus

This book follows the lives of Audre and Mabel, two black girls from very different backgrounds whose paths cross at a time when they need each other most. The pair forge a deep connection that leads to a beautiful, nurturing love that helps each of them face the challenges life throws at them.