The Love Triangle

According to AI Overview, the love triangle trope in romance novels can be described as a romantic relationship involving three people, usually two vying for the affections of the third. It creates tension and explores themes of jealousy, rivalry and choice. The third person in the triangle may be indecisive, unrequitedly in love with one of the suitors or be drawn to both. Three new YA novels attempt to add a fresh spin on the love triangle trope in unique ways. Something Like Fate by Amy Lea has a psychic predicting a girl named Lo meeting her soul mate on a backpacking trip, but the prediction is complicated by her feelings for her best friend. Love Unmasked by Becky Dean introduces Evie Whitmore who goes to Venice with her art class. By day she is attracted to Gabe her project partner, but by night she disguises herself to meet up with Angelo on a quest to find the Elven Realms from her favorite book series. All Paths Lead to Paris by Sabrina Fedel has Aurie McGinley, a fashion influencer, managing two fake dating relationships. One is between Aurie and her best friend pop star Remy St. Julien and the other is between her and her math tutor. She struggles to decide which romance she wants to be real. 

In Something Like Fate, the psychic women in Lo Zhao-Jensen's family have for generations foreseen meeting their soul mate.  When Lo finally has her vision, she finds she'll meet him on her backpacking trip to Italy. After her trip companion breaks her foot, Lo's best friend Teller Owens takes her place.  He has just broken up with his long-term girlfriend, and Lo thinks he needs a distraction. When they get to Italy, Caleb, a fellow backpackers saves Lo from getting hit by a runaway trolley, and she knows he's fated to be her great love.  However, her complicated feelings for Teller make Lo question fate.

Love Unmasked finds Evie Whitmore in Venice with her art and architecture class. Venice is not only an inspiration for her art, it is also the setting for her hidden passion, a series of novels entitled Elven Realms. It has a fan club which meets at night, wearing costumes and reenacting scenes from the books.  Sneaking out at night, she meets Angelo, another fan in disguise, who accompanies her on a quest to find the Eleven Realms. Meanwhile, during the day, Evie is partnered with Gabriel Martinez for her class project.  Gabriel is a loner, and people-pleaser Evie can't help but try to win his friendship.  As she and Gabe explore the city, working on their project, she begins to wonder where her heart lies: with Angelo in the fantasy realms or with Gabe in real life. 

The love triangle trope in All Paths Lead to Paris involves fake-dating.  Seventeen-year-old Aurie McGinley is a fashion influencer in Paris.  Her best friend is a pop star, Remy St. Julien whose publicity agent thinks a fake relationship between Aurie and Remy will boost their popularity.  But when they stage a kiss for her online video diaries, she finds herself developing real feelings for Remy, which he seems to rebuff.  To ward off the demise of their friendship, Aurie begins fake-dating her math tutor Kylian and her double life becomes even more complicated.  As she and Kylian draw closer and Remy becomes jealous, Aurie struggles to decide which love she wants to be real. 

Whether it's psychic predictions, lovers in disguise or fake-dating, the love triangle spins in these three new YA romances are sure to be entertaining summer reads.