New YA romances: More Than Maybe, Smash It! and Breathless

Family issues abound in three new YA romances, where exploring the problems with the help of a new love interest, leads to a path of self-discovery, as well as young love. More Than Maybe by Erin Hahn (You'd Be Mine) introduces a dancer and a composer, who collaborate on a dance piece and find each other in the process. In Smash It! by Francina Simone (The Keeper's Vow) Olivia Johnson decides to lead a more fulfilling life by auditioning for her school's musical, a rap version of Othello. Breathless by Jennifer Niven (All the Bright Places) finds Claudine spending her senior summer with her mom on a remote island in Georgia, after her dad abandons the family. All of these novels are best suited for more mature readers, as the romantic content is fairly graphic.

In More Than Maybe Vada, a dancer and music critic, and Luke, a musician, who creates a vlog with his twin called "The Grass is Greenly," have been crushing on each other from afar. However, they don't get together until his music composition class and her dance class are assigned joint projects.  He will create the music for a piece she choreographs and dances. When his twin hears the song Luke wrote for Vada, he plays it on their vlog without Luke's permission.  Their dad, a former rock star who wants Luke to pursue a stage career, hears it and ups the pressure for Luke to perform, which he wants no part of. Problems with her alcoholic father also complicate Luke and Vada's relationship. Working together at The Loud Lizard, her mom's boyfriend's club, their flirtation turns into a friendship filled with mutual interests and ultimately love.  Their texts and conversations include references to songs whose lyrics reflect their emotions.  Reading it a second time, I used the internet to listen to the songs in the texts as they occurred, I loved exploring the music that gives a deeper insight into this slow burning romance.

Smash It! introduces Black high school junior Olivia Johnson, who is inspired by Shonda Rhimes's Year of Yes to embrace her fears and lead a more fulfilling life. Liv auditions for her school's rap version Othello and begins to date so she can move on from her role as number one fan to a music duo consisting of Dre, her best friend and Eli, her neighbor and secret crush. Also on her To Do list are accepting her "curves," resolving issues with her overly critical single mom and finding female friends. The boys find out she's auditioning, and she and Eli start staging rehearsals where he helps her with singing and she helps him with dancing. As they grow closer, she waits for him to make a move, but when he doesn't, decides she needs to move on.  Liv lands the part of Bianca, Eli is cast as Othello and her new love interest Kai is Iago. As she begins checking off items on her, "F*#k It" list,  she finds herself unprepared for the fallout from her riskier behavior.  But with the help of new friends, she realizes her most important lesson is learning to love herself.  Filled with a diverse cast of supporting characters, the story is interspersed with the musical lyrics from the rap version of Othello that the school is performing. Readers will enjoy the well-paced roller coaster of events as Liv  journeys toward self acceptance. (Release date September 22)

As Breathless opens, Claudine, aka Claude, is anticipating high school graduation and making plans for a road trip with her best friend before heading off to college.  Then her world falls apart.  Her parents announce their separation and Mom, who is an author, tells Claude they are going to spend the summer on a remote island off the  coast of Georgia, where her ancestors lived, hoping for inspiration for a new book.  Claude is furious with her parents, but when she meets the group of misfit teens who work on the island, she lets them draw her into a journey of self-discovery, including first love. While Mom researches the family history, Claude connects with Miah, a troubled teen who works for Outward Bound and is wise beyond his years.  As they explore the wonders of the island, Miah helps Claude accept her family situation, and he confides in her about his family pressures. Their frank discussions about the loss of her virginity to him, sexual pleasure and loyalty are specific, but tastefully done. What begins as a summer fling turns into much more.  (Release date September 29)

Romance from Alternating Perspectives: Field Notes on Love, You'd Be Mine and The Me I Meant to Be

Romantic novels often are told in alternating perspectives so that the reader gets the story from two' points of view. It gives the reader an opportunity to connect with the characters because their personalities show through their voices.  Frequently, the technique makes the reader feel omniscient in that it foreshadows what's to come. I am recommending three young adult romances this month, that employ this device.  Field Notes on Love by Jennifer Smith (The Statistical Probability of Falling Love) tells the story of Hugh and Mae, strangers who fall in love on a cross country train trip.  You'd Be Mine by Erin Hahn follows Clay and Annie, two country music singers, who fall in love while on tour.The Me I Meant to Be by Sophie Jordan explores the familiar dilemma of falling in love with your best friend's ex.

Field Notes on Love opens as Hugh Wilkinson, one of the famous Surrey Sextuplets, contemplates heading to University with his siblings and his breakup with his girlfriend Margaret, which has left him with two tickets in her name for a rail trip across the United States .  Looking for one last gasp of freedom before he is forced to head off to college (the scholarship he received is dependent on all 6 of the sextuplets attending), Hugh decides to advertise for another Margaret Campbell, so he can take the train trip. Mae Campbell, a distraught New York teen who has just been rejected from USC film school, sends him a video in response to his ad, hoping to gather material for a new film on the trip. They meet at NYC's Penn Station and after an awkward initial encounter, embark on their cross country trip in close quarters.  As they travel, she interviews fellow passengers and he struggles with his ambivalence toward his planned future.  His British charm and her no-nonsense tough girl persona make for fun feisty dialogue, as they fall in love through their shared experiences.  This is an enjoyable contemporary twist on the romantic trope of strangers falling in love on a train.

In You'd Be Mine  country music star Clay Coolidge won best new artist at the CMA's, but his bad boy behavior has him in trouble with his label. They insist that he include Annie Mather's band on his summer tour, or they will drop him.  Annie comes from country music royalty, but after her mother's overdose and her dad's suicide, she is understandably wary of the lifestyle.  Her passion for music wins out and she joins him on the tour, quickly eclipsing him with her standout performances.  From the start of the tour fans are rooting for them to become a couple, but Annie has seen the pitfalls of celebrity romances. The story alternates between their views about the tour and each other, highlighting the difficulties in celebrities having normal lives. Annie and Clay bring out the best in each other musically and personally and can't fight their mutual attraction. The story is set in the world of country music, but one doesn't have to be a fan to love this bad boy/good girl romance, which comes out April 2nd.

The Me I Meant to Be introduces best friends Willa and Flor, who just broke up with Zach, Willa's next-door neighbor.  Flor insists that her friends develop a "Girl Code," the first rule being that they stay away from a friend's ex.  Willa signs it, even though she has secretly been in love with Zach throughout their childhood.  After sharing an intense kiss with Zach at a high school party and finding out he has feelings for her, too, Willa is torn as to what's more important, love or friendship. Meanwhile, Flor is struggling with  her dad's relationship with a girl half his age and her failing grades, which threaten her spot as captain of the soccer team. She begins falling for her smart sexy math tutor, Grayson, who won't give her the time of day. Each chapter begins with a new Girl Code  rule, which is illustrated in the chapter.  Although the reader gets two romances for the price of one, the real story is about Willa and Flor's relationship and thus alternates between each girl's first-person narration.