As you may have noticed, this is my only Top 5 Wednesday post for February. I’ve read a few books with m/m and f/f parings and while I obviously support LGBTQ rep in books and have some favorites of my own (I’m looking at you, Wylan and Jesper), I couldn’t come up with pairings/books that I would honestly recommend. And spoiler for next week, but urban fantasy is one of my least-read genres. And guess who’s breaking this week’s topic with talking about books that aren’t straight-up romance novels??

I don’t really read straight up romance novels, but if you’ve been here for a little while, you know or will soon realize that I love contemporary. This genre typically involves some sort of relationship, and today, I’m going to be discussing some of my favorite YA contemporaries with romance vibes.

 When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon- When Dimple Met Rishi is one of my favorite YA romantic comedies, and in my opinion, there’s a really awesome gender reversal in this book. Instead of Dimple, our main female protagonist, being head-over-heels for Rishi, our main male protagonist, in the beginning, it’s Rishi! I’m really looking forward for Sandhya Menon’s next book, From Twinkle, With Love, to come out in May 2018.

The Start of You & Me by Emery Lord- I think The Names They Gave Us will always be my favorite Emery Lord book, the more I reflect on The Start of Me and You, the more I love it! As Paige rebuilds her life after the death of her boyfriend, she finds herself spending more time with Max Watson, Quiz Bowl captain and lover of Girl Scout cookies. I loved Max, and I wish I could’ve been on coffee dates with him at the bookstore instead of Paige.

I Believe in a Thing Called Love by Maurene Goo- Like When Dimple Met Rishi, I Believe in a Thing Called Love has plenty of rom-com vibes. Inspired by her dad’s love for K-dramas, Desi tries to get the guy of her dreams by using her “K Drama Steps to True Love”. While I wasn’t completely in love with the with the plot’s direction, I still had a really fun time reading I Believe in a Thing Called Love.

Alex and Eliza by Melissa de la Cruz- ELIZAAAAAA! How could I not read the love story of how Alexander Hamilton and Eliza Schuyler met?? Despite its mixed reviews on Goodreads, I absolutely adored Alex and Eliza, and if you’re a hardcore Hamilton fan like I am, it’s a must read!

Attachments by Rainbow Rowell- I guess books with rom-com vibes is a theme for this post! The only adult book today, Attachments is my second favorite Rainbow Rowell book, and I have a section in the notes app on my phone dedicated to quotes from the book (I especially love Beth and Jennifer’s email exchanges). I think an Attachments reread is a must for this year.

Do you like romance novels or do you prefer contemporaries with romance mixed in? Share in the comments!

Top 5 Wednesday is a collaborative group of book bloggers from various platforms who love sharing lists on Wednesdays. The T5W group can be found here on Goodreads.