5 Young Adult Romances that Will Make You Want to Travel
I’m not sure why, but the arrival of spring and summer always puts me in the mood to 1) travel and 2) read romance. I want to say it’s because of all the flowers blooming and the sun shining, but I’m always searching for some bright and fun reads. So here are some adorable YA romances by Asian authors that take place in some amazing locations (and made me want to pack my bags ASAP)!
Bonus: all of these books have some of the most stunning covers I have ever seen <3
XOXO by Axie Oh
Synopsis:
Cello prodigy Jenny has one goal: to get into a prestigious music conservatory. When she meets mysterious, handsome Jaewoo in her uncle’s Los Angeles karaoke bar, it’s clear he’s the kind of boy who would uproot her careful plans. But in a moment of spontaneity, she allows him to pull her out of her comfort zone for one unforgettable night of adventure…before he disappears without a word.
Three months later, when Jenny and her mother arrive in South Korea to take care of her ailing grandmother, she’s shocked to discover that Jaewoo is a student at the same elite arts academy where she’s enrolled for the semester. And he’s not just any student. He’s a member of one of the biggest K-pop bands in the world—and he’s strictly forbidden from dating.
When a relationship means throwing Jenny’s life off the path she’s spent years mapping out, she’ll have to decide once and for all just how much she’s willing to risk for love.
First off, this book could absolutely be the plot of a k-drama; we have ourselves here a mysterious boy who’s actually a member of one of the biggest kpop groups and a girl who wants to get into an elite music conservatory. Sprinkle in a forbidden relationship in the city of Seoul, and out comes an adorable romance full of secret meetings and heartwarming moments. If you’re a fan of kpop, this might just be the fluffy romance you’ve been searching for!
This Time It’s Real by Ann Liang
Synopsis:
When seventeen-year-old Eliza Lin’s essay about meeting the love of her life unexpectedly goes viral, her entire life changes overnight. Now she has the approval of her classmates at her new international school in Beijing, a career-launching internship opportunity at her favorite magazine…and a massive secret to keep.
Eliza made her essay up. She’s never been in a relationship before, let alone in love. All good writing is lying, right?
Desperate to hide the truth, Eliza strikes a deal with the famous actor in her class, the charming but aloof Caz Song. She’ll help him write his college applications if he poses as her boyfriend. Caz is a dream boyfriend -- he passes handwritten notes to her in class, makes her little sister laugh, and takes her out on motorcycle rides to the best snack stalls around the city.
But when her relationship with Caz starts feeling a little too convincing, all of Eliza’s carefully laid plans are threatened. Can she still follow her dreams if it means breaking her own heart?
This Time It’s Real has pretty much all of the perfect tropes of a c-drama. Just to list a couple, we have here *checks list*: fake dating, celebrity crushes, piggyback rides in the rain, motorcycle rides around Beijing, and so much more! It left me feeling warm and fuzzy, and I feel that the book’s dedication embodies the essence of the novel: “For all the cynics who secretly still believe in love.”
When You Wish Upon a Lantern by Gloria Chao
Synopsis:
Liya and Kai had been best friends since they were little kids, but all that changed when a humiliating incident sparked The Biggest Misunderstanding Of All Time—and they haven’t spoken since.
Then Liya discovers her family's wishing lantern store is struggling, and she decides to resume a tradition she had with her beloved late grandmother: secretly fulfilling the wishes people write on the lanterns they send into the sky. It may boost sales and save the store, but she can't do it alone . . . and Kai is the only one who cares enough to help.
While working on their covert missions, Liya and Kai rekindle their friendship—and maybe more. But when their feuding families and their changing futures threaten to tear them apart again, can they find a way to make their own wishes come true?
Set in Chicago’s Chinatown, a boy and a girl from two feuding families must find a way to work together to save their businesses from closing. With a mooncake bakery and a wishing lantern shop, this feel-good romance is written like a love letter to Taiwanese and Chinese culture. The community in Chinatown felt lively and vibrant, and I was left wanting to see a lantern festival immediately after finishing this book.
The Charmed List by Julie Abe
Synopsis:
After spending most of high school as the quiet girl, Ellie Kobata is ready to take some risks and have a life-changing summer, starting with her Anti-Wallflower List—thirteen items she’s going to check off one by one. She’s looking forward to riding rollercoasters, making her art Instagram public (maybe), and going on an epic road-trip with her best friend Lia.
But when number four on Ellie’s list goes horribly wrong—revenge on Jack Yasuda—she’s certain her summer has gone from charmed to cursed. Instead of a road trip with Lia, Ellie finds herself stuck in a car with Jack driving to a magical convention. But as Ellie and Jack travel down the coast of California, number thirteen on her list—fall in love—may be happening without her realizing it.
In The Charmed List, Julie Abe sweeps readers away to a secret magical world, complete with cupcakes and tea with added sparks of joy, and an enchanted cottage where you can dance under the stars.
A road trip down the coast of California already sounds like a dream, but imagine the destination being a magical convention. With secret magical villages and enchanted cottages, the Studio-Ghibli vibes made this book whimsical and endearing. The Charmed List is an amalgamation of sunshine, summers full of desserts, and a cute shiba inu named Mochi.
Tokyo Ever After by Emiko Jean
Synopsis:
Izumi Tanaka has never really felt like she fit in—it isn’t easy being Japanese American in her small, mostly white, northern California town. Raised by a single mother, it’s always been Izumi—or Izzy, because “It’s easier this way”—and her mom against the world. But then Izzy discovers a clue to her previously unknown father’s identity… and he’s none other than the Crown Prince of Japan. Which means outspoken, irreverent Izzy is literally a princess.
In a whirlwind, Izzy travels to Japan to meet the father she never knew and discover the country she always dreamed of. But being a princess isn’t all ball gowns and tiaras. There are conniving cousins, a hungry press, a scowling but handsome bodyguard who just might be her soulmate, and thousands of years of tradition and customs to learn practically overnight.
Izzy soon finds herself caught between worlds, and between versions of herself—back home, she was never “American” enough, and in Japan, she must prove she’s “Japanese” enough. Will Izumi crumble under the weight of the crown, or will she live out her fairytale, happily ever after?
This book is essentially Princess Diaries meets Crazy Rich Asians, but set in Japan. Which already sounds amazing. Izumi learns about becoming all the duties and responsibilities of being a princess, while a growing romance blossoms between her and her bodyguard. With surprisingly hilarious moments and the cutest tropes, this light-hearted story made me want to travel to Japan immediately.
As I’m finishing this list, I realize I’m just expanding my travel wishlist more and more. Maybe one day I’ll get to visit some of these places, but I hope this post piques your interest in checking out some of these books (or even traveling to these places)!
