Find your next great romantic read for Valentine’s Day with these YA books that have love triangles in unexpected places.
Love triangles are the popular trope that people love to hate. Everyone knows about Bella, Edward, and Jacob in the Twilight saga or Katniss, Peta, and Gale in The Hunger Games. So super sweet!
Maybe you’re looking for something a little different this year, something that you might not have seen before and that isn’t in the fantasy or pure romance genre.
This list includes a few YA books that have love triangles in unexpected places that you might not have discovered yet. I think you’ll love them. I did.
Hollow Beauty by Khristina Chess
“I wondered what it would feel like if he rolled over and kissed me. Would I feel that panicked need to escape that I always felt when Brody kissed me? When I thought about kissing Ross, I felt nothing but excitement.” ― Khristina Chess, quote from Hollow Beauty
This dreamy YA romantic love triangle will appeal to fans of To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before. Olivia has a date with tall, gorgeous Brody to the prom, and she’s super ecstatic about that--until he suggests that she use the two months before the dance to lose some weight.
But how thin is thin enough?
What starts as a few skipped meals spirals into a dangerous obsession—hours spent scrolling pro-ana and thinspo forums, tracking calories like a lifeline, and watching the number on the scale plummet. The more weight she sheds, the more she disappears.
Ross, the new prep cook at the diner, sees her differently. He doesn’t suffer the same suffocating self-doubt, and the only time Olivia feels like herself is when she’s riding dirt bikes and cave-hunting with him. But with Brody, romance feels more like devour or be devoured.
She’s almost perfect for prom. Almost thin enough.
Until the unthinkable happens.
What makes Hollow Beauty special is the realistic portrayal of how Olivia falls into the self-esteem trap of trying to change herself for someone else. I worried about her. I loved seeing her journey and choices as the events escalated toward the story’s climax. It’s a great positive message that exposes the slippery slope of pro-ana culture and the brutal consequences of chasing perfection.
If you’re a fan of romance, you want to add this one to your list of YA books that have love triangles in unexpected places. In fact, Khristina Chess has written several awesome YA books. She’s on my list of Best YA Authors to Binge on Kindle Unlimited because she has so many titles to choose from!
The Sky Is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson
“What kind of girl wants to kiss every boy at a funeral, wants to maul a guy in a tree after making out with her sister’s boyfriend the previous night? Speaking of which, what kind of girl makes out with her sister’s boyfriend, period?” ― Jandy Nelson, quote from The Sky Is Everywhere
I love, love, loved this book! The writing is so lyrical, and the story is incredibly sad. It begins with protagonist Lennie, who is grieving the sudden death of her sister. Although Bailey is dead, the relationship between these siblings is very much alive on the pages of this novel. Lennie writes beautiful poems, and she spends time in their room and shares so many memories that I feel I know Bailey.
A charismatic new boy shows up at school, and Lennie ends up entering into 2 romances at the same time. This is the love triangle. One romance is with the new boy at school, and the other is with her dead sister’s grieving boyfriend. Sooner or later, she has to decide which one of these guys is the one she’s going to stick with. Oh, boy.
All of the characters are vivid, and the story is captivating. The creative visual aspect of the novel is also a nice touch; Lennie writes her poems on scraps and scatters them everywhere, and these appear at the beginning of chapters.
This book is a must-read for anyone looking for YA novels with love triangles in unexpected places. In fact, I highly recommend that you also read Nelson’s other novel, I’ll Give You the Sun.
My Life with the Walter Boys by Ali Novak
“Love takes more than a couple days and a secret, shotgun marriage to develop into something worth dying for.” ― Ali Novak, quote from My Life with the Walter Boys
Jackie is an orphan who finds herself transported from a life of privilege and private school in New York City to a rural ranch in Colorado, where she shares a very crowded home with 11 boys and one tomboy. There were plenty of opportunities for this story to explore the themes of grief, sisterhood, and being an orphan more deeply, but instead, the book focuses on the love triangle that develops between Jackie and two of the brothers.
That’s just fine. The pages turned quickly. I thought I’d be too disoriented by all those gorgeous and talented brothers, but Novak does a good job of introducing them and making them unique as Jackie gets to know them. I felt her sense of being overwhelmed by the family initially, and then one by one, the boys (and sister) became individuals. The parents are kind.
I liked the ending. This is nice debut book and a sweet romance for readers who like love triangles.
To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han
“I want to say yes, but I don't want to be with a boy whose heart belongs to somebody else. Just once, I want to be somebody else's first choice.” ― Jenny Han, quote from To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before
Lara Jean is a super sweet adorable character, and even though the story seems like a common love triangle, there are enough twists to keep the pages turning. Plus, Lara Jean herself is such a star. She’s naive and on her own for the first time, and she’s making all kinds of mistakes. She’s basically a train wreck. I love her immensely. Two plot points surprised me, and I thought I had those wrapped up early on.
I didn’t expect to like this book as much as I did, but I finished it in two sittings. Now I see why everyone’s been reading it! :-)
If you’re the last person on the planet to miss this one, you must go and read this YA book with love triangles in unexpected places.
Other YA Books That Have Love Triangles in Unexpected Places
If you are looking for other YA books that have love triangles in unexpected places, check out the Best YA Book Love Triangle Books and YA Love Triangle Books lists on Goodreads. You might also be interested in my post, Other Good Reads, which has a comprehensive list of reviews of YA books by type.
Khristina Chess is the award-winning author of several YA novels about troubled teens turning corners. You can find her on Amazon, Goodreads, and Twitter as an active daily contributor in the #5amwritersclub.