Class is officially in session, and there’s nothing more ready for the new semester than these college romances. Welcoming old and new students who want to get a feel for campus with or without the dirty details, this article has some of the best college romance books for every type of reader .
For new students who want to get a feel for campus without the dirty details, here are college romance books to check out…
Dear Wendy by Ann Zhao
The path most traveled can get a little boring, so Ann Zhao turned in an untraditional college romance project I couldn’t love more. Dear Wendyis a gorgeous reminder that there are more ways to love someone than just romantically .
Sophie knows she’ll never fall in love, but her aromantic and asexual identities don’t stop her from running a popular relationship advice account on Instagram for other students at Wellesley College.
The only problem? Her relationship rival, Sincerely Wanda. Sincerely Wanda, also known as Jo, didn’t exactly mean for things to get this serious online, and now she’s faced with an online feud on top of her existential crises.
A new friendship is exactly what Jo and Sophie need, but will the secrets behind their competing columns nip their growing relationship in the bud?
Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
Learn all about creative writing and delve into the fandom side of academia with Professor Rowell in her sweet young adult college romance book about finding who you are and finding love along the way.
Sometimes an escape from reality is all you need when life gets hard. After their mom left, Cath and Wren dove wholeheartedly into the Simon Snow fandom to cope. Cath knows college isn’t supposed to be easy, but when Wren says she doesn’t want to room with her, making it through her first year looks like it’s going to be much harder than she expected.
Now more than ever, Cath wants to turn to Simon Snow to help deal with struggles at home and her relationships with her new roommate, a weird but attractive classmate, and a professor who swears fanfiction will be fiction’s downfall.
Tangled Up in You by Christina Lauren
Group work has never been sweeter than this A+ project from dynamic duo Christina Lauren. They went above and beyond to turn in a college romance book that’s also a modern Tangled retelling .
Ren is capable of anything she puts her mind to, for the most part. Any woman raised on a homestead off the grid has to be. Of course, this means she’s a little turned around when it comes to her dream of going to college. Enter Fitz, whose first step to reaching his dream is graduating top of his class.
When life doesn’t go to plan, Ren and Fitz end up on a road trip that might just prove their biggest dreams, like objects in the mirror, are closer than they appear.
This book is a part of the Meant to Be series of Disney retellings and can be read as a standalone.
For returning classes that are looking for some spice in their college romance books:
After by Anna Todd
Take Anna Todd’s masterclass in fanfiction turned successful college romance book series and movie option.
College was going to be a breeze for Tessa. Her drive and ambition have been enough to keep her at the top of the class. However, a run-in with resident bad boy Hardin has her questioning if there’s more to life and love than she’s experienced.
From the start, Tessa knows she should hate him the same way he seems to hate her, but they both can’t ignore the passion growing between them. But when you play with fire, someone is bound to get burned, right?
Only When It’s Us by Chloe Liese
Chloe Liese’s work strives to go above and beyond. This one counts for college and sports romance, while her list of tropes definitely earned her some extra credit.
Willa hates everything about Ryder; that much is clear from day one. The reason? Not as clear. Ryder doesn’t exactly care whether she likes him or not; he just wants her to leave him alone.
When a pair project forces them to work together and starts a prank war, Willa realizes Ryder isn’t just a grumpy lumberjack, and Ryder begins to see beyond Willa’s brash soccer star attitude. Will winning the prank war lead them to win each other over?
Top Secret by Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy
Remember college is the perfect time for trying new things! Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy teamed up to write a college romance book about what could come of new experiences .
Keaton’s girlfriend wants something specific for her birthday, so he takes to a popular dating app to find exactly that. Soon he starts chatting with Luke, his biggest rival, though neither knows who they’re talking to.
As things continue to heat up in their rivalry for frat president and online, will their secret come out?
Finally, for our seasoned seniors and smut aficionados, we recommend trying one of these dark college romance lecture series:
Twisted Love by Ana Huang
There’s no one better for a dark romance primer than Ana Huang!
Alex Volkov wants two things: success and vengeance. He doesn’t have room in his heart for anything else. That's until his best friend moves away and asks Alex to watch his sister. Ava is a bit of a free spirit determined to see the good in everyone, even her brother’s ever-angry best friend.
It’s her determination that’s starting to melt his icy heart, but their love isn’t supposed to be, and as they get closer, dangerous secrets begin to come to the surface.
The Ritual by Shantel Tessier
No college experience is complete without a secret society, and Shantel Tessier is our cult queen.
Barrington University is home to the Lords, a secret society of powerful men that demands payment in blood. They exchange violence for power and in their senior year receive their chosen one. Blake is Ryat’s, and what starts as a game quickly turns into something sinister. Now, the only way out is death, and they’re quickly running out of time.
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Every 3 months, subscribers will get an OwlCrate exclusive edition of a signed, newly released hardcover Romance novel with incredible design elements. Plus, as a subscriber, you will get first access to beautiful limited editions of popular Romance books.
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