Books like It Was Always You

A sweet, butterfly-inducing exploration of what happens when the person you've always known suddenly becomes the person you can't stop thinking about. These 12 books are the closest matches in mood, pace and themes, with what each one shares with It Was Always You.

swoony
nostalgic
cozy
sunlit

01
The fill-in boyfriend
Kasie West
A sweet, trope-driven high school romance where a desperate prom-night lie blossoms into a genuine, swoon-worthy connection.
Shares:
- swoony
- nostalgic
- earnest
- sweet
02
Everything Leads to You
Nina LaCour
A sun-drenched, cinematic love letter to the magic of movie-making and the tender vulnerability of first love.
Shares:
- earnest
- hopeful
- first love
03
Shadow in the Ember
Jennifer L. Armentrout
A smoldering blend of fantasy and romance where shadows and embers ignite.
Feels:
- shadowy
- smoldering
- romantic
04
When Dimple Met Rishi
Sandhya Menon
A sun-drenched, joyful romantic comedy that feels like a warm hug on a summer afternoon.
Shares:
- cozy
- earnest
- lighthearted
- first love
05
Princess Diaries
Meg Cabot
A hilarious, hyper-verbal plunge into the chaotic mind of an awkward teenager navigating a sudden, absurd life change.
Shares:
- nostalgic
- cozy
- lighthearted
- coming of age
06
Keeping 13
Chloe Walsh
A fiercely protective, emotionally raw exploration of first love acting as a lifeline in the face of devastating trauma.
Shares:
- earnest
- hopeful
07
Nicola and the Viscount
Meg Cabot
A sparkling, humorous romp through London society where glittering first impressions give way to genuine romance.
Shares:
- swoony
- cozy
- lighthearted
- coming of age
08
Always
Ginna Gray
A sultry, forced-proximity romance where old resentments melt under the heat of a tropical sun.
Shares:
- earnest
09
Always and Forever, Lara Jean
Jenny Han
A warm, bittersweet embrace of a story that captures the terrifying, beautiful precipice between childhood and whatever comes next.
Shares:
- nostalgic
- cozy
- sunlit
- earnest
10
The Book of Ivy
Amy Engel
A tense, high-stakes dystopian adventure where a forced union sparks unexpected romantic tension.
Shares:
- earnest
11
Pivot point
Kasie West
A high-stakes, parallel-timeline romance that explores the heavy burden of knowing what comes next.
Shares:
- earnest
- coming of age
12
Meant For Each Other
Rebecca Winters
A deeply angsty, yearning-filled romance about the inescapable pull of a love that was supposed to be forbidden.
Shares:
- nostalgic
- earnest

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