How Do LGBTQ+ YA Books Portray First Love And Identity?

The jock only falls for the nerd in movies right???? Asher Prince is the star quarterback of Waterford High and as his last name suggests, he's treated like literal royalty. The golden boy at school and the only child to wealthy parents, Asher never had to fight or struggle to get anywhere in life. But every golden boy has a secret to hide... It's senior year and he's put under more pressure to succeed and win, but his grades are slipping with each passing class. His teachers suggest he get a tutor, and with his father literally holding his future in his hands, Asher has no choice but to relent. Enter Liam Marsh. Valedictorian, top of every class and already accepted into three Ivy League schools. He seems like the perfect tutor, but there's one problem… Liam is gay and very much out of the closet. He's also constantly bullied and pushed around by Asher's peers. But Liam never lets anything get him down. With time ticking out and his future in the balance, will Asher make a choice that would benefit his future or give in to peer pressure and reject Liam's help out of fear of being ostracized? ***PLEASE NOTE: Although this is a work of fiction it is based on how teenagers would react to certain situations. There are a lot of homophobic slurs and cussing in this novel, so please do not read this if you are easily triggered.***

Before, I believed in First Love, but my First Love was defeated with a First Kiss. And only the First Kiss can change everything."It's not something you see ... It's just how you feel it".

Nicole has loved Odell for as long as she can remember. From childhood to adulthood, he has always been the center of her world, until he vanishes without explanation, leaving her with nothing but unanswered questions and a heart that never quite lets go. Years later, fate brings them back together in a world of privilege, secrets, and carefully crafted appearances. As Nicole chases her dreams and rekindles her connection with Odell, old feelings resurface, but not everything is as it seems. Beneath the charm and familiarity lies a truth that challenges everything Nicole believes about love, loyalty, and desire. My Crush Is Gay is a gripping story of longing, obsession, and self-discovery, where love blurs into denial, and the hardest truths are the ones we never expect.

Amara Bennett has a rule: Never let anyone close enough to break your heart twice. After a humiliating breakup that turned her into the laughingstock of her school, she’s done with romance, done with hope, and definitely done with boys who make promises they can’t keep. Then Julian Reyes transfers into her class. Charming without trying. Annoyingly kind. The type of boy who remembers little things—like how she hates strawberries on cake and how she always pretends she’s okay when she isn’t. At first, Amara can’t stand him. Mostly because Julian somehow sees through every wall she built around herself. But when a misunderstanding makes the entire school believe they’re dating, Julian offers her a deal: fake a relationship until the rumors die down. Simple. Except nothing about Julian feels fake. Not the way he waits outside her classroom just to walk her home. Not the way his hand finds hers during crowded hallways. And definitely not the way he looks at her like she’s the best thing he’s ever found. For the first time in a long time, Amara begins to believe love might not be something meant to hurt her. But just when she finally lets herself fall, she discovers the truth Julian has been hiding since the day they met—a truth that could destroy everything between them. Because Julian didn’t transfer to her school by coincidence. He came for her.

High School students Logan, Charlie, and Jennifer fall in love for the first time. The experiences are magical. The first kiss, the first dance, and the emotions of tender love. They are challenged by being from different social standing. They are challenge by the parent approval and disapproval. They must deal with physical and emotional challenges. Can the relationships endure until the end?

He? He is her first love. Love at first sight. She? She is not his first love, however, he loves her eventually.Him? He was in love with her from the beginning. But she never sees him as someone that she would fall in love with.The one she loves is an impossible love for her, and another one is the one who is willing to give the world to her.She stuck between two loves and two persons with a different character.Will she choose him? or him?What kind of love do they encounter?This story is about a girl who experiences first love in her college life. A golden time that will lead us to the future we will have.