Fools in Love

Fifteen young adult authors each take one familiar romantic trope and give it a new angle. The result is a collection of short stories, edited by Ashley Herring Blake and Rebecca Podos, aimed at teen readers aged 13 and up.

The premises are varied and specific. A Passover dinner leads to a fake relationship. A golf tournament forces two rivals into each other's company. A snowstorm strands a pair of would-be sweethearts, and a superhero keeps trading barbs with his nemesis.

The conventions on offer include enemies to lovers, only one bed, second-chance romance and love triangles. Many of the stories add a distinctly queer twist to the formula, and most of the couples are girls together, with some boy and boy pairings and some boy and girl pairings among them.

The settings cover contemporary life, fantasy and science fiction, so the tone shifts from one story to the next. Because each piece is short, it suits dipping in and out, and every one centres on how love finds its way, however messily. The full title is Fools in Love: Fresh Twists on Romantic Tales.