Valentine’s Day is a busy time for a romantic like Ophelia from Ophelia After All, so Ophelia’s V-Day plans would have to account for: 1. Amateur bouquet assembling Ophelia’s rose gardening is never more beloved by her friends and family than around Valentine’s Day when everyone realizes they forgot to buy flowers for their loved ones. Luckily, Ophelia has plenty of gorgeous blooms to go around! 2. Crafting She might need to borrow some supplies—ribbons and sequins from Agatha, colored pencils and markers from Wesley—but Ophelia absolutely has to hand out handmade Valentines to her friends and classmates. Half the fun of Valentine’s Day is getting to give a sweet note to a crush without it being awkward, because everyone is getting one! 3. Dressing for the occasion For Valentine’s Day, Ophelia would definitely set aside an especially cute red, pink, or white dress or skirt. Rose print fabric is obviously a necessity as well, but that’s her go-to anyways. 4. Blasting her playlists What’s the point of curating the perfect yearning playlists if you’re not going to blare them in your headphones while dramatically staring out the car window of whoever is driving you to school? It’s all about the romanticizing potential! 5. Embrace the love Whether it’s coming from her parents, friends, a special someone, or herself, Ophelia will be sure to take a moment to soak in all the love coming her way on Valentine’s Day—and every other day! Ophelia After All by Racquel Marie A teen girl navigates friendship drama, the end of high school, and discovering her queerness in Ophelia After All, a hilarious and heartfelt contemporary YA debut by author Racquel Marie. Ophelia Rojas knows what she likes: her best friends, Cuban food, rose-gardening, and boys – way too many boys. Her friends and parents make fun of her endless stream of crushes, but Ophelia is a romantic at heart. She couldn’t change, even if she wanted to. So when she finds herself thinking more about cute, quiet Talia Sanchez than the loss of a perfect prom with her ex-boyfriend, seeds of doubt take root in Ophelia’s firm image of herself. Add to that the impending end of high school and the fracturing of her once-solid friend group, and things are spiraling a little out of control. But the course of love—and sexuality—never did run smooth. As her secrets begin to unravel, Ophelia must make a choice between clinging to the fantasy version of herself she’s always imagined or upending everyone’s expectations to rediscover who she really is, after all.