This next one won't be for everyone, but I appreciate the way to tries to interject some weirdness and awfulness into the standard shojo romance formula.
NO LONGER HEROINE (Heroine Shikkaku), by Momoko Koda. First published in 2010 and first published in North America in 2022.
PLOT:
Hatori Matsuzaki is convinced that she is the heroine of her own life and she knows just who her love interest should be: her handsome playboy childhood best friend Rita. Sure, she's never told him about her feelings, but she's certain that after breaking so many hearts, he'll figure out that she's always been there, knows everything about him, and is meant to be his true love!
...that is, until he starts dating their mousy classmate Miho Adachi and seems to be getting serious about it.
Hatori won't take this lying down, though. She's gonna get her man, even if requires a bit of scheming, passive aggression, and maybe the odd failed group date.
