diff --git a/frontmatter/default_handlers.py b/frontmatter/default_handlers.py
index 8c5d8ec..3a87535 100644
--- a/frontmatter/default_handlers.py
+++ b/frontmatter/default_handlers.py
@@ -257,7 +257,27 @@ def load(self, fm: str, **kwargs: object) -> Any:
         Parse YAML front matter. This uses yaml.SafeLoader by default.
         """
         kwargs.setdefault("Loader", SafeLoader)
-        return yaml.load(fm, **kwargs)  # type: ignore[arg-type]
+        try:
+            return yaml.load(fm, **kwargs)  # type: ignore[arg-type]
+        except yaml.YAMLError as exc:
+            mark = getattr(exc, "problem_mark", None)
+            location = (
+                f" at line {mark.line + 1}, column {mark.column + 1}"
+                if mark is not None
+                else ""
+            )
+            problem = getattr(exc, "problem", None) or str(exc).splitlines()
+            if isinstance(problem, list):
+                problem = problem[0] if problem else "YAML parsing failed"
+            problem = problem.rstrip(".")
+            hint = (
+                " If a plain-text value contains ': ', quote it."
+                if problem == "mapping values are not allowed in this context"
+                else ""
+            )
+            raise yaml.YAMLError(
+                f"Invalid YAML front matter{location}: {problem}.{hint}"
+            ) from exc
 
     def export(self, metadata: dict[str, object], **kwargs: object) -> str:
         """
diff --git a/tests/unit_test.py b/tests/unit_test.py
index 188fb4c..588ec2c 100644
--- a/tests/unit_test.py
+++ b/tests/unit_test.py
@@ -1,11 +1,13 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env python
 # -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
 
+import io
 import os
 import shutil
 import tempfile
 import textwrap
 import unittest
+import yaml
 
 import frontmatter
 from frontmatter.default_handlers import YAMLHandler, JSONHandler, TOMLHandler
@@ -312,6 +314,26 @@ def test_split_load(self):
 
 
 class YAMLHandlerTest(HandlerBaseTest, unittest.TestCase):
+    def test_invalid_colon_value_explains_yaml_error(self):
+        text = '---\ntitle: Assignment 1: Some Title\n---\n\n# Hello world!'
+
+        with self.assertRaisesRegex(
+            yaml.YAMLError, "Invalid YAML front matter.*line 2.*quote it"
+        ) as raised:
+            frontmatter.load(io.StringIO(text))
+
+        self.assertIsInstance(raised.exception.__cause__, yaml.YAMLError)
+
+    def test_quoted_colon_value_still_loads(self):
+        text = '---\ntitle: "Assignment 1: Some Title"\n---\n\n# Hello world!'
+        self.assertEqual(frontmatter.loads(text)["title"], "Assignment 1: Some Title")
+
+    def test_other_yaml_errors_get_context_without_colon_hint(self):
+        text = "---\ntitle: [unfinished\n---\n\n# Hello world!"
+        with self.assertRaisesRegex(yaml.YAMLError, "Invalid YAML front matter") as raised:
+            frontmatter.loads(text)
+        self.assertNotIn("quote it", str(raised.exception))
+
     def setUp(self):
         self.handler = YAMLHandler()
         self.data = {