Book picks similar to
Nowhere by Marysue G. Hobika
young-adult
contemporary
romance
ya
Teach Me
Amy Lynn Steele - 2012
Nearly ten years later she is focused on her last year of high school and which colleges to apply to, not the attractive surfer who keeps showing up at the little corner of beach where she reads. She has no interest in a romantic relationship, especially one that starts in the summer and would be long distance. Ali tries to ignore him, but finds the boy on the beach much more distracting than the words in her books. Cooper Perez has never surfed the same beach this many days in a row. He just can’t seem to change spots until he has the courage to talk to the girl who is always reading her books in the shade. When he finally approaches her he is overwhelmed with the instant attraction he feels for this beautiful and intelligent girl, even though she is three years younger. Cooper and Allison spend the rest of the summer together discovering their love of many things, including each other. Summer eventually comes to an end, but their love does not. Allison heads home to start her senior year, but an opportunity brings Cooper closer to Allison than either of them would have expected. Mr. Perez is the new English teacher at Allison’s high school.
Be the Girl
K.A. Tucker - 2019
New postal code, new last name, new rules. But she doesn’t mind, because it means she can leave her painful regrets behind. In the bustling town of Eastmonte, she can become someone else. Someone better.With the Hartford family living next door, it seems she will succeed. Sure, Cassie Hartford may be the epitome of social awkwardness thanks to her autism, but she also offers an innocent and sincere friendship that Aria learns to appreciate. And Cassie’s older brother, Emmett—a popular Junior A hockey player with a bright future—well … Aria wishes that friendship could lead to something more. If he didn’t already have a girlfriend, maybe it would.But Aria soon finds herself in a dicey moral predicament that could derail her attempt at a fresh start. It is her loyalty to Cassie and her growing crush on Emmett that leads her to make a risky move, one that earns her a vindictive enemy who is determined to splinter her happy new world.
Textrovert
Lindsey Summers - 2017
😞 Just her luck that it belongs to Talon, a totally arrogant jock 🏈 who’s just left for football camp—with her phone. Keeley doesn’t know him, but they’ll need to rely on each other to forward their messages for an entire week.Talon is so full of himself, but Keeley quickly discovers he’s funny, too—at least his texts are. 😅 And he listens to Keeley—which is more than anyone else does. Texting Talon, she can be more than just the quiet twin sister of a popular boy. Texting Talon, she can be the outgoing person she’s always wanted to be. Soon the two are falling for each other, hard.But when true identities are revealed and secrets are exposed, will Keeley’s feelings stay the same?
Old Enough to Love...
Kristi Pelton - 2013
Even if she accepts it, she must lie to her parents and those around her. She’s always been… Just one of the boys… and now a man sees her as so much more… Can she convince him that she is old enough to love?Old Enough to Love is the story of Emma Hendricks, or Runt as she’s known to her older brother and his friends. Emma—born prematurely has always been physically smaller than other girls. Protected by a posse of guys, led by her brother, she’s pretty much off limits as dating material for anyone in their small high school—until Zach Owens, a senior from San Francisco moves to the small town of Ashland, Oregon and is oblivious to the unspoken rule. Emma, an inexperienced fifteen-year-old, is smitten with Zach and the undeniable attraction brewing between them. She attempts to compete with the older girls to maintain Zach’s affections and believes she is ready to take the relationship to the next level. Though she is eager to easily bid her virginity farewell; she misunderstands his hesitations. Zach is on twelve months supervised probation and caught a lucky break the first time around. He adamantly refuses to participate in any activity that would lead to juvenile detention, and he is frightened he’ll lose Emma if specific information about his past is revealed. Zach and Emma uncover blooming passionate emotions while discovering first time love, all the while reining in nearly uncontrollable desires. Meanwhile, their biggest obstacles are the battle with her brother, her brother’s buddies and Zach’s elusive past.
The Unloved
Jennifer Snyder - 2012
Julie Porter learned the hard way that trust is something which must be earned and not something to be given out lightly, those who say they love you are those who hold the power to hurt you most, and best friends can help you survive anything—until they move away.Nick Owen knows a thing or two about a hard life. At a young age Nick learned how to take a hit and to make lemonade out of the lemons life tossed his way. Returning home after nearly two years of being away, all Nick cares about now is protecting his mom from the abusive hands of his father and catching up with his best friend—the girl who lived across the street, the girl he can’t seem to stop thinking about.Finally reunited after two years apart, Nick and Julie are about to learn that age does nothing to protect you from life’s trials and tribulations, heartache and loss, but maybe together they’ll find a way to survive. (Mature Young Adult, contains violence, language, and sexual situations.)
The Kissing Booth
Beth Reekles - 2012
Meet Noah Flynn: badass, volatile--and a total player. And also Elle's best friend's older brother... When Elle decides to run a kissing booth for the school's Spring Carnival, she locks lips with Noah and her life is turned upside down. Her head says to keep away, but her heart wants to draw closer--this romance seems far from fairy tale and headed for heartbreak. But will Elle get her happily ever after?
Something More
Mia Castile - 2012
Moving to Chicago for college, escaping her small town, Nyla finally felt she had it all. Then Jameson is suddenly everywhere, invading her life, school schedule, and dating her supervisor at the posh art gallery where she works. How can she survive her fresh start, when her high school bully is everywhere.The only thing that scared him about going to college was the crushing fear that he wouldn’t see Nyla anymore. So after graduation, Jameson applied to Roosevelt College, her school, to try to make sense of why he felt that way. Hoping it would only take a semester to understand his strange attraction and why he tormented her during high school, instead he realized that there was something more about Nyla, and something more to the way he felt. Now he must prove to her that she feels the same way about him.
Red at Night
Katie McGarry - 2014
She's the girl with purple hair from the wrong part of town. He's a high school senior who hangs with the cool crowd. Until a car accident leaves him haunted by guilt, and Jonah starts spending time at Stella's favorite refuge…the local cemetery.Stella knows she should keep her distance—after all, she spent her girlhood being bullied by Jonah's friends. Once he's sorted out his tangled emotions, Jonah won't have time for her anymore. Too bad she's already fallen for him.
First & Then
Emma Mills - 2015
She's happy watching Friday night games from the bleachers, silently crushing on best friend Cas, and blissfully ignoring the future after high school. But the universe has other plans. It delivers Devon's cousin Foster, an unrepentant social outlier with a surprising talent for football, and the obnoxiously superior and maddeningly attractive star running back, Ezra, right where she doesn't want them: first into her P.E. class and then into every other aspect of her life.Pride and Prejudice meets Friday Night Lights in this contemporary novel about falling in love with the unexpected boy, with a new brother, and with yourself.
Love Unexpected
Anne Leigh - 2013
She had everything figured out, in a neat, little timeline. Then, fate chose to intervene in the form of a chance meeting with a guy who stirs unknown emotions inside her, leaving her reeling and wanting for more.Zander Zebowski is not your typical college jock. For one, he's a good guy. Second, he's pretty smart. And, he's level-headed. The farthest thing on his mind was smacking into a woman who may just be his undoing.This is not your typical bad boy meets good girl love story. This is a story between two people who are great on their own. But, with each other, they are absolutely perfect.
Forget You
Jennifer Echols - 2010
and what you remember?There’s a lot Zoey would like to forget. Like how her father has knocked up his twenty-four-year old girlfriend. Like Zoey’s fear that the whole town will find out about her mom’s nervous breakdown. Like darkly handsome bad boy Doug taunting her at school. Feeling like her life is about to become a complete mess, Zoey fights back the only way she knows how, using her famous attention to detail to make sure she’s the perfect daughter, the perfect student, and the perfect girlfriend to ultra-popular football player Brandon. But then Zoey is in a car crash, and the next day there’s one thing she can’t remember at all--the entire night before. Did she go parking with Brandon, like she planned? And if so, why does it seem like Brandon is avoiding her? And why is Doug--of all people-- suddenly acting as if something significant happened between the two of them? Zoey dimly remembers Doug pulling her from the wreck, but he keeps referring to what happened that night as if it was more, and it terrifies Zoey to admit how much is a blank to her. Controlled, meticulous Zoey is quickly losing her grip on the all-important details of her life--a life that seems strangely empty of Brandon, and strangely full of Doug.
Bound Together
Eliza Jane - 2012
She finds the perfect distraction in a frenemies-with-benefits arrangement with irritatingly hot football captain, Matt, during their class trip to Paris. There’s no chance of falling for someone whose only ambition in life is to stay in their hick town and one day take over his parent’s tire store. But far from home and personal responsibilities, his cocky grin and easy attitude start to grow on her as they explore the seductive city of Paris together. Once they’re back at home, Zoey finds herself texting him for a secret rendezvous whenever she needs an escape. Though she’s been explicitly clear she’s using him for one thing, whenever Matt picks her up, he acts more like it’s a date-date rather than a backseat playdate –making sure she has eaten, or stopping to color with her little sister before they go out. Despite her best efforts at keeping their arrangement physical only, Zoey begins to realize – with fear and disgust – that she’s falling for him. When things fall apart with her mom, letting Matt see her real life takes more courage than she has – but if she’s brave enough to let him, he might be just the one person who can help. Bound Together is a 53,000-word YA contemporary romance told in alternating chapters from Zoey and Matt’s points of view.
The Stillburrow Crush
Linda Kage - 2010
But that's never concerned her before. Her life revolves around her writing, and she loves her job as the student editor of the school paper.But when she gets assigned to interview the football team's beloved quarterback, she takes one look into Luke Carter's blue eyes and is a goner. Suddenly, she doesn't like her lowly rank so much. Then her dreamy, popular crush surprises her when he starts to act as if he likes her in return. But there's no way Luke Carter could possibly ever like a nobody like Carrie Paxton. Is there?
Nothing Like You
Lauren Strasnick - 2009
After all, Paul is too popular to even be speaking to Holly ... and he happens to have a long-term girlfriend, Saskia. But ever since Holly's mom died six months ago, Holly has been numb to the world, and she's getting desperate to feel something, anything—so when Paul keeps pursuing her, Holly relents. Paul's kisses are a welcome diversion ... and it's nice to feel like the kind of girl that a guy like Paul would choose.But things aren't so simple with Saskia around. Paul's real girlfriend is willowy and perfect ... and nothing like Holly. To make matters worse, she and Holly are becoming friends. Suddenly the consequences of Holly's choices are all too real, and Holly stands to lose more than she ever realized she had.Nothing Like You is candid and quick-paced, with characters you can't help but want the best for. Deb Caletti, National Book Award finalist for Honey, Baby, Sweetheart
The Fighter's Block
Hadley Quinn - 2012
For ages 18+)The entire fourth floor of Donovan Kemp's apartment complex houses only MMA fighters, dubbing it "The Fighter's Block." Growing up in an abusive home put Van on the fast track to nowhere, but a caring fight club owner took him under his wing as a teen and shaped him into a fighter with integrity. Now in his mid-twenties, his life changes dramatically when he steps in to help a beautiful girl in a scary situation with her boyfriend. Surprising to Van, she ends up going home with him. He's now on the fast track to something else: falling in love. He feels that Danielle is the type of girl men only dream about, but the two quickly fall hard for each other in equal measure.When the ex boyfriend proves to be nothing but trouble, Van has a tough time deciding between protecting Dani with legal measures or just bashing the guy's face in himself. The harassment escalates, eventually pulling Dani and Van apart, and Van finds himself feeling desperate enough to do something drastic.If being thrown in jail isn't bad enough for Van, an undercover investigator seems to be getting a little too close to Dani, the fight club he grew up in could be turned upside down with scandal, and the friends that he trusts with his life might not be who they say they are.So much for finally discovering the little morsel of happiness he'd been deprived of his entire life...