Book picks similar to
Tell Me It's Real by T.J. Klune


graphic-novels
graphic-novel
romance
contemporary

Gravitation, Volume 01


Maki Murakami - 1995
    He has no experience, no talent, and no band. After finding a charismatic guitarist and getting a gig, he's ready to show the world what a genius he is with his powerful lyrics. However, Eiri Yuki overhears his amateurish verse and puts the young musician in his place. Unable to get the harsh criticism out of his mind Shuichi forces himself into Yuki's life and the two find their futures inexorably linked. The force that brings them together is like gravity and there is nothing they can do to stop it.

I Hear the Sunspot


Yuki Fumino - 2014
    That is until he meets the outspoken and cheerful Taichi. He tells Kohei that his hearing loss is not his fault. Taichi's words cut through Kohei's usual defense mechanisms and open his heart. More than friends, less than lovers, their relationship changes Kohei forever.

False Memories, Vol. 1


Isaku Natsume - 2012
    Which may have a little something to do with the fact that not only were they more than best friends, but also that Tsuda broke Nakano's heart, leaving him to pick up the pieces. Now that they’ve been thrown back together thanks to a work project, Nakano is determined to put the past behind him, and both men decide to keep their relationship strictly professional. The question is, can they?

There Are Things I Can't Tell You


Edako Mofumofu - 2019
    Kasumi is reserved, soft-spoken and shy; Kyousuke is energetic and has always been popular among their peers. As the saying goes though, opposites have a tendency to attract, and these two have been fast friends since elementary school. To Kasumi, Kyousuke has always been a hero to look up to, someone who supports him and saves him from the bullies. But now, school is over; their relationship suddenly becomes a lot less simple to describe. Facing the world — and one another — as adults, both men find there are things they struggle to say out loud, even to each other.

Princess Jellyfish 2-in-1 Omnibus, Volume 1


Akiko Higashimura - 2008
    She’s loved them from a young age and has carried that love with her to her new life in the big city of Tokyo. There, she resides in Amamizukan, a safe-haven for girl geeks who regularly gush over a range of things from trains to Japanese dolls. However, a chance meeting at a pet shop has Tsukimi crossing paths with one of the things that the residents of Amamizukan have been desperately trying to avoid—a beautiful and fashionable woman! But there’s much more to this woman than her trendy clothes! This odd encounter is only the beginning of a new and unexpected path for Tsukimi and her friends.

Chef's Kiss


Jarrett Melendez
    But interview after interview, hiring committee after hiring committee, Ben soon learns getting the dream job won’t be as easy as he thought. Proofreading? Journalism? Copywriting? Not enough experience. It turns out he doesn’t even have enough experience to be a garbage collector! But when Ben stumbles upon a “Now Hiring—No Experience Necessary” sign outside a restaurant, he jumps at the chance to land his first job. Plus, he can keep looking for a writing job in the meantime. He’s actually not so bad in the kitchen, but he will have to pass a series of cooking tests to prove he’s got the culinary skills to stay on full-time. But it’s only temporary…right?  When Ben begins developing a crush on Liam, one of the other super dreamy chefs at the restaurant, and when he starts ditching his old college friends and his old writing job plans, his career path starts to become much less clear.

NightS


Kou Yoneda - 2008
    When he’s hired by yakuza gang member Masaki Hozumi, he finds himself attracted to the older man, and what starts out as a business transaction quickly spirals into a cat-and-mouse game of lust and deception. In “Emotion Spectrum,” a high-school student tries to be a good wingman for a classmate, with an unexpected result, while “Reply” is told from the alternating perspectives of an emotionally reserved salesman and the shy mechanic who’s in love with him.

Love Stage!! 1


Eiki Eiki - 2011
    He loves “Magical Girl LalaLulu” and is working hard to become a mangaka, but one day he winds up appearing in a TV commercial he just can’t turn down. There, he’s reunited with Ichijou Ryouma, the super-popular young actor he costarred with on a project ten years prior.

What Did You Eat Yesterday?, Volume 1


Fumi Yoshinaga - 2007
    While the pair navigate the personal and professional minefields of modern gay life, Kenji serves as enthusiastic taste-tester for Shiro’s wide and varied made-from-scratch meals.Fumi Yoshinaga’s slice-of-LGBT-life series was nominated for the first Manga Taisho Award and received a jury recommendation at the 13th Japan Media Arts Festival Awards.

What If It's Us


Becky Albertalli - 2018
    If the universe had his back, he wouldn’t be on his way to the post office carrying a box of his ex-boyfriend’s things.But when Arthur and Ben meet-cute at the post office, what exactly does the universe have in store for them?Maybe nothing. After all, they get separated.Maybe everything. After all, they get reunited.But what if they can’t quite nail a first date . . . or a second first date . . . or a third?What if Arthur tries too hard to make it work . . . and Ben doesn’t try hard enough?What if life really isn’t like a Broadway play?But what if it is?

Always Human


Ari North - 2015
    Now reformatted for a print edition in sponsorship with GLAAD, Always Human is a beautifully drawn graphic novel about a developing relationship between two young women in a near-future, soft sci-fi setting. Always Human is drawn in a manga-influenced style and with an incredible color palette that leaps off the page!In the near-future, people use technology to give the illusion of all kinds of body modifications—but some people have “Egan’s Syndrome,” a highly sensitive immune system that rejects these “mods” and are unable to use them. Those who are affected maintain a “natural” appearance, reliant on cosmetics and hair dye at most to help them play with their looks.  Sunati is attracted to Austen the first time she sees her and is drawn to what she assumes is Austen’s bravery and confidence to live life unmodded. When Sunati learns the truth, she’s still attracted to Austen and asks her on a date. Gradually, their relationship unfolds as they deal with friends, family, and the emotional conflicts that come with every romance. Together, they will learn and grow in a story that reminds us no matter how technology evolves, we will remain . . . always human. Rendered in beautiful detail and an extraordinary color palette, Always Human is a sweet love story told in a gentle sci-fi setting by a queer woman cartoonist, Ari North.

Long Exposure


Kam Heyward - 2016
    The story revolves around them developing super powers after an incident at a strange research center. Facing childhood trauma, abusive parents, being followed by a mysterious car, and developing superpowers together, they slowly grow closer and eventually realize they like each other a lot more than friends.Warning: it contains a lot of swearing, some violence, drug/alcohol use, sexual situations, touches on some sensitive subjects, and drops a few (censored) slurs on occasion. (Triggers are put up for the pages that contain any of the above)Read on Tumblr: http://longexposurecomic.comRead on Tapastic: https://tapas.io/series/Long-Exposure

The Wize Wize Beasts of the Wizarding Wizdoms


Nagabe - 2018
    There beasts of all kinds gather to live, to learn, and to love. From everyday animals to fantastical creatures, these BL stories are told with a realistic and light-hearted touch.

Tripping Over You: The Blue Book


Owen White - 2013
    Between discovering sexuality, pleasing a strict parent, and fitting in with peers, the task of starting a relationship can seem impossible not to trip over. Add the uncertainty of whether or not you should date someone and you're in for a roller coaster of blossoming neuroses.The Blue Book is the first four chapters of an ongoing love story about how hard, and amusing, it can be to find love in unexpected places.

Blue Morning, Vol. 1


Shoko Hidaka - 2009
    The family's capable butler, Tomoyuki Katsuragi, takes over the task of raising the boy, serving as his tutor. However, the handsome and intelligent Katsuragi, well respected even among the aristocracy, remains cool towards his charge. Akihito finds himself relentlessly drawn to Katsuragi, frustrated by the distance between them and driven to discover the reasons why.Reads R to L (Japanese Style) for mature audiences.