Books like 'The Do-Gooder'
Readers who enjoyed The Do-Gooder by Jessie L. Star also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary young adult slow burn cold heroine
-
Ouran High School Host Club, Vol. 18 by Bisco Hatori
The uproarious comedy about a girl enlisted to work in a lavish host club!Reads R to L (Japanese Style), for audiences rated teen...Categorized as:
slow burn young adult humor contemporary length-short love triangle friends to lovers high-school -
Skip Beat!, Vol. 19 by Yoshiki Nakamura
When Kyoko’s heart is broken, she decides that revenge is a dish best served in the spotlight!Kyoko Mogami followed her true love Sho to Tokyo to support him while he made it big as an idol. But he’s casting her out now that he’s famous! Kyoko won’t suffer in silence—she’s going to get her sweet revenge by beating Sho in show biz!Koo and Lory can't stop meddling in Kyoko's and Ren's lives... -
Maid-sama! Vol. 01 by Hiro Fujiwara
Misaki Ayuzawa is the President of the Student Council at Seika High School, formerly an all-boys school. Unfortunately, most of the students are still male and stuck in their slovenly habits, so man-hating Misaki really socks it to them in an attempt to make the school presentable to attract more female students...Categorized as:
cold heroine slow burn young adult humor contemporary high-school from hate to love strong heroine -
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
Aristotle is an angry teen with a brother in prison. Dante is a know-it-all who has an unusual way of looking at the world. When the two meet at the swimming pool, they seem to have nothing in common. But as the loners start spending time together, they discover that they share a special friendship—the kind that changes lives and lasts a lifetime...Categorized as:
slow burn young adult contemporary m-m friends to lovers high-school multicultural latinx-mc -
-
Interference by Zoe Reed
The last thing Jordan Marshall wants is a relationship, especially with someone like Taylor Becks, the star player from a rival roller hockey team. Taylor doesn’t talk – to anyone. When Jordan’s curiosity about the athlete overpowers her predisposition to being guarded, the two strike up an unlikely romance... -
Cheese in the Trap, Season 1 by Soon Ki
Having returned to college after a year long break, Hong Sul, a hard-working over-achiever, inadvertently got on the wrong side of a suspiciously perfect senior named Yoo Jung. From then on her life took a turn for the worse and Sul was almost certain it was all Yoo Jung's doing...Categorized as:
slow burn glimpses-kisses contemporary college young adult love triangle m-f misogyny -
Living-Room Matsunaga-san, Vol. 8 by Keiko Iwashita
"I love you as a woman..."Volume 8 of this boarding-house opens at Christmas, a time of love for the whole cast! Meeko is still in love with Matsunaga-san, but at their holiday part, she spots his old flame Konatsu telling him that her old love is still there! Shocked, Meeko storms out of the house -- only to have Ryo catch her, claiming that he'll "never make you cry..Categorized as:
slow burn contemporary young adult age difference length-short glimpses-kisses m-f love triangle -
All I've Wanted All I've Needed by A.E. Valdez
Harlow Shaw feels naïve for believing in happily ever afters but she craves a love that lights her up.She thought she had it all with her boyfriend. Until his promising baseball career overshadows their relationship and he asks her a life changing question. It causes her to wonder if what they have is all she ever truly wanted.Harlow is yearning for more than the curated life she is living... -
Living-Room Matsunaga-san Vol. 9 by Keiko Iwashita
A romantic manga starring a high school girl who learns to live on her own, win at high school, and experience first love - all in a boarding house whose living room is home to the odd (but handsome) Matsunaga-san.After her parents leave to care for her ailing grandmother, high schooler Miko "Meeko" Sonoda moves into her uncle's boarding house...Categorized as:
slow burn contemporary young adult age difference length-short m-f found-family japan -
Living-Room Matsunaga-san, Vol. 7 by Keiko Iwashita
If she doesn't tell him, he'll never know...! High schooler Meeko continues to pine for her housemate Matsunaga-san. When she discovers that Matsunaga-san's ex "Konatsu" is actually her homeroom teacher, Kobayashi-sensei, her world gets even more complicated. Meanwhile, her housemate Ryo-kun lends an ear to her romantic troubles while harboring a secret interest in Meeko himself...Categorized as:
slow burn contemporary young adult age difference length-short m-f love triangle christmas -
The Angels Trilogy by Lurlene McDaniel
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 22 ratingsLeah is not happy about being stuck in the hospital for the holidays while her mother is thousands of miles away on a honeymoon with husband number five. Until she meets her hospital roommate, Rebekah, and her big family. Cynical 16-year-old Leah has never known people like this before... -
Living-Room Matsunaga-san, Vol. 6 by Keiko Iwashita
If only she never had to say goodbye. High schooler Meeko continues to pine for Matsunaga-san, the scary-but-kind designer whose room is across from hers. Not only do they spend a day at Kitneyland with each other, they unexpectedly spend a night at a…special…place as well...Categorized as:
slow burn contemporary age difference young adult length-short glimpses-kisses m-f love triangle -
Nodame Cantabile, Vol. 1 by Tomoko Ninomiya
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 31 ratingsThe son of a famous pianist, music student Shinichi Chiaki dreams of studying abroad and becoming a conductor like his mentor. Unfortunately, his fear of flying grounds his lofty plans! As he watches other classmates achieve what he has always wanted, Shinichi wonders if he should quit music altogether. Then one day he meets fellow student Megumi Noda, also known as Nodame...Categorized as:
slow burn contemporary young adult length-short humor grumpy sunshine other-man-woman college -
-
Living-Room Matsunaga-san Vol. 5 by Keiko Iwashita
It seems no amount of secret ardor can get Matsunaga-san to return Meeko's feelings, but the summer brings with it a fresh wave of shocking developments. An unfortunate coincidence convinces Matsunaga-san that Meeko is dating Ryo-kun, but luckily, Meeko manages to resolve the misunderstanding with Ryo-kun's help...Categorized as:
slow burn contemporary age difference young adult length-short humor m-f love triangle -
The Edge of Never by J.A. Redmerski
Twenty-year-old Camryn Bennett had always been one to think out-of-the-box, who knew she wanted something more in life than following the same repetitive patterns and growing old with the same repetitive life story. And she thought that her life was going in the right direction until everything fell apart...Categorized as:
slow burn cold heroine contemporary insta-love strong heroine musicians tearjerkers alpha male -
My Little Monster, Vol. 1 by Robico
Mizutani is a self-absorbed overachiever, concerned only with maintaining the highest grades in school. Haru is an impulsive short tempered brute, who scares everyone with his explosive bursts of violence. Haru gets suspended on the first day of school when he encounters some bullies harassing a student and dispatches the bullies with great bloody violence... -
Living-Room Matsunaga-san, Vol. 4 by Keiko Iwashita
For Meeko, boarding house life has finally become second nature, and her feelings for Matsunaga-san, a professional designer and the eldest at the boarding house, grow stronger with each passing day...Categorized as:
slow burn contemporary age difference young adult length-short glimpses-kisses japan humor -
Living-Room Matsunaga-san, Vol. 11 by Keiko Iwashita
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsMeeko, a high schooler living in a boarding house, is finally in a full relationship with Matsunaga, an older designer. But then Matsunaga leaves the house after taking on a big job... and Ken and Asako, now a couple themselves, follow soon behind. As the atmosphere around the house changes, Matsunaga seems ever-more-distant to Meeko -- he even cancels a birthday date with her last-minute...Categorized as:
slow burn contemporary young adult age difference length-short m-f love triangle japan -
Living-Room Matsunaga-san Vol. 3 by Keiko Iwashita
For Meeko, boarding house life has finally become second nature—or, it would be, if not for one thing: her housemate Matsunaga-san...Categorized as:
slow burn contemporary age difference young adult length-short glimpses-kisses m-f japan -
Dating and Dragons by Kristy Boyce
From the author of the nationally bestselling Dungeons and Drama comes another gaming romance that's sure to win you over!After moving to a new high school, Quinn is desperate for friends, so she joins a D&D group with their own livestream and serious rules—most no dating fellow party members...Categorized as:
slow burn young adult contemporary length-medium humor m-f grumpy sunshine forced proximity -
Living-Room Matsunaga-San, Vol. 10 by Keiko Iwashita
"Right now, I have family, I have friends, I got someone who loves me. But..."Meeko's finally discovered that her feelings for her designer housemate Matsunaga are mutual! They won't officially become a couple until after her high school graduation, but knowing Matsunaga cares for her puts Meeko's mind at ease...Categorized as:
slow burn contemporary young adult age difference length-short m-f japan glimpses-kisses -
Just Listen by Sarah Dessen
Last year, Annabel was "the girl who has everything" — at least that's the part she played in the television commercial for Kopf's Department Store. This year, she's the girl who has nothing: no best friend because mean-but-exciting Sophie dropped her, no peace at home since her older sister became anorexic, and no one to sit with at lunch. Until she meets Owen Armstrong... -
Levitate by Kaylee Ryan
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 31 ratingsTrust. Five Letters. One Word. I'm the girl who doesn't let anyone in. My world was shattered and turned upside down in one night. Since then I've been trying to live, if that's what you call it, but fighting the anxiety of what happened and trusting others is hard. Each day is a struggle to reach for the unknown. Truth. Five Letters. One Word... -
-
Know Not Why (Know Not Why) by Hannah Johnson
Howie gets a job at Artie Kraft's Arts 'N Crafts hoping to score with his lady coworkers. After all, girls love a sensitive guy, and what's more sensitive than dedicating your life to selling yarn and ... stuff? (Okay, so maybe it'd be a good idea to actually learn what one sells at an arts 'n crafts store.) But things don't go exactly according to plan...Categorized as:
slow burn contemporary friends to lovers from hate to love college m-m young adult humor -
Living-Room Matsunaga-san Vol. 2 by Keiko Iwashita
With the help of her housemates, high schooler Meeko begins to adjust to her new life away from her parents. Even the initially frightening Matsunaga-san helps her out—and between one kind act and another, Meeko finds herself falling for him...Categorized as:
slow burn contemporary young adult age difference length-short glimpses-kisses humor japan -
Matcha Made in Heaven, Vol. 7 by Umebachi Yamanaka
Isshin came back from Shizuoka after completing the work there! Chako is so excited as they start living together again. Isshin now trusts Chako even more since she worked so hard to protect the tea farm while he was away, and supported him in making his bottled tea...Categorized as:
slow burn contemporary young adult humor length-short m-f fake relationship glimpses-kisses -
Remember When by T. Torrest
Years before Trip Wiley could be seen on movie screens all over the world, he could be seen sitting in the desk behind me in my high school English class. This was back in 1990, and I cite the year only to avoid dumbfounding you when references to big hair or stretch pants are mentioned. Although, come to think of it, I am from New Jersey, which may serve as explanation enough...Categorized as:
slow burn humor contemporary friends to lovers college young adult angst high-school -
Motion by Penny Reid
Forced to lie to protect her sister . . . From the New York Times Bestselling Author, Penny Reid One week. Home alone. Girl genius. Unrepentant slacker. Big lie. What’s the worst that could happen? Mona is a smart girl and figured everything out a long time ago. She had to. She didn’t have a choice... -
Wish You Were(n't) Here by Erin Baldwin
Juliette doesn't hate Priya Pendley.At least, not in the way teen movies say she should hate the hot popular girl. They don't do cat fights, love triangles, or betrayal.To survive their intertwined small town lives, they reach a truce:Stand on opposite sides of photos for easy cropping-out. Complete group projects without breaking any noses. Don't involve mutual friends in the drama... -
Hanging On by K.F. Breene
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsIf Jessica thought the hard part of her first months in the new state was getting the handsome cowboy that has it all, she was dead wrong. In addition to all the trials and tribulations of a normal relationship, Jessica also has to combat William’s mother, who doesn’t believe William’s chosen is in it for anything other than the money... -
Wrecking Ball by B.N. Toler
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsWhen Brandon and Sophia met, something clicked. A guy who didn’t believe in love at first sight, suddenly believed. A girl who believed a bad boy would always be bad, changed her mind. With Sophia by Brandon’s side, he knew he could conquer the world, and Sophia had never felt more loved or wanted in her life. They were good together. But even the strongest of foundations can be crumbled...Categorized as:
cold heroine contemporary young adult tearjerkers second chances cheating other-man-woman grovel -
Rebels Don’t Fall for Tomboys by Emma Dalton
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsEvery tomboy deserves to score the guy of her dreams.Bailey:I’m the Tomboy. I’ve dreamed of playing quarterback since I was a kid. No one on the football team wants me around, though, and I need to prove to them that I belong.Zane Hastings is the only guy who welcomes me. But when he plays me like a fool, I don’t want anything to do with him...Categorized as:
slow burn young adult high-school contemporary sports from hate to love humor length-long -
The One, Volume #1 by Nicky Lee
Rated: 4.16 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsCane Lele was born into the fashion industry. Her mother, Ye Feii, was Taiwan's top model, and her father was also a model, until a tragic airplane crash left Lele without parents. Therefore it is no surprise that Lele hates the industry, thinking it superficial and unnecessary... -
-
Bloom into You Vol. 2 by Nakatani Nio
Student council president Nanami Touko is in love with her friend, Koito Yuu! Even though Yuu doesn't love her back, she stuck by her side and joined the student council, too. She's accepted Touko's feelings -- but what about her own? Yuu still doesn't have anyone she likes..Categorized as:
slow burn queer young adult contemporary f-f high-school length-short glimpses-kisses -
Dear Emmie Blue by Lia Louis
In this charming and poignant novel that “oozes charm and wit and speaks beautifully about friendship and love, and the differences between the two” (Laura Pearson, author of I Wanted You to Know ), teenager Emmie Blue releases a balloon with her email address and a big secret into the sky, only to fall head-over-heels for the boy who finds it...Categorized as:
slow burn humor contemporary friends to lovers young adult length-medium glimpses-kisses m-f -
More Than Water by Renee Ericson
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 34 ratingsIt doesn’t feel right. It doesn’t feel wrong. It just...feels. EJ Cunning, an art history major, dates musicians. Foster Blake, a chemical engineering major, can’t sing a tune. They’re not each other’s type. They’re coworkers. Then, one night leads to sex—sex between friends—which leads to an agreement. It all seems so simple—but nothing ever is. Many layers build a person’s facade...Categorized as:
slow burn friends to lovers tortured heroine college sassy heroine office angst young adult -
This Adventure Ends by Emma Mills
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsSloane isn't expecting to fall in with a group of friends when she moves from New York to Florida—especially not a group of friends so intense, so in love, so all-consuming. Yet that's exactly what happens.Sloane becomes closest to Vera, a social-media star who lights up any room, and Gabe, Vera's twin brother and the most serious person Sloane's ever met...Categorized as:
cold heroine contemporary young adult high-school humor mystery found-family length-medium -
Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson
The Pre-Sloane Emily didn't go to parties, she barely talked to guys, she didn't do anything crazy. Enter Sloane, social tornado and the best kind of best friend—the one who yanks you out of your shell. But right before what should have been an epic summer, Sloane just… disappears. No note. No calls. No texts. No Sloane. There’s just a random to-do list... -
Josee, the Tiger and the Fish by Seiko Tanabe, Nao Emoto
College student Tsuneo loves the ocean and the creatures it harbors, and he dreams of studying abroad in faraway waters. All he needs is enough funds to go, so when a girl in a wheelchair suddenly barrels into his life, he readily agrees to work part-time as her caretaker...Categorized as:
cold heroine contemporary young adult length-long glimpses-kisses m-f caretaking love triangle -
A Cuban Girl's Guide to Tea and Tomorrow by Laura Taylor Namey
Rated: 3.95 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsLove & Gelato meets Don’t Date Rosa Santos in this charming, heartfelt story following a Miami girl who unexpectedly finds love—and herself—in a small English town.For Lila Reyes, a summer in England was never part of the plan...Categorized as:
cold heroine young adult contemporary multicultural substance abuse death sunny hero length-medium -
Manhattan by Kandi Steiner
Manhattan is a stand-alone, small town, country romance in the Becker Brothers Series. Kylie NelsonEveryone knows not to fall in love with your best friend.But when your best friend is Michael Becker, it’s impossible not to...Categorized as:
slow burn new adult contemporary virgin heroine angst friends to lovers young adult small town -
The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen
A long, hot summer... That's what Macy has to look forward to while her boyfriend, Jason, is away at Brain Camp. Days will be spent at a boring job in the library, evenings will be filled with vocabulary drills for the SATs, and spare time will be passed with her mother, the two of them sharing a silent grief at the traumatic loss of Macy's father...Categorized as:
slow burn contemporary young adult love triangle high-school other-man-woman m-f death -
-
Amy & Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson
Rated: 4.05 of 5 stars · 52 ratingsAmy Curry is not looking forward to her summer. Her mother decided to move across the country and now it's Amy's responsibility to get their car from California to Connecticut. The only problem is, since her father died in a car accident, she isn't ready to get behind the wheel. Enter Roger. An old family friend, he also has to make the cross-country trip - and has plenty of baggage of his own... -
Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen
Ruby, where is your mother? Ruby knows that the game is up. For the past few months, she's been on her own in the yellow house, managing somehow, knowing that her mother will probably never return... -
Watch Over Me by Mila Gray
Rated: 4.09 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsFrom the author of Come Back to Me comes a striking new novel about a young woman— desperately trying to protect her family from their violent father—who finds safety, and a passionate romance, with an ex-Marine.Ever since Zoey was a kid she’s been caring for her mom and her little sister, defending them from her violent father...Categorized as:
cold heroine contemporary new adult young adult military abuse friends to lovers siblings-bff -
Smile Like You Mean It by Willow Hadley
After Charlotte’s father died, her mother changed. She became cold and distant, and Charlotte slowly withdrew into herself. She spent years feeling lonely and insignificant, and rarely spoke more than a few words to anyone. One night, after a traumatic incident instigated by her mother, Charlotte is arrested and taken to juvie...Categorized as:
slow burn contemporary young adult reverse harem abuse poly high-school glimpses-kisses -
Lifted Up by Angels by Lurlene McDaniel
The companion to the Publishers Weekly bestseller Angels Watching Over Me. This inspirational novel follows the story of Leah and her friendship with the Amish family she met while hospitalized for cancer treatment. When Leah takes a summer job near their Amish community, she is happy to be near Ethan again...Categorized as:
slow burn contemporary young adult tearjerkers christian amish clean glimpses-kisses -
Two for the Dough by Janet Evanovich
Rated: 4.04 of 5 stars · 114 ratingsThis one's double the fun! Bounty hunter Stephanie Plum is still learning the ropes at her cousin Vinnie's bail bond office, so when she sets out on the trail of Kenny Mancuso - a suspiciously weatlhy, working class Trenton boy who has just shot his best friend - the stakes are higher than ever...
Fantastic book recommendations by romance book lovers for romance book lovers.
Find out more about romance.io.
Find out more about romance.io.
Get recommendations by genres & tropes
Use the romance book finder to mix and match over 100 content keywords to find the books that match your preferences

Or - use our amazing romance book finder to get recommendations based on your favorite content tropes and themes. Mix and match at will.