Books like 'Carry the Ocean'
Readers who enjoyed Carry the Ocean by Heidi Cullinan also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary gay romance young adult hurt-comfort new adult friends to lovers disabilities and marks neurodivergent shy-hero queer
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Heartstopper: Volume Four by Alice Oseman
Boy meets boy. Boys become friends. Boys fall in love. The bestselling LGBTQ+ graphic novel about life, love, and everything that happens in between: this is the fourth volume of HEARTSTOPPER, for fans of The Art of Being Normal, Holly Bourne and Love, Simon. Charlie didn't think Nick could ever like him back, but now they're officially boyfriends... -
![Heartstopper: Volume Five by Alice Oseman]()
Heartstopper: Volume Five by Alice Oseman
Boy meets boy. Boys become friends. Boys fall in love. The bestselling LGBTQ+ graphic novel about life, love, and everything that happens in between: this is the fifth volume of the much-loved HEARTSTOPPER series, featuring gorgeous two-color artwork. Nick and Charlie are in love...Categorized as:
virgin hero queer disabilities and marks found-family sweet-hero nerdy-hero angst friends to lovers -
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![To Catch a Firefly by Emmy Sanders]()
To Catch a Firefly by Emmy Sanders
He was my beginning. And my never-ending. .. Ellis:. There’s a lot I’ve never told my best friend. The fact that I love him. That I miss him every day he’s gone. That, sometimes, I ache for him with a ferocity that leaves me breathless. Lucky Buchanan tore into my life as a boy, wild and daring, my opposite in every way. He drew me in, stole my heart without trying...Categorized as:
neurodivergent friends to lovers queer sweet-hero virgin hero anal sex hurt-comfort slow burn -
![Heartstopper #1-4 Box Set by Alice Oseman]()
Heartstopper #1-4 Box Set by Alice Oseman
Boy meets boy. Boys become friends. Boys fall in love. A four-book box set of Alice Oseman's New York Times bestselling Heartstopper series. Each paperback volume features beautiful two-color artwork. Now streaming on Netflix! Shy and softhearted Charlie Spring sits next to rugby player Nick Nelson in class one morning...Categorized as:
friends to lovers queer found-family young adult contemporary m-m mental illness glimpses-kisses -
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![Sasaki and Miyano, Vol. 6 by Shou Harusono]()
Sasaki and Miyano, Vol. 6 by Shou Harusono
The moment has arrived. Miyano knows. He knows Sasaki likes him. And Miyano has realized. .. he likes Sasaki back, in a BL romance kind of way. Step one: realization is complete—but step two: confession is much harder than he thought it’d be. Just how did the guy he’s crushing on work up the courage to say it to his face all those months ago?Categorized as:
queer friends to lovers sweet-hero shy-hero nerdy-hero contemporary young adult high-school -
![Check, Please! by Ngozi Ukazu]()
Check, Please! by Ngozi Ukazu
I'm a junior on the Samwell men's hockey team now, and not only do I have new teammates and new responsibilities and new pies to bake. .. I've got a new beau. (. Remember me. ) Believe me: Dating a professional hockey player wasn't anything I expected to do in college. My parents don't know; my teammates have no clue. .. And Jack and I aren't sure that we want to keep it a secret. -
![19 Days by Old Xian]()
19 Days by Old Xian
The cute and funny adventures of a boy and his best friend. Also contains insert art of the characters by the mangaka. -
![The Art of Breathing by T.J. Klune]()
The Art of Breathing by T.J. Klune
Tyson Thompson graduated high school at sixteen and left the town of Seafare, Oregon, bound for what he assumed would be bigger and better things. He soon found out the real world has teeth, and he returns to the coast with four years of failure, addiction, and a diagnosis of panic disorder trailing behind him...Categorized as:
friends to lovers angst queer found-family nerdy-hero neurodivergent new adult hurt-comfort -
![Given, Vol. 5 by Natsuki Kizu]()
Given, Vol. 5 by Natsuki Kizu
Rated: 4.54 of 5 stars · 37 ratingsThe final round of the music festival tryout is about to begin, but that’s not the only source of tension in the band. Mafuyu, who’s been spending a lot of time at Ugetsu and Akihiko’s place, learns about the complicated history between the two and realizes that Haruki’s heartbreak is part of that romantic tangle... -
![Given, Vol. 5 by Natsuki Kizu, キヅナツキ]()
Given, Vol. 5 by Natsuki Kizu, キヅナツキ
Rated: 4.58 of 5 stars · 32 ratingsLove of music unites the four members of the band Given: hotheaded guitarist Uenoyama, playboy drummer Akihiko, gentle bassist Haruki, and Mafuyu, a singer gifted with great talent and burdened by past tragedy. Their struggles and conflicts may drive them apart, but their bond to the music—and to each other—always brings them back together again... -
![Our Dining Table by Mita Ori]()
Our Dining Table by Mita Ori
Rated: 4.52 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsBoys’ Love Cooked To Perfection. Eating around other people is a struggle for salaryman Yutaka, despite his talent for cooking. All that changes when he meets Minoru and Tane—two brothers, many years apart in age—who ask him to teach them how to make his delicious food! It’s not long before Yutaka finds himself falling hard for the meals they share together—and falling in love! -
![Sasaki and Miyano, Vol. 8 by Shou Harusono]()
Sasaki and Miyano, Vol. 8 by Shou Harusono
After Sasaki’s graduation, the clock ticks on while Sasaki and Miyano’s relationship slowly deepens bit by bit. They do all the little things couples do—eat lunch together, swap favorite books and music, quote BL lines…and just be there for each other. And then one day, Miyano suddenly realizes he wouldn’t mind if this lasted for the rest of his life…. -
![Sasaki and Miyano, Vol. 4 by Shou Harusono]()
Sasaki and Miyano, Vol. 4 by Shou Harusono
What is Sasaki to Miyano? The question rings through Miyano’s mind as he struggles to come to a decision. After all, Miyano likes girls and not guys…right? Meanwhile, surprise reunions with old crushes and Miyano’s first drag beauty pageant push Sasaki’s self-restraint to the limit….Categorized as:
queer friends to lovers shy-hero sweet-hero nerdy-hero contemporary young adult high-school -
![Given, Vol. 6 by Natsuki Kizu, キヅナツキ]()
Given, Vol. 6 by Natsuki Kizu, キヅナツキ
Rated: 4.47 of 5 stars · 34 ratingsLove of music unites the four members of the band Given: hotheaded guitarist Uenoyama, playboy drummer Akihiko, gentle bassist Haruki, and Mafuyu, a singer gifted with great talent and burdened by past tragedy. Their struggles and conflicts may drive them apart, but their bond to the music—and to one another—always brings them back together again... -
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![Given, Vol. 4 by Natsuki Kizu]()
Given, Vol. 4 by Natsuki Kizu
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 39 ratingsAs the band focuses on creating new songs and preparing for a music festival tryout, Haruki grows more and more intimidated by the talents of younger members Mafuyu and Uenoyama. Worried that he’s holding them back, he accepts his ex-girlfriend’s request to play in her band... -
![Sasaki and Miyano, Vol. 3 by Shou Harusono]()
Sasaki and Miyano, Vol. 3 by Shou Harusono
Limit overload—confession imminent. After struggling with his feelings for his adorable kouhai Mya-chan for almost a year, Sasaki takes the plunge and admits how he really feels. But has Miyano’s admiration for his senpai turned into… something more? Or will Sasaki be friend-zoned— permanently…? ! -
![Fence, Vol. 6: Redemption by C.S. Pacat]()
Fence, Vol. 6: Redemption by C.S. Pacat
A mysterious new fencer arrives at Halverton in the newest chapter of the GLAAD Media Award-nominated sports comic, perfect for fans of Heartstopper. THE COMPETITION HAS BEEN RESET… EN GARDE! Return to the thrilling world of high-stakes, competitive fencing, with a brand new story featuring the beloved cast of characters from the original hit series...Categorized as:
queer found-family friends to lovers young adult sports contemporary from hate to love m-m -
![Sasaki and Miyano, Vol. 10 by Shou Harusono, Leighann Harvey]()
Sasaki and Miyano, Vol. 10 by Shou Harusono, Leighann Harvey
Now that reading BL is no longer just hobby for Miyano, but also the story of his life, it’s almost time for the college arc! However, before he gets to that, Miyano’s final cultural festival of his high school career is just around the corner! Meanwhile, his adorably sweet boyfriend, Sasaki, is struggling to figure out what his path forward should be. ..Categorized as:
queer friends to lovers shy-hero sweet-hero nerdy-hero young adult contemporary high-school -
![Sasaki and Miyano, Vol. 2 by Shou Harusono]()
Sasaki and Miyano, Vol. 2 by Shou Harusono
Dating? Me and Sasaki-senpai…? We’re not like that! At least, those were Miyano’s thoughts until Sasaki gifted him chocolates on Valentine’s Day. Faced with the reality that Sasaki might like like him—in a BL kind of way—and the jarring realization that the senior’s graduation is fast approaching, it’s time for Miyano to confront his true feelings…. -
![I Hear the Sunspot: Limit, Volume 3 by Yuki Fumino]()
I Hear the Sunspot: Limit, Volume 3 by Yuki Fumino
Rated: 4.48 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsStunningly handsome Kohei Sugihara was outgoing and popular with the girls at school. But when a sudden illness left him with partial hearing loss, he grew quiet and reluctant to engage with others. At college, a chance encounter with an ever-optimistic classmate named Taichi Sagawa helped Kohei open up once more. And over time, the two began to develop feelings for each other...Categorized as:
disabilities and marks queer contemporary young adult m-m secret-relationship length-medium -
![Given, Vol. 6 by Natsuki Kizu]()
Given, Vol. 6 by Natsuki Kizu
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 33 ratingsNow that Given has an offer to record their debut album, each of the band’s members must decide whether to get serious about trying to go pro. Though Ritsuka doesn’t have a single doubt in his mind, Mafuyu isn’t ready to commit... -
![Check, Please!: Year Four by Ngozi Ukazu]()
Check, Please!: Year Four by Ngozi Ukazu
Rated: 4.58 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsCategorized as:
queer found-family friends to lovers new adult sports contemporary hockey young adult -
![Restart After Coming Back Home by Cocomi]()
Restart After Coming Back Home by Cocomi
Rated: 4.34 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsHotheaded Kozuka Mitsuomi left his home in the country for a sophisticated life in Tokyo. Unfortunately, at age 25, he’s fired from his job and returns home in disgrace. As he tries to rediscover himself, he meets Kumai Yamato, a man about his age who was adopted into his community while Mitsuomi was away...Categorized as:
queer friends to lovers new adult contemporary m-m young adult length-short first-in-series -
![Ander and Santi Were Here by Jonny Garza Villa]()
Ander and Santi Were Here by Jonny Garza Villa
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 22 ratingsAristotle and Dante meets The Hate U Give meets The Sun Is Also A Star: A stunning YA contemporary love story about a Mexican-American teen who falls in love with an undocumented Mexican boy. Finding home. Falling in love. Fighting to belong. The Santos Vista neighborhood of San Antonio, Texas, is all Ander Lopez has ever known. The smell of pan dulce... -
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![I Cannot Reach You, Vol. 3 by Mika .]()
I Cannot Reach You, Vol. 3 by Mika .
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsI want to know, but. .. . .. if I ask, there's no way we can go back. Childhood best friends. Two halves of a whole. Yamato and Kakeru. After spotting what seemed to be a romantic encounter between Kakeru and Akane, Yamato's jealousy overflowed-and the rift between them grew even deeper... -
![The Haircut by Alice Oseman]()
The Haircut by Alice Oseman
Rated: 4.58 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsOnce again we spend some time with 25-year-old Charlie and 26-year-old Nick. .. plus Daisy! -
![Gives Light by Rose Christo]()
Gives Light by Rose Christo
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 33 ratings"Skylar is my name, tragically. ". Sixteen-year-old Skylar is witty, empathetic, sensitive--and mute. Skylar hasn't uttered a single word since his mother died eleven years ago, a senseless tragedy he's grateful he doesn't have to talk about...Categorized as:
friends to lovers disabilities and marks angst shy-hero queer contemporary multicultural m-m -
![You Are Not Me by Leta Blake]()
You Are Not Me by Leta Blake
Follow Peter into the summer following his senior year to face new beginnings, new friends, and old baggage. After a tumultuous final year of high school, Peter Mandel needs a break. It's the summer of 1991, and his secret relationship with his ‘best friend’ Adam Algedi is put on hold as Adam goes away to Italy for the summer... -
![I Hear the Sunspot: Limit, Volume 1 by Yuki Fumino]()
I Hear the Sunspot: Limit, Volume 1 by Yuki Fumino
Because of a hearing disability, university student Kohei had made a habit of distancing himself from those around him. But after meeting the exceedingly cheerful Taichi, he gradually begins to embrace a more positive outlook on life. Kohei eventually begins to see Taichi as more than a friend, and after he finally confesses his love to Taichi, the feelings become mutual...Categorized as:
disabilities and marks queer contemporary young adult m-m secret-relationship length-short -
![I Hear the Sunspot: Limit, Volume 2 by Yuki Fumino]()
I Hear the Sunspot: Limit, Volume 2 by Yuki Fumino
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsKohei is a college student who, because of his hearing loss, tends to distance himself from others. His attitude starts to change after he crosses paths with an ever-optimistic classmate named Taichi. And over time, the two begin to develop feelings for each other... -
![Something Like Stories: Volume Two by Jay Bell]()
Something Like Stories: Volume Two by Jay Bell
Rated: 4.52 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThe Something Like… series is drawing to a close! Before it ends, reunite with favorite characters and meet others for the first time in this special collection of fourteen stories. Highlights include Something Like Champagne, in which Marcello searches for the truth behind a drunken vision. In Something Like Bunnies, a young Jace Holden struggles with his first crush... -
![A Tremendous Amount of Normal by Chase Connor]()
A Tremendous Amount of Normal by Chase Connor
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsNoah is normal. He’s full of normal. His older brother Will tells everyone all of the time. Even if they don’t believe him. Noah doesn’t understand why kids in school call him a “retard. " He’s not intellectually disabled. In fact, he’s very smart. But a lot of people call Will a fag—so maybe it’s kind of like that. Neurotypical people don’t always make sense...Categorized as:
queer new adult friends to lovers found-family m-m young adult contemporary length-medium -
![Love Stage!!, Vol. 4 by Eiki Eiki, Taishi Zaou]()
Love Stage!!, Vol. 4 by Eiki Eiki, Taishi Zaou
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsIzumi Sena is an average guy born into a family of famous celebrities. A college student and total otaku, he works hard every day with the goal of someday becoming a manga creator. Mega otaku Izumi and famous actor Ryoma have finally confirmed their feelings for one another... -
![Shelter the Sea by Heidi Cullinan]()
Shelter the Sea by Heidi Cullinan
Some heroes wear capes. Some prefer sensory sacks. Emmet Washington has never let the world define him, even though he, his boyfriend, Jeremey, and his friends aren’t considered “real” adults because of their disabilities...Categorized as:
angst new adult disabilities and marks shy-hero queer neurodivergent found-family m-m -
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![Fence #9 by C.S. Pacat, Johanna the Mad]()
Fence #9 by C.S. Pacat, Johanna the Mad
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 27 ratings -
![I Cannot Reach You, Vol. 6 by Mika .]()
I Cannot Reach You, Vol. 6 by Mika .
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsTime rewinds to Kakeru and Yamato’s elementary school days, when they first met each other. While their personalities are near-exact opposites, they grow closer with each day they spend together. Soon, Kakeru learns more about Yamato—that his father fell into a coma after an accident, and even about a certain secret that he’s hiding. .. -
![I Hear the Sunspot: Four Seasons Volume 1 by Yuki Fumino]()
I Hear the Sunspot: Four Seasons Volume 1 by Yuki Fumino
Rated: 4.34 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsKohei Sugihara, college student with hearing loss, and Taichi Sagawa, his ever-optimistic former classmate, met in a chance encounter that ignited an undeniable spark that would eventually blossom into love. Now it’s spring and as Kohei nears graduation, his search for a job begins. Meanwhile, Taichi finds himself in charge of someone new at work... -
![Love Stage!!, Vol. 3 by Eiki Eiki, Taishi Zaou]()
Love Stage!!, Vol. 3 by Eiki Eiki, Taishi Zaou
Rated: 4.18 of 5 stars · 32 ratingsIzumi Sena is an average guy born into a family of famous celebrities. A college student and total otaku, he works hard every day with the goal of someday becoming a manga creator. -
![I Cannot Reach You, Vol. 2 by Mika .]()
I Cannot Reach You, Vol. 2 by Mika .
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsIf I asked you. .. . .. would it change the way we are now. .. ? Childhood best friends. Two halves of a whole. Yamato and Kakeru. Since he believed that the handsome, popular Yamato would never feel the same way, Kakeru was stunned when Yamato admitted he would be upset if Kakeru got a girlfriend... -
![Flower Shop by Alice Oseman]()
Flower Shop by Alice Oseman
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsA little story set in an alternate universe about how one man asked out a kind florist. .. -
![Boyband Crush by Alice Oseman]()
Boyband Crush by Alice Oseman
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsA little crossover mini-comic between Heartstopper and I Was Born For This. -
![Something Like Stories: Volume Two by Jay Bell]()
Something Like Stories: Volume Two by Jay Bell
Rated: 4.46 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsThe Something Like… series is drawing to a close! Before it ends, reunite with favorite characters and meet others for the first time in this special collection of fourteen stories. Highlights include Something Like Champagne, in which Marcello searches for the truth behind a drunken vision. In Something Like Bunnies, a young Jace Holden struggles with his first crush... -
![Jackass! by Scarlet Beriko]()
Jackass! by Scarlet Beriko
Rated: 4.18 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsWhen the panty hose go on, all bets are off between these best guy friends! Practical Keisuke’s incredibly handsome best friend Masayuki has always rubbed him just a little bit the wrong way... -
![Something Like Thunder by Jay Bell]()
Something Like Thunder by Jay Bell
Rated: 4.41 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsThis isn’t a coming out story. Nor is it the tale of a lonely heart seeking companionship. This is about how I learned to fight. My name is Nathaniel Courtney and I’m a survivor. I didn’t let the cruelty of others wear me down, and I’ve weathered the more subtle hardships of the heart. Love is a Trojan horse, slipping past your guard and leaving you ransacked and vulnerable... -
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![fawn by Nash Summers]()
fawn by Nash Summers
Heaven is rays of sunlight dancing slowly on wheat stalks. It's wind twirling itself around chimes hung from low tree branches, and robust bursts of scent and color, far beyond anything describable with words. Heaven is a flightless crow, a promise of forever tied to a necklace, and hidden love letters tucked away safely inside a tree...Categorized as:
angst new adult friends to lovers slow burn queer sweet-hero tortured hero virgin hero -
![Dream of a Waking Man by John Goode]()
Dream of a Waking Man by John Goode
Rated: 4.80 of 5 stars · 5 ratingsWith high school long behind them, Kyle Stilleno and Brad Graymark are sharing a life, together, content, but happy? Kyle seems to have given up that spark that made him who he was and Brad is worried it may never come back. When an email from a gay teen asks Kyle for help, he has to choose between his comfortable life of sleeping his life away, or waking up and doing something about it. -
![Sasaki and Miyano, Vol. 1 by Shou Harusono]()
Sasaki and Miyano, Vol. 1 by Shou Harusono
It all started like a typical old-school boys’ love plotline—bad-boy senior meets adorably awkward underclassman, one of them falls in love, and so on and so forth. But although Miyano is a self-proclaimed boys’ love expert, he hasn’t quite realized…he’s in one himself. Which means it’s up to Sasaki to make sure their story has a happily ever after…!Categorized as:
queer friends to lovers nerdy-hero sweet-hero shy-hero contemporary young adult humor -
![Perfectly Us by Jaclyn Osborn]()
Perfectly Us by Jaclyn Osborn
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsOne summer. Two hearts forever changed. Alex is magnetic. His vibrant personality and easy smiles draw people toward him. No one would guess he’s secretly hurting. Shiloh is quiet. His social awkwardness and anxious mind make it hard for him to make connections. He’s always felt different. A little broken. When these two meet, they recognize something in each other...Categorized as:
new adult friends to lovers queer m-m contemporary young adult length-short audiobook -
![The Music of the Spheres by Chase Potter]()
The Music of the Spheres by Chase Potter
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsAn athlete and introvert from a family touched by loss, Ryan Mattson splits his life between reading and spending time with his dad and precocious younger sister. With the wounds of Ryan’s past almost healed, high school is simple, and so is everything else. But that changes when he’s paired with Adam for a class project...Categorized as:
friends to lovers new adult queer m-m young adult contemporary queer-awakening length-short
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