Books like 'Play On'
Readers who enjoyed Play On by Avery Cockburn also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary gay romance young adult athletes sports friends to lovers angst new adult soccer queer
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Given, Vol. 5 by Natsuki Kizu
Rated: 4.61 of 5 stars · 33 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
Rated: 4.60 of 5 stars · 31 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
Rated: 4.51 of 5 stars · 33 ratingsBoys’ Love Cooked To PerfectionEating around other people is a struggle for salaryman Yutaka, despite his talent for cooking... -
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 sports friends to lovers young adult contemporary found-family from hate to love m-m -
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Given, Vol. 6 by Natsuki Kizu, キヅナツキ
Rated: 4.45 of 5 stars · 33 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... -
Given, Vol. 6 by Natsuki Kizu
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 30 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... -
Hirano and Kagiura, Vol. 1 by Shou Harusono
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsBasketball players. Bad boys who aren’t really bad boys. Roommates. Senpai-kouhai BL romance. It all started when Kagiura moved into the school dorms with what seemed to be a bad-boy upperclassman... -
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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... -
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... -
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
Rated: 4.58 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsOnce again we spend some time with 25-year-old Charlie and 26-year-old Nick.. -
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Love Stage!!, Vol. 3 by Eiki Eiki, Taishi Zaou
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 30 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... -
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Memorizing You by Dan Skinner
Rated: 4.45 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsTwo high school boys from different walks of life: Ryan, a handsome athlete, and David, an average joe from a blue collar family, discover their desires, stealing their kisses under the cover of an old oak at night. Their love begins a secret life, hidden from their families, friends, and classmates. As their passion grows, so does the danger of their discovery... -
151 Days by John Goode
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsSequel to End of the Innocence Tales from Foster High: Book Three With just 151 days left until the school year ends, Kyle Stilleno is running out of time to fulfill the promise he made and change Foster, Texas, for the better. But Kyle and his boyfriend, Brad Graymark, have more than just intolerance to deal with... -
I Hear the Sunspot, Vol. 1 by Yuki Fumino
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsBecause of a hearing disability, Kohei is often misunderstood and has trouble integrating into life on campus, so he learns to keep his distance. 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... -
Fence #11 by C.S. Pacat, Johanna the Mad
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsIt all comes down to this—the final match that will determine who makes the team, and who gets left behind... -
Fence #7 by C.S. Pacat, Johanna the Mad
Nicholas pushes himself to be recognised as Seiji's rival, but Seiji is indifferent… or so it seems... -
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... -
Something Like Stories: Volume Two by Jay Bell
Rated: 4.52 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... -
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I Hear the Sunspot by Yuki Fumino, 文乃ゆき
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 32 ratingsBecause of a hearing disability, Kohei is often misunderstood and has trouble integrating into life on campus, so he learns to keep his distance. 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... -
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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
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... -
Cherry Blossoms After Winter: Volume 1 by Bamwoo
Despite growing up together, these childhood friends have grown apart. The fan-favorite boys’ love manhwa turned K-drama comes to print for the first time.Seo Haebom was seven years old when his parents died in an accident. With nowhere else to go, he moves in with the family of his childhood friend Jo Taesung, who suddenly grows cold and distant, destroying their friendship... -
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... -
Dekoboko Bittersweet Days by Atsuko Yusen
Tiny and adorable when they first met, Rui—still just as adorable—now looms over his boyfriend, Yuujirou. Though they were little more than best friends at first, the confusion over their true feelings for one another smoldered until they confessed...Categorized as:
friends to lovers angst queer contemporary m-m young adult length-medium explicit-open-door -
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.. -
A Tremendous Amount of Normal by Chase Connor
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 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 m-m young adult contemporary found-family length-medium -
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... -
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... -
I Cannot Reach You, Vol. 1 by Mika .
Rated: 4.18 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsNo matter how much time we spend together, I’ll never become special to you.Childhood best friends. Two halves of a whole. The cool, smart one who’s good at almost everything, and his average, dorky friend who struggles to do anything right—Yamato and Kakeru. Always by the other’s side, but not together in the way they truly want to be... -
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Fence Challengers: Long Shot #1 by C.S. Pacat, Johanna the Mad
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThe Kings Row fencers are fresh off of Halverton Training Camp and ready for the State Championships, bringing with them the burden and blessing of a brand-new reputation as underdog champions... -
Henry Hamlet's Heart by Rhiannon Wilde
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsThis smart and charming queer YA rom-com about falling for your best friend will win the hearts of fans of Adam Silvera and Becky Albertalli.Henry Hamlet doesn’t know what he wants after school ends. It’s his last semester of high school, and all he’s sure of is his uncanny ability to make situations awkward. Luckily, he can always hide behind his enigmatic best friend, Len... -
Attractive Forces by Jax Calder
LoganEveryone looks at me and thinks I rule Heath Valley High School. All they see is the captain of the champion rugby team, the guy who has got everything.They don’t see my secret, one I’ll do anything to keep.I’m so used to keeping my sexuality buried I’ve never stopped to think about what it’s costing me.Until I need a chemistry tutor, and Jake Stenton waltzes into my life... -
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
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 -
When I Grow Up by John Goode
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsAfter graduation, Kyle Stilleno and Brad Graymark move to California to pursue their dreams. But high school sweethearts are called that for a reason, and their love rarely stands up to the test of time. As money, school, sex, and jealousy test their relationship to the breaking point, Kyle and Brad fight to hold on to the love that brought them together... -
Something Like Thunder by Jay Bell
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 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... -
Fifteen Hundred Miles from the Sun by Jonny Garza Villa
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsA poignant, funny, openhearted novel about coming out, first love, and being your one and only best and true self.Julián Luna has a plan for his life: Graduate. Get into UCLA. And have the chance to move away from Corpus Christi, Texas, and the suffocating expectations of others that have forced Jules into an inauthentic life... -
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Seven Days: Monday–Sunday by Venio Tachibana, Rihito Takarai
Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsThe rules were clear: they could date for a week. But someone forgot to tell love!On a whim, high school third-year Yuzuru Shino asks out first-year Toji Seryo, who is notorious for being a weeklong lover—he’ll date the first girl to ask him out Monday morning and then promptly dump her by the following Monday! The boys start dating, and by Tuesday, the first inklings of attraction hit... -
Don't Let Me Go by J.H. Trumble
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 28 ratingsSome people spend their whole lives looking for the right partner. Nate Schaper found his in high school. In the eight months since their cautious flirting became a real, honest, tell-the-parents relationship, Nate and Adam have been inseparable. Even when local kids take their homophobia to brutal levels, Nate is undaunted. He and Adam are rock solid. Two parts of a whole. Yin and yang... -
Cinderella Boy by Kristina Meister
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsBeing perfect isn't all it's cracked up to be. Sixteen-year-old Declan is the perfect son . . . except for one tiny issue. When his sister Delia comes home to find him trying on her clothes, he fears her judgment, but she only fears his fashion choices...Categorized as:
queer friends to lovers angst young adult contemporary m-m high-school length-medium -
The Metalhead Next Door by Mamita
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsImpoverished graduate student Kento nearly freezes to death outside his new cheap (unheated) apartment during a blizzard. Luckily, he’s saved by neighbor Soushi, a quiet and somewhat frightening young man who dresses in all black. Although he exudes an aura that screams “keep away,” his eyes, hidden behind long rocker hair, plead for something else... -
The History of Us by Nyrae Dawn
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsSometimes it's not about coming out, it's about settling in.Eighteen-year-old Bradley Collins came out a year ago and hasn't looked back since. Who cares if he doesn’t know any other gay people? Bradley has friends and basketball—that’s all he needs. Even if that means always sitting on the sidelines when the guys go out looking for girls... -
Volatile by Avylinn Winter
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsBook 1 in the Treacherous Chemistry series Like a depressed moth drawn to a wild flame, Chris hoped that flame would brighten his life, not burn him alive. Chris Sinclair fades into a gray world after losing his mother to cancer. When forced to attend a concert, as a last attempt to coax him out of his shell, he discovers that life might not be as bleak as he first thought...
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