Books like 'Sam Dorsey And His Sixteen Candles'
Readers who enjoyed Sam Dorsey And His Sixteen Candles by Perie Wolford also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
gay romance young adult friends to lovers angst queer
-
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 young adult contemporary m-m mental illness glimpses-kisses found-family -
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... -
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars · 85 ratingsA lyrical novel about family and friendship from critically acclaimed author 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... -
Fence, Vol. 6: Redemption by C.S. Pacat
Rated: 4.47 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsA 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 friends to lovers young adult sports contemporary found-family from hate to love m-m -
-
Sasaki and Miyano, Vol. 3 by Shou Harusono
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsLimit 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... -
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... -
Autoboyography by Christina Lauren
Three years ago, Tanner Scott’s family relocated from California to Utah, a move that nudged the bisexual teen temporarily back into the closet. Now, with one semester of high school to go, and no obstacles between him and out-of-state college freedom, Tanner plans to coast through his remaining classes and clear out of Utah...Categorized as:
friends to lovers angst queer contemporary young adult m-m forced proximity male-pov -
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.. -
Gives Light by Rose Christo
Rated: 4.34 of 5 stars · 31 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 angst queer contemporary multicultural m-m disabilities and marks young adult -
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... -
Love Stage!!, Vol. 3 by Eiki Eiki, Taishi Zaou
Rated: 4.34 of 5 stars · 29 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... -
Cherry Blossoms After Winter #1 - Boys Love Comic by Bamwoo, 밤우
Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars · 31 ratings<마지막 좀비> 밤우 작가의 청춘 BL!한 지붕아래에서 사는 것도 모자라같은반 동급생까지...?!부모님이 돌아가신 후, 태성의 집에얹혀살게 된 해봄은 고3이 되면서태성과 같은 반이 된 상황이 난처하기만 하다.24시간동안 함께 생활하면서부터태성과 해봄의 사이는 점차 변해가는데…Ever since his parents passed away, Haebom has been living in Taesung’s house. And now, being a 12th grader, he enters the same class as Taesung, which makes the whole situation way more awkward... -
Sasaki and Miyano, Vol. 2 by Shou Harusono
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 31 ratingsDating? 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...Categorized as:
queer friends to lovers contemporary young adult m-m humor high-school length-novella -
Hirano and Kagiura, Vol. 1 by Shou Harusono
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 23 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... -
-
I Hear the Sunspot: Limit, Volume 2 by Yuki Fumino
Rated: 4.34 of 5 stars · 24 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... -
Restart After Coming Back Home by Cocomi
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 26 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... -
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... -
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
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsA little crossover mini-comic between Heartstopper and I Was Born For This... -
Gay Club! by Simon James Green
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsA landmark comedic novel about a group of queer teens at their worst - and ultimately their best - from one of the UK's leading writers of LGBTQ+ teen fiction. Barney's a shoo-in for his school's LGBTQ+ Society President at the club's next election. But when the vote is opened up to the entire student body, the whole school starts paying attention...Categorized as:
friends to lovers queer young adult contemporary m-m high-school from hate to love humor -
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... -
Destination Unknown by Bill Konigsberg
Rated: 4.37 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsFrom Stonewall Award winner Bill Konigsberg, a remarkable, funny, sexy, heartbreaking story of two teen boys finding each other in New York City at the height of the AIDS epidemic.The first thing I noticed about C.J. Gorman was his plexiglass bra. So begins Destination Unknown. It's 1987 in New York City, and Micah is at a dance club, trying to pretend he's more out and outgoing than he really is... -
Always the Almost by Edward Underhill
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsA trans pianist makes a New Year's resolution on a frozen Wisconsin night to win regionals and win back his ex, but a new boy complicates things in Edward Underhill's heartfelt debut YA rom-dram, Always the Almost...Categorized as:
friends to lovers queer young adult contemporary m-m high-school love triangle trans-hero -
Paint Eater by Marina Vivancos
Jay knows that starting up a friends-with-benefits relationship with Logan is a mistake. After all, this is the guy who rejected him in high-school. And Jay hasn’t been pining, okay? He’s just…easily invested. Jay doesn’t need Logan’s approval anymore—he’s happy at his tattoo apprenticeship, with his wild adventures in the city, painting graffiti in the sad and dark places that need it... -
-
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... -
When I Grow Up by John Goode
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 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... -
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 queer m-m young adult contemporary new adult queer-awakening length-short -
String Boys by Amy Lane
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsSeth Arnold learned at an early age that two things in life could make his soul soar—his violin and Kelly Cruz. In Seth’s uncertain childhood, the kindness of the Cruz family, especially Kelly and his brother, Matty, gave Seth the stability to make his violin sing with the purest sound and opened a world of possibility beyond his home in Sacramento... -
Boy Girlfriend by Pastaflavour
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsAn idiot convinces his male childhood friend to dress up and act like his girlfriend so he’ll show his crush that he’s mature and cool... -
Every Mended Heart by Nikole Knight
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsTwo broken souls searching for hope. One love that redeems them both.After everything Silas and Ben have fought for, it seems the true battle has only just begun. As rumors spread through the school, Silas's already strained relationship with Ben starts to crack from the added pressure. His personal bully is back and determined to tear Silas down at every turn... -
The Long Way by DomLuka
Note: Book cover incorrectly titled.After tragedy strikes at home and he loses a special friend, is betrayed by someone he trusts and his father discovers he's gay, Owen Dovan moves in with the brothers he hasn't seen in two years. Even in a loving environment things aren't always easy...Categorized as:
queer angst m-m young adult contemporary high-school hurt-comfort explicit-plentiful -
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... -
Lending Light by Rose Christo
Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars · 11 ratings"Sometimes my imagination bleeds into reality." Eleven years ago a serial killer menaced the Nettlebush Indian Reservation. Rafael Gives Light is his son. A loner, Rafael relies on his startlingly overactive imagination to escape the distrust and vitriol of his peers. In the summer of 2000 an exceptionally blond boy moves to Nettlebush... -
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... -
-
My Summer Of You: Vol. 1: The Summer Of You (君は夏のなか (Kimi wa natsu no naka) #1) by Nagisa Furuya
A wistful summer blossoms between two high-school boys finding themselves and each other through a shared love of movies in this moving, dramatic, two-volume BL romance series, perfect for fans of Seven Days, Given, or I Hear the Sunspot.Chiharu Saeki and Wataru Toda are two high school students who share a common hobby: They love to watch movies...Categorized as:
friends to lovers queer young adult contemporary m-m high-school secret-relationship length-medium -
Disarmed by Sarah Rees Brennan
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsThe boys of Kings Row head to France with exes, rivalries, and secrets in this fun and hilarious novel by a New York Times bestselling author—inspired by the award-nominated comic series by C.S. Pacat and Johanna The Mad...Categorized as:
friends to lovers queer young adult contemporary sports m-m from hate to love high-school -
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... -
Sheets by Sareyen
[BxB] Waking up next to someone after having a little too much to drink was no new, riveting story in this day and age. Waking up next to another boy, when you were also a boy, was a little more interesting, but still nothing to write home about. But waking up in Nico Beckett's sheets?To Wesley, it was a nightmare come to life... -
Love Sick ชุลมุนหนุ่มกางเกงน้ำเงิน by INDRYTIMES
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsPhun has a girlfriend but his father wants him to date his friend's daughter. Phun's little sister, Pang, is obsessed with boys' love.Phun needs to convince Pang that he has a boyfriend so that she can help talk their father around the idea of dating his friend's daughter. So he asked Noh to become his fake boyfriend in exchange for helping Noh raising fund for his Music Club... -
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... -
Shut Your Face, Anthony Pace! by Claire Davis, Al Stewart
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsFirst love - coming of age - family - acceptance When Charlie was eight years old, his mum bought him a microscope for his birthday. Since then, he's known how he wants to spend his life. There have been trials, and challenges, but now - finally - the day is here for him to start college with his lifelong friend Anthony Pace. Anthony is a red-haired force of nature... -
Sweet Tooth by Helen Juliet
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsGetting lost in the woods was never this fun When Hans Jager and his sister Greta have to return home for the holidays, the last thing he expects is to run into his childhood best friend, Chester Wild. Even more surprising is when Chester pretends to be Hans’s boyfriend to protect Hans from his wicked step-mother’s wrath...Categorized as:
queer friends to lovers m-m christmas contemporary second chances mystery young adult -
Cherry Blossoms After Winter: Volume 1 by Bamwoo
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 31 ratingsDespite 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... -
A Million Quiet Revolutions by Robin Gow
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsFor as long as they can remember, Aaron and Oliver have only ever had each other. In a small town with few queer teenagers, let alone young trans men, they've shared milestones like coming out as trans, buying the right binders--and falling for each other.But just as their relationship has started to blossom, Aaron moves away... -
-
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... -
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 -
Sasaki and Miyano Official Comic Anthology by Shou Harusono
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsThere’s never a dull moment when the life of a boys’ love fanboy turns into one! From encounters with cats to bookstore trips and every sweet moment in between, enjoy this anthology featuring stories exploring Sasaki’s and Miyano’s relationship together―including three original stories by series creator, Shou...Categorized as:
queer friends to lovers contemporary m-m young adult high-school age difference length-short -
The Tight End: Red's Tavern, Book 6 by Raleigh Ruebins
He’s an introverted nerd, and I’m the football player everybody wants.But I only want to drag his shy, adorkable, irresistible self into my bed. All I’ve ever been good at is running fast with a football clutched tight to my side. As a star football player for the KMU Wolves, I’ve had any guy I wanted for years, and I'm more muscle than smarts... -
Jackass! by Scarlet Beriko
Rated: 4.16 of 5 stars · 27 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: 4.15 of 5 stars · 24 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...
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.