Books like 'Second Down'
Readers who enjoyed Second Down by Kata Čuić also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary young adult athletes sports football m-f angst grumpy sunshine height-difference multicultural
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First Days by C.L. Stone
Sang Sorenson used to be the invisible girl in class. As a new student to Ashley Waters High School, Sang hopes that her new friends will be the change she’s been craving and will make fitting in a breeze. But Academy students aren’t there to take it easy. The high school is overcrowded and rife with violence... -
Ouran High School Host Club, Vol. 2 by Bisco Hatori
The school-wide physical exam has thrown the members of the elegant Host Club for a loop. How can the doctor not discover that Haruhi is a girl? And once the female customers learn the turn, Haruhi can kiss her job goodbye. Illustrations. Rated for teens... -
Skip and Loafer, Vol. 1 by Misaki Takamatsu, Nicole Frasik
The award-winning romantic comedy about a country girl chasing her dreams in Tokyo--and don't miss the anime! A Cheerful Country Mouse! Mitsumi is bound for high school in Tokyo! She’s got book smarts, but this small-town girl is about to find out she’s massively unprepared for the social norms of big city high schoolers...Categorized as:
high-school m-f tortured hero friends to lovers young adult contemporary length-short humor -
#Bae by Cambria Hebert
Rated: 4.41 of 5 stars · 33 ratingsThis fall... Happily-ever-after. That’s what happens when you get married. Right? Turns out sparkly rings, cake and a fantastic wedding do not automatically grant you that, not even when it’s all you truly want. I’m even starting to doubt the bottomless, unconditional love I share with the man I married will be enough... -
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Ao Haru Ride, Vol. 4 by Io Sakisaka, 咲坂伊緒
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 37 ratingsThe popular shojo manga series that was adapted into the Blue Spring Ride anime!Futaba Yoshioka thought all boys were loud and obnoxious until she met Kou Tanaka in junior high. But as soon as she realized she really liked him, he had already moved away because of family issues...Categorized as:
high-school tortured hero m-f angst young adult contemporary love triangle other-man-woman -
My Dress-Up Darling, Vol. 8 by Shinichi Fukuda
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsAt their high school’s cultural festival, Marin tackles her first crossplay! While struggling with projecting masculinity in character, she prepares for the festival with the rest of the class. But while Marin is a pro at group activities, Wakana has jitters about his very first time working together with his classmates... -
Catch the Sun by Jennifer Hartmann
"Kissing you feels like catching the sun…" At seven years old, Ella Sunbury and Max Manning were inseparable—until life scattered them in different directions, forcing Ella to abruptly leave town. A decade later, she returns for their senior year of high school, moving in across the street from her childhood best friend. But she's not the same girl Max once knew...Categorized as:
high-school friends to lovers angst sweet-hero virgin hero independent heroine virgin heroine m-f -
#Holiday by Cambria Hebert
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsGivers gonna give… Twas the night of game day, And all through the town, Lacey glittering snowflakes fluttered around. They clung to the roads, concealing everything with white. It was a beautiful #holiday sight. The paparazzi were out without any care, In hopes to catch Romeo and Rimmel, rumored to be there. When out on the road there arose such a clatter... -
My Dress-Up Darling, Vol. 7 by Shinichi Fukuda
Rated: 4.41 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsA loner boy and a flashy girl find common ground via cosplay in this sweet and spicy romcom!Marin's bestie and Wakana's classmate Nowa might seem a little flaky, but the girl has some serious instinct when love is in the air! When she tosses out a bombshell at karaoke by flatly asking Marin and Wakana if they're an item, it sends the two running!But before long, it's cosplay over love, as the... -
The Billionaire's Game ~ Kade by J.S. Scott
With his professional football career over due to a tragic accident, billionaire Kade Harrison takes on the task of solving a mystery for his brother-in-law and friend, Max Hamilton. Without his former career to fill every minute of the day, Kade's looking for something to challenge him--now that he's lost the career that had meant everything to him... -
Coast by Jay McLean
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 32 ratingsOne life-changing summer. One boy. The boy. The boy who offered me safe touches and heart-stopping smiles - smiles he shared with his son. We filled our days with porch-step kisses, filled our ears with laughter, filled our hearts with love. Deep, soul-aching, desperate love. But love is misleading. It's an invisible, fleeting moment... -
Horimiya Vol. 1 by Hero, Daisuke Hagiwara
A sweet "aww"-inspiring tale of school life begins!!At school, Kyouko Hori is known for being smart, attractive, and popular. On the other hand, her classmate, the boring, gloomy Izumi Miyamura tends to get painted as a "loser fanboy... -
Puddle Jumping by Amber L. Johnson
When it comes to love there’s no such thing as conventional. Everyone thinks Colton Neely is special. Lilly Evans just thinks he’s fascinating. Once friends when they were younger, their bond is cut short due to her accident prone nature and they go their separate ways... -
Kimi ni Todoke: From Me to You, Vol. 1 by Karuho Shiina, Tomo Kimura
Sawako Kuronuma is the perfect heroine... for a horror movie . With striking similarities to a haunting movie character--jet-black hair, sinister smile and silent demeanor--she's mistakenly called Sadako by those around her. But behind her scary façade is a very misunderstood teenager. Too shy to fit in, all she wants to do is make some friends... -
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Say I Love You, Vol. 1 by Kanae Hazuki
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 43 ratingsFRIENDSHIP? FORGET IT! Mei Tachibana has no friends-and she doesn't need them! Ever since her "friends" betrayed her in elementary school, she's sworn off friendship entirely. All it leads to is betrayal and heartbreak, and she's well enough on her own... -
In the Clear Moonlit Dusk, Vol. 1 by Mika Yamamori
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 33 ratingsYoi Takiguchi has long legs, a deep voice, and a handsome face... in other words, Yoi is such a good-looking guy that most people don't notice or care that she is, in fact, a girl. Indeed, she's had the nickname "Prince" as long as she can remember. That is, until she met Ichimura-senpai... the only person who's really seemed to see her for herself... -
Going Long by Ginger Scott
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsThey fell in love in high school and found their way back to one another despite the odds. But can first loves really be forever? For Reed Johnson, the dream was always football. But then Nolan Lennox took over his heart...Categorized as:
athletes friends to lovers alpha male sports football young adult contemporary college -
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:
multicultural friends to lovers disabilities and marks angst high-school shy-hero contemporary m-m -
Crush by Nicole Williams
Football glory. A giant diamond. A wandering eye. Jude and Lucy are happily engaged . . . but that doesn't mean life's a bed of roses. Once again, Jude and Lucy are torn apart by football training and a summer job that creates new tensions. This time Jude's the one with trust issues... -
Taming 7 by Chloe Walsh
Taming 7 is an epic and unforgettable love story in the international bestselling and TikTok-phenomenon The Boys of Tommen series, from Chloe Walsh.She's the quintessential sunshine girl. He's the lovable class clown. But storm clouds are rolling in, and this Tommen boy is about to get serious... -
Misunderstood by R.L. Mathewson
From New York Time’s Bestselling Author R.L. Mathewson comes the YA series inspired by the Neighbor from Hell Series… The Neighbor from Hell YA Series. For readers who enjoy stories that leave them smiling… Do you ever feel like life isn’t going the way that you thought it would? That’s what Sebastian Bradford is realizing as he tries to figure out how everything went wrong so quickly...Categorized as:
high-school friends to lovers sports virgin heroine m-f young adult contemporary humor -
The Game Changer: The Final Score by L.M. Trio
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsThe Game Changer: The Final Score is told from 4 different perspectives: Luke, Mikey, JJ & Deanna... (Teaser #1 & Teaser #2 have been moved to my blog page) The story continues with Luke being released from prison, forced to face many challenges that developed due to his careless decisions. His greatest challenge is facing Jesse, the girl he refuses to let go... -
My Dress-Up Darling, Vol. 1 by Shinichi Fukuda
Wakana Gojou is a fifteen year old high-school boy who was socially traumatized in the past due to his passion for dolls and doll-making. That incident left a mark on him that made him into a social recluse. But one day he was caught talking to his doll by Kitagawa Marin, a sociable gyaru who is perfectly open about her otaku interests -- in short, the complete opposite of him...Categorized as:
m-f sweet-hero shy-hero sweet heroine high-school friends to lovers virgin hero contemporary -
Eden High: Book 4 by Jordan Silver
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsNow that he has staked his claim Jace and Sian are the new 'It' couple and there's love in the air , not only for these two lovebirds, but their friends seem to have been bitten by the bug...Categorized as:
alpha male virgin heroine high-school young adult contemporary new adult length-novella -
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My Dress-Up Darling 10 by Shinichi Fukuda
Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsA loner boy and a flashy girl find common ground via cosplay in this sweet and spicy rom-com!Upon meeting up with Amane-san and his friends at a cosplay event, Marin and Wakana learn about a group cosplay shoot they’re putting together for Coffin , a horror game... -
His Forever Girl by Lucy Darling
Zoey Hawthorne has always been my forever. Best friends since we were kids, she and I were meant to be. Until I screwed it all up before we went to high school. I had to step away before I ruined my shot with the girl who held my heart in her hands.Letting her go was the biggest regret of my life. Making it up to her won’t be easy, but I have to show her that I never lost sight of her...Categorized as:
sports virgin hero friends to lovers virgin heroine alpha male high-school contemporary new adult -
That Summer by Jillian Dodd
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsDevaney Diamond’s summer break was shaping up to be the best one ever. Her longtime crush was finally interested in her, and by the time school rolled around in the fall, she knew he’d be her boyfriend...Categorized as:
friends to lovers high-school angst sports m-f contemporary young adult length-medium -
Meant To Be by Monica Murphy
Ava Callahan.Love of my life.Wrecker of my soul.I would have sworn on anything that what we shared was real.But she broke my trust. And then my heart. I don't think I can piece it back together without her, but I'm sure gonna try.I’m better off on my own, anyways, right? Who needs girls when you have football?If only I believed that... -
The Boy Who Lost His Sight by Bella Zamri
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsAway from Lenoir, Ellie Burke found a place to breathe again. A brighter home surrounded with her loved ones. A-once-in-a-lifetime chance to change her life.Everything seemed perfect enough – until she met Riley Flynn.A mysterious young boy with a devilish smile, silently living with a traumatic secret buried away from others...Categorized as:
sports m-f grumpy sunshine slow burn high-school sweet heroine disabilities and marks young adult -
Wallflower by Cookie O'Gorman
Wallflower (wohl-flou-erh): Identifier for someone who is shy and/or awkward. For reference, see Viola Kent.Seventeen-year-old Viola Kent likes being invisible. Well, not literally, but she's content being a loner, reading her books, and hanging out with the animals at the shelter. She just wants to keep her head down and get through her senior year at Durham High...Categorized as:
high-school sports friends to lovers shy heroine sweet heroine football young adult contemporary -
Where You See Yourself by Claire Forrest
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsWhere You See Yourself combines an unforgettable coming-of-age tale, a swoon-worthy romance, and much-needed disability representation in this story about a girl who's determined to follow her dreams...Categorized as:
disabilities and marks high-school m-f young adult contemporary length-medium audiobook -
Runaways by Nicole Dykes
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsRunaways . . .You’ve heard about kids running away, but do we ever truly know why they run?Rae and Law had no choice. Forced to run when life let them down, when it was either leave or be subjected to an unimaginable fate.Can they survive?Two young people, completely alone on the streets with nothing but each other.This is their story... -
The Design of Goodbye by Kara Renee
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsA choice can change everything. Five lines and twenty-six words are all it takes for Madison Winters’s life to change forever.No one knows her mother abandoned her the summer before senior year with only a letter as a goodbye, and she’s determined to keep it that way... -
The Game Changer by L.M. Trio
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsIt’s hard to believe that it only takes one split second in time to turn your world completely upside down. Everything that ever made you feel safe and secure; can be gone in an instant...” Jesse’s world is shattered in that instant…the rest of her life is mapped out by a split second change that she never dreamed could happen... -
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Dare to Dream by S.B. Alexander
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsHe'll do anything to protect his love, even if it means trading his life for hers... Bad boy Kade Maxwell knows the pain of loss. His sister's death tore his family apart. His life seemed destined down a nightmarish path until he met Lacey Robinson, a light that cuts though his darkness. Despite her own tragedy, her beauty, determination, and dedication makes him believe he can dream again... -
Home Game by Ginger Scott
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsFootball has been my life. Not that I ever had a choice in the matter. When your dad is a retired, future Hall-of-Fame quarterback, the gridiron tends to weave its way into your DNA.I always loved the game, but I could do without the spotlight that comes with being Peyton Johnson, the great Reed Johnson’s daughter...Categorized as:
sports high-school football athletes young adult from hate to love contemporary length-medium -
Dear McKinnon by Danielle Keil
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsEveryone knows what it means to have a teal envelope taped to their locker on the first day of the month. Everyone except new girl McKinnon Gregory.The envelope is the start of a monthly tradition called the Secret Admirers, and something McKinnon never thought she'd see. To her surprise-- and everyone else's-- the teal envelope is taped to her locker on March first... -
If There's No Tomorrow by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 34 ratingsLena Wise is always looking forward to tomorrow, especially at the start of her senior year. She's ready to pack in as much friend time as possible, to finish college applications and to maybe let her childhood best friend Sebastian know how she really feels about him. For Lena, the upcoming year is going to be epic—one of opportunities and chances...Categorized as:
sports friends to lovers angst high-school contemporary young adult new adult length-medium -
The Art of Life by Sarah Kay Carter
Jeremy is a devastatingly attractive twenty-one-year-old guy with a secret, who just has to walk into a room and flash his winning smile to melt a girl’s heart. Isabelle,”Izzy”, is a barely noticeable artist, whose home life leaves much to be desired...Categorized as:
virgin heroine friends to lovers high-school m-f hurt-comfort slow burn shy heroine sweet-hero -
The Accidentals by Sarina Bowen, Pauline Vidal
Rated: 4.09 of 5 stars · 32 ratingsA YA novel from USA Today bestselling author Sarina Bowen. Never ask a question unless you’re sure you want the truth. I’ve been listening to my father sing for my whole life. I carry him in my pocket on my mp3 player. It’s just that we’ve never met face to face. My mother would never tell me how I came to be, or why my rock star father and I have never met. I thought it was her only secret...Categorized as:
second chances friends to lovers angst m-f contemporary young adult single-mother length-medium -
Ruined Hopes by L.A. Cotton
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsAshleigh Chase has always had big dreams.But when she wakes up in hospital with no memory of how she got there, her bright future dissolves around her.Ezra Bennet has always felt like the odd one out.But this time, he really screwed up and he has no choice but to face the consequences...Categorized as:
high-school sports virgin hero friends to lovers football contemporary new adult young adult -
You Are Like a Flame to Me: The Algorithm of Letting Go by SEETHALA DEVI CHANDU
She said his love felt like drowning. He said her goodbye felt like a funeral.Six weeks after their catastrophic breakup, Rohan and Priya are finally starting to heal.Rohan is piecing his life back together after losing his father’s two lakh retirement fund and the woman he made his entire world. His new job at TechSphere Solutions is his last chance at a fresh start... -
The Vincent Brothers by Abbi Glines
Rated: 4.03 of 5 stars · 81 ratingsGetting a boy to fall head-over-heels in love with you isn’t easy. Especially when he’s been in love with your cousin for as long as you can remember. Lana has lived her life in her cousin’s shadow. Ashton always made perfect grades, had tons of friends, and looks model-perfect. And she’s always had Sawyer Vincent—the only boy Lana’s ever wanted—wrapped around her finger...Categorized as:
alpha male athletes virgin heroine friends to lovers possessive hero sports angst m-f -
Eden High: Book 5 by Jordan Silver
Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsSian might have seen something she shouldn't have. How will she deal with her suspicions and who can she share them with? If what she suspects gets out, it can destroy a lot of lives, but she's tired of spending so much time on her arch enemy...Categorized as:
alpha male virgin heroine high-school young adult contemporary new adult length-novella -
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Abe-kun's Got Me Now!, Vol. 7 by Aki Iwai
Akari's been floating on air lately. She and Abe are happily in love, which means, for the very first time, she has an actual Valentine for Valentine's day! Now, if only her Dad hadn't stumbled upon them in a compromising situation.. -
The Game by HJ Bellus
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 21 ratings**Mature Content Warning** Recommended for ages 17+ due to language and sexual content. Born to shine. Groomed to dominate. Levi Wilks is destined only to be a champion… Number one on the field, in the record books, and in every fans’ heart. This star QB is perfection from head to toe. Only his looks rival his talent on the field... -
Off-Limits by L.A. Cotton
From bestselling author of the Rixon Raiders comes a new spin-off next generation series.Lily Ford has always been a wallflower.But it’s senior year, and she wants nothing more than to try and push her boundaries and embrace the last year of high school.Kaiden Thatcher has always been the star on the football field...Categorized as:
sports high-school friends to lovers angst sweet heroine virgin heroine shy heroine alpha male -
Clash by Nicole Williams
Their Romeo-and-Juliet-level passion is the only thing Jude and Lucy agree on. That, and fighting all the time...Also not helping? Lucy's raging jealousy of the cheerleader who's wormed her way into Jude's life.While trying to hang on to her quintessential bad boy and also training to be the top ballet dancer in her class, Lucy knows something's going to give... soon...Categorized as:
football angst sports alpha male athletes possessive hero second chances tortured hero -
Interception by Fiona Davenport
Nixon Scott’s dream of playing professional football had finally come true. His focus needed to be on making the most of his rookie season. But then he met Ember Walsh.All it took was one look for Nixon to know Ember was meant to be his, but the timing was all wrong. She was also off-limits.Falling for his sister’s best friend wasn’t the right move... -
Have Mercy by L.A. Hart, Lane Hart
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsMy relationship with Royal Fitzpatrick has always been complicated and messy. At times, it’s even been incredibly painful. When I finally decide to stand up to him our senior year, unable to take another second of his bullying, Royal does the last thing I expected – he promises to change his evil ways. But I’ve been hurt by him for too long. He’s a lost cause. We are a lost cause...Categorized as:
high-school virgin heroine angst m-f virgin hero sports from hate to love contemporary
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