Books like 'Barred Desires'
Readers who enjoyed Barred Desires by Ashley James also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary gay romance young adult stepsibling college angst cheating forbidden love new adult forced proximity
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Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 82 ratingsDante can swim. Ari can't. Dante is articulate and self-assured. Ari has a hard time with words and suffers from self-doubt. Dante gets lost in poetry and art. Ari gets lost in thoughts of his older brother who is in prison. Dante is fair skinned. Ari's features are much darker... -
![Autoboyography by Christina Lauren]()
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... -
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![Given, Vol. 6 by Natsuki Kizu, キヅナツキ]()
Given, Vol. 6 by Natsuki Kizu, キヅナツキ
Rated: 4.42 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 one another—always brings them back together again... -
![Romeo Falling by Jesse H. Reign]()
Romeo Falling by Jesse H. Reign
What happens when he’s your Romeo…but you’re no Juliet? Romeo and I were friends long before we were lovers. Best friends. Ride or die. What started as an innocent kiss slowly unraveled and shattered, giving way to years of tears and total obsession.Now I’m back in the small town I call home, staring straight into the face of the only man I’ve ever loved…or hated...Categorized as:
friends to lovers cheating forced proximity angst queer-awakening queer other-man-woman new adult -
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![Given, Vol. 6 by Natsuki Kizu]()
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... -
![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... -
![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.. -
![I Hear the Sunspot: Limit, Volume 2 by Yuki Fumino]()
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]()
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... -
![I Hear the Sunspot, Vol. 1 by Yuki Fumino]()
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... -
![I Hear the Sunspot by Yuki Fumino, 文乃ゆき]()
I Hear the Sunspot by Yuki Fumino, 文乃ゆき
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 31 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... -
![某某 A Certain Someone by Mu Su Li, 木苏里]()
某某 A Certain Someone by Mu Su Li, 木苏里
Rated: 4.47 of 5 stars · 13 ratings盛望搬进了白马弄堂的祖屋院子，一并搬进来的还有他爸正在交往的女人。他爸指着那个女人的儿子对他说：叫哥。桀骜不驯吃软不吃硬的制冷机（攻）x自认很金贵的懒蛋小少爷（受）盛望：我笔直。江添：我恐同。校园文，1v1+heSheng Wang moved into his ancestral home at White Horse Lane, along with the woman that his father was presently seeing.His dad pointed at that woman’s son and said to him: Call him ge (older brother)... -
![Something Like Stories: Volume Two by Jay Bell]()
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... -
![Cherry Blossoms After Winter: Volume 1 by Bamwoo]()
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... -
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![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... -
![Pictures of You by Leta Blake]()
Pictures of You by Leta Blake
Growing up gay isn’t easy. Growing up gay in Knoxville, Tennessee is even harder. Eighteen-year-old Peter Mandel, a private school senior—class of 1990—is passionate about photography. Peter doesn’t have many friends, preferring to shoot pictures from behind the scenes to keep his homosexuality secret...Categorized as:
new adult cheating friends to lovers angst other-man-woman secret-relationship queer 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...Categorized as:
new adult angst friends to lovers forced proximity other-man-woman cheating queer m-m -
![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.. -
![A Tremendous Amount of Normal by Chase Connor]()
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]()
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... -
![Know Not Why (Know Not Why) by Hannah Johnson]()
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:
friends to lovers college new adult queer queer-awakening contemporary from hate to love slow burn -
![Always the Almost by Edward Underhill]()
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 other-man-woman queer young adult contemporary m-m high-school love triangle -
![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]()
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 secret-relationship queer young adult contemporary m-m high-school length-medium -
![Attractive Forces by Jax Calder]()
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... -
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![Dekoboko Bittersweet Days by Atsuko Yusen]()
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... -
![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... -
![Jackass! by Scarlet Beriko]()
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... -
![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 queer-awakening m-m young adult contemporary length-short -
![Every Mended Heart by Nik Knight]()
Every Mended Heart by Nik 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...Categorized as:
queer angst friends to lovers forced proximity cheating m-m contemporary high-school -
![Something Like Thunder by Jay Bell]()
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... -
![The Dove in the Belly by Jim Grimsley]()
The Dove in the Belly by Jim Grimsley
At the University of North Carolina, Ronny's made some friends, kept his secrets, survived dorm life, and protected his heart.Until he can't. Ben is in some ways Ronny's opposite; he's big and solid where Ronny is small and slight. Ben's at UNC on a football scholarship. Confident, with that easy jock swagger, and an explosive temper always simmering. He has a steady stream of girlfriends... -
![I Cannot Reach You, Vol. 1 by Mika .]()
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... -
![Don't Let Me Go by J.H. Trumble]()
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... -
![Paint Eater by Marina Vivancos]()
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... -
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![Cinderella Boy by Kristina Meister]()
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]()
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]()
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... -
![When I Grow Up by John Goode]()
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... -
![Volatile by Avylinn Winter]()
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... -
![String Boys by Amy Lane]()
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... -
![Loud Places by A.E. Jensen]()
Loud Places by A.E. Jensen
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratings“You’re my best friend in the whole wide world, Matty.”Three years. It’s been three years since Ethan last saw or heard from his best friend. Three years since Matty ran away. Now that high school is over, nothing stands in the way anymore. Ethan is ready to embark on this journey cross country to find Matty...Categorized as:
angst friends to lovers queer m-m hurt-comfort young adult contemporary length-medium -
![Seven Days: Monday–Sunday by Venio Tachibana, Rihito Takarai]()
Seven Days: Monday–Sunday by Venio Tachibana, Rihito Takarai
Rated: 4.12 of 5 stars · 24 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... -
![My Summer Of You: Vol. 2: The Summer With You (君は夏のなか (Kimi wa natsu no naka) #2) by Nagisa Furuya]()
My Summer Of You: Vol. 2: The Summer With You (君は夏のなか (Kimi wa natsu no naka) #2) by Nagisa Furuya
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsAfter graduating from high school, Chiharu returns to Tokyo to start university, and spend another summer with his now-boyfriend Wataru. The two boys might be busy with their part-time jobs and schoolwork, but they’re living in the same city again at last, which sets off new sparks and adventures... -
![The Two Lions by Nagisa Furuya]()
The Two Lions by Nagisa Furuya
Rated: 4.09 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsTo escape his reputation as a misunderstood loner, Leo attends a university far from home. His attempts at making friends aren't going so well until he meets someone who recognizes him--friendly and laidback Junpei, who went to the same high school as he did... -
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![Regretting You by T. Ashleigh]()
Regretting You by T. Ashleigh
Tyler-Some days I wish I’d never met Gregory Baldwin. Then there are days when I feel like I’ll die if he’s away for too long.It’s like I’m addicted to him. Addicted to the attention he gives me and what he does to me in secret. He has lips made for sin and a body I can’t keep my hands off of, but mostly, I know he has a heart. That’s what keeps me coming back...Categorized as:
college secret-relationship friends to lovers new adult angst queer from hate to love contemporary -
![Here's to Us by Becky Albertalli, Adam Silvera]()
Here's to Us by Becky Albertalli, Adam Silvera
Ben has spent his first year of college working on his fantasy manuscript with his writing partner Mario, who is a great Spanish tutor, and an even better kisser. So why can’t he stop thinking about the fact that Arthur’s back in town two years after they called it quits?Arthur is in New York for a dream internship on Broadway, with a boyfriend back at home that he couldn't be happier with...Categorized as:
new adult friends to lovers angst college other-man-woman queer young adult contemporary -
![The Blue Summer and You (君は夏のなか (Kimi wa natsu no naka) #2) by Nagisa Furuya]()
The Blue Summer and You (君は夏のなか (Kimi wa natsu no naka) #2) by Nagisa Furuya
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsChiharu Saeki terminal el bachillerato y volver a Tokio para ir a la Universidad. Así empieza otro verano junto a wataru. A pesar de ir a universidades distintas y de los días ajetreados entre el trabajo y los estudios, ambos están emocionados ante la certeza de que están cerca y podrán verse cuando quieran... -
![Maps by Nash Summers]()
Maps by Nash Summers
Rated: 4.16 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsIf Maps ruled the world, his best pal Benji would be court jester, and every day would celebrate a new experiment. No, scratch that. If Maps ruled the world, his best pal would still be living next door, and there wouldn’t be any gap-toothed new guy staring at him as if he’s bonkers. Pity Maps doesn’t rule the world . .Categorized as:
friends to lovers new adult queer queer-awakening young adult contemporary m-m bisexual -
![Omitting You by T. Ashleigh]()
Omitting You by T. Ashleigh
Rated: 4.18 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsRhys:I’ve loved him since before I understood what love meant.My best friend, my secret keeper, my defender.The boy with the glasses and quiet temperament.The guy with the sweetest smile, who has the dirtiest mouth.The man who owns me. Mind, body, and soul.I’m ready for the world to know that he’s mine. To love him out loud.The problem? Winston isn’t ready. And I’m not sure he ever will be...Categorized as:
friends to lovers forced proximity secret-relationship new adult college queer m-m high-school -
![Shut Your Face, Anthony Pace! by Claire Davis, Al Stewart]()
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...
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