Books like 'The Glow Up'
Readers who enjoyed The Glow Up by A.M. Johnson also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary young adult gay romance friends to lovers college new adult sweet-hero sunny hero shy-hero grumpy sunshine
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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:
friends to lovers queer sweet-hero anal sex hurt-comfort sunny hero shy-hero new adult -
![The Golden Raven by Nora Sakavic]()
The Golden Raven by Nora Sakavic
I do not care what they think of me. I can’t. It only matters that I play.Jeremy Knox is no stranger to damage control, but his last season on an Exy court is off to a disastrous start. The relentless crusade against his newest teammate threatens the haven he and his friends have worked so hard to build...Categorized as:
queer new adult angst sunny hero sweet-hero tortured hero grumpy sunshine friends to lovers -
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![Given, Vol. 5 by Natsuki Kizu]()
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... -
![Carry the Ocean by Heidi Cullinan]()
Carry the Ocean by Heidi Cullinan
Normal is just a setting on the dryer. High school graduate Jeremey Samson is looking forward to burying his head under the covers and sleeping until it’s time to leave for college. Then a tornado named Emmet Washington enters his life. The double major in math and computer science is handsome, forward, wicked smart, interested in dating Jeremey—and he’s autistic...Categorized as:
hurt-comfort new adult friends to lovers angst shy-hero queer sweet-hero tortured hero -
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![Given, Vol. 5 by Natsuki Kizu, キヅナツキ]()
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]()
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... -
![Given, Vol. 4 by Natsuki Kizu]()
Given, Vol. 4 by Natsuki Kizu
Rated: 4.49 of 5 stars · 34 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... -
![Given, Vol. 6 by Natsuki Kizu, キヅナツキ]()
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]()
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... -
![시맨틱 에러 1 (Semantic Error (Novel) #1) by Soori Jeo, 저수리]()
시맨틱 에러 1 (Semantic Error (Novel) #1) by Soori Jeo, 저수리
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 24 ratings*시맨틱 에러(Semantic Error): 전산학상의 논리적 오류조장: 추상우발표자: 추상우part1 자료 조사: 추상우part2 자료 조사: 추상우자료 취합: 추상우발표 자료 제작: 추상우참여한 조원 명단: 추상우교양수업 과제에서 무임승차 조원들의 이름을 모조리 빼버린 컴공과 추상우. 그 때문에 이상한 선배와 엮이게 된다.무임승차3: [덕분에졸업못하게생겼네나좀봐요후배님] 20:23해외 유명 대학원 유학을 앞둔 디자인과 장재영. 디자인 실력, 외모, 집안, 인간관계, 뭐 하나 빠질 데 없는 그가 추상우만은 어렵다.“사람은 감정의 동물이야. 네가 날 그렇게 무시하지만 않았다면 PPT 같은 건 웃어넘기고 말았을 텐데.”“절 아주 호구 새끼로 보시나 본데, 크게 착각하신 거예요...Categorized as:
queer new adult grumpy sunshine contemporary from hate to love m-m young adult length-long -
![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... -
![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... -
![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.. -
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![Love Stage!!, Vol. 3 by Eiki Eiki, Taishi Zaou]()
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... -
![Gives Light by Rose Christo]()
Gives Light by Rose Christo
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 32 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 shy-hero queer contemporary multicultural m-m disabilities and marks -
![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... -
![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... -
![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... -
![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... -
![Fence #9 by C.S. Pacat, Johanna the Mad]()
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![I Hear the Sunspot by Yuki Fumino, 文乃ゆき]()
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... -
![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... -
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![Cherry Blossoms After Winter: Volume 1 by Bamwoo]()
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 .]()
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]()
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]()
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 contemporary from hate to love slow burn m-m -
![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... -
![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...Categorized as:
angst friends to lovers new adult hurt-comfort college queer young adult contemporary -
![I Cannot Reach You, Vol. 1 by Mika .]()
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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![Henry Hamlet's Heart by Rhiannon Wilde]()
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... -
![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... -
![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 -
![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 hurt-comfort friends to lovers grumpy sunshine m-m contemporary high-school -
![When I Grow Up by John Goode]()
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]()
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... -
![Seven Days: Monday–Sunday by Venio Tachibana, Rihito Takarai]()
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... -
![Snow Boys by Simon Doyle]()
Snow Boys by Simon Doyle
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsDean O’Donnell is a wallflower with a secret and a voice that could steal the show. Preferring to blend into the background at his high school, his world tilts on its axis when he is chosen for a major solo in the upcoming Christmas choir performance. His quiet life is further disturbed when he receives a Secret Santa gift, and an unexpected friendship forms... -
![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... -
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![I Cannot Reach You, Vol. 5 by Mika .]()
I Cannot Reach You, Vol. 5 by Mika .
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsYamato and Kakeru. Childhood best friends, complete opposites, wholly in love with each other. After Yamato’s confession, Kakeru resolved to face his feelings—once and for all! More aware of Yamato than ever, Kakeru agonizes over his true desires, the pair somehow end up on a Christmas date... -
![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 Long Way by DomLuka]()
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 hurt-comfort angst m-m young adult contemporary high-school explicit-plentiful -
![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... -
![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...
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