Books like 'Like You’ve Nothing Left to Prove'
Readers who enjoyed Like You’ve Nothing Left to Prove by E.L. Massey also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary gay romance young adult sports new adult college hurt-comfort friends to lovers disabilities and marks athletes
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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 found-family young adult contemporary m-m mental illness glimpses-kisses -
![Check, Please! by Ngozi Ukazu]()
Check, Please! by Ngozi Ukazu
I'm a junior on the Samwell men's hockey team now, and not only do I have new teammates and new responsibilities and new pies to bake... I've got a new beau. ( Remember me ) Believe me: Dating a professional hockey player wasn't anything I expected to do in college. My parents don't know; my teammates have no clue...And Jack and I aren't sure that we want to keep it a secret... -
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![Like Real People Do by E.L. Massey]()
Like Real People Do by E.L. Massey
Nineteen-year-old hockey phenom Alexander Price is the youngest-ever captain in the NHL. With a polarizing social media presence and a predilection for dirty play, he typifies the stereotype of young, out-of-control athlete. But away from the cameras, Alex is a kid with an anxiety disorder and the expectations of an expansion franchise on his shoulders...Categorized as:
sports friends to lovers new adult multicultural athletes disabilities and marks college queer -
![Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz]()
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... -
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![Our Dining Table by Mita Ori]()
Our Dining Table by Mita Ori
Rated: 4.48 of 5 stars · 31 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]()
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 sports found-family friends to lovers young adult contemporary from hate to love m-m -
![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... -
![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... -
![Gives Light by Rose Christo]()
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:
multicultural friends to lovers disabilities and marks queer contemporary m-m angst young adult -
![Hirano and Kagiura, Vol. 1 by Shou Harusono]()
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... -
![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... -
![Fence, Vol. 5: Rise by C.S. Pacat]()
Fence, Vol. 5: Rise by C.S. Pacat
In the highly anticipated next chapter of Fence, Nicholas will stop at nothing until he becomes Seiji's worthy fencing rival!USA Today best-selling author C. S...Categorized as:
sports queer found-family young adult contemporary m-m from hate to love high-school -
![Check, Please!: Year Four by Ngozi Ukazu]()
Check, Please!: Year Four by Ngozi Ukazu
Rated: 4.59 of 5 stars · 13 ratings...Categorized as:
queer sports hockey found-family friends to lovers new adult contemporary young adult -
![Fence Vol. 3 by C.S. Pacat, Johanna the Mad]()
Fence Vol. 3 by C.S. Pacat, Johanna the Mad
From the superstar team of C.S. Pacat (The Captive Prince) and fan-favorite artist Johanna the Mad comes the third volume of this acclaimed, dynamic series... -
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![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... -
![Fence #10 by C.S. Pacat, Johanna the Mad]()
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![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... -
![Fence, Vol. 4: Rivals by C.S. Pacat, Johanna the Mad]()
Fence, Vol. 4: Rivals by C.S. Pacat, Johanna the Mad
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsThe GLAAD Award nominated series Fence returns as a graphic novel series as best-selling novelist C.S...Categorized as:
sports queer found-family young adult contemporary m-m from hate to love high-school -
![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... -
![Fence #11 by C.S. Pacat, Johanna the Mad]()
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 #12 by C.S. Pacat, Johanna the Mad]()
Fence #12 by C.S. Pacat, Johanna the Mad
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsTryouts are coming to a close, and the three available spots on the Kings Row fencing team are almost all locked up. It’s just a question of whether or not Nicholas can push through and earn a spot for himself—or if he’ll have to leave Kings Row altogether... -
![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... -
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![Fence #9 by C.S. Pacat, Johanna the Mad]()
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![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... -
![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... -
![151 Days by John Goode]()
151 Days by John Goode
Rated: 4.52 of 5 stars · 10 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... -
![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 found-family m-m young adult contemporary 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 -
![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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![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... -
![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 -
![Fifteen Hundred Miles from the Sun by Jonny Garza Villa]()
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... -
![Fence #8 by C.S. Pacat, Johanna the Mad]()
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![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... -
![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... -
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![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:
hurt-comfort friends to lovers queer m-m young adult angst 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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