Books like 'To Make Matters Worse'
Readers who enjoyed To Make Matters Worse by Elle Rivers also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary funny young adult forced proximity from hate to love friends to lovers m-f working class heroine teacher-heroine sassy heroine
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A Secret Service by Joy Jenkins
Carter Owens, daughter of a Secret Service agent, is trained to disassemble any weapon, any situation, and anyone. Her biting sarcasm and razor-sharp mind make her impossible to beat in a word fight and when talking doesn’t work, she uses her fists. She attends Hamilton Prep, Washington D.C.’s most prestigious high school, where everyone is related to someone in power, except her... -
The Fake Out by Stephanie Archer
The only way to get back at my horrible ex? Fake date Rory Miller--my ex's rival, the top scorer in the NHL, and the arrogant, flirtatious hockey player I tutored in high school.Despite his ego, playing pretend with Rory is surprisingly fun and easy.Too easy.And now I’m wondering if Rory’s faking it at all... -
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:
m-f friends to lovers young adult contemporary high-school length-short humor tortured hero -
I sold myself to the devil for Vinyls... Pitiful I Know by DarknessAndLight
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 35 ratingsLexi Grayson is a normal teenager, as normal as she can be with her unobserving skills and her overthinking mind. But she might need the overthinking if she wants to unravel the smirking mystery that is Blake Eaton...Categorized as:
from hate to love friends to lovers young adult contemporary high-school humor bad boys sports -
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I Hope This Doesn't Find You by Ann Liang
Snarky and romantic, I Hope This Doesn't Find You is Never Have I Ever meets To All the Boys if Lara Jean wrote hate emails instead of love letters.Sadie Wen is perfect on paper: school captain, valedictorian, and a "pleasure to have in class... -
Double Crossed: A Spies and Thieves Story by Ally Carter
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 43 ratingsMacey McHenry—Glamorous society girl or spy-in-training? W.W. Hale V—Heir to an American dynasty or master thief? There are two sides to every coin. Whether these two can work together is a tossup. Born into privilege, Macey and Hale are experts at mingling with the upper class. But even if they’ve never raised an eyebrow at the glitz, neither teenager has ever felt at home with the glamour...Categorized as:
sassy heroine dual-pov suspense humor contemporary mystery young adult length-novella -
Pause by CJustMe, C.J. Adler
Rated: 4.65 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsAqueela, a dreamer and comedian at heart, has just one joyous vision - to transform lives through the mere power of friendship, friendships so solid that they last a lifetime. However, Jay, pessimistic by nature, is convinced that friends are overrated, and that Aqueela is nothing short of a whackjob with an idealistic perspective on the world. It would seem that he wants nothing to do with her...Categorized as:
from hate to love friends to lovers contemporary young adult humor high-school length-epic -
With This Heart by R.S. Grey
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 42 ratingsIf someone had told me a year ago that I was about to fall in love, go on an epic road trip, ride a Triceratops, sing on a bar, and lose my virginity, I would have assumed they were on drugs. Well, that is, until I met Beckham. Beck was mostly to blame for my recklessness...Categorized as:
friends to lovers forced proximity m-f humor contemporary tearjerkers virgin heroine college -
Brave: Wicked West Rejects by Cora Brent
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsRELEASE DATE: December 8**May be read as a stand alone**✅ Enemies with benefits✅ VERY protective anti-hero✅ Major SPICE✅ Fiery heroineMicah Lyonne is the worst man I know. As children, we were constantly thrown together by our powerful parents.And we always despised each other.He was supposed to be the heir to a billion dollar empire...Categorized as:
from hate to love friends to lovers m-f contemporary grumpy sunshine suspense new adult death -
The Trip by Robin Alexander
Who wants to take a road trip with two old, bickering women and a complete stranger? Not Jill Savoy. She finds herself behind the wheel of her father’s sacred Winnebago anyway, responsible for her grandmother and adopted aunt, both of whom are mischievous teenagers in old bodies, and then there’s Shay. The last thing on Shay Macaluso’s mind was a vacation...Categorized as:
from hate to love forced proximity f-f queer humor contemporary young adult length-short -
The Invitation by Vi Keeland
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 43 ratingsStella Bardot ist eine der talentiertesten Parfüm-Designerinnen in New York. Nachdem sie aber ihren Ex-Verlobten ausbezahlen musste, steht ihr kleines Geschäft kurz vor der Pleite. Als auch noch ihre Mitbewohnerin über Nacht verschwindet, braucht Stella dringend Ablenkung. Ihr bester Freund überredet sie kurzerhand, sich auf die High-Society-Hochzeit der Saison zu schmuggeln...Categorized as:
from hate to love dual-pov friends to lovers forced proximity m-f contemporary new adult office -
Always and Forever, Lara Jean by Jenny Han
Lara Jean is having the best senior year. And there’s still so much to look forward to: a class trip to New York City, prom with her boyfriend Peter, Beach Week after graduation, and her dad’s wedding to Ms. Rothschild. Then she’ll be off to college with Peter, at a school close enough for her to come home and bake chocolate chip cookies on the weekends...Categorized as:
friends to lovers m-f contemporary young adult multicultural high-school new adult humor -
Dear Emmie Blue by Lia Louis
In this charming and poignant novel that “oozes charm and wit and speaks beautifully about friendship and love, and the differences between the two” (Laura Pearson, author of I Wanted You to Know ), teenager Emmie Blue releases a balloon with her email address and a big secret into the sky, only to fall head-over-heels for the boy who finds it...Categorized as:
friends to lovers m-f sweet heroine contemporary humor young adult love triangle other-man-woman -
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I Need You To Hate Me by Genicious
Rated: 4.34 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsA passionate and enthralling college romance. Two damaged souls on a path to obliteration. When they collide, will they heal each other, or are they damaged beyond repair?What’s worse than losing someone you love? Blaming yourself for their death. Two years after a devastating accident, Calla is still full of guilt. But beyond the blame, other demons are prowling. Post-traumatic stress disorder...Categorized as:
from hate to love m-f contemporary new adult military humor young adult grumpy sunshine -
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 from hate to love young adult contemporary m-m high-school humor queer -
Today Tonight Tomorrow by Rachel Lynn Solomon
The Hating Game meets Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist by way of Morgan Matson in this unforgettable romantic comedy about two rival overachievers whose relationship completely transforms over the course of twenty-four hours.Today, she hates him. It’s the last day of senior year... -
Motion by Penny Reid
Forced to lie to protect her sister . . . From the New York Times Bestselling Author, Penny Reid One week. Home alone. Girl genius. Unrepentant slacker. Big lie. What’s the worst that could happen? Mona is a smart girl and figured everything out a long time ago. She had to. She didn’t have a choice...Categorized as:
forced proximity sweet heroine m-f from hate to love humor new adult contemporary slow burn -
A Love Song for Dreamers by Piper Lawson
He said I taught him how to dream.Maybe he taught me, too.But when fate brings the strongest man I know to his knees, dreams aren’t enough to save us.But true love doesn’t fade to silence after a single verse.Tyler and I have one last chance.And the power to decide how this ends.A tragedy for the ages.Or the perfect ending to the most beautiful song ever written...Ours...Categorized as:
friends to lovers m-f new adult contemporary young adult humor length-short open-door -
Love From A to Z by S.K. Ali
A marvel: something you find amazing. Even ordinary-amazing. Like potatoes—because they make French fries happen. Like the perfect fries Adam and his mom used to make together.An oddity: whatever gives you pause. Like the fact that there are hateful people in the world. Like Zayneb’s teacher, who won’t stop reminding the class how “bad” Muslims are.But Zayneb, the only Muslim in class, isn’t bad...Categorized as:
friends to lovers dual-pov m-f young adult contemporary racism high-school multicultural -
The Smirking Jerk by DarknessAndLight
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 11 ratings“I’m in love with you.” How many times would I have to think about this, how many times, before she could hear it, feel it, see it in my eyes? “I’m in love with you.” How could I make her see without telling her, without scaring her off… without losing her. I couldn’t lose her... -
Playing With Her Heart by Lauren Blakely
Rated: 4.16 of 5 stars · 28 ratingsFrom the NYT & USA Today Bestselling romance author, a sizzling and addictive story of a woman with a broken past and the man who can’t fight his attraction to her… Twenty-three year old rising theater star Jill McCormick has built a life out of pretending. Pretending she’s happy, pretending she’s not haunted by the dark secret that shattered her world six years ago...Categorized as:
dual-pov m-f humor young adult contemporary alpha male tortured heroine possessive hero -
The Bad Boy, Cupid & Me by Slim_Shady
Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsReece smirked, "Trust me Chloe, the Good Girl always falls for the Bad Boy."Chloe Armel is a Good Girl.She never gets in trouble, gets excellent grades and is loved by everyone.Enter Reece.Wild, badass and has an ego that honestly couldn't get any bigger.He gets into fights, breaks every single rule and couldn't care less about the consequences that come with it... -
Dating and Dragons by Kristy Boyce
From the author of the nationally bestselling Dungeons and Drama comes another gaming romance that's sure to win you over!After moving to a new high school, Quinn is desperate for friends, so she joins a D&D group with their own livestream and serious rules—most no dating fellow party members... -
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A Love Song for Rebels by Piper Lawson
I swore I’d never fall for a rockstar. He swore he’d never become one.Tyler didn’t mean to break my heart. He did it anyway.Now, I’ll never play by anyone’s rules but mine.When he shows up in the last place I expect, with a confession and a promise…There’s going to be a reckoning.Because the naive girl he shattered is gone.And the woman in her place is ready for a fight...Categorized as:
friends to lovers m-f new adult contemporary young adult humor length-short open-door -
Taken With Trouble (Caught in Chaos) by Jenessa Fayeth
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsSerena CruzBeing taken hostage by a criminal was not on my agenda for the week. The plan was to catch Liam Hawthorne, the billionaire con artist, and finally prove myself and gain the attention of my boss.Liam caught me instead.Forget the bounty, I’m killing him. However, it’s proving a rather difficult task–especially when he convinces me to help him...Categorized as:
from hate to love forced proximity dual-pov humor grumpy sunshine contemporary suspense mystery -
Jock Rule by Sara Ney
Kip Carmichael is no pretty boy. He's a rough. Dirty. Giant. Hair so unruly, and a beard so thick, his friends on the team call him Sasquatch. The first time Sasquatch lays eyes on Theodora "Teddy" Johnson across the keg at a party one night on Jock Row, she'd been relegated to the sidelines by her jock-hungry "friends... -
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:
friends to lovers from hate to love sweet heroine young adult contemporary high-school sports humor -
Promised Love by Vikki Jay
Getting stuck sharing a honeymoon suite with a hot, ex-NAVY Seal sounds like it should be a good time. Except Lukas is my husband and we haven't spoken in years. Until today, we were living separate lives, waiting to get out of this arranged marriage. But my family's meddling has pushed us together... -
Trouble with the Hotshot Boss by Holly Renee
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsHow do you screw up your life in three steps? Easy.Step one: Graduate from college with no prospective jobs lined up.Step two: Move back home with your parents because no job unfortunately equals no money.Step 3: Forget to social media stalk the guy who broke your heart before accepting a job in a town with a smaller population than a frat party on a Wednesday night...Categorized as:
dual-pov from hate to love forced proximity contemporary new adult humor young adult forbidden love -
Sincerely, Arizona by Whitney G.
Rated: 4.05 of 5 stars · 42 ratingsJust friends. We’re just friends. No, wait... -
The Dealmaker by Jessica Peterson
Hating and dating: I didn’t realize they’re two sides of the same coin until I meet him. Theo Morgan.One of Wall Street’s highest-paid traders, he may be hot as sin in his five-thousand-dollar custom-made suit and six-figure SUV. But Theo is the bane of my existence. He’s arrogant, rude, and as brash as they come.As our bank’s newest star hire, he’s also after the same promotion I am... -
Betting on You by Lynn Painter
From the New York Times bestselling author of Better than the Movies , this swoon-worthy rom-com in the vein of She’s All That and 10 Things I Hate About You follows a teen girl who unwittingly finds herself at the center of a bet while working at a waterpark... -
The Bachelor on the Shelf by Jana Aston
My name is Carter Sheppard and I actually like Christmas and my Christmas-themed hometown of Reindeer Falls. In fact, when I learn I have to return home in order to collect an inheritance—my uncle’s dog—it puts life into perspective for me.Sure, playing professional baseball is great. But it won’t last forever and every player needs a long-term game plan.And I just found mine... -
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Beauty and the Bachelor by Kelly Oram
Beauty and the Beast meets The Bachelor.Thanks to a stipulation in his late father's will, billionaire CEO Sebastian Monroe has one year to find a wife he loves who loves him back, or he will lose control of his family's company. The change could destroy the company and the lives of all its employees... -
Do You Do Extras? by Nikki Ashton
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsTake a normal girl, a Hollywood star, a mean foul-mouthed agent and a pink glittery sex toy and you've got Do You Do Extras? - but remember what happens on set stays on set.Grantley James is Hollywood's newest action hero. He's got the looks and the body but can barely crack a smile.Phoebe Drinkwater is an extra on Grantley's new film... -
The Best Friends' Playlist by Jessica King
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsI’m in love with my best friend. The problem? He doesn’t love me back.Five years ago, on the night of our high school graduation, I handed Jordan my heart, and he handed me a country song's worth of heartbreak and rejection.Now, after returning to my hometown for an internship, I find that despite my delusional fantasies, Jordan’s feelings remain the same. I’m still buddy-buddy Paige... -
The Ones We Remember by Katie Golightly
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsColin Hartrick is back. Even after five years away from his hometown, nothing could ever make him forget his family or the girl he left behind. The ghost of his eighteen-year-old, grief-stricken self never fails to remind him of how much he lost. Despite every memory and all the lingering feelings that sparked from their intimacy experiment, the girl of his dreams now wants nothing to do with him...Categorized as:
friends to lovers dual-pov young adult contemporary new adult grumpy sunshine high-school humor -
More Than Water by Renee Ericson
Rated: 4.09 of 5 stars · 28 ratingsIt doesn’t feel right. It doesn’t feel wrong. It just...feels. EJ Cunning, an art history major, dates musicians. Foster Blake, a chemical engineering major, can’t sing a tune. They’re not each other’s type. They’re coworkers. Then, one night leads to sex—sex between friends—which leads to an agreement. It all seems so simple—but nothing ever is. Many layers build a person’s facade... -
Lucky Star by Susannah Nix
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA lonely barista’s dreams come true when her celebrity crush asks her to pose as his fake girlfriend for the paparazzi. Boone Sheridan is a TV heartthrob with a public relations problem. He needs to clean up his image and create a distraction ASAP... -
Guarding the Goalie by Jacob Chance
The first time I met Murphy, the goalie of the Coyotes hockey team, I thought he was the most attractive man I’d ever seen.The second time, we shared a wild night and I never planned to see him again.Imagine my surprise when I showed up for a work meeting only to find out Murphy was my new client.He needed a bodyguard to pose as his live-in girlfriend, and I was perfect for the job...Categorized as:
sassy heroine forced proximity friends to lovers m-f suspense humor sports young adult -
The Good Girl & the Bad Boy by M.L. Collins
Rated: 4.18 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsWhat happens when Jackson High’s Good Girl and Bad Boy are forced to work together? I’ll tell you:I destroy his guitar. (Accidentally!)He uses my guilt to trick me into doing his work.For three weeks!Until I find out he lied. Oh, heck no. This bad boy has crossed the wrong girl.I call him out on it. In front of the whole school.Check mate, bad boy. “It feels good to be bad,” he whispers...Categorized as:
from hate to love m-f young adult contemporary high-school new adult humor length-short -
Strobe Edge, Vol. 1 by Io Sakisaka
Having no experience in romance, the vibrant Ninako curiously explores the meaning of what "love" really is, and is surprised to feel a colorful range of emotions as she grows closer to the school heartthrob, the quiet yet gentle Ren, who also happens to be involved in a longtime relationship...Categorized as:
dual-pov sweet heroine m-f friends to lovers young adult contemporary high-school length-short -
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Perfectly Misunderstood by Robin Daniels
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThis dual perspective book is the final installment in The Perfect Series. Jayden Valdez is an overachieving intellectual. Mike McGinnes is Franklin High School’s dumbest jock. Even though they barely know each other, she finds his personality repulsive and he thinks she’s got a giant stick up her you know what...Categorized as:
from hate to love forced proximity young adult contemporary high-school humor length-medium -
The Gossip and the Grump by Pippa Grant
He's the last man I should've picked for a one night stand...See that guy over there? The insanely tall, broad-shouldered, dark-haired, scowling, “I don’t drink coffee” suit?Surprise! He’s the new owner of my family’s mountain café.The café that has been my life purpose since I was born in the kitchen there almost thirty years ago...Categorized as:
from hate to love dual-pov forced proximity m-f humor contemporary young adult super rich hero -
Girls with Bad Reputations by Xio Axelrod
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsAll her life, Kayla heard the same Don't be so loud. Don't act so wild. Don't take up so much space. Now she's the beating heart of an up-and-coming rock band…and the whole world is going to know her name. Once upon a time, the pressure to be the perfect daughter nearly broke Kayla Whitman... -
Catching the Captain by Jacob Chance
When Kaiden Hart, the captain of the Charleston Coyotes hockey team, comes to my aid in an emergency, it’s the first time I’ve seen him since I was a young girl.And boy, have the years been kind to him.When he invites me out to dinner, accepting seems like the polite thing to do.At least that’s what I tell myself...Categorized as:
sassy heroine friends to lovers forced proximity m-f humor sports young adult contemporary -
Wanting the Winger by Jacob Chance
My dad has been the coach of the Charleston Coyotes for as long as I can remember. All the time I’ve spent in ice rinks has taught me two things:1. I will NEVER date a hockey player.As a single mom, it’s not like I have time for romance anyway.2. Nothing smells worse than hockey players after a game.And I work as a dog groomer, so I have experience with smelly animals...Categorized as:
friends to lovers sassy heroine m-f multicultural humor sports contemporary single-mother
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