Books like 'Honestly Ben'
Readers who enjoyed Honestly Ben by Bill Konigsberg also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary romance lgbtq mlm realistic coming-of-age high-school boarding-school friendship friends-to-lovers
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Take a Chance on Me by Alexa Land
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsFree-spirited ballet dancer Quinn is sure he made a terrible mistake by agreeing to be Duke’s roommate. The big cop is the most uptight person Quinn’s ever met, and both men begin driving each other crazy from day one. Before long though, an undeniable spark of attraction ignites between them... -
![Gay Club! by Simon James Green]()
Gay Club! by Simon James Green
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 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... -
![Bittersweet by Deborah Bladon]()
Bittersweet by Deborah Bladon
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsMy world exploded on my wedding day.A dark-haired, gorgeous stranger objected as I stood at the altar in my long, white gown.He told all of my friends, my family, and my fiancé that he was the man for me.I had no idea who he was, but he offered me an escape I was craving, so I left the church with him.He might have been a little drunk and horribly confused... -
![The Long Run by James Acker]()
The Long Run by James Acker
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsTwo track and field athletes find an unexpected but powerful love in this unapologetically blunt and unforgettably real YA debut. Sebastian Villeda is over it. Over his rep. Over his bros. Over being "Bash the Flash," fastest sprinter in South Jersey. His dad is gone, his mom is dead, and his stepfather is clueless. Bash has no idea what he wants out of life. Until he meets Sandro... -
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![Pumpkin by Julie Murphy]()
Pumpkin by Julie Murphy
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsWaylon Russell Brewer is a fat, openly gay boy stuck in the small West Texas town of Clover City. His plan is to bide his time until he can graduate, move to Austin with his twin sister, Clementine, and finally go Full Waylon, so that he can live his Julie-the-hills-are-alive-with-the-sound-of-music-Andrews truth... -
![Suffocate: A Senses Series Novel by Xavier Neal]()
Suffocate: A Senses Series Novel by Xavier Neal
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsER Nurse, Luke Hart, is known for his desire to take care of others and his need to be in control at all times. However, Stuart Ducane knows exactly which buttons to push to make sure Luke relinquishes both. When the chance comes for them to take their delicate friendship that's coated in secret desires to the next level, the timing isn't convenient and neither are the circumstances... -
![Chandler: Training Days Book 1 by J.D. Light]()
Chandler: Training Days Book 1 by J.D. Light
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsChandler Bell When my boyfriend breaks up with me because I'm overweight, I go to the one place I feel the most comfortable. Oddly enough, it's the gym I was basically raised in. Things have changed over the years, but the people inside are my family. Some of them literally. Baker reluctantly agrees to help me get in shape, and so begins the torture... -
![Fearless by Chris O'Guinn]()
Fearless by Chris O'Guinn
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsAt fifteen, Justin is already a cynic. He’s experienced too many betrayals, too many disappointments. He doesn’t want to be involved in anything. He doesn’t want to be popular. He doesn’t even want friends anymore, since they only ever let you down. He just wants to get through high school and the best way he can come up with to accomplish that goal is to simply be invisible... -
![Henry Hamlet's Heart by Rhiannon Wilde]()
Henry Hamlet's Heart by Rhiannon Wilde
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsA sparkling queer YA romance set in Brisbane, Henry Hamlet’s Heart follows one guy and his sometimes hilarious, sometimes heartbreaking journey to love.Henry Hamlet doesn’t know what he wants after school ends. It’s his last semester of year twelve 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... -
![Shoot The Gap by Jordan Ford]()
Shoot The Gap by Jordan Ford
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe final book in a young adult romance series about a small town football team and the girls who win their hearts. Tyler Schumann has always been known as Nelson High’s goofy clown, the guy with the big mouth...Categorized as:
high-school friends-to-lovers sports coming-of-age friendship family romance young-adult -
![Coming Out at the Ball Game by Jax Calder]()
Coming Out at the Ball Game by Jax Calder
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsFor Elijah, a trip to the ball game with his dad and his ex-friend Jaxon is a special kind of torture. He’s always been a disappointment to his dad, and there’s been an awful awkwardness between him and Jaxon since Elijah came out. Elijah hates that he still cares about what Jaxon thinks of him... -
![Heartmates by Marcus Herzig]()
Heartmates by Marcus Herzig
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAs childhood friends, Lars and Connor were inseparable. Now, in the social gauntlet of high school, neither boy can even muster a single word to the other. When Connor enters a romantic relationship with Jaden-Dominic Choi, the hottest social influencer in school, a barely healed wound is torn wide open again... -
![Knowing Me, Knowing You by Renae Kaye]()
Knowing Me, Knowing You by Renae Kaye
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsCan friends turned occasional lovers move beyond past mistakes and wrong assumptions to build something that can last? Quiet bookworm Shane has a big secret—one he’s kept for fifteen years. AFL superstar Ambrose Jakoby grew up next door to Shane. They were close friends, and Shane supported Ambrose through school. One night, everything changed... -
![Carter's Unfocused, One-Track Mind by Brent Crawford]()
Carter's Unfocused, One-Track Mind by Brent Crawford
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsAfter an eventful freshman year and disastrous summer, fifteen-year-old Will Carter returns to Merrian High none the wiser. His sophomore year will present a host of new problems: the return of Scary Terry from juvie, the pregnant presence of Amber Lee, friends-with-benefits negotiations with Abby, prom night expectations, and the ever-constant harassment from his boys... -
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![How to Convince a Boy to Kiss You by Tara Eglington]()
How to Convince a Boy to Kiss You by Tara Eglington
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe course of true love never did run smooth. For a girl who shares her name with a princess (a.k.a Aurora from Sleeping Beauty) Aurora Skye’s life seem fathoms away from a fairytale. Sure, she’s landed Hayden Paris, Potential Prince extraordinaire. And she got her wish -- one first kiss with all the knee-trembling, butterfly-inducing gloriousness she’d hoped for... -
![The Blue-Haired Boy by Courtney C. Stevens]()
The Blue-Haired Boy by Courtney C. Stevens
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsSet before the events of Courtney C. Stevens's debut novel, Faking Normal, this digital short story focuses on Bodee Lennox, otherwise known as the Kool-Aid Kid.Bodee Lennox has secrets. About where he got the four-inch scar on his leg. About the bruises on his back. About what it's really like to live in the Lennox household. These are things he doesn't share with anyone . . -
![Rainbow High by Alex Sanchez]()
Rainbow High by Alex Sanchez
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsJason Carrillo, the best-looking athlete in school, has had his eyes on the prize from day one: a scholarship for college. But then his eyes turn to love -- and Kyle. Kyle Meeks, swim team star and all-around good guy, is finally in the relationship he wanted. Being in love feels so good, in fact, that he can't imagine giving it up to go to Princeton... -
![True Letters from a Fictional Life by Kenneth Logan]()
True Letters from a Fictional Life by Kenneth Logan
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsIf you asked anyone in his small Vermont town, they'd tell you the facts: James Liddell, star athlete, decent student and sort-of boyfriend to cute, peppy Theresa, is a happy, funny, carefree guy.But whenever James sits down at his desk to write, he tells a different story... -
![Anything But Fine by Tobias Madden]()
Anything But Fine by Tobias Madden
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsAll it takes is one missed step for your life to change forever.Luca Mason knows exactly who he is and what he In six months, he’s going to be accepted into the Australian Ballet School, leave his fancy private high school, and live his life as a star of the stage―at least that’s the plan until he falls down a flight of stairs and breaks his foot in a way he can never recover from... -
![Desert Sons by Mark Kendrick]()
Desert Sons by Mark Kendrick
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsA coming-of-age novel for gay males ages 15-30. Scott Faraday is 16, gregarious, talented, never been in a relationship, and is out to only a select few. Ryan St. Charles is 17, hot-tempered, has already has been in a long relationship, yet is barely out to himself. Behind Ryan's carefully fashioned façade is emotional scarring from a past he's never been able to reconcile... -
![Love Me, Love Me Not by S.M. Koz]()
Love Me, Love Me Not by S.M. Koz
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsSeventeen-year-old Hailey Brown never wanted to be popular or rich or even successful. All she ever wanted was to feel loved by someone, anyone. Eighteen-year-old Brad Campbell doesn't know anything but popularity, wealth, and success thanks to his affluent family and unmatched talent on the football field... -
![No Take Backs by Becca Seymour]()
No Take Backs by Becca Seymour
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsSome things you can’t take back. If you say those words, get caught glancing at his bulge, or share a heated kiss, it’s game over. The “no take backs” rule strikes, and there’s no way you can backtrack. That’s the way it’s always been with me and Nate Griffin, my old best friend who thought he could change the rules. It doesn’t matter that time and distance have pulled us apart... -
![Take a Bow, Noah Mitchell by Tobias Madden]()
Take a Bow, Noah Mitchell by Tobias Madden
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThere Are No Cheat Codes for ShowmanceSeventeen-year-old gaymer Noah Mitchell only has one friend the wonderful, funny, strictly online-only MagePants69. After years playing RPGs together, they know everything about each other, except anything that would give away their real life identities. And Noah is certain that if they could just meet in person, they would be soulmates... -
![Lane’s by Nash Summers]()
Lane’s by Nash Summers
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsMaps doesn’t believe in growing up.He believes in his experiments, Benji’s new driving skills, Perry’s knowledge of “adult things”, and his interstellar boyfriend, Lane.Maps certainly doesn’t believe in graduating. And he especially doesn’t believe in his friends attending separate colleges.Because if Maps believed in any of those things, it would mean he was growing up... -
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![Surviving High School by M. Doty]()
Surviving High School by M. Doty
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWhat's the secret to surviving your freshman year of high school? Emily Kessler thinks she has it all figured out. She eats, sleeps and trains for competitive swimming. All she has to do is keep her grades high and swim times short -- short enough to live up to her sister Sara's. But walking the crowded maze of unfamiliar high school hallways is like diving headfirst into shark-infested waters... -
![Access Denied: And Other Eighth Grade Error Messages by Denise Vega]()
Access Denied: And Other Eighth Grade Error Messages by Denise Vega
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsComputer whiz Erin Swift is ready to start eighth grade. The Year of Humiliating Events (aka, seventh grade) is behind her and she's ready to rule the school. But eight grade comes with its own set of problems for Erin to navigate, including her first boyfriend, her first break-up, and the fact that her mom has been treating her more like an eight year old than an eighth grader... -
![Here's to You, Zeb Pike by Johanna Parkhurst]()
Here's to You, Zeb Pike by Johanna Parkhurst
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsFact: When Zebulon Pike attempted to climb what is now known as Pikes Peak, he got stuck in waist-deep snow and had to turn back.That's the last thing Dusty Porter learns in his Colorado history class before appendicitis ruins his life... -
![Fall Through Spring by Amy Lane]()
Fall Through Spring by Amy Lane
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA Winter Ball Novel As far as Clay Carpenter is concerned, his abusive relationship with food is the best thing he’s got going. When a good friend starts kicking his ass into gear, Clay is forced to reexamine everything he learned about food and love-and that’s right when he meets troubled graduate student, Dane Hayes... -
![Friends With Benefits: An absolutely uplifting, feel-good romcom by Lisa Swift]()
Friends With Benefits: An absolutely uplifting, feel-good romcom by Lisa Swift
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsCould Mr Right-Now actually be Mr Right?Lexie Whittle thought she had life all sewn up, with a gorgeous husband, a beautiful home and a delightful teenage stepson. Until husband Daryl left to work overseas…and everything changed.A year later, Daryl and Lexie’s marriage is over...Categorized as:
humor friends-to-lovers family lgbtq coming-of-age friendship contemporary womens-fiction -
![Noah Goes Nuclear by Simon James Green]()
Noah Goes Nuclear by Simon James Green
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsNoah Grimes is back, in a new, original short story!Noah is v excited: his class have been shipped off to a hotel in the Lake District to study a nearby Nuclear Power Station! On arrival, all Noah wants to do is settle in to his crisp hotel sheets and get proper rest, but his conniving secret half-brother Eric Smith has other plans... -
![The Stand-In Boyfriend by Christina Benjamin]()
The Stand-In Boyfriend by Christina Benjamin
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsSometimes the person you're meant to be with is standing right in front of you.Parker Reed has been in love with Beth Bennett since he was four years old. She grew up next door to him, holding his hand and now his heart. The problem is, Beth has no idea Parker is in love with her. He’s stuck in the friend zone, forced to stand by while Beth dates a parade of losers...Categorized as:
high-school realistic friends-to-lovers humor male-mc coming-of-age friendship romance -
![Ollie Fitzgerald's Heartbreak Anthems by Charlie Arrigo]()
Ollie Fitzgerald's Heartbreak Anthems by Charlie Arrigo
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsOllie Fitzgerald is finally ready to move on.After spending his entire life crafting the perfect plan for every situation, he wasn't expecting his best friend's brother, Nash, to kiss him on the first day of summer. Something else he wasn't expecting? Nash ghosting him a week later when he left for lacrosse camp... -
![Smart Girls Get What They Want by Sarah Strohmeyer]()
Smart Girls Get What They Want by Sarah Strohmeyer
Rated: 3.94 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsGigi, Bea, and Neerja are best friends and total overachievers. Even if they aren't the most popular girls in school, they aren't too worried. They know their real lives will begin once they get to their Ivy League colleges... -
![Diamonds by Nash Summers]()
Diamonds by Nash Summers
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsMaps’ kingdom is crumbling before his eyes.His parents are forcing him to get a job, there’s a new kid at school who won’t stop staring at him, and his best friend is too busy thinking about girls to help Maps deal with his real problems.Worst of all,Maps is lost.And none of the roads on his map are leading to Lane... -
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![A Secret Edge by Robin Reardon]()
A Secret Edge by Robin Reardon
Rated: 3.93 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsI love the long distance run, when you feel like you're about to die...and then you reach this place where you feel like there are no boundaries for you anywhere...In many ways, Jason Peele is like any other teenager. He hits the books, hangs with his friends, flirts with girls, and omits the full truth of his life from his Aunt Audrey and Uncle Steve, who have raised him since his parents died... -
![Phantom Limbs by Paula Garner]()
Phantom Limbs by Paula Garner
Rated: 3.93 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsOtis and Meg were inseparable until her family abruptly moved away after the terrible accident that left Otis' little brother dead. Since then, it's been three years of radio silence, during which time Otis has become the unlikely protege of eighteen-year-old Dara-part drill sergeant, part friend-who's hell-bent on transforming Otis into the Olympic swimmer she can no longer be... -
![With or Without You by Brian Farrey]()
With or Without You by Brian Farrey
Rated: 3.92 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsEighteen-year-old Evan and his best friend, Davis, get beaten up for being loners. For being gay. For just being themselves. But as rough as things often seem, at least Evan can take comfort in his sweet, sexy boyfriend Erik - whom he’s kept secret from everyone for almost a year. Then Evan and Davis are recruited to join the Chasers, a fringe crowd that promises them protection and status... -
![Living with Jackie Chan by Jo Knowles]()
Living with Jackie Chan by Jo Knowles
Rated: 3.92 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsAfter fathering a baby, a teenager moves in with his karate-loving uncle and tries to come to terms with his guilt — and find a way to forgive. This isn’t how Josh expected to spend senior year. He thought he’d be hanging out with his best friends, Dave and Caleb, driving around, partying, just like always... -
![Falling From The Sky by Nikki Chartier]()
Falling From The Sky by Nikki Chartier
Rated: 3.90 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsAll stability in sixteen-year-old Ridge McCoy’s life crashed and burned in the plane crash that killed his dad. This summer-long basketball camp is his chance to improve his skills and escape his problems back home... -
![Wrestling with Desire by D.H. Starr]()
Wrestling with Desire by D.H. Starr
Rated: 3.90 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsDerek Thompson is a senior, a wrestler, and has a secret. He's gay. Scott Thayer is a new student who has just moved to Cambridge, Massachusetts from Iowa. On the first day of school Derek and Scott meet and their lives change in an instant... -
![A Really Nice Prom Mess by Brian Sloan]()
A Really Nice Prom Mess by Brian Sloan
Rated: 3.90 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsWell, in summary, your fake date's in the bathroom with a hangover and a crispy hairdo, while my fake date is out wandering the Willard, searching for his heterosexuality or something. High school senior Cameron Hayes gets coerced into going to the prom with a girl, even though he'd rather be with his boyfriend... -
![The Playmaker by Jordan Ford]()
The Playmaker by Jordan Ford
Rated: 3.90 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThis is it—Tori Lomax’s senior year. Her last chance to leave Nelson High without a bucketload of regrets. Number one priority—get Colt Burgess to fall in love with her. So what if he’s the Raider’s number one playmaker? So what if he’s so far out of her league, the idea of them together would rupture the school’s social order? She has to try, before it’s too late... -
![Breath Like Water by Anna Jarzab]()
Breath Like Water by Anna Jarzab
Rated: 3.90 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsSusannah Ramos has always loved the water. A swimmer whose early talent made her a world champion, Susannah was poised for greatness in a sport that demands so much of its young...Categorized as:
sports realistic friendship friends-to-lovers family high-school lgbtq coming-of-age -
![A Matter of Heart by Amy Fellner Dominy]()
A Matter of Heart by Amy Fellner Dominy
Rated: 3.90 of 5 stars · 10 ratings“Will make your heart pound — anxiously, joyfully, triumphantly.” — New York Times bestselling author Lauren Myracle Readers will happily dive into this emotionally grounded, contemporary young adult novel about the sudden end of one girl’s Olympic swimming dreams and the struggles she endures before realizing there are many things that express who we are...Categorized as:
sports realistic high-school coming-of-age friendship romance young-adult contemporary -
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![We Could Be Something by Will Kostakis]()
We Could Be Something by Will Kostakis
Rated: 3.88 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsPart Coming-Out Story.Part falling-in-love story.Part falling-apart story.Harvey's dads are splitting up. It's been on the cards for a while, but it's still sudden. Woken-by-his-father-to-catch-a-red-eye sudden. Now he's restarting His Life In A New City, Living Above A Cafe With The Extended Greek Family He Barely Knows.Sotiris is a rising star... -
![Heavyweight by M.B. Mulhall]()
Heavyweight by M.B. Mulhall
Rated: 3.83 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsSecrets. Their weight can be crushing, but their release can change everything—and not necessarily for the better. Ian is no stranger to secrets. Being a gay teen in a backwater southern town, Ian must keep his orientation under wraps, especially since he spends a lot of time with his hands all over members of the same sex, pinning their sweaty, hard bodies to the wrestling mat... -
![Last Bell by Alison Hendricks]()
Last Bell by Alison Hendricks
Rated: 3.83 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsDavid After my wife died, I was positive I'd never be able to move on. I held myself together with glue and Scotch tape for my daughter's sake, but I haven't been the same since. I thought a new start in Glen Springs would do us both some good, and after a rocky transitional period, it seems like I was right. Riley's happier and healthier than she's ever been... -
![Lost Love by J.R. Gray]()
Lost Love by J.R. Gray
Rated: 3.83 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsMarred by heartbreak, I fled Arrowood at eighteen. I couldn’t spend the rest of my life watching my best friend get a happily ever after I couldn’t be a part of.Fourteen years later with nowhere else to turn, I’m back... -
![Dating Nashville by Ann Maree Craven, Michelle MacQueen]()
Dating Nashville by Ann Maree Craven, Michelle MacQueen
Rated: 3.83 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsBecks: How does a straight guy accidentally come out as gay to the entire country music world? I’ll get back to you when I know the answer. It all happened so fast. One moment, my best friend’s little brother is standing in a sea of people as his boyfriend breaks his heart. Again. The next, I’m jumping off stage mid-concert to give him the kiss of his life—or maybe the kiss of my life... -
![Snow Way in Hell by Charlie Novak]()
Snow Way in Hell by Charlie Novak
Rated: 3.83 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsTarquin has been in love with his brother’s best friend since he was twelve. Unfortunately, he’s pretty sure George doesn’t feel the same.Dragged on a pre-Christmas skiing holiday by his older brother, Tarquin isn’t looking forward to three days in the snow. The only upside? Snowboarder George Young, his brother’s best friend and Tarquin’s long term crush, is joining them...
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