Books like 'Pretty Tough'
Readers who enjoyed Pretty Tough by Nicole Leigh Shepherd also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary romance sports high-school realistic friendship coming-of-age family
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Where You See Yourself by Claire Forrest
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsWhere You See Yourself combines an unforgettable coming-of-age tale, a swoon-worthy romance, and much-needed disability representation in this story about a girl who's determined to follow her dreams...Categorized as:
realistic coming-of-age family friendship high-school romance young-adult disability -
![Breaking Walls by Tracie Puckett]()
Breaking Walls by Tracie Puckett
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsIt’s not about the rules anymore. It’s about the sacrifice. She’s already given up too much to lose faith now. Gabe has walked away, and Mandy’s fate with the Raddick Initiative is hanging in the balance. Media attention has the whole town talking. Friends are making wild assumptions, and one of her own teammates has turned on her... -
![My Mistletoe Mix-Up by Judy Corry]()
My Mistletoe Mix-Up by Judy Corry
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsShe was supposed to kiss her crush under the mistletoe. She didn't expect to kiss his bad-boy twin.When Raven Rodgers finds out her longtime crush is back in town, she's convinced her bad luck with guys has finally changed. That is until she mistakenly kisses her crush's twin brother, Logan Carmichael, who has been her sworn enemy since childhood...Categorized as:
coming-of-age family friendship high-school book contemporary fiction womens-fiction -
![Jingga Dalam Elegi by Esti Kinasih]()
Jingga Dalam Elegi by Esti Kinasih
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsSejak peristiwa pagi hari saat melihat mata Tari bengkak, Ari jadi penasaran. Benarkah itu hanya karena Ari menghapus nomor HP Ata dari HP Tari, ataukah karena Angga? Kalau memang karena Angga yang notabene musuh bebuyutan Ari, Ari ingin tahu apa yang telah dilakukan cowok itu terhadap Tari... -
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![Somebody's Baby by Lurlene McDaniel]()
Somebody's Baby by Lurlene McDaniel
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsEver since Sloan won a reality singing competition, her music career has taken off. Now she has a manager, a recording contract, and a tour in the works. Her manager warned her that strangers would ask her for all sorts of things, and that she must not respond. But one email stands out—from a young woman who claims to be Sloan’s half sister... -
![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... -
![Don't Taunt Me by Kai Juniper]()
Don't Taunt Me by Kai Juniper
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsBrook saved me.Tamed the monster within me.But my past brought it back.It knocked on my door and everything fell apart.I thought I was stronger than that.But I'm not. Not yet. Not even with Brook's love.My past taunts me.It fuels my rage.If I can't get control of it, I'll lose it all.Everything I've worked for.I won't let that happen.I've come too far to go back... -
![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... -
![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... -
![Ethan Between Us by Anna Myers, Julia Laserna]()
Ethan Between Us by Anna Myers, Julia Laserna
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsEthan is different. He is gorgeous, easy to talk to, and a uniquely gifted pianist. But his musical talent is both a gift and a curse. The doctors label him a schizophrenic, as he claims to have been taught by a long-dead, 19th-century composer... -
![The Kissing Tutor by Sally Siles]()
The Kissing Tutor by Sally Siles
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratings"Oh the feels this story gives you, I found myself smiling, crying and laughing with the characters." - Amazon reviewerMy first kiss was a total disaster.I’m talking on the viral level.Caught on camera and played on a loop for every single person at prom to see. And then record on their phones to share with the entire world... -
![Now I'll Tell You Everything by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor]()
Now I'll Tell You Everything by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsIt's Alice—for the rest of her life! Yes, the very last Alice book, and it reveals every last bit you'd want to know about Alice, including whether she spends the rest of her life with Patrick! "This is the book where Alice, every girl’s girl, turns into every lady’s lady" (VOYA).Alice McKinley is going to college! And everything, from her room to her classes to her friends, is about to change... -
![Dare You to Kiss the Quarterback by Lacy Andersen]()
Dare You to Kiss the Quarterback by Lacy Andersen
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsA little dare never hurt anybody...I’m ready to rock my senior year. So what if my parents are recently divorced, the captain of the cheerleading team hates me more than tan lines, or that I’ve been forced to wear the school’s smelly mascot costume? Those things I can handle... -
![The Truth Project by Dante Medema]()
The Truth Project by Dante Medema
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsSeventeen-year-old Cordelia Koenig was sure of many things going into her last year of high school. For one, she wasn’t going to stress over the senior project all her peers were dreading—she’d just use the same find-your-roots genealogy idea that her older sister used for hers...Categorized as:
realistic family high-school coming-of-age friendship romance young-adult contemporary -
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![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... -
![Break the Rules by Joanna Philbin]()
Break the Rules by Joanna Philbin
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThe only daughter of supermodel Katia Summers, witty and thoughtful Lizzie Summers likes to stick to the sidelines. The sole heir to Metronome Media and daughter of billionaire Karl Jurgensen, outspoken Carina Jurgensen would rather climb mountains than social ladders. Daughter of chart-topping pop icon Holla Jones, stylish and sensitive Hudson Jones is on the brink of her own music breakthrough...Categorized as:
coming-of-age family friendship high-school realistic action-adventure book contemporary -
![Some Mistakes Were Made by Kristin Dwyer, Karissa Vacker]()
Some Mistakes Were Made by Kristin Dwyer, Karissa Vacker
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 16 ratings"Heartbreaking, painfully romantic, and deeply human." --Stephanie Garber, #1 bestselling author of CaravalFrom bestselling authors to booksellers and librarians, early readers are obsessed with this debut YA romance pitched as Sarah Dessen meets Adam Silvera, told in alternate timelines and perfect for fans of messy, complicated relationships...Categorized as:
coming-of-age family friendship realistic book contemporary fiction friends-to-lovers -
![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... -
![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... -
![Pulled Under by Michelle Dalton]()
Pulled Under by Michelle Dalton
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsA shy teen befriends an attractive beach town tourist in this refreshing summertime romance, in the tradition of Sixteenth Summer and Seventeenth Summer . In the small town of Pearl Beach, Florida, Izzy Lucas needs only her surfboard and the water to be completely happy. She wants nothing to do with parties, popularity contests, or showing her face around the clichéd touristy hangouts... -
![Whisper by Chrissie Perry]()
Whisper by Chrissie Perry
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsI'm always trying to figure out what's really going on. Always having to fill in the gaps, but never getting all the details. It's like trying to do a jigsaw when I don't even know what the picture is, and I'm missing one of the vital middle pieces... -
![Guys Do Not Do Secret Santa by Miranda Kenneally]()
Guys Do Not Do Secret Santa by Miranda Kenneally
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsA Catching Jordan short story (9 months before Catching Jordan... -
![What You Always Wanted by Kristin Rae]()
What You Always Wanted by Kristin Rae
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsEnjoy What You Always Wanted and the other standalone titles in Bloomsbury's contemporary If Only romance line centered around an impossible you always want what you can't have !Maddie Brooks has always had high standards for guys. But she has yet to find one who can live up to the romantic, classic Hollywood heartthrobs, especially the dreamy song-and-dance man Gene Kelly... -
![The Victoria in My Head by Janelle Milanes]()
The Victoria in My Head by Janelle Milanes
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsA shy, rule-following teen joins a local rock band and finds herself caught between staying on the path she’s always known and straying off-course to find love, adventure, and danger in this novel that’s perfect for fans of Rainbow Rowell.Victoria Cruz inhabits two worlds: In one, she is a rock star, thrashing the stage with her husky voice and purple-streaked hair...Categorized as:
coming-of-age family friendship high-school realistic book contemporary female-author -
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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... -
![Don't Forget Me by Victoria Stevens]()
Don't Forget Me by Victoria Stevens
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsSeventeen-year-old Hazel Clarke is no stranger to heartbreaks, and being sent to live with a father she’s never met is the latest in a string of them. Even the beauty of eastern Australia isn’t enough to take her mind off her mother and the life she had to leave behind in England... -
![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...Categorized as:
realistic coming-of-age friendship family high-school romance young-adult middle-grade -
![Crushing It by Erin Becker]()
Crushing It by Erin Becker
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsOn the soccer field, Magic Mel is in her element. She's ready to lead her team to victory at the city championship in her new role as captain. Off the field, however, is a totally different story. Mel can't get a handle on her class presentation, her friend group has completely dissolved, and her ex-friend-current-teammate, Tory, is being the worst... -
![The Comeback by Marlene Perez]()
The Comeback by Marlene Perez
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA novel about ruling high school, being exiled, and fighting your way back to your rightful throne.Sophie Donnelly is one half of the most popular and powerful couple in school, until new girl Angie Vogel shows up and compromises everything. Angie steals Sophie's starring role in the school play, and, worse, her super-popular boyfriend...Categorized as:
coming-of-age friendship high-school realistic book contemporary fiction womens-fiction -
![Outrunning The Darkness by Anne Schraff]()
Outrunning The Darkness by Anne Schraff
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThemes: Hi-Lo, High school, neighborhoods, family, loyalty, friendship, urban teen fiction, self esteem, teen relationships, unrequited love. Written for young adults, the Urban Underground series confronts issues that are of great importance to teens, such as friendship, loyalty, drugs, gangs, abuse, urban blight, bullies, and self-esteem to name a few... -
![Just for You by Jennifer Ann Shore]()
Just for You by Jennifer Ann Shore
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsPenn Westbrook thinks he’s the one for me. It’s not that I’m entirely opposed to the idea, but I’ve got a lot going on. Aside from school obligations and my own extracurricular interests, I’ve got a crazy family life... -
![Love on the Lifts by Rachel Hawthorne]()
Love on the Lifts by Rachel Hawthorne
Rated: 3.94 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsWinter Break super-secret perfect cocoa recipe: 8 oz steamed whole milk (no skim! doesn't work!) 2 tbsp. dark cocoa powder (big scoops) 1 tbsp. sugar (can't be too sweet) 4 dried, crushed mint leaves (or 1 tbsp. mint syrup) Stir thoroughly. Add mint swizzle stick. Combine with cute ski instructor, or brother's cute best friend, or cute guy you never noticed was so cute.. -
![The Bridge from Me to You by Lisa Schroeder]()
The Bridge from Me to You by Lisa Schroeder
Rated: 3.93 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsLauren has a secret. Colby has a problem. But when they find each other, everything falls into place. Lauren is the new girl in town with a dark secret. Colby is the football hero with a dream of something more. In alternating chapters, they come together, fall apart, and build something stronger than either of them thought possible--something to truly believe in... -
![Alice on Her Way by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor]()
Alice on Her Way by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Rated: 3.92 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsFreedom! It's the moment Alice has been looking forward to for years -- her sixteenth birthday is coming up, and that means getting her driver's licence, with the freedom that entails. And before that important milestone, there's another delicious taste of freedom awaiting Alice and her friends -- a class trip to New York City, promising some serious partying once chaperones have gone to bed... -
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![Abi and the Boy Next Door: A Sweet Young Adult Romance by Kelsie Stelting]()
Abi and the Boy Next Door: A Sweet Young Adult Romance by Kelsie Stelting
Rated: 3.92 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsIt’s the first day at my new school and I already have a wide load sticker on my back. But this is still better than life was before. Before I was taken away from my parents. Before I moved in with my grandma.Before I met Jon Scoller.He’s cute, he lives down the street, but the guy asks way too many questions. Questions about a past I’d rather forget.And I am not his type... -
![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... -
![Out of Left Field by Kris Hui Lee]()
Out of Left Field by Kris Hui Lee
Rated: 3.92 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThere’s no playing it safe in love or baseball in this sparkling debut, perfect for fans of Morgan Matson and Kasie West.Marnie has never had a hard time fitting in with the guys. It would take a lot more than their goofy antics to keep her from joining them at the neighborhood sandlot to do what she loves best: play ball...Categorized as:
sports realistic high-school coming-of-age romance young-adult contemporary friends-to-lovers -
![The Secret Side of Empty by Maria E. Andreu]()
The Secret Side of Empty by Maria E. Andreu
Rated: 3.90 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA Junior Library Guild Selection, 2014A Junior Library Guild Selection, 2014A School Library Journal Top 10 Latino Books of 2014As a straight-A student with a budding romance and loyal best friend, M.T.’s life seems as apple-pie American as her blondish hair and pale skin. But M.T. hides two facts to the contrary: her full name of Monserrat Thalia and her status as an undocumented immigrant... -
![Carter's Big Break by Brent Crawford]()
Carter's Big Break by Brent Crawford
Rated: 3.90 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsAfter surviving freshman year (just barely), Carter is craving his summer break. Unfortunately, when he and his girlfriend, Abby, part ways, it looks as though summer just might break him. Things start to look up when he's unexpectedly cast in an independent film opposite the world's biggest tween sensation, Hilary Idaho. With Hollywood knocking on his door, Carter gets a taste of the good life... -
![The Color Project by Sierra Abrams]()
The Color Project by Sierra Abrams
Rated: 3.90 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsBernice Aurora Wescott has one thing she doesn't want anyone to know: her name. That is, until Bee meets Levi, the local golden boy who runs a charity organization called The Color Project. Levi is not at all shy about attempting to guess Bee’s real name; his persistence is one of the many reasons why Bee falls for him... -
![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... -
![The Arrival of Someday by Jen Malone]()
The Arrival of Someday by Jen Malone
Rated: 3.90 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsIn this heartfelt and emotionally candid contemporary YA, author Jen Malone delves into the life of a teen whose world is brought to an abrupt halt when she learns she’s in dire need of an organ transplant...Categorized as:
realistic family coming-of-age friendship high-school romance young-adult contemporary -
![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 -
![Water Balloon by Audrey Vernick]()
Water Balloon by Audrey Vernick
Rated: 3.88 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsMarley’s life is as precarious as an overfull water balloon—one false move and everything will burst. Her best friends are pulling away from her, and her parents, newly separated, have decided she should spend the summer with her dad in his new house, with a job she didn’t ask for and certainly doesn’t want. On the upside is a cute boy who loves dogs as much as Marley does . . -
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![Just Our Luck by Julia Walton]()
Just Our Luck by Julia Walton
Rated: 3.88 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsFrom the author of Words on Bathroom Walls— now a major motion picture—comes a romance in the spirit of Dear Evan Hansen about overcoming anxiety—and about finding love and friendship in unlikely places.★ "A masterpiece" —Kirkus, starred review"Bad luck follows lies." That was the first rule for life that Leo's Greek grandmother, Yia Yia, gave him before she died...Categorized as:
realistic coming-of-age sports friendship high-school romance young-adult contemporary -
![I'll Tell You Mine by Pip Harry]()
I'll Tell You Mine by Pip Harry
Rated: 3.83 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsKate Elliot isn't trying to fit in – that's the whole point of being a goth, isn't it?Everything about her – from her hair to her clothes – screams different and the girls at her school give her a wide berth. How can Kate be herself, really herself, when she's hiding her big secret? The one that landed her in boarding school in the first place...Categorized as:
coming-of-age friendship high-school realistic boarding-school book contemporary fiction -
![Pwned by Shannen Crane Camp]()
Pwned by Shannen Crane Camp
Rated: 3.83 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsReagan West has a perfect life. She’s at the top of the high school food chain as co-captain of the cheerleading squad and she’s best friends with the most evil girl in Albany, Tawny Perez, which means she’s never on the receiving end of her wrath... -
![Finding Freia Lockhart by Aimee Said]()
Finding Freia Lockhart by Aimee Said
Rated: 3.83 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsFreia Lockhart just wants to fit in at school but her best friend Kate is determined to get in with the popular Bs: Belinda, Bethanee and Brianna. Even Freia knows when she hangs out with the Bs she fits in like a turkey in a flock of flamingos. Kate convinces Freia to audition for the school play so they can 'all hang out together' and meet all the cute guys... -
![Jack Kerouac Is Dead to Me by Gae Polisner]()
Jack Kerouac Is Dead to Me by Gae Polisner
Rated: 3.83 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsFifteen-year-old JL Markham's life used to be filled with carnival nights and hot summer days spent giggling with her forever best friend Aubrey about their families and boys. Together, they were unstoppable. But they aren't the friends they once were... -
![The Geek Girl's Guide to Cheerleading by Charity Tahmaseb, Darcy Vance]()
The Geek Girl's Guide to Cheerleading by Charity Tahmaseb, Darcy Vance
Rated: 3.86 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsWhen self-proclaimed geek girl Bethany Reynolds becomes the newest member of the varsity cheerleading squad, she realizes that there's one thing worse than blending into the lockers: getting noticed. Who knew cheerleading was so hard? Well, at least there's a manual, The Prairie Stone High Varsity Cheerleading Guide. Too bad it doesn't cover any of the really tough questions...
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