Books like 'The Beginning'
Readers who enjoyed The Beginning by Sophia Lowell also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary romance humor high-school realistic bullying friendship western lgbtq coming-of-age
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Graham by Katharine E. Hamilton
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsReceiving a frantic call from her friend Alice, Julia McComas packs her bags and heads to a ranch in Texas where she encounters critters, cows, and a handful of handsome cowboy brothers. Her presence interrupts their daily routine, and one brother in particular makes his annoyance well known: Graham... -
![Ryder Revisited by Pamela M. Kelley]()
Ryder Revisited by Pamela M. Kelley
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsChef Bethany Davis needs a job. Ryder Quinn needs a Chef. But she'd never make his short list. Bethany Davis has worked in some of the most exciting restaurants in New York City. She's from Quinn Valley, a small Idaho town and she hasn't been home for more than a few days in years... -
![The Good, The Bad, And The Bullied by Rubix Cube 89201]()
The Good, The Bad, And The Bullied by Rubix Cube 89201
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratings"It's quite simple really," Bennett told me."You'll be our good girl," Declan said.Jordan smiled. "And we'll be your bad boys."I was silent for a moment. I looked at them, at the contract, and back at them. Then I calmly put the papers back on the table. I looked at the three of them and slowly rose from my seat... -
![Taming a Texas Bad Boy by Katie Lane]()
Taming a Texas Bad Boy by Katie Lane
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsWelcome to Bad Boy Ranch . . . where bad is, oh, so good. Six men return to the boys' ranch they spent one summer at as troubled teens. They're all searching for different things: peace, family, forgiveness, redemption, hope, and faith. It will take the love of strong Texas women to heal these wounded hearts and make these bad, bad boys realize they're good, good men... -
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![Stand-Up Cowboy by Vicki Lewis Thompson]()
Stand-Up Cowboy by Vicki Lewis Thompson
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsShe’s almost perfect…Buckskin wrangler Garrett Whittaker has found the woman of his dreams in single-mom Anna Warren. He’s eager to be in her life, but she refuses to date until her toddler son is in college. Her intimidating ex left little Georgie afraid of men and Anna wary of making another mistake.If Garrett can win Georgie’s trust, he has a shot. If he can’t, he’s out of luck... -
![Holding Out for Christmas: A Festive Christmas Cowboy Romance Novel by Janet Dailey]()
Holding Out for Christmas: A Festive Christmas Cowboy Romance Novel by Janet Dailey
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsNew York Times bestselling author Janet Dailey combines the beloved holiday traditions of small-town Branding Iron, Texas, with sparkling romance . . . She’s all he wants for Christmas. Maybe even forever . . . Conner Branch still hasn’t stopped thinking about the sultry singer he spotted on stage during last year’s Cowboy Christmas Ball... -
![Elsa's Stand by Cathryn Hein]()
Elsa's Stand by Cathryn Hein
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWhen the sudden death of his mother forces outback opal miner Jack Hargreaves home to Wirralong, his plan is simple: mourn his mother, sort out the family farm, and get the hell out of the town that has always hated him. But Elsa O'Donoghue, the beautiful hairdresser with a big heart and even brighter smile, has other plans... -
![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... -
![Lone Star Heartbreaker by Anne Marie Novark]()
Lone Star Heartbreaker by Anne Marie Novark
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsTyler McCade is the youngest McCade brother in Salt Fork, Texas, and the biggest heartbreaker of them all. Or he was--until a plane crash wrecks his body and sends his crop-dusting company into a tailspin... -
![How to Marry a Cowboy / Reckless in Texas by Carolyn Brown, Kari Lynn Dell]()
How to Marry a Cowboy / Reckless in Texas by Carolyn Brown, Kari Lynn Dell
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratings... -
![Cowboy, Mine by Kathleen Ball, Krista Ames]()
Cowboy, Mine by Kathleen Ball, Krista Ames
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsCowboy, Mine... He'll Leave You Breathless... By: The best-selling and award-winning authors…. Kathleen Ball, Krista Ames, Cheryl Gorman, Melissa Keir, Lyssa Layne, and D’Ann Lindun Texas Haven Kathleen Ball Can love shine through the clouds of treachery and misunderstanding? Advertising for a wife seems like the answer to all of Burke Dawson's problems... -
![Ranch's Retreat by Kirsten Osbourne]()
Ranch's Retreat by Kirsten Osbourne
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsFive bestselling Western romance authors have created a world like no other - full of fun outside activities, a huge family in need of love, and side characters you will never forget. A world where our characters learn, laugh, and love... -
![Tremendous Things by Susin Nielsen]()
Tremendous Things by Susin Nielsen
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA funny and heartfelt story about learning how to rise above your most embarrassing moment while staying true to yourself--with the help of old friends, new friends, and some cheesy poetry.At the start of ninth grade, Wilbur Nuez-Knopf is hoping for a fresh start. But he just can't live down a deeply humiliating moment from two years ago that's followed him to high school... -
![Lone Star Nights: Cowboy Trouble Bonus by Delores Fossen]()
Lone Star Nights: Cowboy Trouble Bonus by Delores Fossen
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsNo strings attached is pretty much Lucky McCord's calling card in Spring Hill, Texas, but when family is on the line, this cowboy's honor and heart are about to get lassoed, tied and branded Every family needs its black sheep, and Austin "Lucky" McCord is happy to oblige. The bad-boy bull rider lives fast and loose, until his business partner leaves him an unexpected bequest... -
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![Texas Fandango by Cynthia D'Alba]()
Texas Fandango by Cynthia D'Alba
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsSex can make a fake marriage oh so real. Dr. Caroline Graham is happy with her nomadic lifestyle fulfilling short-term medical contracts. No emotional commitments, no disappointments. She's always the one to walk away, never the one left behind. But now her great-uncle is gone and her grandmother is on her deathbed, more concerned about Caroline's lack of a husband than her own demise... -
![Lovin' Las Vegas: Books 1 - 3 by Kathy Ivan]()
Lovin' Las Vegas: Books 1 - 3 by Kathy Ivan
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratings"Kathy Ivan's books are addictive, you can't read just one." Susan Stoker, NYT and USA TODAY Bestselling Author Welcome to Las Vegas, where fortunes can be won or lost at the whisper of a wager, and love can be as elusive as a dream. Meet these strong, independent couples, willing to risk it all on finding their happily-ever-after with the one that got away... -
![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... -
![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... -
![The Exact Opposite of Okay by Laura Steven]()
The Exact Opposite of Okay by Laura Steven
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 16 ratings“Laura Steven simultaneously destroyed the patriarchy and made me laugh so hard I choked. I will protect Izzy O'Neill with my life.” —Becky Albertalli, author of SIMON VS. THE HOMO SAPIENS AGENDA Bitingly funny and shockingly relevant, The Exact Opposite of Okay is a bold, brave, and necessary read for fans of Louise O’Neill and Jennifer Mathieu... -
![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... -
![I've Got A Secret by Lara Bergen]()
I've Got A Secret by Lara Bergen
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsCandy Apple is a fresh, fun take on fiction for girls: a new line of single titles with pep and pizzazz targeted at the solid middle-grade reader.Quiet Amanda Mays had the time of her life at summer camp. She made a ton of new friends, including spunky Allie. She even (accidentally) let everyone think she had a boyfriend back home... -
![Almost Alice by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor]()
Almost Alice by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsIs it possible to be too good a friend -- too understanding, too always there, too much like a doormat? Alice has always been a good friend to Pamela and Liz, a best friend to Pamela and Liz...Categorized as:
coming-of-age friendship high-school humor realistic book contemporary female-author -
![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... -
![Roam by C.H. Armstrong]()
Roam by C.H. Armstrong
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsSeventeen year-old Abby Lunde and her family are living on the streets. They had a normal life back in Omaha, but thanks to her mother’s awful mistake, they had to leave what little they had behind for a new start in Rochester. Abby tries to be an average teenager—fitting into school, buoyed by dreams of a boyfriend, college, and a career in music... -
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![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 humor friendship high-school romance young-adult middle-grade -
![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 -
![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 humor coming-of-age friendship romance young-adult contemporary -
![The Big Ask by Simon James Green]()
The Big Ask by Simon James Green
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAlfie Parker has bagged the hottest date to prom … hasn’t he? Bestselling LGBTQ+ writer Simon James Green makes his Barrington Stoke debut with a life-affirming teen romance.Harvey is popular, cool, plays football and has been in a relationship with his girlfriend Summer for as long as anyone can remember... -
![Unscripted by Nicole Kronzer]()
Unscripted by Nicole Kronzer
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsA funny and timely debut YA about the toxic masculinity at a famous improv comedy campSeventeen-year-old Zelda Bailey-Cho has her future all planned out: improv camp, then Second City, and finally Saturday Night Live... -
![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... -
![Beat the Band by Don Calame]()
Beat the Band by Don Calame
Rated: 3.92 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsGet ready for riffs on hot girls, health class, and social hell! The outrageously funny boys from Swim the Fly return to rock their sophomore year. In this hilarious sequel to Swim the Fly, told from Coop’s point of view, it’s the beginning of the school year, and the tenth-grade health class must work in pairs on semester-long projects... -
![Triple Shot Bettys in Love by Jody Gehrman]()
Triple Shot Bettys in Love by Jody Gehrman
Rated: 3.90 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsGeena is freaking out. She's been going out with Ben for five months, their relationship is comfortable and perfect, and then Bam! he's suddenly putting the pressure on to be way more physical. She's not sure she's ready. Enter Mr... -
![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... -
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![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... -
![Call the Shots by Don Calame]()
Call the Shots by Don Calame
Rated: 3.90 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsAnd . . . action! As the uproarious trio returns, sensitive Sean takes the spotlight — scripting a low-low-budget film while fielding unexpected female fans. Coop is cooking up another sure-misfire scheme (big surprise), and this time the comedy plays out from Sean’s point of view... -
![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:
realistic high-school coming-of-age friendship romance young-adult sports contemporary -
![The Biggest Scoop by Gillian St. Kevern]()
The Biggest Scoop by Gillian St. Kevern
Rated: 3.88 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe Biggest Story Milo's ever found is one he can't tell.Everything is going wrong for Milo Markopoulos. The future of the school newsletter is in jeopardy, he doesn't have a single friend among his junior classmates, and his film script has just been rejected again. Worse, he has only one day to find a story that will satisfy newspaper editor, Candice. Enter transfer student, Taylor... -
![Audible Love by Maggie Dallen]()
Audible Love by Maggie Dallen
Rated: 3.88 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsLove is blind? This starlet doesn't believe it. Then again...she's never been starstruck. As a child star turned teenage diva, Avery has played a lot of roles in her lifetime. Not one of them was as difficult as pretending to be an ordinary girl at a normal high school. Well, relatively normal. Trudale is a boarding school for the arts, catering to the elite... -
![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... -
![Seventeen and In-Between by Barthe DeClements]()
Seventeen and In-Between by Barthe DeClements
Rated: 3.83 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAnother story about Barthe DeClements's bestselling heroine, Elsie Edwards... -
![An Unstill Life by Kate Larkindale]()
An Unstill Life by Kate Larkindale
Rated: 3.83 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWhen your whole world is falling apart, what are the chances you’ll find love in the most unexpected of places?Livvie feels like she’s losing everything: her two best friends have abandoned her for their boyfriends, her mother continues to ignore her, while her sister, Jules, is sick again and getting worse by the day... -
![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... -
![Never Do a Wrong Thing by Marcus Herzig]()
Never Do a Wrong Thing by Marcus Herzig
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsComing out is hard enough on its own, but if you have a crush on your best buddy, things get really complicated.Best friends since kindergarten, best friends forever. That was the plan. High school sophomores Tim and Tom know everything there is to know about each other … or at least they should, but Tim has a secret that could change everything he doesn’t want to see changed... -
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![Lemonade Mouth by Mark Peter Hughes]()
Lemonade Mouth by Mark Peter Hughes
Rated: 3.87 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsPoets. Geniuses. Revolutionaries.The members of the legendary band Lemonade Mouth have been called all of these things. But until now, nobody's known the inside story of how this powerhouse band came to be. How five outcasts in Opoquonsett High School's freshman class found each other, found the music, and went on to change both rock and roll and high school as we know it... -
![Amazing Grace by Megan Shull]()
Amazing Grace by Megan Shull
Rated: 3.86 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsGrace Ace Kincaid has it all. She's a teen sports sensation. Her face and body are on the cover of every magazine. She's front and center on the red carpet. She has the world at her feet, as long as she toes the line. But then she says three little words. Three words that take her out of the spotlight to Medicine Hat, Alaska. Population 272.Grace has the chance to start all over again... -
![Mean Girls by Micol Ostow]()
Mean Girls by Micol Ostow
Rated: 3.83 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsYou know the story--or do you? Cady Heron grew up home-schooled in Africa with scientist parents as her teachers, monkeys as her classmates and the African plains as her playground. But when her family moves to the suburbs of Illinois, she finds herself a stranger in a strange land: high school. With no prior research to guide her, Cady's forced to figure out North Shore High all on her own... -
![The Law of Tall Girls by Joanne Macgregor]()
The Law of Tall Girls by Joanne Macgregor
Rated: 3.83 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsWhen you really stand out, can you ever fit in?Seventeen-year-old Peyton Lane is a tall girl. So tall, it’s the only thing most people notice about her. On impulse, she accepts a bet to prove she can be as attractive and desirable as other girls. Now she just needs to go on four dates (including the prom) with one of the guys on her very short list of very tall boys... -
![Heavy Metal And You by Christopher Krovatin]()
Heavy Metal And You by Christopher Krovatin
Rated: 3.83 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsIf Nick Hornby had a metalhead little brother, he'd write a book as clever, music-drenched, and observationally direct as this, Christopher Krovatin's rock-solid PUSH debut, now in paperback. Boy listens to lots of loud music and hangs with his friends. Boy meets girl. Boy falls dippy-happy-scared-as-hell in love with girl. Friends meet girl -- and aren't impressed... -
![A Shot at Normal by Marisa Reichardt]()
A Shot at Normal by Marisa Reichardt
Rated: 3.90 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsDr. Villapando told me to get a good attorney. He wasn't serious. But I am. I'm going to sue my parents.Juniper Jade's parents are hippies. They didn’t attend the first Woodstock, but they were there for the second one. The Jade family lives an all-organic homeschool lifestyle that means no plastics, no cell phones, and no vaccines...
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