Books like 'Sometimes Love Isn't Enough'
Readers who enjoyed Sometimes Love Isn't Enough by Lurlene McDaniel also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary romance realistic teens coming-of-age
-
Looking for Alaska / An Abundance of Katherines / Paper Towns / The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsFour critically acclaimed, award-winning modern classics from #1 New York Times-bestselling author John GreenThis John Green deluxe box set includes Printz Award–winning Looking for Alaska, Printz Honor book An Abundance of Katherines, Edgar Award–winning Paper Towns, and #1 New York Times–bestselling The Fault in Our Stars... -
Bronxwood by Coe Booth
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThe acclaimed author of TYRELL and KENDRA returns to PUSH to continue Tyrell's astonishing story. Tyrell's father is just out of jail, and Tyrell doesn't know how to deal with that. It's bad enough that his brother Troy is in foster care and that his mother is no help whatsoever. Now there's another thing up in his face, just when he's trying to settle down... -
The Wind Blows Backward by Mary Downing Hahn
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsAlthough they share a love of poetry and problems with their parents, shy Lauren's attraction to popular Spencer is tempered by her fear of his moody, self-destructive side. "...hands down, Girl Book of the Year... -
The Sister Switch by Jane B. Mason, Sarah Hines Stephens
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsAndie and Caitlin are identical twins who couldn't be less alike. Fed up with being lumped together, the girls can't wait to start junior high. There, they'll finally be able to pave their own way. But it turns out that being mistaken for each other might work in their favor... -
-
Snitch by Allison van Diepen
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsIn a school run by gangs, staying out was harder than joining. We knew who our friends were, and were careful what we said. If people thought we were haters, it would only be a matter of time....Lines are clearly marked at South Bay High School. It's mixed territory for the Crips and the Bloods, which means the drama never stops. Julia DiVino wants none of it... -
Shake It Off by Suzanne Nelson
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsBria is used to city life in Chicago, but is headed to her aunt and uncle's Iowa creamery for the summer. Their dairy operation offers a taste of country living to passersby, who can stop in for a milkshake, a wagon ride, and a trip through the corn maze. Bria is definitely out of her element, but her cousin, Wren, loves working on her parents' farm... -
Angel by Jamie Canosa
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratings*Novel-Caulder's version of events from Falling to Pieces **Warning: Contains Spoilers! Do Not Read before Falling to Pieces We all hide from the people around us. Strangers, acquaintances, friends, even family only see the parts of ourselves we want them to see. We conceal the cracks and flaws beneath the polished surface we put on display. Because we think we need to... -
Perfectly Flawed by Dani René
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsFrom international bestselling author, Dani René comes one of the most anticipated romances of 2018. A brand new second chance, new adult romance! I was fourteen when I met him, danced with him, and fell for him. I was sixteen when Ryder left me with a forbidden promise. Now I’m twenty, and he’s back, but he has a secret. I walked out as the boy Piper had loved for far too long... -
Accidentally Famous by Lisa Papademetriou
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsMeet Amy Flowers, a seventh grader who marches to her own beat: Being the new girl at exclusive Allington Academy doesn't break her stride! Meet the League: They rule the school, and their queen is oh-so-mean Fiona, who doesn't exactly appreciate Amy's individuality. This time, Amy is helping League lieutenant Jenelle with a charity fashion show... -
Reach for Tomorrow by Lurlene McDaniel
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsKatie O'Roark is thrilled to learn that Jenny House is being rebuilt. After the fire last year, Katie thought she could never return to the camp, where she spent the summers with teens like her who faced medical odds stacked against them. But thanks to Richard Holloway's efforts, Katie and her longtime friends Lacey and Chelsea will work as counselors once again... -
Accidentally Friends by Lisa Papademetriou
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThe fourth book in our first Candy Apple mini-series from New York Times-bestselling author Lisa Papademetriou! Seventh grader Amy Flowers is at it again in her fourth fish-out-of-water adventure at super-snooty Allington Academy... -
Gray by Pete Wentz, James Montgomery
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsSometimes, late at night in the hotel room, after the lights have gone out and the mistakes have already been made, when it is heavy and silent and still, I lie awake and listen to my pulse on the pillow… Imagine you are on a tour bus, the miles whistling away beneath you as you sleep. Tomorrow you will wake up in downtown Somewhere. It doesn’t matter. All the skylines look the same... -
the truth about fragile things by Regina Sirois
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsBryon died fifty years before his time. Charlotte grew up angry. I grew up scared. And Phillip- well, he never grew up. And now we are all bound together into one painful heap of humanity. Broken, but bound. And maybe it is only the fact that we are tangled in one terrible knot that will hold us together until we heal. This is unfortunately, and miraculously, my story...Categorized as:
coming-of-age realistic book contemporary female-author fiction literary-fiction young-adult -
The Year I Almost Drowned by Shannon McCrimmon
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsIn this continuation of The Summer I Learned to Dive, nineteen-year old Finley “Finn” Hemmings is living in Graceville, South Carolina with her grandparents. She's getting to know the family that she was separated from for the last sixteen years. Finn and Jesse's relationship seems to be going strong until they're forced to deal with obstacles that throw them off-track...Categorized as:
coming-of-age realistic book contemporary fiction friendship new-adult womens-fiction -
-
A Boy Like Me by Jennie Wood
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsBorn a girl, Peyton Honeycutt meets Tara Parks in the eighth grade bathroom shortly after he gets his first period. It is the best and worst day of his life. Determined to impress Tara, Peyton sets out to win her love by mastering the drums and basketball. He takes on Tara’s small-minded mother, the bully at school, and the prejudices within his conservative hometown... -
Love is Blind by Shayna B.
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsHailey Baker was a normal teenager- friends, the occasional party and a great boyfriend. But that all changes one night when an accident kills her parents and leaves Hailey with a serious back injury. Seven months after the accident, Hailey has struggled to learn to walk again and is now about to start at a new school after moving in with her uncle...Categorized as:
coming-of-age realistic book contemporary disability fiction high-school womens-fiction -
Rough Waters by Nikki Chartier
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsHaley's future has been waiting on the west coast for the past year, but she isn't the only new face in Crescent Cove this summer. When Colby Taylor's parents locate him and interrupt his surf competition, the surf star spirals out of control, dragging Drenaline Surf's reputation through the mud and into the ground with him... -
Accidentally Fooled by Lisa Papademetriou
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsSeventh grader Amy Flowers is finally making her mark at ultra-exclusive Allington Academy, but there's always one thing standing in her way: the League. They rule the school, and their queen is oh-so-mean Fiona, who doesn't exactly appreciate a new girl invading her turf. This time, Amy's stuck working on a service project with Fiona and preppie know-it-all Preston... -
Last Dance by Lurlene McDaniel
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsRachel Deering's dream of becoming a professional ballet dancer has to be put on hold when she finds out that she has diabetes, but the lessons she learns in managing her disease help her take control of her life... -
Face the Music by Melody Carlson
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsRedemption has made it to the bestseller chart, but what Chloe and the girls need most is some downtime to sift through the usual high school stress with grades, friends, guys, and the prom. Chloe struggles to recover from a serious crush on the band leader of Iron Cross... -
I Do by Elizabeth Chandler
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsWeddings are the perfect place to fall in love... Jane is not looking forward to being the maid of honor in her cousin Stacy's wedding. To make matters worse, Adam, the biggest jerk at Tilson High, is going to be the best man! The last thing Jane wants to do is walk down the aisle with him. But the more Jane gets to know Adam, the more she realizes that he's actually a very cool guy... -
The Princess Diaries Collection by Meg Cabot
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThe set of books is noted for containing many popular culture references, which include singers, movies, and fads in modern culture. Many critics have taken unkindly to this form of storytelling. In response, Cabot wrote an English teacher into the book Princess In Training who criticizes Mia's writing, telling her that it relies too much on "slick pop culture references... -
Somewhere Between Life and Death by Lurlene McDaniel
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThe celebration isn't supposed to end in tragedy. The night of their high-school drama group's cast party starts out as fun for sisters Amy and Erin. Their lives come crashing down when Amy takes the car to get more food and has a horrible accident. Erin and her family pray for Amy to awaken from her coma... -
Scarlett by Cathy Cassidy
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsScarlett's in trouble at school. Again. With black fingernails and dyed ketchup-red hair, she's not your average twelve-year-old Londoner. So her mum sick of trying to get her into "another" school ships Scarlett to her father's cottage in Ireland. Having to learn Gaelic in a one-room schoolhouse and enduring a new stepmum and younger stepsister is just too much... -
-
Thirteen by Lauren Myracle
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsWinnie Perry is a teenager at last! And it s a really big deal. A ginormous deal, which, wouldn t you know it, brings ginormous problems along with it. Winnie s bff #1 is growing up too slowly, while her bff #2 is growing up too fast, leaving Winnie stuck in the middle. Winnie s boyfriend, Lars, is fabulous except when he s not. And as for Winnie s family, well, BIG changes are in the air... -
Safe Harbor by AnnaLisa Grant
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsLayla Weston was supposed to be planning her wedding, not waiting for her fiancé’s father to die.As Luke prepares to defend Holly for the shooting of Gregory Meyer, Layla and her family weigh the possibility of being able to return home to North Carolina. Only Layla isn't quite sure that's what she wants... -
Troubled Waters by AnnaLisa Grant
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsCollege life for Layla Weston isn’t starting the way she’d intended. She’s revisiting the plans she once had to be the reclusive girl she wanted to be at Heyward Prep, and Layla is more than confident in her ability to succeed this time. After all, she’s got a whole new bag of secrets to keep. Still reeling from Will’s disappearance, Layla is doing her best to adjust to life back in Florida... -
Float by Kate Marchant
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsA heartfelt summer read for fans of Sarah Dessen and Jenny Han about holding on and letting go.Waverly Lyons has been caught in the middle of her parents’ divorce for as long as she can remember. This summer, the battle rages over who she’ll spend her vacation with, and when Waverly’s options are shot down, it’s bye-bye Fairbanks, Alaska and hello Holden, Florida to stay with her aunt...Categorized as:
realistic coming-of-age romance young-adult contemporary fiction high-school season-summer -
Twenty-Four Seconds from Now...A Love Story by Jason Reynolds
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsJason Reynolds tackles it—you know…it—from the guy’s perspective in this stream of consciousness story of a teen boy about to experience a huge first.Twenty-four months ago: Neon gets chased by a dog all around the parking lot of a church. Not his finest moment. And definitely one he would have loved to forget if it weren’t for the dog’s owner: Aria... -
It's My Life by Melody Carlson
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsIn this emotional sequel to Diary of a Teenage Girl, Caitlin O'Conner faces new trials as she grows in her faith and strives to maintain the recent commitments she's made to God. As a new believer, Caitlin begins her summer job and makes preparations for a Mexico mission trip with her church youth group... -
A Time to Die by Lurlene McDaniel
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsSixteen-year-old Kara Fischer hadn’t ever considered herself lucky. She doesn’t understand why she was born with cystic fibrosis. Each day she faces an uncertain future. But the close-knit bond she develops with Eric and Vince gives her the hope to live one day at a time... -
One on One by Tabitha King, Stephen King
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsA high school basketball star and a defiant outcast discover a profound love that sustains them through a triumphant but painful year... -
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... -
Sold Out by Melody Carlson
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsChloe Miller and her fellow band members must sort out their lives as they become a hit in the local community. Accustomed only to being scorned and marginalized, Chloe suddenly has to decide who her real friends are, and who's just along for the ride. Now her generosity gets her in more trouble than ever... -
-
Nobody's Girl by Sarra Manning
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsBea thinks she's the most boring seventeen-year-old in the world. She's not pretty or popular or funny, unlike her mother who had Bea when she was 17. The only glamorous thing about Bea is the French father who left before she was born and lives in Paris. She yearns for la vie Parisienne every moment of her dull existence...Categorized as:
coming-of-age realistic action-adventure book contemporary fiction womens-fiction young-adult -
Indigosommer by Antje Babendererde
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsDie Gischt in der Brandung schimmerte nicht weiß, sondern blau. Es war ein indigoblaues Leuchten und Flimmern entlang der gesamten Brandungslinie. Das Meer sprühte Funken. Fasziniert starrte ich auf das Schauspiel. Und dann sah ich ihn. Den einsamen Wellenreiter in der Nacht. Seine schwarze Gestalt im Licht des vollen Mondes hatte etwas Gespenstisches, so, als wäre er nicht von dieser Welt... -
Mourning Song by Lurlene McDaniel
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsYou don't know me, but I know about you.... I can't make you live longer, I can't stop you from hurting. But I can give you one wish, as someone did for me. It's been months since Dani Vanoy's older sister Cassie has been diagnosed as having a brain tumor. And now the treatments aren't helping... -
A Year In Europe by Rachel Hawthorne
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsMEET THE GIRLS of "A Year in Europe, "a collection of three interconnecting novels about the adventures of traveling abroad. Robin: Her junior year abroad in London takes a surprising turn when she falls for British hottie Kit. Dana: Paris is the City of Love, and Dana's on a mission to find a gorgeous French boyfriend. Carrie: She's crazy about Antonio, her Italian dream guy... -
The Renaissance of Gwen Hathaway by Ashley Schumacher
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 10 ratings"Ashley Schumacher's latest novel is a delightful read, with diverse characters and an irresistible setting. The Renaissance of Gwen Hathaway proves that there's no better place to find yourself than at a Renaissance Faire... -
Loving Liberty by Belinda Boring
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsLiberty Montgomery is many things: A dutiful daughter. Perfect wife-in-training. Easy to manipulate. Compliant. But secretly she wants more. For years, Liberty has dreamed of a life filled with opportunities—a life where she makes the decisions, living by her own rules. Unfortunately, her parents have other plans for her, ones that involve her submission and total obedience...Categorized as:
coming-of-age realistic book contemporary fiction new-adult university womens-fiction -
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... -
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 realistic book contemporary fiction friendship high-school womens-fiction -
Robyn by Jade Parker
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA funny, sweet trilogy about three girls and the friendship and romance they find working summer jobs at a water park! Caitlin and Robyn, long time best friends, get summer jobs together working at The Splash, the local water park. While Caitlin gets to be a lifeguard, Robyn is stuck pushing little kids in inner tubes down a slide... -
Rose by Diane Schwemm
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThis is me and my three younger sisters. Being the oldest has never been easy, but it was especially hard the year I turned sixteen. That was the year that the things I thought would always be the same changed forever. After Dad died, Mom needed me to pitch in more--get a job and help take care of my sisters. I was working so hard to care for my family, I forgot to look out for myself... -
-
Star-Crossed by Mimi McCoy
Rated: 3.90 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA sweet new addition to the hit Candy Apple line! Will Abby's horoscope make her superstitious, or will she take fate into her own hands?A fabulous new title from Mimi McCoy, author of Candy Apple's debut title!Abby has it all together: she gets straight A's, she's a star on her junior high track team, and she's 7th grade class vice president... -
The Brothers Torres by Coert Voorhees
Rated: 3.90 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsFrankie Towers has always looked up to his older brother, Steve, and with good reason. Steve is a popular senior who always gets what he wants: girls, a soccer scholarship, and--lately--street cred. Frankie, on the other hand, spends his time shooting off fireworks with his best friend Zach, working at his parents' restaurant, and obsessing about his longtime crush, Rebecca Sanchez... -
The Oracle Rebounds by Allison van Diepen
Rated: 3.88 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsAs the “oracle of dating,” Kayla is supposed to have all the answers about love and relationships. She’s supposed to have the perfect relationship. But now that Jared is “taking a step back,” Kayla feels like a total fraud. So the expert on dating starts taking her own rebound advice—and some from her friends—and stops moping around... -
When You Don't See Me by Timothy James Beck
Rated: 3.88 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsBeing Invisible Is Nick Dunill's M.O. For nineteen years, he's been "the one who disappears" to his disapproving, Midwestern family. And now in New York City, a metropolis of anonymity built on not making eye contact, he feels right at home... -
Ben's in Love by Katherine Applegate
Rated: 3.83 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsBen's in love with two girls: Claire, his longtime love, and Claire's sister, Nina, with whom he's shared a passionate kiss...Categorized as:
coming-of-age realistic book contemporary female-author fiction womens-fiction young-adult -
Aisha Goes Wild by Katherine Applegate
Rated: 3.83 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAisha goes wildThey're all grown up together on a tiny island. they think they know everything about one another . . . but they're only just beginning to find out the truth.Aisha goes wild when a chance encounter rekindles all her old feelings about a guy named Jeff, who was her first great crush...Categorized as:
coming-of-age realistic book contemporary female-author fiction womens-fiction young-adult
Or - use our amazing romance book finder to get recommendations based on your favorite content tropes and themes. Mix and match at will.