Books like 'Not So Pure and Simple'
Readers who enjoyed Not So Pure and Simple by Lamar Giles also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary romance north-america usa virginia realistic religion friendship coming-of-age poc-mc
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A Change of Heart: A Christian Romance by Kimberly Rae Jordan
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThis Christian romance novel of 80,000 words is the second book in The Callaghans & McFaddens series from author Kimberly Rae Jordan. A HANDFUL OF FLOWERS (ASIN: B01APAIXM6) is the prequel to this series. NOTE: This book is also part of the boxed set, WHISPERS OF LOVE (ASIN: B01DMH1FME) which release June 2016. Makayla McFadden has been part of her family’s business since it started... -
Love and a Little White Lie (State of Grace) by Tammy L. Gray
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsAfter hitting rock bottom, January decides she has nothing to lose in working at her aunt's church--while hiding a lack of faith. A minor deception until she meets the church's guitarist and sparks fly... -
The Hope Jar by Wanda E. Brunstetter
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsA Brand-New Series from New York Times Best Selling Author Wanda E. Brunstetter. What happens when making an elderly Amish couple very happy means going along with a lie that gets bigger by the day? Michelle Taylor is not who her new family in Lancaster County believes her to be... -
The Angels Trilogy by Lurlene McDaniel
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsLeah is not happy about being stuck in the hospital for the holidays while her mother is thousands of miles away on a honeymoon with husband number five. Until she meets her hospital roommate, Rebekah, and her big family. Cynical 16-year-old Leah has never known people like this before... -
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It All Started With An Apple by Ashley Fischer, Ashley Winters
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsBrianne has never been one for love. Her friend Kyla has. So what happens when Kyla forces her to throw an apple across the cafeteria to see who her future love is? Nothing good obviously. Or so Brianne thought... -
The Wonder of You by Susan May Warren
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsMortified after her semester abroad is cut short, Amelia Christiansen returns to Deep Haven, certain she isn’t brave enough for the adventures she’s dreamed of. The last thing she expects is for the man who broke her heart to cross the Atlantic and beg forgiveness. Heir to a European hotel dynasty, Roark St... -
Sarah's Orphans by Vannetta Chapman
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsOrphaned...But Never Abandoned by God Sarah Yoder belongs to a Plain community in Oklahoma, but her days are far from simple. Life suddenly gets complicated when a series of tragic events unfold, leaving her in charge of the household. Alone with her younger siblings, Sarah is exhausted but finally at peace. Then she nearly runs over a small Hispanic boy with her buggy.. -
Behind Her Smile by Rosemary Hines
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsNot good enough…the words echo in Madison Baron’s mind as the darkness presses her to be thinner, more beautiful—somehow more attractive to her peers. A junior in high school, she is facing life without her childhood love, Luke Johnson, who is off to college in the Midwest. Alone with her insecurities, Madison yearns for acceptance—until Miles that is... -
Malibu by Moonlight by Brooke St. James
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsLiam Kennedy was on a flight to Los Angeles, bound for his cousin's wedding. He was fresh out of a relationship that he had been trying to end for months and was looking forward to having a great trip with his family while relaxing in his reclaimed status as a bachelor... -
Just Between You and Me: A Novel of Losing Fear and Finding God by Jenny B. Jones
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThe only thing scarier than living on the edge is stepping off it. Maggie Montgomery lives a life of adventure. Her job as a cinematographer takes her from one exotic locale to the next. When Maggie's not working, she loves to rappel off cliffs or go skydiving. Nothing frightens her... -
The Big Picture by Jenny B. Jones
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsOriginally published in 2008. How do you walk away from love? Katie's bio-mom is fresh out of prison and wants to start a new life with her daughter--in a new town. Katie is forced to walk away from In Between, leaving the family she loves, an endangered town drive-in, and a boyfriend who can't take his eyes off his ex... -
Confessions of an Alleged Good Girl by Joya Goffney
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThe second novel about a preacher's daughter in small-town Texas and her journey toward loving herself and her body.Monique is a preacher's daughter who detests the impossible rules of her religion. Everyone expects her to wait until marriage, so she has no one to turn to when she discovers that she physically can't have sex.After two years of trying and failing, her boyfriend breaks up with her... -
Love Radio by Ebony LaDelle
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsHitch meets The Sun Is Also a Star in this novel about a self-professed teen love doctor with a popular radio segment who believes he can get a girl who hates all things romance to fall in love with him in only three dates.Prince Jones is the guy with all the answers—or so it seems... -
On the Loose by Jenny B. Jones
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsReissue. Originally published in 2007. Six months into her stay with her foster parents, Katie Parker is finally adjusting to her new family. But when a tornado rips through the town of In Between, nothing is ever the same. When her foster mom, Millie, is diagnosed with cancer, Katie begins to doubt if God really does care... -
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Katie's Choice by Amy Lillard
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsKatie Rose Fisher loved Samuel Beachy with an intensity that shook their Amish district. No one doubted they would one day marry, until Samuel turned his back on the church and joined the world of the English. Alone now in Clover Ridge, Katie Rose dedicates her life to God and the school children she teaches each day... -
What's Left of Me Series Box Set by Amanda Maxlyn
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratings**What's Left of Me is an Amazon Top 100 Best Seller** "I am not sure what to say about this book, but Oh! My! Goodness! I loved it!!! ... Amanda's writing was as impeccable as ever. I felt every single emotion that the character's experienced."~Books, Books, Books This bundle includes both books in the What's Left of Me duet series. Life works in mysterious ways... -
Huckleberry Hearts by Jennifer Beckstrand
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsYoung-at-heart octogenarians Anna and Felty Helmuth never miss the chance to find a perfect match for one of their grandchildren. And when their beloved Cassie returns to Huckleberry Hill, Wisconsin, Anna has a feeling they might soon have a doctor in the family… Though Cassie Coblenz left her Amish community to go to college, Mammi and Dawdi’s farm will always feel like home... -
Return to Huckleberry Hill by Jennifer Beckstrand
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWhen it comes to matchmaking, Huckleberry Hill, Wisconsin’s unstoppable octogenarians Anna and Felty Helmuth never seem to run out of opportunities—or grandchildren... Reuben Helmuth is plenty bitter. John King, his best friend—or so he thought—is engaged to the girl Reuben loved. Humiliated, Reuben flees from Ohio to his grandparents’ home on Huckleberry Hill, where he knows he’ll find comfort... -
Here to Stay by Melissa Tagg
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsWitty and Heartwarming Contemporary Romance by an Up-and-Coming Author Blake Hunziker has played nomad for five years and landed in his fair share of trouble too. But now he's finally returning to his hometown--the Lake Michigan tourist town of Whisper Shore. Counting on a not-so-warm welcome, he's surprised at not only a positive reception but also a job offer... -
Like Never Before by Melissa Tagg
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsSure to Be a New Favorite, Tagg's Latest Checks All the Right Boxes for Romance Fans Maple Valley became Amelia Bentley's haven after her heart and her dreams of a family were shattered, but her new life as a newspaper editor is shaken when the paper is bought out by a chain that plans to incorporate it into a regional paper... -
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... -
The Sky Blues by Robbie Couch
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsSky’s small town turns absolutely claustrophobic when his secret promposal plans get leaked to the entire school in this witty, “earnest, heartfelt” (Becky Albertalli, New York Times bestselling author), and ultimately hopeful debut novel for fans of What if it’s Us? and To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before... -
Told You Twice by Kristen Heitzmann
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAlexis Murphy is done messing with the wrong kinds of men. She could not be happier planning a personalized Grace Evangeline wedding with her fiancé, Jeffrey, who is so right for her. Or is he? Stage star and spokesmodel, Bo Corrigan, could be the ultimate disruption. Alexis—Exi—is caught by his talent and sexual magnetism... -
A Place to Belong by Melissa Tagg
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAfter years of mistakes and regret, coffee shop owner Megan Harrow has finally built a new life for herself and her daughter in quirky, but charming Maple Valley. But she’s not ready for the sparks that fly when she meets local nonprofit owner Eric Hampton . . . or for the sudden reappearance of an unwelcome face from her past... -
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Baby It's You by Belle Calhoune
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsChristian Romance. Seven boys adopted from the foster care system by Alec and Maggie Donahue, a loving Irish couple living in Breeze Point, Cape Cod. Now grown men, the brothers are making their way in the world in their chosen professions, each hoping to find a love to last a lifetime. Faith. Family. Honor. The ties that bind them together. And an abundance of love... -
Love Me Tender by Belle Calhoune
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsSeven boys adopted from the foster care system by Alec and Maggie Donahue, a loving Irish couple living in Breeze Point, Cape Cod. Now grown men, the brothers are making their way in the world in their chosen professions, each hoping to find a love to last a lifetime. Faith. Family. Honor. And an abundance of love... -
Love Still Stands by Kelly Irvin
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsReaders of Kelly Irvin's Bliss Creek Amish novels will be overjoyed to discover her new series for lovers of Amish fiction: The New Hope Amish. In the first installment, Love Still Stands, a group of dedicated families leaves Bliss Creek to establish a new community in Missouri. Among them is Bethel Graber, a beautiful young woman with a passion for teaching... -
Husband Auditions: A Novel by Angela Ruth Strong
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsHow far would you go to find the perfect husband? All the way back to the 1950s?In a world full of happily-ever-after love, Meri Newberg feels like the last young woman on the planet to be single, at least in her Christian friend group... -
Dreaming About the Boy Next Door by Sarah Sutton
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsIs being voted Most Likely To: Never Have Their First Kiss by the popular crowd at school the end of the world? Probably not, but I’m still not convinced.Does it mean that I have to find someone to kiss to ditch myself of the label? No, but I do it anyway.Is choosing my best friend’s twin brother as my first kiss the best choice? Ha, not in the slightest... -
After All by Deborah Raney
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsEighteen months after the Grove Street Fire took the life of her husband and four other heroic firefighters, Susan Marlowe thinks she’s finally beginning to heal. But then Susan discovers that David carried a secret to his grave. A secret that changes everything she thought their marriage had been... -
Driftwood Dreams by T.I. Lowe
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsJosie Slater has allowed the circumstances anchoring her in Sunset Cove to become a life sentence. Since her mother's death years before, she's spent most of her waking hours helping her dad run the Driftwood Diner. As her best friends, Opal and Sophia, make their dreams come true, Josie watches her own art school aspirations drift on by... -
In Your Dreams by Robin Jones Gunn
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsFrom the bestselling author of The Christy Miller Series, this series centers around Christy Miller's friend Sierra Jensen. Sierra is a spunky and bold sixteen-year-old with big dreams and unconventional clothes. Today's teens can truly relate to what is going on in Sierra's life -- whether it's friendships, dating, or learning to trust in God...Categorized as:
christian coming-of-age family friendship realistic religion spirituality action-adventure -
The Dandelion Field by Kathryn Springer
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThis handsome firefighter makes a living coming to the rescue, but Gin doesn't need a man to fight her battles. After Raine s dad walked out, Ginevieve Lightly never lived in one place too long, a rambling lifestyle that defined her daughter s youth. When their car dies in Banister Falls, Wisconsin, Gin promises Raine they can stay until she finishes her senior year of high school... -
Whispers by Robin Jones Gunn
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThe first nine books in the popular Christy Miller series are now available in three treasured volumes! Bestselling author Robin Jones Gunn packs each one with enough action, romance, and drama to keep you reading and wanting more. It all starts the summer Christy vacations on a California beach and meets two friends who change her life forever... -
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Who Am I Without Him? by Sharon G. Flake
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThere is "The Ugly One," whose only solace comes when she is locked inside her own head. In "Wanted: A Thug," a teenager seeks advice on how to steal her best friend's bad-guy boyfriend. And then there's Erika, who only likes white boys. Sharon Flake takes readers through the minds of girls trying to define themselves while struggling to remain relevant to the boys in their lives... -
The Amish Teacher's Dilemma by Patricia Davids
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 5 ratingsThe teacher next door could be the mother they need…Will she return to her old life…or risk everything to build a new one?Taking a schoolteacher position in another district is just the change Amish spinster Eva Coblentz needs. And with her new neighbor, blacksmith Willis Gingrich, struggling to raise his three orphaned siblings, Eva is determined to help them heal... -
The Revised Life of Ellie Sweet by Stephanie Morrill
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsEllie Sweet is a lot of things—good girl, novelist, silent adorer of the new boy at school, Palmer. But when “outcast” gets added to the list, she decides it’s time to take reality into her own hands … and tweak it as needed. In the pages of her book, she’s Lady Gabrielle, favorite of the medieval Italian court... -
Falling for Korea by Piper Jean
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAmerica meets K-drama in this rollercoaster plot with a fresh take on romance and what it means to be family.When Sydney is sent to Seoul to live with a family she’s never met, she encounters unexpected chemistry with their son, but must fight to unravel the mystery of why she was sent away... -
Trey Carter is My Rebel Boyfriend: A Sweet YA Romance by Emily Lowry
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsEveryone wants the bad boy musician. Too bad he doesn’t date...Hailey Danielson has it all. She’s the cheerleading captain, straight-A student, and the perfect daughter. But after a humiliating breakup, she struggles to bounce back. Instead of worrying about boys, Hailey swears off dating -- she needs to figure herself out before she can get involved with anyone else...Categorized as:
christian high-school realistic religion spirituality contemporary young adult young-adult -
Dylan Ramirez is My Forbidden Boyfriend: A Sweet YA Romance by Emily Lowry
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsHe’s her brother’s best friend. Which makes her the only girl entirely off limits to him. Until a summer of forbidden love threatens to change everything...Jordyn Jones is a sassy tomboy sick of living in the shadow of her twin brother, the All Star Quarterback. All she wants is a summer job that will get her away from her constantly fighting parents...Categorized as:
poc-mc christian high-school realistic friendship religion spirituality contemporary -
The Ballad of Darcy and Russell by Morgan Matson
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsDarcy believes in love at first sight. Even though it’s never happened to her, she’s spent her whole life waiting for that magical moment, hoping that when she meets the right guy, everything will fall into place perfectly.But right now, her life is anything but perfect. Heading home from a music festival, engine trouble means she’s stranded at a Nevada bus station until morning... -
A Heart Restored by Elizabeth Maddrey
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsOpposites attract when a house flipper looking for a fresh start butts heads with a local handyman. The dilapidated mansion isn't the only thing in need of TLC.Deidre McIntyre didn’t exactly purchase the gorgeous old home in the Shenandoah Mountains on a whim. The building had seen better days, but she had the skills—and the time—to fix it up... -
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
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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Teaching the Teacher's Pet by Sarah Sutton
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWhen the popular crowd at Brentwood High votes me Most Likely To: Marry A Math Book, I’m ready to put my ruler into the eye of any egotistical jock who comes near me.Including the idolized Bobcats football player, Connor Bray, when he asks me to tutor him...Categorized as:
high-school coming-of-age humor religion spirituality young-adult contemporary fiction -
Keep It Together by Rachel John
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsIt's not awkward unless we make it awkward. Carmen... I’ve forgiven Isaac for being a jerk to me when we were kids, but while my grudge against him is gone, my fears are alive and well. I don't care how much chemistry there is between us. I’m done with guys and their commitment issues, and I’ve found a way to make life a whole lot easier.I friend-zone them. Every single one... -
Right Where I Belong by Krista McGee
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsHow do you find your place in the world? Tired of watching her father flit from one wife to another and having formed a true bond with her most recent stepmother, Natalia decides to move with her from Spain to Florida when the divorce papers are finalized.There are a couple things Natalia knows for sure: 1) She's being groomed to take over her father's international business. Success is expected... -
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...Categorized as:
christian coming-of-age high-school realistic religion spirituality book contemporary -
Starring Me by Krista McGee
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsKara McKormick is told she's auditioning to star in a new teen variety show. But it's what she isn't told that could change her life. The feisty New Yorker moves to sunny Orlando to participate in a month-long audition, where she'll live with nine other contestants and an eccentric housemother... -
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 . .
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