Books like 'Between Perfect and Real'
Readers who enjoyed Between Perfect and Real by Ray Stoeve also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary romance lgbtq trans-mc realistic coming-of-age high-school mlm
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You Are Not Me by Leta Blake
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsFollow Peter into the summer following his senior year to face new beginnings, new friends, and old baggage. After a tumultuous final year of high school, Peter Mandel needs a break. It's the summer of 1991, and his secret relationship with his ‘best friend’ Adam Algedi is put on hold as Adam goes away to Italy for the summer... -
![Pride High : Book 1 - Red by Jay Bell]()
Pride High : Book 1 - Red by Jay Bell
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWhat’s it like being a teenager in the 90s? Let’s ask the characters of Pride High:Anthony Cullen: My life would be perfect, if I wasn’t in the closet. And in love with my straight best friend. Do you think he’ll ever notice me?Omar Jafari: Dude! I’m flunking out of most of my classes, but you know what really matters? A girl talked to me... -
![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... -
![Snow Boys by Simon Doyle]()
Snow Boys by Simon Doyle
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsDean O’Donnell is a wallflower with a secret and a voice that could steal the show. Preferring to blend into the background at his high school, his world tilts on its axis when he is chosen for a major solo in the upcoming Christmas choir performance. His quiet life is further disturbed when he receives a Secret Santa gift, and an unexpected friendship forms... -
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![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... -
![Skater Boy by Anthony Nerada]()
Skater Boy by Anthony Nerada
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsIn this YA pop-punk debut about queer romance and destroying labels, a teen risks everything to write his own story. Perfect for fans of Sonora Reyes and Adib Khorram. Stonebridge High’s resident bad boy, Wesley “Big Mac” Mackenzie, is failing senior year—thanks to his unchecked anger, rowdy friends, and a tendency to ditch his homework for skateboarding and a secret photography obsession... -
![Forever by E. Davies]()
Forever by E. Davies
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsJake Gray always wanted a real family. He left his own behind when he began his transition, but if he wants a baby he'll need to come off testosterone and get his life in order. The tips he makes as a waiter are barely enough to pay L.A. rent, let alone raise a child. But he’s made his own way for so long that he doesn’t want to rely on others now... -
![Sheets by Sareyen]()
Sheets by Sareyen
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratings[BxB] Waking up next to someone after having a little too much to drink was no new, riveting story in this day and age. Waking up next to another boy, when you were also a boy, was a little more interesting, but still nothing to write home about. But waking up in Nico Beckett's sheets?To Wesley, it was a nightmare come to life... -
![The Long Way by DomLuka]()
The Long Way by DomLuka
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsNote: Book cover incorrectly titled.After tragedy strikes at home and he loses a special friend, is betrayed by someone he trusts and his father discovers he's gay, Owen Dovan moves in with the brothers he hasn't seen in two years. Even in a loving environment things aren't always easy... -
![Tales From Foster High by John Goode]()
Tales From Foster High by John Goode
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsKyle Stilleno is the invisible student even in his nothing high school in the middle of Nowhere, Texas. Brad Graymark is the baseball star of Foster High. When they bond over their mutual damage during a night of history tutoring, Kyle thinks maybe his life has changed for good. But when you're gay and falling for the most popular boy in school, the promise of love is a fairy tale, not a reality... -
![Heart2Heart: A Charity Anthology (Collection), Volume 2 by R.G. Alexander, May Archer]()
Heart2Heart: A Charity Anthology (Collection), Volume 2 by R.G. Alexander, May Archer
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratings**LIMITED TIME ONLY! Get it while you can.** Once upon a time, a bunch of M/M authors wondered… What if the Heart2Heart dating app put on a charity raffle in cities around the globe, and random guys in each location were paired up for an adventure? The dates could go terribly wrong…or spectacularly right... -
![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... -
![The Book of David by Anonymous]()
The Book of David by Anonymous
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsA told B, and B told C, I'll meet you at the top of the coconut treeIn this lively alphabet rhyme, all the letters of the alphabet race each other up the coconut tree. Will there be enough room? Oh, no -- Chicka Chicka Boom Boom!The well-known authors of Barn Dance and Knots on a Counting Rope have created a rhythmic alphabet chant that rolls along on waves of fun... -
![Can't Take That Away by Steven Salvatore]()
Can't Take That Away by Steven Salvatore
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 15 ratings"A charming, inspired story about being true to who you are." - Phil Stamper, bestselling author of The Gravity of UsAn empowering and emotional debut about a genderqueer teen who finds the courage to stand up and speak out for equality when they are discriminated against by their high school administration.Carey Parker dreams of being a diva, and bringing the house down with song... -
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![A Boy Like Me by Jennie Wood]()
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... -
![Afterglow by Phil Stamper]()
Afterglow by Phil Stamper
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAfter a summer of life-changing, these four friends are finally ready for senior year.Gabriel is thrilled to create his school's first LGBTQ+ advocacy group, but his long-distance relationship is fading from summer love to something else... Heath feels secure for the first time in years, but with his future riding on a baseball scholarship, each pitch triggers his anxiety.. -
![Theoretically Straight by Alexander C. Eberhart, Amy Bailey]()
Theoretically Straight by Alexander C. Eberhart, Amy Bailey
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsTheo Briggs is a rule follower. A decent student in his junior year, an appeasing son, and a lifelong Christian, just trying to make it through high school unscathed… and maybe create a viral video in the process.Caleb Raynard is a romantic... -
![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... -
![A Guy for Christmas by K.C. Wells]()
A Guy for Christmas by K.C. Wells
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsDear Santa,Please can you send me a guy for Christmas? Someone kind, good-looking, sweet… but who knows what he’s doing? ( If you get my meaning ;-) ) You must know SO MANY people. Surely you can give someone a shove in my direction?I’m serious here!I need your help.I’m eighteen and I’m a virgin... -
![Glitter by Ayla Starr]()
Glitter by Ayla Starr
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsI kept tripping over my feet, tripping over my words, and eventually gave up talking all together. You continued to smile anyway... -
![Enlightened by J.P. Barnaby]()
Enlightened by J.P. Barnaby
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsLittle Boy Lost is the story of Brian McAllister, the boy next door. Brian goes to school, does his homework, and helps his foster parents around the house. Brian also has a secret: he is in love with his best friend, Jamie. But in Crayford, Alabama, being in love with another boy is the worst kind of sin. Brian and Jamie will discover just how deep their emotional bond runs, and at what cost... -
![There Goes Sunday School by Alexander C. Eberhart]()
There Goes Sunday School by Alexander C. Eberhart
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsIn sixteen-year-old Mike Hernandez’s life, only one thing is clear: Gay is NOT okay. His family’s life revolves around the church, a church run by the vocally intolerant Pastor Myers, so Mike has resolved to spend his life in the closet. His only escape—besides the occasional, anonymous gay make-out session—is his art... -
![And They Lived . . . by Steven Salvatore]()
And They Lived . . . by Steven Salvatore
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsChase Arthur is a budding animator and hopeless romantic obsessed with Disney films and finding his true love, but he's plagued with the belief that he's not enough for anyone: he's recovering from an eating disorder and suffers from body dysmorphia fueled by his father, and can't quite figure out his gender identity... -
![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... -
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![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... -
![The [Un]popular Vote by Jasper Sanchez]()
The [Un]popular Vote by Jasper Sanchez
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsVaseline on the teeth makes a smile shine. It’s a cheap stunt, but Mark Adams knows it’s optics that can win or ruin an election.Everything Mark learned about politics, he learned from his father, the congressman who still pretends he has a daughter and not a son. To protect his father’s image, Mark promises to keep his past hidden and pretend to be the cis guy everyone assumes he is... -
![A Mark on My Soul by Jordon Greene]()
A Mark on My Soul by Jordon Greene
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsNoah Andrews hates to lie, but that′s exactly what his life is. One big lie.At least that′s how he feels as a nerdy, closeted, gay high school senior in a suburban North Carolina town.But after months of fretting and hiding behind his quotes, Noah finally does it. He comes out to the world, and realizes he had nothing to fear after all... -
![Spy Stuff by Matthew J. Metzger]()
Spy Stuff by Matthew J. Metzger
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsAnton never thought anyone would ever want to date him. Everyone knows nobody wants a transgender boyfriend, right? So he's as shocked as anyone when seemingly-straight Jude Kalinowski asks him out, and doesn't appear to be joking.The only problem is ... well, Jude doesn't actually know.Anton can see how this will play out: Jude is a nice guy, and nice guys finish last... -
![To Wish for Impossible Things by John Goode]()
To Wish for Impossible Things by John Goode
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsA Special Lost Tale of Foster HighAfter coming out to the whole school, Brad Greymark and Kyle Stilleno could use some downtime. They should be studying, but soon their focus wanders to the pursuit of the impossible. Together, they just might find where they belong... -
![Taking Chances by John Goode]()
Taking Chances by John Goode
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsA Tales from Foster High Story Fearing the backlash of living as a gay man in Foster, Texas, Matt Wallace runs away to California, only to find it isn’t the Promised Land he’d hoped for. Christmas sees Matt returning to Foster, where he bumps into his old flame, high school jock Tyler Parker... -
![Into This World We're Thrown by Mark Kendrick]()
Into This World We're Thrown by Mark Kendrick
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 8 ratings“While Desert Sons deftly handles the difficult and sometimes dangerous coming out process of young lovers Ryan and Scott, the sequel finds that lingering tensions remain, while new challenges continue to surface. Infidelity, jealousy, town gossip, and buried feelings threaten to destroy their relationship. Worse yet, the threat of violence looms constantly in their lives... -
![Barefoot in the City of Broken Dreams by Brent Hartinger]()
Barefoot in the City of Broken Dreams by Brent Hartinger
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 8 ratings“There was no way moving to Los Angeles was going to make me give up my soul. After all, I’d already seen all the movies about Hollywood. I knew how things worked.” Twenty-four year-old Russel Middebrook and his boyfriend have moved to Los Angeles so Russel can try to make it as a screenwriter... -
![Theoretically Perfect by Amy Bailey, Alexander C. Eberhart]()
Theoretically Perfect by Amy Bailey, Alexander C. Eberhart
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsTheo Briggs just wants to be perfect. The perfect son. The perfect friend. The perfect boyfriend. But the harder he tries to keep up appearances, the more difficult juggling all of those expectations becomes. Where Theo usually turns to his faith for comfort, he now finds confusion and apathy.Caleb Raynard finally has the boyfriend of his dreams... -
![The Rebel's Guide to Pride by Matthew Hubbard]()
The Rebel's Guide to Pride by Matthew Hubbard
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWhen the mayor of a small Alabama town starts targeting Pride events, bad boy Zeke begins hosting a series of “Pride Speakeasies” in this joyful queer coming-of-age!There’s nothing Zeke Chapman wants more than to tarnish the perfect reputation his father is so obsessed with. He quit the baseball team, started fighting at school, and nearly flunked junior year... -
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![Pride High : Book 2 - Orange by Jay Bell]()
Pride High : Book 2 - Orange by Jay Bell
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWelcome back to Pride High, where the delicious drama continues! Ricky tries to sort through his feelings for Diego—the hot guy who has been bullying him—and ends up in the middle of a feud. Anthony and Cameron, now a couple, have to navigate first times and coming out. Silvia finds herself questioning her feelings for Omar when someone else catches her eye… and it’s a girl... -
![Cross to Bare by Susan Mac Nicol]()
Cross to Bare by Susan Mac Nicol
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsTough in business but romantic at heart, fashion designer Lenny James isn’t hiding his masculinity behind his super successful female alter ego, but a vulnerability that only handsome financier Brook Hunter will be man enough to reveal…and worship. TWO OF A KIND It’s amazing what a little mascara and lipstick, a blonde wig, false boobs, and top-notch female fashion can hide... -
![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... -
![Out of Focus by K.M. Neuhold]()
Out of Focus by K.M. Neuhold
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe short story of Liam's graduation from high school. You won't want to miss this special moment!Get a sneak peek into Liam with this short prequel to Liam's upcoming full length book... -
![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... -
![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... -
![Boys on a Train by Amy Coomer]()
Boys on a Train by Amy Coomer
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratings2022 FINALIST: Leapfrog Press Global Fiction PrizeA journey through adolescence, one ride at a time...EDDIE: Resident loser. Hair that never sits right. Vintage acoustic guitar.DYLAN: Brooding charm. Good genes. Rising star of the footy team.Despite the distance that divides them, fate sees these two sharing more than just a train to school... -
![Glass Closet: The Price of Silence, The Triumph of Voice by Iam Obsydian]()
Glass Closet: The Price of Silence, The Triumph of Voice by Iam Obsydian
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratings'Glass Closet' is not merely a story—it's a symphony of emotion, a rich, resounding anthem of self-love and acceptance. It offers a profound reflection on the battles fought in silence, the quiet strength drawn from the soul's deepest wells. Every page unfurls with an elegance that will stir your heart and ignite a flame of understanding within... -
![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... -
![Lark & Kasim Start a Revolution by Kacen Callender]()
Lark & Kasim Start a Revolution by Kacen Callender
Rated: 3.91 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsFrom National Book Award–winner Kacen Callender, a contemporary YA that follows Lark's journey to speak the truth and discover how their own self-love can be a revolutionLark Winters wants to be a writer, and for now that means posting on their social media accounts––anything to build their platform... -
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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... -
![Ryan and Avery by David Levithan]()
Ryan and Avery by David Levithan
Rated: 3.90 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsFrom the New York Times bestselling author of EVERY DAY, this is a queer love story for the ages--told over the course of a couple's first ten dates.When a blue-haired boy (Ryan) meets a pink-haired boy (Avery) at a dance--a queer prom--both feel an inexplicable but powerful connection... -
![Finding a Dream by S.J. Frost]()
Finding a Dream by S.J. Frost
Rated: 3.88 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsBullied and harassed at school for his sexuality, Dillon Davis can’t see his life getting any better, but he can see it getting worse. Depressed, wounded in spirit and body, he’s nearing a point of hopelessness, until he sees a picture of his favorite stage actor, Brandon Alexander, with his partner, Shunichi Miyamoto... -
![When You Don't See Me by Timothy James Beck]()
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... -
![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... -
![The Enemy Benefit by Milana Spencer]()
The Enemy Benefit by Milana Spencer
Rated: 3.88 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsJASPERIt’s my final year of high school, I’m school captain and I’m getting perfect grades. My only issue is my tiny little sex problem, but let’s not think about that. Then my grandfather goes officially senile and decides to take a guy named Kieran, a walking red flag complete with scars on his knuckles and intense dark eyes. I hate him on sight...Categorized as:
mlm high-school lgbtq coming-of-age romance contemporary young-adult enemies-to-lovers
![The [Un]popular Vote by Jasper Sanchez](https://48f-1.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/books/small/641509352ec1ce24ded6bd7b.jpg)
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