Books like 'Darryl'
Readers who enjoyed Darryl by Jackie Ess also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary lgbtq literary-fiction trans-mc humor friendship satire
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The Bluff by Emma St. Clair
Rated: 5.00 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsIt's hard to be professional when you hate and are attracted to your boss in equal measure... -
Iona Iverson's Rules for Commuting by Clare Pooley
Rated: 4.57 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsNobody ever talks to strangers on the train. It's a rule. But what would happen if they did? From the New York Times and Globe and Mail bestselling author of The Authenticity Project, a heartwarming novel about unexpected friendships and the joy of connecting... -
Fragile Hearts by the Loch by Hannah Ellis
Rated: 4.60 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsHow long does it take to mend a broken heart?Jess expects life on the Isle of Skye to be calm and peaceful. But when she falls for her colleague things quickly become complicated. Rory comes with a whole load of baggage, but she just can’t seem to stay away from him. When Elspeth is forced to take a break from work, she evaluates what her future holds... -
Dessert at The Beach House Hotel by Judith Keim
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsOne favor deserves another, or does it?Against their better judgment, Ann and Rhonda agree to help a young girl in distress at the request of the vice-president of the United States, Amelia Swanson. After almost losing their lives because of an earlier request of hers, they plan on being more careful... -
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Finding Home on Whisling Island by Julia Clemens
Rated: 4.48 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsFive women. Five beautiful stories. Follow the women of Whisling as they navigate life searching for peace, hope, and home.Olivia was sure she'd endured the last of Bart's torment, but he's back. And Olivia isn't sure she has what it takes to stand up to him once again. But she has to. Because this time, if Olivia falters, she won't be the one to suffer. No, the suffering will fall on her girls... -
The Nanny and the Heartthrob by Krista Sandor
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThings couldn’t get worse for Harper Presley. Her music career is nonexistent, she’s got pennies in the bank, and her grandmother is on the cusp of losing her house. What’s a gal to do? Go to Vegas and seek a last chance opportunity. What she didn’t expect was to wake up in her birthday suit next to pop star Landon Paige with a massive diamond on her ring finger... -
Rise of the Machine by Erin Mallon, Joe Arden
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAtticus and Neil are the newly crowned "hottest male narration team" for Mmm-Mmm romance, and they're flying high on the praise.Nothing can get them down.Until Vera and Cameron usher a mysterious voice onto the scene and shake the foundation of the audiobook industry itself... -
The Lost House of Ireland by Susanne O'Leary
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsAn enchanting story about forgotten family secrets that will transport you to the charming village of Sandy Cove on the beautiful Irish coast.Allegra Casey is searching for a new beginning. So when she discovers an engagement ring buried in the sand near her home in Cape Cod, the last place she expects it to lead her is to the west coast of Ireland... -
Three by Valérie Perrin
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsFrom the international bestselling author of Fresh Water for Flowers, a beautifully told and suspenseful story about the ties that bind us and the choices that make us who we are.1986: Adrien, Etienne and Nina are 10 years old when they meet at school and quickly become inseparable. They promise each other they will one day leave their provincial backwater, move to Paris, and never part... -
You're So Vain by Whitney Dineen
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsFamily drama is something Lutéce Choate struggles to avoid. With a mother who’s an award-winning country western song writer, an aunt who’s a Country Music Hall of Famer, and a brother who’s a rock star, it hasn’t exactly been a low-key kind of life, and she’s ready for a break... -
A Friend in Need by Hannah Ellis
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThere’s nothing quite like a baby to turn your world upside down … Just when it seems things can’t get any crazier, Marie and Brian are now navigating the ups and downs of parenthood!As Marie is thrown into the world of playgroups and sleep deprivation, she finds maternity leave isn’t quite the year-long break she anticipated...Categorized as:
humor literary-fiction friendship contemporary fiction womens-fiction female-mc book -
Dandelion Daughter: A Novel by Gabrielle Boulianne-Tremblay
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsWinner 2022, Prix des Libraires Rights for TV adaptation purchased by Zone 3 A runaway bestseller in Québec, where it has captured the hearts of readers and pushed trans-identity into the mainstream conversation, Dandelion Daughter is an intimate, courageous portrait of what it’s like to grow up having been assigned the wrong sex at birth...Categorized as:
lgbtq trans-mc literary-fiction fiction contemporary coming-of-age female-author book -
Stolen by You by Lindsey Hart
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsInfiltrating Mr. Hotshot's house in the middle of the night?Yes, that was the plan.Getting my hands on his family jewels?Definitely what I was going for.And I mean actual jewelry, not the other round ball kind of things, alright.Now, catching the guy practically naked in his house?Oh God, definitely not what was supposed to happen... -
The Paris Roommates: Dean by Ava Miles
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsEmily in Paris meets Friends in International Bestseller Ava Miles’ hilarious new heartwarming story about the world's most likeable hero following his dreams and looking for love with the help of an unlikely group of friends.If only love was all bonbons and champagne... -
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Oh Crumbs (Choc Lit) by Kathryn Freeman
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsAnother fun, fabulous read from Kathryn Freeman. You'll want to lock yourself away with this one! Sometimes life just takes the biscuit … Abby Spencer knows she can come across as an airhead – she talks too much and is a bit of a klutz – but there’s more to her than that... -
Good Material by Dolly Alderton
Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsFrom the New York Times best-selling author of Ghosts and Everything I Know About a story of heartbreak and friendship and how to survive bothAndy loves Jen. Jen loved Andy. And he can't work out why she stopped.Now he is. . -
Daughters of Wild Rose Bay by Susanne O'Leary
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA heart-warming page-turner set on the Irish coast, where secrets hide, romance is waiting and there is every chance to make a new beginning… Jasmine Delon feels completely lost: having just broken up with the man she thought was the love of her life, all she knows is that she can’t face living alone in her empty apartment in Paris... -
Going Up by A.E. Radley
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsA ruthless executive. A destitute woman. Both on the way up. Selina Hale is on her way to the top. She's been working towards a boardroom position on the thirteenth floor for her entire career. And no one is going to get in her way. Not her clueless boss, her soon to be ex-wife, and most certainly not the homeless person who has moved into the car park at work... -
Stories by T. Coraghessan Boyle
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsT. C. Boyle is one of the most inventive and wickedly funny short story writers at work today. Over the course of twenty-five years, Boyle has built up a body of short fiction that is remarkable in its range, richness, and exuberance... -
Vinyl Cafe Unplugged by Stuart McLean
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsBestselling author and radio storytelling sensation Stuart McLean revisits the heartwarming and hilarious friends from his iconic Vinyl Cafe.Dave and his wife Morley would no doubt tell you that life is what you make it. Unfortunately for them, that means a compilation tape of mistakes, miscues, misunderstandings, and muddle... -
Leonard and Hungry Paul by Ronan Hession, John Hopkins
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsLeonard and Hungry Paul are two friends who see the world differently. They use humour, board games and silence to steer their way through the maelstrom that is the 21st century.‘The figure in Munch’s painting isn’t actually screaming!’ Hungry Paul said. ‘Really, are you sure?’ Replied Leonard. ‘Absolutely. That’s the whole thing. The figure is actually closing his ears to block outa scream... -
The House at Hope Corner by Emma Davies
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe view across the valley takes her breath away; everywhere she looks tiny patches of colour – ochre, chestnut, lime and purple. The farmhouse behind her glows pink in the morning sun. It’s like stepping into a postcard, except that this magical place is real. It’s her new home...Categorized as:
humor literary-fiction friendship contemporary womens-fiction fiction female-mc family -
The Pitch Queen by Karin Gillespie
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA hilarious send-up of the publishing business and a delight for readers who love books about books. If "Yellowface" and "Book Lovers" had a baby, it would be named "The Pitch Queen.". Claire Wyld, a literary agent, is the queen of the flashy pitch and is fighting to be the number one dealmaker in debut novels... -
Rivers of Babylon by Peter Pišťanek
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsPeter Pišt'anek’s reputation is assured by Rivers of Babylon and by its hero, the most mesmerizing character of Slovak literature, Rácz, an idiot of genius, a psychopathic gangster. Rácz and Rivers of Babylon tell the story of a Central Europe, where criminals, intellectuals and ex-secret policemen have infiltrated a new ‘democracy’... -
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Selected Stories by William Trevor
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratings"Trevor was our twentieth century Chekov.--Wall Street Journal Selected as one of The New York Times Book Review's 10 Best Books of the Year. Four-time winner of the O. Henry Prize, three-time winner of the Whitbread Award, and five-time nominee for the Booker Prize, William Trevor is one of the most acclaimed authors of our era... -
The Big House on Lovelace Lane by Alice Ross
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWhen widow Ruth Dutton accepted her daughter’s offer to live in the annexe of The Big House on Lovelace Lane, she imagined her days being filled with sedate activities like reading and painting... -
The Heart Asks Pleasure First by Karuna Ezara Parikh
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsAn extraordinary tale of love in a world being torn asunder.It is 2001 and Daya and Aaftab have just met in a park in Cardiff. She is studying ballet and he is practising in a law firm. She falls madly in love. He does, but he also cannot, because he is Muslim and there are certain rules...Categorized as:
lgbtq literary-fiction friendship romance fiction contemporary feminism historical-fiction -
The Guncle Abroad by Steven Rowley
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsFrom the nationally bestselling author of The Guncle comes the much-anticipated sequel, in which Patrick O’Hara is called back to his guncle duties…at a big, family wedding in Lake Como, Italy.Patrick O’Hara is finally in a league of his own…professionally... -
My Maddy by Gayle E. Pitman
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsA child celebrates her Maddy, who is neither mommy nor daddy but a little bit of both, like so many things in nature. Includes note to parents... -
The Little Cottage On Lovelace Lane by Alice Ross
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsIt's love at first sight for Lily when she first sets eyes on Hollyhocks Cottage on the gorgeous Lovelace Lane. But after months together in a caravan while the renovations take place, boyfriend, Luke, is not quite so enamoured with the place... -
The Complete Plays by Joe Orton
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThis volume contains every play written by Joe Orton, who emerged in the 1960s as the most talented comic playwright in recent English history and was considered the direct successor to Wilde, Shaw, and Coward... -
A River Called Time by Mia Couto
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratings"Extraordinary vision . . . his prose is suffused with striking images."—The Washington Post"To read Mia Couto is to encounter a peculiarly African sensibility, a writer of fluid, fragmentary narratives . . . remarkable... -
The Early Stories, 1953-1975 by John Updike
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsGathering together almost all the short fiction that John Updike published between 1953 and 1975, this collection opens with Updike's autobiographical stories about a young boy growing up during the Depression in a small Pennsylvania town. There follows tales of life away from home, student days, early marriage and young families, and finally Updike's experimental stories on 'The Single Life'... -
Fires: Essays, Poems, Stories by Raymond Carver
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsMore than sixty stories, poems, and essays are included in this wide-ranging collection by the extravagantly versatile Raymond Carver. Two of the stories—later revised for What We Talk About When We Talk About Love—are particularly notable in that between the first and the final versions, we see clearly the astounding process of Carver’s literary development... -
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The Celebrants by Steven Rowley
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA Big Chill for our times, celebrating decades-long friendships and promises--especially to ourselves--by the bestselling and beloved author of The Guncle. It's been a minute--or five years--since Jordan Vargas last saw his college friends, and twenty-eight years since their graduation when their adult lives officially began... -
Haute Couture by Joslyn Westbrook
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsBreaking News: Mr. Right Is Always Mr. Wrong... Lauren Blake, fashionista extraordinaire, has what almost every woman wants: Glamour. Fortune. Prestige. Plus a new driver who she finds terribly annoying, despite his good looks. As the creator of the popular clothing line she's worked years to build, Lauren's got no time for love... -
No One Wants That by Donna Schwartze
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA steamy enemies-to-lovers romantic comedy. A newly single woman who’s just looking for a good time. A chronic playboy who’s finally ready to settle down. KitThere are two things you should know about me up front. First, my boyfriend broke up with me a minute before I left on vacation. Second, I’m a huge fan of the rebound man. Huge fan...Categorized as:
literary-fiction humor friendship satire contemporary enemies-to-lovers steamy comedy -
The Last Summer in Ireland: A gripping and emotional page-turner by Noëlle Harrison
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA lost girl. A mysterious house in Ireland. An invitation that changes everything.Twenty years ago, at the end of a long hot Irish summer, three sisters submerge themselves in the cool lake at their home, Swan Hall. As Maeve and Aisling watch their beautiful younger sister Nuala laughing and splashing, droplets of water clinging to her dark hair, it is hard to hide their envy of her... -
The Language of Love and Loss by Bart Yates
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsReaders of Mad Honey will adore this clever, deeply touching, buoyant new novel from an award-winning author. When his difficult mother is diagnosed with ALS, a sharp-witted yet sensitive artist reluctantly returns to his New Hampshire hometown – and all the ghosts he left behind.As it turns out, you can go home again. But sometimes, you really, really don’t want to . . -
Abbott Awaits: A Novel by Chris Bachelder
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsA quiet tour de force, Abbott Awaits transforms the ordinary into the extraordinary, startlingly depicting the intense and poignant challenges of a vulnerable, imaginative father as he lives his everyday American existence... -
Probably the Best Kiss in the World by Pernille Hughes
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsJen Attison likes her life Just So. But being fished out of a canal in Copenhagen by her knickers is definitely NOT on her to do list.From cinnamon swirls to a spontaneous night of laughter and fireworks, Jen’s city break with the girls takes a turn for the unexpected because of her gorgeous, mystery rescuer.Back home, Jen faces a choice... -
Buzz Aldrin, What Happened to You in All the Confusion? by Johan Harstad
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsA pop-saturated epic novel about the second man on the moon, and the quiet thirty-year-old gardener who idolizes him. A story of unconventional psychiatry, the Faroe Islands, amateur boat building, and the journey across the space that divides us from other people: a journey as remote and dangerous as the trip to the moon itself... -
The English Understand Wool by Helen DeWitt
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsMaman was exigeante—there is no English word–and I had the benefit of her training. Others may not be so fortunate. If some other young girl, with two million dollars at stake, finds this of use I shall count myself justified.Raised in Marrakech by a French mother and English father, a 17-year-old girl has learned above all to avoid mauvais ton ("bad taste" loses something in the translation)...Categorized as:
literary-fiction humor satire fiction contemporary realistic female-author anthologies -
Tunneling to the Center of the Earth: Stories by Kevin Wilson
Rated: 4.09 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsKevin Wilson's characters inhabit a world that moves seamlessly between the real and the imagined, the mundane and the fantastic. "Grand Stand-In" is narrated by an employee of a Nuclear Family Supplemental Provider—a company that supplies "stand-ins" for families with deceased, ill, or just plain mean grandparents... -
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Rejection by Tony Tulathimutte
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsFrom the Whiting and O. Henry–winning author of Private Citizens (“the first great millennial novel,” New York Magazine), an electrifying novel-in-stories that follows a cast of intricately linked characters as rejection throws their lives and relationships into chaos.Sharply observant and outrageously funny, Rejection is a provocative plunge into the touchiest problems of modern life... -
The Someday Jar by Allison Morgan
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsFans of Sophie Kinsella and the Shopaholic series will fall in love with Lanie Howard—young, fabulous, and desperate to transform her life—in this funny, quirky, and endearing story about finding perfect happiness in life’s most imperfect moments. WHEN LIFE GIVES YOU LEMON-DROP MARTINIS... Real-estate broker Lanie Howard figures she has the perfect man, the perfect job, and the perfect life... -
Descent of Man by T. Coraghessan Boyle
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsIn seventeen slices of life that defy the expected and launch us into the absurd, T.C. Boyle offers his unique view of the world. A primate-center researcher becomes romantically involved with a chimp; a Norse poet overcomes bard-block; collectors compete to snare the ancient Aztec beer can, Quetzacoatl Lite; and Lassie abandons Timmy for a randy coyote... -
Love and Hydrogen: New and Selected Stories by Jim Shepard
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsI’ve been a problem baby, a lousy son, a distant brother, an off-putting neighbor, a piss-poor student, a worrisome seatmate, an unreliable employee, a bewildering lover, a frustrating confidante and a crappy husband. Among the things I do pretty well at this point I’d have to list darts, re-closing Stay-Fresh boxes, and staying out of the way...Categorized as:
humor literary-fiction satire adult anthologies contemporary fiction historical-fiction -
Love Means More by A.F. Zoelle
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsAmbrose O’RourkeI’ve only met one person I couldn’t seduce—Augie Murphy, the man I love who thinks I’m straight. When I have a chance to be his fake boyfriend, it’s too much temptation to resist. It turns out that’s literally true, since I get carried away with a passionate kiss. He thinks it’s just a game, but it’s so much more than that... -
Beyond the Lens by Hannah Ellis
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsWhen twenty-six-year-old Lucy Mitchell loses her job, she momentarily loses her mind too and agrees to take part in a reality TV show. Before she knows it she’s jetting off to a piece of paradise on a beautiful Spanish island. Much to her surprise, Lucy makes new friends and has the time of her life, even indulging in a behind-the-scenes romance with a hunky cameraman...
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