Books like 'Dessert First'
Readers who enjoyed Dessert First by Dean Gloster also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary romance realistic family high-school coming-of-age humor
-
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... -
![The Big Picture by Jenny B. Jones]()
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... -
![Love Radio by Ebony LaDelle]()
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... -
![Curvy Girls Can't Date Bad Boys by Kelsie Stelting]()
Curvy Girls Can't Date Bad Boys by Kelsie Stelting
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsAn arranged marriage and a bad boy who breaks all of the rules…My father’s been planning my wedding day for longer than I have. Since I turned seventeen, he’s sent me on date after date with people from the film industry–producers, directors, actors… I’ve dated–and turned down–them all.But Ryde Alexander is the worst... -
-
![Saving Elliot by NorthByNorth]()
Saving Elliot by NorthByNorth
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratings“I keep trying to think of ways to make myself hate you.” “Kind of hard to do when you're in love with me, isn't it?” He said. * * * Meet Elliot Jensen; she’s stubborn, intelligent, sarcastic, short-tempered and ambitious. Meet Elliot Fintry, he’s impulsive, rude, cold, devious, and reckless...Categorized as:
coming-of-age high-school humor realistic book contemporary enemies-to-lovers fiction -
![Saving Wishes by G.J. Walker-Smith]()
Saving Wishes by G.J. Walker-Smith
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsFor Charli Blake, being seventeen is a tough gig.She's been branded a troublemaker, her reputation is in tatters and she's stuck in Pipers Cove, a speck of a town on the coast of Tasmania. Thankfully, it's temporary. Her lifelong dream of travelling the world is just months away from becoming reality... -
![Breaking Walls by Tracie Puckett]()
Breaking Walls by Tracie Puckett
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsIt’s not about the rules anymore. It’s about the sacrifice. She’s already given up too much to lose faith now. Gabe has walked away, and Mandy’s fate with the Raddick Initiative is hanging in the balance. Media attention has the whole town talking. Friends are making wild assumptions, and one of her own teammates has turned on her... -
![Shark Out of Water by Jenn Cooksey]()
Shark Out of Water by Jenn Cooksey
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsWith the Amazon Bestseller Shark Bait, the first novel in the Grab Your Pole series, debut author Jenn Cooksey delivered a fun, snarky, and realistic beginning to a larger story that has found its way into the hearts of readers everywhere... -
![The Songbird Sisters by R.H. Herron]()
The Songbird Sisters by R.H. Herron
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA FULL-LENGTH STANDALONE, a great entry into the world of international bestseller Rachael Herron's sexy and hilarious books. When their world-famous band The Darling Songbirds split up acrimoniously, sisters Adele, Molly and Lana went their separate ways. A decade on, Adele and Molly have finally reconciled. However Lana has remained stubbornly estranged - until now... -
![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... -
![How to Convince a Boy to Kiss You by Tara Eglington]()
How to Convince a Boy to Kiss You by Tara Eglington
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe course of true love never did run smooth. For a girl who shares her name with a princess (a.k.a Aurora from Sleeping Beauty) Aurora Skye’s life seem fathoms away from a fairytale. Sure, she’s landed Hayden Paris, Potential Prince extraordinaire. And she got her wish -- one first kiss with all the knee-trembling, butterfly-inducing gloriousness she’d hoped for... -
![The Good Girl & the Bad Boy by M.L. Collins]()
The Good Girl & the Bad Boy by M.L. Collins
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsWhat happens when Jackson High’s Good Girl and Bad Boy are forced to work together? I’ll tell you:I destroy his guitar. (Accidentally!)He uses my guilt to trick me into doing his work.For three weeks!Until I find out he lied. Oh, heck no. This bad boy has crossed the wrong girl.I call him out on it. In front of the whole school.Check mate, bad boy. “It feels good to be bad,” he whispers...Categorized as:
high-school realistic humor family romance young-adult contemporary enemies-to-lovers -
![The Princess Diaries Collection by Meg Cabot]()
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... -
![Arthur and Teddy Are Coming Out by Ryan Love]()
Arthur and Teddy Are Coming Out by Ryan Love
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsWhen 79-year-old Arthur Edwards gathers his family together to share some important news, no one is prepared for the bombshell he drops: he's gay, and after a lifetime in the closet, he's finally ready to come out. Arthur's 21-year-old grandson, Teddy, has a secret of his own: he's also gay, and developing serious feelings for his colleague Ben... -
-
![Take Two by Julia DeVillers]()
Take Two by Julia DeVillers
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsPayton and Emma left a trail of chaos in their wake when they “traded faces” just for fun. This time they’ll switch places to help each other and their friends out of a ginormous mess! Payton is helping out on the middle school musical while Emma puts her brains to use by tutoring—more like “twotoring”—identical twin boys... -
![Troubled Waters by AnnaLisa Grant]()
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... -
![Twenty-Four Seconds from Now...A Love Story by Jason Reynolds]()
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... -
![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... -
![The Trove of the Passion Room by Marcia Lynn McClure]()
The Trove of the Passion Room by Marcia Lynn McClure
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsSharlamagne Dickens cherished her family, was intrigued by the past, adored antiques, and enjoyed working at the antique store owned by her parents. Her life, like most, had been touched by tragedy and loss, yet she was happy. Though her life was not void of romance, it was void of a certain emotional passion... -
![The Renaissance of Gwen Hathaway by Ashley Schumacher]()
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... -
![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... -
![Love Beyond Opposites by Molly E. Lee]()
Love Beyond Opposites by Molly E. Lee
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsIf high school has taught mathlete Jade Aaron anything, it's that nerds never get the guy. So when rock star Lennon Pryor starts pursuing her, It's not rocket science. This doesn't add up.I mean, sure, he's hot. And charming. And a god on the guitar... But he's also the world's biggest player. Being with him would be a bigger mistake than 2+2=5... -
![Outrunning The Darkness by Anne Schraff]()
Outrunning The Darkness by Anne Schraff
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThemes: Hi-Lo, High school, neighborhoods, family, loyalty, friendship, urban teen fiction, self esteem, teen relationships, unrequited love. Written for young adults, the Urban Underground series confronts issues that are of great importance to teens, such as friendship, loyalty, drugs, gangs, abuse, urban blight, bullies, and self-esteem to name a few... -
![Rose by Diane Schwemm]()
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... -
-
![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... -
![Shipped by Meredith Tate]()
Shipped by Meredith Tate
Rated: 3.96 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsCan two IRL enemies find their happily ever after online?Stella Greene and Wesley Clarke are Gene Connolly Memorial High School's biggest rivals. While the two have been battling it out for top student, it's a race to the bottom when it comes to snide comments and pulling the dirtiest prank. For years, Stella and Wes have been the villain in each other's story, and now it's all-out war...Categorized as:
coming-of-age family high-school book contemporary enemies-to-lovers fiction young-adult -
![Snapshot by Angie Stanton]()
Snapshot by Angie Stanton
Rated: 3.94 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsPerfect for fans of Sarah Dessen, Jenny Han, and Susane Colasanti, this companion novel to the swoon-worthy Rock and a Hard Place has Marti discovering that one kiss from a Jamieson brother can change her summer . . . forever.Marti Hunter just wants a normal life. After dealing with her cool-but-clueless rock legend father and absentee mother, she only wants some peace . . . and fun... -
![Living with Jackie Chan by Jo Knowles]()
Living with Jackie Chan by Jo Knowles
Rated: 3.92 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsAfter fathering a baby, a teenager moves in with his karate-loving uncle and tries to come to terms with his guilt — and find a way to forgive. This isn’t how Josh expected to spend senior year. He thought he’d be hanging out with his best friends, Dave and Caleb, driving around, partying, just like always... -
![No Big Deal by Bethany Rutter]()
No Big Deal by Bethany Rutter
Rated: 3.92 of 5 stars · 12 ratings'It's not my body that's holding me back. I think it's more of a problem that people tell me my body should hold me back.'Meet Emily Daly, a stylish, cute, intelligent and hilarious seventeen-year-old about to start her last year at school. Emily is also fat. She likes herself and her body. When she meets Joe at a house party, he instantly becomes The Crush of Her Life. Everything changes... -
![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... -
![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... -
![Big Boned by Jo Watson]()
Big Boned by Jo Watson
Rated: 3.88 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsCan she be herself in a one-size-fits-all world?Lori Palmer is the new girl at Bay Water High, where students prize glossy hair, beach bodies, and school spirit above all else. She misses her old school―where her talent as an artist carried more weight than she does―and longs for her old family life, before her parents got divorced and her mom reinvented herself... -
![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... -
![The Fifth Rule by Don Aker]()
The Fifth Rule by Don Aker
Rated: 3.83 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsFormer young offender Reef Kennedy is back in Halifax for the funeral of his mentor, Frank Colville. He has no intention of staying long -- memories of Frank compete with memories of Leeza and the terrible way their relationship ended. And then there's the restraining order against him, which Leeza's mother has renewed.... Leeza, in the meantime, id feeling stifled by her mother's "concern... -
-
![Chasing After Knight by Heather Buchta]()
Chasing After Knight by Heather Buchta
Rated: 3.83 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsHigh school senior Alexa Brooks had it all figured out. Study hard, nail the extracurriculars, stay focused, and life would follow the carefully crafted plan. The problem is this plan was designed for one thing: making her forget all about her once-best-friend, former-potential-boyfriend, Carson Knight... -
![The Believer's Daughter by Caitlyn Duffy]()
The Believer's Daughter by Caitlyn Duffy
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThings Grace Mathison did her sophomore year of high school that she never expected to do in her lifetime: 1.) Run away with her brother to New York City2.) Tattoo a unicorn on a pop star’s back 3.) Fall in love with a Russian graffiti artist At the age of 15, Grace Mathison has been sheltered most of her life... -
![The Sweet, Terrible, Glorious Year I Truly, Completely Lost It by Lisa Shanahan]()
The Sweet, Terrible, Glorious Year I Truly, Completely Lost It by Lisa Shanahan
Rated: 3.86 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsIN MY FAMILY, when anyone rides the wave of their emotions, we say they're chucking a birkett. When the emotion drives out all common sense, we say they're chucking a big one. The telltale signs are: flaming cheeks, shortness of breath, bulging eyes, and a prolonged illogical outburst... -
![Goodbye, Rebel Blue by Shelley Coriell]()
Goodbye, Rebel Blue by Shelley Coriell
Rated: 3.86 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsRebecca Blue is a rebel with an attitude whose life is changed by a chance encounter with a soon-to-be dead girl. Rebel (as she’s known) decides to complete the dead girl’s bucket list to prove that choice, not chance, controls her fate. In doing so, she unexpectedly opens her mind and heart to a world she once dismissed—a world of friendships, family, and faith... -
![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... -
![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... -
![Fancy White Trash by Marjetta Geerling]()
Fancy White Trash by Marjetta Geerling
Rated: 3.80 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsFinding love is simple with the One True Love Plan. If only life were as easy as your sisters. Abby's heard that one before. And it's true. Shelby and Kait aren't exactly prim and proper. Abby is determined not to follow in their footsteps, so she has created the One True Love Plan. The most important part of the plan is Rule #1: Find Someone New... -
![Tin Heart by Shivaun Plozza]()
Tin Heart by Shivaun Plozza
Rated: 3.80 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsBestselling author of All the Bright Places Jennifer Niven calls emerging talent Shivaun Plozza’s charming and romantic second YA novel, Tin Heart, “from cover to cover swoon-worthy, moving, deep, and funny”!When Marlowe gets a heart transplant and a second chance at life, all she wants to do is to thank her donor’s family. Maybe then she can move on... -
![Just for Clicks by Kara McDowell]()
Just for Clicks by Kara McDowell
Rated: 3.80 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsMommy blogs are great . . . unless the blog happens to belong to your mom.Twin sisters Claire & Poppy are accidental social media stars thanks to Mom going viral when they were babies. Now, as teens, they're expected to contribute by building their own brand. Attending a NY fashion week and receiving fan mail is a blast. Fending off internet trolls and would-be kidnappers? Not so much... -
![What Can (t) Wait by Ashley Hope Pérez]()
What Can (t) Wait by Ashley Hope Pérez
Rated: 3.80 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsMarissa has smarts and plenty of promise, but she's marooned in a broken-down Houston neighborhood--and in a Mexican immigrant family where making ends meet matters much more than making it to college. When her home life becomes unbearable, Marissa seeks comfort elsewhere--and suddenly neither her best friend or boyfriend can get through to her... -
-
![Rock On by Denise Vega]()
Rock On by Denise Vega
Rated: 3.80 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsOri Taylor is the lead singer, guitarist, and songwriter of the Band To Be Named Later, a garage band he started with his friends. After years of being known only as the kid brother of sports star Del, Ori is looking forward to stepping out of his older brother's shadow, learning to perform in public, and rocking the Battle of the Bands contest... -
![The Girl Least Likely by Katy Loutzenhiser]()
The Girl Least Likely by Katy Loutzenhiser
Rated: 3.80 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsTo All the Boys meets The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (with a dash of Dumplin’) in this funny, romantic, and heartfelt coming of age story about a teen stand-up comic learning how to be her truest self, from the author of If You’re Out There.Gretchen has always been more of a “least likely” than a “most likely” kind of girl... -
![Between You, Me, and the Honeybees by Amelia Diane Coombs]()
Between You, Me, and the Honeybees by Amelia Diane Coombs
Rated: 3.80 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThis novel follows a teen girl during her California summer of beekeeping, secrets, and stolen kisses.Josie Hazeldine has just graduated from high school, and she’s ready for a summer full of sunshine, beekeeping, and…lying to her mom.Josie’s mom couldn’t be more proud of her daughter going to college, something she never got to do... -
![Sk8er Boy by Mari Mancusi]()
-
![What's French For "Ew"? by Katie Maxwell, Katie MacAlister]()
What's French For "Ew"? by Katie Maxwell, Katie MacAlister
Rated: 3.75 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsSpring break arrives, and that means it’s time for Emily to brush up on her sadly lacking French language skills... -
![Wise Young Fool by Sean Beaudoin]()
Wise Young Fool by Sean Beaudoin
Rated: 3.75 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsTeen rocker Ritchie Sudden is pretty sure his life has just jumped the shark. Except he hates being called a teen, his band doesn't play rock, and "jumping the shark" is yet another dumb cliché. Part of Ritchie wants to drop everything and walk away. Especially the part that's serving ninety days in a juvenile detention center...
Or - use our amazing romance book finder to get recommendations based on your favorite content tropes and themes. Mix and match at will.
