Books like 'Before My Actual Heart Breaks'
Readers who enjoyed Before My Actual Heart Breaks by Tish Delaney also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary romance historical-fiction literary-fiction sad coming-of-age
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See You by Dawn Lee McKenna
Rated: 4.58 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsSometimes the promise of something is so good that it's worth having, even when you know that you can't keep it. See You is not a romance, but it is a love story; one filled with the rawness of and risk and redemption and the dry humor that is the backbone of the South.Emma has loved Jack since she was a little girl... -
![Captains of the Sands by Jorge Amado]()
Captains of the Sands by Jorge Amado
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsLiving by their wits in the steamy slums of Bahia, a gang of orphans and runaways, led by fifteen-year-old "Bullet," spend their time stealing from Brazil's rich and privileged until public outcry demands their capture... -
![In the Company of Strangers by Awais Khan]()
In the Company of Strangers by Awais Khan
Rated: 4.75 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsLahore – a city of secretive glamour, whispering elites, and sordid affairs. A city brought to its knees by terrorism. Forty one-year old Mona has almost everything: money, friends, social status… everything except for freedom in the repressed Pakistani society. Languishing in her golden cage, she craves a sense of belonging… of love...Categorized as:
literary-fiction historical-fiction coming-of-age romance suspense poc-mc fiction contemporary -
![The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot by Marianne Cronin]()
The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot by Marianne Cronin
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsAn extraordinary friendship. A lifetime of stories. Their last one begins here.Life is short. No-one knows that better than seventeen year old Lenni living on the terminal ward. But as she is about to learn, it's not only what you make of life that matters, but who you share it with...Categorized as:
coming-of-age historical-fiction literary-fiction sad aging anthologies audiobook contemporary -
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![The Edge of Belonging by Amanda Cox]()
The Edge of Belonging by Amanda Cox
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsWhen Ivy Rose returns to her hometown to oversee an estate sale, she soon discovers that her grandmother left behind more than trinkets and photo frames--she provided a path to the truth behind Ivy's adoption. Shocked, Ivy seeks clues to her past, but a key piece to the mystery is missing...Categorized as:
coming-of-age historical-fiction literary-fiction adult audiobook book christian contemporary -
![Retuned: The Price of Time by Tania Joyce]()
Retuned: The Price of Time by Tania Joyce
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsA vacation. An unforgettable accident. Lives are changed forever.Gemma and Kyle wanted a quick getaway before they recorded their new album.But one fateful mistake changes their lives forever.Heartbreaking decisions must be made.Friendships will be tried and tested...Categorized as:
literary-fiction coming-of-age contemporary fiction romance new-adult friendship female-mc -
![Going Home by Judith Keim]()
Going Home by Judith Keim
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsIn 1970, Violet Hawkins’ only wish at eighteen is to escape her life in the Dayton, Ohio, foster-care system and make her way to the west coast to enjoy a mellow life and find the love she’s been missing all her life. She makes it to San Francisco, but soon learns she needs a job if she’s to live properly...Categorized as:
historical-fiction literary-fiction anthologies audiobook contemporary family female-mc fiction -
![Breaking Free by L.L. Collins]()
Breaking Free by L.L. Collins
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAlexis Carson-Nichols has had what anyone would describe as an idyllic childhood. She has great parents, little brothers and sister that mean the world to her, and friends that are always there for her. As she graduates from high school and gets ready to go to college, she feels like she has the world at her fingertips. She can’t wait to experience life as a young adult... -
![The Innkeeper by Tess Thompson]()
The Innkeeper by Tess Thompson
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsIt was supposed to be a night to forget. After a night of sizzling passion, they agreed to never contact each other again. Fate disagreed.Jamie Wattson has no use for men who leave and as far as she’s concerned, they all do. She’s focused on running her inn and spending time with girlfriends. Life is simple and she wants it that way... -
![Sunset by Jessie Cave]()
Sunset by Jessie Cave
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThe debut adult novel from Jessie Cave is a spry yet reflective comedy of sisterhood, loneliness and second chances as a rootless young woman starts to piece her life back together again.Sunset is an unconventional love story about putting yourself back together when the sky has fallen in.Ruth and Hannah are sisters. They build each other up, and tear each other down... -
![The Law of the Heart by Boris Starling]()
The Law of the Heart by Boris Starling
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsTheir love is against the laws of a merciless state—but the heart has its own power.For rollercoaster designer Theo, living on the edge is just part of the job. He’s used to wandering the world perfecting thrills, his heart immune to commitment. But then a commission in repressive North Korea exposes him to emotions he’s never dared to feel...Categorized as:
historical-fiction literary-fiction adult book contemporary female-mc fiction multi-pov -
![Differently Normal by Tammy Robinson]()
Differently Normal by Tammy Robinson
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsEvery family has its issues. For Maddy, life is all about routine. It has to be, to keep her autistic sister happy and healthy. With just Maddy and her mother as Bee’s full time carers, there’s no time in Maddy’s life for complications like friends, let alone a boyfriend... -
![Lie with Me by Philippe Besson]()
Lie with Me by Philippe Besson
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsThe award-winning, bestselling French novel by Philippe Besson about an affair between two teenage boys in 1984 France, translated with subtle beauty and haunting lyricism by the iconic and internationally acclaimed actress/writer Molly Ringwald.We drive at high speed along back roads, through woods, vineyards, and oat fields...Categorized as:
coming-of-age historical-fiction literary-fiction sad 21st-century audiobook book classics -
![The Wishing Tide by Barbara Davis]()
The Wishing Tide by Barbara Davis
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsFrom the acclaimed author of The Secrets She Carried comes a novel about the pull of the past and the power of love. As offseason begins on the Outer Banks, a storm makes landfall, and three unlikely strangers are drawn together... Five years ago, Lane Kramer moved to Starry Point, certain the quaint island village was the place to start anew...Categorized as:
historical-fiction literary-fiction adult book contemporary family female-mc fiction -
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![Finding Me by Judith Keim]()
Finding Me by Judith Keim
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsSheena Sullivan Morelli and her sisters, Darcy and Regan, receive the unexpected news that their Uncle Gavin Sullivan, the black sheep of the family, has left them a hotel on the Gulf coast of Florida. The gift comes with a twist. They must live together for one year at the hotel and prepare the hotel to receive guests within a year... -
![Champagne Widows: First Woman of Champagne, Veuve Clicquot by Rebecca Rosenberg]()
Champagne Widows: First Woman of Champagne, Veuve Clicquot by Rebecca Rosenberg
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsChampagne, France, 1800. Twenty-year-old Barbe-Nicole inherited Le Nez (an uncanny sense of smell) from her great-grandfather, a renowned champagne maker. She is determined to use Le Nez to make great champagne, but the Napoleon Code prohibits women from owning a business...Categorized as:
historical-fiction coming-of-age literary-fiction romance drama contemporary fiction family -
![A Good Life by Virginie Grimaldi, Hildegarde Serle]()
A Good Life by Virginie Grimaldi, Hildegarde Serle
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsLaughter, tears, the transformative power of love, unexpected revelations, and striking natural these are the ingredients that combine to make best-selling author Virginie Grimaldi’s English debut the feel-good read of 2024. Grimaldi is among France’s top ten contemporary authors and her uplifting, unputdownable literary novels have quickly garnered her millions of adoring fans...Categorized as:
literary-fiction coming-of-age romance fiction contemporary audiobook family season-summer -
![Dying Wish by Margaret McHeyzer]()
Dying Wish by Margaret McHeyzer
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsI have three major loves in my life: my family, my best friend Becky, and ballet. Elijah Turner is quickly becoming the fourth.He's been around as long as I can remember. But now he's much more than just the annoying guy at school.My life was working out perfectly...until it got turned upside down... -
![Recapitulation by Jerica MacMillan]()
Recapitulation by Jerica MacMillan
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratings"Jerica is a talented author who knows how captivate her readers to keep then wanting more." - Goodreads reviewer "I am in love with these books." - Goodreads reviewer Jonathan: Exhilaration. Elation. Triumph. Launching my North American tour is everything I ever dreamed it would be. Except ... I only see Gabby in weekends shoehorned around shows... -
![Something Like Stories: Volume Three by Jay Bell]()
Something Like Stories: Volume Three by Jay Bell
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsEmbark on a final trip through the Something Like… universe with this special collection of stories that promises heartwarming reunions and gut-wrenching closure.Something Like Stars playfully explores what would happen if a movie was made about Ben’s love for Tim and Jace... -
![Young Mungo by Douglas Stuart]()
Young Mungo by Douglas Stuart
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsGrowing up in a housing estate in Glasgow, Mungo and James are born under different stars--Mungo a Protestant and James a Catholic--and they should be sworn enemies if they're to be seen as men at all. Yet against all odds, they become best friends as they find a sanctuary in the pigeon dovecote that James has built for his prize racing birds...Categorized as:
coming-of-age historical-fiction literary-fiction 21st-century audiobook book contemporary drama -
![My Girl by Patricia Hermes]()
My Girl by Patricia Hermes
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsWhen your Dad's an undertaker, your Mom's in heaven, and your Grandma's got a screw loose... it's good to have a friend who understands you. Even if he is a boy. Thomas J. is Vada's best friend. They live near enough to each other to bike ride over and play, or even just hang out. The two are always together, sharing their afternoons, their adventures in the lake, and all of their secrets... -
![Tell Me How to Be by Neel Patel]()
Tell Me How to Be by Neel Patel
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsRenu Amin always seemed perfect: doting husband, beautiful house, healthy sons. But as the one-year anniversary of her husband's death approaches, Renu is binge-watching soap operas and simmering with old resentments. She can't stop wondering if, thirty-five years ago, she chose the wrong life...Categorized as:
coming-of-age historical-fiction literary-fiction adult audiobook book contemporary family -
![The Sound of Sleigh Bells by Cindy Woodsmall]()
The Sound of Sleigh Bells by Cindy Woodsmall
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsBeth Hertzler works alongside her beloved Aunt Lizzy in their dry goods store, and serving as contact of sorts between Amish craftsmen and Englischers who want to sell the Plain people’s wares. But remorse and loneliness still echo in her heart everyday as she still wears the dark garb, indicating mourning of her fiancé...Categorized as:
historical-fiction literary-fiction adult audiobook book christian contemporary fiction -
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![The Prelude of Ella and Micha by Jessica Sorensen]()
The Prelude of Ella and Micha by Jessica Sorensen
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsWhen Ella Daniels and Micha Scott are fourteen, they make a pact to leave the small town of Star Grove and create better lives for themselves. The pact was made as best friends, but over the next six years, their friendship begins to intensify. Feelings change. Grow. Veer towards love. But one tragic night changes everything. Hearts get broken. And the future they had planned changes forever... -
![The London Flat: Second Chances by Juliet Gauvin]()
The London Flat: Second Chances by Juliet Gauvin
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsWHAT READERS ARE SAYING: “YES! A spectacular sequel to The Irish Cottage…even better than the first book.” Elizabeth Lara has just finished her tour of Ireland. She’s moved on to London, but the dashing Connor Bannon isn’t far from her thoughts as she searches for Mags’ lost love... -
![O'Mara's by Michelle Vernal]()
O'Mara's by Michelle Vernal
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratings‘If you love Maeve Binchy, you’ll love this series...Categorized as:
coming-of-age historical-fiction literary-fiction adult audiobook book contemporary domestic-drama -
![The Legacy of Lucy Harte: A poignant, life-affirming novel that will make you laugh and cry by Emma Heatherington]()
The Legacy of Lucy Harte: A poignant, life-affirming novel that will make you laugh and cry by Emma Heatherington
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratings‘Sometimes time is all we have with the people we love the most. I ask you to slow down in life. To take your time, but don’t waste it….’ Maggie O'Hara knows better than most that life can change in a heartbeat. Eighteen years ago she was given the most precious gift- a second-hand heart, and a second chance at life... -
![Waiting for Bojangles by Olivier Bourdeaut]()
Waiting for Bojangles by Olivier Bourdeaut
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsThe runaway international bestseller—shortlisted for one of France’s highest literary prizes—a dark, funny, and wholly charming novel about a young boy and his eccentric family who grapple with the realities of mental illness in unique and whimsical ways... -
![From Afar by Frank Scozzari]()
From Afar by Frank Scozzari
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsFor centuries, poets have argued that unrequited love is love in its strongest form. From Afar is a timeless tale of Morgan Stanfield’s search for love in the far northern city of Saint Petersburg, Russia...Categorized as:
coming-of-age literary-fiction action-adventure adult book contemporary fiction journey -
![Development by Jerica MacMillan]()
Development by Jerica MacMillan
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsSummertime … and the living is easy. Unless you’re dating the next big pop star, and your meddling parents are holding you hostage a thousand miles away. After spending nine months with Jonathan, being apart is harder than I expected. When I finally get to California for a two week visit— with my older sister in tow as a chaperone— my welcome from his mom and manager is colder than I expected... -
![Juno Loves Legs by Karl Geary]()
Juno Loves Legs by Karl Geary
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsJuno loves Legs. She's loved him since their first encounter at school in Dublin, the time she fought the playground bullies for him. Her bright spirit makes his courage flare; his tenderness makes her safe. Together, they feel invincible, even if the world has other ideas. This is their story...Categorized as:
literary-fiction historical-fiction coming-of-age sad europe british-isles ireland romance -
![Intermezzo by Sally Rooney]()
Intermezzo by Sally Rooney
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAn exquisitely moving story about grief, love, and family, from the global phenomenon Sally Rooney. Aside from the fact that they are brothers, Peter and Ivan Koubek seem to have little in common.Peter is a Dublin lawyer in his thirties—successful, competent, and apparently unassailable...Categorized as:
literary-fiction coming-of-age europe british-isles ireland romance fiction contemporary -
![The Heart Asks Pleasure First by Karuna Ezara Parikh]()
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:
historical-fiction literary-fiction romance fiction contemporary lgbtq feminism friendship -
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![The Brothers of Brigadier Station by Sarah Williams]()
The Brothers of Brigadier Station by Sarah Williams
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsShe came to the outback to marry the love of her life. She just didn't expect him to be her fiancé's younger brother. When Meghan Flanagan, a vet-nurse from Townsville, moves to Brigadier Station in outback Queensland to marry the man of her dreams, she is shocked to discover that perhaps her fiancé isn't the man she wants waiting for her at the altar...Categorized as:
historical-fiction sad literary-fiction romance western contemporary audiobook fiction -
![I Loved You More by Tom Spanbauer]()
I Loved You More by Tom Spanbauer
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsTom Spanbauer’s first novel in seven years is a love story triangle akin to The Marriage Plot and Freedom , only with a gay main character who charms gays and straights alike. I Loved You More is a rich, expansive tale of love, sex, and heartbreak, covering twenty-five years in the life of a striving, emotionally wounded writer... -
![Gray by Pete Wentz, James Montgomery]()
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... -
![Awakening You by Jessica Sorensen]()
Awakening You by Jessica Sorensen
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsLately, life has been going well for Ayden. His relationship with Lyric is starting to heat up and his career in music is taking off. But the disappearance of his sister still weighs heavily on his mind. Desperate to find out where his sister is, Ayden decides to take drastic measures... -
![Shadowed Paths by Ivan Bunin]()
Shadowed Paths by Ivan Bunin
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsThe collection consists of the best of his early works - Sukhodol, The Last Rendezvous, Apple Fragrance, The Gentleman from San Francisco - and stories written in his last years - Leka, Sunstroke, Shadowed Paths, and others. They may be called stories about love and about the unforgettable Russian landscape. For here, Bunin writes about himself, in the hushed stillness of the fields..Categorized as:
historical-fiction literary-fiction 20th-century adult anthologies classics contemporary fiction -
![Pioneer Summer: A Novel by Elena Malisova, Katerina Silvanova]()
Pioneer Summer: A Novel by Elena Malisova, Katerina Silvanova
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThis star-crossed gay romance is a #1 bestselling TikTok sensation that took listeners by storm, made international news, and catalyzed one of Russia’s largest-ever crackdowns on LGBTQ representation The year is 1986, and Yurka Konev, 16, has been sent off for another summer at Pioneer Camp...Categorized as:
historical-fiction coming-of-age literary-fiction romance lgbtq fiction young-adult contemporary -
![the truth about fragile things by Regina Sirois]()
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 literary-fiction book contemporary female-author fiction realistic young-adult -
![Forever Love by Chelsea Landon, Megan Smith]()
Forever Love by Chelsea Landon, Megan Smith
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsFor a limited time only, enjoy books one, Forever Dark, and two, Forever Light, in the Forever Love Series together. Forever changed by one night that leaves their lives, love, and sacrifices forever altered... -
![Missing Beats by K.L. Shandwick]()
Missing Beats by K.L. Shandwick
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsTo Jo, rock stars = Fame. Money. Music. Sex. A lifestyle she literally has no respect for. Josie Carmichael's no rock star. She's not even famous and she doesn't particularly like musicians, but when a boy from her childhood reconnects unexpectedly, her life is put on hold...Categorized as:
coming-of-age literary-fiction adult book contemporary family fiction friends-to-lovers -
![A Colorful Life: Drawn in Broken Crayon by Melissa Storm]()
A Colorful Life: Drawn in Broken Crayon by Melissa Storm
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA handsome stranger.A whirlwind trip to India.A life forever changed. For Daly English, life is a series of one disappointment after another. Rather than dealing with the fall-out, she locks herself in her studio and works tirelessly toward completing her art school portfolio. Unfortunately, fate isn't done with Daly quite yet...Categorized as:
coming-of-age historical-fiction adult audiobook book contemporary female-mc fiction -
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![Paper Is White by Hilary Zaid]()
Paper Is White by Hilary Zaid
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWhen oral historian Ellen Margolis and her girlfriend decide to get married, Ellen realizes that she can't go through with a wedding until she tells her grandmother. There's only one problem: her grandmother is dead...Categorized as:
historical-fiction literary-fiction romance fiction lgbtq wlw contemporary female-author -
![Dear Marley by Danielle Keil]()
Dear Marley by Danielle Keil
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsEveryone at Ryder High knows what it means to have a teal envelope taped to their locker on the first day of the month.For Marley “Sunny” Sorenshine, a Secret Admirer might be just what she needs to put her recent, very public, break up behind her.Her optimism is dimmed when she reads the first note—her admirer was tricked into participating. He didn’t choose Marley, a dart did...Categorized as:
literary-fiction coming-of-age romance contemporary young-adult loner-mc fiction book -
![Mrs. Quinn's Rise to Fame by Olivia Ford]()
Mrs. Quinn's Rise to Fame by Olivia Ford
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratings“One of those books you just want to hug to your chest. I loved it so much... -
![Refuge by N.G. Osborne]()
Refuge by N.G. Osborne
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsOn a dusty, sweltering night, Noor Khan, a beautiful, headstrong Afghan refugee, comes face-to-face with Charlie Matthews, a brash, young American aid worker. To Noor's fury, Charlie breaks every cultural norm and pursues her. She wants nothing to do with him: her sole aim in life is to earn an overseas scholarship so she can escape the miseries of the refugee camps...Categorized as:
historical-fiction literary-fiction adult book contemporary fiction forbidden-love violent-conflict -
![Bad Girlfriend by Brooke Cumberland]()
Bad Girlfriend by Brooke Cumberland
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsFrom USA Today Bestselling Author comes a gut-wrenchingly beautiful standalone novella about a girl who just wants to live her life and a boy who just wants to help her live it... What if time was the only thing that kept you from falling in love? What if you knew when your time was up? Kate Wesley knows about that all too well. When time is no longer on her side, she decides to live... -
![Dare You to Date the Point Guard by Lacy Andersen]()
Dare You to Date the Point Guard by Lacy Andersen
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsA little dare never hurt anybody...My whole life's been about following in my parents' footsteps: ace school and then get into med school. And that means that my dream to become a world-famous artist isn’t part of the plan. Neither is the game of spin-the-bottle that leads me to the second most humiliating moment of my life with Mason Finnick...
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