Books like 'Center Stage!'
Readers who enjoyed Center Stage! by Caitlyn Duffy also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary north-america usa california urban romantic-love coming-of-age
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While You Walked By by Regina Felty
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 16 ratings*The Wishing Shelf Finalist 2020*‘A powerful and uplifting coming-of-age story. A FINALIST and highly recommended!’ The Wishing Shelf Book AwardsA young homeless boy. An old man who had lost everything. An unlikely friendship that brought healing to both.Ben doesn’t know what to think when a homeless boy shows up late one night behind Angelo’s Bakery where he works as a handyman... -
B-More Careful: Meow Meow Productions Presents by Shannon Holmes
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsFatherless and with an addict mother, Netta, the leader of the Pussy Pound, relies on her body and her wiles to survive the harsh streets of Baltimore, but finds there is more to life after her heartbroken lover Black swears revenge on her... -
Still Hood by K'wan
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsOnly the strong survie on the streets of Brooklyn. And while Dena Jones definitely has what it takes not only to survive but to succeed, she wants out. And she's determined to make it out of Crooklyn. She's determined to make it out of Crooklyn by any means necessary and doesn't have a problem manipulating men to get what she wants. Just ask her boyfriend Lance, or his girlfriend Michelle... -
Fast Life by Cassandra Carter
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsCaught up in a world of easy money,designer labels and drug-dealing boyfriends, sixteen-year-old Kyra Jones is living life on the fast track. But when her single mom is offered a job that takes Kyra away from her old Chicago neighborhood, and the drugs and gang violence that go along with it, she finally realizes that there's more to life than Gucci, Prada and ghetto-fabulous bling... -
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Pleasured By You by Steph Nuss
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsOne night of pleasure turns into a summer full of lust. Fletcher Haney owns several businesses all over New York City, gaining him access to tons of beautiful women. He has no intentions of stopping his womanizing ways, until he sees her again. She’s the ultimate heartbreaker he can't forget... -
Malibu by Moonlight by Brooke St. James
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsLiam Kennedy was on a flight to Los Angeles, bound for his cousin's wedding. He was fresh out of a relationship that he had been trying to end for months and was looking forward to having a great trip with his family while relaxing in his reclaimed status as a bachelor... -
Invisible by Ginny L. Yttrup
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsEllyn DeMoss -- chef, café owner, and lover of butter -- is hiding behind her extra weight. But what is she hiding? While Ellyn sees the good in others, she has only condemnation for herself. So when a handsome widower claims he’s attracted to Ellyn, she’s certain there’s something wrong with him... -
Deceived by Stella Barcelona
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsTheir destinies have been set in motion by their ancestors. Taylor Marlowe Bartholomew carries three of the most notable names in New Orleans society. She hoped to forge her own path in the world as an Assistant District Attorney, but that dream is dying as obligations pull her into the family shipbuilding business... -
Eve by K'wan
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe only family Eve Panelli has ever known is the infamous Twenty Gang. Orphaned as a small child, Eve quickly learned the art of the hustle, and by age seventeen she had spent two years in prison. But now Eve is eighteen, back on the streets of Harlem with her gang and up to one of her old strong-arm robbery. Despite her edge, she's got a soft spot for Felon, the up-and-coming street king... -
The Simple Soul of Susan by Noel Branham
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsLove hopes for the simple things to last forever, even though life itself does not.When Susan Combs discovers a heart-breaking truth from the boy she has loved her entire life, she must make a life-altering choice...Categorized as:
coming-of-age north-america usa book christian contemporary fiction historical-fiction -
Surrender to a Donovan by A.C. Arthur
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsSean Donovan is a man on a mission—to discover who is behind the popular relationship column that has transformed his family-owned magazine into Miami's hippest glossy. But Tate Dennison isn't the sassy columnist the hardworking bachelor expected. Nor is he prepared for the flash fire of passion the stunning single mother arouses... -
Blushing in Boston by Kirsten Osbourne
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsBrenda Holt is certain she'll never find love. At the urging of her friend Michaela, she contacts a matchmaker, hoping the woman will work magic and find her a man she can spend her life with. The only catch is, they will be introduced at the altar. When she first meets Daniel Axford, she's convinced that Matchrimony has made its first mistake... -
Desire a Donovan by A.C. Arthur
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe sexy, fast-living heir to a multimillion-dollar news-and-entertainment dynasty, Dion Donovan is the man every woman wants. Despite his playboy rep, Dion's heart belongs to Lyra Anderson. He's never forgotten the kiss they shared right before she left Miami for a new life in L.A. Now she's back, a successful photographer�and more desirable than ever... -
Kitty-Kitty, Bang-Bang: A Novel by Cairo
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWith murder, mayhem and hot sex, Kitty-Kitty, Bang-Bang is a wickedly delicious sequel to The Kat Trap. It was her cutthroat ambition and ruthlessness that got Katrina—or Kat for short, out of the hood and on top of her game. Once a murderer on a seductive prowl with two missions in mind—satisfying her insatiable libido and killing unsuspecting marks—Katrina has lain down her guns... -
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Teasing in Texas by Kirsten Osbourne
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsJenni Thompson felt like life was passing her by. She was happy with her job as an RN, but she wanted more. Having lived her life under her mother’s exacting thumb, she is afraid to date someone, knowing he’ll never live up to her parents’ expectations. So she contacts a matchmaking service who agrees to introduce her to a man who is right for her at the altar... -
Big Juicy Lips by Allison Hobbs
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsMisty and Brick, the two shady yet memorable characters from Double Dippin' , return in this follow-up to the popular title. Pretty and petite, Misty is always plotting on ways to get paid. It's time to step up her game and the bossy little diva comes up with an innovative plan to showcase Brick's attributes to an affluent and freaky clientele... -
Forever at Sunrise by Ann Lister
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsHaving survived the hell that ended their last tour, Wheland realizes just how short life can be and how close he came to losing his own in the flames of the Berlin fire. Officially off the road until everyone has had a chance to fully heal from their physical and emotional wounds, Wheland and his band brothers limp back home to make sense of what happened and where they will go from here... -
Home Ice by Catherine Gayle
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsUSA Today bestselling author Catherine Gayle presents another novella in the Portland Storm hockey romance series. There’s only one person in the world that Mattias Bergstrom allows to see his soft side: his younger sister, who was born with Down syndrome... -
Race the Wind by Lauren St. John
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsWhen Casey Blue's Badminton victory earns her and Storm an invitation to the prestigious Kentucky Three Day Event, it is a dream come true. But that dream is about to turn into a nightmare. After her father is arrested for a crime Casey is convinced he didn't commit, she finds herself the victim of a vicious blackmailer. To make matters worse, Storm is behaving like the wild horse he once was... -
The Dishwasher by Stéphane Larue
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsIt’s winter in Montreal, 2002, when a graphic design student’s gambling addiction starts to drag him under... -
The Perfect Block by Blake Pierce
Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsIn THE PERFECT BLOCK (Book #2), rookie criminal profiler Jessie Hunt, 29, picks up the pieces of her broken life and leaves suburbia to start a new life in downtown Los Angeles. But when a wealthy socialite is murdered, Jessie, assigned the case, finds herself back in the world of picture-perfect suburbia, hunting a deranged killer amidst the false facades of normalcy and sociopathic women... -
Relentless Pursuit by Kathy Herman
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsRich with the Cajun flavors of south Louisiana, this final book in the Secrets of Roux River Bayou Series is a story of what it means to find true peace in an uncertain world. Sax Landry left home at seventeen to escape his father’s abuse, leaving his mother and sister to fend for themselves... -
Sweet Dreams by Rochelle Alers
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsChandra Eaton can't believe she left her journals--containing very private, very erotic dreams she's been having for the past two years--in a Philly taxicab. Her embarrassment turns to intrigue when Preston Tucker finds and returns them. The soulful playwright fires up Chandra's body and her mind... -
Daddy Long Stroke by Cairo
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsDramatic, bold and racy, Daddy Long Stroke uncovers the shocking and painful reality of some men’s belief systems about women and sex. Cairo offers readers a voyeuristic look into the mind of a womanizer who manipulates and seduces women by using what he’s got—good looks, chiseled physique, charisma, and sexual prowess—to get what he wants without remorse, or regret... -
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All My Tomorrows by Rochelle Alers
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsDisenchanted with the politics of working in an upscale Washington, D.C. restaurant, twenty-seven-year-old chef Lydia Lord resigns from her job and resolves to make it on her own... -
Children of Ever After by Avery Yearwood
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsIn the heart of West Philadelphia, two women's lives collide in a heart-wrenching tale of love, loss, and unexpected redemption.Brittney, a young mother abandoned by her children's father, struggles to raise three children in an apartment she can barely afford... -
Something of a Storm by Brooke St. James
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsSometimes you need to make a change in life, and Laney Spencer was about to do just that. She was a talented artist and had been encouraged to move to San Francisco to pursue her dreams. Days after her little sister graduated high school the two packed their truck and headed south to California. Laney was ready for a new start and assumed everything would go perfectly... -
Home Fire Inferno [Burn, Baby, Burn!] by Suzanne Brockmann
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsPlease note: A dollar of the author’s royalties from each copy sold of this edition of Home Fire Inferno will go to organizations supporting veterans. (Thank you so much!) Also note: Home Fire Inferno is a Troubleshooters short story. It’s around fifty pages long, and was originally published in the charity anthology Way of the Warrior, which is no longer available in most e-formats... -
After Tonight, Everything Will Be Different by Adam Gnade
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsFalling somewhere between Trainspotting and Like Water for Chocolate, Adam Gnade’s self-described “food novel” frames each chapter around a meal, and from there moves wild in all directions. After Tonight, Everything Will Be Different takes place in San Diego taco shops and rundown beach apartments, on the amusement park boardwalk at 3am and in cars bound for Tijuana and drunken glory...Categorized as:
north-america usa california urban coming-of-age fiction contemporary literary-fiction -
Hiding in Park City by RaeAnne Thayne
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsA single mom on the run and an injured FBI agent find their greatest danger is with each other in this story of secret identity, originally titled Nowhere to Hide and published in 2003! As an on-the-run single mother out to protect her little girls, Lisa Connors needs two things: money, and to keep her identity secret... -
They're Going to Love You by Meg Howrey
Rated: 4.12 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsA magnetic tale of betrayal, art, and ambition, set in the world of professional ballet, New York City during the AIDS crisis, and present-day Los AngelesCarlisle Martin dreams of becoming a professional ballet dancer just like her mother, Isabel, a former Balanchine ballerina...Categorized as:
coming-of-age urban north-america usa fiction historical-fiction literary-fiction contemporary -
Coming Back by John Inman
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsBarney Teegarden knows what it’s like to be alone. He knows what it’s like to have a romantic heart, yet no love in his life to unleash the romance on. With the help of a friend, he acquires a lease in a seedy apartment building perched high on a hill in downtown San Diego... -
Every Time I Think of You by Jim Provenzano
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratings2012 Lambda Literary Award Winner for Best Gay Romance After an abrupt encounter in a small woods of Greensburg, Pennsylvania, Reid Conniff, a shy and studious high school distance runner, becomes swept up in the adventurous world of Everett Forrester, a privileged and capricious charmer... -
Fire Flow by Max Walker
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsSexy firefighter, Colton Drake, has everything going for him. From a prize-winning smile to a washboard set of abs, all mixed together with a playful sense of humor. He wasn’t the type to have one-night stands, but he knew he wouldn’t have trouble finding them. So why was he having such a terrible time finding someone to spend his life with? Well, until he meets the man that changes everything... -
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Perfection: The MacGregor Grooms / A Perfect Neighbor by Nora Roberts
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe MacGregor Grooms(1998)Daniel MacGregor sets his matchmaking skills against three of his grandsons - D.C., Duncan, and Ian.A Perfect Neighbor(1999)Daniel MacGregor is matchmaking again when he encourages playwright Preston McQuinn to move in across the hall from his granddaughter Cybill Campbell... -
Diamond Playgirls by Daaimah S. Poole, Miasha
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsFour beautiful, professional women, living on separate floors of a Harlem brownstone are about to discover they have a lot more in common than just their address... Dior's name is no accident-she's got a taste for the finer things in life, and New York City is just the place to find them. So far she's got the job and the apartment... -
All That Matters by Erin Nicholas
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWhat happens in the Big Easy doesn’t always stay in the Big Easy. Thank goodness.The Billionaire Bargains, Book 3When billionaire Emily Steele breaks off her eight-year relationship with the only boyshe’s ever dated, she quickly realizes she has a lot to learn. About the world. About herself.And men. Definitely men... -
Old Castle Secrets by Amanda Daire
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThree generations of heartbreak. One chance to heal old wounds. “I never want to see you again!” Khrista didn’t believe her daughter when Kaelyn stormed out of her life five years ago. But every day since, Kaelyn’s angry words have echoed in Khrista’s mind, even as she tries to hide the truth from her chosen family—the community that raised her...Categorized as:
north-america usa romantic-love new-hampshire fiction womens-fiction contemporary audiobook -
From the Streets to the Sheets: Urban Erotic Quickies by Noire
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsIn this bold collection of hard-hitting urban erotic quickies, Noire, the undisputed Queen of Urban Erotica, brings you eleven authors who explore, without apology or restraint, street sagas of sexual pleasure... -
Extremely Famous by Heather C. Leigh
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 12 ratings***WARNING*** This book contains scenes and language appropriate for ages 18+*** Sydney Tannen has been living in denial for the last 12 years. Now that she's making a life with Drew Forrester, hiding from her past is no longer an option. An emotional reunion with her father brings Sydney a peaceful feeling that she hasn't experienced in a long time... -
Departure from the Script by Jae
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsAspiring actress Amanda Clark and photographer Michelle Osinski are two women burned by love and not looking to test the fire again. And even if they were, it certainly wouldn’t be with each other. Amanda has never been attracted to a butch woman before, and Michelle personifies the term butch... -
Dreams from Bunker Hill by John Fante
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsMy first collision with fame was hardly memorable. I was a busboy at Marx's Deli. The year was 1934. The place was Third and Hill, Los Angeles. I was twenty-one years old, living in a world bounded on the west by Bunker Hill, on the east by Los Angeles Street, on the south by Pershing Square, and on the north by Civic Center... -
Nightcrawling by Leila Mottley
Rated: 4.04 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsKiara and her brother, Marcus, are scraping by in an East Oakland apartment complex optimistically called the Regal-Hi. Both have dropped out of high school, their family fractured by death and prison... -
The Best Worst Thing by Lauren Okie
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsFrom a stunning new voice in romance, Lauren Okie’s The Best Worst Thing is an intimate story about starting over, second chances, and two people who cannot help falling into each other’s orbit once again.All things considered, Nicole Speyer has a pretty amazing life. At least that’s what she tells herself... -
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The Closer You Get by L.A. Witt
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThe virgin isn’t the only one with something to lose… Self-described manwhore Kieran Frost is loving the single life. Two years after moving to Seattle, he still has his friends with benefits, Rhett and Ethan, plus a never-ending supply of gorgeous, available men wandering through the bar where he works. A relationship? Spare him the drama and heartbreak... -
The Coast of Chicago by Stuart Dybek
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThe stolid landscape of Chicago suddenly turns dreamlike and otherworldly in Stuart Dybek's classic story collection. A child's collection of bottle caps becomes the tombstones of a graveyard. A lowly rightfielder's inexplicable death turns him into a martyr to baseball. Strains of Chopin floating down the tenement airshaft are transformed into a mysterious anthem of loss... -
Everlasting Desire by Amanda Ashley
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsDesire Burns ForeverThe clientele at Shore's clothing store includes some of L.A.'s sexiest bachelors. But none of them affects Megan DeLacey as deeply as the dark-eyed stranger who strides into her boutique one evening - and keeps returning, night after night. Megan is drawn to Rhys Costain even as she fears him... -
Greater Than Rubies by Hallee Bridgeman
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsRobin Bartlett said, "Yes!" Will she say, "I do," when the big day arrives? From his cultured handsome looks to his vast fortune, Antonio "Tony" Viscolli is every red-blooded American girl's dream match. It doesn't hurt that he completely loves and adores Robin with all his heart and soul from practically the moment they first meet... -
Chasing Forever Down by Nikki Chartier
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsWhen seventeen-year-old Haley Sullivan is dragged to a corporate party with her parents, she's searching for one thing - the nearest exit. Instead, she finds a mysterious stranger who plays by his own rules and chases his own dreams, and he's definitely cute enough to disappear with for the night...Categorized as:
california coming-of-age north-america usa action-adventure book contemporary fiction -
The Secret Dreams of Sarah-Jane Quinn by Sharon Gerlach
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsSarah-Jane Quinn has many secret dreams: to own the bed-and-breakfast inn where she stayed as a child; to finally capture the elusive Coleridge “Collie” Tate, on whom she has an enormous crush; and most importantly, to be someone’s top priority for once in her life...
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