Books like 'On the Bright Side'
Readers who enjoyed On the Bright Side by Anna Sortino also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary romance realistic friends-to-lovers coming-of-age found-family family poc-mc friendship
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Unsuitable Men by Nia Forrester
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsBeautiful, accomplished and a little uptight, Tracy Emerson thinks she has it all figured out, particularly when it comes to the kind of man she wants to end up with. And she knows for sure that Brendan Cole is not The One. First of all, he works in the music business, with rappers no less! His lifestyle is wholly unsuitable for a long-term partner, and not at all compatible with hers... -
![Bronxwood by Coe Booth]()
Bronxwood by Coe Booth
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThe acclaimed author of TYRELL and KENDRA returns to PUSH to continue Tyrell's astonishing story. Tyrell's father is just out of jail, and Tyrell doesn't know how to deal with that. It's bad enough that his brother Troy is in foster care and that his mother is no help whatsoever. Now there's another thing up in his face, just when he's trying to settle down... -
![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... -
![Today. Tomorrow. Always by Raven St. Pierre]()
Today. Tomorrow. Always by Raven St. Pierre
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsEvents and decisions of the past almost cost her everything, but she was given a second chance. He marvels at the beautiful life he almost missed out on, vowing never to let anything come between them again. The memory of being apart lingers with both Sam and AJ, but those days are long gone... -
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![Want You Bad by Julia Wolf]()
Want You Bad by Julia Wolf
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsI’m a mess disguised in a pristine package. Routine and order are the only things keeping me sane these days. That is, until Charlie Hamada shows up in my small town and blasts my orderly (boring) life to bits.Charming, spontaneous, and quirky Charlie has decided his mission is to turn me into a rebel...and I like being just a little bit bad more than I ever thought I would... -
![Bittersweet by Deborah Bladon]()
Bittersweet by Deborah Bladon
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsMy world exploded on my wedding day.A dark-haired, gorgeous stranger objected as I stood at the altar in my long, white gown.He told all of my friends, my family, and my fiancé that he was the man for me.I had no idea who he was, but he offered me an escape I was craving, so I left the church with him.He might have been a little drunk and horribly confused... -
![Chaos Theory by Nic Stone]()
Chaos Theory by Nic Stone
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe #1 New York Times bestselling author of Dear Martin, delivers a gripping romance about two teens: a certified genius living with bipolar disorder and a politician's son who is running from his own addiction and grief. Don't miss this gut punch of a novel about mental illness, loss, and discovering you are worthy of love.Scars exist to remind us of what we've survived... -
![Hot Cocoa Hearts by Suzanne Nelson]()
Hot Cocoa Hearts by Suzanne Nelson
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsEmery Mason hates the holidays. She’s so over tinsel, secret santas, and excessive cheer. To make matter worse, her parents are forcing her to work—as an elf!—in their Santa photo booth at the mall. Then she meets Alejandro Perez, who works at the hot cocoa shop next door... -
![Save the Cupcake! by Lisa Papademetriou]()
Save the Cupcake! by Lisa Papademetriou
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThis delicious new series from New York Times bestselling author Lisa Papademetriou is a real treat -- full of humor and heart and cupcakes!Confession: My life is soooo not sprinkles and sunshine . . . Hayley's world is far from perfect: her parents have divorced, her mom has lost her job, and she and her sister Chloe are stuck sharing a bedroom in their grandmother's apartment... -
![Someday Soon by Laura Ward]()
Someday Soon by Laura Ward
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsOne mouthwatering temptation... All Daisy Goldsmith wants is to get out of her small town, leaving behind the bullies who've taunted her. Attending culinary school in New York has always been her biggest dream---a dream she's not confident enough to pursue. After all, she's nothing but a "fat cow... -
![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...Categorized as:
friends-to-lovers coming-of-age friendship family romance young-adult lgbtq contemporary -
![Nothing Burns as Bright as You by Ashley Woodfolk]()
Nothing Burns as Bright as You by Ashley Woodfolk
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsFive starred reviews! From New York Times bestselling author Ashley Woodfolk, Nothing Burns as Bright as You is an impassioned stand-alone tale of queer love, grief, and the complexity of female friendship. Two girls. One wild and reckless day. Years of tumultuous history unspooling like a thin, fraying string in the hours after they set a fire. They were best friends. Until they became more... -
![Give Me a Sign by Anna Sortino]()
Give Me a Sign by Anna Sortino
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsLilah is stuck in the middle. At least, that’s what having a hearing loss seems like sometimes—when you don’t feel “deaf enough” to identify as Deaf or hearing enough to meet the world’s expectations. But this summer, Lilah is ready for a change.When Lilah becomes a counselor at a summer camp for the deaf and blind, her plan is to brush up on her ASL. Once there, she also finds a community...Categorized as:
realistic friendship coming-of-age friends-to-lovers romance young-adult contemporary disability -
![Playboy in a Kilt by Kait Nolan]()
Playboy in a Kilt by Kait Nolan
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsA notorious former playboyAs heir to Ardinmuir, Connor MacKean had one job: fulfill the marriage pact that's held his family captive for three-hundred years. Except his sister's the one who took the plunge, and now there's nothing standing in the way of him finding a real and lasting love... -
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![Falling for Korea by Piper Jean]()
Falling for Korea by Piper Jean
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAmerica meets K-drama in this rollercoaster plot with a fresh take on romance and what it means to be family.When Sydney is sent to Seoul to live with a family she’s never met, she encounters unexpected chemistry with their son, but must fight to unravel the mystery of why she was sent away... -
![Shoot The Gap by Jordan Ford]()
Shoot The Gap by Jordan Ford
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe final book in a young adult romance series about a small town football team and the girls who win their hearts. Tyler Schumann has always been known as Nelson High’s goofy clown, the guy with the big mouth...Categorized as:
friends-to-lovers coming-of-age friendship family romance young-adult contemporary high-school -
![Midnights with You by Clare Osongco]()
Midnights with You by Clare Osongco
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsTwo high school seniors with family trauma keeping them up at night fall in love over a series of secret late-night driving lessons.“An achingly beautiful coming-of-age story…Midnights With You is everything I’ve ever wanted in a book.” —Ann Liang, New York Times best-selling author of I Hope This Doesn’t Find You***“Where were you thinking of going?”“Nowhere...Categorized as:
coming-of-age friends-to-lovers family realistic poc-mc romance young-adult contemporary -
![As You Walk On By by Julian Winters]()
As You Walk On By by Julian Winters
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe Breakfast Club meets Can't Hardly Wait with an unforgettable ensemble cast in another swoony YA contemporary from award-winning author Julian Winters! Seventeen-year-old Theo Wright has it all figured out...Categorized as:
coming-of-age poc-mc found-family family friendship romance young-adult contemporary -
![Accidentally Fooled by Lisa Papademetriou]()
Accidentally Fooled by Lisa Papademetriou
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsSeventh grader Amy Flowers is finally making her mark at ultra-exclusive Allington Academy, but there's always one thing standing in her way: the League. They rule the school, and their queen is oh-so-mean Fiona, who doesn't exactly appreciate a new girl invading her turf. This time, Amy's stuck working on a service project with Fiona and preppie know-it-all Preston... -
![Unplanned by Natalie K. Martin]()
Unplanned by Natalie K. Martin
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsHeartwarming, funny and bold, Natalie K Martin’s Unplanned asks: what if the unplanned moments are what life’s all about?Travelling the world for eleven years, Zoe and Sam have been living the dream—Sam’s dream. But when Zoe discovers she is pregnant, she decides it is time to find a new dream, even if Sam isn’t a part of it... -
![The Blue-Haired Boy by Courtney C. Stevens]()
The Blue-Haired Boy by Courtney C. Stevens
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsSet before the events of Courtney C. Stevens's debut novel, Faking Normal, this digital short story focuses on Bodee Lennox, otherwise known as the Kool-Aid Kid.Bodee Lennox has secrets. About where he got the four-inch scar on his leg. About the bruises on his back. About what it's really like to live in the Lennox household. These are things he doesn't share with anyone . . -
![Stay with My Heart by Tashie Bhuiyan]()
Stay with My Heart by Tashie Bhuiyan
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsFrom the author of Counting Down with You and A Show for Two comes a new YA contemporary about a girl who accidentally sabotages an up-and-coming local band and falls for the guitarist while secretly trying to make up for her mistake.Liana Sarkar lives and breathes music, hoping to follow in the footsteps of her A&R coordinator father...Categorized as:
realistic friends-to-lovers found-family poc-mc coming-of-age romance young-adult contemporary -
![Now I'll Tell You Everything by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor]()
Now I'll Tell You Everything by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsIt's Alice—for the rest of her life! Yes, the very last Alice book, and it reveals every last bit you'd want to know about Alice, including whether she spends the rest of her life with Patrick! "This is the book where Alice, every girl’s girl, turns into every lady’s lady" (VOYA).Alice McKinley is going to college! And everything, from her room to her classes to her friends, is about to change... -
![Forget Me Not by Coleen Murtagh Paratore]()
Forget Me Not by Coleen Murtagh Paratore
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsWilla returns in this new stand-alone novel in the WEDDING PLANNER'S DAUGHTER series. Willa returns in this new adventure for the tween set! It is summer on Cape Cod, where Willa Havisham and Joey Kennelly are enjoying their status as most compatible couple... -
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![The Falling Leaf Never Hates the Wind by Tere Liye]()
The Falling Leaf Never Hates the Wind by Tere Liye
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsHe is like an angel to our family. He saved me, my brother, and Mother from destitution and misery of street lives. He provided us with food, shelter, helped to pay for school, and promised a better future for us. He truly is like an angel to our family. He loves us, cares for us, and sets an example without expecting anything at all in return... -
![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... -
![Some Mistakes Were Made by Kristin Dwyer, Karissa Vacker]()
Some Mistakes Were Made by Kristin Dwyer, Karissa Vacker
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 16 ratings"Heartbreaking, painfully romantic, and deeply human." --Stephanie Garber, #1 bestselling author of CaravalFrom bestselling authors to booksellers and librarians, early readers are obsessed with this debut YA romance pitched as Sarah Dessen meets Adam Silvera, told in alternate timelines and perfect for fans of messy, complicated relationships...Categorized as:
coming-of-age family friends-to-lovers friendship realistic book contemporary fiction -
![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... -
![How to Be Remy Cameron by Julian Winters]()
How to Be Remy Cameron by Julian Winters
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsEveryone on campus knows Remy Cameron. He's the out-and-proud, super-likable guy who friends, faculty, and fellow students alike admire for his cheerful confidence. The only person who isn't entirely sure about Remy Cameron is Remy himself... -
![Love Me, Love Me Not by S.M. Koz]()
Love Me, Love Me Not by S.M. Koz
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsSeventeen-year-old Hailey Brown never wanted to be popular or rich or even successful. All she ever wanted was to feel loved by someone, anyone. Eighteen-year-old Brad Campbell doesn't know anything but popularity, wealth, and success thanks to his affluent family and unmatched talent on the football field... -
![Whisper by Chrissie Perry]()
Whisper by Chrissie Perry
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsI'm always trying to figure out what's really going on. Always having to fill in the gaps, but never getting all the details. It's like trying to do a jigsaw when I don't even know what the picture is, and I'm missing one of the vital middle pieces... -
![I Love You, I Love You, I Love You by Laura Dockrill]()
I Love You, I Love You, I Love You by Laura Dockrill
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsElla and Lowe are teenagers when they first meet. For her, it’s love at first sight. But it’s safest to love from afar, where the friendship zone is her safety net and she can’t get hurt.Over the next fifteen years, they share grief, laughter, friendship, bottles of cider, cigarettes in the rain. But there’s one thing Ella can never ask whether he feels the same way about her...Categorized as:
coming-of-age friends-to-lovers friendship family romance fiction contemporary audiobook -
![Into the Blue by Pene Henson]()
Into the Blue by Pene Henson
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsTai Talagi and Ollie Birkstrom have been inseparable since they met as kids, surfing the North Shore of Oahu. Now they live with their best friends and Ollie’s kid brother in a pulled-together family, all of them piled into a run-down beach house. They share cooking, bills, and the saltwater running in their veins... -
![High School Paradise by Orizuka]()
High School Paradise by Orizuka
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsMemang sekolah elite, tapi masih ada satu yang kurang. Athens gak punya ekskul sepak bola. Empat anak paling top di Athens protes ama guru olahraga mereka, Gozali. Berhasil? Ternyata tidak. Hukuman Gozali malah semakin menjadi-jadi. Biar nggak penasaran, baca terus deh ceritanya sampai abis…...Categorized as:
coming-of-age family friendship book contemporary fiction mental-illness young-adult -
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![Take a Bow, Noah Mitchell by Tobias Madden]()
Take a Bow, Noah Mitchell by Tobias Madden
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThere Are No Cheat Codes for ShowmanceSeventeen-year-old gaymer Noah Mitchell only has one friend the wonderful, funny, strictly online-only MagePants69. After years playing RPGs together, they know everything about each other, except anything that would give away their real life identities. And Noah is certain that if they could just meet in person, they would be soulmates...Categorized as:
coming-of-age friendship friends-to-lovers realistic family romance young-adult contemporary -
![Chloe and the Kaishao Boys by Mae Coyiuto]()
Chloe and the Kaishao Boys by Mae Coyiuto
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsWhen Dimple Met Rishi meets Loveboat, Taipei in this hilarious YA rom-com about a Chinese-Filipina girl in Manila whose father sets her up on a marathon of arranged dates in hopes of convincing her to stay close to home for college.Chloe is officially off the waitlist at USC, and thus one step closer to realizing her dream of becoming an animator in the United States...Categorized as:
realistic family friendship poc-mc coming-of-age friends-to-lovers asia southeast-asia -
![The Victoria in My Head by Janelle Milanes]()
The Victoria in My Head by Janelle Milanes
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsA shy, rule-following teen joins a local rock band and finds herself caught between staying on the path she’s always known and straying off-course to find love, adventure, and danger in this novel that’s perfect for fans of Rainbow Rowell.Victoria Cruz inhabits two worlds: In one, she is a rock star, thrashing the stage with her husky voice and purple-streaked hair... -
![Don't Forget Me by Victoria Stevens]()
Don't Forget Me by Victoria Stevens
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsSeventeen-year-old Hazel Clarke is no stranger to heartbreaks, and being sent to live with a father she’s never met is the latest in a string of them. Even the beauty of eastern Australia isn’t enough to take her mind off her mother and the life she had to leave behind in England... -
![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...Categorized as:
realistic coming-of-age friendship family romance young-adult middle-grade contemporary -
![Paintbrush by Hannah Bucchin]()
Paintbrush by Hannah Bucchin
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsMitchell Morrison and Josie Sedgwick have spent their whole lives at the Indian Paintbrush Community Village, a commune full of colorful characters tucked in the mountains of North Carolina, and they aren't particularly close--at least, not anymore...Categorized as:
coming-of-age family friends-to-lovers friendship book contemporary fiction young-adult -
![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... -
![No Place Like Home by Maxine Morrey]()
No Place Like Home by Maxine Morrey
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsTwo hearts. One home? Eleanor Laing has a very good reason to want to stay single: her last relationship put her in danger. And she’s worried that while the physical scars will heal, the emotional ones never can. So, travelling to Kansas for her best friend Sandy’s wedding, Eleanor’s in need of some time alone... -
![The Edge of Juniper by Lora Richardson]()
The Edge of Juniper by Lora Richardson
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratings“You’re off-limits, so why can’t I stop thinking about you?” Fay Whitaker, sixteen years old and yearning for adventure, is excited to spend the summer with her fearless cousin Celia in small-town Juniper, Indiana. But Fay soon discovers that her summer home is not what she expected. She is alarmed by her uncle’s temper, and learns of the grudge he holds against the Dearing family... -
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![Friends With Benefits: An absolutely uplifting, feel-good romcom by Lisa Swift]()
Friends With Benefits: An absolutely uplifting, feel-good romcom by Lisa Swift
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsCould Mr Right-Now actually be Mr Right?Lexie Whittle thought she had life all sewn up, with a gorgeous husband, a beautiful home and a delightful teenage stepson. Until husband Daryl left to work overseas…and everything changed.A year later, Daryl and Lexie’s marriage is over...Categorized as:
friends-to-lovers family coming-of-age friendship humor contemporary womens-fiction lgbtq -
![Teenie by Christopher Grant]()
Teenie by Christopher Grant
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsHigh school freshman Martine (Teenie for short) is a good student, with a bright future ahead of her. She's desperate to be accepted into a prestigious study abroad program in Spain so that she can see what life is like beyond the streets of Brooklyn. She wouldn't mind escaping from her strict (though lovable) parents for awhile either... -
![Mika in Real Life by Emiko Jean]()
Mika in Real Life by Emiko Jean
Rated: 3.94 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsOne phone call changes everything. At thirty-five, Mika Suzuki’s life is a mess. Her last relationship ended in flames. Her roommate-slash-best friend might be a hoarder. She’s a perpetual disappointment to her traditional Japanese parents. And, most recently, she’s been fired from her latest dead-end job... -
![Angel Cake by Cathy Cassidy]()
Angel Cake by Cathy Cassidy
Rated: 3.94 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsAnya used to dream of moving to Britain to start a brand-new life. But as she sits in a school where nobody understands her, she dreams of Polish summer skies and the place where she once belonged.Then Anya meets bad boy Dan. He’s no angel, but she’s sure there’s a sweeter side to him... -
![Love in English by Maria E. Andreu]()
Love in English by Maria E. Andreu
Rated: 3.93 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsSixteen-year-old Ana has just moved to New Jersey from Argentina for her Junior year of high school. She’s a poet and a lover of language—except that now, she can barely understand what’s going on around her, let alone find the words to express how she feels in the language she’s expected to speak...Categorized as:
realistic coming-of-age family friendship poc-mc friends-to-lovers romance young-adult -
![Alice on Her Way by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor]()
Alice on Her Way by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Rated: 3.92 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsFreedom! It's the moment Alice has been looking forward to for years -- her sixteenth birthday is coming up, and that means getting her driver's licence, with the freedom that entails. And before that important milestone, there's another delicious taste of freedom awaiting Alice and her friends -- a class trip to New York City, promising some serious partying once chaperones have gone to bed...
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