83 Books Like Tease

I never thought I would be infatuated with a man named Cletus. (Sorry to all of the Cletuses out there!). But Cletus Winston is one of the funniest, cutest, sweetest, and outright oddest leading men.

In her other books, I was always curious to learn about the certified genius and who might spark his interest, and Beard Science did not disappoint. 

This is a heartwarming, emotional small-town romance with a wounded hero (Leo) and a gamer girl heroine (Hannah). Leo and Hannah meet through their online alter egos and I love the fact they were able to develop a beautiful friendship that’s free of the complications of real life (where Leo is afraid to leave his family’s winery and Hannah is in an abusive relationship). 

When their online and actual lives meet, Leo busts free of his comfort zone to help Hannah. Their love story is real, raw, and uplifting. They help each other grow, which left me feeling warm on the inside. The ensemble cast (primarily Leo’s family) is enchanting and funny. Hidden Miles is a perfect blend of emotion and humor.

Meant to Be is the book that made me decide I wanted to write small town romance novels. Reading it somehow felt simultaneously like coming home and going on a beachside vacation. 

When Poppy goes to her aunt’s cottage in Sweetbriar Cove, she’s seeking a solution to writer’s block, but instead she finds friendship, community, and love with the gruff contractor next door. 

Cooper is that thing many romance readers (including me) seem to love: a big old grump with a marshmallow heart he’s trying to protect from the world around him. 

While the romance between Poppy and Cooper is lovely, it’s the side characters, charming village, and heart-warming sense of community that make this book one of my top five picks.

In Wrecked Palace, Catherine Cowles has created the type of characters you can’t help but adore. Caelyn dropped everything to raise her three younger siblings after her mother was arrested and her father disappeared. She’s loving, optimistic, and I’d love to have her as a friend. 

Griffin also experienced a traumatic event that changed his life, during which he lost his family. He’s determined to lock himself away from everyone and everything. His pain is so well written that my heart hurt for him.

Caelyn can’t stay away from any wounded creature, and it’s absolutely beautiful to see Griffin open up to her and her siblings. On a side note, Caelyn’s siblings are wonderful all on their own.

Though this fabulous new addition to the roller derby kidlit genre doesn’t come out until August, I was lucky enough (by nature of my derby community membership) to get a sneak peek, and am proud to say that Holden has taken a “novel” approach to enthusiastically recruiting the next generation of great roller derby players with relatable and nuanced skill.

IMO, tackling timely and relevant topics like social anxiety and family dysfunction along with team dynamics means taking a brave, 360 degree approach to the complex lives of today’s teens, however they roll. 

The word "networking" gives me the ick, but this book helped redefine what it means to build connections in the professional world. It offers many ideas about how to break out of your comfort zone authentically and move beyond awkward moments with grace.

I found this book to be the most authentic and relatable path to building a network. 

Speak Your Mind is a middle-grade/young adult book to read, learn from, discuss, reread, and start a book club with!

Victoria is exceedingly shy and has to overcome anxiety to be assertive. To top it off, Ms. Markovich singles out Victoria and verbally bullies her, paving the way for students to bully her.

At the story’s climax, Victoria needs to summon every ounce of her faith to speak the truth. Victoria’s strong character arc is very gratifying, and I absolutely love her friend Aiden.

This impressive novel takes on big topics including social anxiety, bullying, compassion, and living righteously in an unrighteous world, and leaves readers with several powerful lessons.

This is the story of a girl named Rose, who is autistic and obsessed with homonyms. She lives with her father who’s often impatient with her needs and abandons her to drink at the local bar. Her mother has vanished, and Rose turns to her sympathetic uncle and her beloved new dog for comfort.  When her dad lets the dog out during a storm, Rose and her uncle find the dog and realize it already has an owner. She learns the truth of her mother’s disappearance and moves in with her uncle. 

Once again, here’s a story about the healing relationship that can exist between a kid and an animal. And as the sibling of a person with Down syndrome and a former special education teacher, I’m impressed with the author’s respectful portrayal of a girl on the autism spectrum.

This book made me laugh out loud so many times—it's the funniest fantasy I have ever read. An oddball crew breaks into the protagonist’s prison cell to rescue a prince, so the protagonist claims to be the prince and is rescued along with his cellmate.

The journey back to the prince’s country is a road trip comedy with a wacky cast... but amid all the crude jokes are real emotional moments and characters being kind to each other. The protagonist can’t stop himself from falling for the prince and grows as a person in the process. Nothing about the story ever gets too serious, and the bad bits happen quickly and without prolonged trauma. I loved everything about it.

This book made me angry with the main characters while wishing them the best. They're two sides of the same coin, and I love seeing the familiarity and deep bond form throughout the story.

Watching the two main characters slowly fall for each other and eventually fight for their love was satisfying.