22 Must-Read books like Heartstopper you’re guaranteed to love

This post is all about books like Heartstopper

Running with Lions is a wholesome mlm enemies to lovers story set in a summer soccer camp. It features a cast of queer characters and a bisexual main character.

It follows Sebastian Hughes who is going to a summer training camp. And he is a member of an incredible team where he can be open about his sexuality. But Emir, an old best friend who hates his guts, is also at the camp.

I love how this book deals with sexuality in sports!  Also, it includes the sweetest and most wholesome queer love story. 

The author is Julian Winters. He started writing because he couldn’t find any books with people like him.

This would be a great pick if you're looking for books like Heartstopper. It features a light-hearted mlm romance, a diverse cast and the found family trope

Running with Lions won accolades for its positive depictions of diverse, relatable characters. The relationships between the football team are insanely heartwarming. Sebastian’s team is a multi-ethnic group with many different sexual orientations and they almost become a family.. 

Good Reads Rating: 3.72

Felix Ever After is an own voices book featuring a black, queer and transgender main character. Like Heartstopper, it features a diverse cast of characters and an adorable friends to lovers romance.

It follows Felix Love who has never been in love.  And he is desperate to experience it.

An anonymous student starts sending him transphobic messages. And the student publicly posts Felix’s deadname.  Along with photos of him before his transition.

Felix decides to plot revenge. But his catfishing lands him in a love triangle.

 Kacen Callender wrote Felix Ever After. Callender also won the Stonewall Book Award and Lambda literary award for Hurricane Child. They do a particularly good job at discussing difficult topics such as class disadvantage, transphobia and body dysmorphia. Oh and it features an adorable friends to lovers m/m romance. If you're looking for books like Heartstopper you should pick this up.

Good reads rating: 4.37

If you haven't read Alice Oseman's other books then I highly recommend then. Especially Radio Silence. Radio silence is a cute ya contemporary about friendship. It also features great a-sexual representation and a character from the Heartstopper books.

Frances has always been focused on studying and getting into university.  But then she meets Aled and they instantly become friends. But when the trust is broken Frances has to confront her past. And her guilty secret.

One thing Alice Oseman does really well is that she writes the most beautiful friendships. Aled and Frances are one of my all-time favourite fictional friendships.  A bisexual girl and a demisexual boy in a m/m relationship.

I listened to this as an audiobook and I would 100% recommend it. The podcast theme that runs through the book really lends itself to the audiobook format.  And it felt like it was meant to be listened to.

Good reads rating: 4.16

4.She drives me crazy by Kelly Quindlen

Sapphic superheroes anyone? Not Your Sidekick is a superhero-themed novel featuring a bisexual Chinese-Vietnamese protagonist, a trans character and a f/f romance. 

And  it’s written by an own voices author. Similar to Heartstopper, it's an LGBTQ+ book with an adorable romance.

It follows Jessica Tran, a bisexual high school student who is resigned to a life without superpowers and decides to start an internship to improve her college applications. However, she quickly discovers it’s for a supervillain with her crush Abby.

Not Your Sidekick is another light, fluffy and fun read. It takes superhero tropes and gives a really refreshing take on a superhero story. I love how the superheroes and super villains storyline is woven into modern, everyday life.

It also manages to tackle a lot of issues while still staying fun. There is a whole series of these and I’ve already added Not Your Villain to my TBR list as I really loved Bells in Not Your Sidekick.  If you're looking for books like Heartstopper then you need to read this!

Good reads rating: 3.90

When I think of books with bisexual characters - Perfect on Paper instantly comes to mind. Darcy Phillips is an excellent bisexual character   Perfect on paper is about a bisexual girl who gives anonymous love advice to her classmates.

Perfect on paper follows Darcy Phillips. She runs an anonymous service giving love advice to her classmates via a locker. They slip in their worries and she responds with a carefully worded response. But Alexander Brougham catches her in the act. And in exchange for keeping her secret, he asks her to be his dating coach.

If you like the fake dating trope, I think you’ll really enjoy this book. The ‘dating coach’ concept worked really well. And it allowed for so much character growth and development. I also really enjoyed the romance between Alexander and Darcy.

The discussions around bisexuality and biphobia in this book are excellent. You can clearly tell this is an own voices story. And the discussions around bisexual girls in relationships with guys is absolutely spot on.

Gonzales’ Writing style is excellent. There was no purple prose and it was very easy to read. The teenagers were also written really well. And they were very believable. I thoroughly enjoyed the banter between all the characters.

Good reads rating: 4.13

If you haven't read Red, White and Royal Blue yet then you definitely should. If you're looking for books like Heartstopper, RWRB is a great choice. It's a New Adult Romance that balances serious topics with enemies to lovers mlm romance.

Red, White and Royal Blue follows Prince Henry and Alex Claremont Diaz. They cause a scandal in the press and have to pretend to be friends.

It made the New York Times Bestseller list and won a Good Reads Choice award. Also over 30,000 people have reviewed it on Good Reads

  The relationships between the characters in the book are what makes this for me.  It’s an empowering queer romance story.  It takes place in a parallel universe where a woman with mixed-race children is president.

It’s an incredible book.  And this book is one of the best for bisexual representation.

Good reads rating: 4.21

If you’ve read Red, White and Royal Blue and you haven’t read One Last stop – I highly recommend you pick this one up. It's a new adult book featuring a bisexual main character and the found family trope. It also has a cast full of amazing queer characters.

It follows August. She’s a cynical 23 year old who is trying to survive in New York. But then she meets this gorgeous girl on the train.

Jane.

Jane is dazzling, mysterious and insanely charismatic. But there’s one problem. She’s literally displaced in time from the 1970s.

There are so many good things about this book. If you love the friendship group in Heartstopper then this is a great choice.  The chaotic roommates and the friendships are incredible.

 The writing is also really funny with great banter. Plus the food imagery is droolworthy. ( If you enjoyed One Last Stop then read this post for more books like One Last Stop)

Good reads rating: 4.10

The Raven Cycle is a YA Paranormal Fantasy series featuring a cursed romance. And the series has an adorable slow burn mlm romance.

Each year in the churchyard, Blue watches her psychic mother see those who are going to die that year. Blue never actually sees them herself. Until this year. When she speaks directly to a boy.

He is called Gansey and is a student at Aglionby school. The students there are known locally as Raven Boys.

I had so many recommendations to read this and for good reason. The characters and the relationships are what make this one of the best fantasy books.

 If you loved the friendship group and witty banter in Heartstopper – then I highly, highly recommend Raven boys. You can also conveniently buy this on Book Depository with free shipping worldwide- you can get it here.

Good reads rating: 4.04

Her Royal Highness is a great pick if you love Heartstopper. It's a light-hearted teen romance set in a school.  It also features the enemies to lovers trope, royalty and  a great bisexual character.

Not only does it include the enemies-to-lovers trope. But it also features the room-mates trope, royalty, an ex-girlfriend and a posh boarding school.

Oh, and did I mention it’s all set in stunning Scottish highlands.

The book follows Millie who is heartbroken when she discovers that her kinda girlfriend has been kissing someone else. After getting into a super elusive boarding school, she moves to Scotland. And this is where she meets Princess Flora.

It’s a sweet, lighthearted and irresistibly charming book.  You can easily binge-read it in one sitting. If you haven’t read it you absolutely need to.

Good reads rating: 3.79

The Lumberjanes  series is an adorable lgbtq middle grade graphic novel. It features a diverse lgbtq cast of characters. And it's set at a summer camp and is filled with beautiful forest imagery. 

The graphic comic book series follows five pals at a summer camp. They are determined to have an incredible summer and not let supernatural critters or quests get in their way.

The incredible drawings instantly gave me an emotional connection to the characters in the books. The story is well paced and I love the adventure story.

The first novel opens with a bang and the plot really engaged me. The graphic novel format and short length make them really easy to read. If you’re looking for light-hearted lgbtq books for tweens  then you should pick this up. (For more incredible lgbtq middle grade graphic novels try The Backstagers or Mooncakes.)

You can read this on Scribd.  If you haven't used it before, Scribd is a digital library with  podcasts, books, audiobooks and even sheet music. They offer a free trial for 30 days. And you can read an unlimited amount of books with their subscription - check it out here

Good reads rating: 4.03

I also read Fence on Scribd. The graphic comic book series follows Nicolas Cox. He's the illegitimate son to an  Olympic Champion fencer. And he is determined to make it as a fencer. But the fencing world is uber competitive and he's an outsider. He signs up for a competition. But he's put head-to-head with a fencing prodigy.

I consumed this series so quickly. I could not put it down. The characters are so likeable. Especially Nicolas! And I was so invested in Nicolas making the fencing team. Nicolas and Seiji also have a great potential 'enemies to lovers' romance. 

 I always feel a strong emotional connection to the characters in graphic novels. But I especially loved the artwork in Fence. Johanna the Mad is insanely talented and created a real atmosphere through the artwork. 

Graphic novels ate really easy to read. But this is especially binge-worthy. The found family, diverse cast and school setting make this a perfect choice if you're looking for graphic novels or books like Heartstopper.

Good reads rating: 3.98

Laura Dean keeps breaking up with me is a graphic novel about a toxic relationship. It follows Freddy Riley. And all Freddy wants is for Laura Dean to stop breaking up with her. 

Laura Dean is popular, funny and charming. But she can also be thoughtless. Their on-again off-again relationship has all Freddy's friends frustrated. 

I have mixed feeling about this graphic novel. So many people I know absolutely love this book. The illustrations are beautiful and the diversity is excellent. 

And I also love the exploration of toxic relationships. It was really well  done and it showed the impact a toxic relationship can have on your mental health. 

But I found the characters to lack emotional depth  and I found it hard to emotionally connect with them. The storyline was also a bit all over the place. 

Overall however, I think this is worth reading. It's a quick, easy read. It's an LGBTQ+ YA Graphic novel with beautiful illustrations and a diverse cast. Those elements make it a good choice for Heartstopper fans. And It's an excellent book for education a YA audience on toxic relationships.

Good reads rating: 3.93

If you're looking for diverse LGBTQ+ YA graphic novels then you need to read some of Kay O'Neill's work.  While the plot is very different to Heartstopper - they are still cosy, heartwarming reads. 

The Tea Dragon Society is about dragons who grow leaves you can make tea from. But the tea is infused with memories.

We follow Greta a blacksmith apprentice. One day she finds a lost tea dragon in the marketplace. Greta learns about the dying art form of tea dragon care-taking from the kind tea shop owners.

This book is adorable, impossibly cute and heart-warming.  The illustrations are absolutely beautiful and painfully adorable.

  Not only is it a beautiful book with a lovely message. But it stars people of color, people with disabilities and LGBTQIA+ characters. (For more of Kay O'Neill's work you could try Princess Princess Ever After, Aquicorn Cove or The Tea Dragon Tapestry)

Good reads rating: 4.37

I couldn't resist including another Kay O'Neill book on this list. However, they write the most wholesome, beautiful and cosy lgbtq graphic novel.

Princess  Princess ever after is about two princesses who fall in love. We follow Sadie who is locked in a tower. She is rescued by another princess -Amira. Also, Amira rides a pink unicorn.  It’s just as queer and lovely as it sounds.

This is such a comforting book to read. It deals with some really important topics such as feminism, equality and abusive relationships. But it does it in such a light-hearted way.

This is insanely adorable and a really quick read.  It has cosy, cottagecore vibes. And even though it includes the insta love trope, it's so wholesome that it works perfectly. (For more of Kay O'Neill's work you could try  Aquicorn Cove or The Tea Dragon Tapestry)

Good reads rating: 4.08

Heavy Vinyl is a recent read for me. And it’s fantastic! It has a diverse cast, beautiful artwork and features ladies fighting the patriarchy.

It follows Chris. She starts working at her local record store. But her co-workers are keeping something from her.  They’re all members of a secret fight club who fight crime.

It features a f/f couples, an all girl fighting club and a 90s setting. The art style is awesome. Plus the found family trope works really well. And the banter between co-workers is hilarious.

It’s definitely more of a light-hearted ‘slice of life;’ type read. So if you’re looking for an action-packed adventure book then this probably isn’t for you. But if you’re looking for some light-hearted escapism then Heavy Vinyl is for you.

Good reads rating: 4.01

If you're looking for LGBTQ+ YA Graphic novels with cute. light-hearted romance then you need to read Mooncakes. It's a YA Romance about a witch and a non-binary werewolf.

It follows teen witch Nova. She works at her Nana's magical bookshop. And she helps them loan out spell books. But she also investigates supernatural occurrences in her local town.

One day, she is tasked to investigate reports of a white wolf in a nearby forest. She then discovers her childhood best friend,  Tam, fighting a demon werewolf.  Together they investigate the demon and rekindle their feelings towards each other.

This is such a comfort read. The artwork is insanely beautiful. I really loved the illustrations of the magic and magical creatures living in the forest. The romance is also really adorable.

The story isn't fast-paced and action packed. We also don't find out much about the characters background. But it's such a quick, cute and light-hearted read that I don't think it matters. It also deals with serious topics like loss and difficult family relationships really well.

Good reads rating: 3.85