Dive into stories that tug at the heartstrings and explore the depths of young love amidst life’s toughest challenges! If “Five Feet Apart” by Rachael Lippincott left you emotionally stirred and craving more tales that blend the bittersweet complexities of adolescence with the intensity of first love, you are in the right place. In this post, we’ll journey through a selection of novels that resonate with the touching and heartfelt narrative of “Five Feet Apart.”
These books promise to take you on an emotional rollercoaster through stories of young characters facing extraordinary circumstances, finding love, and discovering themselves against all odds. From heart-wrenching struggles to moments of profound joy and self-discovery, prepare to be moved by these powerful tales of resilience, hope, and the indomitable strength of the human spirit.
10 Books Like Five Feet Apart (Emotional Romance Fiction)
Five Feet Apart is a very emotional romance where we see life struggling and a beautiful relationship. Sometimes, they lose hope, and sometimes, they feel very energetic to survive. The movie was fabulous, but the book has a unique flavor that you have already tasted. I will talk about 10 emotional romance fiction books similar to Five Feet Apart to keep this vibe or flavor. Let’s go!
| Name | Key Focus | Tropes |
|---|---|---|
| Did I Mention I Love You? by Estelle Maskame | A young adult romance novel that explores the complicated relationship between Eden Munro and her stepbrother Tyler Bruce, set over a summer in California, dealing with themes of forbidden love, family dynamics, and personal growth. | Step-sibling romance, summer setting, emotional turmoil, forbidden love, teenage angst, family drama, character development, coming-of-age, contemporary setting, love triangle dynamics. |
| Until Friday Night by Abbi Glines | A young adult romance novel about the growing relationship between Maggie, a girl who chooses silence to cope with her mother’s death, and West, a popular high school football player facing his own personal tragedy, exploring themes of grief, love, and healing. | High school romance, tragic past, selective mutism, football player protagonist, emotional healing, young love, dual perspectives, small-town setting, personal struggles, overcoming adversity. |
| I’ll Meet You There by Heather Demetrios | A young adult novel that explores the complex relationship between Skylar, an ambitious art student, and Josh, a Marine who returns home with PTSD. | Military return, PTSD, teenage romance, small-town life, overcoming obstacles, emotional depth, personal growth, coping with trauma, aspirations and reality, character-driven narrative. |
| The Heartbreakers by Ali Novak | A young adult romance novel about a girl named Stella who, while trying to get a signed CD for her sick sister, unexpectedly falls for a member of a famous boy band, leading to a whirlwind of romance and challenges as she navigates the complexities of love and fame. | Celebrity romance, boy band allure, chance encounters, family illness, emotional journey, fame and normalcy, young love, teen drama, personal struggles, heartwarming moments. |
| Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire | A new adult romance novel that follows the intense and tumultuous relationship between Abby Abernathy, a college student with a dark past, and Travis Maddox, a charming but troubled underground fighter, exploring themes of passion, danger, and redemption. | Bad boy romance, college setting, turbulent relationship, dark pasts, intense attraction, personal demons, emotional conflict, redemption arc, dramatic twists, passionate love story. |
| The Fill-In Boyfriend by Kasie West | A young adult romance novel about a high school girl, Gia, who recruits a stranger to pose as her boyfriend at prom after being dumped, sparking a journey of unexpected romance, self-discovery, and the complexities of high school relationships. | Fake relationship, high school romance, prom setting, identity and popularity, personal growth, humorous situations, teenage drama, love triangle, character development, societal expectations. |
| To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han | A young adult romance novel centered on Lara Jean, a high school girl whose secret love letters accidentally get sent to her crushes, leading to a series of romantic entanglements and self-discovery about love and relationships. | Secret love letters, unintended consequences, high school romance, sister relationships, fake dating, Asian-American protagonist, coming-of-age, family dynamics, emotional growth, charming narrative. |
| My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick | A young adult romance novel that explores the relationship between Samantha, a girl from a well-ordered family, and Jase, her neighbor from a large, chaotic household. | Teen romance, contrasting family dynamics, summer love, coming-of-age, class differences, neighbor romance, family secrets, ethical challenges, character development, heartwarming moments. |
| After by Anna Todd | A new adult romance novel that follows the intense and turbulent relationship between Tessa, a dedicated college student, and Hardin, a brooding rebel with a dark past. | College setting, bad boy romance, emotional turbulence, dark past, first love, personal transformation, sexual tension, dramatic conflicts, character development, addiction issues. |
| All This Time by Mikki Daughtry | A young adult romance novel about Kyle, who struggles with loss and grief after a tragic accident, and Marley, who helps him find hope and love again, leading to a journey of healing, discovery, and unexpected twists. | Coping with loss, unexpected love, emotional healing, life-changing events, personal growth, tragic past, contemporary romance, plot twists, overcoming grief, transformative relationships. |
1. Did I Mention I Love You? (DIMILY)
The story’s plot is taboo, and it follows a girl named Eden. She moves to Santa Monica to live with her dad after not seeing him for three years because he had left her and her mother when she was younger. So she moves in with him for the summer, and his new wife has a couple of sons.
Here, Eden meets the eldest of them, and his name is Tyler. At first, they can’t stand each other, but as the summer progresses, their relationship blossoms. You can relate the slow-burn theme with Five Feet Apart. We follow Eden and Tyler’s journey in that relationship. They are labeled as step-siblings, but it’s not their choice.
Author: Estelle Maskame
Average Rating: 4.6/5
Category: Contemporary Romance
Number Of Pages: 416
Available: Audiobook | Paperback | Kindle | MP3 CD
2. Until Friday Night (The Field Party)
This is a beautiful young adult book that follows a girl named Maggie. Like Five Feet Apart, A huge tragedy happens in her family that has resulted in her never wanting to speak again. She moves in with her aunt, uncle, and cousin and starts at a new high school. There’s this boy named West Ashby, and he’s the head football player of this new school she’s at.
They develop a friendship, and West has a lot on his plate. He has a lot of things going on in his life that he wants to talk about. On the other hand, Maggie is a great listener, considering she doesn’t talk since the whole thing happened with her family. She hasn’t spoken a single word, but she and West form a relationship. Abby Glines writes romance so well, and there’s something so effortless about reading it.
Author: Abbi Glines
Average Rating: 4.5/5
Category: Emotions & Feelings Fiction
Number Of Pages: 352
Available: Audiobook | Paperback | Hardcover | Kindle
3. I’ll Meet You There
This is a wonderful story about a girl named Schuyler who’s sick and tired of living in her small town. She wants to escape and go to art school for the summer before college. She’s been working at the motel insert cute guy Josh, who got home from serving in Afghanistan after losing his leg. It’s been hard for him.
Josh’s coming back home, and they knew each other because he worked at the motel, and now he’s back working at the motel. They maintain this unlikely friendship, and it’s cute. But it also has a lot of deep underlying issues in it that are important. If you like war fiction with romance, you must read it after Five Feet Apart.
Author: Heather Demetrios
Average Rating: 4.6/5
Category: Realistic Fiction
Number Of Pages: 418
Available: Paperback | Hardcover | Kindle
4. The Heartbreakers
This book follows a young girl named Stella, who is on a quest to get a signature from her sister’s favorite boy band as a birthday present to her. Along the way to the signing, she goes to Starbucks, gets some coffee, and meets a cute guy there. They have an instant connection between Stella and Will in Five Feet Apart. Then she leaves and goes to the signing, and she shows up at the signing for this big boy band.
The main guy in the boy band, Oliver, is the guy that she met at Starbucks. You can imagine all of her like Harry Styles or whoever you like. If you like rockstar romance, then you can try it.
Author: Ali Novak
Average Rating: 4.5/5
Category: YA Romance, Music Fiction
Number Of Pages: 338
Available: Audiobook | Paperback | Kindle | Audio CD
5. Beautiful Disaster (Beautiful)
The story follows a girl named Abby and a boy named Travis. They have a love-hate relationship at first. Abby doesn’t like how Travis is this huge bad boy and all of his antics. She doesn’t want to deal with him, but they strike up this bet where they have to end up living together for a month or so. A relationship is formed from that. The plot and theme are very similar to those of Five Feet Apart.
Author: Jamie McGuire
Average Rating: 4.4/5
Category: Women’s Literary Fiction
Number Of Pages: 431
Available: Audiobook | Paperback | Hardcover | Kindle | Audio CD
6. The Fill-In Boyfriend
This book follows a girl named Gia, who has a boyfriend from college. None of her friends have met him before. But it’s the night of prom, and she’s finally going to get to introduce her college boyfriend to all of her high school friends and be calm. Then, her boyfriend breaks up with her in the parking lot. It’s not good because all of her friends think she’s lying about this boy from college.
So she freaks out and finds this random boy in the parking lot. Then, they strike up a deal where they become each other’s insignificant other. So, it’s super funny, quirky, and different, like Five Feet Apart.
Author: Kasie West
Average Rating: 4.6/5
Category: Friendship Fiction
Number Of Pages: 352
Available: Audiobook | Paperback | Kindle | Audio CD
7. To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before
This is a super cute book about a girl named Lara Jean. As long as she can remember, she’s always written letters to all the boys that she’s had crushes on and then kept them as a keepsake. It is a way to get her feelings out there without telling them that she likes them.
But then, one day, all of the letters get sent out mysteriously, and all these boys think she’s in love with them. So it’s funny in that sense, but it’s also a cute romance book that matches Five Feet Apart.
Author: Jenny Han
Average Rating: 4.7/5
Category: Teen & Young Adult TV, Movie, Video Game Adaptations
Number Of Pages: 384
Available: Audiobook | Paperback | Hardcover | Kindle | Audio CD
8. My Life Next Door
The story is about Samantha, who lives with her mother. Her mother is a politician and has unrealistic expectations for Samantha, and she goes with it. But then this big family moves in next door. There are a dozen types of families. Also, there’s a boy who lives there, and his name is Jase Garrett.
Jase and Samantha form a secret relationship because their families don’t get along. Her politician mother disapproves of this ruckus family that lives next door, but they can’t help but fall for each other. The struggling moments and vibes are relatable with Five Feet Apart. It’s not only a book about romance but a book about family, which I enjoyed that aspect of it as well.
Author: Huntley Fitzpatrick
Average Rating: 4.6/5
Category: Social Issues & Family Fiction
Number Of Pages: 432
Available: Audiobook | Paperback | Hardcover | Kindle | Audio CD
9. After
We follow a girl named Tessa who goes to college for the first time, and she doesn’t go to parties. Her roommate is not along with her friends, including Scott, Hardin, and Tessa, who form a relationship where they hate each other. There’s a lot of stuff in this book, such as Five Feet Apart. It’s super cute, though this book is jam-packed with romance. So if you’re into that, you will love it.
Author: Anna Todd
Average Rating: 4.7/5
Category: Women’s New Adult & College Fiction
Number Of Pages: 607
Available: Audiobook | Paperback | Kindle | Audio CD
10. All This Time
The book is about a boy named Kyle. He is going to get broken up with on the night of his graduation party when his girlfriend breaks up with him in the car. They get into a massive car accident, and when he wakes up, he is told that she is dead.
So he’s trying to recover from the car accident and, most importantly, his ex-girlfriend’s death. Then, he comes across Marley, who is also going through her loss. Moreover, the two are trying to find some happiness together.
Their character development is so good, and it’s not in the way that they both went through loss that they are confiding in each other. They are also finding a lot about themselves and growing as individuals. Some trigger warnings include death, PTSD, and grieving trauma. So if you are sensitive to that, maybe don’t read it.
Author: Mikki Daughtry
Average Rating: 4.7/5
Category: Death & Dying Fiction
Number Of Pages: 336
Available: Audiobook | Paperback | Hardcover | Kindle | Audio CD
These narratives, filled with raw emotions, life’s tough questions, and the beauty of young love, remind us of the strength that lies in vulnerability and the power of connection in trying times. They are testaments to the resilience of the human spirit and the transformative journey of youth.
So, as you immerse yourself in these touching tales, may they inspire you, comfort you, and give you a new perspective on life’s delicate moments. Until our next literary adventure into the realms of heartfelt storytelling, may your reading journey be as enlightening as it is emotional!
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