Category Archives: Contemporary

The Counterfeit Family Tree of Vee Crawford-Wong by L. Tam Holland

When Vee Crawford-Wong’s history teacher assigns an essay on his family history, Vee knows he’s in trouble. His parents—Chinese-born dad and Texas-bred Mom—are mysteriously and stubbornly close-lipped about his ancestors. So, he makes it all up and turns in the assignment. And then everything falls apart. After a fistfight, getting cut from the basketball team, offending his best friend, and watching his grades plummet, one thing becomes abundantly clear to Vee: No one understands him! If only he knew… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger and Content Warnings

  • Dubious consent scene (on-page)
  • Racism & racial slurs discussed
  • Alcohol consumption
  • Physical assault due to bullying (fistfight)

*Context : The protagonist is making out with his crush but says declines further sex because she is drunk.

Beautiful by Amy Reed

When Cassie moves from the tiny town where she has always lived to a suburb of Seattle, she is determined to leave her boring, good-girl existence behind. This is Cassie’s chance to stop being invisible and become the kind of girl who’s worth noticing. Stepping into her new identity turns out to be easier than Cassie could have ever imagined… one moment, one choice, changes everything. Cassie’s new existence both thrills and terrifies her. Swept into a world of illicit parties and social landmines, she sheds her virginity, embraces the numbness she feels from the drugs, and.. Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger and Content Warnings

  • Rape of a child & incest (father-daughter)
  • Emotional & physical parental abuse and sibling abuse
  • Parent with alcoholism
  • Death of a father by suicide from hanging
  • Alcohol consumption & recreational drug use
  • Physical assault

Beating Heart Baby by Lio Min

When artistic and sensitive Santi arrives at his new high school, everyone in the wildly talented marching band welcomes him with open arms. Everyone except for the prickly, proud musical prodigy Suwa, who doesn’t think Santi has what it takes to be in the band.But Santi and Suwa share painful pasts, and when they open up to each other, a tentative friendship begins. And soon, that friendship turns into something more… Will their fresh start rip at the seams as Suwa seeks out a solo spotlight, and both boys come to terms with what it’ll take, and what they’ll have to let go, to realize their dreams?

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger and Content Warnings

  • Homophobia & transphobia. including deadnaming (off-page) & forced outing recounted
  • Physical & emotional child abuse & abandonment
  • Anxiety & panic attacks
  • Gender dysphoria & body dysmorphia discussed (on-page)
  • Alcohol consumption & recreational drug use
  • Grief & loss depiction
  • Deth of a parent recounted
  • Near-drowning incident recounted
  • Bullying

Bad Romance by Heather Demetrios

Grace wants out. Out of her house, where her stepfather wields fear like a weapon and her mother makes her scrub imaginary dirt off the floors. Out of her California town, too small to contain her big city dreams. Out of her life, and into the role of Parisian artist, New York director—anything but scared and alone. Enter Gavin: charming, talented, adored. Controlling. Dangerous. When Grace and Gavin fall in love, Grace is sure it’s too good to be true. She has no idea their relationship will become a prison she’s unable to escape.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger and Content Warnings

  • Fatphobia & slut-shaming
  • Physical, emotional psychological & verbal child abuse
  • Abusive relationship (theme)
  • Rape
  • Graphic attempted suicide & suicidal ideation
  • Self-harm

The Bad Muslim Discount by Syed M. Masood

It is 1995, and Anvar Faris is a restless, rebellious, and sharp-tongued boy doing his best to grow up in Karachi, Pakistan. As fundamentalists in the government become increasingly strident and the zealots next door start roaming the streets in gangs to help make Islam great again, his family decides, not quite unanimously, to start life over in California. The irony is not lost on Anvar that in America, his deeply devout mother and his model-Muslim brother are the ones who fit right in with the tightly knit and gossipy Desi community. Anvar wants more. At the same time, thousands… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger and Content Warnings

  • Islamophobia
  • Rape
  • Domestic abuse
  • Animal death
  • Police violence (fatal shooting)

Bad Girls with Perfect Faces by Lynn Weingarten

When Sasha’s best friend Xavier gets back together with his cheating ex, Ivy, Sasha knows she needs to protect him. So she poses as a guy online to lure Ivy away. But Sasha’s plan goes sickeningly wrong. And she soon learns to be careful of who you pretend to be because you might be surprised by who you become…

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger and Content Warnings

  • Alcohol consumption
  • Prescription pill abuse (secondary character self-medicating for depression)
  • Murder

Bad Deal by Annabeth Albert

I’m a bodyguard and far from ideal boyfriend material, but agreeing to this fake dating scheme might be the best bad deal I’ve ever made… I’m a fixer. As a SEAL chief, I succeeded in impossible no-win situations. Now I’m retired and determined to improve the lives of my former military teammates through our Hollywood security firm. Plus, I get to guard intriguing people like Ambrose Sterling, creator of one of my favorite TV shows. Of course, I want to keep Ambrose safe. When he’s attacked, I leap into action to save him and his scrappy little therapy dog. But my good… Read more,

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger and Content Warnings

  • Anxiety & panic attacks
  • Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
  • Attempted mugging
  • Naval service

Bombshell by C.D. Reiss

Hollywood bad boy Brad Sinclair always gets his way, whether it’s the role he wants or the bikini-clad model he has to have. But when a bombshell gets dropped in his lap in the form of a dimpled five-year-old from a forgotten relationship, he knows his life is about to change forever. Cara DuMont isn’t exactly thrilled when she gets assigned to be the nanny for the latest box-office king. She has one rule: no celebrity fathers, especially single ones with devilish good looks and rock-hard abs. But as soon as Cara meets… Read more,

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger and Content Warnings

  • Botched abortion as a teen resulting in infertility discussed
  • Death of a mother mentioned

Bodyguard by C.D. Reiss

Emily enjoys all the perks of fame—the parties, the glamour, the tours—but they’ve brought her back to the attention of a dangerous ex-boyfriend hell bent on getting her back. Enter Carter Kincaid, a bodyguard so crushingly sexy he takes her breath away. Carter’s the best in the business and Emily is—professionally speaking—off-limits. But when it comes to stirring his desires, she’s hitting all the right notes. What’s happening between them is so hot it could get both of them burned. As Emily’s past gets closer, Carter is willing to break every rule of the job to… Read more,

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger and Content Warnings

  • Abusive relationship recounted
  • Stalking mentioned

The Ashleys by Melissa de la Cruz

Meet The Ashleys. Ashley Spencer, Ashley “Lili” Li and Ashley “A. A.” Alioto are the queen bees of Miss Gambles Preparatory School for Girls. They have it they’re rich, gorgeous, impeccably fashion forward, and everyone wants to be them. And then there’s Lauren Page. Former loser, she’s changed her ways now that her father’s company went public last month. Lauren’s upgraded to a mansion in Pacific Heights with a view of the marina and a Bentley with a driver named Thomas. Last year she was a nobody, but this year is going to be totally different. Lauren’s gone from geek… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger and Content Warnings

  • Alcohol consumption mentioned
  • Allergic reaction (secondary character)
  • Bullying