“Hearts don’t have bones. They can’t actually break.”
Heart Bones is a 2020 contemporary romance book by serial bestselling author Colleen Hoover. In it, readers are introduced to Beyah Grim who is just two months away from setting out on an independent life of her own. But, a sudden death soon forces her to spend two summer months living on a peninsular in Texas with a father she hardly knows. There, she encounters her new neighbour, Samson. He comes from a life of wealth and privilege whilst she is from poverty and neglect, yet, they are both able to bond over sad things and soon feel an intense connection growing that threatens to upend their plans for a simple summer fling. If you’re a fan of Colleen Hoover and heart-wrenching tales of young love, check out the best books like Heart Bones with us here at What We Reading!
Regretting You – Colleen Hoover
Kicking off our list of the best books like Heart Bones is another one of Colleen Hoover’s most gut-punching reads, Regretting You. Morgan Grant and her teenage daughter, Clara, would like nothing more than to be nothing alike. Having put her own aspirations on hold by getting married and pregnant far too soon, Morgan is determined to prevent Clara from making the same mistakes she did. Clara struggles to coexist alongside her mother’s overbearing predictability.
The only anchor in the family is Chris, Morgan’s husband and Clara’s father. But, when Chris is tragically involved in an accident, their fragile balance is shattered. As they struggle to rebuild their lives, Morgan finds comfort in an unexpected source, whilst Clara turns to the boy she’s forbidden to see. Along the way, new secrets are revealed and the growing resentment between mother and daughter threatens to drive Clara and Morgan to point beyond repair.
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See You Yesterday – Rachel Lynn Solomon
Another young adult romance read similar to Heart Bones, See You Yesterday is a 2022 book by Rachel Lynn Solomon. Barrett Bloom is hoping for a fresh start in college after a messy time in high school. But, after a hellish first day of term on September 21st, she finds herself locked out of her dorm and falling asleep in the common room.
When she wakes, however, she’s surprised to find herself in her dorm room on September 21st. Again. A confrontation with Miles, a student in her Psychics class, reveals that he is also stuck in this time-travelling loop. The pair begin investigating the university for a way to fix their timelines, eventually realising throughout their adventures that they have strong feelings for one another. But, what happens to their blossoming relationship if they’re finally able to make it to September 22nd?
Beach Read – Emily Henry
Augustus Everett is a lauded literary fiction writer. January Andrews is a bestselling romance novelist. He is known for killing off his main cast, whilst she is famed for her happily ever afters. The only thing the two have in common is that for the next three months, they will be living in neighbouring beach houses, strapped for cash and bogged down with writer’s block. That is, until one evening when they conjure up a plan to swap places: Augustus will spend the summer writing something happy, whilst she will pen the next literary world’s next profound read.
Along the way, the pair take each other on a series of trips designed to introduce each other to their worlds. He takes her to interview the surviving members of a death cult, whilst she whisks him off to exotic locales fit for a rom-com montage. If you loved the opposites-attract vibe of Heart Bones, Emily Henry’s Goodreads Choice Award-nominated Beach Read is an absolute go-to.
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A Year To The Day – Robin Benway
In Robin Benway’s A Year to the Day, it’s been a year without Nina. Leo feels like she should remember more from what happened on that fateful, but all she can recollect is leaving the party and getting into a car with Nina and Nina’s boyfriend, East.
East promised Nina that he would watch out for her younger sister. It’s a promise that he has been trying to keep every day since that night. But, he won’t give Leo the one thing she wants more than anything – he won’t tell her anything about the accident, or what happened that evening. As the days continue to tumble by, Leo begins to piece her story together, with her world threatening to fall apart along the way. The only one who can help her is the only person who can begin to understand, and East may be carrying a weight too heavy to carry on his own. With gut-wrenching revelations and profound connections, A Year to the Day is one of the best books like Heart Bones for any Colleen Hoover fan.
Good Girl Complex (Avalon Bay #1) – Elle Kennedy
New York Times bestselling romance author Elle Kennedy introduces readers to Mackenzie ‘Mac’ Cabot in her 2022 book, Good Girl Complex. Mac is a people pleaser, doing everything to juggle her demanding parents, long-time boyfriend and heavy college degree. At her parents’ insistence, she moves to the beachside town Avalon Bay, filled with wealthy students from Garnet College.
But, it is the local bad boy, Cooper Hartley that pulls her attention. Rough and raw around the edges, he has a disdain for the affluent kids he sees coming and going through his town normally, but he soon realises that there is much more to Mac than just a trust fund. However, just as the pair begin to fall for one another and kickstart a happy romance together, the secret Cooper’s been hiding from Mac threatens to rob her of the first place she has ever felt could be a home.
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Famous Last Words (Holt Hocky #1) – C.W. Farnsworth
If the angst-filled will-they-won’t-they formula is something you love about Heart Bones, C.W. Farnsworth’s Famous Last Words is sure to be a solid follow-up. In it, the renowned young adult romance novelist introduces readers to Harlow Hayes and Conor Hart, two seniors at Holt University.
Harlow has always had a love for the water and aspires to become a marine biologist, whilst Conor has dreams of someday being drafted by the NHL. As the arrogant and cocky captain of Holt’s hockey team, plenty of girls fall for Conor’s good looks and charm, but Harlow knows something about him that no one else does. It’s the reason he doesn’t look her in the eye, the shared history he would never speak about. The sort of thing that would ensure he would never be the sort of guy she could ever like, let alone love.
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Part-time reader, part-time rambler, and full-time Horror enthusiast, James has been writing for What We Reading since 2022. His earliest reading memories involved Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Horror tales, which he has continued to take with him to this day. James’ favourite books include The Last (Hanna Jameson), The Troop (Nick Cutter) and Chasing The Boogeyman (Richard Chizmar).
