Authors Like Simone Elkeles – 15 Exciting Book Recommendations

Simone Elkeles is a famous bestselling author recognized by USA Today and New York Times.

She has written a variety of romance novels, including series like “Wild Cards”, “How To Ruin” and “Leaving Paradise”.

Authors Like Simone Elkeles - 15 Exciting Book Recommendations

Focused on a young audience, some of her books are even part of the YALSA Top Ten Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers.

Simone Elkeles is also the Author of the Year of the Illinois Association of Teachers of English.

What makes Elkeles’ novels so much fun to read are the edgy characters, her funny way of writing, and the real-life drama she puts into each book.

In addition, her works have been translated into different languages, including German and French.

Authors Like Simone Elkeles – 15 Exciting Book Recommendations

Do you love Simone Elkeles’ books “Perfect Chemistry” or the “How to ruin trilogy”? Then explore other authors like Simone Elkeles, including Tammara Webber, Jessica Sorensen, Kody Keplinger, and Jennifer Echols.

Their teenage romance novels captivate you right from the first page with lots of emotions and typical young adult problems.

Books By Simone Elkeles

Perfect Chemistry

The romance fiction books from Simone Elkeles often feature love, romance, jealousy, and many other emotions that show between two lovers.

One of Elkeles most famous romantic novel series is “Perfect Chemistry”. A beautiful contemporary romance saga that sees sparks fly between lab partners Alex Fuentes and Britanny Ellis.

When Britanny Ellis walks into her chemistry class and is forced to choose Alex Fuentes as her lab partner, she isn’t impressed.

As a gang member, he seems hardly trustworthy enough to match Britanny’s reputation as a high school glamor girl.

But Britanny will soon have much more to worry about than who sits next to her in chemistry classes. Her perfect life unravels in front of her eyes.

The “Perfect Chemistry” teenage rom-com includes “Perfect Chemistry”, “Rules of Attraction” and “Chain Reaction”.

But Simone Elkeles also has written other fun romance stories that feature in a trilogy or short series.

One romantic saga where the author shows off her fun writing style is “How to ruin”. The “How to Ruin” trilogy covers witty stories like “How to Ruin Your Summer Vacation” and “How to Ruin My Teenage Life”.

In “How to Ruin a Summer Vacation” teenage girl Amy has to go to Israel with her estranged father for the summer.

Despite her usually glamorous lifestyle, she quickly has to realize that this is not a luxury trip. Instead, there is a serious reason that reveals when she meets her Israeli family for the first time.

Authors Like Simone Elkeles

If you love Simone Elkeles’ books then there are many similar authors who also write about fantasy romance and young adult love (Also check out Sarah J Maas’ works).

Jennifer Echols

Major Crush (The Romantic Comedies)

Born in Atlanta and growing up by a lake in Alabama, Jennifer Echols set many of her romantic comedies in the same beautiful location (If you like romantic comedies, check out Books Like Crazy Rich Asians).

Her novels for young adults have won a variety of important awards, including the Write Touch Readers’ Award and the Aspen Gold Readers’ Choice Award.

Some of her funniest teen novels are “Major Crush”, “Going Too Far” and “Forget You”.

Echols also wrote a trilogy “The Superlatives” with two young adults exploring the world in their own way.

Tia is a free spirit who loves to party, hang out with friends, and connect with the sweetest boys in town.

That’s where she meets Will. The new boy is just so exotic and intriguing with his laid-back attitude to life and the amazing Midwestern accent.

When feelings start to develop between Will and Tia, he wants a serious relationship but Tia doesn’t want commitment. She has seen the aftermath of her sister’s relationships.

But then the yearbook comes out and things start to look a bit awkward for Tia, Will, and their bumpy love story.

Pros:

  • The funny and witty writing style
  • Realistic characters
  • Engaging and entertaining plots

Cons:

  • Some characters are very cliché

Themes: teenage, young adult romance, YA novel, love story, parent relationships

Lauren Barnholdt

Four Truths and a Lie (mix)

Lauren Barnholdt is a popular teen fiction author who writes novels for different grades, including middle-grade books such as “Four Truths and a Lie” and “Fake Me a Match”.

Her witty romance novels aren’t just fun to read for teenagers but they can also teach adults some surprisingly new things about love and dating.

One of her sweetest teenage trilogies is “Girl Meets Ghost” which follows Kendall Williams who sees dead people.

But she doesn’t just see them. Kendall can also speak to them just like she was having a conversation with a living person.

The thing that’s really annoying her is that they respond. This stirs all kinds of trouble because Kendall all too often listens to these ghosts.

When the ghost of a blonde gymnast pops up here, there, and everywhere in Kendall’s life, she has to realize that she can actually help her sort out an important problem.

If Kendall wants to keep her secret of speaking to the dead, then she will need to get rid of this ghost, fast.

Pros:

  • Lots of cliffhangers
  • Real-life teenage problems
  • Good mix of drama and love

Cons:

  • Some characters aren’t well developed

Themes: teenage romance, secrets, ghosts, paranormal

Kody Keplinger

The DUFF: (Designated Ugly Fat Friend)

Kody Keplinger was born in Kentucky and one of her earliest memories is setting up an old typewriter with the best intentions of becoming a writer.

She published her first novel “The Duff” when she was just 17 and has written a range of teen books since then.

Even as an adult, Keplinger loves reading children’s books, so she keeps a big collection of them at her home in New York City.

If you are looking for a more tragic story, then read Keplinger’s “That’s Not What Happened” which tells the story of a high school massacre and its aftermath.

In this sad but deeply moving story, Keplinger explores what happens behind closed doors when a victim of a school shooting survives.

Everyone seems to have a different version of events of the day, and what happened at the time.

But there is only one thing that’s worse than not speaking the truth: staying silent.

Pros:

  • Ideal for teenage and adult readers
  • Varied themes in different books
  • Well-developed writing style

Cons:

  • The plot is always easy to understand

Themes: young adults, school shootings, children’s books

Katie McGarry

Say You'll Remember Me

Katie McGarry’s books mix fantasy fiction with witches, mysterious wizards, and adventure stories.

She wrote different standalone novels, such as “Say You’ll Remember Me” but also different series, such as “Pushing the Limits” and “Witches of the Island”.

In “Pushing the limits”, the reader follows popular girl Echo Emerson who has gone from fame to zero overnight.

While Echo tries to find out what really happened that night, a mysterious loner bursts into her life.

He seems to understand Echo in ways that she never imagined, although they don’t appear to have anything in common on the outside.

But instead of the attraction going away, their feelings get so much stronger and simply push them to the limits.

Pros:

  • Strong lead characters
  • Powerful emotions and lots of action

Cons:

  • Long dialogues
  • Slow plot pace

Themes: feminist lead characters, young adult novelist

Jessica Sorensen

The Coincidence

If you love a little bit of teenage romance coupled with fantasy, then the books by Jessica Sorensen are a good choice.

Living in Wyoming, Sorenson’s novels have won her the title of the bestselling author in magazines such as USA Today and the New York Times.

One of her best works is part of the series “The Coincidence” where Callie and Kayden find themselves entangled in love and adventure.

Kayden had a rough patch but he keeps his head down and just does what he is told. Just as he thought his luck was about to run out, he bumps into Callie.

Callie isn’t the angel she seems to be on the outside but there is a good soul underneath, and Kayden is determined to get all the way to her heart.

Pros:

  • Fascinating cliffhangers that want you to read more
  • Beautifully developing romance stories
  • Suitable for both late teens and young adults

Cons:

  • Female characters are too clichéd

Themes: teenagers, angels, excitement

Tammara Webber

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Tammara Webber isn’t just a hopeless romantic but she also believes in the strong role a woman can play in a relationship.

Her international bestsellers were translated into 25 languages across the world.

Two of her best book series that are similar to the teen novels of Simone Elkeles are “Between the Lines” and “Contours of the Heart”.

Their themes of tragic romance and powerful feelings captivate the reader from the first page.

Pros:

  • Powerful life messages for women and young adults
  • Easy summer read
  • Multi-layered plots

Cons:

  • Contradicting characters

Themes: journey, young women, emotional, college-set romance, college

Final Thoughts

From teenage romance to fantastic fiction, Simone Elkeles covers a wide variety of fascinating topics in her novels, from romance between young adults to relationships among families.

There are many authors like Simone Elkeles who choose to pick up teenage topics that can be difficult to talk about, such as love and jealousy.

Authors like Tammara Webber, Jessica Sorensen, and Katie McGarry don’t just write novels about teens in love but they also explore other relationships, such as the bond between young adults and their parents that can be challenging and fraught with awkward moments.

Authors like Simone Elkeles dive into these difficult topics and give a different perspective on what it means to be young and in love.

If you want to read more novels like those by Simone Elkeles, start with the books suggested here today.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Genre Does Simone Elkeles Write?

American author Simone Elkeles likes romance and fantasy novels for young adults. From broken hearts to deep love, Elkeles explores the greater depth of human emotions.

What Languages Are Simone Elkeles’ Books In?

Simone Elkeles writes in English but her books have been translated into German, French, Portuguese, and other international languages.

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Anna Davis