Book picks similar to
What He Really Needs by Ryan Taylor
m-m
romance
mm
lgbt
The Summer of Us
Lily Morton - 2016
He’s driven, arrogant and hides a warm heart underneath a façade of cool politeness. He’s used to people disliking him but for some reason when meeting Matt in London the other man’s open dislike of him bothers him. He’s therefore surprised to find himself offering Matt a place to stay in his villa in the South of France while he’s working nearby. He’s surprised because he’d actually planned to spend the summer working on his book and plotting to get his ex-wife back.However, his perfect plans take a blow as the long hot summer progresses and the two men get closer, and John starts to nurse an unexpected attraction to his houseguest from hell.Matt is John’s polar opposite. He’s warm, funny, sociable and scruffy. He loves people and they love him back. However, to his consternation he hates John more than he hates Marmite, and Marmite makes him vomit. He hates his arrogance, his public school voice and the air of superiority that he carries around. The idea of staying in his home with just him for company sounds torturous and not in a good way.However, as the hot, lazy days slip by he’s forced to realise that maybe he’s not such a good judge of character after all, because underneath that arrogance is a warm, funny, vulnerable man who’s incredibly sexy. The only problem is that while Matt is gay John is completely straight and Matt now wants him more than he’s ever wanted anything in his life.See what happens when two men who think that they have nothing in common apart from a past mutual hatred find out that they might actually be each other’s future.From the author of the popular Beggar’s Choice series comes another scorchingly hot romantic comedy.This is a spin-off from the Beggar’s Choice series. It features characters from the series but can be read as a complete standalone.
Here for You
K.C. Wells - 2020
He must make sure Hunter is okay, and service dog Lucy could lend a helping paw.Firefighter Hunter Drake never expected to see Chris again. He thought he’d lost his best friend for good when Chris jilted Hunter’s sister at the altar. But right now Hunter needs to focus on his recovery. What he doesn’t understand is why Chris came back – and why he won’t leave.The two men get to reconnect, but spending so much time together leaves Hunter confused and uncertain, especially when Chris reveals he’s both bi and in love with him. Hunter’s not sure what to do about that last part.What Chris wants is for Hunter to forgive him.What Hunter needs is to stop living in denial.Yeah, as if it was ever going to be that easy… *Friends to lovers*Second chance*Small town going home*Hurt comfort*first time*O-F-Y
Secret Admirer
D.J. Jamison - 2020
You won't believe me, because I'm just your brother's best friend, but it’s true. Each day my feelings for you grow, confusing but undeniable.With a few anonymous love tokens, I finally have an outlet for all the things I can't say. And with each gift and note, you smile. For me. Not your brother's straight friend, but something new. Something more. Something that will change everything if we can both find the courage to believe.All I have to do is confess who I really am:Your Secret Admirer
The Thomas Flair
E.J. Russell - 2020
Diabetic gymnast Sol Ashvili, an alternate for the 2016 men’s Olympic gymnastics squad, had one thing on his agenda for the last day of competition in Rio—corner teammate Tony Thomas, his best friend for half his life, and finally confess he’d been in love with him for years. But instead of returning to the team suite after winning his second silver medal, Tony jetted out of Rio and turned his back on everything: a college degree, gymnastics meets… and Sol. The first two Sol could forgive—barely. The last? Not a chance. Commentators had a name for Tony’s crowd-pleasing, no-holds-barred, high-octane gymnastics—the Thomas Flair. After the 2016 Games, he parlayed that reputation into a career as an internet celebrity, specializing in extreme sports and risky stunts. His decision to battle his way back into competition shape for a chance at the 2020 Olympic team is extreme all right, but now he must survive the biggest risk of all: facing Sol again after his epic betrayal in Rio. For the sake of the team and the reputation of US men’s gymnastics, Sol and Tony struggle to leave the past behind and find a way to work together. But as the Games draw closer, they’re starting to realize that finding their way back to each other may be the only way for both of them to truly fly high. The Thomas Flair is a 64,000-word enemies to lovers second-chance rom-com set around the Tokyo Olympics that might have been, featuring a thrill-seeker who needs reining in, a perfectionist who needs to let go, redemption, rowdy teammates, and a few gymnastics moves that will never make it into the Code of Points.
Everything to Lose
E.M. Denning - 2020
It shouldn’t be a problem but being around Dante makes Zane question everything he thought he knew about himself. The more time he spends around Dante, the more alluring he becomes. But… Zane is straight. Right?Dante is alone in a strange city. He didn’t have much back home, but at least he had his best friend. Zane’s increased presence in Dante’s life comforts him and stops him from feeling adrift and alone. There’s one complication, however. Dante’s years-old crush on his best friend’s brother is back. While struggling to put his feelings behind him for good… Zane kisses him.Pursuing their mutual attraction isn’t without risks. Zane could lose his heart, but loving Zane could cost Dante everything.
All He Ever Needed
Cate Ashwood - 2018
For Ethan, pretending has become second nature. After all, he’s spent the last decade pretending to be straight, pretending to be happy, and pretending he isn’t desperately in love with his best friend. But in a single moment of raw honesty, all those lies come crashing down around him and he’s left wondering what to do next. When Jase learns his best friend is going through a breakup, his first instinct is to come to Ethan’s rescue, and he knows just the thing to help. The cabin where they spent summers as kids is sitting vacant, and a week there is the perfect remedy to start healing a broken heart. In the seclusion of the mountains, long-buried fears and emotions take their friendship into unexplored territory that will either bring them closer together… or tear everything apart.
Murder on the Mountain
Jamie Fessenden - 2014
Washington for a week, he expects to work hard. What he doesn’t expect is to find a corpse in the fog, lying among the rocks, his head crushed. The dead man turns out to be a young tourist named Stuart Warren, who strayed from his friends while visiting the mountain. Kyle Dubois, a widowed state police detective, is called to the scene in the middle of the night, along with his partner, Wesley Roberts. Kyle and Jesse are instantly drawn to one another, except Jesse’s fascination with murder mysteries makes it difficult for Kyle to take the young man seriously. But Jesse finds a way to make himself invaluable to the detective by checking into the hotel where the victim's friends and family are staying and infiltrating their circle. Soon, he is learning things that could very well solve the case—or get him killed.
Real Trouble
Elle Keaton - 2021
He’s not on Piedras Island by accident, he’s not a nice guy, and Peters isn’t his real name. Dany’s in hiding, trying to escape his family’s influence and start a new life. But Dany must have been born under a bad sign because the very man he’s really running from is one of the first he runs into.A new life in a new town seemed like the right decision for Soren Jorgensen, especially after a difficult case left him recovering from a gunshot wound and lonely as he'd ever been. Finding Dany living on Piedras brings back all the feelings he'd tried to lock away. He's angry and bitter and Dany is not going to continue to get away with his old tricks. Too bad Dany is just as compelling as he ever was.The two men find themselves on opposite sides of Soren’s first case on Piedras, but neither is able to deny the attraction between them. They keep finding themselves in compromising situations; if they're found out there will be Real Trouble.
Real Trouble
is set in the Veiled Intentions world, while familiar characters appear Real Trouble can be read as a standalone. Real Trouble is a dual POV following Soren Jorgensen and Danylo Peters as they fight their way to their HEA and is the first in the new West Coast Forensics series.
Tending Tyler
Jodi Payne - 2021
All he does is work and sleep, because he just doesn’t know how to move on with his day to day after the shocking loss of his best friend. When he meets Matt at Les’s Bar where he works in New York, though, he thinks he might have found someone who can nudge him out of his rut. The cowboy seems to live on fast forward, but at the same time, this kind, generous man makes Tyler feel wanted and safe.Ranch owner, Matthew Whitehead, is just in New York for a visit. But when he runs into Tyler at Les’s Bar, he can tell right away that Tyler is special. Matt’s family thinks he makes snap decisions, and they worry about him, but he knows what he wants, and even after just a few days, he’s willing to fight to keep Tyler in his life. When Matt has to head back to Texas, he tells Tyler to come visit him and meet his kids. Soon.Tyler doesn’t know if he can just pick up and go to Texas, but he misses Matt’s affection and calming presence, so when life gets too overwhelming, he makes the call. Between Matt’s huge, boisterous family, his children, his busy ranch, and the vast differences between New York City and Texas, Tyler wonders if he should go back to his old life every day. Matt is determined to keep Tyler right where he is, but can they overcome the odds against them and make a new life together?
More to Life
Annabella Michaels - 2021
Of course, all the late nights and weekends he spent at the office had their price, which he paid dearly. He no longer has any friends or social life to speak of, but none of that matters when he’s finally given the chance for an executive promotion, one that will grant him the financial security he so desperately craves. Kieron Parsons loves his life. He’s got a great family, friends he can count on, and a job that he enjoys. He works hard, but he also knows how to have fun, and for Kieron, there’s nothing more fun than teasing the sexy, surly man that comes into the deli every day for lunch. In fact, making the man blush has become the one thing he looks forward to most. He would love the chance to crack that hard exterior and see if there’s any sweetness inside. When Shaw’s boss invites him to attend an exclusive company vacation for executives only, he is thrilled. That is, until his boss tells him how important it is to have a balanced work and personal life then asks who his guest will be. Worried that not having anyone might cost him the promotion, Shaw makes up a lie, using the only person he can think of, the outrageous guy who’s always flirting with him at the deli. Thankfully, Kieron agrees to Shaw’s plan, posing as the uptight man’s boyfriend, but how are they supposed to convince everyone that they’re a couple when they barely know each other? Will Shaw’s rigid nature end up exposing their lie or will Kieron finally be able to convince him that there’s more to life than just work?
Elias
Amy Aislin - 2017
Why he looks at his horoscope every day, Elias Hood doesn’t know. It’s all garbage, and no nickel fortune ever helped him climb all the way up the corporate ladder. He’s about to make Vice President. Rocking the boat with “something new” is the last thing on his mind. But there’s this guy. Ty Green can make friends with a tree and Elias can’t help falling for his easy-going vibe and his perfect smile. He’s a fellow Capricorn, like Elias, but that’s as far as their similarities go. Ty works to live—he doesn’t live to work. When Elias takes his horoscope’s advice and asks Ty out, both men are in for a shock. But as Elias’s walls start to come down, they might just realize that they have more in common than they think. In fact, they might even want the exact same thing. Who knows? Maybe horoscopes aren’t just trash after all.[Elias was originally published as Picture Winter in October 2017. This rerelease has a brand new cover and a new title, but absolutely no content changes.]
One Week Stand
Dillon Hunter - 2016
You don’t even need to know his last name. Hell, you don’t need to know his first name…”
Gabe Campbell doesn’t do one night stands, but after his boyfriend walks out on him, his best friend insists that it will be the perfect cure for his heartache. Gabe isn’t so sure, but when he meets a hot businessman who’s only in town for a week, it seems like the perfect opportunity to cut loose for once… as long as he can remember not to fall for a guy he’ll never see again.
“I will never, ever trust someone like that again."
Getting his heart broken once was more than enough for Nick Jeffries, and he’s spent the eight years since avoiding love in favor of easy, no-strings fun with men who don’t put his heart at risk. When his job offers him the chance to move from L.A. to Seattle, though, he finds more than he bargained for when a one night stand has him longing for things he’d long since stopped believing in.
“Trust me enough to give me a chance..."
Is one week long enough for two men to let go of their past and take a chance on forever… ?
One Week Stand is a steamy, standalone gay romance of approximately 25,000 words, with a HEA and no cliffhangers.
Hot Chocolate Kisses
Jackie North - 2019
Now he’s weathering his first Christmas in a small town in Colorado.Cory had a boyfriend and now he doesn’t, which means the Christmas holiday is turning out to the the loneliest he’s had in years.When they meet at a Holiday Fair, Alex finds himself being drawn into Cory’s world. A world where there is grace to be found in a simple, home-cooked meal, books read out loud by firelight, and the golden glow of welcome.Alex has never wanted anything as tame as hearth and home. Now that he wants it, it’s not anything he can have. Nothing feels he deserves, at any rate.Can Cory and the Spirit of Christmas Present prove to Alex that love is love?An m/m romance with cakewalks, blizzards, hurt/comfort, a snow globe, hot chocolate kisses, and Christmas!Although this book is part of A Snow Globe Christmas series, it is a complete stand alone and it isn’t a requirement that you read the previous books to follow along.
It Was Always You
L.A. Witt - 2018
Job? Gone. Marriage? Kaput. With nothing to keep him in Chicago, he’s headed home to Seattle to lick his wounds and start over. To his surprise, his high school best friend—the man he ghosted five years ago—swoops in to help him pick up the pieces.Justin Tucker still stings over Tyler vanishing, but when his old friend needs help, saying no is out of the question. Justin’s got a spare room, and he’ll do anything he can to help Tyler get back on his feet. As the guys find their way back to friendship, Justin’s old feelings find their way back to the surface. He long ago made peace with Tyler being straight, but that doesn’t make twenty years of longing any easier to bear. Now he’s wondering if he can really handle having the man of his dreams living under his roof and out of his reach.Except maybe Tyler isn’t as far out of reach as either man thinks…
An Unforgettable Love
Jerry Cole - 2019
He has plenty to do, being the head ranger of the Tahoe National Forest, but living alone in a cabin in the middle of the woods isn’t exactly the most riveting life. He’s known excitement, too. For many years he served as a sniper in the marine corps, but a devastating shoulder injury has reduced him to civilian duties. These days, a walker’s twisted ankle or a trapped raccoon is about as exciting as it gets. Nothing can prepare him, though, for the day he comes across a man lying in the middle of a lonely forest road. The man is alive, but he’d certainly been left for dead. When he wakes up in the hospital, it becomes obvious that he’s suffering from amnesia. With nothing to identify him save for the huge angel tattoo that spreads across his shoulders, the hospital staff name him Gabriel, and tell Hopper that with nowhere else to send him, once he’s recovered from his injuries he’ll have to be sent out into the world. Against his better judgement, but always a sucker for swarthy looks and piercing blue eyes, Hopper agrees to allow Gabriel to stay with him. Perhaps, together, they can work at finding out who this mystery man is, why he was left lying in the forest, and who could possibly have attacked him so badly. What Hopper can never prepare himself for is how deeply he will fall for this handsome stranger, and how he will be able to let Gabriel go when the past, as it always does, comes to catch up. Please Note: This book contains adult language and steamy adult activities, it is intended for 18+ Adults Only. Novel, approximately 82,000 words in length. HEA (happy ever after ending). Does not end with a "cliffhanger." Themes include: Forest Ranger, Amnesia, Angel tattoo, Lake Tahoe, Falling in love, ex-marine