Book picks similar to
Heavy Lifting by Andrew Grey
m-m
contemporary
mm
mm-romance
I Think We Missed Our Turn
L.A. Witt - 2021
They don’t want to risk their friendship, and they definitely don’t want things getting awkward at the art gallery where they both work. But even as they’ve moved on with their lives, they’ve both quietly regretted that decision.When Armin’s father scores the gallery a collection of sculptures from a renowned and reclusive artist, he sends Armin and Marques on the road to pick them up.As the two friends embark on a multi-state trip, they each assume the other is still with his longtime partner. Armin doesn’t know that Marques’s now-ex-boyfriend is moving out. Marques doesn’t know that the last fraying threads of Armin’s relationship have snapped. Secretly, they pine for each other from across the console of their rental car, each wishing they hadn’t missed the chance to be together years ago.But maybe they haven’t missed that chance after all.I Think We Missed Our Turn is a short and fun ~39,000-word novella with a happy ending and no cheating.
Down by Contact
Sloan Johnson - 2017
Will romance be sacked by the media, or can this star-crossed couple make it to passion’s endzone?My whole life, I’ve carried a secret that could destroy my dreams. Sure, I may have completed one of the greatest rookie campaigns the NAFL has ever seen, but the only way to keep myself and the team focused on winning was to stay firmly in the closet. And now, with the whole world eager to prove I was a one-season wonder, a TV crew follows me everywhere… and the cameraman is the guy whose heart I broke.At first, we thought it was a coincidence. But it didn’t take long for both of us to figure out that someone at the network was in on our history. And they expect drama.With a spot on the Breakers roster and my heart on the line, I’m about to face the most terrifying opponent I’ve ever played: love.Down by Contact is the first book in the Tackled By Love series, previously available under the pen name Sloan Johnson.
One Night at Finn's
R.G. Alexander - 2017
Alexander.**
Ever been on a bad date? Hold my beer…
My dry spell isn’t voluntary. It just happened. Or didn’t happen. And then... it didn’t happen some more. I’m not saying I’m looking for perfection, but is hot, sweaty sex with a genuinely decent guy too much to ask? When I meet the much older and newly retired Master Sergeant Carter Willis, he definitely fits my criteria. But after he rescues me from the worst of my dating mistakes, I can’t tell if he’s watching my back to protect it, or because he likes what he sees. Giving romance tips to strangers is easy. This feeling I get when Carter is around is making life complicated. It feels like a thing. A forever type thing. And if there’s one thing that scares me more than my accidental abstinence becoming a permanent condition… It’s trusting in forever. A previously published alternate cover version of ASIN B075ZHQ8Z3 can be found here.
Te quiero
Suki Fleet - 2016
Only problem is his laptop has died, and Levi Francis - the guy Ally knows doesn’t like him - sees Ally acting suspiciously on the computers in the University's Physics lab. Ally's day can't get much worse.But after Levi accidentally drops a love letter written in Spanish, Ally returns it and finds his assumptions about Levi are turned upside down. Betrayed and hurt by his ex, Ally knows it’s the worst possible time to start trusting someone but there’s something about shy, glittery Levi that gets under his skin.
Winter Chill
Aria Grace - 2013
His roommate and best friend, Daniel, is one of the most popular guys on the wrestling team. When a power outage during a winter storm forces them to get closer than ever before just to survive the night, their relationship changes forever. Neither are gay but the physical chemistry they have is undeniable. Unfortunately, Daniel's issues at home might be too severe for them to overcome.
Hollywood Lighting
J.V. Speyer - 2020
His resentful new guardian. It’s hate at first sight until love takes an unexpected encore. Closeted actor Owen fears failure and betrayal. So after he’s stabbed by a crazy fan, the movie studio offers a hunky bodyguard for protection. Suspicious that the ripped security man is just a gossip-seeking plant, he pushes back at his bulging biceps, ignoring the chemistry. Newly retired SEAL Jamal is having a hard time adjusting to civilian life. Reluctantly taking a Hollywood job for a bad boy with tight abs, he’s sure the star is simply paranoid. But when he discovers the sexy celebrity is in serious jeopardy, he doesn’t hesitate to jump into action mode. As the peril hits closer to home, Owen finds himself falling for the handsome hero fighting for his life. And as the threats intensify, Jamal fears he might lose the man he has come to love. Will Owen and Jamal go down in a catastrophic climax, or will they star in their own happy ending? Hollywood Lighting is the red-hot first book in the Bodyguards M/M contemporary romance series. If you like tortured heroes, intense predicaments, and steamy affairs, then you’ll adore J. V. Speyer’s tale of LGBT passion.
Coach
Carol Lynne - 2007
For five years, Justin has repressed his sexuality in order to keep the job he loves. His only serious temptation is the father of his star running back. Sparks fly between the two men, and one Friday night after a winning game, Justin just can't say no. Luc is the man he's been searching for his entire life. But is this new relationship worth risking his career?
Coming Out
Lila Rose - 2015
It’s not easy to keep up the pretence, the deceit, but it’s safer. Coming out to a world who so easily hate takes a courage he’s yet to find, so he pretends – pretends to be into women – pretends to love being a part of the university’s football team. It keeps him safe, hidden. Until he meets Julian. From the moment they first meet, Mattie knows life is about to change. He’s yet to determine if it is for the better or worse. Living life through laughter, Julian is lonely. Without the jokes, the humour, he would be living on the edge of depression. Succumbing to his controlling father’s demands, Julian finds no joy in the path laid out before him. Until he meets Mattie. As soon as they cross paths, Mattie has the power to drive Julian’s man parts crazy with lust. But can lust be enough to help Mattie out of the closet, and guide Julian into a happier place? Limits will be pushed. Rules will be broken. But it’s only together, that they will have the strength to overpower fear, fear of themselves and fear of others. Just how far are they willing to go in the aim of coming out?
Just the Tip (Extracurricular Activities, #0.5)
NOT A BOOK - 2020
Truly. But that marriage comes with a 6’3” catch: my new stepbrother, Ryan. Annoyingly good at sports, more popular in five seconds than I’ve managed in four years and...fine, sexy. Sexy as hell, in fact.Too bad we can’t spend more than a minute in close proximity without being at each other’s throats--and not in the fun way.When he begs me to write a paper for him on the night of a big game, it’s only brotherly to help him out, right? So of course I agree...in return for a favor.That’s when things start to get interesting...
Little Squirrels Can Climb Tall Trees
Michael Murphy - 2012
Though born to conservative parents and raised in small-town Oklahoma, Kyle realized young that he had to escape rural America. Now he's living in New York City, working as an ER doctor, and paying off his massive student loans. He's never been on a plane and never seen a movie, but he is worldly enough to recognize attraction when it smacks him in the forehead. Not that he knows how he managed to crack heads with Joseph, who's a good foot shorter than Kyle's six and a half feet.Joseph is Kyle's polar opposite in other ways too, well-off where Kyle is poor, and self-assured while Kyle is insecure. He's also determined to show Kyle what a great guy he is and bring the confidence Kyle shows in the ER out in his everyday life. But Kyle's hectic work schedule and inexperience with relationships won't make for an easy romance.
Football and Ballet
Jason Collins - 2020
Especially if he’s a quarterback in the NFL who doesn’t think men should be cheerleaders. But when Hunter shows up at my dance studio with ballet shoes in hand, I begin to think there’s more to him than jerseys and cleats.There’s something catching my eye besides his technique. We warm to each other quickly, and not just on the dance floor. But when his agent sets him up with a fake girlfriend, I start to wonder if I’m just his dirty secret. These lessons won’t last forever, which means I have a decision to make: walk away when the job’s done, or stay and risk a broken heart.He can’t live in the closet when I live in the spotlight.HUNTER:Football never trained me for ballet.My life’s dream was to quarterback in the NFL, and now that I’ve achieved it, I’m as popular with the fans as I am with the paparazzi. But I’m not used to the spotlight, and when a PR storm lands me in hot water, I find myself learning how to lace up ballet shoes in a dance studio. And that’s where I meet Patrick.He’s as graceful as he is gorgeous, and every hour I spend learning from him reminds me that I’m in the closet. But we dance too close and take it too far, and I end up in a tight spot. Coming out could risk my career, but it could mean something real with Patrick. He’s too special to keep hidden, and he won’t stick around if I keep pretending to be someone I’m not.The best of both worlds is a long shot.This is a standalone MM romance.
Flirt
Lucy Lennox - 2018
Gorgeous silver fox, Evan Paige, is way out of Stevie's league, however, not to mention the chief has always been a ladies' man, but when Stevie turns twenty-one, he decides he's tired of only daydreaming about Evan. He wants a real taste of that sugar daddy, even if it means turning the flirt factor up a notch or ten to make it happen. This 36k word novella has pee-in-your-pants humor, peel-the-paint-off-the-walls steam, and a smidgie-poo of hand-on-chest swooning.
Pretend You're Mine
Sloane Kennedy - 2019
Forced to retire from his career as a professional ballet dancer far too soon, Sebastian DeVille has moved to the quiet suburbs of San Francisco to figure things out and maybe get away from his poor decisions for a while. Well, one poor decision. His very married ex. An ugly argument with the man leads to an unlikely meeting with his sexy new neighbor and an unexpected Valentine’s date that neither Sebastian nor Devon will ever forget. But can one night of pretend romance really lead to a lifetime of love? *Although this is part of my Protectors universe, this short story can be read as a standalone. **Please note that this story was previously part of a promotional giveaway so it was intended to be a certain length. Although it is a complete story with an HEA, if you don’t care for short stories, Devon and Sebastian’s tale may not be for you.
Steamroller
Mary Calmes - 2012
Vince is a dedicated biology student and a bit of a loner. Superstar quarterback Carson is larger than life, and he lives under a public microscope. There’s no way they should work. But Vince is learning that sometimes people just come steamrolling into your life and all you can do is hang on for the ride or lose your heart in the process. If their relationship can survive the fallout when an injury derails Carson’s future plans, maybe Vince can finally find something to believe in.