Book picks similar to
Hold the Door by Vinni George
mm
contemporary
m-m
romance
Catch Me If I Fall
Noah Steele - 2021
When I confessed my crush at seventeen and he pulled away, I got scared and left town without saying goodbye. Fifteen years later, we’re both back in Sugar Hills, and all I want is closure. But when he proposes a flashback tour through our friendship, all my feelings come flooding back. When our reunion leads to romance, is the fall worth the pain of losing Jasper again? JasperBy the time I realized I'm not so straight, Cole was gone, and I was confused and alone. Now I’m back home, between jobs, and looking for a second chance. I need Cole to know he was never just my best friend. The closer we get, the less I want to be without him, even knowing I’ll eventually be leaving town again for my dream job. Maybe it’s my turn to put my heart on the line so I can prove to Cole my feelings are real. I didn't know how to catch him when we were kids, but I'm finally ready for one last fall. Catch Me If I Fall is a best-friends-to-strangers-to-lovers, second chance, MM romance that also features meddling friends, a curious library cat, and a fluffy fall small town Canadian setting. It's low angst, swoony, steamy, and packed with tons of early 2000s nostalgia.
Not Over You (Sons of Cape Cod)
Jodi Payne - 2021
Scott barely gave Falmouth a second thought once he was in California, but he’s never been able to get Jarlath completely out of his mind.Jarlath O’Connolly now owns his late father’s pub in Falmouth Heights. O’Connolly’s pub is part of the heartbeat of his hometown and its walls hold the memories of everything he’s ever loved. Everything except his best friend, Scott. Scott was easy to replace with a new bartender, but there was no replacing Scott in Jarlath’s heart.The summer is ending, there’s a hurricane in the forecast, and Scott’s finally come home, but Jarlath isn’t sure he’s ready for the reunion. A lot has changed, including Jarlath’s understanding of who Scott really was to him. Will they still find each other hard to get over once they’re face to face?
Love Always, Wild
A.M. Johnson - 2020
To us. But no matter how hard I wish for what I want, there are some things in life that aren't meant to be. I don't expect you to understand. You've already moved on, living your life. But mine ended that night, nine years ago, and I still can't let you go. Not sure I ever will. I regret so many things, but hurting you, I'll never forgive myself. I'm sorry for… everything.Jax~****Jax,If only you could've seen it like I did, the way you were when you thought the world wasn't watching. How you'd change when I looked at you, when it was just us.But most of all… I wish you could've seen how much it hurt me when you disappeared. Regrets are for cowards. It has always been my belief you should chase after the things you want with actions, not words. There is no such thing as never meant to be.So this apology… not accepted…Love always, Wild
The New Neighbor
Rye Cox - 2021
His Mom and younger brother depend on him to be strong and support them, even if it meant sacrificing himself. He was resigned to being a cog in the wheel in a job he hated, until his new neighbor moves in and challenges everything.Zack didn’t do relationships. After his family cut ties with him, he vowed to stick to friendships in the future. However, when his blushing neighbor overhears him mention erectile dysfunction and balls, he can’t let the cute man leave thinking he has issues with his lower parts.The New Neighbor is book 1 of the Corio Heights series about well, the new neighbor. Join Caleb and Zack’s story as they discover that they can have more than what they resigned themselves to. It features a regal cat, hurt/comfort themes, and lots of blushing.
Romantic Hero
Jeris Jean - 2021
I don’t even know what came over me. It was probably just that it was Halloween, and it was late, and I was lonely. Oh, and the fact that he is the world’s hottest human.But then he pulled back, and I got awkward, and I have avoided the library at all costs ever since. I couldn’t bear the humiliation. So when I agreed to be a faculty advisor for a student project, why didn’t I ask where the meetings would be held?Because I’m a moron; that’s why.Oh, and the best part? The other staff advisor to the project is – you guessed it – Hot Librarian.TheoI don’t get rejected. Why would I? There’s objectively nothing undesirable about me. Well, maybe besides a lack of humility. But still.That didn’t stop Sexy Professor from bolting right in the middle of an almost-hookup and avoiding me like the plague, though. And that level of avoidance takes f*cking work on a small campus like CCC.So when he showed up to co-supervise a student project, I didn’t give him the time of day. Didn’t notice how his rain-soaked sweater clung to his body. Or how the little droplets of water gathered at the tips of his wavy hair. And I sure as hell didn’t get turned on as he nibbled the cap of his pen while listening to the project proposal.Professors just don’t do it for me. Never have. Never will.Romantic Hero is book one of the Coleridge Cliffs series. It’s a broody academic vibe MM romance series that is equal parts heat and heart.
How to Disappear
Jason Collins - 2021
The gorgeous man from the grocery store is standing over me, and I suddenly wonder if I died in that undercover operation. Instead I’m in the ER, and the man I’d fantasized about hours ago is my doctor. I never let people get close, but Jaden won’t leave my side while nursing me to health, and I’m stunned by how well we fit. Then reality hits me like a hammer. A gang leader has put a price on my head for the raid, and I quickly remember why my job comes first. If I’m a target, Jaden’s a target—we can’t be close as long as my life is under threat. But in my line of work there’s no end to danger, and if I fall in love with Jaden, he’ll never be safe. JADEN: Imagine my shock when he ends up on my operating table. I rarely see strangers twice, so I never expected to be taking care of the handsome guy from the grocery store. Except Harris isn’t just a stunning stranger—he’s an undercover cop who was shot protecting lives. Now this stubborn lone wolf is under my care, and he can’t keep his eyes off me. The more we’re together, the closer I feel. Soon we’re more than just doctor and patient, but he has a target on his back. Once a SWAT raid goes wrong, he goes cold on me. He doesn’t want me to take a bullet for him, but I’m already in love and Harris is worth the risk.This is a standalone MM romance.
Regret
Christina Lee - 2017
The last thing he expects is for his friend’s roommate to be the one guy he despises the most. The same guy who stomped on his heart senior year of high school. And by the looks of the girl on his arm, the same man who’s still deep inside the closet. Nicholas Dell never predicted that eleven years later, one of his greatest regrets would show up on his doorstep down on his luck. Nick has made some terrible mistakes—story of his life—and he’s been paying for them ever since. And if the guilt and shame aren’t enough, his first crush had to turn into one of the sexiest men he’s ever laid eyes on. Nick and Brin have weeks to steer clear of each other. Weeks to avoid strangling each other. But when stubbornness leads to skyrocketing sexual tension, hate-sex doesn’t seem like such an awful way to work through their frustration. Except hate is a powerful emotion, especially when it’s turned inward. And in Nick’s case he’s been drowning in a sea of self-loathing for so long, he can’t see his way out. As Brin reconnects with Nick, his perception of what really happened in their past begins to change. He’s finally ready to forgive him and take a second chance on the one guy who stirs him like no other. But Nick’s demons are complicated, heart-wrenching…demanding. So devastating, he might never allow himself true happiness—even with the one man who’s always owned his heart.
Gentle Hands
Emily Buckley - 2020
He's proven wrong when high-powered lawyer Tom Pennwood books him for the evening only to ask Matthew to help him fake a relationship.It's a simple deal: Tom gets to appease his demanding parents by fooling them into thinking he has finally settled down. Matthew gets paid a life-changing amount of money. They both get to experience an unending amount of sexual frustration due to Tom's determination to keep their deal as strictly business, with no other benefits involved. Pretty straight forward, right?Being a cynical workaholic with no time for love, Tom should, logically, repel Matthew on all levels that aren't physical. Yet his infuriating aloofness only serves to intrigue Matthew even more, and he finds himself unable to shake the belief that, despite how much Tom denies it, there's warmth beneath all of those layers of ice.*** Gentle Hands is book 1 in the Growing Pains Series and can be read as a standalone. This is a lighthearted MM romance featuring enemies-to-lovers and a fake relationship, with no cheating and a guaranteed HEA.
The Play of His Life
Amy Aislin - 2017
But there Riley is, in all his tall, chiseled, blondness. The same guy who walked out on him six years ago, breaking his heart in the process. Who knew he's still in love with the jerk? Two years ago, Riley was injured out of the NHL, but he's got his own bakery now and a quiet life selling quiches and cupcakes to his customers. Then Christian unexpectedly walks back into his life, forcing Riley to question his choices. Especially that one choice he made six years ago that walked him out of Christian's life. Now if only he had the courage to tell a boy how he really feels about him...The Play of His Life was originally published in 2017. This updated version has a brand new cover, but very little new content aside from grammar and typo updates and the addition of the bonus epilogue that was originally available via subscription to Amy's newsletter.
Rare
Briar Prescott - 2020
Too bad the ingredients of success haven’t mixed too well for him and instead of having the world at his feet, Alex has, once again, landed himself in a hot mess of trouble. The community service his father arranges for him in a wildlife center on the other side of the country comes as a bit of a nasty surprise, though. Being shipped off to middle-of-nowhere, Oregon, is not Alex’s idea of the perfect summer vacation.What Alex never expects is to meet Noah Price. He never expects to be noticed and understood. He never expects to feel valued and special.He never expects to fall in love. Everything is not what it seems, though, and love that feels invincible turns out to be anything but.But love finds a way, and when Alex and Noah unexpectedly cross paths years later, they will have to risk it all for the love they both deserve and so desperately need. Rare is a standalone MM Second Chance romance about first loves, one perfect summer, one debilitating secret and finding your forever.
Iris
Eden Finley - 2022
Knights in shining … camo.
Iris I live for adrenaline. The thrill of the chase. And because I work for Mike Bravo, a private black-ops firm, it’s my job to go into dangerous situations.But when we’re called in to extract a military team from a hostile situation, the thrill is so much better. Because one of those men happen to be the golden boy from my basic training days.Brock “Saint” Harlow was a walking Captain America in the flesh. The perfect soldier.Now my boss wants to recruit him, and I can’t wait to rub it in his face that he was rescued by me. The class clown.I’m not called Iris “I require intense supervision” for nothing. Saint Military life is all I’ve known since I was born. I was raised to be a soldier.But when a top-secret mission fails, I find myself suddenly discharged with nowhere to go.Mike Bravo saved my life, and they want me to join them, but there’s one small problem.Isaac “Iris” Griffin.He’s as irresistibly snarky as he always was, only there’s a big difference this time. I’m no longer closeted or scared to live my truth. And the truth is, I’ve always wanted him.It’s against Mike Bravo’s rules to fraternize with other team members, and I always follow orders.But something tells me Iris might be worth the insubordination.
In Too Deep
Daryl Banner - 2021
The plan: hit up the beach with my best friend, get one of those fruity drinks with an umbrella in it, and read my book on the sand with the waves crashing at my feet and the sunshine beaming over me.Not part of the plan: being distracted by all of the gorgeous single men who apparently inhabit this Texas beachside getaway.Definitely not part of the plan: falling for one of them.IN TOO DEEP is the first book in a beach-themed spin-off series from the Spruce Texas romances.
Coffee and Ink
Olivia Joy - 2021
He only ducked in to get out of the rain the first time, but now along with his new reading habit he has someone to watch. Or watch over. Benjamin Harrison is starting over after tragedy changes his life in Texas and becomes too much to bear. In Boston, he pours his heart and soul into his bookstore and the sparkly, comfortable apartment above it. When his deal to rent part of his store as a coffee shop falls through, though, Benjamin isn’t sure how much longer his dream will last. Cary impulsively offers to fund and run the coffee shop because he knows he’s found exactly what he desires, mainly in Benjamin. The boy is all jangled nerves and confusion, and Cary loves to be the kind of Daddy who gives his boy guidance as well as showering him with love. Will Cary be just the kind of man Benjamin needs and never knew how to ask for?
A Christmas Reunion
Nic Starr - 2020
This Christmas, it’s time for forgiveness and second chances.Hunter Cavendish fled his hometown six years ago and has avoided returning ever since. Now an up-and-coming designer, he succumbs to family pressure and agrees to come home for Christmas. But the fates must be conspiring against him, because the very first person he runs into is Aaron McBride—the man he’s never been able to resist. The man who broke his heart.Aaron McBride loves his small town, loves the gift store he owns, and absolutely adores Christmas—it’s his favorite time of the year. That is, until this year. This year he’s forced to work alongside the infuriating and entitled Hunter Cavendish on the Christmas Eve Dance decorating committee. There’s no way he’s going to fall under the spell of his charms again—absolutely not.But the Christmas spirit weaves its magic, bringing the two of them together and providing the perfect opportunity for apologies, fresh starts, and falling in love again. So long as they can put the past behind them…A Christmas Reunion is a cute, feel-good holiday romance featuring enemies-to-lovers, forced proximity, second chances, lots of Christmas sweetness, and a well-deserved happy ending.
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.