Book picks similar to
Worth the Risk by Crystal Chard
unlimited
dnf
crime-mystery-suspense
lgbt
L.A. Heat
P.A. Brown - 2006
When Chris's efforts to prove his own innocence mark him as a victim, David steps in to save him, and finds himself falling in love with a man who might be a brutal murderer. P.A. Brown's debut is a gritty mystery set in LA's edgy, less glamorous East Side, where gangs co-mingle with gays, gunfire is heard after dark, and where a gay cop like David Laine could live undetected. At least until now.
Starbound
Magnolia Robbins - 2019
Except Reese’s life is crumbling around her. She hates her job and is constantly accused of being a “reckless party animal.” Reese’s agent decides the one surefire way to get her image back on track. She has to date the worst person in the entire universe, her co-star Justine Turner. Her solution: she needs a fake girlfriend. And fast. Enter Lucy, the BFF. Game store manager, board game geek, the world’s most AMAZING cosplayer, and Reese’s best friend practically since birth. When Lucy finds out Reese’s predicament, there seems like only one solution: pose as fake girlfriends. And Lucy is more than willing to play the part. She’d do anything for Reese – even if it means entirely too romantic tales about their relationship, hearing she’s “incredibly beautiful”, and expert kisses in public. The problem: Reese and Lucy have been in love with each other all their lives—and they’re both completely clueless. This book features two best friends, roleplaying games, and countless ‘fake’ kisses and begs the question: Who wants a real girlfriend when faking is so much fun?
Courage
Jesse J. Thoma - 2021
She charges into danger without a gun or badge to de-escalate crises. She’s quick on her feet and confident in her opinions. If only she could convince her by-the-book, humorless partner that she’s an asset, not the enemy.Being a cop is in Tommy Finch’s blood. She comes from a long line of cops and grew up learning how to protect and serve with honor and integrity. Getting saddled with a shrink who’s reckless and brash isn’t something Tommy signed up for. How can she do her job when she’s responsible for the safety of an unarmed civilian?No matter how often they clash on the job, an undeniable attraction simmers just beneath the surface. Can they find the courage to change so love has room to grow?
Something in the Wine
Jae - 2012
Now he sets her up on a blind date with Drew, a lesbian winemaker, even knowing his sister is straight. Annie and Drew decide to turn the tables on him by pretending to fall in love. But what starts as a revenge plan soon turns their lives upside down as the lines between pretending and reality begin to blur.
Princess of Dorsa
Eliza Andrews - 2018
Princess Natasia is the eldest child of the Emperor Andreth, ruler of the Four Realms. If she were a boy, she’d be the unquestioned heir to the throne. But as a girl, her main duty in life is to marry someone her father can shape into his successor. Everything changes when an unknown would-be assassin nearly takes Tasia’s life. Someone wants to destabilize the Empire — but who? Was the assassin aligned with the power-hungry Western lords, who have always rebelled against the Emperor? Was he hired by the barbarians in the East, who are fighting against the Empire’s subjugation? Or was he a member of the mysterious Cult of Culo? Unsure of whom he can trust, the Emperor realizes that his daughter might be his best option for an heir. There hasn't been a female heir to the throne in living memory, but as palace intrigue becomes increasingly dangerous, the reckless, rebellious, and stubborn princess suddenly has to face the responsibility of learning to lead. Will she rise to the occasion? Or will the Empire fall at the hands of one of its many enemies?
For fans of epic fantasy… with an LGBTQ twist.
Huntress
A.E. Radley - 2017
After graduating, she never left her temporary job at the motorway service station. Daily visits from a mysterious woman are the highlight of her days. Until one day, when the mystery woman vanishes. Amy investigates the disappearance and makes a shocking discovery. Suddenly, she’s being framed and no-nonsense Claudia McAllister is being sent to arrest her. Will Amy’s unique approach to evading capture prove successful?
The One to Hold Your Hand
Erica Lee - 2021
Trying to stay upbeat and positive while her twin sister battled cancer took its toll on her. The one thing getting her through was her relationship with her lifelong best friend Bette Mitchell. Unfortunately, constantly blurring the lines between friendship and something more was destined to blow up at some point, and that’s exactly what happened when Reese hit her rock bottom.After losing her father, Bette Mitchell didn’t know how she would ever feel okay again. The thing she did know was there was one person who understood exactly how it felt to lose someone close to her. The problem was she and Reese had barely spoken after Bette broke her heart three years earlier.But now Reese is back in town for the funeral and willing to do anything to help Bette smile again. Well, almost anything. She can’t let go of what happened the night everything fell apart between them.A look back on Reese and Bette’s relationship through the years shows what brought them to the point they are at today. Is their history enough to lead them into a future together or is there too much heartbreak between them to move forward?
Desert of the Heart
Jane Rule - 1964
This classic of lesbian eroticism is Jane Rule's first novel.Set in the late 1950s, this is the story of Evelyn Hall, an English professor, who goes to Reno to obtain a divorce and put an end to her disastrous 16-year marriage. While staying at a boarding house to establish her six-week residency requirement she meets Ann Childs, a casino worker and fifteen years her junior. Physically, they are remarkably alike and eventually have an affair and begin the struggle to figure out just how a relationship between two women can last. Desert of the Heart examines the conflict between convention and freedom and the ways in which the characters try to resolve the conflict.
Desert Sky
Ellie Green - 2021
The only downside? When the nearest neighbour is hundreds of kilometres away, it’s hard to date.Newly qualified teacher, Grace, can’t wait to start a life away the town where she’s only known for one thing. Travelling across the country to take a job as a governess is about as far as she can get.Grace and Ari are easy friends, spending their time riding horses, swimming in waterholes and watching their favourite movies late into the night.But Ari’s feelings begin to extend beyond friendship. Ari has a crush, no matter how much she tries to talk herself out of it. What she doesn’t know is Grace is harbouring feelings of her own. And in close confines, the attraction is becoming difficult to ignore.Their connection is strong, but if they want to build a relationship, they will need to move beyond the shadows of the past.Can they find a way to each other’s hearts?
A Little Bit of Spice
Georgia Beers - 2015
Everything is meticulously laid out and planned, from her house in its quiet neighborhood to her career path at Hagan’s, the largest supermarket chain in the Northeast. Andrea knows what she wants.Enter Kendall Foster, the distractingly attractive woman in charge of sales for her family’s local microbrewery, and somebody who wants very much to get her beer onto Hagan’s shelves. A decision that happens to be Andrea’s.The physical attraction is immediate and hard to resist, but Andrea doesn’t need a complication like Kendall in her life, not when she’s rocketing toward predictable security. But Kendall is fun. And smart. And oh-so-sexy. Can she convince Andrea that her rather flat, flavorless life could be way better with just a little bit of spice?
Life Lessons
Kaje Harper - 2011
Between his profession, a few good friends, and plenty of books, he's content with his quiet life. Then the murdered body of another teacher falls into the elevator at his feet, and Tony's life becomes all too exciting.Jared MacLean is a homicide detective, widowed father to a young daughter, and deeply in the closet. But from the moment he meets Tony's blue eyes in that high school hallway, Mac can't help wanting this man in his life. Mac's not out ― can't afford to be out ― but Tony makes him want the impossible.Mac isn't the only one with their eyes on Tony, though. As the murderer tries to cover their tracks, Mac has to work fast or lose Tony, permanently.(This is a rerelease of the 2011 original with light editing.)
Murder and Mayhem
Rhys Ford - 2015
It was one thing to find a former associate inside Potter’s Field, his pop culture memorabilia shop, but quite another to stumble across her dead body.Detective Dante Montoya thought he’d never see Rook Stevens again—not after his former partner’d falsified evidence to entrap the jewelry thief and Stevens walked off scot-free. So when he tackled a fleeing murder suspect, Dante was shocked to discover the blood-covered man was none other than the thief he’d fought to put in prison and who still made his blood sing. Rook is determined to shake loose the murder charge against him, even if it means putting distance between him and the rugged Cuban-Mexican detective who brought him down. If one dead con artist wasn’t bad enough, others soon follow, and as the bodies pile up around Rook’s feet, he’s forced to reach out to the last man he’d expect to believe in his innocence—and the only man who’s ever gotten under Rook’s skin.
The Last Place You Look
Kristen Lepionka - 2017
Her boyfriend Brad Stockton - black and from the wrong side of the tracks - was convicted of the murders and sits on death row, though he always maintained his innocence. With his execution only weeks away, his devoted sister, insisting she has spotted Sarah at a local gas station, hires PI Roxane Weary to look again at the case.Reeling from the recent death of her cop father, Roxane finds herself drawn to the story of Sarah's vanishing act, especially when she thinks she's linked Sarah's disappearance to one of her father's unsolved murder cases involving another teen girl. Despite her self-destructive tendencies, Roxane starts to hope that maybe she can save Brad's life and her own.With echoes of Sue Grafton, Dennis Lehane and the hit podcast Serial, The Last Place You Look is the gripping debut of both a bold new voice and character.
Codename Villanelle
Luke Jennings - 2017
A catlike psychopath whose love for the creature comforts of her luxurious lifestyle is second only to her love of the game, she specializes in murdering the world's richest and most powerful. But when she murders an influential Russian politician, she draws a relentless foe to her tail. Eve Polastri (not a codename) is a former MI6 operative hired by the national security services for a singular task: to find and capture or kill the assassin responsible, and those who have aided her. Eve, whose quiet and otherwise unextraordinary life belies her quick wit and keen intellect, accepts the mission. The ensuing chase will lead them on a trail around the world, intersecting with corrupt governments and powerful criminal organizations, all leading towards a final confrontation from which neither will emerge unscathed. Codename Villanelle is a sleek, fast-paced international thriller from an exciting new voice in fiction.