Books like 'Almost Like Being in Love'
Readers who enjoyed Almost Like Being in Love by Steve Kluger also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary gay romance second chances athletes friends to lovers queer baseball angst high-school
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Winning With Him by Lauren Blakely
Resisting the shortstop has never been my strong suit. I failed at it during my first spring training. It sure as hell looks like I'm about to fail at it again. The sport I love playing with my very soul hangs in the balance. But everything my heart craves lies with the guy I've got to resist. A guy who's asking me to make the toughest choice ever. But how do I become the man I want to be.. -
![Here Comes My Man by Lauren Blakely, Teddy Hamilton]()
Here Comes My Man by Lauren Blakely, Teddy Hamilton
Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsListening Length 9 hours and 57 minutesA red-hot, enemies-to-lovers, fake boyfriend, second chance romance, and the conclusion to the Hopelessly Bromantic Duet!Let me just say this -- fake dating the cocky movie star was not my idea. Especially since he’s my former roomie and, gulp, my secret ex...Categorized as:
queer second chances angst friends to lovers m-m contemporary from hate to love forced proximity -
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![Manhandled by Lauren Blakely]()
Manhandled by Lauren Blakely
A spicy friends-to-lovers standalone sports romance from #1 New York Times Bestselling author Lauren Blakely writing MM romance as L. Blakely...My buddies made me do it. I swear. I didn’t plan to bid big on a date with my baseball player best friend at the auction. But he looked really good in that tailored suit, and I can't resist a dare... -
![Forever by Kindle Alexander]()
Forever by Kindle Alexander
Dr. Robert Adams grew up with more advantages than most, the son of a former vice president, he had two loving fathers, a twin sister he adores and wonderfully doting grandparents. Life is good until one afternoon when his dreams flat-line. And no scalpel can repair the guilt and grief he carries with him for the first time in his life... -
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![Raise Your Glass by John Goode]()
Raise Your Glass by John Goode
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsTales of Foster High - Sequel to The End of the Beginning Kyle Stilleno used to be the invisible student. Brad Graymark used to be the baseball star. Then they fell in love and Brad outed them both with a spectacular public display of affection, and now everything is different. After spending a few days lying low, Kyle and Brad are going back to school... -
![Unforgettable by Marley Valentine]()
Unforgettable by Marley Valentine
One night with Reeve Hale wasn’t enough. I knew it when I kissed him, I knew it when I slept with him, and I was certain of it when I walked out of his motel room the very next day. So when the shy, gorgeous man is introduced as our newest employee at Vino and Veritas, I can’t help but conjure up all the ridiculous ways to convince him to repeat that unforgettable night...Categorized as:
angst friends to lovers queer m-m contemporary length-short explicit-open-door audiobook -
![Heartstring by Ana Ashley]()
Heartstring by Ana Ashley
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsMikIf I had a dollar for every mistake I made… But there’s only one mistake I regret.Breaking my promise to the only person who ever understood my need to get away from a future I didn’t want…Tyler.I’ve reached many hearts through my music, but the only one I’ve ever wanted might be lost to me forever.TylerFool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice…Mik broke a promise a long time ago...Categorized as:
second chances angst friends to lovers queer m-m contemporary single-father hurt-comfort -
![Again by Sierra Riley]()
Again by Sierra Riley
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 14 ratings“If you can’t remember it, was it ever real at all?” “How do I fall out of love?” Cash Bennett enlisted in the Marines the day his boyfriend married someone else, but military life failed to numb the pain...Categorized as:
angst friends to lovers second chances queer m-m military contemporary north-america -
![Grinding by Sean Ashcroft]()
Grinding by Sean Ashcroft
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsTwo childhood best friends. One accidental fake engagement. One Labrador puppy. One week to fall in love.When Harvey runs into his childhood best friend—literally—on the way into Otter Bay for his cousin's wedding, he doesn't plan to end up playing the part of the guy's fiancé... -
![Second Wind by Aimee Nicole Walker]()
Second Wind by Aimee Nicole Walker
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsSecond wind: a new strength or energy to continue something that is an effort. After an amicable divorce, Lincoln Huxley is ready to embrace the sexuality he repressed for more than two decades. Rush Holden is no longer willing to settle for closeted men or those who don’t share his dreams of marriage and fatherhood. A chance encounter on a lakeside pier is the second wind they both need... -
![Dauntless by Victoria Denault]()
Dauntless by Victoria Denault
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsHe’s everything I’ve ever wanted, at the worst possible moment.One and done. That’s always been my motto when it comes to guys, because I’m not about to pull someone else into the closet my parents have locked me inside. I’ve been waiting years to claim my inheritance and live the life I want to live–out, free, and oh yeah, rich...Categorized as:
friends to lovers angst queer m-m contemporary secret-relationship length-short audiobook -
![Luke: Learning to Love #3 by Con Riley]()
Luke: Learning to Love #3 by Con Riley
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsLuke Lawson is committed to one thing—saving his boarding school before a cash crisis sinks it. He’ll do anything to keep it afloat while vulnerable children rely on him, even if that means accepting help from the man who let him down at uni.Nathan’s offer to teach for free could be a blessing as long as Luke can guard his soft heart... -
![Change of Heart by K.M. Neuhold]()
Change of Heart by K.M. Neuhold
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsDoes my husband's heart still miss me now that it beats in the chest of another man? Lub-dub A heartbeat more familiar than Easton’s own Lub-dub He vowed to love his husband until death do they part. And then the worst happened. Lub-dub His heart kept another man alive. River. A stranger in the world with Easton's husband's heart pumping the blood that warms his skin... -
![Golden Sparkle by Minta Suzumaru, 鈴丸みんた]()
Golden Sparkle by Minta Suzumaru, 鈴丸みんた
Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsHimari Uehara, for a first-year high school boy, knows very little about sex. Without his father at home and having skipped health in middle school, Himari is only confused when he wakes up with his boxers a mess and has no one for advice. Luckily, Himari has Gaku Asada, a new friend from high school who offers to teach him everything and more he missed out in health class... -
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![Jumpstart by Riley Hart]()
Jumpstart by Riley Hart
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsMotocross star, Beckett Monroe, is in need of some serious R&R. Not only to adjust to his new out-of-the-closet status, but in hopes of reigniting his passion for motocross. To his surprise, support shows up in the way of Christian Foster, his childhood best friend and first love. Spending time with Christian is the jumpstart Beck’s heart needs... -
![Definitely Deacon by Vawn Cassidy]()
Definitely Deacon by Vawn Cassidy
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsJesse Ainsley’s life running his busy veterinary practice in the sleepy Cornwall bay he grew up in leaves no time for a serious relationship… at least, that’s what he tells himself, but the simple truth is much more cliché... -
![Third Time Lucky by R.G. Alexander]()
Third Time Lucky by R.G. Alexander
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsFrom Author New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author R.G. Alexander, Book 3 in the Finn's Pub Romance series! Ever had a thing for the man next door? My sexy new neighbor is confusing the hell out of me. Elliot Ransom is a baseball player and a single dad, but he doesn’t know his butter beer from a snozzberry... -
![The Professor's Date by Lane Hayes]()
The Professor's Date by Lane Hayes
The professor, the hair stylist, and a wedding date…TommyHelp! My sister is getting married and according to her, I need a date. And a makeover. I’m a busy man, though. I don’t have time to meet eligible bachelors, and the tape holding my glasses together works just fine. Until my hair stylist steps on them... -
![Sweet Things by Mia Scott]()
Sweet Things by Mia Scott
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThis bad boy Chef just lost the only home he’s ever had. I spent the last decade building a restaurant and running a kitchen I’m proud of, but with one selfish choice, my brother destroys it all. I’ve sacrificed everything—including any chance at a love life—and I’ve ended up with nothing.Well, not exactly nothing... -
![Breakout Year by K.D. Casey]()
Breakout Year by K.D. Casey
A newly traded, newly out third baseman on the cusp of his first major contract hires a fake boyfriend—not expecting him to be the former player who ghosted him years before. But as their star ascends in public, their feelings burn hot in private...threatening to expose what’s for the cameras—and what’s for real. Eitan Rivkin is used to being first... -
![Sweet Spot by Sloan Johnson, Quinn Ward]()
Sweet Spot by Sloan Johnson, Quinn Ward
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsFour years ago, he gave his heart to a rookie pitcher and struck out. Now, they have a second chance to get things right.No longer living on the streets and surrounded by men who supported him, Cody Marshall’s life was finally looking up. He hadn’t expected to hook up with anyone on his first spring training trip, but there was something about Nick Stone that called to him... -
![Stronger Than Hope by Katherine McIntyre]()
Stronger Than Hope by Katherine McIntyre
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 5 ratingsOne man looking to set down roots, the other looking to leave…Fresh out of a relationship, Nate’s searching for a change—what better way is there than renovating his uncle’s old coffee shop in Chesapeake City? He has a new job, in a new town, and a new lease... -
![Mr. Unlucky Has No Choice but to Kiss! Vol. 2 by Gamoko Tsuyu]()
Mr. Unlucky Has No Choice but to Kiss! Vol. 2 by Gamoko Tsuyu
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 5 ratingsGoing Further Than Kissing is No Joke! The unlucky university student Kota is officially dating the super-lucky Naoya! Although Kota initially only got close to Naoya to help ward off his bad luck, he's now truly in love with him. They both want to go further than kissing, but Kota is having trouble being honest about his desires.. -
![End of the Beginning by John Goode]()
End of the Beginning by John Goode
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsNot too long ago, Brad Greymark outed himself to his high school and the rest of the town of Foster, Texas, with a fairly obvious public display of affection... -
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![Triple Play: An M/M/M Sports Romance by Quinn Ward]()
Triple Play: An M/M/M Sports Romance by Quinn Ward
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsWhen Eric is unable to help his friend recover, he has to put his feelings aside for a second time. He never imagined the man who could help would be the glue that bound them together.Drew Jackson had it all: a family who loves him, a tight circle of friends, and he’s a rising star with the Milwaukee Mavericks... -
![Playing With Fire by Avery Cockburn]()
Playing With Fire by Avery Cockburn
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 15 ratings“I don’t want options. I just want you.” Robert McKenzie has a secret. As the only straight player on an all-LGBT soccer team, he’s known to fans as “McWhatAWaste.” No one would guess Robert’s actually bisexual. At twenty-one, on the verge of a brilliant career in video game design, he’s finally ready to be his true self... -
![Infamous by Jenny Holiday]()
Infamous by Jenny Holiday
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsIs he brave enough to face the music? All that up-and-coming musician Jesse Jamison has ever wanted is to be on the cover of Rolling Stone. When a gossip website nearly catches him kissing someone who isn’t his famous girlfriend—and also isn’t a girl—he considers the near miss a wake-up call... -
![Change Up: An Out For You Gay Sports Romance by Quinn Ward]()
Change Up: An Out For You Gay Sports Romance by Quinn Ward
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsNo one expected the loudmouth of the team to be hiding in the biggest closet of them all. When he’s paired with someone who just wants to keep his head down and play the game, sparks are going to fly.Kevin Green has always been the life of the party. He’s the one everyone turns to for a bit of comic relief... -
![Starfish and Coffee by Kele Moon]()
Starfish and Coffee by Kele Moon
Rated: 4.02 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsOn the island where they first met two lovers from opposite sides of the tracks are reunited. Now jaded and broken, Alex and Matt still can’t deny their sizzling connection or the memories of one perfect, uninhibited year together...Categorized as:
queer friends to lovers angst second chances m-m contemporary queer-awakening new adult -
![Maybe With a Chance of Certainty by John Goode]()
Maybe With a Chance of Certainty by John Goode
Rated: 4.02 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsKyle has worked hard at being the invisible student, toiling through high school in the middle of Nowhere, Texas. Brad is the baseball star at Foster High. Both boys are damaged in ways that the rest of the world can’t see. When they bond over a night of history tutoring, Kyle thinks that maybe his life has taken a turn for the not-so-lonely... -
![Change Up by Sloan Johnson]()
Change Up by Sloan Johnson
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsKevin Green has always been the life of the party. He’s the one everyone turns to for a bit of comic relief. With so many of his teammates coming out of the closet and living healthy lives, it’s getting harder for him to keep the secret only one other person knows: that he’s not as straight as everyone assumes when they see him out with his hot girlfriend... -
![Sol: Learning to Love #2 by Con Riley]()
Sol: Learning to Love #2 by Con Riley
Rated: 4.05 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsSolomon Trebeck’s heart broke the night of his bi-awakening. Fifteen years later, Sol’s back in Cornwall where it happened, single, shy, and oh-so lonely. Teaching art to kids wasn’t his life plan. Neither is raising a teenage nephew, but with no family left to support him, a live-in job at a boarding school becomes his life raft.Problem: that life raft is sinking... -
![Dekoboko Sugar Rush! - Extra 2 (Dekoboko Sugar Days) by Atsuko Yusen]()
Dekoboko Sugar Rush! - Extra 2 (Dekoboko Sugar Days) by Atsuko Yusen
Rui has his first at-home date with Yuujiro in two weeks! But he's found himself in a bit of a pickle — having promised to go without seeing each other during the exam period so as to better focus on their studies, Rui has been spending his time away from Yuujiro stressing and eating way too many sweets. Now, he's feeling a bit self-conscious about seeing Yuujiro again...Categorized as:
queer friends to lovers high-school contemporary m-m humor length-novella explicit-open-door -
![Split by Mel Bossa]()
Split by Mel Bossa
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsQuiet and imaginative, Derek O'Reilly spends a lot of time watching a movie in his head. His fiancé Nathan, aka "Mr. Alpha", wonders why Derek hasn't taken any interest in their wedding planning. Aunt Fran—his spiritual guru—would like to know when her guilt-tripping nephew became some kind of kept boy... -
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![Biscuit in the Basket by Kit Oliver]()
Biscuit in the Basket by Kit Oliver
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsEvery love story needs its happily ever after - and then even more.Biscuit in the Basket follows Sebastian and Gil through the week after their first story ends in Light Up the Lamp.In this novella, they settle into their new lives, get their feet under themselves, and start to build their future...Categorized as:
queer friends to lovers second chances hockey sports contemporary m-m length-novella -
![In Me an Invincible Summer by Ryan Loveless]()
In Me an Invincible Summer by Ryan Loveless
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsTo an outsider's view, world-famous action star Joe Nestra lives the Hollywood dream—parties, women, and a high-profile divorce. In reality, Joe's agent directs his public life. Those women he's supposedly intimate with? Prearranged dates ending at the red carpet... -
![Knowing Me, Knowing You by Renae Kaye]()
Knowing Me, Knowing You by Renae Kaye
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsLoving You: Book Four Can friends turned occasional lovers move beyond past mistakes and wrong assumptions to build something that can last? Quiet bookworm Shane has a big secret—one he’s kept for fifteen years. AFL superstar Ambrose Jakoby grew up next door to Shane. They were close friends, and Shane supported Ambrose through school. One night, everything changed... -
![Obsessed with the Heartbreaker by Rina Damen]()
Obsessed with the Heartbreaker by Rina Damen
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsI’m the most boring guy in this college, but the Heartbreaker is secretly obsessed with me.People know Henry Campbell as the Heartbreaker, the unofficial college King that everyone wants but very few get to have. He hates me and yet he often secretly watches me, and once I find out, I can’t resist the temptation of slithering back into his life.We used to be close, neighbors.Then we weren’t... -
![Couture Crush by Charlie Novak]()
Couture Crush by Charlie Novak
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsBeau Barrett is about to become Alt. Bride’s first male cover model, but what about his own fairy-tale ending?When Beau Barrett arrives to shoot for alternative bridal magazine, Alt. Bride, the last person he expects to see is Cash, his long-lost childhood best friend. The spark between them is instant, but with Beau’s calendar splitting at the seams, he’s not convinced a relationship is possible... -
![It's Never Over by Nealy Wagner]()
It's Never Over by Nealy Wagner
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsSix years have passed since the awful day when Axel and Caxton were caught making out in the woods at church camp. They were only teenagers then, but Axel had been devastated when Cax had cut off all contact with him. After that, his best friend seemed to vanish... -
![One Small Thing by Piper Vaughn, M.J. O'Shea]()
One Small Thing by Piper Vaughn, M.J. O'Shea
Rated: 3.99 of 5 stars · 30 ratings“Daddy” is not a title Rue Murray wanted, but he never thought he’d have sex with a woman either. Now he’s the unwitting father of a newborn named Alice. Between bartending and cosmetology school, Rue doesn’t have time for babies, but he can’t give her up. What Rue needs is a babysitter, and he’s running out of options... -
![See My Words by Melanie Hansen]()
See My Words by Melanie Hansen
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 5 ratingsSuccessful underwear model Scott Ashworth is lucky—his attack at the hands of an unknown assailant will leave no visible scars. His professional goals are still within reach, and best of all, his stepbrother Rylan Mahoney is back in his life, their teenage infatuation at last getting the chance to deepen into something more... -
![Lust & Longing by E.M. Denning]()
Lust & Longing by E.M. Denning
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 5 ratingsLove is a messy and complicated emotion. First love especially.Unfortunately for Noah Davis, it doesn’t get easier as he gets older.Noah lost Ian years ago, when life took them in different directions. Not knowing how to let go, he relied on the friends he made while living in the city. His friends helped pull him out of his despair, but it was at a club where he found himself... -
![Cicadas: A Totally Ordinary Epic Love Story by Avery Cockburn]()
Cicadas: A Totally Ordinary Epic Love Story by Avery Cockburn
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 5 ratingsWhat if you had a second chance at a second chance?One day in 1987Budding scientist Joel and cowboy-quarterback Danny meet amid the arrival of seventeen-year cicadas. Like the loud, lusty insects, the boys bond through song, reveling in the heat and hope of early summer—until fate tears them apart...Categorized as:
friends to lovers queer second chances m-m hurt-comfort contemporary mature couple length-long -
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![Aiden's Luck by Con Riley]()
Aiden's Luck by Con Riley
Rated: 4.04 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsSeattle Stories: Book Three House-sitting for a friend is supposed to be a lucky break for Aiden Daly. Discovering his new housemate is the image of his first crush turns it into a nightmare. Marco de Luca is obviously interested in being more than housemates, but his resemblance to Aiden’s ideal man seems only skin-deep. Besides, Aiden doesn’t date...Categorized as:
angst friends to lovers queer m-m contemporary from hate to love hurt-comfort audiobook -
![Curve Ball by Sloan Johnson]()
Curve Ball by Sloan Johnson
Rated: 4.03 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsJason Klein’s living with the fallout from a decision he knew was the right one at the time. He never told anyone about the love of his life, which left him to mourn alone when he found out the man he gave his heart to had been killed in combat. Now, his heart has had time to heal, but he’s not sure he’s ready to let himself move on... -
![Rock Bottom by K.M. Neuhold]()
Rock Bottom by K.M. Neuhold
Rated: 4.05 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsMeet the Band with this exclusive Replay Introduction: Rock Bottom. Grab it free on Instafreebie! Downward Spiral— a band with a handful of platinum records, and almost no hope of making it. Meet Lincoln, Benji, Lando, and Jude— the hottest rock stars of the decade, who’ve just about hit rock bottom...Categorized as:
friends to lovers angst queer m-m contemporary hurt-comfort self harm length-novella -
![Billy & The Beast by Eli Easton]()
Billy & The Beast by Eli Easton
Rated: 4.04 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA stolen rose leads Billy to the Beast of his dreams...The rose is so perfectly pink and delightfully fragrant, so temptingly within reach through the bars of the locked gate. One snip later, and a masked man from Billy’s darkest fantasies grabs his arm.Billy’s punishment for the theft? To toil in the estate’s horribly overgrown garden for the summer. Only this summer job comes with a mystery... -
![Mourning Heaven by Amy Lane]()
Mourning Heaven by Amy Lane
Rated: 4.01 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsHeroes fall. Peter first came to the tiny backwater of Daisy, California, as a child, and he was sure of one thing: his cousin Michael would take care of him. When Michael started a friendship with the fragile, haunted Bodi Kovacs, Peter's consolation in losing any claim to Bodi was that Michael would care for him too...Categorized as:
second chances friends to lovers angst queer contemporary m-m hurt-comfort length-short -
![Spy On Me by Marina Vivancos]()
Spy On Me by Marina Vivancos
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsAgent Matteo can admit that sleeping with his handler might not be the brightest idea he’s had. After all, Nikolas is the only one that’s ever stuck by him—the person he trusts the most.Matteo has never been good at taking orders—until Nikolas. Now, all Matteo seems to want is Nikolas’s voice in his head. Telling him what to do…even if that’s getting on his knees for Nikolas...
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