Books like 'A Life Without You'

Readers who enjoyed A Life Without You by Erica Pike also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.

contemporary  gay romance  cheating  friends to lovers  college  cruel hero  angst  hurt-comfort  other-man-woman  queer 

  • Wheels Down by Beth Bolden

    Wheels Down by Beth Bolden

    Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars
    · 9 ratings
    Shaw isn’t his friend—until Ross discovers he’s so much more. Ross Stanton is having a bad week—a bad month—really, a bad year . But the last thing he wants, after the betrayal of his friend and business partner, is for anyone else to know just how much he’s fighting for survival...
  • Unforgettable by Marley Valentine

    Unforgettable by Marley Valentine

    Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars
    · Steam rating: 4 of 5
    Explicit open door [?] · 16 ratings
    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...
  • Sponsored links
  • Trouble by Nyla K.

    Trouble by Nyla K.

    Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars
    · Steam rating: 5 of 5
    Explicit and plentiful [?] · 23 ratings
    From the world of Push and Pull comes a new unexpected forbidden romance…My name is Tate Eckhart, and I love my life.I have a great job, a sick wardrobe. I drive a fancy car and sip scotch old enough to be my Daddy.I’m fine with being known as the bad guy, the troublemaker, and the unattached harlot out of all my friends...
  • Forever by Kindle Alexander

    Forever by Kindle Alexander

    Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars
    · 16 ratings
    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...
  • Rhythm of Us by Aimee Nicole Walker

    Rhythm of Us by Aimee Nicole Walker

    Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars
    · 24 ratings
    Xavier Cruz has come home after touring with his band for eight years, a life his family and friends would never envy if they knew the truth. Haunted by past decisions, he’s lost himself and his music. Every day is a struggle to recapture them both and forgive the mistakes he’s made. Can Xavier push past his nightmares and hear the melodies all around him again?Ben St...
  • Golden Boy and the Two Bears by Nash Summers

    Golden Boy and the Two Bears by Nash Summers

    Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars
    · 9 ratings
    Asher Williams is obsessed with love. His column is thriving, fellow students trust him with their relationship woes, and he’s on his A-game when it comes to matchmaking. At least, matchmaking other than his own. After a heartfelt letter written to his column, Asher is set on aiding the two love-struck heroes who desperately need his help...
  • Heartstring by Ana Ashley

    Heartstring by Ana Ashley

    Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars
    · 9 ratings
    MikIf 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...
  • The Law of Miracles by K.C. Wells

    The Law of Miracles by K.C. Wells

    Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars
    · 10 ratings
    The sequel to A Christmas Promise… Joshua Trant is doing his best to support his son Micah and Micah’s partner Greg as they approach the trial of Greg’s attackers. This was never going to be easy, especially as Greg wants them prosecuted for a hate crime, but County Attorney Alexander Rycliffe assures them he’ll do his utmost to make sure the perpetrators are held accountable for their actions...
  • Extended Stay by Mia Monroe

    Extended Stay by Mia Monroe

    Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars
    · 14 ratings
    I’ve never been interested in a man before. So why do I want to kiss this one?Promising my sick uncle I’d help fix his rundown hotel in San Diego was just the beginning of my problems. I plan to do what I can, convince him to sell, and then take off, returning to my calm and structured existence back east. I double down on that plan when I arrive to find it in worse shape than I expected...
  • Dauntless by Victoria Denault

    Dauntless by Victoria Denault

    Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars
    · 14 ratings
    He’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...
  • Change of Heart by K.M. Neuhold

    Change of Heart by K.M. Neuhold

    Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars
    · 11 ratings
    Does 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...
  • A Different Kind of Love by Nicola Haken

    A Different Kind of Love by Nicola Haken

    Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars
    · Steam rating: 4 of 5
    Explicit open door [?] · 16 ratings
    Love is simple. People are not. Despite growing up without it, William Walker knows all about love. He loves his wife. He loves his children. He loves the cat. He has the perfect family, and all he had to do to get it was push aside one pesky little feeling.Unfortunately, love doesn’t pay the bills...
  • Free Me by Mia Monroe

    Free Me by Mia Monroe

    Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars
    · 15 ratings
    Only his ropes can unravel the past. I never thought I’d see him again, but when my former best friend shows up ready to make amends, it becomes clear just how tied to the past I am. He disappeared when I needed him the most, leaving me to navigate my truth alone. Now he’s back.Nixon’s art leaves me vulnerable, defenseless, and I like it...
  • Battle It Out by Reese Knightley

    Battle It Out by Reese Knightley

    Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars
    · 8 ratings
    Master Sergeant Zane Gannon loves nothing more than being a part of his Special Forces unit and kicking ass, but above everything, he values his friendship with Isaac. Sure, they argue and snipe at each other, but it’s all in good fun. Until it isn’t. Now, Isaac is pulling away and something Zane has buried for two decades is resurfacing...
  • Fancy Free by Mia Monroe

    Fancy Free by Mia Monroe

    Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars
    · 8 ratings
    The last thing I need is a curious straight guy sniffing around me. So why is he so hard to resist?My life is everything I ever wanted - by design. Being one of the nation’s most sought after wedding planners has led to a life of traveling to glamorous locations, bumping elbows with the rich and famous, and sampling every handsome hunk the world has to offer...
  • The Ghosts Between Us by Brigham Vaughn

    The Ghosts Between Us by Brigham Vaughn

    Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars
    · 8 ratings
    Dr. Christopher Allen knows how to deal with death. He’s a psychiatrist who works with hospice patients and their families, helping them cope with grief and letting go. But Chris’s job doesn’t prepare him for the sudden death of his devil-may-care brother Cal. At Cal’s funeral, Chris is completely thrown when he meets Elliot Rawlings, an artist Cal has been dating...
  • Until Jude by Briar Prescott

    Until Jude by Briar Prescott

    Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars
    · 8 ratings
    I'm the first one to tell you doing the right thing has never been high on my list of priorities.Same goes for respecting the law. And ethics in general.It's more like guidelines anyway.Until him.Jude Riley.I invite myself into his life and refuse to leave. I know it's wrong. I know I shouldn't.I do anyway.It's never meant to turn into anything serious.It's never supposed to matter.Until it does...
    Categorized as:
    queer  angst  hurt-comfort  m-m  contemporary
  • Somehow Finding Us (Second Chance Sinners) by Claudia Y. Burgoa

    Somehow Finding Us (Second Chance Sinners) by Claudia Y. Burgoa

    Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars
    · 6 ratings
    USA Today Bestselling Author Claudia Burgoa brings you a MM romance full of angst and tragedy that might turn to hope in a redemption love story that’ll break your heart and mend it all over again. Emotional, endearing, and full of romancePeople think they know me. They only know what I allow them to see. I’ve learned to control the narrative.I have secrets...
  • ChrisMyths by Amy Lane

    ChrisMyths by Amy Lane

    Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars
    · 6 ratings
    After courtship, cohabitation, and learning about love and each other, Andy and Eli face the ultimate test: being separated at Christmas.Eli’s seen the propaganda—the country boy goes home from the city and realizes his heart is back among the snow, trees, and chickens. A big happy family is something Eli, with his demanding job running a shelter for LGBTQ youth, can’t provide...
  • When Forever Ended by Cara Dee

    When Forever Ended by Cara Dee

    Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars
    · Steam rating: 4 of 5
    Explicit open door [?] · 23 ratings
    At ten years old, Kelly and I were two rambunctious boys who carved our initials into a tree in the forest. We promised to be best friends forever and bumped our fists to seal the deal. I never should've kissed him that summer before college. It was a day that buried me in shame, a day I spent the next twenty-four years regretting, a day I never told anyone about...
  • Wrecked But Not Ruined by Nicole Dykes

    Wrecked But Not Ruined by Nicole Dykes

    Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars
    · Steam rating: 4 of 5
    Explicit open door [?] · 18 ratings
    Ethan I had everything. I was going to college and having a blast. Enjoying myself and not taking much seriously. But then, two years ago, everything changed. A car wreck destroyed my life. It sent me into a total tailspin. I walked away, even when everyone said I wouldn’t be able to. But I haven’t recovered from it...
  • Black by Quin, Perin.

    Black by Quin, Perin.

    Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars
    · 13 ratings
    “Meow!”There it was.The sound that made my knees buckle.He purred, neck stretched, eyes half-lidded.With those cat ears, in his hair.And the tail, that he flicked.A ray of sun in the drizzling rain. I’d been a traveler, floating adrift, while he’d stayed in one place. How was I supposed to know he’d become my anchor? My light. My everything...
  • After Ben by Con Riley

    After Ben by Con Riley

    Rated: 4.09 of 5 stars
    · 27 ratings
    "Seattle Stories: Book One" A year after the sudden death of his longtime partner, Ben, Theo Anderson is still grieving. The last thing he's looking for is a new lover. But as Theo soon discovers, sometimes life has other plans...
  • Delicious by Sierra Riley

    Delicious by Sierra Riley

    Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars
    · 17 ratings
    “You’re exactly what I never knew I needed.” “I don’t have time for love.” Gavin Campbell has poured everything he has into starting up his bakery, Delicious...
  • Blindside by N.R. Walker

    Blindside by N.R. Walker

    Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars
    · 28 ratings
    Mark Gattison has avoided love and commitment his entire adult life. Not interested in more than a one night stand or a brief encounter in a bathroom stall, he is the epitome of a good time.Will Parkinson is the guy who defends him, the guy who puts up with him, the guy Mark calls his best friend.When Will becomes unsettled and a little distant, Mark takes it upon himself to find Will a boyfriend...
  • Infamous by Jenny Holiday

    Infamous by Jenny Holiday

    Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars
    · 13 ratings
    Is 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...
  • Dear Mona Lisa... by Claire Davis, Al Stewart

    Dear Mona Lisa... by Claire Davis, Al Stewart

    Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars
    · 9 ratings
    Tom; shy office clerk by day and drawer of foxes by night, wakes up one Monday knowing the most extraordinary week of his life is about to begin. In five days, a lifelong ‘secret’ will be made gloriously public—but will it mean losing the person he loves most?Getting married… It seems only yesterday Tom changed nappies and sang nursery rhymes to a laughing baby...
  • Definitely Not Meant to Be by A.W. Scott

    Definitely Not Meant to Be by A.W. Scott

    Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars
    · 9 ratings
    “How long have you been in love with your best friend?” Godric I accepted long ago that I couldn’t have all of the things I wanted in life. Growing up in the way I did, I would be a fool to get my hopes up. But even with that knowledge, I couldn’t resist. I was helpless not to fall into the orbit that was my best friend...
  • Baby Queen by Charlie Novak

    Baby Queen by Charlie Novak

    Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars
    · Steam rating: 4 of 5
    Explicit open door [?] · 9 ratings
    Note to self: falling for the new queen you're mentoring will only lead to trouble.Being broke, single, and homeless after winning the UK's biggest drag show wasn't how my life was supposed to go. I’m meant to be the one with everything, but thanks to an unscrupulous tour company I've got nothing but my image and a mountain of debt...
  • Gin & Sin by Mia Monroe

    Gin & Sin by Mia Monroe

    Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars
    · 8 ratings
    Helping him explore his attraction to men was supposed to be no strings fun, not turn me into a whipped puppy dog, but here we are. The college twink scene is wearing on me. Sure, it works out for a no-commitment guy like myself, but the constant drama and faceless rotation of pretty boys in and out of my bed isn’t as exciting as it once was...
  • Wonderland by Jude Ouvrard

    Wonderland by Jude Ouvrard

    Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars
    · 7 ratings
    Lucas Colton is far too young to go through all this pain but meeting poetry teacher, Preston Davidson, changed everything. His life went from heartbreak to joyful and then, from friendship to love. The impact Preston had on Lucas’ life was mesmerising...
    Categorized as:
    hurt-comfort  angst  queer  m-m  contemporary  death  christmas
  • War Torn by Andria Large

    War Torn by Andria Large

    Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars
    · 10 ratings
    My life has been completely turned around with the help of my boyfriend and best friend, Tucker. My depression is under control. I’m not having nightmares or flashbacks anymore. My sister is having a baby. Life with Tucker is great… Or is it? Everything seems to be going so well, almost too well...
  • The Right Way by May Archer

    The Right Way by May Archer

    Rated: 4.18 of 5 stars
    · 10 ratings
    "The right way is the one where we end up together...And to do that, we need to survive this." A brilliant, obsessive mind is the heart of Sebastian Seaver’s genius. It might also be the thing that costs him everything he’s created and everyone he’s ever loved...
  • Alex by S.M. Shade

    Alex by S.M. Shade

    Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars
    · 13 ratings
    Ninety- two days. Thirteen weeks. That’s how long it’s been since I lost my love, my best friend. It’s been everything I can do to drag myself out of bed and get back to work, but I know Cooper would want me to move on. I think he’d even be happy if he knew who I want to move on with. The target of my affection, though, may not be so thrilled about my choice. He’s straight. Or he thinks he is...
  • Most Of You by E.M. Lindsey

    Most Of You by E.M. Lindsey

    Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars
    · 14 ratings
    There he was…Shirtless.Wearing glasses.Chopping wood like some kind of fantasy lumberjack.And Emil was officially helpless.Moving to the East Coast, Emil was there for two things exactly: to become a better person, and to face the part of his past he’d spent his entire life avoiding.He most certainly hadn't planned on falling in love...
  • The Imperfection of Swans by Brandon Witt

    The Imperfection of Swans by Brandon Witt

    Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars
    · 12 ratings
    Kevin Bivanti's dream to open a wedding dress shop - a place with stunning gowns to make every bride-to-be feel adored - is on the verge of becoming a reality. When he quits a successful advertising career to buy an old brownstone in a trendy Boston neighborhood, fate intervenes, ushering in Casper James, who hopes to open his own bakery...
  • Truth & Tenderness by Tere Michaels

    Truth & Tenderness by Tere Michaels

    Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars
    · 14 ratings
    Faith, Love, & Devotion: Book Six Newly promoted police captain Evan Cerelli takes command of his own precinct as Matt Haight’s security business begins to expand at a rapid rate. Both of their careers require more and more of their time—away from home and each other...
  • Mourning Heaven by Amy Lane

    Mourning Heaven by Amy Lane

    Rated: 4.09 of 5 stars
    · 12 ratings
    Heroes 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...
  • Don't Leave Me Alone by Jenny Wood

    Don't Leave Me Alone by Jenny Wood

    Rated: 4.09 of 5 stars
    · 12 ratings
    Alvin is coming home to bury his family His whole family, all the family that he had left. His mom, dad and twin sisters. The military didn't think he was stable enough to come back but really, he was just worried how he'd get through the days. The first one's at his empty family home especially. Carter is a school teacher going to the funeral of a very well respected family of his community...
  • Spy On Me by Marina Vivancos

    Spy On Me by Marina Vivancos

    Rated: 4.09 of 5 stars
    · 11 ratings
    Agent 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...
  • Don't Leave Me Alone by Jenny Wood

    Don't Leave Me Alone by Jenny Wood

    Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars
    · 12 ratings
    Alvin is coming home to bury his family His whole family, all the family that he had left. His mom, dad and twin sisters. The military didn't think he was stable enough to come back but really, he was just worried how he'd get through the days. The first one's at his empty family home especially. Carter is a school teacher going to the funeral of a very well respected family of his community...
  • Love Song by Christina Lee

    Love Song by Christina Lee

    Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars
    · Steam rating: 4 of 5
    Explicit open door [?] · 13 ratings
    Thirtysomething bandmates, Nolan Metcalf and Ellis Bloom, have been there for each other through thick and thin. So when a life-changing event sends Ellis to the safety of Nolan’s apartment, he’s grateful for the comfort his best friend provides. They’ve never done anything resembling cuddling and sleepovers before, but Ellis finds he needs it just the same...
  • Adam's Song by Spencer Spears

    Adam's Song by Spencer Spears

    Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars
    · 9 ratings
    They say it’s a bad idea to fall for your best friend. But since when do I say no to bad ideas? Adam: It’s not like I wanted to fall in love with Ben. When we first met in college, I thought he’d be like every other hot jock who’d made my life hell in high school. It's not my fault he turned out to be sweet, funny, and insanely talented...
  • I’m His First, He’s My Forever by Romeo Alexander

    I’m His First, He’s My Forever by Romeo Alexander

    Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars
    · 9 ratings
    Two best friends, one straight, one gay, fight their own emotional storm in the middle of a raging hurricane.Who will win, heart or hurricane?Ethan: Being in love with my straight best friend? Not the greatest idea. But hey, I’ve kept it a secret from him all these years. Well, until hurricane Ada decided to visit our quiet town...
  • Fem by Seth King

    Fem by Seth King

    Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars
    · 8 ratings
    Peter Martin is living two lives inside one body. Although he is openly gay, a lifetime of taunting from his family and community for being “too feminine” has still left him clad in false armor, portraying a character that is entirely fake, but keeps him safe from ridicule all the same. Stand tall, speak deeply, keep a strong handshake, never draw attention, never be “too gay...
  • This Isn't Me by T.A. McKay

    This Isn't Me by T.A. McKay

    Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars
    · 8 ratings
    Nathan Cooper thought he had everything in life worked out; his own company, a great best friend, and all the women he could want. That is until one night his whole outlook changed. One misunderstanding, a man instead of a woman, and just like that he was looking at guys like he never had before...
  • ‎Felix by R.J. Scott, Meredith Russell

    ‎Felix by R.J. Scott, Meredith Russell

    Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars
    · 8 ratings
    Hiring a fake boyfriend for a school reunion seems to be the only solution, but love was never part of the equation.Felix has enough on his plate looking out for his parents, let alone agreeing to being hired for a date with the friend of a friend. His instant attraction to the scatter-brained scientist has him making impulsive decisions he hopes he won’t regret...
  • The Last Summer by Ruthie Luhnow

    The Last Summer by Ruthie Luhnow

    Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars
    · 7 ratings
    "It's not even really a first kiss if you're practicing on a friend." Trapped in a conservative prairie town, Alfie Alder has spent his whole life enduring bullying from his classmates and indifference from his teachers. Only one person has ever seen past Alfie's sarcastic, standoffish exterior—his best friend and the love of his life, Wynn...
  • Two Weeks and a Day by R.G. Alexander

    Two Weeks and a Day by R.G. Alexander

    Rated: 4.04 of 5 stars
    · 14 ratings
    It’s either the beginning of a great porno or a disaster waiting to happen. That feeling when you’re a thirty-year-old gay virgin with a little OCD, nosy neighbors and a lot of awkward, secret fantasies revolving around your straight best friend? Yeah, that’s me right now...
  • Riptide by Ruthie Luhnow

    Riptide by Ruthie Luhnow

    Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars
    · 6 ratings
    "The weirdest part about kissing my best friend is that it isn't weird at all." Drew Riordan is excellent at compartmentalization. It's the only way he's managed to survive three years at Bellamy university—and on the crew team—and how he's made peace with staying in the closet for the foreseeable future...
Fantastic book recommendations by romance book lovers for romance book lovers.
Find out more about romance.io.


Get recommendations by genres & tropes

Use the romance book finder to mix and match over 100 content keywords to find the books that match your preferences

romance book finder

Looking for more inspiration? Enter another book title to get more suggestions on what to read next.


Or - use our amazing romance book finder to get recommendations based on your favorite content tropes and themes. Mix and match at will.