Books like 'It Started with Brian'
Readers who enjoyed It Started with Brian by Dan Kincaid & Adam Phillips also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary friends to lovers bisexual queer-awakening
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Love Next Door by Rachael Sommers
A sweet toaster-oven lesbian romance that asks whether the one we’re meant to be with might be right under our nose. Reserved tattoo artist Riley Foster has just moved apartments and can’t take her eyes off the single mom who lives next door...Categorized as:
friends to lovers queer-awakening bisexual queer f-f contemporary competent heroine single-mother -
Sated in Ink by Carrie Ann Ryan
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThe Montgomery Ink saga continues in a seductive romance where a runaway bride and two best friends might just take the chance of a lifetime. Ethan Montgomery thought he had his life figured out until the moment he and his best friend met a woman in a wedding dress drinking wine out of a paper bag. He might work too many hours and always seems to put his family and friends first... -
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Pisces Hooks Taurus by Anyta Sunday
It’s a time for searching, and a time for finding, Pisces: keep casting your line and you will hook what you’re looking for. Zane has it all planned out: land the perfect Meet Cute, fall in love, and live happily ever after. Should be simple enough if he put his mind to it. A little creativity and some thinking outside of the box, and voila, he’d be married to the woman of his dreams...Categorized as:
friends to lovers bisexual queer-awakening contemporary new adult humor m-m age difference -
The Gift by May Archer, Alexander Cendese
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsListening Length: 9 hours and 55 minutes. Daniel: I suck at relationships and don't trust anyone, but there are reasons for that. For one thing, every person I've ever cared about has let me down. The only recent exception: O'Leary's town veterinarian. .. my new best friend. I came to O'Leary for a fresh start. To pare things down to essentials. To forget about the failures in my past...Categorized as:
friends to lovers queer-awakening m-m contemporary queer humor length-medium audiobook -
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Goddess of the Moon by Claire Highton-Stevenson
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsDiana Maddox is a creature of comfort, she plays by the rules and she likes things done properly. Now, she finds herself in a bit of a rut. Single after an almost decade-long relationship with Jason, who cheated on her, Diana is sharing a flat with her sister and nephew. Her friends have all married and had families of their own, so there's only one thing for it, Diana decides... -
Aaron's Awakening by K.C. Wells, Meredith Russell
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsAaron isn’t looking for love, but it finds him – and it has a few surprises in store…. A laidback man who goes with the flow. Aaron is happy for his friends who’ve found love, but he’s starting to feel as if he’s an endangered species – a single guy. Not that he’s looking for anyone...Categorized as:
friends to lovers bisexual queer-awakening m-m humor contemporary queer length-medium -
24 Dares of Christmas by Lee Blair
On the first day of Christmas, my dear aunt sent to me: twenty-four dares in a fugly advent tree…. The only way I’m going to survive a month of holly jolly misery post-breakup is to hibernate through the Christmas season before moving away for my new job. Two things blow my straightforward plan to smithereens: 1... -
Northland by Cara Dee
Two years ago, Logan Ward got the surprise of his life when he discovered he was the father of a two-year-old boy. Professionally and romantically adrift, he devoted all his time and energy to caring for his son. But now he’s searching for something more, and he and Justin head north to Alaska to try out the life his best friend Quinn has been raving about...Categorized as:
bisexual queer-awakening m-m alpha male contemporary queer length-short explicit-open-door -
The Idiot by Dianna Roman
You can't pick who you love. .. nor can you run from them. Murphy Malone loves his orchard, his mother, and his dog. Life is great until he can't stop thinking about what he's missing—someone to share it all with. When he realizes that his love for his best friend, Jesse Carver, runs deeper than the bonds of friendship, it just makes things worse...Categorized as:
queer-awakening friends to lovers bisexual m-m forced proximity grumpy sunshine contemporary queer -
Free Me by Mia Monroe
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsOnly 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...Categorized as:
friends to lovers queer-awakening contemporary m-m bdsm queer length-short audiobook -
The Progress of Sherlock Holmes by Ivy Blossom
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsSherlock FanficSherlock is head over heels for John, but you wouldn't know it by looking at him. First-person present-tense series of short scenes from Sherlock's point of view, borrowing heavily from Arthur Conan Doyle's stories. Words: 62,006 complete. -
Fancy Free by Mia Monroe
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe 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... -
Charisma Check by Katherine McIntyre
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsNever fall for the straight guy—Jasper knows better. At least until his straight guy crush starts crushing back…. Jasper Tanaka has made an art form out of avoiding commitment. Which is why his crush on a nearby café owner, Matt, has been perfect—the guy is straight, vanilla, and far too sweet—everything that puts him out of Jasper’s reach...Categorized as:
friends to lovers bisexual queer-awakening m-m contemporary queer bdsm length-medium -
When Stars Align by Denver Shaw
Rated: 4.60 of 5 stars · 5 ratingsScarred by the past. Terrified to love again. Savion. Once upon a time, my life was a fairytale. Engaged to a beautiful woman, we were planning our perfect future. Then, the sick act of an obsessed man ruined everything. Alone, disfigured, and betrayed, I fled to LA to focus on my work as a paleontologist. It was there I met Declan... -
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Bear's Best Friend by Raleigh Ruebins
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsHe’s a ray of sunshine. I’m a loner lumberjack. We don’t make sense……But my straight best friend keeps ending up in my bed. Sawyer Hendricks is the best friend I’ve ever had—the Goose to my Moose, and the shoulder I’ve cried on even though I’m not the crying type. The difference between us? Sawyer brightens any room in an instant, and I’m the gruff guy wearing flannel who’d rather be alone... -
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... -
Falling by Sierra Riley
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 18 ratings“You’re the best fake boyfriend I ever had. ”. “Love exists… in books, at least. ”... -
Up for the Challenge by Riley Hart, Devon McCormack
ETHAN:. I'm not used to anyone having the upper hand over me, and in a single night, Sean Wright rescues me twice. That's why he intrigues me--why for the first time, I want another man. I'm used to getting what I want, and I don't plan to let anything stop me. Only. .. he continues to get the best of me, and it only makes me want him more...Categorized as:
bisexual friends to lovers queer-awakening m-m contemporary dual-pov sunny hero death -
How To Save A Life by Andria Large, Jena Brignola
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsHow do you save someone’s life? There’s the obvious way of physically saving them from a tragic end. Then there’s the more subtle way of saving someone who doesn’t know they need to be saved. Someone who is drowning emotionally and has no idea that they are slowly dying. Ezra Whitmore is one of those people...Categorized as:
bisexual friends to lovers queer-awakening m-m contemporary single-father queer length-short -
Playing the Player by Beth Bolden
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsCenter Logan Banks didn’t come to Miami looking for a best friend. He came for football and for a chance at freedom—the freedom to live out of the closet. But after a water main break, he lands an unexpected roommate, the new Piranhas kicker, Dylan Leonard. Between practices, games, and too many late nights on the couch, a best friend is exactly what he gets... -
War Torn by Andria Large
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsMy 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... -
Betting Brett by Joy Danvers
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsBrett is seriously clueless. He’s a great friend and a great father to his little girl, but how could he not realize after all this time that I’m gay? And I’m in love with him? I know I’ve never said anything, but I feel like I’m pretty obvious. Now I messed up and made a tipsy bet with him about a blow job that I really don’t want to take back. I’m not sure if it was a mistake though... -
Nauti or Nice by Ava Olsen
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsBeing a first officer on board the superyacht Now, Voyager is a dream come true. And my personal life? I’m in and out and on to the next port, so to speak. I don’t have the inclination for a boyfriend. So when my boss asks me to work over the Christmas holiday, I’m happy to say yes. And then Kiernan Doyle arrives. The Irish bodyguard is a brawny grump with sad eyes and a shy smile...Categorized as:
friends to lovers bisexual christmas queer contemporary m-m height-difference length-short -
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...Categorized as:
friends to lovers queer-awakening m-m suspense contemporary queer length-medium audiobook -
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Alex by S.M. Shade
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsNinety- 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... -
Faith by Jet Mykles
Rated: 4.03 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsDarien’s best friends are the other guys in the rock band Heaven Sent. The three—now four—of them are closer than brothers to him and he’s happy that they’ve all found their life mates. He is. He doesn’t at all mind that each of those life mates are men. He doesn’t. In fact, that’s just it. Maybe there’s something to this gay stuff... -
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-awakening friends to lovers bisexual m-m contemporary queer angst second chances -
Oceans Apart by Laura Harner
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsIt’s been two years since Lord Jamie Mainwaring and Detective Remy Remington worked and loved their way through their one and only case before going their separate ways. Now Jamie is once again mixing agency business with pleasure as he and his partner, Agent Ryan Whiteside, are assigned to a case involving piracy in the Caribbean... -
Hearts And Flowers Border by L.T. Smith
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsA visitor from her past jolts Laura Stewart into memories . some funny . some heart wrenching . but she needs to deal with all of them before she can open the door to allow her past to shape her future. A story starting in the present day, narrated by a woman who needs to retell her past before she can move on with her future...Categorized as:
friends to lovers bisexual f-f queer second chances angst contemporary length-medium -
Two Weeks and a Day by R.G. Alexander
Rated: 4.04 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsIt’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
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... -
Tutor: A First Time Lesbian Romance by Lyra Hart
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsMy best friend wants to teach me a lesson. .. Three years ago, my ex-boyfriend dumped me when he realised that I couldn’t quite ‘get there’ in the bedroom--no matter how hard he tried. Ever since then, I’ve been too ashamed to date again. I feel broken. Defective... -
Kai's Healing Smiles by Vivi Anne Hunt
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 5 ratingsSilas is mourning the loss of his wife. Every day, he is going through the motions and barely managing to keep the excruciating pain from overtaking his life. There is precisely one ray of sunshine in his days — Kai — the smiley, awkward barista at Starbucks. For some reason, Silas finds comfort being around Kai and soaks up as much light as this sweet boy could give him... -
Don't Fall In Love With Me by Aiden Wilde
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 5 ratingsEDDIE. Everyone knew Max was a bad boy, but everyone fell for him all the same. When I returned back home to live, he said we should hang out a bit. And that's what we did, except we started to hang out a lot. Because now I was falling for Max, too. MAX. No one has ever understood me like Eddie. I was so stoked when I heard he was coming back... -
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Love Song by Christina Lee
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...Categorized as:
bisexual friends to lovers queer-awakening m-m contemporary queer hurt-comfort forced proximity -
Taboo For You by Anyta Sunday
Rated: 3.98 of 5 stars · 22 ratingsSam’s freaking out. He’s 30 in three weeks. And what has he done in his twenties? It’s pretty simple math: nothing exciting at all. But hey, he has three weeks right? Maybe that’s just enough time to tick his way through a 20s Must Do List . . . Luke’s freaking screwed. He’s come out to his family, and his friends. Except there’s a certain someone who doesn’t know yet: his neighbor of 7 years...Categorized as:
friends to lovers queer-awakening contemporary athletes oceania new-zealand length-medium -
The Game Changer by Kay Simone
Rated: 4.01 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsA straight quarterback. A gay physical therapist. Love is out of bounds… Right? Malcolm Rodgers loses everything in one week. The quarterback is benched with an injury the same week his fiancée breaks off their engagement... -
The Redemption of River by Eli Easton
River Larsen is a world traveler, truth-seeker, and tantric healer. He’s a master of loving all—and no one. Both his past and his spiritual path warn him against attachment. When he falls for his surrogacy client and coffee magnate, Brent McKay, River tells himself it’s a temporary idyll, a beautiful encounter they’ll both enjoy and move on from like two ships passing in the stream of life...Categorized as:
bisexual friends to lovers queer-awakening contemporary m-m age difference queer explicit-open-door -
Falling From The Sky by Nikki Godwin
Rated: 4.02 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsAll stability in sixteen-year-old Ridge McCoy’s life crashed and burned in the plane crash that killed his dad. This summer-long basketball camp is his chance to improve his skills and escape his problems back home...Categorized as:
friends to lovers bisexual queer-awakening contemporary cheating athletes other-man-woman m-m -
Checked Out by Sean Ashcroft
Rated: 4.02 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsLibrarian Charlie Jules really needs to stop falling for straight guys. Every man he’s been attracted to over the past year has turned out to be straight—including Scott, a cute new library patron who comes complete with an adorable puppy. Charlie was almost ready to give up on ever finding love in Hope Springs, but when Scott kisses him…. . .. twice…... -
The Cook by Sasha Avice
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 5 ratingsTim had three rules:. Never compromise the quality of the cook. It might be meth, but it was still his name on the product: The Cook. Never use his own gear. Not even to be sure it’s good. Use the tester. And never let Jake—his straight best friend and roommate—find out he’s in love with him and has been since high school. Tim liked his rules. They gave him a feeling of structure and order... -
Just Be You by M.E. Parker
When Scott Cohen got word that he’d been nominated for a Grammy, he wondered if the universe was playing some cruel trick on him. Of all the songs he’d written, why did it have to be that song? Over ten years had passed since he’d written the song and even more since Scott had become obsessed with Marshall Donavan, his brother’s best friend... -
My Straight Husband by Spencer Spears
Rated: 3.99 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsA marriage of convenience is one thing. But married to a straight guy? That’s a whole different story…. Brooklyn: I’ve got a dissertation to finish and tenure to secure. The last thing I’m looking for is romance. But with my advisor’s charity on the brink of losing funding, I’ve got one shot at saving it...Categorized as:
friends to lovers queer-awakening m-m contemporary age difference humor queer length-medium -
Savior by Sierra Riley
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 9 ratings“Can’t you see I need help? ”. “What the hell is wrong with me? ”. Detective Steven Mason was in his prime. From the Army to the NYPD, he gave it his all, until a stray bullet from a rookie cop put his whole life on hold...Categorized as:
friends to lovers queer-awakening m-m military from hate to love contemporary queer length-short -
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The Last Summer by Ruthie Luhnow
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 8 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... -
Holding On to His Manny by Rheland Richmond
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsA single, grieving father. A manny with a big heart. Two kids who need them both. When Dean loses his wife, he wonders how he’s supposed to raise his children alone. Meeting Owen is like a wake-up call. .. Owen was the lifeline keeping them from drowning… he still is. Owen loves taking care of Dean and the kids, but he's broken the manny’s cardinal rule: No falling for the father... -
Meeting Mr. Christmas by Ali Ryecart
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsTwo best friends. One secret crush. A kiss that changes everything. There’s never been a time when Noel’s not been in love with his best friend Jed. The problem is, Jed’s straight. Always has been, always will be. Yet, as the festive season descends on Collier’s Creek there’s only one gift Noel for Jed to wake up and realise they are meant to be together... -
Chulito by Charles Rice-González
Rated: 3.97 of 5 stars · 11 ratings“Hilarious, unique, heartfelt and sharp. A wonderful read. ”— Sandra Cisneros. Set against a vibrant South Bronx neighborhood and the queer youth culture of Manhattan's piers, Chulito is a coming-out, coming-of-age love story of a sexy, tough, hip hop–loving, young Latino man and the colorful characters in his vibrant neighborhood... -
Personal Secrets by K.C. Wells
Rated: 3.95 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsBlake Davis and husband Will are delighted when Ed Fellows turns up at the hospital the night their daughter is born—even if he is covered in mud from playing rugby and drunk out of his skull. Team-mate Colin is the Good Samaritan who drives him there, and when Colin takes Ed home, Colin finds himself on the receiving end of a blow-job. He has no problem with that whatsoever... -
Wonderland by Rachel Ember
Rated: 3.96 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsI left Vermont on the most painful day of my life and swore I’d never go back. Meadows Park–the shuttered amusement park that’s been in my family for generations–is the home of all my finest and worst memories. They all star Peter Landry–the best friend I ever had, and the only guy I’ve ever loved...Categorized as:
bisexual friends to lovers m-m contemporary second chances hurt-comfort queer audiobook
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