Books like 'Worth Waiting For'
Readers who enjoyed Worth Waiting For by Wendy Qualls also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary gay romance small town second chances queer
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Holding the Man by Timothy Conigrave
When Timothy Conigrave falls in love with the captain of the football team, John Caleo, at their Catholic all-boys school in Melbourne, the two embark on a passionate journey of love, betrayal and forgiveness. This bestselling true story is at once sexy, romantic, funny and sad - a masterpiece of authentic emotion that you won't forget...Categorized as:
second chances queer contemporary open-door m-m friends to lovers terminal-illness death -
![Ruined by April Wilson]()
Ruined by April Wilson
Rated: 4.58 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsFinally! Sam and Cooper's long-awaited story is here... a second chance gay romance, with a guaranteed HEA. Sam... Coming out of the closet was easy. Falling in love with a man twice my age was not. Cooper grew up old-school, hiding his true self. He may be the love of my life, but I can’t be his dirty little secret any longer. He needs to man up and claim me if he wants to keep me... -
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![The Last Guy On Earth by Sarina Bowen]()
The Last Guy On Earth by Sarina Bowen
One cold December day, two men are blindsided by a hockey trade; one is the most decorated goalie in the league, while the other one is the youngest coach in the majors.Jethro Hale is the last player Coach Clay Powers wants to see on his roster, but the G.M. pulls a fast one. And it's not like he can even explain why. Nobody knows about their love affair fifteen years ago...Categorized as:
queer second chances sports contemporary m-m hockey from hate to love forced proximity -
![Pretty Poison (Sinister in Savannah Book3) by Aimee Nicole Walker]()
Pretty Poison (Sinister in Savannah Book3) by Aimee Nicole Walker
Redemption seeker. Chameleon. Damaged heart.By day, Rocky Jacobs is a private investigator. By night, he produces Sinister in Savannah, a true-crime podcast, with his two best friends. Rocky’s life revolves around three principles: possessing skill is better than having luck, a man’s reputation is everything, and there’s no sacrifice too great for those you love...Categorized as:
second chances queer m-m contemporary mystery suspense length-medium explicit-open-door -
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![Fearless by Nicole Edwards]()
Fearless by Nicole Edwards
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsHe’s the one who walked away... Dare Davis, one of the four owners of Pier 70 Marina, has been living the past fifteen years of his life not taking risks. He considers himself fearless because he refuses to let anyone close enough to hurt him. He’s had his heart broken before, he’s not looking for it to happen again. He’s the one who let love slip through his fingers.. -
![Life after Love by J.J. Harper]()
Life after Love by J.J. Harper
All he wanted was a new life, not a new love.MerrickMerrick has the perfect life: a husband, a baby, and a great future ahead of him. Until all that is ripped away, and he’s left alone with his daughter. After two years, he knows it’s time to move on. To find a new life for him and Willow. It comes in the shape of a derelict mill house nestled in the hills above a Devon seaside town...Categorized as:
second chances queer small town m-m contemporary hurt-comfort friends to lovers single-father -
![Wilde Fire by Lucy Lennox]()
Wilde Fire by Lucy Lennox
Otto: Seth Walker was my first love and I always swore he’d be my last. Even after he moved away our senior year in high school, we vowed to reunite after graduation. But when he suddenly broke things off without explanation and crushed my heart, it was my turn to run. After a decade in the navy, I’ve finally come home ready to move on with my life as Hobie’s newest firefighter... -
![Meet Me in the Blue by A.M. Johnson]()
Meet Me in the Blue by A.M. Johnson
Meet me… in the place where the sun kisses the horizon and sinks into blue shades of you and me.Meet me there… where everything was always perfect. You and me and the damp grass at dawn and the gray dirt in the late evening rain.Meet me where we were ourselves and not these two people who can’t even say I love you... -
![All the Battles We Surrender by Garry Michael]()
All the Battles We Surrender by Garry Michael
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsTime. That was what Sawyer Montgomery thought he had until he realized that it was running out. Now, all he wanted to do was right a wrong from three years ago. He made a vow to spend what little time he had left with Hawkins, the only man he ever loved. He would try everything to penetrate Hawkins’ armor before it was too late. Time... -
![Noble by Annabella Stone]()
Noble by Annabella Stone
Rated: 4.34 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsRed Squadron is the tip of the spear in the war against global terrorism. Navy SEAL Commander, Noble Bauer, leads the JASOC Taskforce and knows his team won’t be complete until he finds a Communications Specialist. He knows just the man for the job. The only problem is can he get him to listen... -
![Navigating Noah by Jaclyn Quinn]()
Navigating Noah by Jaclyn Quinn
Noah HathawayThe saying 'livin' the dream' is usually said with sarcasm, but I truly am living my dream in Coral Pointe Inlet with my four best friends. Still, as I watch three of them fall in love, my heart aches a little with longing. It doesn't help when Hunter, a man I spent an incredible weekend with, comes back to Coral Pointe--not alone, I might add... -
![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 queer m-m contemporary angst friends to lovers single-father hurt-comfort -
![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... -
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![Amid Our Lines by Zarah Detand]()
Amid Our Lines by Zarah Detand
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsRealising your new boss is the adult star you fancied as a teenager? Awkward.In the snow-kissed Swiss Alps, Adrian’s world is a high-wire act of old-world charm and new-world problems at the Gletscherhaus Hotel. Enter Eric, an undercover London songwriter, seeking a mental break in a place where the Wi-Fi is as patchy as his past relationships... -
![Detonate by Reese Knightley]()
Detonate by Reese Knightley
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe love of a lifetime hasn't always been easy…Stefano – Phoenix Commander He’d waited around long enough. They’d known each other for over thirty years, been together for a good portion of those years, and had lived in the same house for the past two. And still, Giovanni Rossi wouldn’t tell people they were a couple...Categorized as:
second chances queer m-m military lgbtqia hate suspense friends to lovers contemporary -
![Fall for You by Felice Stevens]()
Fall for You by Felice Stevens
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsCarson Ballard isn’t only lactose intolerant—he’s intolerable. No wonder his assistant quit on him without notice.Okay, okay, he has a right to be angry at me for dumping an armful of sticky breakfast plates on his head. It was an accident, I swear.But now I’m out of a job—not that I’m any good at waiting tables—and Carson’s mother is offering to hire me.There’s no way I can work for him... -
![Stronghold by Ana Ashley]()
Stronghold by Ana Ashley
A second chance at love? Or a second chance to ruin everything? When Skyler spots the new bartender at Vino and Veritas, his body responds before the guy even turns around. But when he does, it takes only a heartbeat for recognition to set in and for sparks to fly. Judson’s been gone for ten years, but he’s the man Skyler never forgot. Or forgave...Categorized as:
second chances queer m-m friends to lovers contemporary from hate to love fatphobia length-short -
![Safe and Sound by E.M. Lindsey, Wander Aguiar]()
Safe and Sound by E.M. Lindsey, Wander Aguiar
Twenty years after losing his hearing and being convicted of a crime he didn't commit, Regan Moulin is certain of exactly two things: One, that life will always be full of pain, and two, he will always be in love with his childhood best friend, Isaac McKinnon.It doesn't matter that circumstance tore them apart, or that he hasn't spoken to Isaac since they were nineteen. He still loves him... -
![Love Means... Endurance by Andrew Grey]()
Love Means... Endurance by Andrew Grey
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsA Love Means... Story Together for over ten years, Geoff and Eli built a fulfilling life. Their love and support helped raise their adopted son. Their hard work and dedication grew their farm from raising cattle and boarding horses to expanding into therapy riding sessions. Surrounded by a loving circle of friends, Geoff and Eli couldn’t ask for more... -
![His Protector: a First Love, M/M Romance by Sue Brown]()
His Protector: a First Love, M/M Romance by Sue Brown
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWhat kind of courage does it take to travel two thousand miles just to say hello to a man who doesn’t know you exist? At thirty years old and never been kissed, Walker is about to find out. After a rocky start to his life in the agency, newly trained operative Walker takes the biggest chance of his life before his first mission. He returns to J.T... -
![Everyday History by Alice Archer]()
Everyday History by Alice Archer
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsHeadstrong Ruben Harper has yet to meet an obstacle he can’t convert into a speed bump. He’s used to getting what he wants from girls, but when he develops a fascination for a man, his wooing skills require an upgrade. After months of persuasion, he scores a dinner date with Henry Normand that morphs into an intense weekend. The unexpected depth of their connection scares Ruben into fleeing... -
![New Tricks by Davidson King]()
New Tricks by Davidson King
After thirteen years together, Malcolm and Embry are all too familiar with their differences. Malcolm is free-spirited and spontaneous while Embry prefers having everything planned out...Categorized as:
small town queer m-m contemporary mature couple lgbtqia hate explicit-open-door length-novella -
![Hit the Brakes by Beth Bolden]()
Hit the Brakes by Beth Bolden
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsCan they fake it til Tate makes it?Tate Ward is in a bind. His food truck hasn’t been the runaway success he’d always dreamt it would be. When he tries to join a new food truck collective to gain a larger following, his sales aren’t even high enough to win a spot. What he needs is a high profile endorsement—and he knows just the guy.Tate hasn’t seen Chase Riley since high school... -
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![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... -
![Fire and Glass by Andrew Grey]()
Fire and Glass by Andrew Grey
State Trooper Casey Bombaro works too hard to have time for a love life, never mind a family. But when a missing persons case leads him to three scared kids and eventually their uncle—an old friend from Casey’s college days—all that changes.Bertie Riley hasn’t seen his troubled sister, Jen, or his niece and nephews in years. Now suddenly Jen is gone and Bertie is all the kids have...Categorized as:
queer second chances contemporary m-m dual-pov friends to lovers hurt-comfort mystery -
![Web of Lies by Isla Olsen]()
Web of Lies by Isla Olsen
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsJesseMy little brother is getting married and I couldn’t be happier… Well, maybe I could if I hadn’t just been dumped by the boyfriend I thought was about to propose, kicked out of my New York apartment, and, worst of all, lost one of the pediatric patients under my care at the hospital where I work as a nurse...Categorized as:
second chances queer humor m-m from hate to love contemporary friends to lovers queer-awakening -
![When Forever Ended by Cara Dee]()
When Forever Ended by Cara Dee
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...Categorized as:
second chances queer m-m friends to lovers cheating contemporary dual-pov secret-relationship -
![Savage Grace by Spencer Spears]()
Savage Grace by Spencer Spears
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsMy ex in my bed is a bad idea. But consequences are for when the sun comes up…Connor: If there’s such a thing as a soul, Julian Jackson owns mine.But that doesn’t mean I want to see him.I left Summersea Island 10 years ago, nursing wounds from a past I’d rather forget.Julian was my first love and my first heart-break...Categorized as:
second chances queer m-m from hate to love contemporary hurt-comfort lgbtqia hate angst -
![Hanging the Stars by Rhys Ford]()
Hanging the Stars by Rhys Ford
Rated: 4.16 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsHalf Moon Bay: Book Two Angel Daniels grew up hard, one step ahead of the law and always looking over his shoulder. A grifter's son, he’d learned every con and trick in the book but ached for a normal life. Once out on his own, Angel returns to Half Moon Bay where he once found… and then lost… love. Now, Angel's life is a frantic mess of schedules and chaos... -
![Turnabout by Laurel Greer]()
Turnabout by Laurel Greer
“Auden and Carter are the swoony heroes I didn’t know I needed in my life! Turnabout is spectacular, and everyone should read it.” USA Today bestselling author Sarina BowenI don’t have time for an unplanned visit home to help out in my father’s struggling letterpress shop...Categorized as:
second chances queer m-m contemporary height-difference length-medium explicit-open-door cold hero -
![Naughty & Nice by DJ Jamison]()
Naughty & Nice by DJ Jamison
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsWhy can't I forget your kiss...Dear Quinn,Why must I have these feelings for you? You're my ex-stepbrother, and nothing will change that truth, no matter how many letters I write. I never expected to see you again--or to rescue you from the side of the road in a blizzard. I didn't think you would ever like me, much less kiss me in a steaming hot tub on a snowy night... -
![New Adult by Timothy Janovsky]()
New Adult by Timothy Janovsky
Nolan Baker longs to be "thirty, flirty and thriving" in this charmingly quirky LGBTQIA+ romance that's one part 13 Going on 30 and one part One Last Stop.WHY CAN'T WE SKIP TO THE GOOD PART?Twenty-three-year-old Nolan Baker wants it all by the time he's thirty. Too bad he's single, barely able to cover his own expenses, and still paying his dues at a prominent NYC comedy club... -
![Unwanted by Marley Valentine]()
Unwanted by Marley Valentine
Two halves of a whole, Arlo Bishop and I were both unwanted kids brought together by the foster system. Dealing with the aftermath of neglect and abandonment, we grew up side by side and found solace in one another.We wanted.We needed.We loved.Desperately.But somewhere along the way, Arlo wanted and needed and loved drugs more. So, I did the only thing I could and broke my own heart to save his...Categorized as:
second chances queer m-m contemporary friends to lovers substance abuse angst forced proximity -
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![Forgotten Romance by Saxon James]()
Forgotten Romance by Saxon James
Davey: In a list of what’s most important to me, three things are right up there at the top. My kids, my husband Mack, and my career I’ve spent my life building. Unfortunately that career has me away from home more than I'd like, and when I refuse to walk away from it, my husband walks away from me instead...Categorized as:
queer second chances small town contemporary m-m mature couple friends to lovers found-family -
![His Warrior: a Second Chance M/M Protector Romance by Sue Brown]()
His Warrior: a Second Chance M/M Protector Romance by Sue Brown
Rated: 4.18 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsWill an alpha guy like Si willingly give his heart to Howie for a second chance at love? Si Raines thought his plans were set for the future. He’d marry his fiancé, the bar-owner Howie Gray, continue with his covert ops career, and when he was ready to retire from that, find a new job and settle down to life together... -
![Reunion by Lynn Van Dorn]()
Reunion by Lynn Van Dorn
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsA man betrayed The day Brett Payne turned eighteen, he attended a party that left him disillusioned, his trust shattered, and feeling betrayed by Tony Russo, his first love. Nearly fifteen years later, Brett returns to his hometown of Oleander, Florida to help his mother, who’s in the hospital... -
![Backslide by Nicole Dykes]()
Backslide by Nicole Dykes
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWhen you’re young, everything seems brighter, more hopeful, and like anything is possible.Which is great. But it can also lead to so many mistakes.Mistakes you promise yourself you’ll never make again.You promise yourself you'll be smarter, guard your heart, and make better decisions. And you won’t ever let anyone crush you again...Categorized as:
queer second chances contemporary m-m from hate to love found-family length-short lgbtqia hate -
![Once Broken, Twice Loved by Romeo Alexander]()
Once Broken, Twice Loved by Romeo Alexander
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWhen the man who left you broken-hearted reappears with a child in tow, do you slam the door or let the past come flooding back? He left me broken . He walked out of my life ten years ago with no explanation, and I fell apart.Ian, the only man I’ve ever loved just walked back into my life…with his sassy, eleven-year-old daughter, Ayla, who’s deaf. Yes, I can do the math...Categorized as:
second chances queer single-father m-m angst contemporary from hate to love hurt-comfort -
![Yarn & Yearnings by Duckie Mack]()
Yarn & Yearnings by Duckie Mack
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsCollin is big, burly, and rides a Harley. He's the last person anyone would expect to have a passion for yarn. He crochets and sells his wares at the Heartcraft Market.Harper is new to town. He wants to plant roots and find someone to share a life with. He has only dated women since that unforgettable night with a biker who took his v-card...Categorized as:
second chances queer m-m contemporary age difference height-difference found-family hurt-comfort -
![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... -
![Paint Our Song by Maia Kinley]()
Paint Our Song by Maia Kinley
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsMiles Curtis, a painter, owes his success to the popular band Cloverlily. Their music helped him get out of a slump many years ago, and he’s been a huge fan ever since. When he temporarily moves back home to help his family’s inn, he finds out that their guitarist, Calvin Lowe, is staying in one of their rooms...Categorized as:
queer small town m-m contemporary grumpy sunshine slow burn friends to lovers third-person-pov -
![It's Not You by Becca Seymour]()
It's Not You by Becca Seymour
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWhen a protective ex-cop helps his gorgeous tenant through his recovery, their complicated history is asking for trouble. Will the fear of the past repeating itself destroy any possibility of happiness?Daredevil drifter Lawrence Crawford is hunting for a place to call home. After ten years of looking, he believes he’s found what he’s been searching for... -
![The Hammerhead Heist by Max Walker]()
The Hammerhead Heist by Max Walker
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsRoman and Wyatt’s sunset job didn’t go as planned. Now, the Rainbow’s Seven is fractured and at their lowest point yet, defeat right around the corner. Each of them are going to have to dig deep if they want to come out on top and pull off the most important heist of their lives._________________Full blurb and cover reveal coming soon... -
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![Broken by Reese Knightley]()
Broken by Reese Knightley
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsHe craved him liked he'd never craved anyone before.-IceThey'd kissed. And spent a brief and wild time together.He fell.But Echo disappeared on him.And now the chase was on.He was going to find Echo, catch him, and make him his.Even if it killed him.-EchoHe should have never screwed the blue-eyed blond...But he had.He couldn’t say why, but Ice got on his last nerve...Categorized as:
second chances queer from hate to love military alpha male contemporary m-m length-short -
![Full Disclosure by Elle Keaton]()
Full Disclosure by Elle Keaton
Niall didn't want to know.He thought he didn't care what had happened to his mother after she disappeared all those years ago. But, the past has a way of rising from the, er, dead when least expected.Niall regrets answering that mid-morning phone call.In the past few years, Niall's learned to open up his heart an inch or two... -
![Starting From Here by Lane Hayes]()
Starting From Here by Lane Hayes
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsMaybe hate isn't the right word... Declan- Everything is finally going well. I have a new band, a new label, and a debut album coming out. And then my drummer breaks his wrists. Just my luck. I need a quick replacement to record one more song, but my options are limited, and of course, the obvious candidate hates my guts...Categorized as:
second chances queer m-m from hate to love friends to lovers contemporary rockstars bisexual -
![Listen by R.J. Scott]()
Listen by R.J. Scott
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsHe only wanted to make the best home for his new daughter; he never meant to fall in love with the man who might steal her away.Nick and his husband had always wanted a big family, but when cancer took Danny six years ago, Nick was left a single dad of three...Categorized as:
second chances queer contemporary m-m from hate to love age difference humor single-father -
![Still Your Guy by Devon McCormack]()
Still Your Guy by Devon McCormack
Rated: 4.09 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsChase Rogan and Mason Finley fell in love as kids and had their happily-ever-after at eighteen…or so they thought. CHASE Over a decade after his estrangement from his ex, Chase returns to Finley Dairy to celebrate Mason’s sister’s engagement... -
![Mourning Heaven by Amy Lane]()
Mourning Heaven by Amy Lane
Rated: 4.09 of 5 stars · 12 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 queer contemporary friends to lovers m-m angst hurt-comfort length-short
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