Books like '45 and Holding'

Readers who enjoyed 45 and Holding by Jacki James & Jill Wexler also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.

gay romance  sports  friends to lovers  mature couple  bisexual  queer  queer-awakening  daddy-kink

  • Sated in Ink by Carrie Ann Ryan

    Sated in Ink by Carrie Ann Ryan

    Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars
    · 14 ratings
    The 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...
  • Red Lined by Crea Reitan

    Red Lined by Crea Reitan

    Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars
    · 7 ratings
    Maybe you can order love online… Julian I’ve spent a short lifetime learning that what people say they want is rarely what they actually want. What I hope for is a relationship where both of us feel comfortable together. I think I finally find what I’m looking for in a mail order bride. Then he shows up...
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  • Golden Boy and the Two Bears by Nash Summers

    Golden Boy and the Two Bears by Nash Summers

    Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars
    · 10 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...
  • Aaron's Awakening by K.C. Wells, Meredith Russell

    Aaron's Awakening by K.C. Wells, Meredith Russell

    Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars
    · 8 ratings
    Aaron isn’t looking for love, but it finds him – and it has a few surprises in store…A laidback man who goes with the flowAaron 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...
  • Silent Knight by Beth Bolden

    Silent Knight by Beth Bolden

    Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars
    · 18 ratings
    Jeremiah—or Jem, as his friends like to call him—Knight is stuck at a crossroads. Injured and unsure if he’ll be spending another season on the football field, he returns home for the holidays, hoping to lick his wounds in private. Only to be roped into being the mascot and grand marshal of the annual Christmas Falls festival and parade...
  • Skating to Him by Christie Gordon

    Skating to Him by Christie Gordon

    Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars
    · 6 ratings
    I’m skating to the NHL while he’s running from his past. When we collide, am I brave enough to take the shot?TylerHockey is my life. My ticket to the NHL is in sight, and I can’t afford distractions.Then Coach pairs me with Rowan, the new guy from Boston.He’s talented, sharp, and annoyingly irresistible.When he asks to hit the gay bar with me and my friends, I chalk it up to curiosity...
  • Exploring Daddy by Mia Monroe

    Exploring Daddy by Mia Monroe

    Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars
    · 10 ratings
    I’ve never had a Daddy. Can he teach me how to be the perfect boy?I have three problems.No jobNo direction No clue what I’m doing next.Following my best friend to LA is the only thing that makes sense. I’ll start a new life, figure out a career, and learn how to be an adult. Meeting Matteo is intimidating but exciting. I know he wants a boy. I also know I’m far from what he’s looking for...
  • 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...
  • 24 Dares of Christmas by Lee Blair

    24 Dares of Christmas by Lee Blair

    Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars
    · Steam rating: 4 of 5
    Explicit open door [?] · 8 ratings
    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...
  • Definitely Deacon by Vawn Cassidy

    Definitely Deacon by Vawn Cassidy

    Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars
    · 7 ratings
    Jesse 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...
  • Charisma Check by Katherine McIntyre

    Charisma Check by Katherine McIntyre

    Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars
    · 6 ratings
    Never 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...
  • When Stars Align by Denver Shaw

    When Stars Align by Denver Shaw

    Rated: 4.60 of 5 stars
    · 5 ratings
    Scarred by the past. Terrified to love again. SavionOnce 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...
  • Third Time Lucky by R.G. Alexander

    Third Time Lucky by R.G. Alexander

    Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars
    · 10 ratings
    From 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...
  • 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...
  • Dare to be Different by Nordika Night

    Dare to be Different by Nordika Night

    Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars
    · Steam rating: 5 of 5
    Explicit and plentiful [?] · 9 ratings
    ZahnLove? It's not that I don't believe in it, it's just that I've never been interested in finding it. Who wants to settle down with one person when variety is the spice of life? My tastes aren't exactly singular, and I haven't met anyone who has captured my attention long enough to stick around for.Or... have I?RemyI thought I knew everything about Zahn. He's been my best friend forever...
  • Heat Transfer by Katherine McIntyre

    Heat Transfer by Katherine McIntyre

    Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars
    · Steam rating: 5 of 5
    Explicit and plentiful [?] · 14 ratings
    Cor’s crush on the straight boy in sword fighting class has been unrequited, but with one crossed sword, that’s all about to change…CorFrom the second I showed up for sword fighting class, Felix grabbed my attention. Yet not only was he straight, but he also had a girlfriend. However, the more we hang, the more I can’t help but hang on his every word, every look...
  • How To Save A Life by Andria Large, Jena Brignola

    How To Save A Life by Andria Large, Jena Brignola

    Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars
    · 11 ratings
    How 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...
  • Summer Secret by Raleigh Ruebins

    Summer Secret by Raleigh Ruebins

    Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars
    · 9 ratings
    We’re still just best friends. …Even though we’re sharing a bed. Owen: Is it weird to want to sleep with your best friend? Max has always been there for me. He’s rescued me when I partied too hard and saved me from bad situations more times than I can count. And it’s never mattered that he was gay and I was straight...
  • 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...
  • Better Together: A Roommates to Lovers MM Romance by Quinn Ward

    Better Together: A Roommates to Lovers MM Romance by Quinn Ward

    Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars
    · 8 ratings
    Zach’s spent three years trying to ignore how he felt about his roommate. Now, the new guy in the suite is going to make him face his fears…Hiding his sexuality has alienated Zach from most of his roommates. They don’t understand what it’s like trying to live up to his father’s image of what a good son should be. When a new suitemate moves in, denying the truth becomes impossible...
  • Playing the Player by Beth Bolden

    Playing the Player by Beth Bolden

    Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars
    · 8 ratings
    Center 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...
  • Beautiful Boy by Skyler Snow

    Beautiful Boy by Skyler Snow

    Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars
    · 7 ratings
    Beautiful. Sweet. Bratty. Aaron is a boy worth saving.Red had no idea what he was getting himself into when his boss, Diego, assigned him to watch the much younger Aaron. Keep him safe, keep him out of trouble. Those were his orders. It was supposed to be easy, but Aaron is as wild as he is beautiful. And Red finds himself protecting Aaron for more reasons than a paycheck...
  • 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...
  • It's a Setup by Youcouldmakealife

    It's a Setup by Youcouldmakealife

    Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars
    · 6 ratings
    “Don’t remember there being a rule that only women could bid,” Scratch says. “Maybe you’ll meet a nice boy.” “Oh, fuck off, Scratch,” Joey says when he waggles his eyebrows...
  • Betting Brett by Joy Danvers

    Betting Brett by Joy Danvers

    Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars
    · 6 ratings
    Brett 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...
  • Quarterback Drill by Christie Gordon

    Quarterback Drill by Christie Gordon

    Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars
    · 6 ratings
    Breaking down in front of a repair shop wasn’t what I needed. Neither was falling for the broody mechanic under the hood.CaseyFootball is my future—my escape, my identity.But when my Beamer craps out in a sketchy part of town, I meet Ryker Hart, the grumpy mechanic who calls me a pretty boy and still makes my stomach flip...
  • Room For Love by Quinn Ward

    Room For Love by Quinn Ward

    Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars
    · 7 ratings
    A single dad, a small town, and one very persistent carpenter.LUKENoah needs my help. His house is a disaster—leaky pipes, warped floors, and enough structural issues to make any contractor cringe. Lucky for him, I love a good project.The problem? Noah himself.He’s all sharp edges and stubborn pride, with a permanent scowl that shouldn’t be attractive—but somehow is...
  • Break Down by Rebecca Norinne

    Break Down by Rebecca Norinne

    Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars
    · 5 ratings
    His heart says no, but his body says yes Liam Donnelly's honed, athletic body craves something he can't have. Not when the last time ended in disaster. Now, the Dublin Rugby player is seeking redemption with a new team in Edinburgh. His fresh start is going strong, but one look at Chef Lachlan MacLeod's inked forearms and whiskey-colored eyes and he's tempted by far more than what's on the menu...
  • Beautifully Wrecked by Charity Parkerson

    Beautifully Wrecked by Charity Parkerson

    Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars
    · 5 ratings
    Johnny sees himself as straight. Wrecker disagrees. Their friendship is about to get an upgrade.When Johnny moved to L.A. to start a singing career, he never expected to end up working instead as security for one of the world’s most renowned musicians. It’s not so bad. After all, his job led to him meeting his best friend, Wrecker. That’s one relationship he wouldn’t trade for the world...
  • 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...
  • Broken Ice, Mended Hearts by Ryan Taylor, Joshua Harwood

    Broken Ice, Mended Hearts by Ryan Taylor, Joshua Harwood

    Rated: 4.18 of 5 stars
    · 10 ratings
    PIERRE (“GAGS”)My life is complicated.Hell, I’m complicated.I don’t know a life beyond how I’m perceived. After a devastating divorce, it looked like I never would.Can a hockey fight change your life?I may not understand my attraction to Sven Holmer, but I can tell you my obsession with kissing him started in the middle of a fight...
  • Tangled Up In You by Jaclyn Osborn

    Tangled Up In You by Jaclyn Osborn

    Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars
    · 11 ratings
    Becoming best friends at an early age, Corbin and Hunter were inseparable. Where one went, the other followed. As years passed, their friendship blossomed into something more and both boys fell madly in love. Corbin loved Hunter’s quirkiness and obsession with Shakespeare, and Hunter loved Corbin’s goofy personality and kind heart...
  • 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 ratings
    No 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...
  • Mud & Lace by Jay Northcote

    Mud & Lace by Jay Northcote

    Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars
    · 10 ratings
    When Wicksy falls for drag queen Charlie, they discover that both sexuality and gender can be fluid. Simon Wicks—Wicksy to his rugby teammates—has only ever been interested in women. But when he sets eyes on Lady Gogo, a drag queen who performs at Rainbow Place, he can’t stop thinking about her...
  • 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...
  • If I Could by B. Celeste

    If I Could by B. Celeste

    Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars
    · 9 ratings
    I never considered myself a selfish man until I met Lawrence “Ren” McKinley.When pro baseball’s “would have been” becomes Exeter High’s newest coach, it takes one look of those flirty brown eyes and cocky smile before everything changes.I thought I knew exactly what I wanted out of life until he walked into it...
  • Dressed in Desire by Quinn Ward

    Dressed in Desire by Quinn Ward

    Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars
    · Steam rating: 4 of 5
    Explicit open door [?] · 9 ratings
    He left home to find acceptance. When he falls for a supposedly straight bouncer, can he awaken the man who's everything he needs?Living in the shadows has always been easier for Maverick. One trip to Annandale was all it took for him to see what life could be like if he let both sides of his personality shine...
  • Delayed Game by Baylin Crow

    Delayed Game by Baylin Crow

    Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars
    · 9 ratings
    Memphis: Tristan thinks I don't notice him. He couldn't be more wrong. What he doesn't realize is that we've met before.The second I spotted him on campus I made the decision to avoid him. Though I told myself it was the right thing to do because of our history, it was more difficult than I'd anticipated...
  • Hot Doggin' by Raquel Riley

    Hot Doggin' by Raquel Riley

    Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars
    · 8 ratings
    Hot Doggin' is the first book in the Bitches With Stitches Series. This is a connected work of the Scars and Stripes series. Hot Doggin' is a friends-to-lovers double bi-awakening story about Stiles and McCormick, two lovable and clueless veterans who belong to a trauma support group of badass men who knit...
  • Tell Me Lies by Hinsel Meyer

    Tell Me Lies by Hinsel Meyer

    Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars
    · 7 ratings
    DrewA wedding planner moves to Las Vegas to start a new business…Does that sound like the start of a bad joke? Well it’s my life...
  • 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...
  • Strawberries and Thunderstorms by L. Luther

    Strawberries and Thunderstorms by L. Luther

    Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars
    · 6 ratings
    ChadHonestly, I never would have come back to this shithole if Pop hadn’t made it clear I wouldn’t get a dime otherwise. And it really isn’t about the money for me. No, I know it’s all about that little girl he adopted and her need for a proper home...
  • Tutoring Mr. Hotshot by A.W. Scott

    Tutoring Mr. Hotshot by A.W. Scott

    Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars
    · 6 ratings
    If there is one thing he can’t stand, it’s hockey players. Rodney is working on yet another degree at Bellport U, and attempting to mind his own business when he runs into a fantasy come to life. Except, this guy also happens to be the foreign exchange student here on a scholarship. A hockey scholarship. After being bullied for years by athletes, he wants nothing to do with the guy...
  • Keeper by Mackenzie Gray, M.A. Gray

    Keeper by Mackenzie Gray, M.A. Gray

    Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars
    · 5 ratings
    It's been four years since I've seen Logan McGregor. The one guy I could never get over. Former teammate and (unfortunately) very straight best friend. This summer was supposed to be unforgettable. Six weeks in Paris. A prestigious soccer institute. But when I find out he'll be in Paris too, it doesn't take long for those unrequited feelings to come rushing back...
  • Kai's Healing Smiles by Vivi Anne Hunt

    Kai's Healing Smiles by Vivi Anne Hunt

    Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars
    · 5 ratings
    Silas 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

    Don't Fall In Love With Me by Aiden Wilde

    Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars
    · 5 ratings
    EDDIE 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...
  • Poolside by Taylor E. Weston

    Poolside by Taylor E. Weston

    Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars
    · Steam rating: 4 of 5
    Explicit open door [?] · 5 ratings
    Divorce left Tommy Littleton shaken. He thought he’d checked all the boxes in his marriage, but none of it mattered when “love” was left out. With nothing else to show for his life, Tommy will stop at nothing to get a promotion–even if it means participating in an open-water swim to impress his boss. Unfortunately, he looks like a drowning raccoon in the water...
  • Boys of Summer by A.E. Wasp

    Boys of Summer by A.E. Wasp

    Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars
    · 10 ratings
    Teammates, roommates, friends with benefits. What could go wrong? Boys of Summer is a book about finding the perfect person to ride shotgun with on the crazy road trip called life. It contains a Dolly Parton lookalike, an unfortunate deer versus car incident, and poorly-timed epiphanies. Everybody leaves. That was the first lesson Thunder goalie James McVicker ever learned...
  • How to Catch a Bodyguard by Ana Ashley

    How to Catch a Bodyguard by Ana Ashley

    Rated: 4.04 of 5 stars
    · 11 ratings
    When your life is in danger, the last thing you should do is fall in love...especially with your bodyguard.Connor hasn’t just had a bad day or bad week. More like a bad year. Things have been going downhill since he dumped his girlfriend and to top it all of his house has been ransacked.Ever since James returned to Chester Falls a year ago, his past has come to haunt him...
45 and Holding by Jacki James, Jill Wexler
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