Books like 'The Friendship Equation'
Readers who enjoyed The Friendship Equation by J.R. Gray also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary gay romance funny friends to lovers queer-awakening virgin hero new adult secret-relationship queer sports
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Him by Sarina Bowen, Elle Kennedy
They don’t play for the same team. Or do they? Jamie Canning has never been able to figure out how he lost his closest friend. Four years ago, his tattooed, wise-cracking, rule-breaking roommate cut him off without an explanation. So what if things got a little weird on the last night of hockey camp the summer they were eighteen? It was just a little drunken foolishness. Nobody died...Categorized as:
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Us by Sarina Bowen, Elle Kennedy
Can your favorite hockey players finish their first season together undefeated? Five months in, NHL forward Ryan Wesley is having a record-breaking rookie season. He’s living his dream of playing pro hockey and coming home every night to the man he loves—Jamie Canning, his longtime best friend turned boyfriend...Categorized as:
athletes sports friends to lovers secret-relationship new adult bisexual queer anal sex -
Face Offs & Cheap Shots by Eden Finley, Saxon James
JACOBS For the last three years, I’ve lived and breathed hockey with one goal: team captain.There’s only one thing standing in my way. TJ Beckett.Beck is irresponsible and immature, and I’ve hated him since the moment we met freshman year.Yet, the coaches see something in him I obviously can’t, and they refuse to choose between us...Categorized as:
new adult athletes sports bisexual secret-relationship queer queer-awakening anal sex -
The End Zone by Riley Hart
JeremySeeing my best friend West, happy with his fiancé opened my eyes to things I’ve been missing in my own marriage. My divorce, which was amicable, followed. Strangely, at West’s wedding, I find myself confiding in Darren, the straight, confirmed bachelor and star quarterback of the Atlanta Lightning...Categorized as:
sports athletes friends to lovers bisexual secret-relationship queer queer-awakening anal sex -
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Presidential Chaos by Saxon James
Two houses. Two Presidents. One hell of a happy ending. Zeke Being President of a frat house means everything is on my shoulders.Idiot brothers, epic pranks, a list of organizational duties long enough to make my eyes bleed.None of it fazes me.But senior year is almost over, and I’m ready to take a step back.Until the hazing rumors start...Categorized as:
sports new adult friends to lovers athletes secret-relationship queer anal sex sweet-hero -
Bromantic Puckboy by Eden Finley, Saxon James
BilsonThe idea of moving away from Seattle was a joke at first.I have too many failed relationships here. Too much baggage.So when I find myself signing with Nashville and leaving everything behind, I’m hopeful a new start will cure me of my attachment problems.I fall fast and hard, and I’m quickly realizing it’s not so easy to escape my emotional damage. That follows no matter where I go...Categorized as:
sports queer-awakening friends to lovers athletes queer bisexual secret-relationship anal sex -
Thick as Thieves by Lucy Lennox
Julian:I've been in love with my best friend since forever. Okay, fine. Like, kindgergarten. It started out platonic, obviously, but then became... nope. Still platonic. The problem is that Parker Ellis has been straight since forever. And that makes it difficult to convince him the two of us are meant to be together.And now there's no point. All is lost... -
Goal Lines & First Times by Eden Finley, Saxon James
COHENIt turns out making out with my best friend in high school could be considered gay. Who knew? Apparently, everyone but me.Now that it’s been pointed out, I can’t help reliving it in my head. Repeatedly. Goodbye Denial Town, hello Confusionville.When my path leads me down the gay dating app route, I don’t expect to meet anyone I like, but then I meet him.He can’t be more opposite than me...Categorized as:
sports bisexual friends to lovers athletes secret-relationship anal sex first-person-pov new adult -
Let's Do This by Loren Leigh
ShawEver since we met two years ago, Eden Burkehammer has made everything better.The big defenseman sets me at ease. He’s a beast on the ice—brutal and physical—but when it’s the two of us, he turns to me with these unexpectedly soft brown eyes. This gravelly laugh that makes my whole body smile...Categorized as:
friends to lovers sports new adult athletes queer sweet-hero queer-awakening first-person-pov -
Hear Me Out by Lila Rose
Fear keeps the truth away from his brothers. Fear and pain keeps him away from the man he loves. Hawks MC member Maddox “Beast” Lawson had a difficult time growing up. Tired of being ridiculed because of his effed-up brain-to-mouth connection, it was easier to say nothing at all... -
The Amazing Alpha Tau Self-Improvement Project by Lisa Henry, Sarah Honey
Dalton Beauregard has a plan, and it involves acing all his exams, making the Dean's List every year he's at Lassiter College, and going to med school and becoming a doctor.Marty O'Brien has a plan too. His is to improve his life by emulating those around him. He's going to need a study plan, a tutor, and... a boyfriend?Dalton can't believe he's even considering this. It's utterly ridiculous... -
King of Thieves by Saxon James
We’re basically Romeo and Juliet. But dudes. And without all the dying. ChadBeing VP of Sigma Beta Psi is wild. I get all the benefits of being in charge with hardly any of the responsibility. Parties, pranks, and frat politics—college life has never been sweeter. Until I meet Bailey Prince.He has the face of a goddamn angel. I don’t know where he came from or why I’m so obsessed...Categorized as:
new adult bisexual sports secret-relationship first-person-pov queer athletes class difference -
Project Hero by Briar Prescott
What if you accidentally fell in love with the right guy?Andy:If my life was a movie, I would be the sidekick. Not an especially promising start when my plan is to finally let my best friend know I have a crush on him. No worries, though. I have a plan. I just need a complete makeover...Categorized as:
new adult athletes friends to lovers sports first-person-pov queer anal sex sweet-hero -
Deke by Eden Finley
Ollie Word of advice: don’t come out to random guys in public restrooms. Even if they’re charming and adorably nerdy and offer to help. My family believe I can’t be happy if I’m not out to the world. I have a bitter ex-boyfriend and an unstable NHL career to show for it. A fake boyfriend seems like an easy and quick solution to get my family off my back, and this guy is volunteering...Categorized as:
sports friends to lovers athletes new adult secret-relationship queer first-person-pov anal sex -
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Seth by Carly Marie
Be yourself because everyone else is taken. But what if that risks everything you know? Seth Johnson has worked his entire career to be remembered more for his skill than as an openly gay NHL player. Finding a boyfriend has been pushed to the back burner. As for exposing his softer side, the side that loves lace and lingerie? It’s not happening... -
Right as Raine by Lucy Lennox
Tiller:As the first openly gay professional football player, I can’t afford to make any mistakes, on or off the field. And the absolute biggest mistake I could make right now would be to fall for Mikey Vining, my best friend, employee and, more importantly, Coach’s baby boy. I might fantasize about Mikey at night-—every night—but actually touching him would be a serious personal foul...Categorized as:
friends to lovers sports athletes class difference secret-relationship queer contemporary humor -
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... -
The Weight of It All by N.R. Walker
After being dumped by his long-term boyfriend for being overweight, Henry Beckett decides to make some drastic changes. In a vain attempt at getting his boyfriend back, Henry does the most absurdly frightening thing he can think of. He joins a gym. Reed Henske is a personal trainer who isn’t sure he’ll ever be ready to date again...Categorized as:
friends to lovers athletes sweet-hero queer anal sex first-person-pov new adult class difference -
Try by Ella Frank
Try – verb: to make an attempt or effort to do something or in this case…someone. Sex. Logan Mitchell loves it, and ever since he realized his raw sexual appeal at a young age, he has had no problem using it to his advantage. Men and women alike fall into his bed—after all, Logan is not one to discriminate... -
Pretty Toxic by J.R. Gray
Saint VincentI might be the best-selling solo artist in the world, but my personal life is a disaster. For every number one album, there's a sea of my worsts, all documented in photos.Bad break-ups. Destroyed hotel rooms. Fights. Drugs. And just as many rumors.Every headline reaffirms the walls I’ve built around myself. Fame destroys everything it touches and I can’t let anyone close...Categorized as:
friends to lovers new adult bisexual queer queer-awakening secret-relationship anal sex sweet-hero -
Football Royalty by Eden Finley
If you never fooled around with someone of the same gender, did you even go to high school?PEYTONMy whole life I’ve had the pressure of being Marcus Talon and Shane Miller’s football prodigy. I’ve been destined to follow in my NFL-playing fathers’ footsteps since the day I was born. I usually thrive under pressure, but as senior year looms, it all gets too much, and I need an outlet...Categorized as:
sports new adult athletes friends to lovers bisexual queer queer-awakening first-person-pov -
Headstrong by Eden Finley
A straight guy gives gay hookup tips to a virgin. What could go wrong? When I first met Whit, I couldn’t get away from him fast enough. He’s a hockey player, and I hate everything to do with the sport that once broke my heart.But I can’t help feeling sorry for the guy. He’s newly out and desperate to meet someone, but his eagerness seems to scare potential hook-ups away...Categorized as:
sports friends to lovers new adult athletes bisexual anal sex virgin hero first-person-pov -
Flash by K.M. Neuhold
Lewis tattoos himself on my brain instantly. Too bad this whole situation is about to get messier than spilled ink. LewisClingy, needy, Too MuchJust a few choice words from men who never deserved me anyway.I'm not going to make the same mistakes again though. I plan to ride the motorcycle hottie of my dreams just until we both get bored...Categorized as:
queer new adult anal sex possessive hero first-person-pov m-m contemporary from hate to love -
Never Have I Evan by DJ Jamison
Never Have I Ev... Wait, what was the question again?!What happens when an ill-advised party game makes it obvious I've still got my V-card?Embarrassment. A lot of embarrassment.Especially when the sexy, older guy at the party who witnessed the whole thing turns out to be someone I have to see every week. Not to mention my best friend's cousin.He's not only straight, but way out of my league...Categorized as:
sports new adult friends to lovers athletes queer-awakening queer virgin hero secret-relationship -
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Irresponsible Puckboy by Eden Finley, Saxon James
Tripp The worst part of being in love with my straight best friend is the fact he’s too oblivious to see it.Years of pining have left me exhausted, and I need a break from Dex. I need space to get over my feelings. But when his relationship falls apart and he turns to me for comfort, I cave immediately.If there’s one thing I hate more than being hurt, it’s seeing Dex struggle...Categorized as:
sports athletes friends to lovers anal sex sweet-hero queer-awakening bisexual queer -
Musical Mayhem by Alley Ciz
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsHelp Wanted: Producer for the latest album from multi-platinum selling band Birds of Prey.Enter Sammy Rhodes.Famed DJ The Spin Doctor.Musical genius.Fits with the band like he's our sixth member.We hired him on the spot.So what's the problem?He's also all broad shoulders and dazzling smile, and has this flop of hair I constantly yearn to brush away from his handsome face... -
Aaron's Awakening by K.C. Wells, Meredith Russell
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 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 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...Categorized as:
friends to lovers bisexual queer queer-awakening m-m humor contemporary length-medium -
Walk With Me by Cardeno C.
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsA Book in the Home Series When Eli Block steps into his parents' living room and sees his childhood crush sitting on the couch, he starts a shameless campaign to seduce the young rabbi. Unfortunately, Seth Cohen barely remembers Eli and he resolutely shuts down all his advances...Categorized as:
friends to lovers queer queer-awakening contemporary m-m humor age difference length-short -
The Jock Script by Lane Hayes
The nerd, the coach, and the hookup…Asher-Swipe left, swipe left, swipe left. Sure, the idea of a quick, no-strings intimate rendezvous via hookup app sounds oddly thrilling, but it’s simply not me. Or maybe it is me, because it happened…and I liked it. Until I realized he looked familiar for a reason. A bad reason...Categorized as:
sports athletes bisexual friends to lovers secret-relationship queer queer-awakening humor -
Want Me by Neve Wilder
Two roommates. One calculus exam. A whole lot of extracurricular activity. Nate: Living with four other guys, it's bound to happen. Every guy's been caught taking care of business at least once, right? It shouldn't be a big deal. But I don't know Eric as well as my other roommates, and things are a little awkward now. He's a loner. A mystery. Quietly confident. Smart. Sexy as hell... -
Rules, Schmules! by Becca Seymour
The first Zone Defense series spin-off with a rule-following basketball player and an unimpressed twink who thinks rules are made to be obliterated.It’s not my milkshake that brings Kieran Kendall to my yard. Okay, maybe it’s a little bit my milkshake. But I also like to think it’s my dazzling personality and my magical… uhm… you get the idea...Categorized as:
sports new adult athletes virgin hero first-person-pov queer anal sex friends to lovers -
By the Numbers by K.M. Neuhold
Two hot roommates, minus clothes, plus a drawer full of debauchery, and a WHOLE lot of tension. You don’t have to be a math genius to figure out the sum of that equation... -
The Best Men by Sarina Bowen, Lauren Blakely
Bestselling authors Sarina Bowen and Lauren Blakely team up for the first time in an enemies-to-lovers, opposites-attract, irresistibly sexy standalone romance between the best man and the other best man! In my defense, I was left alone with a bottle of single-malt and a life-long penchant for protecting my baby sister...Categorized as:
bisexual sports new adult secret-relationship first-person-pov virgin hero queer contemporary -
Dipped in Sunshine by Fearne Hill
“You think you can do the jiggy with my baby brother, without wooing him for approximately three years first? Hah! I hope you weren’t too attached to your toenails.”Fifty is a simple man. He doesn’t know much, but he knows this: to stay well clear of Otto Eggebraaten. The nineteen-year-old is cute, blond, and trouble. His overprotective big brother, Eggy, hounds Otto’s every move...Categorized as:
sweet-hero friends to lovers secret-relationship queer contemporary humor m-m age difference -
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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... -
Waking Up Filthy by R. Cayden
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWhy in the hell is there a naked, tattooed man in my bed?I’m a closeted tennis pro, and I’m certainly not accustomed to waking up with strange men.Never mind that Gabriel is a notoriously flirty rock star and, according to the marriage certificate we find in our Vegas hotel room, my new husband.Last night is a drunken blur, but there’s no doubt in my mind what needs to happen this morning... -
Buckeye: An MM Romance by Casey Morales
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsFrom international bestselling author, Casey Morales . . . A traded player, a children's home, and a love to defy all odds. Climbing the ladder of professional baseball is hard. As one of the only openly gay players in the league, Nick Dunlap's path is rockier than most. When Nick is traded mid-season, despite a team-leading batting average, everyone knows his "open secret" is to blame... -
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... -
Coaching the Nerd by Eli Easton, Tara Lain
Super-bod meets super-brainWhat happens when marshmallow-bodied supernerd Sean volunteers to be on the jocks’ flag-football team? It screws Bubba’s fraternity’s chances at the coveted flag football title, that’s what.Bubba is drafted to be Sean’s personal trainer. He has to whip Sean into shape and make sure he doesn’t F up their team...Categorized as:
new adult sports friends to lovers athletes bisexual queer queer-awakening secret-relationship -
Change My Ticket by Zarah Detand
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsHollywood heartthrob meets med school dropout in this contemporary British MM romance.When your key credential is looking good in spandex, your first serious role matters. Too bad that Gabe Duke can’t seem to get a proper handle on the molecular biologist he’s meant to portray... -
The Happy List by Briar Prescott
GrayThere are some things I excel at:- Exercising rigid control over every aspect of my life- Making sensible decisions at every turn- Being organized, predictable and responsible to an abnormal degreeIn short, I’m boring as hell and in desperate need of a change.Luckily I have my best friend by my side and a newly written to-do list to guide my way through the murky waters of finding happiness...Categorized as:
friends to lovers queer queer-awakening first-person-pov m-m contemporary humor demi-sexual-hero -
Beautifully Devoted by Michele Lenard
Forgetting to knock changed everything.CamWhen I was ten, I made a promise. One that I’m still honoring a decade later, even though it means hiding a part of myself from the most important person in my life.My best friend, Jagger. And truthfully, burying that part of me is a small price to pay if it means nothing comes between us...Categorized as:
queer-awakening friends to lovers queer new adult anal sex first-person-pov bisexual athletes -
Playing at Home by Jax Calder
Falling for your kids' nanny? Never a good idea.Jacob Browne comes from rugby royalty but try as he might, he’s never been the same heroic idol his father was on the rugby field. And now he’s failed off the field with the breakdown of his relationship to New Zealand’s favorite ‘It Girl’ Matilda Neilson...Categorized as:
sports friends to lovers athletes secret-relationship queer queer-awakening new adult anal sex -
Rookie Move by Neve Wilder, Riley Hart
Falling for a teammate who also happens to be your brother's best friend? Total rookie move.McRAE: I’ve had a crush on my brother’s best friend since the moment I laid eyes on him four years ago.Warner Ramsey is 225 pounds of pure hotness, a media darling, and one of the best NFL quarterbacks in the league.Hell, he’s the reason I figured out I’m solidly bi...Categorized as:
sports bisexual friends to lovers athletes new adult secret-relationship queer queer-awakening -
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The BAHs by Saxon James
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsA short featuring Kole and Asher from Line Mates & Study Dates book four of the CU Hockey by Saxon James & Eden... -
Side Character by Emma Alcott
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsSawyer Jonathan Aston has an extremely suckable… ahem. We’re talking eight inches of girthy perfection. Two-thirds of a foot of succulent man-meat. A true cornucopia of carnal delights. And tonight, that ahem is going to make my mouth feel like a Tokyo subway car at rush hour. We’re talking crowded. Crammed. Absolutely stuffed... -
My Straight Husband by Spencer Spears
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 13 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 queer-awakening m-m contemporary age difference humor length-medium -
Gay on a Train by K.C. Wells, Meredith Russell
I’m straight. So when a gay guy on the train asked me out on a date, why in the hell did I say yes? And why am I excited about seeing him again? Okay, let’s start again…I thought I was straight for all of my twenty-six years. I dated women. I slept with women. And yeah, occasionally I’d wondered what it would be like to experiment with a guy...Categorized as:
bisexual queer queer-awakening first-person-pov new adult friends to lovers sweet-hero anal sex -
Sideline Infraction by Emily Silver
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWhat happens when I find the right guy at exactly the wrong time?I’m Alex Young. Star quarterback for the Denver Mountain Lions. Captain of the team. Son. Brother. Teammate.And I’m gay.No one can know. My secret could destroy everything. I lock myself up in the closet and throw away the key. It’s better this way. I can focus on football and being the best quarterback I can be.Until him... -
Mr. Right Now by Isla Olsen
Right place. Right Time. Right Name.DrewWhen my parents decided to name me Andrew I doubt they could have imagined it would lead me here…Where is here, exactly?The short version—the Wattleglen Inn on Long Island, where my roommate’s billionaire brother has roped me into pretending to be his boyfriend for a family wedding weekend...Categorized as:
super rich hero queer queer-awakening humor m-m contemporary length-novella explicit-plentiful
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