Books like 'The Venetian and the Rum Runner'
Readers who enjoyed The Venetian and the Rum Runner by L.A. Witt also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
historical gay romance 20th century queer suspense age difference class difference slow burn mafia
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Banana Fish, Vol. 19 by Akimi Yoshida
Rated: 4.72 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsNature made Ash beautiful; Nurture made him a killer!VICE NEW YORK IN THE 80s...Nature made Ash Lynx beautiful; nurture made him a cold ruthless killer. A runaway brought up as the adopted heir and sex toy of “Papa” Dino Golzine, Ash, now at the rebellious age of seventeen, forsakes the kingdom held out by the devil who raised him... -
Twist and Shout by Gabriel (AO3), Standbyme
Destiel FanficWhat begins as a transforming love between Dean Winchester and Castiel Novak in the summer of 1965 quickly derails into something far more tumultuous when Dean is drafted in the Vietnam War. Though the two both voice their relationship is one where saying goodbye is never a real truth, their story becomes fraught with the tragedy of circumstance... -
How Goes The World? by K.J. Charles
The Positively Final Appearance: a two-part epilogue with Daniel and Archie at a house party and Kim and Will in a gentleman's club, because those are definitely settings that go well for them...Categorized as:
queer 20th century class difference historical m-m mystery length-novella third-person-pov -
Maurice by E.M. Forster
Written in 1914 by the Nobel Prize–nominated author of Howard’s End, this intimate portrait of homosexual desire “seems as relevant as ever” (The Guardian). From early adolescence to his college years at Cambridge and into professional life at his father’s firm, Maurice Hall plays the part of the conventional Englishman... -
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Chain Reaction by Nicole Edwards
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsFrom New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Nicole Edwards comes the tenth installment in her Brantley Off the Books series.During the two years since they created the Off the Books Task Force, Brantley Walker and Reese Tavoularis have had their share of difficult cases, but their next one hits close to home. Too close... -
RULE by Nicole Edwards
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsI’m known to the Hollywood elite as The Fixer. Others refer to me as a Sin Eater. Whatever they call me, people know my name. Some even talk about me as this mythical creature who can make miracles happen, provided those miracles are unethical and usually illegal. But I don’t have a unique skill set. I’m merely a man in possession of a broken moral compass.I won’t apologize for who I am... -
Restored by Joanna Chambers
Eighteen years ago, Henry Asquith, Duke of Avesbury had to leave his kept lover, Kit Redford, in order to devote himself to raising his young family. Now, a lifetime later, his children are moving on and for the first time in years, Henry is alone...Categorized as:
class difference queer historical regency m-m second chances open-door length-medium -
A Trail of Fire by Diana Gabaldon
Four extraordinary stories featuring characters from the bestselling OUTLANDER series. In Lord John and the Plague of Zombies Lord John Grey is posted to Jamaica to assist the Governor as he faces a most unusual kind of uprising among the colony's slave population... -
A Place Called Winter by Patrick Gale
Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars · 33 ratingsIn the golden 1900s, Harry Cane, a shy, eligible gentleman of leisure is drawn from a life of quiet routine into courting and marrying Winnie, eldest daughter of the fatherless Wells clan, who are not quite as respectable as they would appear. They settle by the sea and have a daughter and conventional marriage does not seem such a tumultuous change after all... -
Hallum by Casey Morales
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsCaptured or Killed? Only the War knows.Will Shaw and his friends are typical college students, enjoying dances and parties without much care for life beyond.When Thomas, a handsome Naval officer and newly arrived student, nearly stumbles into Will and his friends, Will's heart spins, though he doesn't understand why... -
Year of the Rat by Marshall Thornton
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsLong Beach, California 1996. Despite having little obvious experience, bartender Dom Reilly is hired as an investigator for the Freedom Agenda, a not-for-profit justice project. His first case involves a twelve-year-old homicide, in which a teenage girl was viciously murdered... -
What a Duke Desires by Merry Farmer
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsTo win a prize that will redeem his shattered reputation, the Duke of Burville must masquerade as a commoner…Wentworth Rawley might be a duke, but his title means nothing after he voted against his peers and in favor of the Reform Act…mere months after being caught in an extraordinarily compromising position with an older lover at a public party... -
Until the End of Time by Nicky James
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsBeing a gay man in 1827, was not only frowned upon in England, but punishable by death. Magistrate Simon Stockley would know. He’d convicted men in his courtroom and sentenced them himself. Every time, it left a vile taste in his mouth because Simon was no different than the men whose lives he claimed... -
The Bequest by Joanna Chambers
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsDavid Lauriston and Lord Murdo Balfour have been living happily together for three years at the Laverock estate in Perthshire. But when some unexpected news arrives, Murdo must confront old demons he thought he’d put behind him forever. This story will be exclusively available to my newsletter... -
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Crimson by Casey Morales
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 11 ratings(Alternate cover edition of ASIN B0CHHBZJ6C.) What if two Ivy League boys were dropped into a James Bond movie? Harvard University, 1941 Will Shaw and his friends are typical American students, still celebrating the end of the Depression and dreaming about a future filled with success. The war in Europe is far away and someone else's concern. Until it isn't... -
An Honest Man by Ben Fergusson
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsIn West Berlin in 1989, eighteen-year-old Ralf has just left school and is living a final golden summer with his three best friends. They spend their days swimming, smoking and daydreaming about the future, oblivious to the storm gathering on the other side of the Berlin Wall... -
Brethren by W.A. Hoffman
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsJohn Williams, the Viscount of Marsdale, libertine, duelist, dilettante, haphazard philanthropist and philosopher, is asked by his estranged father to start a plantation in Jamaica in 1667... -
A Scandal for Stratford by J.A. Rock, Lisa Henry
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsHe has all he could ask for. James Lewis, the Earl of Stratford, has precisely what he wants: a quiet existence on his family estate, a thriving horse trade that leaves him plenty of time to work on the final volume of his anonymously published opus, The Maiden Diaries, and a deeply committed albeit unconventional relationship with his stablemaster, Harold Granger... -
Home for Charlie by Minerva Howe
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsCharlie Putnam loves his job at the Grand Springs hotel, not because he adores front desk work, but because he gets to meet all kinds of people, which he'd be too scared to do otherwise. He's also being allowed to redecorate some of the rooms... -
Will & Patrick Wake up Married Serial, Episodes 1-3 by Leta Blake, Alice Griffiths
Rated: 4.16 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsJoin the fun in this romantic comedy serial by best-selling author Leta Blake and newcomer Alice Griffiths! Episode One: Will & Patrick Wake Up Married After a drunken night of hot sex in Vegas, strangers Will Patterson and Dr. Patrick McCloud wake up married... -
Jaxon by Ruby Raynes
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsAlex: My life is going fine. Okay, it was going fine until I found myself both homeless—my trusty car Trixie on her last leg—and in need of a fake fiancé. What I don't expect is for Jaxon, my long-time crush and the owner of Ink Me, to come swooping in like a knight in shining armor... -
A Sanctuary for Soulden by J.A. Rock, Lisa Henry
He wasn't meant for a quiet life.Philip Winthrop, Viscount Soulden, is a fop. An idle popinjay with nothing more on his mind than how to best knot his cravat. He definitely doesn’t spy against the French. Or arrange hasty weddings. Or occasionally commandeer the navy. And he certainly doesn’t seek out mortal danger in order to combat his pervasive ennui...Categorized as:
class difference queer historical regency m-m length-medium explicit-open-door audiobook -
Now and Then by William Corlett
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsNow. Christopher Metcalfe returns to his family home in Kent after the death of his father. Sorting through a box of memorabilia from his days at public school, Chris is suddenly confronted by the face that has haunted him for thirty years... -
Separate Rooms by Pier Vittorio Tondelli
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsSoon to be a major film adaptation by Luca Guadagnino, Separate Rooms is a masterpiece of Italian literature, and a heartbreaking portrait of love, grief, and the daily realities of being a gay man in 1980s Europe.Thomas, a young German musician, is dying. His older boyfriend, a renowned Italian writer named Leo, finds it impossible to watch the slow and inevitable demise of his lover... -
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Hammer & Powder by Megan Derr
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsThe Kingdom of Rinaha is all that stands between the violent, greedy Boorna and the rest of the continent, and they do so by way of their immense and heavily guarded Wall of Gamala, an enormous undertaking that runs the length of the southern end of the continent, standing strong for more than two hundred years... -
When Skies Have Fallen by Debbie McGowan
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsFor many in war-torn 1944, love blossoms in the dance hall, and airman Arty Clarke is no exception. He’s a thinker and a dreamer; however, it’s not the beautiful, talented dancer in his arms—his best friend Jean—who inspires his dreams. For when his gaze meets that of Technical Sergeant Jim Johnson, Arty dares to imagine a different dance... -
Midnight Flit by Elin Gregory
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsMiles Siward and Briers Allerdale return for another thrilling Jazz Age adventure.“Silk stockings on expenses.” Miles’s aristocratic mother has information of importance to the British Government and he must escort her home from Bucharest immediately, but their plans go violently awry and Miles and Lady Siward find themselves on a train to Belgrade - where Miles’s lover is posted... -
Uriel: Yule Lads Book Two by Macy Blake
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsHis holiday is about to go off-book…Uriel Lad is single all the way. He enjoys his quiet life in the small town of Mistletoe Falls, running Ornamentary Books and More. This holiday, though, Uriel’s Yule Lad magic is back, which means making mischief throughout the season. It should be a perfect Christmas, until his new friend Joe begs for help with a problem... -
Deck the Halls in Secret Agents by Aster Glenn Gray
Christmas Eve, 1991. The Soviet Union is on the rocks, and so is George Douglass's career in espionage. Nonetheless, the American agent is wading through a blizzard on one last mission.But when George emerges from the snow at a supposedly abandoned chateau, it's lit up like a Christmas tree... -
Flowers by Night by Lucy May Lennox
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA vivid, meticulously researched novel that depicts unconventional lives during the first half of the 19th century in Edo—the city that would become Tokyo—a city wracked by frequent natural disasters, but where one can find bawdy, thrilling entertainment of every kind...Categorized as:
queer age difference m-m historical f-f disabilities and marks found-family length-medium -
Sweet Honesty by Joan Vassar
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 5 ratingsAtlanta, Georgia, 1950–Michael can’t believe his eyes as he watches the man he loves marry a woman from the back row of Mount Zion Baptist Church. When the beautiful couple is pronounced man and wife, he leaves his home in Georgia for the chance of a better life in New York City.Alexander is just trying to exist in Queens, New York... -
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Night Drop by Marshall Thornton
It’s 1992 and Los Angeles is burning. Noah Valentine, the owner of Pinx Video in Silver Lake, notices the fires have taken their toll on fellow shopkeeper Guy Peterson’s camera shop. After the riots end, he decides to stop by Guy’s to pick up his overdue videos, only to find Guy’s family dividing up his belongings... -
Farrell Covington and the Limits of Style by Paul Rudnick
From the acclaimed writer Paul Rudnick, a riotously funny, perceptive, and life-affirming novel following the decades-long, rule-breaking romance between the son of one of American’s wealthiest families and a middle-class aspiring author.Devastatingly handsome and insanely rich, Farrell Covington is capable of anything and impossible to resist... -
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Eleventh Hour by Elin Gregory
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsBorrowed from the Secret Intelligence Service cipher department to assist Briers Allerdale - a field agent returning to 1920s London with news of a dangerous anarchist plot - Miles Siward moves into a 'couples only' boarding house, posing as Allerdale’s 'wife'... -
Counterpoint: Dylan's Story by Ruth Sims
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsAt eighteen Dylan Rutledge has one music. He believes his destiny is to be the greatest composer of the rapidly approaching twentieth century. Only Laurence Northcliff, a young history master at The Venerable Bede School for Young Gentlemen, believes in Dylan’s talent and encourages his dream, not realizing Dylan is in love with him... -
Untethered by R.A. Thorn
Determined to help the war effort, Frankie Norris joins the US Air Force in 1943. Braving intimidating drill sergeants and unending marches, Frankie struggles to hide his secret—he’s queer. But having passed basic training, he’s not going to risk an undesirable discharge or any of his fellow recruits finding out... -
The Flight of the Heron by D.K. Broster
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA young Highlander leaves his home and his bride-to-be to follow the standard of Bonnie Prince Charlie... -
Man's World by Rupert Smith
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 5 ratingsContrasting today’s blogs with diaries of the past, this novel follows two parallel narratives that are 50 years apart and vastly different, at least at first appearance. In modern-day London, Robert searches for fulfillment in a world of sex, drugs, designer clothes, and hip gay clubs, during which he records his experience on his blog... -
A Rose by Any Name by K.J. Charles
An epilogue to The Gentle Art of Fortune Hunting and A Thief in the Night... -
Duty to the Crown by Rebecca Cohen
Rated: 4.03 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsSebastian and Anthony will do their duty, but they will do everything not to sacrifice their love.Sebastian Hewel endures many things to maintain his role of Bronwyn, the wife of Anthony Redbourn, Earl of Crofton, so he and Anthony can be together. But when Queen Elizabeth demands a favour of Anthony, Sebastian’s world is in danger of being fractured beyond repair... -
The Gentleman's Gentleman by Samantha SoRelle
A life of idle indulgence as a baron’s nephew has never suited Gil Charleton. Fortunately, he’s much better at being the Earl of Crawford’s estate manager. The role requires the same caution, care, and charm he already uses to hide his true desires. On a discreet visit to a pub catering to men who enjoy the company of other men, he’s dismayed to see the earl’s imprudent valet there... -
Deviant Desire by Jackson Marsh
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsThe Victorian East End lives in fear of the Ripper and his mission to kill rent boys. Silas Hawkins, nineteen and forging a life on the streets could well be the next victim, but when he meets Archer, his life changes forever. Young, attractive and rich, Archer is The Viscount Clearwater, a philanthropist, adventurer and homosexual... -
A Rose By Any Other Name by Charlie Cochet
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 5 ratingsNights in the roaring city remind bright young things that life’s too short to take for granted. Tucked away in Times Square hides the Pantheon: a secret cabaret for wealthy gay men. Pretty young men in elaborate costumes and rouged lips are eager to please, and the champagne flows all night long. It’s a world of frivolity, fantasy, and debauchery... -
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His Heart's Obsession by Alex Beecroft
Kingston, Jamaica, 1752 Robert Hughes, a lieutenant--and rogue--in the British Royal Navy, is in love with his gorgeous fellow officer, Hal Morgan. Hal only has eyes for their captain--a man who'll never share their inclinations. Night after night aboard the Swiftsure, it kills Robert to listen to Hal's erotic dreams of a man he can't possibly have... -
Time and Tide by E.M. Lindsey
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 5 ratingsSometimes the universe is chaos, and sometimes it’s kind. If we are meant to be together, we shall be.” It's 1897, and fresh from Oxford University, William Owens returns to Maryland to find his entire life planned for him. His law practice, his home, and his wife... -
On Wings of Song by Anne Barwell
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 5 ratingsA chance meeting they never forgot. Six years after meeting British soldier Aiden Foster during the Christmas Truce of 1914, Jochen Weber still finds himself thinking about Aiden, their shared conversation about literature, and Aiden’s beautiful singing voice. A visit to London gives Jochen the opportunity to search for Aiden, but he’s shocked at what he finds... -
A Home at the End of the World by Michael Cunningham
Rated: 3.93 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsMichael Cunningham’s celebrated novel is the story of two boyhood friends: Jonathan, lonely, introspective, and unsure of himself; and Bobby, hip, dark, and inarticulate. In New York after college, Bobby moves in with Jonathan and his roommate, Clare, a veteran of the city's erotic wars. Bobby and Clare fall in love, scuttling the plans of Jonathan, who is gay, to father Clare's child... -
The Gentleman's Madness by Bonnie Dee, Summer Devon
"An imprisoned heart finds escape in forbidden love. " No pride. No privacy. No hope. Academic John Gilliam thought being caught embracing another man was the worst that could happen. Until he agrees to "treatment" at an asylum, where a vicious attack leaves him shaken and afraid. But having all means of writing or reading taken from him... "That" is a serious threat to his sanity... -
Dash and Dingo: In Search of the Tasmanian Tiger by Catt Ford, Sean Kennedy
Rated: 3.91 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsStodgy British archivist Henry Percival-Smythe slaves away in the dusty basement of Ealing College in 1934, the only bright spot in his life his obsession with a strange Australian mammal, the thylacine. It has been hunted to the edge of extinction, and Henry would love nothing more than to help the rare creature survive.Then a human whirlwind spins through his door...
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