Books like 'The Absolutist'
Readers who enjoyed The Absolutist by John Boyne also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
historical gay romance war military 20th century angst forbidden love queer
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Twist and Shout by Gabriel (AO3), Standbyme
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsDestiel 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... -
![A Kingdom by the Sea by Anna Green]()
A Kingdom by the Sea by Anna Green
The final volume of The Heart Rate of a Mouse trilogy.In November 1978, over a year has passed since music icon Ryan Ross announced his retirement from the public eye. He is far from being forgotten, however, as his musical influence can be heard whenever Brendon Roscoe starts singing on the radio. As the frontman of the upcoming band His Side, Brendon was famously discovered by Ross... -
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![Over the Tracks by Anna Green]()
Over the Tracks by Anna Green
Rated: 4.69 of 5 stars · 22 ratingsThe first volume of The Heart Rate of a Mouse trilogy.In the summer of 1974, musician Ryan Ross embarks on an exhausting tour in support of his band's breakthrough album. He finds himself struggling to live up to the pressure and expectations of sudden fame in the chaos of endless shows and interviews... -
![Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin]()
Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin
James Baldwin’s groundbreaking novel about love and the fear of love is set among the bohemian bars and nightclubs of 1950s Paris.In the 1950s Paris of American expatriates, liaisons, and violence, a young man finds himself caught between desire and conventional morality...Categorized as:
20th century angst forbidden love queer african-american historical contemporary m-m -
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![An Exaltation of Larks by Suanne Laqueur]()
An Exaltation of Larks by Suanne Laqueur
Rated: 4.49 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsSeptember 11, 1973: Eleven-year-old Alejandro Penda watches from his apartment window as Santiago, Chile falls to a military coup, destroying his family and his childhood. Arriving alone in America, he’s taken in by the Larks: a prominent family in the town of Guelisten...Categorized as:
angst forbidden love queer 20th century contemporary m-m historical friends to lovers -
![Into Deep Waters by Kaje Harper]()
Into Deep Waters by Kaje Harper
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 28 ratingsFor Jacob and Daniel, two young gay men aboard a Navy ship in WWII, the risks were high. Not just the risks of injury and death from Japanese planes and submarines, but the risk of discovery, of discharge, imprisonment or worse. Only a special kind of love was worth taking that chance. But from the moment Daniel met Jacob's eyes across a battle-scarred deck, he knew he had to try... -
![Lie With Me by Philippe Besson]()
Lie With Me by Philippe Besson
The award-winning, internationally bestselling novel about a love affair between two teenage boys in a provincial high school in 1984 France, brilliantly translated by acclaimed writer and actress Molly Ringwald. While passing through the village where he grew up, the narrator, Philippe, chances upon a young man who bears a striking resemblance to his first love, Thomas... -
![To Trust Man On His Oath by K.J. Charles]()
To Trust Man On His Oath by K.J. Charles
A Will Darling Adventures interlude.Set a week after the ending of The Sugared Game (so containsmild spoilers for that book)... -
![Ninety One Whiskey by komodobits]()
Ninety One Whiskey by komodobits
Rated: 4.75 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsSupernatural Fanfic - Dean/CastielIn the spring of 1944, the 104th Medical Battalion of the United States Army is disbanded, and its men reassigned to various infantry companies in preparation for their invasion of occupied France... -
![Eryx: A Spartan Tale by Jaclyn Osborn]()
Eryx: A Spartan Tale by Jaclyn Osborn
Rated: 4.60 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsMy father once told me, above all else... Live and die for Sparta. Honor. Loyalty. Duty. These were the things that mattered most. And then Axios came into my life, teaching me other lessons: humility, brotherhood... love. There were moments when the brutal training stripped me of my humanity, where it turned me into a mindless beast of flesh and muscle set to destroy everything in my way... -
![Maurice by E.M. Forster]()
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... -
![Chain Reaction by Nicole Edwards]()
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... -
![The Only Gold by Tamara Allen]()
The Only Gold by Tamara Allen
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsJonah Woolner's life is as prudently regulated as the bank where he works. It's a satisfying life until he's passed over for promotion in favor of newcomer Reid Hylliard. Brash and enterprising, Reid beguiles everyone except Jonah, who's convinced Reid's progressive ideas will be the bank's ruin... -
![A Trail of Fire by Diana Gabaldon]()
A Trail of Fire by Diana Gabaldon
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsFour 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... -
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![Song for a Viking by K.J. Charles]()
Song for a Viking by K.J. Charles
‘Song for a Viking’ takes place during/just after the events of the last chapter of Think of England and will be of no use at all to anyone who hasn’t read that book. It is not a standalone. You will definitely get the most out of it if you remind yourself of Think of England’s last chapter before reading... -
![A Place Called Winter by Patrick Gale]()
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... -
![The Charioteer by Mary Renault]()
The Charioteer by Mary Renault
Rated: 4.12 of 5 stars · 33 ratingsAfter enduring an injury at Dunkirk during World War II, Laurie Odell is sent to a rural veterans’ hospital in England to convalesce. There he befriends the young, bright Andrew, a conscientious objector serving as an orderly. As they find solace and companionship together in the idyllic surroundings of the hospital, their friendship blooms into a discreet, chaste romance... -
![Alec by William di Canzio]()
Alec by William di Canzio
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsWilliam di Canzio's Alec, inspired by Maurice, E. M. Forster's secret novel of a happy same-sex love affair, tells the story of Alec Scudder, the gamekeeper Maurice Hall falls in love with in Forster's classic, published only after the author's death.Di Canzio follows their story past the end of Maurice to the front lines of battle in World War I and beyond... -
![Crimson by Casey Morales]()
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... -
![Skybound by Aleksandr Voinov]()
Skybound by Aleksandr Voinov
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsGermany, 1945. The Third Reich is on its knees as Allied forces bomb Berlin to break the last resistance. Yet on an airfield near Berlin, the battle is far from over for a young mechanic, Felix, who’s attached to a squadron of fighter pilots. He’s especially attached to fighter ace Baldur Vogt, a man he admires and secretly loves... -
![An Honest Man by Ben Fergusson]()
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... -
![Only You by Leta Blake]()
Only You by Leta Blake
Join Peter Mandel on his final steps to love in Only You, the highly-anticipated final book of Leta Blake's ’90s Coming of Age series.Despite the lingering wounds of his past relationship, Peter is ready to take a chance on finding a faithful love and embracing his true self.Peter and Daniel explore their connection despite Daniel's complicated home life...Categorized as:
angst 20th century queer friends to lovers m-m new adult second chances contemporary -
![Hidden Treasures by Marshall Thornton]()
Hidden Treasures by Marshall Thornton
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsIt’s about a dress. A valuable blue sequined dress worn by a famed actress in a film from the 1940s. For some reason everyone thinks video storeowner Noah Valentine has it. Which might not be a big deal except that it’s connected to the murder of a prominent Hollywood costumer.In the second of the Pinx Video Mysteries, Noah attempts to solve the mystery of the dress... -
![Now and Then by William Corlett]()
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... -
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![Separate Rooms by Pier Vittorio Tondelli]()
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... -
![When Skies Have Fallen by Debbie McGowan]()
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... -
![When Skies Have Fallen (When Skies Have Fallen) by Debbie McGowan]()
When Skies Have Fallen (When Skies Have Fallen) by Debbie McGowan
For 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...Categorized as:
military queer historical m-m secret-relationship length-medium open-door disabilities and marks -
![Midnight Flit by Elin Gregory]()
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... -
![Till Death Do Us Part by Tangstory]()
Till Death Do Us Part by Tangstory
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsSet in early-20th century China, this story takes off in the port city of Tientsin (Tianjin) that is divided into lands called concessions and owned by several foreign powers. Shen Liangsheng is a charismatic and cunning playboy, a son of a rich businessman, who has profits as his top priority... -
![Words Heard in Silence by T. Novan, Taylor Rickard]()
Words Heard in Silence by T. Novan, Taylor Rickard
An epic love story in war-ravaged Culpeper during the Civil War where an unlikely romance blossoms between the widowed Rebecca and the dashing Union Officer Colonel Charles. Can their love survive the agony of war?It's 1864 in Culpeper, Virginia, and the Civil War is raging. War widow Rebecca Gaines struggles to manage the family farm on her own... -
![Broken Blades by Aleksandr Voinov, L.A. Witt]()
Broken Blades by Aleksandr Voinov, L.A. Witt
Rainbow Award Winner 2016 “Best Gay Book” They only had one night together—a stolen interlude at the 1936 Olympics. After Mark Driscoll challenged Armin Truchsess von Kardenberg to a good-natured fencing match, there was no resisting each other... -
![Walking Wounded by Lauren Gilley]()
Walking Wounded by Lauren Gilley
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsLuke always thought he’d grow up to be a famous author. He also thought nothing could ever damage his relationship with his childhood best friend, Hal. He thought a lot of things that proved to be untrue. Now he barely makes rent and proofreads articles at a New York gossip rag, dreaming about what-might-have-been. He’s not bitter about it. He’s not. And he certainly isn’t lonely... -
![Hammer & Powder by Megan Derr]()
Hammer & Powder by Megan Derr
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 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... -
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![Deck the Halls in Secret Agents by Aster Glenn Gray]()
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... -
![Sweet Honesty by Joan Vassar]()
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... -
![Putting on the Ritz by Joe Keenan]()
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![The General and the Horse-Lord by Sarah Black]()
The General and the Horse-Lord by Sarah Black
Rated: 4.12 of 5 stars · 11 ratings2nd Edition The General and the Horse-Lord: Book One General John Mitchel and his favorite pilot, Gabriel Sanchez, served together as comrades and brothers-in-arms for more than twenty-five years. They followed the warrior’s path: honor first, and service, and the safety of the tribe. Their own needs for love and companionship were secondary to the mission... -
![The Custom of the Army by Diana Gabaldon]()
The Custom of the Army by Diana Gabaldon
Rated: 4.01 of 5 stars · 32 ratingsDiana Gabaldon, bestselling author of the acclaimed Outlander series, weaves an engrossing tale of war, history, and suspense in this original novella—available exclusively as an eBook—featuring returning hero Lord John Grey. London, 1759. After a high society electric-eel party leads to a duel that ends badly, Lord John Grey feels the need to lie low for a while... -
![Bonds of Earth by G.N. Chevalier]()
Bonds of Earth by G.N. Chevalier
In 1918, Michael McCready returned from the war with one goal: to lose himself in the pursuit of pleasure. Once a promising young medical student, Michael buried his dreams alongside the broken bodies of the men he could not save...Categorized as:
war military angst queer 20th century historical friends to lovers from hate to love -
![Eleventh Hour by Elin Gregory]()
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'... -
![The Flight of the Heron by Historical Novel]()
The Flight of the Heron by Historical Novel
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsDiving into the historical turmoil of the Jacobite Uprising, 'The Flight of the Heron' by Historical Novel is a captivating historical novel that skillfully weaves together the intricacies of politics, loyalty, and love during this tumultuous period... -
![Untethered by R.A. Thorn]()
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]()
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... -
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![Man's World by Rupert Smith]()
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... -
![The Last Kiss by Sally Malcolm]()
The Last Kiss by Sally Malcolm
A tender and triumphant story of forbidden love in the aftermath of warWhen Captain Ashleigh Arthur Dalton went to war in 1914, he never expected to fall in love. Yet over three long years at the front, his dashing batman, Private West, became his reason for fighting—and his reason for living.But Ash’s war ends in catastrophe... -
![The Impetuous Afflictions of Jonathan Wolfe by Charlie Cochet]()
The Impetuous Afflictions of Jonathan Wolfe by Charlie Cochet
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsEight years after leaving the deserts of Africa and the French Foreign Legion behind, Jonathan Wolfe has settled into life at Hawthorne Manor in the English countryside. Johnnie helps his adopted family run the manor and provide a safe, loving home for a new generation of “brats”: boys mistreated and discarded for their homosexuality—something all too familiar to Johnnie... -
![Rebel by Sally Malcolm]()
Rebel by Sally Malcolm
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsFalling in love is just the beginning...Samuel Hutchinson has lived his whole life in Rosemont, Rhode Island. And as far as he’s concerned, his future is fixed: complete his legal training, marry a respectable woman, and settle down to raise a family.But Sam never counted on meeting Nathaniel Tanner... -
![Unmentionables by David Greene]()
Unmentionables by David Greene
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWinner Book of the Year bronze medal for Gay literary fiction.Unmentionables is the story of two pairs of lovers in the American Civil War south. One couple is straight, white and wealthy. The other couple is gay, black and enslaved. Field hand Jimmy meets Cato, a house servant from a nearby plantation. Over time, Jimmy's fascination with Cato grows into romantic love... -
![On a Lee Shore by Elin Gregory]()
On a Lee Shore by Elin Gregory
Rated: 3.97 of 5 stars · 12 ratings“Give me a reason to let you live…” Beached after losing his ship and crew, and with England finally at peace, Lt Christopher Penrose will take whatever work he can get. A valet? Why not? Escorting an elderly diplomat to the Leeward Islands seems like an easy job, but when their ship is boarded by pirates, Kit’s world is turned upside down...
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