Books like 'Pretty Black'
Readers who enjoyed Pretty Black by J.R. Gray also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary gay romance dark romance second chances friends to lovers angst hurt-comfort tortured hero secret-relationship queer
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If There's a Way by Jessie Walker
He was all I ever needed. Desperate. Shattered. Lost.I was a shell of who I once was.Until him...I was a fool to come back to Shiloh.An even bigger fool to stay.But when it comes to Waylon McAllister, I never stood a chance.He's damaged. Reckless. Toxic.A walking, talking grenade to my heart.But no matter how hard I try, I can't shake him...Categorized as:
new adult angst friends to lovers forced proximity queer bad boys rockstars hurt-comfort -
![A Charm of Finches by Suanne Laqueur]()
A Charm of Finches by Suanne Laqueur
Rated: 4.81 of 5 stars · 15 ratings“I swear. Give me one more chance and I will make the most of it.”Ex-escort Javier Landes is asking for his third chance at love. And the third time is the charm. He meets an art therapist named Steffen Finch and what starts as casual deepens into a passionate relationship—everything Jav has ever wanted, and everything he fears losing. Stef’s business card reads Curator & Sailor... -
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![The Rational Faculty by Gregory Ashe]()
The Rational Faculty by Gregory Ashe
Rated: 4.54 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsThree months have passed since Emery Hazard and John-Henry Somerset faced a madman and lived to tell about it. Three months have passed since Emery Hazard resigned from his job as a detective. Three months can be too long and too short, all at the same time. On Halloween, a professor at the local college is murdered in his apartment, in front of dozens of witnesses. Then the killer disappears... -
![The Scent of Winter by Tiffany Reisz]()
The Scent of Winter by Tiffany Reisz
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsThe 2016 Original Sinners Christmas story, free on December 20th.Kingsley Edge thought he was being driven to the airport. He never expected he'd be kidnapped and relocated to a cabin in the middle of nowhere, Maine to help Søren celebrate his birthday. But it's not quite the sexy party Kingsley hoped for... -
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![Unbroken by Sloane Kennedy]()
Unbroken by Sloane Kennedy
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 32 ratingsEverything was supposed to go back to normal when I was rescued. It hasn't. And I'm starting to think it never will because I don't even know what normal is anymore... It's been two years since Aleks Silva was rescued by his older brother from the dark underworld of sex trafficking and every day since then has been a battle... -
![Relative Justice by Gregory Ashe]()
Relative Justice by Gregory Ashe
Rated: 4.61 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsAn impossible son. An impossible murder. The honeymoon is definitely over. When Emery Hazard and his husband, John-Henry Somerset, arrive home from their honeymoon, they’re shocked (understatement of the year) to find a boy waiting for them on their doorstep. Colt, fifteen and eager to pick a fight, claims to be Hazard’s son... -
![Dissent: A Charity Romance Anthology by Brighton Walsh, Kennedy Fox]()
Dissent: A Charity Romance Anthology by Brighton Walsh, Kennedy Fox
For National Read a Book day, DISSENT is available in eBook and paperback!DISSENT is a charity romance anthology with NEW, never before published content from over 150 authors of all romance genres. All proceeds from the eBook and paperbacks will be donated to organizations benefiting reproductive rights in the United States, particularly in areas where people need them more than ever... -
![Final Orders by Gregory Ashe]()
Final Orders by Gregory Ashe
Rated: 4.74 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsAn embattled author. Fanatical parents. A son who can’t stay out of trouble. It’s the last one that’ll probably kill him.When Emery Hazard gets drawn into a brawl at a monthly school board meeting, he knows he’s in trouble; his husband, John-Henry Somerset, is chief of police, and they’re already under enough scrutiny as they try to finalize their foster son’s permanency plan... -
![Anti-Hero by Kelly Fox]()
Anti-Hero by Kelly Fox
Spoiler This isn't some sad exploration of my tragic past. I have a list of the people who bought and sold me. And they aren't getting a redemption arc. I was luckier than most. I was rescued by a team of guys who search out people like me, and now I get to work with them. But I'm not the hero of this story. I don't forgive. I don't forget...Categorized as:
friends to lovers hurt-comfort forced proximity queer m-m height-difference suspense age difference -
![Home by Cara Dee]()
Home by Cara Dee
For as long as I can remember, I've only had one goal: survival. It's what I know. There is no future beyond making it through another night and getting my hands on as much money as possible, by any means necessary. Pride and dignity are things I can't afford. It's been the worst year yet—and not because I live on the streets. That's nothing compared to being separated from my little girl... -
![The Air That I Breathe by Cara Dee]()
The Air That I Breathe by Cara Dee
The Game Series, Book 3.5 “In that moment, I stopped caring about right and wrong.” The only thing that stood between us were the boundaries set by others, by society, by our parents. But together we could knock them down. Together, we could find freedom and live life on our own terms. Screw the rest of the world. He was all that mattered. He was the air that I breathed... -
![Anti-Valentine by T. Ashleigh, Ashlyn Drewek]()
Anti-Valentine by T. Ashleigh, Ashlyn Drewek
This Valentine’s Day…the bad boys come out to play…Get ready for an anti-Valentine to remember in this limited release M/M romance anthology. Sixteen authors have come together to bring you a collection of brand-new short stories with a combination of dark, enemies to lovers, and bully themes...Categorized as:
secret-relationship forced proximity friends to lovers angst new adult queer m-m from hate to love -
![Possessive Park Avenue Prince by Brooke Blaine, Ella Frank]()
Possessive Park Avenue Prince by Brooke Blaine, Ella Frank
Who are we? Like you even need to ask. We’re the seven richer-than-sin legacies causing debauchery at the prestigious Astor University in Manhattan.Some call us spoiled.Some call us trouble.But everyone calls us the Park Avenue Princes.Daire Connery“The Bad Boy”I’m not a man of many words. But when I do speak, it usually starts with F and ends with you.Keep to myself. Don’t let anyone in...Categorized as:
friends to lovers forced proximity new adult angst queer possessive hero m-m grumpy sunshine -
![Olive Juice by T.J. Klune]()
Olive Juice by T.J. Klune
Rated: 4.47 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsIt begins with a message that David cannot ignore:I want to see you.He agrees, and on a cold winter’s night, David and Phillip will come together to sift through the wreckage of the memory of a life no longer lived.David is burdened, carrying with him the heavy guilt of the past six years upon his shoulders.Phillip offers redemption... -
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![17 Black and 29 Red by Richard Rider]()
17 Black and 29 Red by Richard Rider
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsSecond part in the Stockholm Syndrome trilogy:Some mistakes are too enormous and some people are too stubborn for anything to work except running away, but the world is never as big as you need it to be and eventually you can't help circling back to where you started... -
![Rend by Roan Parrish]()
Rend by Roan Parrish
After a whirlwind romance, a man with a painful past learns to trust the musician who makes him believe in happy endings. Matt Argento knows what it feels like to be alone. After a childhood of abandonment, he never imagined someone might love him—much less someone like Rhys Nyland, who has the voice of an angel, the looks of a god, and the worship of his fans... -
![The Devil Inside by Nicky James]()
The Devil Inside by Nicky James
Their love was innocent and pure… Until they were forced to believe differently. Until they were brutally schooled on the “right” way to love.Oakland is not gay. Jameson is not gay.Being gay is wrong. It is immoral. It is a sickness they must fight. It is the devil inside that needs to be purged.At least that’s what they’ve been conditioned to believe...Categorized as:
hurt-comfort angst friends to lovers tortured hero second chances queer contemporary lgbtqia hate -
![Haven by K.A. Merikan]()
Haven by K.A. Merikan
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 9 ratings— Not the same river, not the same man. —After seven years away, Seth and Domenico are back in Sicily with one goal in mind.Revenge.The man who’d hounded their family is still alive, and as untouchable as he’s always been. While they wait for the right moment to strike, reality clashes with fond memories of home... -
![BJ Alex 9 by Mingwa]()
BJ Alex 9 by Mingwa
Every night at 10, Dong-gyun locks himself up in his room, grabs a box of tissues, and watches a live cam boy show hosted by Alex, a BJ (broadcast jockey). Timid Dong-gyun admires not only Alex’s ripped body, but his candor in sharing his sexual experiences with viewers. One night, Dong-gyun downs too many drinks at a school networking event and passes out...Categorized as:
queer new adult angst forced proximity secret-relationship bad boys contemporary bdsm -
![The Fishermen by C.P. Harris]()
The Fishermen by C.P. Harris
At the age of twenty-five, Leland Meadows has his whole life mapped out in front of him, with four rules to live by: No new friends.No dreams or aspirations.No repeat hookups.And definitely no committed relationships.Leland’s looking for safety, not heartbreak and disappointment. Then one day he receives an offer he can’t turn down... -
![Strays by Garrett Leigh]()
Strays by Garrett Leigh
!! SECOND EDITION WITH EXTENDED CONTENT !!Award winning MM romance. A grumpy hero with the sweetest heart as forced proximity and found family give two damaged men the HEA they deserve.Work, sleep, work, repeat. Nero’s lonely life suits him just fine until his best friend, Cass, asks him to take on a new apprentice—a beautiful young man who’s never set foot in a professional kitchen...Categorized as:
hurt-comfort angst bad boys tortured hero friends to lovers forced proximity queer suspense -
![The Tin Box by Kim Fielding]()
The Tin Box by Kim Fielding
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsWilliam Lyon's past forced him to become someone he isn't. Conflicted and unable to maintain the charade, he separates from his wife and takes a job as caretaker at a former mental hospital. Jelley’s Valley State Insane Asylum was the largest mental hospital in California for well over a century, but it now stands empty... -
![What We Broke by Marley Valentine]()
What We Broke by Marley Valentine
If someone asked me to describe our love story, I would only need to use two words. Before and After. • • • •When I met Leonardo Ricci, he was determined I would only be a fling, while I was certain he was my forever. Seven years later, we're the perfect couple. Happy, married, and in love-in sickness and health, till death do us part. At least until the unthinkable happens...Categorized as:
angst hurt-comfort second chances queer possessive hero tortured hero contemporary m-m -
![WTF: Special Edition Paperback by Cambria Hebert]()
WTF: Special Edition Paperback by Cambria Hebert
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsI don’t do commitment. And though I swing both ways, I don’t do men either.It’s too messy, too stressful, and just asking for trouble.I’d rather shine bright like the sun than drown in the rain, so I adopt a pounce-and-bounce lifestyle for which my sparkling charm keeps me from being hated.When I show up in Sweden for a semester abroad, I expect a roomie. What I don’t expect is Lars... -
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![All We Are by Jessie Walker]()
All We Are by Jessie Walker
Rated: 4.47 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsPride.Will and Waylon have been through hell and back—more than once. But they’re still standing, still loving each other, still embracing their found family. And that’s something Will is stupidly proud of. He’s happier than he’s ever been, and more in love than he ever thought possible. He just hopes he can find a way to make Waylon believe in them as much as he does.Pride... -
![Save Me by Ariana Nash]()
Save Me by Ariana Nash
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThe third and final book in the outstanding mafia/priest MM Forgive Me series. Vitari Angelini knows selling a cache of Battaglia guns to a drug lord is not what Francis would call legal, but he’ll never find out. Besides, it’s for a good cause: Francis’s happy ever after... -
![Pain by E.M. Leya, Kellie Dennis Book Cover by Design]()
Pain by E.M. Leya, Kellie Dennis Book Cover by Design
Rated: 4.54 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsWhen his daughter is kidnapped, Matt’s life screeches to a halt. He would do anything to get his daughter back, but first he needs to find her. When the police exhaust all possible leads, Matt does the only thing he can do — he uses his hacking skills to infiltrate the dark web... -
![Forgive Me Father by Garrett Leigh]()
Forgive Me Father by Garrett Leigh
Expect: a sizzling hurt/comfort MM romance with a damaged chaplain and a dark-souled enforcer with a tender-hearted secret.“I gave my darkest secrets to a man who doesn’t exist.”Embry"...you don’t understand.”Mateo lowered himself to sit, still vibrating with the need to fix me, the way he always did. “Then tell me. Explain it like I’m the simplest idiot you’ve ever met.”I can’t... -
![Garron Park: Special Edition by Nordika Night]()
Garron Park: Special Edition by Nordika Night
Rated: 4.16 of 5 stars · 34 ratings*This is the same book with the same content as Garron Park [the original] but with special edition formatting and illustrated cover.*Garron Park, where hope dies and no one ever gets ahead. Until… When Devon Sawyer desperately searches for his brother in the middle of the night, beaten and broken, he finds Maddox Kane instead... -
![Pretty F*cked by J.R. Gray]()
Pretty F*cked by J.R. Gray
Caspian Locke I don’t think we even begin to understand love until we’ve lost the one we thought we’d spend the rest of our life with. I don’t think we begin to understand ourselves until we realize that it’s most likely our fault. And I don’t think we begin to understand life until we understand it comes in so many shades of gray. You can be a good person and still do irrevocable harm...Categorized as:
rockstars second chances friends to lovers hurt-comfort angst tortured hero queer new adult -
![Custody Battles by Gregory Ashe]()
Custody Battles by Gregory Ashe
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsSome parents would die for their children. Others will do a whole lot worse.Emery Hazard and his husband, John-Henry Somerset, are settling into their new normal—at home, with the latest addition to their family, and at work, as Somers adapts to his new role and Hazard manages his expanding agency. The only thing Hazard is worried about is getting through dinner with his in-laws... -
![Chip's Forever Daddy by Sammi Cee]()
Chip's Forever Daddy by Sammi Cee
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsChip’s had a good example of a Daddy—and the absolute worst. Ollie’s determined to give him the best…forever. If Chip didn’t have bad luck, he’d have no luck at all. All he’s ever wanted is a man to see him, truly hear him, and love him. Ollie is the definition of protective, with the muscle to back it up...Categorized as:
queer hurt-comfort friends to lovers new adult m-m contemporary age difference daddy-kink -
![Perfect Prey by Vasha Crow]()
Perfect Prey by Vasha Crow
They have two things in common: murder and me.Darius. The professional.Bishop. The vigilante.James. The survivor.Holden. The psycho.Then there’s Kit. The empty shell. The broken bird.Kit doesn’t know why these four killers want him. Why they’re obsessed with him. But from the moment he stumbles into that crime scene, there’s no escaping their desires—or his.Perfect Prey is an MMMM/M harem romance...Categorized as:
forced proximity possessive hero bad boys tortured hero queer menage m-m contemporary -
![Reigniting Chase by Jeanne St. James]()
Reigniting Chase by Jeanne St. James
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsAn unexpected collaboration between two authors that’s hot enough to spark a fire... ChaseAfter an excruciating loss, I’m desperate for a fresh start.Away from the painful memories.Away from everyone I know and anyone who knows my story.That’s how I end up in Eagle’s Landing, Pennsylvania... -
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![Shattered Pieces by K.M. Neuhold]()
Shattered Pieces by K.M. Neuhold
“I was sure my heart had withered away years ago, but then you smiled at me, and I felt it beat again.” ~Gage Years ago, I fell in love with my best friend’s little brother. Then, he took his own life, leaving me shattered and unable to piece my heart back together. I’ve been a zombie for nine long years...Categorized as:
friends to lovers tortured hero queer m-m contemporary tearjerkers dark length-short -
![How Much for a Broken Heart? by R.J. Scott]()
How Much for a Broken Heart? by R.J. Scott
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWhen the game turns deadly for a SEAL and his Ranger, love becomes the most dangerous mission of all.In a single devastating morning, August's life crumbles. His covert assignment derails disastrously as the family he's meant to safeguard falls prey to the ruthless Cooper River cartel... -
![Unquiet by Melanie Hansen]()
Unquiet by Melanie Hansen
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsLoren Smith has been in love with Eliot Devlin almost his entire life. During their turbulent childhood and teen years, Loren didn’t always understand Eliot, and sometimes he could be a challenge, but Eliot was the only one to ever truly ease Loren’s deep loneliness and accept him... -
![Deliverance by Garrett Leigh]()
Deliverance by Garrett Leigh
Banished gangster Benito Martell is living on the edge. An explosive hook-up in a club gifts him the relief he craves, but nothing about his life is ever so simple. Complications abound, and before long, he’s falling for the only man who can save his family from eviction.Recovering addict Mickey Larwood has worked hard to leave his past behind... -
![Nightingale by Laura Lascarso]()
Nightingale by Laura Lascarso
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsAn accountant and an assassin set off on a homicidal mission to avenge the wrongs of the past…Since the moment we met as children at Saint Bernadine’s School for Boys, Julien has held my heart hostage. Now, he’s a ruthless and cunning assassin, known to many only by his code name Nightingale, and I am again at his mercy when he forces me to accompany him on his next hit... -
![Remember Me by Avril Ashton]()
Remember Me by Avril Ashton
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsTheirs was a connection that began and ended in the shadows. Secret moments. Missed opportunities and what-ifs. Wanting more than what they had, but grateful with the bits of happiness they snatched.A bullet stole it away, setting two men adrift. One waiting in the darkness for light to shine once again... -
![Rogue Launch by Cara Dee]()
Rogue Launch by Cara Dee
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsThe Renegades #1 Romantic Suspense Enemies to Lovers Action MM“We will find you, darling. Stay strong. We will find you.”This was exactly what Elliott Jones needed. A nice barbecue with family and friends. The moving trucks were parked outside his new ranch, and he was ready to start fresh. Again. Despite the regrets he lived with, he tried to focus on the good things in life... -
![Sinful Mafia Prince by Ella Frank, Brooke Blaine]()
Sinful Mafia Prince by Ella Frank, Brooke Blaine
“They took something that belonged to me—and nothing will stop me from getting him back.”The Fiores have made their move.In a last-ditch effort to save their crumbling empire, they’ve managed to take back their heir, landing a blow to the Rossettis—in particular, Dom...Categorized as:
forced proximity angst new adult queer forbidden love secret-relationship possessive hero m-m -
![Lost in a Moment by Nicky James]()
Lost in a Moment by Nicky James
When the only person Grayson has to lean on is his straight best friend, what could go wrong? After a horrific accident and an amputation, Grayson isn’t sure where to turn. Not only is he an emotional wreck, but his problems seem to be getting worse, not better. When his childhood best friend insists he come and stay with him for a while, Grayson isn’t sure how to feel...Categorized as:
friends to lovers angst forced proximity tortured hero queer m-m mental illness contemporary -
![Signs of Life by Melanie Hansen]()
Signs of Life by Melanie Hansen
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsSuccessful lawyer Jeremy Speer has it all—a loving husband, a beautiful home, and a cherished dream that’s about to become reality. He’s learned not to take happiness for granted, meeting the challenges of life and love head-on with unwavering commitment and fierce devotion. A series of tragic events leave Jeremy shattered, adrift on a sea of unimaginable pain... -
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![Not What It Seems by Nicky James]()
Not What It Seems by Nicky James
They say I killed them. They say I’m sick. They’re wrong. Nothing is as it seems. Renowned psychiatrist Dr. Cyrus Irvine takes his job and his life very seriously. He is well-respected in his field and has worked hard to get where he is. But he’s lonely. When called in to do a mental health evaluation on a murder suspect, the last thing he expects to find is the man he slept with a few months ago... -
![Be Mine, Twisted Valentine: Special Edition by Gianni Holmes]()
Be Mine, Twisted Valentine: Special Edition by Gianni Holmes
Fifteen years ago, I helped put my abductor behind bars.With the help of my hypnotherapist, I’ve sealed away the memories of my traumatic past.Until the dreaded phone call.Duncan Whittaker’s out on parole.The first time I confront him, I intend to kill him.Then something snaps inside me.The memories I’ve been repressing have returned.Duncan Whittaker’s the only man who’s ever made me feel desire... -
![If the Seas Catch Fire by L.A. Witt]()
If the Seas Catch Fire by L.A. Witt
Rated: 4.09 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsSergei Andronikov was a child when the Mafia wiped out his family, leaving him with nothing but a hunger for revenge. Years later, through ruthless strategy and tireless patience, he’s a contract killer working for the three families ruling Cape Swan… and he’s nearly in position to bring them all down from the inside.Domenico “Dom” Maisano is Mafia royalty, a made man… and a hitman... -
![Broken by Nicola Haken]()
Broken by Nicola Haken
When Theodore Davenport decides to switch his mundane job for a career, he walks into Holden House Publishing with enthusiasm and determination to succeed. As he settles into his new role, makes new friends, and dreams of making it to the top, everything is going to plan. Until he meets James Holden, CEO of Holden House...Categorized as:
hurt-comfort tortured hero angst new adult forced proximity secret-relationship queer m-m -
![Isaac by N.N. Britt]()
Isaac by N.N. Britt
In the heart of Sin City, two men on opposite sides of the law collide in a dangerous game of power, passion, and betrayal.Isaac Thoreau, the son of a notorious crime boss, has spent nine years behind bars for his father's murder. Driven, cunning, and unfeeling, he's now back to claim what's rightfully his... -
![Shattered Secrets by Kris Butler]()
Shattered Secrets by Kris Butler
Rated: 4.16 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsThey had tried to come for me. They thought I was still weak, damaged. Someone had tried to kill me...again. I was getting tired of this. They hadn’t been prepared for me to build relationships, to no longer be alone. They continued to underestimate me. I loved proving them wrong. Secrets threaten to shake me, to break me and as I uncover more of my past, each step leads me closer to the Council...
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