Books like 'Checking Out'
Readers who enjoyed Checking Out by Jay Leigh also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary gay romance dark romance hurt-comfort from hate to love class difference forced proximity queer found-family
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The Keeper of Bees by Gregory Ashe
Emery Hazard has pretty much everything under control. He and his fiancé, John-Henry Somerset, are more in love than ever, despite the stress of wedding preparations hanging over them. His business as a private investigator is growing. He’s even enjoying time with his growing circle of friends... -
The Rational Faculty by Gregory Ashe
Three 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... -
Final Orders by Gregory Ashe
An 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... -
Bitter When He Begs by Avery Collins
LucaI’ve built my life on control. On the field, in my reputation, and in keeping my demons buried where no one can see.Sage Blackwell was never supposed to be a part of that. The nerdy prodigy overheard something that could ruin my entire career, so I do the only logical thing. I don’t threaten him. I don’t scare him off.I claim him.I tell myself it’s about survival, about keeping my secret safe... -
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Tango Down by Cara Dee
Rated: 4.52 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThe Renegades #4 Romantic Suspense Enemies to Lovers Action MM“This is it, baby. Run.”The murder in Joel Hayward’s eyes wasn’t merely a reflection of the rage within. It was a promise to the men who had kidnapped his daughter. The one person—this amazing slip of a girl—who showed Joel every single day that there was good left in the world.He was running on fumes. He was desperate...Categorized as:
hurt-comfort from hate to love forced proximity queer found-family suspense m-m military -
Domesticated Beast by Onley James
JAVIER DE LA FUENTE is a criminal, an ex-con with a long line of offenses, atoning for his sins by rescuing abused animals and advocating for child victims. But that doesn’t mean he’s a saint. Javier learned years ago that what’s right and what’s legal aren’t always the same thing. BOWIE BAKER is a ballet dancer, a soloist doing his best to get ahead in his LA dance company... -
On the Double by Cara Dee
Rated: 4.46 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsThe Renegades #3 • Romantic Suspense • Action • MMM“It’s a fine line between not revealing your arsenal and creating disorder by showing your strength.”Funny how calm you could feel when someone had ripped the heart out of your chest.River and Reese Tenley had grown up on the fringes of society, spending most of their adult years as private military contractors in places nobody else wanted to go...Categorized as:
hurt-comfort queer found-family forced proximity m-m abuse contemporary age difference -
Dangerous Breed by Onley James
PREACHER GRAVES made a fatal error in judgment when he was just sixteen years old, and it cost him twenty years. Now, he plans to live out his days in quiet isolation. For six months, he’s done just that. Until a favor for a friend finds him rescuing a twelve-year-old boy from a ruthless biker gang, putting him face to face with the boy’s beautiful and very damaged older brother, Memphis... -
Enemy Combatant by Cara Dee
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThe Renegades #2 • Romantic Suspense • Stockholm Syndrome • Hurt Comfort • Action • MM“The best intelligence is the knowledge that your enemy doesn’t know you have.”Crew Finlay’s ego had taken a hit or two. He couldn’t lie. As a Marine, he’d been one of the best. As a private military contractor, he’d…messed up a bit. Or failed spectacularly. Whatever... -
Beautifully Savage Butterfly by K.M. Neuhold
Being savage in the ring is one thing. The way Elio Moretti craves my violence outside the ring is another. I feel like I’ve been fighting my whole life, and tapping out has never been an option. I can live with owing money to the Morettis. I can even live with the constant guilt that my brother is the one paralyzed in a hospital bed while I live his dream...Categorized as:
queer class difference from hate to love forced proximity mafia dark contemporary m-m -
The Innocent by C.J. Bishop
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsWhen Clint and the boys “clean house” after discovering a small dangerous operation of child sex traffickers, they find themselves pulled into a nightmare of unparalleled proportions where children are nothing but “merchandise” and the depth of depravity and abuse reaches beyond human comprehension. Note: This is an M/M romance and should be read by readers 18yo and above only... -
Black and Brown by A.E. Via
Grace’s composed, yet lethal disposition balances his partner Mirage’s impulsive nature, creating a duo—the second-generation Brown Ravens—with the potential for greatness. Grace was one of the most decorated sharpshooters in the Marines. He’s fiercely committed to righting the wrongs that plague the world and protecting the innocent...Categorized as:
forced proximity from hate to love queer m-m dark military contemporary forbidden love -
WTF 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... -
Devil by Silvia Violet
A Dark Mafia Romance Devil is a mobster with a dangerous secret... There's a cop who hates him. A cop he caught and released. A cop he can't get out of his mind after the one forbidden night they shared... -
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Garron Park: Special Edition by Nordika Night
Rated: 4.18 of 5 stars · 35 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...Categorized as:
from hate to love hurt-comfort forced proximity queer contemporary bisexual bikers dual-pov -
Distraction by Kelly Fox
An MM Murder Swoon RomanceFrom USA Today Bestselling Author Kelly Fox comes a uniquely unhinged Mafia romance.Look, no one's ever accused me of being sane, y'know? So when I say that I am crazy over this RICO agent, know that I mean business.Sure, I'm responsible for getting him fired from the job he's wanted his whole life, but his grandfather just died and left him 13.1 billion dollars... -
His Coveted Obsession by Courtney W. Dixon
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsPLEASE READ THE BLURB AND WARNINGS IF YOU'RE SENSITIVE TO TRIGGERS! And please, please be careful of spoilers and giving away endings of books. Use spoiler tags.When obsession and possessiveness collide…Thomas LauderEaston is my hero, and I’m obsessed. He comes into my life like a knight in shining armor, saving me from a horrible customer at the coffee shop... -
Crashing Hearts by K.A. Knight
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsPine Valley is a school that’s both rich in history and legacy, and it’s once more opening its doors to another year of students.Skylar Warren owns the streets of Pine Valley and everybody in it. From cars to people, there is nothing he wants that he can’t get—until now...Categorized as:
from hate to love found-family queer grumpy sunshine sports dark mystery contemporary -
The Flesh Cartel, Season 5: Reclamation by Rachel Haimowitz, Heidi Belleau
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsIn the exciting final season of the Flesh Cartel . . .With the help of the FBI, Mat Carmichael has let himself be re-taken by the Flesh Cartel. Objective? Rescue his brother, exact revenge, and destroy the entire organization from the inside... -
His Fatal Love by Leighton Greene
Easily bored, completely manipulative, and utterly deadly…and that’s just in bed.As an assassin for the Castellani Family, I live for the thrill of the job. I'm devoted to my Family and my Don, because they keep me safe.To Leo Bernardi, I'm a monster. A killing machine. And a puppet that his Family can use for their own ends. To me, Leo is just a pawn in a game that I'm playing. A means to an end... -
Stalked But Not Afraid by Nicole Dykes
RomanHe’s an influencer—whatever that means. He’s also stunningly beautiful with a feisty attitude I can’t deny intrigues me.But more importantly, he’s in trouble.I’m not like my brother. Except for being a cop, I don’t strive to save the entire world.However, I find myself compelled to save him.If he’ll calm down and just let me.BrooksHe’s everything I despise. He’s a cop...Categorized as:
from hate to love forced proximity queer found-family hurt-comfort m-m suspense angst -
Kiss Your Scars by Avril Ashton
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsBeing the king of Atlanta’s underworld used to have its perks, but lately all undercover agent Renzo Vega has seen is the downside. Someone is auctioning off women in his city, and he’s damn sure not about to let that offense stand. Just as he’s set to make a move, Renzo’s club is ambushed and he’s shot. Unsure of who to trust, he turns to the one man he definitely knows wants him dead... -
Happy Krampus Xmas & The Meet Not Cute: Two Xmas Novellas by Paulina Ian-Kane
-Happy Krampus XmasHappy Krampus Day!Krampus who? Santa’s evil brother, duh.The horned demon sort of cursed me, and I need to find a way to appease him.Otherwise, I won’t be able to proceed with my donor initiation: blood, torture, death, screams—not in that order.All I need is to follow my three-step groveling plan... -
All We Are by Jessie Walker
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 15 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... -
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Rogue Launch by Cara Dee
Rated: 4.26 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...Categorized as:
from hate to love hurt-comfort forced proximity queer found-family military suspense m-m -
Demon by Joel Abernathy
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsFalling in love with an obsessive serial killer was the last thing on my to-do list.I was born into a world of villains, so it came as no great surprise when my brothers fell for the most twisted monsters of all. A sociopathic fixer. A psycho sadistic cop whose name belongs in the dictionary next to corruption.Maybe I’m the one who’s crazy, thinking I could have any semblance of a normal life... -
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 found-family m-m contemporary age difference daddy-kink height-difference -
Safe by Taylor McNiff
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsA sex trafficking victim and a police officer walk into a gas station... it sounds like a sick joke. Or maybe, just maybe, it'll be the best thing to ever happen to them. Huxley "Huck" Scott just wants a damn cup of coffee. He has too much to deal with already between his demotion to patrol officer, his struggle with his sobriety, and his lingering survivor's guilt... -
The Wild Charge by Lauren Gilley
Rated: 4.80 of 5 stars · 5 ratingsA storm is brewing, and the Lean Dogs find themselves in the center of it. What at first seemed like a routine clash with a cartel proves to be part of a much more sinister - and more powerful - operation than any of them expected. The Dogs have a choice: back out now, play dumb...or go full-on vigilante. Tennyson Fox has a new name, a new home, a new family.. -
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... -
Nevermore by A.K. Graves
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsWhen Leonor died, she didn’t see a light.There were no angels, no pearly gates.She didn’t see anything at all, just a cold, dark void.But she did hear music…Leonor heard her music, the music she made with The Ravens, and she was glad it was waiting for her in the end.Until everything went eerily silent, and she was pulled from the afterlife and thrown into the life after... -
Kill for You by Syn Blackrose
A Dark MM LEV I don't do relationships. I don't do feelings. I don't do what's considered the norm. I love hurting people. I love their screams. I love their begging. I live for it. Until him. Aaron. He has his own version of crazy. His crazy mixed with mine? That's a recipe for disaster. AARON My life is not my own. My stepbrother won't let me go. I have to end him. I'm not normal... -
Nightingale by Laura Lascarso
Rated: 4.34 of 5 stars · 11 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...Categorized as:
hurt-comfort from hate to love forced proximity queer dark m-m contemporary friends to lovers -
Restricted Area [禁区] by 空菊
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsJiang Chijing had always used surveilling prisoners’ every move to satiate his voyeuristic appetite.Until one day, an extremely dangerous convict entered the prison—and Jiang Chijing was caught spying on him.The watcher became the watched, the hunter became the hunted... -
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King's Virtuous Son by Ki Brightly
Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsThe “Innocent” Twin Hunter Tanner is a prospect for the Kings of Men MC. The club president, King, shocked Hunter with the news that he is Hunter’s biological father. King was the only man who had ever kept Hunter safe, and he’d taken King’s attention the wrong way—only to be devastated to learn they were related. Now he’s pissed off...Categorized as:
forced proximity from hate to love hurt-comfort queer m-m bikers mafia age difference -
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... -
Griffin in Wonderland by Tiffany Reisz
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsHard partying trust fun baby Griffin Fiske wakes up after a hard night with a King's boots on his chest and gets an invitation he can't refuse...This Original Sinners short story takes place approximately six years before The Siren... -
Reinventing Us by Ann Lister
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsAlex-Zander Metcalf knew his life would always be filled with twists and turns, especially living in the public eye while playing the role of front man for his band Ivory Tower. That's what made life interesting and he loved every aspect about his job in the music world. Living in a long-term polyamorous relationship with a husband and a wife also created a fair amount of ups and downs... -
Resist by K.A. Knight
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsSanctuary is more than a band—it’s a home for the lost and broken.No one knows that better than Ryker, the lead singer of the newly rising rock band. It seems he is unable to go even one day without being in the spotlight, and not always for good reasons. From run-ins with his label to arrests and a long line of broken hearts, it seems this rock god is determined to enjoy fame...Categorized as:
found-family queer forced proximity hurt-comfort friends to lovers m-m queer-awakening rockstars -
The Mad House by Liza James
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsA broken home made whole through promises of eternal life and family beyond.On your knees. Whisper the prayers.Obey thy Father and Mother. You'll be made whole in the Spirit once we're all together again.One sister escapes. The other is trapped, carrying the weight of all focus from their parents for years to come... -
Hazardous by Charity Parkerson
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsWulf and Beau have nothing in common. There’s no reason for them to see each other at all. So why can’t they stay away? Wulf’s friend married Beau’s brother. That’s it. They have no other common ground. Wulf isn’t certain they even like each other. They have nothing to talk about when Wulf finds himself on Beau’s couch. Neither of them calls or sends texts between unexpected visits... -
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...Categorized as:
queer hurt-comfort forced proximity from hate to love m-m dark dual-pov contemporary -
Obey by Adara Wolf, R. Phoenix
I thought I was over it--over him. But eight years after he betrayed me, we're suddenly working for the same organization. It's impossible to be professional when all I can think about is how much I want to hurt him, make him suffer the way I suffered.And how much I want to completely wreck him, until he's a mess of pleasure and pain.I know I can't trust him... -
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... -
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Always Watching by Lee McCormick, R.S. McKenzie
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 5 ratingsᴡʜᴀᴛ ʜᴀᴘᴘᴇɴꜱ ᴡʜᴇɴ ᴀ ꜱᴇʀɪᴀʟ ᴋɪʟʟᴇʀ ᴅᴇᴄɪᴅᴇꜱ ᴀ ᴄᴀᴍʙᴏʏ ɪꜱ ʜɪꜱ?ℝ𝕒𝕟𝕖𝕟My life has become a nightmare. A stalker intent on having me permeates my waking moments. Gifts and threatening messages greet me at every turn. Every cam session is filled with the fear of them watching me in my most intimate moments. One day, my stalker takes it a step further than words and attacks me in my home... -
Tell No One by Barbara Elsborg
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsIt’s not every day that a total stranger asks Tag if he’s…ahem…well endowed. Of course he’s not going to say no. When he’s offered a life-changing amount of money to go to a party, he’s not going to say no to that either, even though he suspects sex will be involved. But sense prevails and Tag decides to stick to his principles and not go, except things take an alarming turn... -
Damaged by Hayden Hall
Welcome to Black Diamond Resort & Spa… I’m left on this strip of sand after my second round of rehab. Father says I should rest and build my strength back, but I know better. I’m a toxic asset. Father is launching his campaign of hate and bigotry in a presidential bid and I am the black hole for his reputation. And not because I’m an addict. Oh no...Categorized as:
hurt-comfort forced proximity from hate to love queer contemporary new adult mental illness dark -
Jealousy, Vol. 3 by Scarlet Beriko
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsThe prequel to the popular yakuza rom-com Fourth Generation Head: Tatsuyuki Oyamato!A yakuza head finds himself ensnared in the unwavering attentions of a sometimes impetuous but always cunning schemer... -
His Bane by Courtney W. Dixon
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsPLEASE READ THE BLURB AND WARNINGS IF YOU'RE SENSITIVE TO TRIGGERS!He is mine. I don't care how long it takes. I will have Malik Amin. Sullivan BeauchampSome people call me a monster. A psychopath. As if I care what others think. So what if I relish in the mayhem of slaughter or enjoy feeling the life blink out of someone? I am who I am... -
Stockholm Syndrome by Richard Rider
During a botched jewel robbery, a teenage Lottery heir unhappy with his home life becomes a willing hostage for the gang of thieves. Pip Valentine craves excitement, drama, anything that'll get him away from his family, especially because the ransom is going to hit them where it hurts - right in the bank account...
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