Books like 'Illuminate the Shadows'
Readers who enjoyed Illuminate the Shadows by Isobel Starling also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary gay romance mystery suspense hurt-comfort age difference angst queer queer-awakening alpha male
-
Fish & Chips by Abigail Roux
This romance is entering rough waters.After almost dying on their hiking trip, Special Agents Ty Grady and Zane Garrett have a moratorium on the word vacation. This makes it hard to discuss their newest case: an undercover operation aboard a cruise ship in the Caribbean... -
![The Grave Between Us by Tal Bauer]()
The Grave Between Us by Tal Bauer
It was just one moment.It was just one mistake.For years, men have been disappearing. A father in North Carolina. A boater in California. A hiker in Arkansas. And more, scattered across the United States. The FBI knows who’s responsible: a serial killer they caught, a man they sent young profiler Cole Kennedy to interrogate...Categorized as:
suspense age difference angst mystery hurt-comfort office third-person-pov men in uniform -
![Domestic Animals by Gregory Ashe]()
Domestic Animals by Gregory Ashe
Sometimes, the most dangerous animals are the ones you let inside.When a man hires Emery Hazard to track down a teenager who, he claims, robbed him, Hazard isn’t convinced. The story has holes in it, and the client seems eager—too eager—to keep the authorities from getting involved. But Hazard is willing to play along; he suspects something much darker is going on, and he wants to know what it is... -
-
![The Bruise-Black Sky by John Wiltshire]()
The Bruise-Black Sky by John Wiltshire
Ben usually overlooks Nikolas's occasionally jarring dissonance. Not this time. A deep rift, a terrible lie, separates them. Eleven thousand miles from Nikolas, in New Zealand, it's bitter winter as Ben films the tragic story of a post-apocalyptic gladiator, a victim of his own personal darkness. But on receiving a death threat, Ben suspects the truth of actor Oliver Whitestone's suicide... -
![The Magnolia Murders by Aimee Nicole Walker]()
The Magnolia Murders by Aimee Nicole Walker
Everything old is new again in love and murder.Work together, live together, and play together is the name of the game for Royce Locke and Sawyer Key. But one of those things changes when Chief Mendoza taps Sawyer to lead the newly formed cold case unit. His first task: solve the Magnolia Murders that spanned three decades and suddenly stopped in 2000... -
![Breaking Cover by Kaje Harper]()
Breaking Cover by Kaje Harper
For homicide detective Mac, it's been a good year. Having Tony to go home to makes him a better cop and a better person. For Tony, it's been hard being in love with a man he can't touch in public. Evasions and outright lying to friends and family take a little of the shine off his relationship with Mac, but Tony is determined to make it work... -
![A Chosen Man by Jaime Reese]()
A Chosen Man by Jaime Reese
Rated: 4.48 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsFor Wall McCormack, actions speak louder than words. He’s giving and protective, loyal to his friends, and devoted to his job. While confident and powerful enough to conquer any challenge, his greatest strength lies in his calm nature. Until an unexpected assignment sends his world into a loud and colorful chaos he never could have anticipated. Rejection...Categorized as:
age difference suspense mystery angst military men in uniform third-person-pov queer -
![Ruined by April Wilson]()
Ruined by April Wilson
Rated: 4.58 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsFinally! Sam and Cooper's long-awaited story is here... a second chance gay romance, with a guaranteed HEA. Sam... Coming out of the closet was easy. Falling in love with a man twice my age was not. Cooper grew up old-school, hiding his true self. He may be the love of my life, but I can’t be his dirty little secret any longer. He needs to man up and claim me if he wants to keep me... -
![Craft Brew by Layla Reyne]()
Craft Brew by Layla Reyne
Assistant US attorney Dominic Price is staring down the barrel of his father’s debts. The bull’s-eye on his back makes him a threat to everyone he cares about, so when his lover wants to go public with their relationship, he bolts. Not because he isn’t in love—he can’t stomach the thought of putting Cam in danger...Categorized as:
mystery suspense age difference alpha male men in uniform male-pov hurt-comfort queer -
![Promises Part 3 by A.E. Via]()
Promises Part 3 by A.E. Via
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsA bounty hunter’s partners to lovers’ story. The hunt is on… and he’s the prey. Bradford (Ford) King was sure he had the rest of his life mapped out. Though he was no longer a SEAL Lieutenant, his brother was home safe and he had a job that still allowed him to satisfy his hunger for hunting bad guys...Categorized as:
bisexual friends to lovers age difference military queer m-m contemporary length-short -
![Taking It Slow by Reese Knightley]()
Taking It Slow by Reese Knightley
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsCan two men from opposite sides of the tracks find love?Colonel Liam Cobalt has it all. He is content being a successful colonel in the Army and a billionaire with enough money at his disposal to help others. It takes only one glimpse of Spencer Turner to change all that. When a headlong clash sets him back, he must rethink his strategy... -
![Shades of Gray by Brooke McKinley]()
Shades of Gray by Brooke McKinley
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 38 ratingsMiller Sutton, a by-the-book FBI agent, is starting to see some troubling shades of gray in his black-and-white world. He comes face-to-face with his doubts in the person of Danny Butler, a mid-level drug runner Miller hopes to use to catch a much larger fish: Roberto Hinestroza, a drug lord Miller has pursued for years...Categorized as:
suspense forbidden love alpha male men in uniform mystery angst bisexual hurt-comfort -
![Wilde Fire by Lucy Lennox]()
Wilde Fire by Lucy Lennox
Otto: Seth Walker was my first love and I always swore he’d be my last. Even after he moved away our senior year in high school, we vowed to reunite after graduation. But when he suddenly broke things off without explanation and crushed my heart, it was my turn to run. After a decade in the navy, I’ve finally come home ready to move on with my life as Hobie’s newest firefighter... -
-
![Off Course by Nicole Edwards]()
Off Course by Nicole Edwards
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsFrom New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Nicole Edwards comes the ninth installment in her Brantley Off the Books series. With wedding plans underway, Brantley Walker and Reese Tavoularis are attempting to create some balance between work and life. After a busy summer, they’ve finally slowed down enough to take a breather. At least until the hacker extraordinaire—a.k.a... -
![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... -
![Castiel by Annabella Stone]()
Castiel by Annabella Stone
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWhat once was strong is broken.Can what was broken be repaired?Former SEAL and Operative for the US Government’s elite Red Squadron, Castiel Cunningham Clark has defied the odds more times than he can count. He learned the hard way how fickle fate can be and he’s made it his business to live his life at one speed and one speed only… full steam ahead. Except when it comes to one person... -
![Rebel by Reese Knightley]()
Rebel by Reese Knightley
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsOne man on a journey of redemption and the other out to prove himself.Cohen “Ace” Gray – Pegasus Commander.He’d buried one lover; he wasn’t going to take the chance of that ever happening again. Ace had his own demons to work on, but working closely with Jacob and having his friendship— despite their twenty-year age difference—had made life a bit easier... -
![Enduring Night by John Wiltshire]()
Enduring Night by John Wiltshire
Rated: 4.45 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsThe supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting. Nikolas has always liked art. You'd have thought that Ben and Nikolas would have learnt that their romantic holidays inevitably end up as disasters. A short break on the polar ice sees them trapped in a nightmare of murder and deceit... -
![Whatever It Takes by Reese Knightley]()
Whatever It Takes by Reese Knightley
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsOne man’s temper may be the other’s salvation. Dillon Gannon went from almost getting kicked out of the Army to being a revered member of a Special Forces unit. When his commanding officer orders him on a protection detail, it’s the last thing he wants to do. He’s a weapons expert, not a babysitter. Luke Rhine worked his way up through the Army and retired as a general... -
![Forever by Kindle Alexander]()
Forever by Kindle Alexander
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsDr. Robert Adams grew up with more advantages than most, the son of a former vice president, he had two loving fathers, a twin sister he adores and wonderfully doting grandparents. Life is good until one afternoon when his dreams flat-line. And no scalpel can repair the guilt and grief he carries with him for the first time in his life... -
![Thunder and Lightning by Patricia Logan]()
Thunder and Lightning by Patricia Logan
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsJarrett Evans and Thayne Wolfe have been partnered in the ATF for nearly two years and their love and commitment to each other has grown over time. Now faced with one final challenge, the boys are headed to Arizona to help Thayne’s mom, stumbling headfirst into a brand new case... -
![Red Flagged by Elle Keaton]()
Red Flagged by Elle Keaton
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsEx-US Marshal turned Cooper Springs Chief of Police, Andre Dear isn’t looking for love. He’s too busy hunting a killer. The last person Andre expected to see in Cooper Springs was Dante Castone. He left Dante and the rest of his old life behind him when he moved to Washington State and what he thought would be a quiet job in a small town by the ocean... -
![Fair Play by Josh Lanyon]()
Fair Play by Josh Lanyon
Fifty years ago, Roland Mills belonged to a violent activist group. Now, someone is willing to kill to prevent him from publishing his memoirs. When ex-FBI agent Elliot Mills is called out to examine the charred ruins of his childhood home, he quickly identifies the fire for what it is--arson... -
-
![Obsessed by Sloane Kennedy]()
Obsessed by Sloane Kennedy
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsI wanted him from the moment I laid eyes on him and from that point on, the question wasn’t if I’d have him but when…Thirty-five-year-old Matias de la Vega is good at one thing and one thing only... -
![Noble by Annabella Stone]()
Noble by Annabella Stone
Rated: 4.34 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsRed Squadron is the tip of the spear in the war against global terrorism. Navy SEAL Commander, Noble Bauer, leads the JASOC Taskforce and knows his team won’t be complete until he finds a Communications Specialist. He knows just the man for the job. The only problem is can he get him to listen... -
![The Unbreakables: Volume 1 by Jocelynn Drake, Rinda Elliott]()
The Unbreakables: Volume 1 by Jocelynn Drake, Rinda Elliott
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratings***Note that this bundle includes books already available as single titles*** It’s time to go on a roller-coaster ride through the underbelly of Cincinnati with the Unbreakable Boys! Since the completion of the Unbreakable Bonds series, we wanted to offer readers bundles of the series so that they can easily flow from one book to the follow-up short story collections, getting the full... -
![How Not to Break by Susan Hawke]()
How Not to Break by Susan Hawke
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsTake one former SEAL with a healthy dose of regret… Nick St. Cloud is living with shame from the one time he let his lust override his sense of honor. He’s haunted by the memory of when he made love to his best friend’s eighteen-year-old son. The tragic accident that happened that same night has only compounded his guilt... -
![The Final Line by Kendall McKenna]()
The Final Line by Kendall McKenna
Staff Sergeant Corey Yarwood is an instructor at the Basic Reconnaissance Course. His last deployment ended in horror, but he can’t remember those events. Battling severe PTSD, Corey’s drinking is growing out of control. Sean Chandler walks into a dive bar, and into Corey’s life...Categorized as:
alpha male friends to lovers suspense military angst hurt-comfort queer contemporary -
![Diamond in the Rough by Charlie Cochet]()
Diamond in the Rough by Charlie Cochet
When the cards are stacked against you, the Kings will even the odds. For Ward “King” Kingston the role of protector, forged by fire and tragedy, is one he takes seriously. When King is asked to safeguard the son of a four-star general and friend, he is pulled back into the world of government black ops on a mission that raises painful memories from his past... -
![Surrender Your Heart by Aimee Nicole Walker]()
Surrender Your Heart by Aimee Nicole Walker
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 23 ratings***Surrender Your Heart was originally published in 2015. This second edition has been completely re-edited but does not contain new material. *** Secrets and fears—everyone has them. Some more than others. A heavy secret brought Liam Connelly to DC, but it isn’t the only reason he stays. Hired to tend bar at Bottoms Up, Liam finds himself drawn to his enigmatic boss like a moth to a flame...Categorized as:
queer military age difference friends to lovers hurt-comfort m-m contemporary length-short -
![Roman by Annabella Stone]()
Roman by Annabella Stone
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsFact: Six years ago, former Force Recon Marine Roman Walsh made the biggest mistake of his life and chose duty to his country over love. Fact: He was an idiot. Now the one he loves is missing, and Roman has only one thing on his mind. Get him back alive... -
![Barrel Proof by Layla Reyne]()
Barrel Proof by Layla Reyne
Special Agents Talley and Walker’s partnership is tested as they come face-to-face with the enemy who threatens to rip their world apart in this final book of Layla Reyne’s Agents Irish & Whiskey M/M romantic suspense trilogy. Aidan loves Jamie and wants the bright future he was robbed of before... -
![Endless Stretch of Blue by Riley Hart]()
Endless Stretch of Blue by Riley Hart
Lorenzo Moretti and Damon Blackwell have never met, but they're tied together by the same tragedy. They were both there that night . They each lost someone they loved. They've been living as shells of their former selves ever since. Running into each other and realizing their shared pasts? Pure serendipity... -
-
![Cask Strength by Layla Reyne]()
Cask Strength by Layla Reyne
Aidan and Jamie go undercover—and under the covers—in this second book of Layla Reyne’s Agents Irish & Whiskey M/M romantic suspense trilogy. FBI agent Aidan Talley has been hiding parts of himself since he was a teen. Thirty years later, he’s hiding his heart from his partner. He’s already lost the love of his life once, and Jamie could be that kind of love again...Categorized as:
mystery suspense male-pov hurt-comfort age difference friends to lovers queer third-person-pov -
![Incandescent by Christina Lee]()
Incandescent by Christina Lee
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsDelaney Roberts and Marcus Worthy-Davis have quite a few things in common. Both blue-collar workers in their forties, they’ve experienced the tragic loss of their wives and meet through their monthly grief group. Their connection is immediate, their friendship solidifying over texts and barstool confessions, neither feeling quite so lonely in the other’s presence... -
![The Monet Murders by Josh Lanyon]()
The Monet Murders by Josh Lanyon
All those late night conversations when Sam had maybe a drink too many or Jason was half falling asleep. All those playful, provocative comments about what they’d do when they finally met up again.Well, here they were...Categorized as:
angst men in uniform age difference suspense mystery second chances cold hero alpha male -
![The Magician Murders by Josh Lanyon]()
The Magician Murders by Josh Lanyon
Nothing up his sleeves. Nothing but murder...Jason West, hot shot special agent with the FBI's Art Crime Team, is recuperating from a recent hit-and-run accident at the Wyoming home of BAU Chief Sam Kennedy when he's asked to aid in the investigation of a suspicious death in a National Forest... -
![Surrender Your Heart: Book 3 of the Fated Hearts Series by Aimee Nicole Walker]()
Surrender Your Heart: Book 3 of the Fated Hearts Series by Aimee Nicole Walker
Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsSecrets and fears… Everyone has them; Jack Murphy and Liam Connelly are no exception. A secret brings Liam Connelly to D.C., but what he discovers upon his arrival is so much more than he expected. Hired to tend bar at Bottoms Up, Liam finds himself drawn to his enigmatic boss like a moth to a flame... -
![Cross & Crown by Abigail Roux]()
Cross & Crown by Abigail Roux
When Nick O'Flaherty arrives at the scene of a double homicide to find he has a witness to the crime, he thinks it’s his lucky day. But when he realizes his witness is suffering from amnesia and can’t even remember his own name, Nick wishes he’d gone with his gut and put in for vacation time...Categorized as:
suspense alpha male men in uniform friends to lovers mystery military bisexual queer -
![Xavier by Silvia Violet]()
Xavier by Silvia Violet
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsI thought I was straight.I thought protecting my identity mattered more than anything besides family.Then Emilio came to me for protection.It's my fault he’s in danger, and no one is going to touch him.No one besides me...Categorized as:
military super rich hero age difference queer queer-awakening contemporary m-m length-medium -
![Battle It Out by Reese Knightley]()
Battle It Out by Reese Knightley
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsMaster Sergeant Zane Gannon loves nothing more than being a part of his Special Forces unit and kicking ass, but above everything, he values his friendship with Isaac. Sure, they argue and snipe at each other, but it’s all in good fun. Until it isn’t. Now, Isaac is pulling away and something Zane has buried for two decades is resurfacing... -
![Silent Knight: A Fog City Novel by Layla Reyne]()
Silent Knight: A Fog City Novel by Layla Reyne
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsI won’t let anything happen to you. Fourteen years ago, Braxton Kane’s feelings were forbidden.As an officer, he couldn’t fall for an enlisted… no matter how much he longed for Holt Madigan.Now—as a police chief in love with a digital assassin—his promise to always protect Holt is becoming harder to keep. I’ll protect you... -
![Honestly Yours by Jaime Reese]()
Honestly Yours by Jaime Reese
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe truth hurts. But in the end, honesty wins. Or does it? Warren Prescott loves a challenge. He knows how to play the game and adapts when necessary to succeed in his cutthroat world. Tired of pining for a man he’s wanted for months, Warren intends to seal the deal. Until that man throws him an endearing curveball…Be honest.Gian Benedetti doesn’t play games... -
-
![The Ghosts Between Us by Brigham Vaughn]()
The Ghosts Between Us by Brigham Vaughn
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsDr. Christopher Allen knows how to deal with death. He’s a psychiatrist who works with hospice patients and their families, helping them cope with grief and letting go. But Chris’s job doesn’t prepare him for the sudden death of his devil-may-care brother Cal. At Cal’s funeral, Chris is completely thrown when he meets Elliot Rawlings, an artist Cal has been dating... -
![Endings and Beginnings by Patricia Logan]()
Endings and Beginnings by Patricia Logan
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsRecently married ATF special agents Thayne Wolfe and Jarrett Evans are ready for some normalcy to return to their work in the ATF the way it has at home. They’ve just moved into their new house and neither of them are prepared for their next assignment, being tasked out to the FBI along with the rest of their team... -
![His Protector: a First Love, M/M Romance by Sue Brown]()
His Protector: a First Love, M/M Romance by Sue Brown
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWhat kind of courage does it take to travel two thousand miles just to say hello to a man who doesn’t know you exist? At thirty years old and never been kissed, Walker is about to find out. After a rocky start to his life in the agency, newly trained operative Walker takes the biggest chance of his life before his first mission. He returns to J.T... -
![Everyday History by Alice Archer]()
Everyday History by Alice Archer
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsHeadstrong Ruben Harper has yet to meet an obstacle he can’t convert into a speed bump. He’s used to getting what he wants from girls, but when he develops a fascination for a man, his wooing skills require an upgrade. After months of persuasion, he scores a dinner date with Henry Normand that morphs into an intense weekend. The unexpected depth of their connection scares Ruben into fleeing... -
![Thuggiana by Gregory Ashe]()
Thuggiana by Gregory Ashe
Rated: 4.60 of 5 stars · 5 ratingsPics, or it didn’t happen.Thuggiana is a collection of short stories connected to The First Quarto. It includes the following:“The Slightest Folly”This prequel provides a glimpse into Auggie’s and Theo’s lives in high school. It takes place before They Told Me I Was Everything.“As School-Boys from Their Books”A series of vignettes set shortly after the events of They Told Me I Was Everything... -
![Just Say When by Aimee Nicole Walker]()
Just Say When by Aimee Nicole Walker
Someone wants Police Chief Emilio Mendoza dead. And if his unknown assailant doesn’t kill him, pining for Sheriff Abraham Beecham just might. Abe and Lio’s thirty-year journey has taken them from heated rivals to best friends with countless labels and pit stops along the way. Romance is the only avenue left unexplored but not from lack of love or desire...
Fantastic book recommendations by romance book lovers for romance book lovers.
Find out more about romance.io.
Find out more about romance.io.
Get recommendations by genres & tropes
Use the romance book finder to mix and match over 100 content keywords to find the books that match your preferences
Or - use our amazing romance book finder to get recommendations based on your favorite content tropes and themes. Mix and match at will.
