Books like 'Barrel Proof'
Readers who enjoyed Barrel Proof by Layla Reyne also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary gay romance mystery suspense age difference queer hurt-comfort angst military second chances
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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... -
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... -
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... -
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... -
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Ignite by Jocelynn Drake, Rinda Elliott
Two of Noah’s Army buddies are dead. Someone has taken shots at Noah. And now Noah’s former lover, JB, is a target. Noah, Rowe, and JB team up to track down a killer trying to take out all of Noah’s old Army team in hopes of covering up a dark secret. But this trip to Washington, D.C. threatens to unravel the perfect life that Rowe and Noah have built over the past three years... -
Blaze by Jocelynn Drake, Rinda Elliott
The rings have been selected. The champagne placed on ice. The cake decorated. And the pre-wedding sex is off the charts... Lucas Vallois and Andrei Hadeon are finally ready to walk down the aisle. There’s just one small problem. A ghost from Lucas’s past shows up days before the wedding, desperate for help... -
Pretty Poison (Sinister in Savannah Book3) by Aimee Nicole Walker
Redemption seeker. Chameleon. Damaged heart.By day, Rocky Jacobs is a private investigator. By night, he produces Sinister in Savannah, a true-crime podcast, with his two best friends. Rocky’s life revolves around three principles: possessing skill is better than having luck, a man’s reputation is everything, and there’s no sacrifice too great for those you love...Categorized as:
second chances mystery suspense queer m-m contemporary length-medium explicit-open-door -
Enduring Night by John Wiltshire
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 12 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... -
Shut Up and Drive by L.M. Krier
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsA serial sex attacker is spreading fear in Stockport and DI Ted Darling and his team are on the case.The man randomly targets young women and abducts them from busy supermarket car parks. He's armed with a knife and is clearly highly trained in how to handle it.Ever-dwindling police resources make the manhunt harder, even though the attacker clearly doesn't care whether or not he's caught... -
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
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
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... -
Noble Hops by Layla Reyne
Everything Dominic Price has worked hard to uphold is about to come crashing down on everything he holds dear. So much for the quiet life. Just as assistant US attorney and brewery owner Dominic Price is settling into a comfy new chapter with his partner, FBI agent Cameron Byrne, the sudden death of Nic’s father puts their happily-ever-after in jeopardy... -
Alfie: Part II by Cara Dee
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsMM Romance • Part 2 of 2 • Second Chances • Irish Mafia • Family • Hurt/Comfort • Age Gap • Revenge • Opposites AttractWhen two broken hearts have reached their limits, it’s time for a mobster to play dirty in order to let the healing begin. Don’t worry, Alfie has a plan.That very second, the moment West said those words…I almost shattered. Again. I’d put myself out there... -
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When I'm Old and Grey by L.M. Krier
Rated: 4.34 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsDI Ted Darling doesn't like coincidences. There are too many for comfort surrounding his latest case. They're spilling over into his private life, too, when some toxic family secrets are uncovered. A serial killer appears to be targeting vulnerable elderly people in care homes and despatching them in the most cynical way. Ted and his team are struggling to get a lead on who the killer really is... -
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... -
Red Flagged: Reclaimed Hearts series book 3 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... -
Edison's Professor by Jocelynn Drake
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsThe stranger chose him.Edison Walker had never seen the man with the wide green eyes before. He only knew that he was in trouble.And that he took one look at Ed and decided he was his haven. His protector.Ed would not let him down... -
Old-Fashioned Cupcake with Cappuccino by Sagan Sagan
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsThirty-nine-year-old Nozue went from living a routine, melancholic life of sleep and work to spending his days in bliss with Togawa, his younger subordinate. Now six months into their relationship, the two have graduated from dates at a pancake shop to spending their nights together... -
A Hunted Man by Jaime Reese
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsAfter surviving ten years in prison, Cameron Pierce is attempting to put the past behind him. He tries to adjust to his newfound freedom with a place at the halfway house and a job. But one lesson he learned in prison keeps him guarded: hope is a dangerous thing. Hunter Donovan, Assistant State Attorney, is a man of justice who loves a challenge... -
Thunder and Lightning by Patricia Logan
Jarrett 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... -
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... -
By the Light of Dawn by Adrienne Wilder
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThis is a follow up to the novel In the Absence of Light. You must read the first book to fully understand/enjoy this one. A handmade sailboat helped bring Morgan back to Grant but he never imagined they would put it in the water. Then Morgan sees something in the light that sets Grant on a mission to get them to the middle of the ocean. An unknown destination they have to be when the sun rises... -
Thuggiana by Gregory Ashe
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 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... -
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Ghost of Christmas Present by Pandora Pine
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWith only a week until Christmas, Detective Jude Byrne is wrapping up final preparations for his family’s celebration. He’s made a list and checked it twice, bought presents, planned the neighborhood cookie exchange, and hung mistletoe. Jude’s got a handle on everything, that is, until his son asks if his grandfather is coming to celebrate with them—a man Jude hasn’t seen in six years... -
Modern Warfare by Valerie Vaughn
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsCovert Affairs M/M Romance Book Two Navigating a new relationship is never easy, but Deputy Director Syler Perrin has the uniquely hair-raising privilege of doing it with one Special Agent Arthur Dufault, premiere CIA operative and all around menace... -
Daddy Detectives Episode 1: A Tyler and Ian Jamison Story by April Wilson
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThis is the first installment in a new series for private investigators Tyler and Ian Jamison. Our heroes are adjusting to life as a married couple and are now parents of newborn twins. While the guys are enjoying paternity leave, their administrative assistant, Kimi, comes to them with a personal emergency... -
Interwoven by Ripley Hayes
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsDaniel Owen has spent the best part of ten years renovating his house when he finds the cellar. By falling into it. The mysterious cellar has a mysterious door, and behind the mysterious door is a mysterious box … and in the box … there are clues to the shocking history of Daniel’s beloved home town. A cold case is occupying Mal Kent’s time. A notorious car thief is released from prison... -
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... -
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
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 hurt-comfort m-m contemporary friends to lovers length-short -
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... -
A Matter of Time Book II by Mary Calmes
Rated: 4.12 of 5 stars · 31 ratingsJory Keyes is doing his best to get over Detective Sam Kage, who broke his heart. Fearful of coming out of the closet, Sam intended to marry and uphold the status quo. After testifying against the man he saw commit cold-blooded murder, Jory is sure he and the detective will never cross paths again. But fate has other plans... -
Tempest by Lisa Henry, J.A. Rock
Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsSomething wicked this way comes. FBI Agent Ryan “Mac” McGuinness and con man Henry Page are on the run again. This time they’re headed back to where it all began: Altona, Indiana. Population: some goats. Henry’s not happy about lying low at the McGuinness family farm, but they’ve got nowhere else to go... -
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A Matter of Time Book III by Mary Calmes
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsThree years have passed since Jory Keyes was kidnapped, shot, and left by his lover, Detective Sam Kage. Jory walked through fire and came out the other side stronger. He changed his name to Harcourt and shut the door forever on a past full of pain. Jory now owns his own business, and has a life he enjoys. What he doesn’t have is love... -
Silent Knight 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... -
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... -
Zenith by Eli Easton, R.J. Scott
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsA killer haunts Prophet, and this time it’s personalThe discovery of a body at the Thompson Cabins sets off a chain of events that hits too close to home for Sheriff Gabriel Thompson. When his brother Sam becomes a prime suspect in the murder investigation, Gabriel is forced to keep secrets from Tiber and call in outside help as he fights to prove Sam’s innocence... -
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
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... -
Twisted Valentine by Isabel Lucero
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsKaspian doesn't ask for much, only the undivided attention of the man he's obsessed with. But lately Quin seems preoccupied, and when Kaspian spots him talking to a guy at work, he sees red.Clingy, obsessive, impulsive, and sociopathic, the thought of anyone else getting Quin's attention has Kaspian's blood boiling.What follows is a twisted journey filled with lies, surprises, sex, and ultimately... -
Beauty and the Beard by R.M. Neill
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsLeafGrief is a complex thing to experience. Since losing my husband, I’ve let it call the shots. It’s been in control so long that I’ve almost forgotten what it feels like to have someone hold me tight at night or share a secret smile with.But a beautiful young model shows up at my lodge. He’s eager to learn about the outdoors and experience life outside the city... -
Slip and Slide by Patricia Logan
ATF special agents, Thayne Wolfe, and his partner, Jarrett Evans, have gotten into sticky situations in the past but nothing prepares them for the daunting task of being loaned out to a coal mine in West Virginia where Jarrett’s grown up. Investigating a deadly mining explosion may be the end of them yet... -
His Brutal Heart by Leighton Greene
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThe ultimate forbidden love: a Mafia Boss and his captive.I'm a man without mercy. A Mafia heir.Brutality was all that ever made sense to me...Until I saw him.Unfortunately, he happens to be the sole witness to my latest crime. That should mean one thing.Elimination.But one look into those pleading blue eyes, and I lost myself.I let a beauty live…But - beast that I am - I’ve locked him away... -
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Killer Bond by Jocelynn Drake, Rinda Elliott
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsDaniel Hendricks wants a vacation. Ward Security’s accountant and resident code breaker just needs a little R&R from the chaos and usual shenanigans of the office. But what was supposed to be a sexy vacation hook-up explodes in his face when he’s mistaken for a rogue secret agent... -
Baby's Got Blue Eyes by L.M. Krier
Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsSomeone is dumping bodies on DI Ted Darling's patch and he's not happy. Ted's a good solid copper, in an old-fashioned way, with an excellent clear-up rate. He also happens to be gay and has his own unique way of dealing with any prejudice that brings him. But this killer seems to be running effortless rings round him and every promising lead just takes him up another blind alley... -
Hanging the Stars by Rhys Ford
Rated: 4.16 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsHalf Moon Bay: Book Two Angel Daniels grew up hard, one step ahead of the law and always looking over his shoulder. A grifter's son, he’d learned every con and trick in the book but ached for a normal life. Once out on his own, Angel returns to Half Moon Bay where he once found… and then lost… love. Now, Angel's life is a frantic mess of schedules and chaos... -
Looking For Love by Stella Starling
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsMicah Finn Rawlings has lived most of his life blind, sheltered, and craving adventure. Now, at twenty-two, an operation has given him his sight back and he’s ready to take on the world. Well, sort of. His newly restored vision isn’t exactly all that he’d hoped it would be, but he’s definitely not going to let that stop him…... -
His Warrior: a Second Chance M/M Protector Romance by Sue Brown
Rated: 4.18 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsWill an alpha guy like Si willingly give his heart to Howie for a second chance at love? Si Raines thought his plans were set for the future. He’d marry his fiancé, the bar-owner Howie Gray, continue with his covert ops career, and when he was ready to retire from that, find a new job and settle down to life together... -
Skin and Bone by T.A. Moore
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsDigging Up Bones: Book Two Cloister Witte and his K-9 partner, Bourneville, find the lost and bring them home. But the job doesn’t always end there. Janet Morrow, a young trans woman, lies in a coma after wandering away from her car during a storm. But just because Cloister found the young tourist doesn’t mean she’s home...
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