Books like 'What We Were'
Readers who enjoyed What We Were by Jen Samson also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary gay romance dark romance secret-relationship angst forbidden love dual-pov second chances hurt-comfort forced proximity
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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... -
![This Other Country by John Wiltshire]()
This Other Country by John Wiltshire
Nikolas is the sanest, straightest, person Ben knows, so can anyone tell him, why is he on a gay therapy course?Nikolas Mikkelsen could make a very long list of unpleasant things he's endured in his life. Then order it from 'nearly killed me' to 'extremely horrific and don't want to do again'...Categorized as:
age difference angst hurt-comfort secret-relationship queer m-m contemporary military -
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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... -
![Twittering Birds Never Fly, Vol.1 by Kou Yoneda]()
Twittering Birds Never Fly, Vol.1 by Kou Yoneda
Rated: 4.41 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsYashiro is the young leader of Shinseikai and the president of the Shinseikai Enterprise, but like so many powerful men, he leads a double life as a deviant and a masochist. Chikara Doumeki comes to work as a bodyguard for him and, although Yashiro had decided that he would never lay a hand on his own men, he finds there's something about Doumeki that he can't resist... -
![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... -
![Transactional Dynamics by Gregory Ashe]()
Transactional Dynamics by Gregory Ashe
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsEmery Hazard is ready for Valentine’s Day. He’s made reservations months in advance, he’s ordered flowers, and he’s got a boyfriend he wants to treat right—even if John-Henry Somerset occasionally lets the dishes sit in the sink a little too long. They even have an extra reason to celebrate this year: Somers has received a special commendation for his police work... -
![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:
age difference hurt-comfort forced proximity queer m-m height-difference suspense humor -
![Police Brutality by Gregory Ashe]()
Police Brutality by Gregory Ashe
Rated: 4.52 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsFor the first time in a long while, Emery Hazard’s life is good. His new business as a private detective is taking off. Things are good at home. He loves his boyfriend, John-Henry Somerset; he loves their daughter. He might even love the new friends they’ve found. There’s only one problem: Somers has been talking about marriage... -
![The Hatter's Game, Part II by Cole McCade]()
The Hatter's Game, Part II by Cole McCade
ABOUT THIS EPISODE Malcolm Khalaji is missing. And Seong-Jae Yoon is the only one who can find him. But to do so means walking paths he swore he would never tread again. Descending into the blackest hallways of a twisted and sadistic mind. Breaking down every wall he's ever built around himself, to try to predict what Sila will do next... -
![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:
age difference secret-relationship forced proximity angst queer m-m from hate to love sports -
![The Bright and Hungry Future of Hawks by John Wiltshire]()
The Bright and Hungry Future of Hawks by John Wiltshire
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThe FINAL book in the addictive, best-selling "More Heat Than The Sun" M/M Thriller seriesBen and Nikolas know that if they were to compare recollections of their life together, they’d remember things very differently. Ben never asks about their time together in the Department, because he doesn’t want to hear Nikolas lie... -
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![Backdraft by Cole McCade]()
Backdraft by Cole McCade
ABOUT THIS EPISODE When a 911 call goes wrong and a young man goes missing, it falls to Malcolm and Seong-Jae to investigate the responding officers when Internal Affairs' internal politics leave the case compromised and the officers aren't willing to talk... -
![Tango Down by Cara Dee]()
Tango Down by Cara Dee
Rated: 4.46 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 second chances forced proximity age difference queer dual-pov suspense m-m -
![Cult of Personality by Cole McCade]()
Cult of Personality by Cole McCade
ABOUT THIS EPISODE "He pushed me." Three words turn a suspected suicide into an unsettling murder, pointing to a killer whose methods and motives threaten to expose buried memories of Seong-Jae's past... -
![Death's Ink-Black Shadow by John Wiltshire]()
Death's Ink-Black Shadow by John Wiltshire
It takes a certain kind of courage to live as if favoured by the gods, ignoring the ever-present ghosts of your past—or perhaps not bravery, but arrogance. And maybe not even that. Ben genuinely believes that the past is behind them—that they deserve to enjoy the life they have created. So it’s not hubris that leads him to overlook the signs that Nikolas does not share his faith, it’s love... -
![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... -
![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 second chances queer contemporary lgbtqia hate mental illness dark -
![Pretty Black by J.R. Gray]()
Pretty Black by J.R. Gray
Iris Black: There are moments in music when the crowd becomes part of the song and we all lose ourselves to the energy. I wanted to drown myself in the music. It became my escape and my savior. I thought success was what I wanted, but it only intensified my misery. Fame is a monster, and it ate me alive. I tried it all to get out of my head: sex, drugs, and rock and roll...Categorized as:
hurt-comfort second chances angst secret-relationship queer forbidden love forced proximity m-m -
![No Beginning, No End by Richard Rider]()
No Beginning, No End by Richard Rider
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 18 ratings“What if that’s all there was? If I don’t need you looking after me no more are you still gonna want me?” The first time they were together was a messy, jagged jigsaw of interlocking flaws. Seven years later, Lindsay Brown and Pip Valentine have got back together and are taking a shot at normal life with 9-to-5s, family Christmas, and babysitting duties... -
![Prepared by Cara Dee]()
Prepared by Cara Dee
Rated: 4.51 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsBook 6 • Family • Humor • Action • Bachelor Party Fun It’s time for the happily ever after Gray and Darius have fought so hard for…once they get out of this darn jungle in Belize. “You have to understand, I thought I wasn’t going to make it. I said goodbye to everyone in my head.” Three years ago, Gray Nolan lost all hope of ever seeing his friends and family again... -
![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... -
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![Savior Complex by Kelly Fox]()
Savior Complex by Kelly Fox
Love isn't something I get to wish for. Ten years ago, my nephew was sold to traffickers, and it was my fault. I spent the next decade doggedly searching for him in the most awful places imaginable, unable to stop until I knew he was safe.I finally track him down to Wild Heart Ranch, an equine therapy center in the heart of Texas with a secret mission to help victims of trafficking...Categorized as:
age difference hurt-comfort forced proximity queer m-m mystery contemporary mental illness -
![Enemy Combatant by Cara Dee]()
Enemy Combatant by Cara Dee
Rated: 4.39 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... -
![The Golden Ratio by Cole McCade]()
The Golden Ratio by Cole McCade
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThe boys are back, and an old face from Seong-Jae’s past plunges BPD Detectives Malcolm Khalaji and Seong-Jae Yoon from a two-month suspension right into the depths of hell — and into one of the most horrific, grisly cases of Malcolm’s life. He's never seen anything like it... -
![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... -
![A Single Bright Candle's Flame by Cole McCade]()
A Single Bright Candle's Flame by Cole McCade
ABOUT THIS EPISODE Detective Malcolm Khalaji is at a loss. For the second time in his life, he wasn't there when his lover needed him. And with Seong-Jae Yoon on leave pending an internal investigation, Malcolm doesn't know what to do with a shattered partner and boyfriend who's retreated from him into a dark and broken place. It's Gabrielle all over again.. -
![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 forced proximity age difference dual-pov queer suspense contemporary -
![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... -
![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... -
![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... -
![Dragon by K. Webster]()
Dragon by K. Webster
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsFrom USA Today Bestselling Author K Webster comes a new motorcycle club dark standalone MM romance novel!They created this monster when they took me as a teen.Abused me, tortured me, psychologically ruined me.I was once innocent, fragile, and good.Now I’m older and everything wicked.The worst of the worst... -
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![Divine Proportion by Cole McCade]()
Divine Proportion by Cole McCade
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsWhile Captain Anjulie Zarate y Salazar faces a crisis of loyalty at home, Malcolm Khalaji faces another crisis in Los Angeles—one that will test him to his absolute limits.And that crisis is named Yoon Eun-Ji... -
![Deep Spiral by Cole McCade]()
Deep Spiral by Cole McCade
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsABOUT THIS EPISODE A deadly, unstable shooter. A trap Malcolm and Seong-Jae can't escape. And more than one life on the line as they find themselves facing down one of the Golden Ratio Killer's proxies in a high-stakes hostage situation that could ramp up the serial murderer's mathematical body counts exponentially. And if Malcolm and Seong-Jae aren't careful, they'll be among the tally... -
![Hard Angle by Cole McCade]()
Hard Angle by Cole McCade
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsUnsettled tensions from the last case come to a head as Seong-Jae reveals his secrets — but will it be enough to repair the fractures in his relationship with Malcolm?Especially when their only promising lead on the Golden Ratio Killer's identity falls apart, along with any hope of returning home to Baltimore and to their life together.When their primary suspect turns up dead..... -
![Savage by Brooke Blaine, Ella Frank]()
Savage by Brooke Blaine, Ella Frank
Who are we? Nobody really knows. We’re the seven most powerful heirs to empires, ruling Manhattan from our thrones on Park Avenue. By day, we’re the elite, untouchable, and more connected than you could ever imagine. By night, we revel in the darkness of our secrets, pulling strings that make the city bow to our whims.Ruthless.Dangerous.We’re the Park Avenue Kings...Categorized as:
queer age difference forced proximity dual-pov m-m found-family contemporary suspense -
![Black and Brown by A.E. Via]()
Black and Brown by A.E. Via
Rated: 4.48 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsGrace’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... -
![It's Witchcraft by Cole McCade]()
It's Witchcraft by Cole McCade
ABOUT THIS EPISODE An eerie ritualistic murder sends Malcolm and Seong-Jae down a bizarre path of the occult to find a killer--but when it comes to witchcraft, the suspect's not the only one casting a spell. With Seong-Jae haunting his dreams, Malcolm is practically bewitched, his trust in Seong-Jae growing deeper and deeper as both men learn to rely on each other... -
![The Hatter's Game, Part I by Cole McCade]()
The Hatter's Game, Part I by Cole McCade
ABOUT THIS EPISODE Broken trust. Shattered hearts. Secrets exposed--and yet still no closer to the truth. When Malcolm and Seong-Jae's relationship hits a wall, their partnership fragments as well...and they may not be able to withstand the crushing tide when protests over Tomasz Kowalczyk's death turn into deadly riots. Too many familiar faces return, and one will be leaving in a bodybag... -
![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... -
![Crescendo by Cole McCade]()
Crescendo by Cole McCade
ABOUT THIS EPISODE "I'm sorry." A stage play turns into high drama when the leading man's mutilated body takes center stage--and the remorseful note pinned to his chest is Malcolm and Seong-Jae's only clue to finding the killer... -
![Kiss Your Scars by Avril Ashton]()
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... -
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![The Man with the Glass Eye by Cole McCade]()
The Man with the Glass Eye by Cole McCade
ABOUT THIS EPISODE Multiple execution-style murders hint at a mob hit, but when Malcolm and Seong-Jae follow the clues the last thing they expect is a host of very familiar--and very dead--faces. They say dead men tell no tales, but if Malcolm and Seong-Jae can't even trust the words of the living, they'll never catch a hit man dead set on burying every trace of an underworld secret.. -
![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 age difference hurt-comfort m-m contemporary daddy-kink height-difference found-family -
![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... -
![Collateral Damage by Cole McCade]()
Collateral Damage by Cole McCade
ABOUT THIS EPISODE Tragedy strikes on the homefront when a husband and father snaps...but if Detectives Malcolm Khalaji and Seong-Jae Yoon can't track down a killer on the run, this crime of passion may take one more victim. Moral boundaries blur, lines cross, and even as a secretive puppetmaster watches from the shadows, both Malcolm and Seong-Jae must make a choice. One path leads to salvation... -
![White Rabbit, Part II by Cole McCade]()
White Rabbit, Part II by Cole McCade
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe white rabbit crashes storytime with Sila, Malcolm, and Seong-Jae — a little too literally, leaving our intrepid detectives battered but not broken. Yet what they find with the white rabbit's arrival could destroy even the strongest man: a diabolical game with over two dozen lives at stake, turning their final showdown into a macabre stage play with the white rabbit as its star...
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