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 second chances hurt-comfort forced proximity queer
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Hunt the Villain by Rina Kent
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 38 ratingsFrom the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Rina Kent comes a standalone dark MM mafia rivals romance set in the world of Legacy of Gods. More information TBA. Hunt the Villain is a male x male dark college romance. -
![A Charm of Finches by Suanne Laqueur]()
A Charm of Finches by Suanne Laqueur
“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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![Twittering Birds Never Fly, Vol.1 by Kou Yoneda]()
Twittering Birds Never Fly, Vol.1 by Kou Yoneda
Yashiro 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... -
![A Charm of Finches by Suanne Laqueur]()
A Charm of Finches by Suanne Laqueur
Rated: 4.72 of 5 stars · 16 ratings"I swear. Give me one more chance and I will make the most of it. ". Ex-hustler Javier Landes is asking for his third chance at love. The third time proves to be the charm when he meets a Manhattan art therapist named Steffen Finch. What starts as casual and curious deepens into a passionate relationship--everything Jav has ever wanted, and everything he fears losing... -
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![A Charm of Finches by Suanne Laqueur]()
A Charm of Finches by Suanne Laqueur
Rated: 4.72 of 5 stars · 16 ratings“I swear. Give me one more chance and I will make the most of it. ”. Ex-hustler Javier Landes is asking for his third chance at love. The third time proves to be the charm when he meets a Manhattan art therapist named Steffen Finch. What starts as casual and curious deepens into a passionate, soulful relationship—everything Jav has ever wanted, and everything he fears losing... -
![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... -
![Final Orders by Gregory Ashe]()
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... -
![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... -
![The Dangerous Convenience Store Vol. 4 by 945]()
The Dangerous Convenience Store Vol. 4 by 945
GONE BABY GONE. After learning more about Gunwoo’s shrouded past, Eui-joon realizes he’s in love with him. Just as Eui-joon finally decides to tell him how he feels, Gunwoo vanishes. In desperation, Eui-joon goes to Gunwoo’s associate, Chaehyun, to see if he knows where Gunwoo has gone, and if he’s all right... -
![Tango Down by Cara Dee]()
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 second chances forced proximity age difference queer suspense m-m military -
![Deep Spiral by Cole McCade]()
Deep Spiral by Cole McCade
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 17 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... -
![Domesticated Beast by Onley James]()
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... -
![Olive Juice by T.J. Klune]()
Olive Juice by T.J. Klune
Rated: 4.45 of 5 stars · 18 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. -
![No Beginning, No End by Richard Rider]()
No Beginning, No End by Richard Rider
“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... -
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![17 Black and 29 Red by Richard Rider]()
17 Black and 29 Red by Richard Rider
Rated: 4.37 of 5 stars · 20 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. -
![The Dangerous Convenience Store Vol. 5 by 945]()
The Dangerous Convenience Store Vol. 5 by 945
THE LONG GOODBYE. It's been three years since Eui-joon last saw Gunwoo and there have been a lot of changes. Eui-joon no longer works his punishing graveyard shift at the convenience store, but instead works in sales at a small company where, as the newest employee, he's constantly running errands for his boss... -
![Twittering Birds Never Fly, Vol. 6 by Kou Yoneda]()
Twittering Birds Never Fly, Vol. 6 by Kou Yoneda
Yashiro and Doumeki have finally crossed the line that for so long they dared not. Doumeki confronts the fact that Yashiro is irreplaceable to him, while Yashiro realizes his own contradictory feelings for Doumeki. Because he values him, he can't let him go. Because he values him, he must let him go... -
![Whiskey Nights and Neon Dreams by Ashley James]()
Whiskey Nights and Neon Dreams by Ashley James
The memory of Josiah DeMille has haunted me for close to a decade. The way he looked. The way he smelled. The way his lips felt pressed against mine, even when they shouldn’t have been. The one person I’ve never been able to get over. The one singular part of my past I’ve never been able to move on from...Categorized as:
hurt-comfort queer age difference second chances angst m-m friends to lovers queer-awakening -
![Enemy Combatant by Cara Dee]()
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... -
![The Dangerous Convenience Store Vol. 5 by 945]()
The Dangerous Convenience Store Vol. 5 by 945
THE LONG GOODBYE. It’s been three years since Eui-joon last saw Gunwoo and there have been a lot of changes. Eui-joon no longer works his punishing graveyard shift at the convenience store, but instead works in sales at a small company where, as the newest employee, he’s constantly running errands for his boss... -
![Hard Angle by Cole McCade]()
Hard Angle by Cole McCade
Rated: 4.60 of 5 stars · 10 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. .. . . -
![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... -
![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 -
![A Love Song for the Sad Man in the White Coat by Roe Horvat]()
A Love Song for the Sad Man in the White Coat by Roe Horvat
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsSimon had always expected love to feel different than this. Whether it was his Catholic upbringing or the poetry he'd read - Simon had thought that true love would be uplifting, fulfilling, that it would give a meaning to his loitering, and add joy to his leisure. But not this kind of love. This love was a flesh-eating monster, sharp-clawed and evil-eyed, ravishing his mind with medieval cruelty... -
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![Maniac by Onley James]()
Maniac by Onley James
Thomas Mulvaney was just a child when an error in judgment cost him everything. He vowed then that he would do anything to atone for his mistake. And he did. He never strayed from the right path. Until Aiden. Aiden Mulvaney doesn’t exist. He’s a lie created by the father who disowned him and by Thomas Mulvaney, the only man Aiden had ever begged to love him... -
![Garron Park: Special Edition by Nordika Night]()
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:
angst hurt-comfort forced proximity queer contemporary bisexual bikers from hate to love -
![Dragon by K. Webster]()
Dragon by K. Webster
Rated: 4.37 of 5 stars · 14 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... -
![White Rabbit, Part II by Cole McCade]()
White Rabbit, Part II by Cole McCade
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 9 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... -
![Divine Proportion by Cole McCade]()
Divine Proportion by Cole McCade
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 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... -
![Prepared by Cara Dee]()
Prepared by Cara Dee
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 13 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... -
![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. . -
![The Sin Eater by Onley James]()
The Sin Eater by Onley James
Waylon Boone is no stranger to danger. As the headmaster of the Watch, an elite school hidden in the desert where the wealthy send their psychopathic children to become the perfect covert operatives, he's trained killers, spies, and manipulators... -
![Save Me by Ariana Nash]()
Save Me by Ariana Nash
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 16 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... -
![All We Are by Jessie Walker]()
All We Are by Jessie Walker
Pride. 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]()
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:
second chances hurt-comfort forced proximity queer age difference military suspense m-m -
![Demon by Joel Abernathy]()
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]()
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. .. Chase. After 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... -
![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... -
![Cold Calculation by Cole McCade]()
Cold Calculation by Cole McCade
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsHow do you profile a serial killer who keeps changing his pattern? A body encased in ice and a cryptic message make Malcolm, Seong-Jae, and Aanga Joshi question everything they thought they'd learned about the Golden Ratio Killer. If their suspect can change his methods and alter his patterns, he could easily disappear. .. . . -
![Boxed In by Rachel Haimowitz, Heidi Belleau]()
Boxed In by Rachel Haimowitz, Heidi Belleau
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 11 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... -
![Independence Day by Rachel Haimowitz, Heidi Belleau]()
Independence Day by Rachel Haimowitz, Heidi Belleau
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsMat and Douglas’s time as Nikolai’s wards is finally drawing to a close. Though torn apart by Nikolai’s machinations, their fates are still inextricably entwined: they’ve been sold to the same cruel master, and are united in their desire to go home... -
![Nightingale by Laura Lascarso]()
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... -
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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...Categorized as:
age difference queer forbidden love secret-relationship mystery m-m suspense contemporary -
![Santino by Linden Bell]()
Santino by Linden Bell
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsEveryone says that Hayden is a fun, easy-going guy. But when I move into the empty room in his apartment, he's the opposite of friendly. Grumpy and fussy, he's always nagging me about where I leave my stuff, how loud I play my music, how long I take in the shower, and the list goes on. I can't seem to do anything right. So I won't even bother...Categorized as:
hurt-comfort forced proximity queer found-family m-m dark contemporary length-medium -
![King's Virtuous Son by Ki Brightly]()
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... -
![Promise by Rachel Haimowitz, Heidi Belleau]()
Promise by Rachel Haimowitz, Heidi Belleau
Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars · 11 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... -
![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... -
![White Rabbit, Part I by Cole McCade]()
White Rabbit, Part I by Cole McCade
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsA tense standoff with Sila uncovers more than Seong-Jae ever wanted to know about the strings Sila's pulled in his past. The pain he's caused. The deaths he's responsible for. And he may be responsible for yet one more, as Sila uses his own life as a bargaining chip to keep Malcolm and Seong-Jae at bay...
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