Books like 'The Darkness Within'
Readers who enjoyed The Darkness Within by Raquel Riley also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary gay romance dark romance queer military angst caretaking forbidden love forced proximity friends to lovers
-
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... -
The Scent of Winter by Tiffany Reisz
The 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... -
Sponsored links / Remove ads
-
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... -
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... -
-
Deserted by Cara Dee
Gray Nolan had survived a kidnapping where he was supposed to have been auctioned off to the highest bidder. He had also survived being stranded on an island, under siege from a different set of foes, and throughout the hell they’d all endured, their motto had been “Leave no man behind. ”. Recovery was different... -
Reluctant Renegade by Garrett Leigh
“I was never scared of dying until I loved you. ”. The shy single dad and the gentle assassin. Domestic bliss and a bloodthirsty revenge mission battle it out in the emotional fifth instalment of the bestselling Rebel Kings MC series. Decoy. I met a dude in a bar once. Tall and strong, he had moon-blue eyes and tawny hair, and he moved with the grace of a lion...Categorized as:
forced proximity military angst friends to lovers queer found-family disabilities and marks m-m -
Dissent: A Charity Romance Anthology by Brighton Walsh, Kennedy Fox
For National Read a Book day, DISSENT is available in eBook and paperback! DISSENT is a charity romance anthology with NEW, never before published content from over 150 authors of all romance genres. All proceeds from the eBook and paperbacks will be donated to organizations benefiting reproductive rights in the United States, particularly in areas where people need them more than ever... -
Triangulation by Gregory Ashe
After a recent case with a treacherous client, North and Shaw are ready to go back to work building Borealis Investigations. They’re also ready to go back to dodging their feelings for each other, with neither man ready to deal with the powerful emotions the Matty Fennmore case stirred up... -
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... -
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... -
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 · 18 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... -
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. -
Ex Meridian by A.E. Via
Police Lieutenants, God and Day are under intense pressure from the chief to take back control of Atlanta’s streets. The last thing their task force needs is a pair of trained killers in town with a personal score to settle... -
-
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... -
Fracture by Jocelynn Drake, Rinda Elliott
After three years, Snow and Jude’s relationship is still passionate and strong. They’re getting ready for a romantic vacation at home when Jude receives a horrifying call no one wants to receive. His youngest brother was found barely clinging to life. While Jude’s family is rallying around Jordan, Jude is determined to find out what happened to him... -
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 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... -
Forgive Me Father by Garrett Leigh
Expect: a sizzling hurt/comfort MM romance with a damaged chaplain and a dark-souled enforcer with a tender-hearted secret. “I gave my darkest secrets to a man who doesn’t exist. ”. Embry. ". .. you don’t understand. ”. Mateo lowered himself to sit, still vibrating with the need to fix me, the way he always did. “Then tell me. Explain it like I’m the simplest idiot you’ve ever met. ”. I can’t... -
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:
friends to lovers queer found-family angst m-m hurt-comfort queer-awakening cheating -
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:
forced proximity friends to lovers angst queer m-m from hate to love sports contemporary -
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... -
Unholy Trinity by Garrett Leigh
A full steam, page-turning Poly Romance. Why Choose one book boyfriend when you can have two? Satisfy your romantic cravings with this heart-pounding hurt/comfort love story. The vice-president of the Rebel Kings MC. The girl of his dreams. And the six-foot-five firefighter-turned-bodyguard they can’t resist. Nash. It’s three in the morning, and we’re in her bed...Categorized as:
friends to lovers forced proximity queer found-family height-difference m-m-f contemporary poly -
-
Possessive Park Avenue Prince by Brooke Blaine, Ella Frank
Who are we? Like you even need to ask. We’re the seven richer-than-sin legacies causing debauchery at the prestigious Astor University in Manhattan. Some call us spoiled. Some call us trouble. But everyone calls us the Park Avenue Princes. Daire Connery. “The Bad Boy”. I’m not a man of many words. But when I do speak, it usually starts with F and ends with you. Keep to myself. Don’t let anyone in...Categorized as:
friends to lovers forced proximity angst queer found-family m-m grumpy sunshine college -
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 Lauder. Easton 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... -
Midnight Target by Elle Kennedy
From the New York Times bestselling author of The Score and Midnight Revenge. .. Four years ago, Cate’s entire life changed when she discovered she was the daughter of a supersoldier. But Jim Morgan’s overprotectiveness has pushed her away. These days, she’s working as a freelance photographer and living the dangerous life Jim never wanted for her... -
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... -
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... -
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 found-family friends to lovers m-m contemporary age difference daddy-kink hurt-comfort -
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...Categorized as:
military angst found-family queer forced proximity friends to lovers hurt-comfort dark -
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... -
The Mad House by Liza James
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 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... -
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
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
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. .. . . -
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... -
Home Then by A.E. Jensen
Colton. After being in the army for more than 20 years, Colton returns to his home town in Nebraska. His estranged uncle has offered him a job at his auto shop. With nothing to his name, he hopes to start over and build some sort of life. Preferably a quiet life where he doesn’t have to deal with the rest of the world...Categorized as:
friends to lovers military queer found-family contemporary m-m hurt-comfort mental illness -
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... -
Unmask You by Avril Ashton
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsTheirs is a perfect marriage. Until a home invasion exposes secrets, lies, and shatters everything Elias and Lucky hold dear. Too many bodies. Rivers of blood. Elias Kote sees them all in his sleep. Only the love of his husband and daughter keeps him alive and fighting. This contract killer is exhausted and weighed down by all the lies he tells every day. Who he is. What he does... -
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:
found-family forced proximity queer hurt-comfort m-m dark contemporary length-medium -
Remember Me by Avril Ashton
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsTheirs was a connection that began and ended in the shadows. Secret moments. Missed opportunities and what-ifs. Wanting more than what they had, but grateful with the bits of happiness they snatched. A bullet stole it away, setting two men adrift. One waiting in the darkness for light to shine once again... -
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... -
Shattered Pieces by K.M. Neuhold
“I was sure my heart had withered away years ago, but then you smiled at me, and I felt it beat again. ” ~Gage. Years ago, I fell in love with my best friend’s little brother. Then, he took his own life, leaving me shattered and unable to piece my heart back together. I’ve been a zombie for nine long years...Categorized as:
friends to lovers queer m-m contemporary tearjerkers tortured hero dark length-short -
-
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:
friends to lovers found-family queer forced proximity forbidden love m-m queer-awakening rockstars -
Killer Crush by Onley James
Cade Carpenter doesn’t believe in fate—he believes in timing, precision, and clean exits. Killing people is easy. Keeping feelings out of it is even easier. When a dating app ping interrupts his latest job, he doesn’t think twice before answering. One bad date is the perfect cover for a hit. Tris is a walking diagnosis wrapped in a pretty face and borrowed confidence... -
Custody Battles by Gregory Ashe
Some 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... -
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... -
Black Lies by K.A. Merikan
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 11 ratings"That man is not your fairytale ending. ". Griffith has spent two of the most amazing years with his boyfriend Mark, who is undoubtedly The One. Mark is everything Griffith could want in a man. Sexy, kind, always there for him, showering him with gifts and anticipating his needs... -
What We Were by Jen Samson
It began with one meaningless kiss. It ended in a plea bargain. Fast forward five years. Ethan Salvatore Evanson, once the rebellious, heathen son of a powerful preacher with a one-way ticket straight to hell, is now the most respected tech genius of his time, his sordid past wiped clean by the NSA in exchange for his expertise...Categorized as:
angst forced proximity queer forbidden love m-m contemporary hurt-comfort secret-relationship
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.

