Books like 'Restless'
Readers who enjoyed Restless by Willow Thomas also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary gay romance funny sports queer new adult caretaking first-person-pov college football
-
Thick as Thieves by Lucy Lennox
Julian:I've been in love with my best friend since forever. Okay, fine. Like, kindgergarten. It started out platonic, obviously, but then became... nope. Still platonic. The problem is that Parker Ellis has been straight since forever. And that makes it difficult to convince him the two of us are meant to be together.And now there's no point. All is lost... -
Playing Games by Riley Hart
BraxTyson Langley thinks the king in Franklin University Kings is in reference to him. Star lacrosse player and God’s gift to the female and male population, there’s nothing the spoiled jock can’t have.It’s impossible for us to be in the same room without talking crap to each other. But I also have a secret… As much as I despise Ty, I want him too...Categorized as:
sports new adult athletes forced proximity college queer first-person-pov caretaking -
Just a Taste by Briar Prescott
LakeSo... I’m getting married.Just three minor details: my husband-to-be is technically also my step-brother, he’s straight, and we’re absolutely nowhere in the vicinity of being in love.RykerOnly then comes the you-may-kiss-your-husband part. Turns out kissing your husband is a terrible idea because it makes you have strange thoughts you’ve never had before... -
Learning Curve by N.R. Walker
Cobey GreenThere I was, moving into the dorms at Franklin U, and not into the shared party house I’d lived in my freshman year. Last year had been all about football and parties, not schoolwork. Which was why my grades tanked, and why I was one failed class away from being kicked off the team.Why I needed to live on campus, and find myself a tutor... -
-
Project Hero by Briar Prescott
What if you accidentally fell in love with the right guy?Andy:If my life was a movie, I would be the sidekick. Not an especially promising start when my plan is to finally let my best friend know I have a crush on him. No worries, though. I have a plan. I just need a complete makeover... -
Not a Day Goes By by E. Lynn Harris
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsJohn "Basil" Henderson has always played the field, both as a professional football player and as an equal opportunity lover. After retiring his jersey for a career as a sports agent, the dashing playboy is surprising everyone--including himself--by deciding to settle down and commit to his new love, Yancey Harrington Braxton... -
Seth by Carly Marie
Be yourself because everyone else is taken. But what if that risks everything you know? Seth Johnson has worked his entire career to be remembered more for his skill than as an openly gay NHL player. Finding a boyfriend has been pushed to the back burner. As for exposing his softer side, the side that loves lace and lingerie? It’s not happening... -
Caught Stealing by C.E. Ricci
Let me tell you how Holden Sykes operates. As the campus playboy and one-and-done king, he doesn’t do strings. Or repeats. Or names, for that matter. So when he tries making my best friend the next notch on his bedpost, I react poorly. Some would call it jealousy or an unrequited crush, but friends protect each other from making mistakes. The same ones I’ve already made... -
Right as Raine by Lucy Lennox
Tiller:As the first openly gay professional football player, I can’t afford to make any mistakes, on or off the field. And the absolute biggest mistake I could make right now would be to fall for Mikey Vining, my best friend, employee and, more importantly, Coach’s baby boy. I might fantasize about Mikey at night-—every night—but actually touching him would be a serious personal foul... -
Torn & Bound Duet by K. Webster, Nikki Ash
From USA Today bestselling authors K Webster and Nikki Ash comes an angsty, new adult, poly romance.I’ve spent the past three years in college terrorizing the dean, also known as my father.I’m everything he hates.Troublemaker. Slacker. Gay.But I’m only getting started.I’m about to make Dad really proud with my newest life choices…I fall for my best friend, Mia, who’s a freaking chick... -
The Weight of It All by N.R. Walker
After being dumped by his long-term boyfriend for being overweight, Henry Beckett decides to make some drastic changes. In a vain attempt at getting his boyfriend back, Henry does the most absurdly frightening thing he can think of. He joins a gym. Reed Henske is a personal trainer who isn’t sure he’ll ever be ready to date again... -
Limited Edition Husband by Lauren Blakely
One weekend with no strings was supposed to be the plan.After barely escaping my last train wreck of a romance, I’ve got a new dating goal—play it cool.I stick to that strategy when I meet a hunky Brit at a fundraiser and ask him to grab a drink... -
Blitzed by S.E. Harmon
NFL tight end Andrew McAdams isn’t thrilled to be sidelined with an injury. He’s even less thrilled about his legal troubles. Community service is the only thing standing between him and jail so...yeah. That’s a no-brainer. It's not all bad news, though. He gets to work with Jesse Fox, who is as gorgeous as he is guarded. And there's no rule saying he can't do his hours and have a little fun...Categorized as:
sports athletes forced proximity queer m-m age difference bisexual friends to lovers -
Football Royalty by Eden Finley
If you never fooled around with someone of the same gender, did you even go to high school?PEYTONMy whole life I’ve had the pressure of being Marcus Talon and Shane Miller’s football prodigy. I’ve been destined to follow in my NFL-playing fathers’ footsteps since the day I was born. I usually thrive under pressure, but as senior year looms, it all gets too much, and I need an outlet... -
-
Musical Mayhem: by Alley Ciz
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsHelp Wanted: Producer for the latest album from multi-platinum selling band Birds of Prey.Enter Sammy Rhodes.Famed DJ The Spin Doctor.Musical genius.Fits with the band like he's our sixth member.We hired him on the spot.So what's the problem?He's also all broad shoulders and dazzling smile, and has this flop of hair I constantly yearn to brush away from his handsome face... -
Musical Mayhem by Alley Ciz
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsHelp Wanted: Producer for the latest album from multi-platinum selling band Birds of Prey.Enter Sammy Rhodes.Famed DJ The Spin Doctor.Musical genius.Fits with the band like he's our sixth member.We hired him on the spot.So what's the problem?He's also all broad shoulders and dazzling smile, and has this flop of hair I constantly yearn to brush away from his handsome face... -
Slow Pitch by Amy Lane
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsTenner Gibson has a job he enjoys, a prickly ex-wife, and an adorable daughter he wouldn’t trade for the world. With no romance, no sex life, and no other hobbies, a rec league softball team is as close as he gets to hedonism. But life throws him a curveball when cocky Ross McTierney sets his sights on getting under Tenner’s skin... -
Rules, Schmules! by Becca Seymour
The first Zone Defense series spin-off with a rule-following basketball player and an unimpressed twink who thinks rules are made to be obliterated.It’s not my milkshake that brings Kieran Kendall to my yard. Okay, maybe it’s a little bit my milkshake. But I also like to think it’s my dazzling personality and my magical… uhm… you get the idea... -
By the Numbers by K.M. Neuhold
Two hot roommates, minus clothes, plus a drawer full of debauchery, and a WHOLE lot of tension. You don’t have to be a math genius to figure out the sum of that equation...Categorized as:
new adult college first-person-pov forced proximity queer contemporary m-m friends to lovers -
The Best Men by Sarina Bowen, Lauren Blakely
Bestselling authors Sarina Bowen and Lauren Blakely team up for the first time in an enemies-to-lovers, opposites-attract, irresistibly sexy standalone romance between the best man and the other best man! In my defense, I was left alone with a bottle of single-malt and a life-long penchant for protecting my baby sister...Categorized as:
sports forced proximity new adult first-person-pov queer contemporary from hate to love humor -
Shrewd Angel by Anyta Sunday
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsPax Polo is the swashbuckling guitarist for Serenity Free. Correction: Was the swashbuckling guitarist for Serenity Free. Now he sports a black eye and his bros have kicked him out of their band—three weeks before Christmas. It’s an unfamiliar kick to his over-inflated ego, but . . . whatever. No problem... -
When Red Cried Wolf by Nash Summers
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsAsher Williams is obsessed with love. It’s probably one of the reasons he makes such a fantastic matchmaker, love guru, and romance expert. And now that he’s in college, it’s finally his turn to shine. Asher’s relationship advice column in the school newspaper is his strongest matchmaking instrument, especially when it comes to helping hopeless romantics find their soulmates... -
Just for Me: A Rugby Romance by Rosalind James
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsLuke Armstrong doesn’t want to be a pioneer or an inspiration. He just wants to be a prop.What’s it like to be the first All Black to come out while he’s still playing rugby? Luke has spent over thirty years not wanting to find out, but hiding has become so hard. He’s a man who doesn’t get tired, but now, he’s soul-weary... -
Final Score by Charlie Novak
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsCan one perfect night lead to more?Jordan Green is too busy for a relationship. With the World Cup looming, his focus is on making the England team, not finding someone to spend his life with. His friends may be settling down, but Jordan’s had enough of planning weddings. All he wants is some fun, and Félix is the perfect person for that… even if he is his boss’s brother... -
-
Elliot, Song of the Soulmate by Anyta Sunday
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsWhen you have the love of your life, you hold on tight.You don’t let go.Debate champ extraordinaire Elliot Anneston is a master in persuasion. He wins at everything. Until he meets sexy Scottish transfer Wentworth McAllister. Suddenly he doesn’t know what’s up and what’s up. The world is a whirlwind of feeling, and when it comes to the debate of his life, to lose is inevitable... -
Waking Up Filthy by R. Cayden
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWhy in the hell is there a naked, tattooed man in my bed?I’m a closeted tennis pro, and I’m certainly not accustomed to waking up with strange men.Never mind that Gabriel is a notoriously flirty rock star and, according to the marriage certificate we find in our Vegas hotel room, my new husband.Last night is a drunken blur, but there’s no doubt in my mind what needs to happen this morning... -
The Linebacker by Emerson Beckett, Rheland Richmond
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsIs it wrong for me to want the world to know I’m in love with Patrick Griffin and have been since we were eight-years-old? Patrick Griffin I hurt him. I didn’t mean to.Now he’s gone, and I deserve it.As a linebacker in the NFL, I've never found the right time to come out of the closet. Not even when I promised Cole I would... -
Kiss My Axe by R.M. Neill
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsPerryYou know that saying, keep your friends close and your enemies closer? Well, whoever said that never had the misfortune of meeting Roman Auclair.Sure, he’s sexy and wears a corset like nobody’s business, but he’s arrogant, entitled and so damn judgemental he should sit on the Supreme Court.I’d rather sleep with a porcupine than bunk with him...Categorized as:
queer new adult forced proximity first-person-pov contemporary m-m humor length-medium -
Be My Endgame by Zarah Detand
Rated: 4.18 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsSometimes the endgame is only the beginning. In the heated world of the Premier League, Earl Alex Beaufort, a charming Liverpool midfielder, collides on-pitch with Lee Taylor, Manchester United’s top striker. But when England’s World Cup dream brings them to sunny Spain, the real game sharing a room... -
For Today by B. Cranford
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsSeventeen Years Ago . The first time Aaron Andrews saw Simon Foster smile, he knew he was in trouble. He'd never seen anything--or anyone--like the man who'd stolen his favorite seat in his favorite coffee shop. Six Weeks Ago . The late-night phone call that changed their lives forever was short... -
Buckeye: An MM Romance by Casey Morales
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsFrom international bestselling author, Casey Morales . . . A traded player, a children's home, and a love to defy all odds. Climbing the ladder of professional baseball is hard. As one of the only openly gay players in the league, Nick Dunlap's path is rockier than most. When Nick is traded mid-season, despite a team-leading batting average, everyone knows his "open secret" is to blame... -
Twincerely Yours by Eden Finley
EMMETTMy twin brother and I have gotten ourselves into a lot of messes growing up. We would constantly switch places to escape consequences while protecting each other at every cost.But sleeping with Ben’s professor is a whole new level of mess, because there’s something Jonah doesn’t know. He might have been Ben’s professor last semester, but the person he was lecturing wasn’t Ben. It was me... -
Head to Head by Eli Easton, Tara Lain
If these two don't kill each other, they might fall in love.Rand hates Jax because he’s the laid-back, vegan-eating, tree-hugging, total-Zen-until-I-get-a-chance-to-screw-you president of Sigma Mu Tau, the nerdy fraternity that’s the sworn enemy of Rand’s house, Alpha Lambda Alpha... -
Game On by Riley Hart, Devon McCormack
CARTER Relationships--who needs 'em? As a personal-assistant-extraordinaire to one of the top PR firms in Los Angeles, I've dedicated most of my life to errand-running and people-pleasing. But when it comes to men, as much as I love to please them in the bedroom, I'm way too busy to give more than that. Fortunately, as far as my options go..Categorized as:
forced proximity queer m-m humor contemporary from hate to love friends-benefits explicit-open-door -
-
Tigers and Devils by Sean Kennedy
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 32 ratingsThe most important things in Simon Murray’s life are football, friends, and film—in that order. His friends despair of him ever meeting someone, but despite his loneliness, Simon is cautious about looking for more... -
New Adult by Timothy Janovsky
Nolan Baker longs to be "thirty, flirty and thriving" in this charmingly quirky LGBTQIA+ romance that's one part 13 Going on 30 and one part One Last Stop.WHY CAN'T WE SKIP TO THE GOOD PART?Twenty-three-year-old Nolan Baker wants it all by the time he's thirty. Too bad he's single, barely able to cover his own expenses, and still paying his dues at a prominent NYC comedy club... -
Beautifully Devoted by Michele Lenard
Forgetting to knock changed everything.CamWhen I was ten, I made a promise. One that I’m still honoring a decade later, even though it means hiding a part of myself from the most important person in my life.My best friend, Jagger. And truthfully, burying that part of me is a small price to pay if it means nothing comes between us... -
Playing at Home by Jax Calder
Falling for your kids' nanny? Never a good idea.Jacob Browne comes from rugby royalty but try as he might, he’s never been the same heroic idol his father was on the rugby field. And now he’s failed off the field with the breakdown of his relationship to New Zealand’s favorite ‘It Girl’ Matilda Neilson... -
Bone to Pick by May Archer
Never fall for your professor…Especially when that professor is Theo Hancock, the man who failed you in your final semester, causing you to have to repeat a class in your millionth year of college when you’re already twenty-freaking-six years old…Especially when the professor is the most stunning, eye-popping piece of perfection who ever walked on campus...Categorized as:
forced proximity new adult queer m-m humor contemporary from hate to love age difference -
The BAHs by Saxon James
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsA short featuring Kole and Asher from Line Mates & Study Dates book four of the CU Hockey by Saxon James & Eden... -
Love Directions: An MM Shy/Flirt Instalove Romance by A.F. Zoelle
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsElias ForthwrightHoroscopes always seemed a bit woo-woo to me, but I don't know how else to explain why it feels like the cosmic universe is pushing me in the direction of the mysterious North Easton, who miraculously comes into my life at just the right time. We’re nothing alike, but for the first time since my mom passed away, life is finally fun again thanks to him... -
Social Sinners: Behind the Lights by T.L. Travis
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsJoey Hayes and his best friend Ricky Branson have been together through the good times, as well as the bad. Attending their first concert as teens set the path for their futures in motion. Shortly after, the pair joined band class where they meet Ethan and Mick and the foursome formed the metal band, Social Sinners... -
Blade by R.J. Scott, V.L. Locey
Love doesn’t have a formula. It’s messy, unpredictable, and impossible to control for the shy billionaire inventor and the hockey player who believes he’s lost everything. Moral “Dunny” Dunkirk has a passion for life. A robust outdoorsman, lover of life, and one of the Boston Rebels fan favorites, Dunny has always embraced excitement and the drive to try new things... -
Horribly Harry by Lisa Henry, Sarah Honey
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsBad Boyfriend, Inc—when you can’t find a good boyfriend, why not hire a bad one instead?To supplement his income while he’s completing his Early Education degree, Harry Townsend hires himself out as a terrible date—for a set fee, he’ll horrify parents and family members in all sorts of interesting ways. But when it comes to actual relationships—and sex—Harry doesn’t get the appeal... -
-
Forever Finn by Vawn Cassidy
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsFinn Gallagher has it all, a beautiful girlfriend, a successful Hollywood career, a condo in Malibu and more money than he knows what to do with. He should be happy, but there’s just one problem, he’s gay and he’s been lying to the entire world... -
Will by Kerry Kilpatrick
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsWhat could go right with a social worker Daddy and an injured boy?WillAs a social worker on Almstead Island, I've come to understand the hidden battles people face. But seeing Beckett injured shook me. Behind his tough exterior, there's a vulnerability that tugs at my heartstrings...Categorized as:
forced proximity queer first-person-pov m-m contemporary height-difference humor dual-pov -
Sideline Infraction by Emily Silver
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWhat happens when I find the right guy at exactly the wrong time?I’m Alex Young. Star quarterback for the Denver Mountain Lions. Captain of the team. Son. Brother. Teammate.And I’m gay.No one can know. My secret could destroy everything. I lock myself up in the closet and throw away the key. It’s better this way. I can focus on football and being the best quarterback I can be.Until him... -
Music to His Ears by Ariella Zoelle
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsSal and Haverford are forced to live together, but that doesn’t mean they have to like it. Sparks fly between them, but will it lead to love?Sal HenrikComing home from a world tour early to find out my roommate sublet my room sucks. But being forced to share my room with the most annoying attorney on the planet? I’d rather launch myself into the sun, thanks...Categorized as:
new adult forced proximity queer from hate to love age difference contemporary humor m-m -
Troublemaker by Sean Ashcroft
Rated: 4.05 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsNeighbourhood bad boy Aiden Goode has had a crush on his brother's kind, smart, straight best friend since he was fifteen . So when Carter asks him to come to a family wedding as his date, Aiden jumps at the chance to spend a week alone with the man of his dreams. A romantic cabin, one bed to share, and an ex-girlfriend to convince that Carter's moved on... ..Categorized as:
forced proximity new adult queer first-person-pov m-m contemporary humor friends to lovers -
Regular, Smegular! by Becca Seymour
A cheesy game of spin the bottle grabs my interest, but it’s the hot guy with sexy piercings and delectable ink who keeps it.Have I kissed a man before? That’ll be a no.But I’m definitely interested, and by the way Tiller can’t take his gaze off me, he’s hoping the bottle lands on him.Spoiler it does.And holy crap, it’s the hottest kiss I’ve shared with anyone.Now there’s one slight problem...
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.