Books like 'Oleander'
Readers who enjoyed Oleander by Scarlett Drake also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary gay romance queer-awakening cheating from hate to love queer class difference slow burn second chances angst
-
Romeo Falling by Jesse H. Reign
What happens when he’s your Romeo…but you’re no Juliet? Romeo and I were friends long before we were lovers. Best friends. Ride or die. What started as an innocent kiss slowly unraveled and shattered, giving way to years of tears and total obsession. Now I’m back in the small town I call home, staring straight into the face of the only man I’ve ever loved…or hated...Categorized as:
hurt-comfort cheating forced proximity angst queer-awakening queer second chances other-man-woman -
On Board by Jay Hogan
Leroy Madden is in trouble. Big, handsome, Fox Carmody trouble. Leroy has buried his attraction to the enigmatic fisherman in irritation and pointless bickering, keeping Fox at a safe distance. But with the troublesome man now living in Leroy’s house, it’s becoming impossible for Leroy to keep his true feelings hidden, or the fact that Leroy maybe isn’t so straight, after all...Categorized as:
forced proximity from hate to love bisexual slow burn cold hero working class hero angst small town -
Sponsored links / Remove ads
-
Landon by Marie James
He ruined a lifelong friendship the night he kissed me. I spent the next three years avoiding him. Well… I tried at least. With my dad being a member of the Cerberus MC and his dad married to one of the members it was virtually impossible. Just like it was impossible to keep from watching his mouth when he spoke...Categorized as:
angst bisexual college from hate to love queer forced proximity new adult friends to lovers -
After Felix by Lily Morton
Sometimes the best love stories come in two parts. When Felix met handsome journalist Max Travers, it was lust at first sight. It was just his luck that he then had to develop a terrible case of feelings and got his heart broken. However, two years later, he’s over all of that. His job is going well, he has good friends, and he doesn’t lack for male company...Categorized as:
angst second chances forced proximity from hate to love queer other-man-woman grovel anal sex -
-
Crushed But Not Defeated by Nicole Dykes
Miles. Selfish. That’s the only way Andrew will ever see me. An abused boy who grew up and became a defense attorney for the rich and famous. I’ll never forget the look on his face when I told him. The hurt and disgust I saw in his eyes as I stomped all over his dreams. He left me behind, convincing me he’d hate me forever. Now, circumstances have brought me back into his life...Categorized as:
forced proximity from hate to love hurt-comfort angst second chances queer m-m contemporary -
Alfie: Part II by Cara Dee
Rated: 4.60 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsMM Romance • Part 2 of 2 • Second Chances • Irish Mafia • Family • Hurt/Comfort • Age Gap • Revenge • Opposites Attract. When 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... -
Into the Tempest by N.R. Walker
Jeremiah Overton is now in charge of Darwin’s Bureau of Meteorology, and his storm chaser boyfriend, Tully Larson, couldn’t be happier. For Tully, it means watching summer storms with the love of his life but for Jeremiah, it means relearning everything on equipment that’s older than he is. But summer storms also mean it’s cyclone season...Categorized as:
tortured hero forced proximity insta-love hurt-comfort queer m-m suspense contemporary -
Fake, Volume 06 by Sanami Matoh
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsA psychopath is on the loose, killing kids and cutting off their hands. As if that weren't enough, Ryo gets an in-depth look at Dee's parentless childhood and the man who inspired Dee to become a cop. But when a little too much information about Dee's de facto dad comes to light, it could destroy Dee's two greatest police work and Ryo! -
Hard Knox by Riley Hart
Callum. A gay guy walks into a straight bar and notices the hottest man he’s ever seen. Why am I not surprised my life sounds like the beginning of a bad joke? First, my ex cheated on me, and I went running to Havenwood and the mom I have a complicated relationship with. Then, there’s Knox, the gorgeous lumberjack I don’t stand a chance with... -
Pretend You're Mine by Sloane Kennedy
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 28 ratingsLandscape architect Devon Rhodes doesn’t know what to think when he overhears a heated conversation in his new next-door neighbor’s back yard, but when he decides to intervene, he definitely isn’t expecting the encounter to change his life forever...Categorized as:
queer queer-awakening insta-love hurt-comfort angst forced proximity m-m contemporary -
Hostile Takeover by Lucy Lennox
It was supposed to be a prank. A silly frat boy dare. One hot moment in a hidden storage closet. One kiss. No consequences. But if you get that close to a man with fire in his eyes, you’re gonna get burned, and I was no exception. One taste of Grey Blackwood ruined me for life. The way Grey sees it, I was the one who did the ruining. I humiliated him. Wrecked his life. Destroyed his future... -
MistleFoe by Cambria Hebert
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 7 ratings‘Tis the season for twinkling lights, cookies, joy, and a little sprinkle of mom guilt on the side. Did I say little? I mean an entire sleigh full. Which is exactly why I’m on my way home to Winterbury for the holidays, something my parents have been pleading for since I left the small-town life for a view of the city nearly ten years ago. It’s not that I don’t come home to visit. I do...Categorized as:
forced proximity from hate to love queer second chances christmas m-m grumpy sunshine contemporary -
Wheels Down by Beth Bolden
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsShaw isn’t his friend—until Ross discovers he’s so much more. Ross Stanton is having a bad week—a bad month—really, a bad year . But the last thing he wants, after the betrayal of his friend and business partner, is for anyone else to know just how much he’s fighting for survival...Categorized as:
forced proximity hurt-comfort queer m-m friends to lovers contemporary length-medium -
Fake, Volume 05 by Sanami Matoh
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsRyo is on the biggest case of his life! He and Dee are on the trail of a cold-blooded killer named Leo. They're certain he killed Ryo's parents, but don't have enough evidence to prove it. With a little help from Diana Spacey, FBI agent extraordinare, Ryo soon cracks the case when he witnesses Leo murdering a man. When Ryo threatens to shoot him, Leo tells him he did indeed kill his parents... -
-
Instant Regret by E.M. Lindsey
There’s nothing like having your sanctuary destroyed. My life has been a series of carefully cultivated, strategic moves to ensure peace and quiet. I’m generally a happy guy but there’s one thing I can’t stand: having my space invaded. After all, that's why I chose this run-down building that no one wants to live in. And then he moved in...Categorized as:
from hate to love angst forced proximity hurt-comfort queer m-m christmas contemporary -
Fake, Volume 04 by Sanami Matoh
Rated: 4.18 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsRyo and Dee, two of New York City's finest, are called in to investigate the activities of some two-bit street punk. The operation goes south rather quickly when Dee is kidnapped and Ryo must put all of his skill and training to the test to get his partner back in one piece. Their partnership is on the line as electrified emotions raise feelings between the two guys that are hard to ignore. -
Jericho Candelario's Gay Debut by R. Cooper
Jerry Candelario, known as Potts to almost everyone, has spent his entire adult life focused on raising his siblings and his young niece. But the home he fought hard to make is starting to feel empty now that everyone has grown up and moved out and his precious baby niece has suddenly become a teen with a life of her own...Categorized as:
queer slow burn small town sweet-hero queer-awakening m-m friends to lovers contemporary -
Bent Backwards by Jesse H. Reign
A story retold - straight to gay erotic romance. One very average day, Ethan Quinn walks into a pub and in a split second, his entire life is turned upside down. A chance encounter with sexy, sweet Oliver, gives rise to an addiction that can't be ignored or overcome. If you've read Bent, you might have found yourself wondering about what enigmatic and at times, maddening, Ethan was thinking... -
Strong Enough by Cardeno C.
A Book in the Family Series. When twenty-two-year-old Emilio Sanchez sees handsome Spencer Derdinger walking by his construction site, Emilio makes it his goal to seduce the shy professor. Getting Spencer into bed isn’t difficult, but Emilio soon learns that earning the trust of a man deeply hurt will take time and patience...Categorized as:
insta-love anal sex tortured hero working class hero hurt-comfort queer sweet-hero contemporary -
A Healing Man by Sandrine Gasq-Dion
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsDario Ramos thought he’d left the fighting behind in the war zone when a life-threatening injury sent him home. But a certain Irishman crossing his path everywhere he went convinced him that his biggest battle might be ahead. Tiernan Callahan is a bigoted jerk. Ramos finds himself constantly in the man’s orbit, even in a city as big as New York... -
Messy Ink by Ali Lyda
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsDane. Chris is a great doctor, but he can’t heal me…. I learned to look out for myself on the streets and in juvie. I’ve cleaned up my act, but it doesn’t mean that I’m about to start trusting a guy to stick around. Especially not a clean cut doctor like Chris. No wonder I ended things between us the first time around. I’m sure it’s for the best... -
Halo by E.M. Lindsey
One mistake: Victor got into the wrong car. One decision: Oliver didn’t kick him out. One lie: neither of them knows who the other person is— at least, not until it’s too late to turn back. There are many words for what Oliver does for a living. Man of the night. Escort. Companion. Not to mention a few others his clients like to sling at him when they want to be cruel...Categorized as:
hurt-comfort cheating class difference insta-love bisexual super rich hero queer sweet-hero -
12 Dates of Christmas by Brigham Vaughn
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsLeo Fenner needs a Christmas miracle …. Charmed by the small town, and weary the big city dating scene, Leo moved to Christmas Falls in hopes of finding love like his college friend, Hayden. Nick Morgan had the love of his life and lost her, but is determined to help others find their happily ever after with his matchmaking service...Categorized as:
queer queer-awakening second chances insta-love hurt-comfort christmas m-m contemporary -
Love Directions by A.F. Zoelle
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsElias Forthwright. Horoscopes 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...Categorized as:
queer hurt-comfort insta-love queer-awakening m-m contemporary friends to lovers humor -
-
After the Fire by Felice Stevens
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsA single bullet destroyed the dreams of Dr. Jordan Peterson. With his lover dead, Jordan descends into an endless spiral of self-destruction that nearly costs him his friends, his career and his life... -
Let Your Heart Be Light by J.R. Lawrie
FOR SERVICES RENDERED. Dr. David Christmas has heard every joke in the book when it comes to his name. Weary of the festive season and from his long shifts in the emergency room, David is also tired of his lonely single life. His only hope for Christmas is a glimpse of the shy but gorgeous neighbour who lives above him...Categorized as:
queer class difference insta-love hurt-comfort anal sex sweet-hero cold hero super rich hero -
Every Saturday Night by Alexa Land
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsAs a young single dad, my life’s all about raising my sweet baby boy. But every Saturday night while my family babysits, I get to go out, cut loose, and act my age. Hey, we all need a break from time to time. And every Saturday night, I keep winding up in bed with a gorgeous, Cuban-American motorcycle mechanic named Lucky... -
Thawed Out by Jodi Payne, BA Tortuga
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThawed Out is an opposites attract, second chance romance featuring an established couple on the edge of divorce, a ferocious snow storm, precocious children and a healthy dose of holiday magic. Kiren knows there is a storm coming when he goes to the cabin to deliver divorce papers to his husband Flynn, but he doesn’t plan to stay long... -
Saving Mr. Bell by H.L. Day
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWhen is a kidnap not a kidnap? When it's a rescue. Rudolf Bell does NOT need saving. But after the worst performance of his life, there are those who disagree. All he wants is to have a good time and forget everything for a while. Easier said than done when the media have done a hatchet job on him. His career's not over, though. Not until he says so... -
When Stars Align by Denver Shaw
Rated: 4.60 of 5 stars · 5 ratingsScarred by the past. Terrified to love again. Savion. Once upon a time, my life was a fairytale. Engaged to a beautiful woman, we were planning our perfect future. Then, the sick act of an obsessed man ruined everything. Alone, disfigured, and betrayed, I fled to LA to focus on my work as a paleontologist. It was there I met Declan... -
Suited For You by Aiden Bates, Ali Lyda
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsHe’s smug, conceited … and hot as hell …. Becoming a partner at Caldwell and Holton will be the crowning achievement in my hard fought career. There’s just one problem. One arrogant, materialistic, flashy problem: Saint Caldwell. Unlike me, he’s never had to struggle for anything a day in his life … or so I think. But there’s more to the man than a showy Porsche and killer smile... -
A Different Kind of Love by Nicola Haken
Love is simple. People are not. Despite growing up without it, William Walker knows all about love. He loves his wife. He loves his children. He loves the cat. He has the perfect family, and all he had to do to get it was push aside one pesky little feeling. Unfortunately, love doesn’t pay the bills...Categorized as:
angst cheating forced proximity bisexual insta-love class difference other-man-woman hurt-comfort -
Fall for You by Felice Stevens
Carson Ballard isn’t only lactose intolerant—he’s intolerable. No wonder his assistant quit on him without notice. Okay, okay, he has a right to be angry at me for dumping an armful of sticky breakfast plates on his head. It was an accident, I swear. But now I’m out of a job—not that I’m any good at waiting tables—and Carson’s mother is offering to hire me. There’s no way I can work for him...Categorized as:
from hate to love second chances hurt-comfort super rich hero slow burn queer m-m contemporary -
-
Black by Quin, Perin.
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 14 ratings“Meow! ”. There it was. The sound that made my knees buckle. He purred, neck stretched, eyes half-lidded. With those cat ears, in his hair. And the tail, that he flicked. A ray of sun in the drizzling rain. I’d been a traveler, floating adrift, while he’d stayed in one place. How was I supposed to know he’d become my anchor? My light. My everything... -
Cold Winter Nights by Sue Laybourn, Jay Aheer
Beauregard Stone lives a life of solitude in the snow-blanketed town of Windeville, Maine. The burly, gruff lumberjack is a man of few words and even fewer smiles. He hasn’t spoken much since his husband died eight years ago. Now, each day bleeds into the next as Stone loses himself in his woodshop and lumber- hauling business... -
Edged by Kate Hawthorne
Money can't buy happiness, and I should know. I have 8 figures in my bank account and it's still not enough to get me back to the only man I've ever loved. ARCHIE. I can count my regrets on one hand, and they all have to do with the same person. .. my childhood best friend, Owen Murray... -
Margins by Landry Brennan
“Didn’t know you were gonna sell me a love story. ”“Is that what I did? ”Restless and full of doubt amid a divorce from his high school sweetheart, single father Alex Ramos goes for an early morning walk and stumbles upon a garage sale held by Elijah Caplinger, who’s been tasked with clearing out his late grandfather’s home... -
Once Upon A Christmas Song by Mary Calmes
Chris Gardner has a good life in New Orleans. He owns a club in the French Quarter, has a wonderful crew of people who call it home, loyal, caring friends, and even gets his kid fix by helping to take care of his chef’s daughter. What he doesn’t have is that special someone to share his days and nights with... -
Obey the Rules by Leighton Greene
Ben Ballard and Xander Romano are determined to make their relationship work, no matter what. The problem is, life seems determined to wear them down. Fame, distance, feelings. .. Sometimes it's not as easy as talking things through. Sometimes actions speak louder than words. So how do you keep that connection? Simple. You obey the rules. . -
Giles Ashby Needs A Nanny by K. Sterling
Sometimes, a simple field trip to the planetarium can be an act of bravery. In Giles Ashby’s case, it could also be a second chance with his lifelong crush. Unbearably awkward and strangled by his anxiety disorder, Giles used surly snarls and abrupt remarks to keep everyone at a distance...Categorized as:
super rich hero angst from hate to love hurt-comfort bisexual queer sweet-hero humor -
Unconditional Love by Andrew Grey
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratings"A Seven Days Story". Can a person's life change in just one day? How about seven? Donald Pottier and Jason Greene are barely more than boys when they meet on Chincoteague Island, Virginia. A day of crabbing soon turns them from strangers to friends, then to something more, but the boys' time is limited: at the end of the summer, Jay will leave Don and the island behind... -
Where Do I Start? by Chase Taylor Hackett
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe ex best thing . . . Fletcher Andrews never believed in promises. Or monogamy. Or love. When you’re tall and gorgeous, New York City is one big all-you-can-eat buffet of hot young actors, models, and baristas. Even when living happily with Roger, his sweet, sexy violinist boyfriend, Fletch can’t resist an occasional taste...Categorized as:
queer second chances other-man-woman grovel cheating m-m length-medium new-york-state -
Montana Sky by R.J. Scott
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWhen they spend time alone on a Montana mountainside will Tyler ever convince Martin that like sapphires, love is worth searching for? Martin’s name was the very last on a kill list. The son of a murderer, he’s had no childhood; lost in a horrific holding pattern of death that turned his heart to stone... -
-
Impact Zone Special Edition by Courtney W. Dixon
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsSpecial Edition Book Art - Paperback only. Two desperate encounters led to a dating arrangement. One for money. The other for sexual exploration. Kel. I tried to save Ohana Surfing Club, a surf shop my father and I owned... -
Once Broken, Twice Loved by Romeo Alexander
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWhen the man who left you broken-hearted reappears with a child in tow, do you slam the door or let the past come flooding back? He left me broken . He walked out of my life ten years ago with no explanation, and I fell apart. Ian, the only man I’ve ever loved just walked back into my life…with his sassy, eleven-year-old daughter, Ayla, who’s deaf. Yes, I can do the math...Categorized as:
second chances angst from hate to love hurt-comfort queer single-father m-m contemporary -
It's Not You by Becca Seymour
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWhen a protective ex-cop helps his gorgeous tenant through his recovery, their complicated history is asking for trouble. Will the fear of the past repeating itself destroy any possibility of happiness? Daredevil drifter Lawrence Crawford is hunting for a place to call home. After ten years of looking, he believes he’s found what he’s been searching for... -
Saturated by B.L. Sparrow
Being a college athlete is hard. You and your twin brother having a 'no-sex' pact to remain closeted until your trust funds are released? Also hard. But when one of you is harboring a secret kink from the one person you can tell everything to, that makes things even harder... -
Camera Shy by E.M. Leya, Sara York
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsTrust is earned, but sometimes we form walls around ourselves to protect us from the pain, keeping others from getting close, and shielding us from the darkness that lurks around us. Charles has faced the worst of that darkness. Living on the streets from eleven years old, he learned to survive by trusting no one... -
There's Only After by Julie Anne Addicott
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsTHERE’S ONLY AFTER. A Hurricane Hearts Novel. BOOK 1. Two lives shattered by suicide. Two men searching for hope. Jackson. Andrew was my life. My husband. My reason for breathing. “Time of death eleven-forty-nine p. m. ”. I will never be whole again. Andrew doesn’t wake up. And I can’t let him go. A past filled with secrets, lies, and unimaginable trauma. Lawson...
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.

