Books like 'Protecting the Nerd'
Readers who enjoyed Protecting the Nerd by Nora Phoenix also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary gay romance friends to lovers forced proximity queer hurt-comfort queer-awakening found-family neurodivergent slow burn
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Dirty Laundry by Rhys Ford
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 28 ratingsFor ex-cop turned private investigator Cole McGinnis, each day brings a new challenge. Too bad most of them involve pain and death. Claudia, his office manager and surrogate mother, is still recovering from a gunshot, and Cole’s closeted boyfriend, Kim Jae-Min, suddenly finds his teenaged sister dumped in his lap... -
![Dip Out by Eve Holmes]()
Dip Out by Eve Holmes
A journey through the wilderness can reveal the wild within. Arthur Mercer has spent his life hidden in Newfoundland’s rugged wilderness, where nature’s untamed beauty offers him peace from an overwhelming world. As a renowned wildlife photographer, he finds solace in the quiet, predictable presence of birds and nature, which matches the solitude he craves...Categorized as:
queer friends to lovers slow burn neurodivergent sweet-hero nerdy-hero queer-awakening hurt-comfort -
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![Poison Hearts by Jennifer Cody]()
Poison Hearts by Jennifer Cody
Rated: 4.41 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsOrlando:. No one intentionally starts out life trying to become a hired unaliver. Weeellllll, most people don’t. I come from a legacy of unalivers, though I think I might be the first one to make a career out of it. Accidentally... -
![Westin's Prince by Jocelynn Drake]()
Westin's Prince by Jocelynn Drake
The contract on the prince’s head was only the beginning…. This was supposed to be a quick job. Pop in. Check out the prince. Alert his security that someone wanted him dead. Easy. But a chance meeting in a tea shop left West unable to walk away. Crown Prince Jin was far too sweet and trusting to be left unattended. (Not to mention devastatingly handsome and mind-blowingly sexy...Categorized as:
suspense hurt-comfort insta-love queer m-m military explicit-open-door multicultural -
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![Into the Tempest by N.R. Walker]()
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:
suspense forced proximity insta-love hurt-comfort queer m-m contemporary tortured hero -
![Sweet as Honey by Lucy Lennox]()
Sweet as Honey by Lucy Lennox
When I rode my bike into Aster Valley, it was supposed to be temporary. A quick, relaxing visit with friends. No entanglements. Zero drama. But then I saw the bumblebee being harassed on the side of the highway. More specifically, I saw Truman Sweet, Aster Valley’s resident botanist, spice merchant, and bee-costume enthusiast, being harassed... -
![Sagittarius Saves Libra by Anyta Sunday]()
Sagittarius Saves Libra by Anyta Sunday
True love is on the horizon, Sagittarius. It’s a good time to step out of your routine and into the unknown. Jason Lyall wants someone to come home to, someone he can be his most ridiculous self with. Someone who loves him regardless. But no matter how hard he tries, he can never quite make that connection, and now his last girlfriend has moved on—she’s engaged...Categorized as:
friends to lovers insta-love queer queer-awakening small town slow burn contemporary m-m -
![Wicked Outlaw by Jocelynn Drake, Rinda Elliott]()
Wicked Outlaw by Jocelynn Drake, Rinda Elliott
Cole loves the city. He loves the noise, chaos, and having tacos delivered at 2 a. m. He loves his job at Ward Security. He might look like a bodyguard, but there’s nothing better than being counted as one of the hacking tech triplets. There is no way he will ever love horses, cows, and the great wide open of Texas. At least, that’s what he thought until JB Alexander rode into his life...Categorized as:
insta-love friends to lovers queer found-family queer-awakening m-m cowboys contemporary -
![The Contractor by Raleigh Ruebins]()
The Contractor by Raleigh Ruebins
He’s my best friend, my best worker, and it was just a silly crush. Then he kissed me. Now it feels like he's mine…. I’ve shown my best friend Tristan everything: how to use a circular saw, how to lay grout, and how to do a kitchen renovation right. On the job, we became close friends—then even closer as we learned to share a camping tent. It was all harmless. Just like my crush on him...Categorized as:
friends to lovers queer found-family queer-awakening m-m contemporary office length-short -
![Hard Knox by Riley Hart]()
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...Categorized as:
friends to lovers queer queer-awakening slow burn anal sex sweet-hero small town found-family -
![Pretend You're Mine by Sloane Kennedy]()
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 forced proximity m-m contemporary abuse -
![Love in Tuscany by Maya Jean, J.J. Mulder]()
Love in Tuscany by Maya Jean, J.J. Mulder
Spend the summer in Italy for charity! Everyone deserves a second chance, including wedding photographers. They may even catch a picture of a doctor finding his opposite, yet somehow perfect, match. Fall in love in Tuscany, before hitting the road on an adventure with a stranger...Categorized as:
queer forced proximity insta-love sweet-hero contemporary m-m age difference height-difference -
![Second Shot by Con Riley]()
Second Shot by Con Riley
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsSecond Shot (Second Chance School #2). Welcome back to Glynn Harber School for another steamy, swoony romance between two bruised souls. Passion always leads to heartbreak for Hayden Novac. Nice guys always get picked last. That’s what my coach at a soccer academy once promised... -
![Wheels Down by Beth Bolden]()
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:
friends to lovers forced proximity hurt-comfort queer m-m contemporary length-medium -
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![Starts With a Bang by Aimee Nicole Walker]()
Starts With a Bang by Aimee Nicole Walker
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe best way to get over a cheating jerk is to get under someone new. Dominic isn’t looking for love or salvation at the Thirsty Cowboy. He needs a temporary escape from the drudgery his life has become, and the universe provides him with the sexiest distraction he’s ever seen. Sven is a sucker for sad eyes, thick thighs, and a Royal Cosmopolitan...Categorized as:
friends to lovers hurt-comfort found-family queer m-m age difference contemporary humor -
![Head Over Feels by Bix Barrow]()
Head Over Feels by Bix Barrow
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsWell, this puts the “ex” in “explosive”. .. Felix: What would happen if everyone you’d ever dated got together and plotted against you? For me, it’s glitter bombs. Lots and lots of glitter bombs. Okay, maybe I deserved the first one or two. Or three...Categorized as:
queer hurt-comfort forced proximity suspense contemporary m-m age difference mystery -
![Life on Mars by Patricia Logan]()
Life on Mars by Patricia Logan
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsThings aren’t always what they seem. Special agent, Max Prince, and his boyfriend, Dr. Leo Reeves, are back to work after their first case together. When a prominent Department of Defense scientist kills himself in a mysterious way, their entire FBI team is tasked to figure out if the weapon he was working on was somehow the cause of his death...Categorized as:
queer suspense friends to lovers forced proximity m-m mystery contemporary length-long -
![Jericho Candelario's Gay Debut by R. Cooper]()
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:
friends to lovers queer slow burn small town sweet-hero queer-awakening m-m contemporary -
![The Law of Miracles by K.C. Wells]()
The Law of Miracles by K.C. Wells
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe sequel to A Christmas Promise… Joshua Trant is doing his best to support his son Micah and Micah’s partner Greg as they approach the trial of Greg’s attackers. This was never going to be easy, especially as Greg wants them prosecuted for a hate crime, but County Attorney Alexander Rycliffe assures them he’ll do his utmost to make sure the perpetrators are held accountable for their actions... -
![By the Light of Dawn by Adrienne Wilder]()
By the Light of Dawn by Adrienne Wilder
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsThis is a follow up to the novel In the Absence of Light. You must read the first book to fully understand/enjoy this one. A handmade sailboat helped bring Morgan back to Grant but he never imagined they would put it in the water. Then Morgan sees something in the light that sets Grant on a mission to get them to the middle of the ocean. An unknown destination they have to be when the sun rises... -
![When The Walls Come Down by Harper Robson]()
When The Walls Come Down by Harper Robson
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsDylan. "Quirky. " Ugh, I hate that word. The PC term these days is 'neuro-divergent', but I prefer to be called autistic. It's often a huge advantage to have a brain that works differently, but I sometimes wish it was easier to connect with other people...Categorized as:
queer neurodivergent hurt-comfort friends to lovers sweet-hero m-m contemporary new adult -
![A Flowering of Ink by K.L. Noone]()
A Flowering of Ink by K.L. Noone
One misdirected card . .. and a chance at love. Professor Burne Cameron loves his job and his environmental research. Unfortunately, three months of field work on a tiny island can get pretty lonely, especially when even his brother forgets his birthday. That is, until an unexpected letter arrives . .. and Burne finds himself fascinated by the mysterious sender...Categorized as:
queer friends to lovers hurt-comfort sweet-hero nerdy-hero m-m contemporary length-novella -
![To Take a Quiet Breath by Fearne Hill]()
To Take a Quiet Breath by Fearne Hill
This isn’t a romance about chiseled, lantern-jawed college kids boasting V-cut abs. There are no marathon steamy sex sessions, not without having at least one nebulizer on standby anyway. Marcel Giresse, the thirty-six-year-old Director of Finance at the French Ministry of Justice, is happy to leave all that nonsense to his oldest friend Lucien, the sixteenth Earl of Rossingley...Categorized as:
queer friends to lovers hurt-comfort found-family contemporary m-m length-medium virgin hero -
![Friends Like Them by Aimee Nicole Walker]()
Friends Like Them by Aimee Nicole Walker
Owen Doyle’s rough beginnings taught him not to form attachments, yet he’s drawn to Tyler Booth like a magnet. Their relationship has blossomed from strangers to the best friends, with each twist in the journey weaving their connection tighter. But Owen has a six-year secret that’s become unbearably painful to keep...Categorized as:
found-family queer friends to lovers queer-awakening hurt-comfort m-m contemporary christmas -
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![Dealer of Secrets by Davidson King]()
Dealer of Secrets by Davidson King
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsIf you have a secret you don’t want anyone to know, Zaire Vicario can find it. And if it’s worth something? Well, that’s currency to him. When things get desperate, the shadiest people call him in, and he makes their troubles go away with all the knowledge he’s acquired. He’s confident, powerful, and ready for anything. At least, he thinks he is... -
![12 Dates of Christmas by Brigham Vaughn]()
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 friends to lovers queer-awakening insta-love hurt-comfort christmas m-m contemporary -
![Love Directions by A.F. Zoelle]()
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 friends to lovers queer-awakening m-m contemporary humor -
![A Wedding in a Week by Con Riley]()
A Wedding in a Week by Con Riley
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsA second chance with his brother’s best friend also comes with a deadline. Three years after inheriting his family farm, an accident forces Stefan Luxton to rethink his future. Turning his farm into a five-star wedding venue is one goal. Another is to reconnect with Marc, who Stefan loved but let slip away to the city...Categorized as:
friends to lovers hurt-comfort forced proximity queer found-family m-m age difference contemporary -
![Fancy Free by Mia Monroe]()
Fancy Free by Mia Monroe
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe last thing I need is a curious straight guy sniffing around me. So why is he so hard to resist? My life is everything I ever wanted - by design. Being one of the nation’s most sought after wedding planners has led to a life of traveling to glamorous locations, bumping elbows with the rich and famous, and sampling every handsome hunk the world has to offer... -
![Every Saturday Night by Alexa Land]()
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... -
![Maddie by Annabella Michaels]()
Maddie by Annabella Michaels
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsAfter witnessing firsthand just how dirty and underhanded a life in politics can be, Maddie Vanderhorne steps off the campaign trail to follow his passion. Starting his own event planning business is the best decision Maddie’s ever made, quickly winning over his clients with his vibrant and outgoing personality... -
![ChrisMyths by Amy Lane]()
ChrisMyths by Amy Lane
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsAfter courtship, cohabitation, and learning about love and each other, Andy and Eli face the ultimate test: being separated at Christmas. Eli’s seen the propaganda—the country boy goes home from the city and realizes his heart is back among the snow, trees, and chickens. A big happy family is something Eli, with his demanding job running a shelter for LGBTQ youth, can’t provide... -
![Blue Skies by Nic Starr]()
Blue Skies by Nic Starr
Coming to Collier’s Creek is the best decision they’ll ever make. When Kit arrives in the small town of Collier’s Creek, he's searching for a change of scenery and the solitude to help him overcome his writer's block. All he wants is to be left alone to finish his novel. Felix was born in Collier's Creek, with no plans to return...Categorized as:
hurt-comfort friends to lovers suspense queer age difference grumpy sunshine m-m contemporary -
![Somehow Finding Us (Second Chance Sinners) by Claudia Y. Burgoa]()
Somehow Finding Us (Second Chance Sinners) by Claudia Y. Burgoa
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsUSA Today Bestselling Author Claudia Burgoa brings you a MM romance full of angst and tragedy that might turn to hope in a redemption love story that’ll break your heart and mend it all over again. Emotional, endearing, and full of romance. People think they know me. They only know what I allow them to see. I’ve learned to control the narrative. I have secrets...Categorized as:
friends to lovers hurt-comfort queer found-family queer-awakening contemporary christian m-m -
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![Sapphire Dawn by C. Travis Rice, Christopher Rice]()
Sapphire Dawn by C. Travis Rice, Christopher Rice
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsUnder his pen name, C. Travis Rice, New York Times bestselling author Christopher Rice offers tales of passion, intrigue, and steamy romance between men. The fourth novel, SAPPHIRE DAWN, once again transports you to a beautiful luxury resort on the sparkling Southern California coast where strong-willed heroes release the shame that blocks their hearts’ desires... -
![Killer Bond by Jocelynn Drake, Rinda Elliott]()
Killer Bond by Jocelynn Drake, Rinda Elliott
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsDaniel Hendricks wants a vacation. Ward Security’s accountant and resident code breaker just needs a little R&R from the chaos and usual shenanigans of the office. But what was supposed to be a sexy vacation hook-up explodes in his face when he’s mistaken for a rogue secret agent... -
![Black by Quin, Perin.]()
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... -
![Delicious by Sierra Riley]()
Delicious by Sierra Riley
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 17 ratings“You’re exactly what I never knew I needed. ”. “I don’t have time for love. ”. Gavin Campbell has poured everything he has into starting up his bakery, Delicious... -
![Frat Bro by Raleigh Ruebins]()
Frat Bro by Raleigh Ruebins
This fall, I have one simple rule: don't fall in love with my fake boyfriend. I’m awful at following the rules. One minute I was a nobody in a small Colorado town, getting by on contract work, home renovations, and a dumpster fire of a dating life—and then suddenly, my life was on TV... -
![Margins by Landry Brennan]()
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...Categorized as:
queer queer-awakening slow burn anal sex found-family m-m length-medium single-father -
![Abandoned by J.P. Barnaby]()
Abandoned by J.P. Barnaby
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsLittle Boy Lost, Book Two. Jamie is gone. Brian's secret has been revealed. Brian McAllister's story continues as he tries to cope with the loss of his best friend and soul mate amid the alienation and ridicule of his classmates. When hatred turns to violence, Brian narrows his focus to two goals: surviving and finding Jamie...Categorized as:
friends to lovers hurt-comfort queer found-family contemporary m-m north-america alabama -
![Without Limits by Reese Knightley]()
Without Limits by Reese Knightley
Rated: 4.12 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsHayden –. Cobalt Security had felt like home to Hayden Thorne for years. But now he needs space and time to get over the fact that Jaxon West was never going to be more to him than his best friend. Quitting his job as a bodyguard to go work for a dark underground group of assassins, seemed like the perfect plan to get over the sexy bodyguard once and for all...Categorized as:
friends to lovers queer suspense found-family m-m military contemporary length-short -
![Montana Sky by R.J. Scott]()
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... -
![Saving Hope by Annabella Michaels]()
Saving Hope by Annabella Michaels
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsAs a police officer in the small town of New Hope, Rhode Island, Lieutenant Mike Archer rarely sees more than the occasional drunk and disorderly. When a man tries to break into the vacant house next door, Mike is shocked to discover his best friend’s younger brother... -
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![It's Not You by Becca Seymour]()
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... -
![Camera Shy by E.M. Leya, Sara York]()
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... -
![Poolside by Taylor E. Weston]()
Poolside by Taylor E. Weston
Divorce left Tommy Littleton shaken. He thought he’d checked all the boxes in his marriage, but none of it mattered when “love” was left out. With nothing else to show for his life, Tommy will stop at nothing to get a promotion–even if it means participating in an open-water swim to impress his boss. Unfortunately, he looks like a drowning raccoon in the water...Categorized as:
friends to lovers found-family queer-awakening queer sports contemporary m-m length-medium -
![The Right Way by May Archer]()
The Right Way by May Archer
Rated: 4.18 of 5 stars · 10 ratings"The right way is the one where we end up together. .. And to do that, we need to survive this. ". A brilliant, obsessive mind is the heart of Sebastian Seaver’s genius. It might also be the thing that costs him everything he’s created and everyone he’s ever loved...Categorized as:
suspense friends to lovers queer queer-awakening m-m contemporary length-medium audiobook -
![RIDE by Nellie Christine]()
RIDE by Nellie Christine
Bentley Williams never thought he’d hit rock bottom at 19-years-old. From top-rated college running back to homeless, girlfriend-less, UCLA dropout, Bentley can’t help but wonder if he’s making the right decision. Pursuing a career as a BMX rider likely means a life of struggling to afford groceries, but he can’t imagine doing anything else. The sport’s in his blood...Categorized as:
friends to lovers forced proximity queer sweet-hero found-family queer-awakening m-m contemporary -
![Puppy Patrol by Gregory Ashe]()
Puppy Patrol by Gregory Ashe
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 5 ratingsShaw and North are going to spend a peaceful weekend at a lakeside cabin. Until, that is, a dog starts barking. This story takes place before Declination.
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