Books like 'Red Zone'
Readers who enjoyed Red Zone by Nicole Dykes also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary gay romance found-family sports football queer from hate to love second chances hurt-comfort single-father
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Drilled by K.M. Neuhold
A month in a remote cabin with the last man I ever expected to see again? I can’t decide if I should punch him or drill him. It might end up being both.After more than a decade, the last person I expected to see walk into the Four Bears Construction offices as a new hire was Ridge.He was my first crush, and my first heartbreak when he started dating my sister... -
![Davo by N.R. Walker]()
Davo by N.R. Walker
When Fergus Galloway takes on a research trip to a tiny mining town in the far Western Australian outback, he’s as far from Sydney as he can get. Which is entirely the point. He arrives in Pannalego totally unprepared for the baking heat, unprepared for the people who call it home, unprepared for the craziness and the laughs... -
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![Savage Rivals by Becca Steele]()
Savage Rivals by Becca Steele
Asher Henderson.Captain of the Highnam Academy football team, and the bane of my existence.As Alstone High’s team captain, I’ve been pitted against him from the beginning, but our conflict isn’t only reserved for the pitch.Everyone knows we’re enemies. From our first encounter, our rivalry has been escalating, spiralling out of control.Until one night when everything between us changed...Categorized as:
sports from hate to love high-school bisexual new adult dual-pov athletes working class hero -
![Into the Tempest by N.R. Walker]()
Into the Tempest by N.R. Walker
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsJeremiah 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:
forced proximity insta-love hurt-comfort queer dual-pov first-person-pov m-m suspense -
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![Stick Shift by K.M. Neuhold]()
Stick Shift by K.M. Neuhold
Is it possible my straight best friend had a sudden stick shift?I made peace with my hopeless crush on my straight best friend, Journey, years ago. It helps that he’s never in the country long and our relationship consists of sporadic texts and video chats at odd hours.Now Journey is back. Back in the country, in my space, sharing my bed, and something is changing between us...Categorized as:
friends to lovers forced proximity second chances queer bisexual anal sex male-pov dual-pov -
![The Last Guy On Earth by Sarina Bowen]()
The Last Guy On Earth by Sarina Bowen
One cold December day, two men are blindsided by a hockey trade; one is the most decorated goalie in the league, while the other one is the youngest coach in the majors.Jethro Hale is the last player Coach Clay Powers wants to see on his roster, but the G.M. pulls a fast one. And it's not like he can even explain why. Nobody knows about their love affair fifteen years ago...Categorized as:
sports queer from hate to love forced proximity athletes second chances contemporary m-m -
![Heart2Heart: A Contemporary Charity Anthology (Collection), Volume 7 by Annabeth Albert, Avril Ashton]()
Heart2Heart: A Contemporary Charity Anthology (Collection), Volume 7 by Annabeth Albert, Avril Ashton
Once upon a time SIX YEARS AGO, the Heart2Heart app made its first batch of incredibly unlikely (but oh-so-perfect) love matches... -
![The Creek by Riley Hart]()
The Creek by Riley Hart
Divorced for two years, August Reynolds needs a change. He and his teenage son, Reese, pack up and move to Briar County, the home August left at fourteen. He’s hoping it’ll help him and Reese connect again, that Reese will come into his own there the way August did. For him, it was all because of Clint Jones, his childhood best friend and first crush...Categorized as:
friends to lovers bisexual athletes second chances single-father hurt-comfort dual-pov small town -
![Life after Love by J.J. Harper]()
Life after Love by J.J. Harper
All he wanted was a new life, not a new love.MerrickMerrick has the perfect life: a husband, a baby, and a great future ahead of him. Until all that is ripped away, and he’s left alone with his daughter. After two years, he knows it’s time to move on. To find a new life for him and Willow. It comes in the shape of a derelict mill house nestled in the hills above a Devon seaside town... -
![Reckless by Becca Steele]()
Reckless by Becca Steele
Welcome to Black Diamond Resort and Spa…An ultimatum from my football team manager landed me here on this far-flung tropical island, where I’m expected to work on my issues in a rehab centre for the elite.But I’m not the only one here to curb their reckless behaviour. My teammate, Theo Lewin, has been banished to the island with me...Categorized as:
forced proximity sports hurt-comfort from hate to love bisexual first-person-pov dual-pov athletes -
![Reckless by Becca Steele]()
Reckless by Becca Steele
From USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Becca Steele comes a new standalone M/M enemies to lovers romance.Welcome to Black Diamond Resort and Spa…An ultimatum from my football team manager landed me here on this far-flung tropical island, where I’m expected to work on my issues in a rehab centre for the elite.But I’m not the only one here to curb their reckless behaviour...Categorized as:
new adult bisexual from hate to love forced proximity dual-pov sports athletes friends-benefits -
![Get Frosted by Amy Aislin]()
Get Frosted by Amy Aislin
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsFor years, Mik has wanted nothing more than to put coal in Rudy Snow's stocking.As former pro hockey players, they’ve been rivals for years. It started in Mik’s rookie season, when a reporter pitted him against his older brother's best friend. Rudy pushes Mik’s buttons like no one else, going out of his way to one-up him at every turn... -
![Boyfriend Goals by Riley Hart]()
Boyfriend Goals by Riley Hart
MiloUnusual. Quirky. Different. I’ve heard it all. I’ve accepted I’m not for everyone. Maybe not anyone.When I find out I inherited a bookstore and apartment on a small East Coast island, I jump at the chance for a new life.Turns out, I’ve also inherited a sexy, tattooed guy who not only rents the space next to my store for his tattoo parlor but my apartment too... -
![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... -
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![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 -
![Bean by Nora Phoenix, E.M. Lindsey]()
Bean by Nora Phoenix, E.M. Lindsey
After my medical discharge from the Army due to a brain injury, I’ve had to reinvent myself. Not easy when I can’t even remember what I ate for breakfast. Or the hot, older guy I went home with. Oops.When I run into him a second time and hit him up as if we’ve never met before, Jarek’s a little insulted. I can’t exactly blame him...Categorized as:
queer hurt-comfort new adult friends to lovers anal sex sweet-hero first-person-pov dual-pov -
![The Idiot by Dianna Roman]()
The Idiot by Dianna Roman
You can't pick who you love...nor can you run from them.Murphy Malone loves his orchard, his mother, and his dog. Life is great until he can't stop thinking about what he's missing—someone to share it all with. When he realizes that his love for his best friend, Jesse Carver, runs deeper than the bonds of friendship, it just makes things worse... -
![Chasing You: A Single Dad Romance by E.M. Lindsey]()
Chasing You: A Single Dad Romance by E.M. Lindsey
“Playing house-husband to my best friend isn’t weird, right? Even though I’m head over heels in love with him and he doesn’t have feelings for me?”Adele is a caretaker. Always has been, always will be. So when his lifelong best friend comes home after losing his job to a nervous breakdown and chronic illness, Adele steps in...Categorized as:
friends to lovers queer bisexual friends-benefits hurt-comfort anal sex found-family small town -
![Final Play by Eden Finley]()
Final Play by Eden Finley
It’s a vacation none of them will forget. Before their futures become the present, Noah convinces his friends they need a group vacation—a final play before they’re all tied down by responsibility and unyielding schedules. Everything is changing. Marriage. Kids. Careers. A trip to Fiji is the last hurrah to end all hurrahs... -
![Perfect Gifts by R.J. Scott, V.L. Locey]()
Perfect Gifts by R.J. Scott, V.L. Locey
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsFamily comes first in all things. Whatever the cost.Ten had always heard the saying ‘Out of the mouth of babes,’ but he’d not expected it to hit home as it had. After a comment from their daughter, Ten and Jared find themselves pondering an addition to the family. Moving into the adoption process is nerve-wracking and riddled with anxiety—kind of like how the Railers have been playing of late... -
![Golden Boy and the Two Bears by Nash Summers]()
Golden Boy and the Two Bears by Nash Summers
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsAsher Williams is obsessed with love. His column is thriving, fellow students trust him with their relationship woes, and he’s on his A-game when it comes to matchmaking. At least, matchmaking other than his own. After a heartfelt letter written to his column, Asher is set on aiding the two love-struck heroes who desperately need his help... -
![Heartstring by Ana Ashley]()
Heartstring by Ana Ashley
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsMikIf I had a dollar for every mistake I made… But there’s only one mistake I regret.Breaking my promise to the only person who ever understood my need to get away from a future I didn’t want…Tyler.I’ve reached many hearts through my music, but the only one I’ve ever wanted might be lost to me forever.TylerFool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice…Mik broke a promise a long time ago...Categorized as:
second chances friends to lovers single-father hurt-comfort queer m-m contemporary angst -
![Rookie by Eddie Cleveland]()
Rookie by Eddie Cleveland
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 9 ratings* Although part of a series, you will enjoy it as a standalone as well!Rookie is everything you love in an MM first time gay romance. A journey of self-discovery, the undeniable sparks with the man who makes him question everything, the moment of realization, the secret relationship, and coming out... -
![Déferlante by Lily Haime]()
Déferlante by Lily Haime
« C’est avant tout une histoire entre l’homme et la mer ; entre le cœur et les vagues. »Lill surfe depuis qu’il sait marcher. Il adore Malibu, cette vie entre le sable et l’eau ; son père et ses amis, la tranquillité de son quotidien. Il a accroché un hamac dans sa chambre pour écouter le chant de l’océan. Il a le cœur à la bonne place et la tête sur les épaules...Categorized as:
queer new adult sports bisexual high-school from hate to love forbidden love hurt-comfort -
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![The Romantic by Riley Hart]()
The Romantic by Riley Hart
ParkerWhen it comes to The Vers, the queer podcast I host with my best friends, I’m The Romantic. The one who’s looking for love in all the wrong places. If there’s a jerk close by, I’ll find him. I’m beginning to think my Mr. Right doesn’t exist.It’s definitely not Elliott Delgado Weaver, the shameless flirt who keeps asking me out... -
![Whiskey Throttle by Riley Hart]()
Whiskey Throttle by Riley Hart
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsLincoln I’ve done a good job getting over my past. I’m not only proud of who I am, but revel in it. Still, I don’t let myself get too close to people. With closeness comes questions and those pesky feelings, and I’m having none of that. I’ve got a great job, friends, I’m cute and twinky, and my bed’s never empty. What more do I need? Except I can’t stop sleeping with Rush Alexander...Categorized as:
friends to lovers athletes sports friends-benefits queer m-m contemporary praise-kink -
![Bad Pucking Roommate by Michele Lenard]()
Bad Pucking Roommate by Michele Lenard
Secrets threaten disaster in this bi-awakening, MM romance about two teammates who have chemistry that extends beyond the ice, an unconventional roommate agreement, and a not-safe-for-work pair of dice. Athletes are notoriously superstitious. Some don’t wash their gear. Others sleep with it. I’ve even heard of a guy that peed on the field to ward off evil spirits... -
![Next Season by Lane Hayes]()
Next Season by Lane Hayes
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThe injured hockey player and the grumpy chef…RileyMy time playing pro hockey will be up soon. I can feel it. And I’ve heard the he’s too old, he’s had too many injuries, he’s lost his edge. I don’t want to admit it, but they could be right. Next season might be my last.Or this season. Because of course, this is when the universe decides I need another concussion... -
![Love and History by Lane Hayes]()
Love and History by Lane Hayes
The sporty roommate, the professor, and a history lesson…Holden-Ezra might be the most annoying roommate ever. He’s loud, obnoxious, and full of himself. So what if he’s a tall, muscular, tattooed jock? His tendency to strip to his boxers in the kitchen while helping himself to my food isn’t endearing in the slightest. Nope. Ezra has to go...Categorized as:
sports forced proximity friends to lovers from hate to love athletes bisexual queer found-family -
![The Rivals of Copper County by May Archer]()
The Rivals of Copper County by May Archer
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsMy childhood friend. My biggest rival. The only man I’ve ever wanted. If there were a prize for the most contented man in Copper County, I’d win it every time. I’ve got my business. My son. My family. My friends… and no romantic prospects, sure, but only because I don’t need any. My life’s great as it is. Seriously. Could not be better. I’m practically bleeding serenity over here... -
![The Best Men by Sarina Bowen, Lauren Blakely]()
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... -
![Playing for Keeps by Jax Calder]()
Playing for Keeps by Jax Calder
Falling for your former best friend? Never a good idea.Ethan Lewis is the joker of his rugby team, the guy who’s always up for a good time. The only thing that can wipe the smile from his face is any mention of his former best friend, Luke. He has no idea why Luke has actively avoided him for the past five years...Categorized as:
sports friends to lovers from hate to love athletes single-father queer new adult first-person-pov -
![Angel by Linden Bell]()
Angel by Linden Bell
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsHe was only supposed to be gay for pay. Angel I’ve never had sex before. And I've definitely never looked at a guy that way before. But with his brightly-colored hair and beautiful outfits, Rhys is hard to ignore--especially after I learn what he does for a living... -
![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 -
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![All Roads Lead to You by Courtney W. Dixon]()
All Roads Lead to You by Courtney W. Dixon
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsA 1980s Stepbrother Road Trip RomanceA road trip that turned into a journey. LoganNicholas Theodoropoulos had been my stepbrother since I was fourteen. Mom died when I was twelve, and I resented Dad remarrying so soon. Even worse, my stepbrother had grown into a gorgeous man. I hated looking at him, reminding me every day of what I could never have. No one knew I was gay and never would...Categorized as:
from hate to love forced proximity hurt-comfort queer sports new adult high-school dual-pov -
![Starting Over by Alexa Land]()
Starting Over by Alexa Land
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsColt Matthews is trying to find his way in the world. His friends are getting married, finding rewarding careers, and moving forward with their lives. Meanwhile, twenty-one-year-old Colt is still trying to figure out who he is and what he wants out of life. About the only thing he knows for sure is that he’s undeniably drawn to his friend Ren, despite their age difference...Categorized as:
queer new adult first-person-pov dual-pov friends to lovers m-m age difference contemporary -
![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... -
![Back to Center by Ryan Taylor, Joshua Harwood]()
Back to Center by Ryan Taylor, Joshua Harwood
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsEckieThere are ways to get ahead in college hockey, but having a meltdown, trying to get rid of your coach, and stalking his boyfriend isn’t one of them... -
![The Linebacker by Emerson Beckett, Rheland Richmond]()
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...Categorized as:
friends to lovers sports hurt-comfort dual-pov athletes found-family football second chances -
![Kiss My Axe by R.M. Neill]()
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 from hate to love forced proximity first-person-pov dual-pov contemporary m-m -
![Definitely Deacon by Vawn Cassidy]()
Definitely Deacon by Vawn Cassidy
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsJesse Ainsley’s life running his busy veterinary practice in the sleepy Cornwall bay he grew up in leaves no time for a serious relationship… at least, that’s what he tells himself, but the simple truth is much more cliché... -
![A Handyman for the Holidays by Valerie Gomez]()
A Handyman for the Holidays by Valerie Gomez
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAll he wants for Christmas is to be heard! From the author of Cover Story comes a new cozy romance.Nestled in the woods of Northern Michigan, everyone looks out for one another in the tiny town of Cherry Tree—especially during the holidays. Repairman Frank Garza will fix your oven on Thanksgiving and accept nothing but a slice of pie in return. But as a nonspeaker, Frank has never felt he belongs...Categorized as:
queer friends to lovers found-family dual-pov single-father christmas contemporary m-m -
![To Take a Quiet Breath by Fearne Hill]()
To Take a Quiet Breath by Fearne Hill
Rated: 4.60 of 5 stars · 5 ratingsThis 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 virgin hero friends to lovers hurt-comfort found-family contemporary m-m length-medium -
![Fly Away Home by Felice Stevens]()
Fly Away Home by Felice Stevens
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsMaybe Colson Delacourt teasing those nosy ladies in the coffeeshop with the plot of his next murder mystery was a bad idea. But does that mean he deserves to be arrested for attempting to kill his elderly neighbor? Why won’t the police believe he has nothing to do with her getting hurt? That detective Harper Rose won’t listen to him—he’s so annoying and arrogant. And sexy and gorgeous...Categorized as:
queer hurt-comfort forced proximity dual-pov from hate to love m-m contemporary humor -
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![Playing Offside by Jax Calder]()
Playing Offside by Jax Calder
Falling for the guy whose starting spot you're after? Never a good idea.Aiden Jones, aka the Ice King, is one of the best rugby players in the world. He got there by working hard and sacrificing a lot, including denying a large part of himself. But there’s plenty of time to be the poster boy for gay rugby players after he retires... -
![Antagonist by Ana Ashley]()
Antagonist by Ana Ashley
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsOne artist. One attorney. Two single dads.Meeting at a bachelor auction for charity had trouble written all over it as far as I was concerned, especially when the guy that won the bid for me seemed to be after only one thing...a good time between the sheets.Refusing Fletcher’s advances was easy the first time round. After all, we weren’t meant to see each other again...Categorized as:
friends to lovers from hate to love single-father queer found-family m-m contemporary length-medium -
![Forgotten Romance by Saxon James]()
Forgotten Romance by Saxon James
Davey: In a list of what’s most important to me, three things are right up there at the top. My kids, my husband Mack, and my career I’ve spent my life building. Unfortunately that career has me away from home more than I'd like, and when I refuse to walk away from it, my husband walks away from me instead... -
![Never Have I Ever: Wanted My Brother's Rival by Willow Dixon]()
Never Have I Ever: Wanted My Brother's Rival by Willow Dixon
“Why is the one person I hate the only guy I can’t stop thinking about?”West, my older brother’s high school rival. The rich kid who has it all. The guy who disappeared six years ago and destroyed my brother’s life.I thought West and I were friends. I trusted him, but he showed me I was nothing more to him than a means to an end.Being twenty and in my last year of college isn’t easy... -
![Catching Chance by M.E. Parker]()
Catching Chance by M.E. Parker
What happens when you suddenly get everything you ever wanted? First, you don’t believe it’s real. Then you want more… Let’s be honest, gay nerds from small towns in North Carolina don’t get to date the hot, popular quarterback. It’s just one of those impregnable laws of nature. Even if he was my best friend growing up. Even if it turns out by some miracle that he’s gay too...Categorized as:
new adult sports friends to lovers queer first-person-pov dual-pov football small town -
![Beautifully Devoted by Michele Lenard]()
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...Categorized as:
friends to lovers queer new adult anal sex first-person-pov dual-pov football bisexual
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