Books like 'Crossed Sticks'

Readers who enjoyed Crossed Sticks by Ryan Taylor & Joshua Harwood also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.

contemporary  gay romance  hockey  sports  hurt-comfort  queer  angst  friends to lovers  found-family  friends-benefits 

  • The Long and Winding Road by T.J. Klune

    The Long and Winding Road by T.J. Klune

    Rated: 4.58 of 5 stars
    · Steam rating: 3 of 5
    Open door [?] · 43 ratings
    Sequel to The Art of Breathing. Family is not always defined by blood. It’s defined by those who make us whole—those who make us who we are. And here, at the end, Bear and Otter will be tested like they’ve never been before. There’s a knock at the door from a little girl who has nowhere else to go. There’s a phone ringing, bringing news they do not expect...
  • Winning With Him by Lauren Blakely

    Winning With Him by Lauren Blakely

    Rated: 4.34 of 5 stars
    · Steam rating: 4 of 5
    Explicit open door [?] · 38 ratings
    Resisting the shortstop has never been my strong suit. I failed at it during my first spring training. It sure as hell looks like I'm about to fail at it again. The sport I love playing with my very soul hangs in the balance. But everything my heart craves lies with the guy I've got to resist. A guy who's asking me to make the toughest choice ever. But how do I become the man I want to be. .
  • Sponsored links / Remove ads
  • Still Beating by Jessie Walker

    Still Beating by Jessie Walker

    Rated: 4.41 of 5 stars
    · Steam rating: 4 of 5
    Explicit open door [?] · 28 ratings
    THE END WAS JUST THE BEGINNING. .. I thought I was strong enough to say goodbye. I thought I was ready to leave him. It doesn't matter that I'll be seeing him in three days. I just have to get through three more nights. I'm dying now. Shattering. Breaking. I'm determined to show him I can manage on my own. What if he needs me? I need him. .. What if he doesn't? . .
  • A Touch of Maple by Amy Aislin

    A Touch of Maple by Amy Aislin

    Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars
    · 8 ratings
    After being traded numerous times over the course of his pro hockey career, all Bellamy Jordan wants is a place where he belongs. Burlington, Vermont, home of the Vermont Trailblazers, his newest team, might just be that place. The bonus: he’s within spitting distance of the grandparents who raised him...
  • All Is Bright (Water, Air, Earth, Fire) by Riley Nash

    All Is Bright (Water, Air, Earth, Fire) by Riley Nash

    Rated: 4.60 of 5 stars
    · 10 ratings
    A 10,000 word mini-novella featuring everyone's favorite couples from the Water, Air, Earth, Fire series as they celebrate Christmas. When six very different men and their families meet at a Wyoming lodge to celebrate the holidays, things are bound to get sweet, steamy, chaotic, and a little bit heartwarming.
  • Forever by Kindle Alexander

    Forever by Kindle Alexander

    Rated: 4.34 of 5 stars
    · Steam rating: 4 of 5
    Explicit open door [?] · 17 ratings
    Dr. Robert Adams grew up with more advantages than most, the son of a former vice president, he had two loving fathers, a twin sister he adores and wonderfully doting grandparents. Life is good until one afternoon when his dreams flat-line. And no scalpel can repair the guilt and grief he carries with him for the first time in his life...
  • Brace and Chase by Hinsel Meyer

    Brace and Chase by Hinsel Meyer

    Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars
    · 6 ratings
    What happens when rivals have to work together to earn their spot on the team back? SANTA. Charlie Heart is many things:. An annoyingly good hockey player. The man who the media has pitted me against our whole careers. My rival. The only person I truly hate in the world. And now apparently, my newest teammate...
  • Hold 'Em Tight by Alisha Williams, Amber Nicole

    Hold 'Em Tight by Alisha Williams, Amber Nicole

    Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars
    · 6 ratings
    They weren't kidding when they say life can change in the blink of an eye. One moment, I think I have it all. My men. Happiness. Friends. Family. And the next, my whole life comes crashing down around me. Betrayal like I’ve never felt before consumes me. A heartbreak so gut-wrenching it hurts to breathe...
  • Red Lined by Crea Reitan

    Red Lined by Crea Reitan

    Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars
    · 7 ratings
    Maybe you can order love online…. Julian. I’ve spent a short lifetime learning that what people say they want is rarely what they actually want. What I hope for is a relationship where both of us feel comfortable together. I think I finally find what I’m looking for in a mail order bride. Then he shows up...
  • Forbidden Hockey by S. Legend

    Forbidden Hockey by S. Legend

    Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars
    · 9 ratings
    GRITTY. RAW. A LITTLE EDGIER THAN THE AVERAGE HOCKEY ROM-COM. Dirk Boulder. Travis leaves the cloth he was using to wipe down the bar where it is. He can’t get out of here fast enough. I should have gone to the game with my friends. My non-blood-related brothers. Though speaking of brothers, I consider calling Hunter. I wish I could talk to him about this, but he’d blow a gasket...
    Categorized as:
    hockey  sports  queer  angst  hurt-comfort  spanking  contemporary  m-m
  • Second Shot by Con Riley

    Second Shot by Con Riley

    Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars
    · 9 ratings
    Second 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 ratings
    Shaw 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...
  • Golden Boy and the Two Bears by Nash Summers

    Golden Boy and the Two Bears by Nash Summers

    Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars
    · 10 ratings
    Asher 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...
  • Scoring Chance by A.J. Truman

    Scoring Chance by A.J. Truman

    Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars
    · Steam rating: 4 of 5
    Explicit open door [?] · 18 ratings
    A totally fake marriage… with very real feelings. I'm a carefree bachelor who never wanted kids. But it seems life has other plans. When my best friend and hockey teammate Tanner Chance finds himself jobless with four kids to support, I suggest a wild marriage. My health insurance can cover Tanner’s family, but to keep nosy coworkers from sniffing out the scheme, the whole Chance clan moves in...
  • Valentine's Hearts by R.J. Scott, V.L. Locey

    Valentine's Hearts by R.J. Scott, V.L. Locey

    Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars
    · 12 ratings
    Will broken hearts replace the wedding they dreamed of? Ryker's heart has space for three things—his family, hockey, and Jacob. As their wedding grows closer, it seems that nothing can stand in the way of an idyllic celebration, surrounded by friends and loved ones...
    Categorized as:
    sports  hockey  queer  hurt-comfort  angst  m-m  contemporary  abuse
  • Rhythm of Us by Aimee Nicole Walker

    Rhythm of Us by Aimee Nicole Walker

    Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars
    · 24 ratings
    Xavier Cruz has come home after touring with his band for eight years, a life his family and friends would never envy if they knew the truth. Haunted by past decisions, he’s lost himself and his music. Every day is a struggle to recapture them both and forgive the mistakes he’s made. Can Xavier push past his nightmares and hear the melodies all around him again? Ben St...
  • To Mend a Broken Wing by Fearne Hill

    To Mend a Broken Wing by Fearne Hill

    Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars
    · 8 ratings
    “I think,” Lucien began, “that we accept the love we believe we deserve. And unfortunately, Noah doesn’t believe he deserves any. ”. For twenty-two-year-old Noah, the revelation that his biological father is an ex-professional footballer is like tearing the wrapper from a cheap chocolate bar and discovering he’s won the elusive golden ticket. Every homeless young man’s dream, right? Wrong...
  • Starts With a Bang by Aimee Nicole Walker

    Starts With a Bang by Aimee Nicole Walker

    Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars
    · 8 ratings
    The 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...
  • Family First by R.J. Scott, V.L. Locey

    Family First by R.J. Scott, V.L. Locey

    Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars
    · 8 ratings
    An injury threatens to end Stan’s career. Will he choose to fight for his beloved hockey, or put his family first? Few goalies are as dedicated as Stan Lyamin, known for his resilience on the ice, talking to his pipes, and his love of Elvis. Add in his adoration of his family and his life has been filled with all the things that bring him joy...
  • Heartstring by Ana Ashley

    Heartstring by Ana Ashley

    Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars
    · 9 ratings
    Mik. If 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. Tyler. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice…. Mik broke a promise a long time ago...
  • FOG[电竞] by Man Man He Qi Duo, 漫漫何其多

    FOG[电竞] by Man Man He Qi Duo, 漫漫何其多

    Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars
    · 9 ratings
    现代电竞+男神VS男神. 医疗师攻X突击手受. 【主角配角均无原型,谢谢大家】. ---. Yu Sui and Shi Luo met each other when they were much younger. One was a pro-gamer, a widely-renowned, best of the best, in-game medic. The other was an e-sports newcomer who was just starting out. The two originally played for the same team, during which their relationship became increasingly deep. But things did not go as expected...
    Categorized as:
    queer  angst  found-family  contemporary  m-m  length-epic
  • Hard Ink by Ali Lyda

    Hard Ink by Ali Lyda

    Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars
    · 14 ratings
    I don’t have the best history with older men. When Mateo saw my last relationship implode, he was there to help. He saved me. Hopefully self-defense lessons will keep me from getting hit again. I can’t ask for more of my friend. Even dreaming of keeping him is wrong. But when my ex makes things difficult, Mateo steps up again. I don’t want a protector, but maybe it’s time to accept a little help...
  • The Law of Miracles by K.C. Wells

    The Law of Miracles by K.C. Wells

    Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars
    · 10 ratings
    The 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...
  • Assisted by Carly Marie

    Assisted by Carly Marie

    Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars
    · 12 ratings
    Foolish is judging a book by its cover… or a hockey coach by his suit. As assistant coach of the Nashville Grizzlies, Imil Bouchard has everything he needs, except maybe a Daddy. On the wrong side of forty and not looking for a traditional Dom, he knows there’s no point wishing for what he can’t have...
  • Save The Date by R.J. Scott, V.L. Locey

    Save The Date by R.J. Scott, V.L. Locey

    Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars
    · 12 ratings
    Ever since he first set foot in Harrisburg, Tennant’s life has been a rollercoaster. Ups and downs too numerous to mention, hard knocks and championship rings. Through all of those monumental moments, one thing has been a constant for him, Jared Madsen. Now that their wedding day is drawing nearer, Ten is seriously considering eloping...
  • Wrapped Up In You by Kate Meader

    Wrapped Up In You by Kate Meader

    Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars
    · Steam rating: 4 of 5
    Explicit open door [?] · 10 ratings
    Get wrapped up in a Rebel this holiday season . .. The holidays are coming and hockey player, Cade “Alamo” Burnett knows exactly what he wants for Christmas: an assurance that his happily-ever-after with Chicago Rebels general manager, Dante Moretti, stays that way. But festive gremlins are conspiring to throw a wrench in the forever Cade and Dante fought so hard for...
  • To Take a Quiet Breath by Fearne Hill

    To Take a Quiet Breath by Fearne Hill

    Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars
    · Steam rating: 4 of 5
    Explicit open door [?] · 7 ratings
    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...
  • Dauntless by Victoria Denault

    Dauntless by Victoria Denault

    Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars
    · 14 ratings
    He’s everything I’ve ever wanted, at the worst possible moment. One and done. That’s always been my motto when it comes to guys, because I’m not about to pull someone else into the closet my parents have locked me inside. I’ve been waiting years to claim my inheritance and live the life I want to live–out, free, and oh yeah, rich...
  • Christmas Lights by R.J. Scott, V.L. Locey

    Christmas Lights by R.J. Scott, V.L. Locey

    Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars
    · 12 ratings
    Under the Christmas lights strung outside a snowy Minnesota cabin, Ryker and Jacob face a future where nothing will be the same again. Fortunate timing means that Ryker and Jacob can spend a few days together over Christmas in a cabin on the family farm. What's better is that Scott and Ben are coming as well, with Hayne and Ethan in tow...
  • Luke: Learning to Love #3 by Con Riley

    Luke: Learning to Love #3 by Con Riley

    Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars
    · 13 ratings
    Luke Lawson is committed to one thing—saving his boarding school before a cash crisis sinks it. He’ll do anything to keep it afloat while vulnerable children rely on him, even if that means accepting help from the man who let him down at uni. Nathan’s offer to teach for free could be a blessing as long as Luke can guard his soft heart...
  • Change of Heart by K.M. Neuhold

    Change of Heart by K.M. Neuhold

    Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars
    · 11 ratings
    Does my husband's heart still miss me now that it beats in the chest of another man? Lub-dub. A heartbeat more familiar than Easton’s own. Lub-dub. He vowed to love his husband until death do they part. And then the worst happened. Lub-dub. His heart kept another man alive. River. A stranger in the world with Easton's husband's heart pumping the blood that warms his skin...
  • Saints Like Him by Aimee Nicole Walker

    Saints Like Him by Aimee Nicole Walker

    Rated: 4.18 of 5 stars
    · Steam rating: 4 of 5
    Explicit open door [?] · 17 ratings
    From ex-con to self-made millionaire, there’s no challenge too tough for Cash Sweeney to conquer. So why has he spent twelve years pining for his best friend instead of doing something about it? Because losing Nick would be like existing with half of his heart...
  • The Rivals of Copper County by May Archer

    The Rivals of Copper County by May Archer

    Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars
    · Steam rating: 4 of 5
    Explicit open door [?] · 13 ratings
    My 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...
  • A Wedding in a Week by Con Riley

    A Wedding in a Week by Con Riley

    Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars
    · 9 ratings
    A 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...
  • The Miracle by Felice Stevens

    The Miracle by Felice Stevens

    Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars
    · 9 ratings
    Ash and Drew are back in a heart warming holiday story! With both Chanukah and Grandmother Esther’s ninety-fifth birthday approaching, the latkes are ready, the presents are wrapped, and bring on the delicious dinner. Ash Davis has a gift for Esther, and he hasn’t even told Drew what it is...
  • Gravity by Mia Monroe

    Gravity by Mia Monroe

    Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars
    · 8 ratings
    He was only meant to be a hookup. Until he became my coworker. Only I could ruin the hottest potential hookup ever. One look at the gorgeous ginger, and I was done for. I summoned every bit of courage I had, then panicked. As is my way. I managed to put it behind me until he became my new coworker. Now, every day is a reminder of my insecurities and what might have been...
  • The Linebacker by Emerson Beckett, Rheland Richmond

    The Linebacker by Emerson Beckett, Rheland Richmond

    Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars
    · 8 ratings
    Is 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...
  • Huddle!, Vol. 3: A "Check, Please!" Sketch Zine by Ngozi Ukazu

    Huddle!, Vol. 3: A "Check, Please!" Sketch Zine by Ngozi Ukazu

    Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars
    · 8 ratings
    Welcome to. Huddle! Vol. 3. . If you're brand new here, Huddle zines are 18+ fan Service booklets that feature characters from the webcomic. Check Please. . And for a sketch zine that started on a goddamn whim, the Huddle series continues a strong legacy of spiciness and smut. How did we even get her, folks? ..
    Categorized as:
    queer  sports  hockey  contemporary  m-m  length-novella
  • Rebound by V.L. Locey

    Rebound by V.L. Locey

    Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars
    · 7 ratings
    If there’s one thing that’s a certainty in life, it’s change. It’s taken Victor Kalinski years to settle into the kind of happiness that he thought he’d never find. The small town of Cayuga, New York, has welcomed him warmly. It’s given him a championship team to coach, a tightly-knit group of friends, a father who he has reconciled with, and a safe place to raise the son he adores...
  • Definitely Deacon by Vawn Cassidy

    Definitely Deacon by Vawn Cassidy

    Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars
    · 7 ratings
    Jesse 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...
  • ChrisMyths by Amy Lane

    ChrisMyths by Amy Lane

    Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars
    · 7 ratings
    After 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...
  • 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 ratings
    USA 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...
  • 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...
  • After Ben by Con Riley

    After Ben by Con Riley

    Rated: 4.12 of 5 stars
    · 28 ratings
    "Seattle Stories: Book One". A year after the sudden death of his longtime partner, Ben, Theo Anderson is still grieving. The last thing he's looking for is a new lover. But as Theo soon discovers, sometimes life has other plans...
  • Playing With Fire by Avery Cockburn

    Playing With Fire by Avery Cockburn

    Rated: 4.16 of 5 stars
    · 16 ratings
    “I don’t want options. I just want you. ”. Robert McKenzie has a secret. As the only straight player on an all-LGBT soccer team, he’s known to fans as “McWhatAWaste. ” No one would guess Robert’s actually bisexual. At twenty-one, on the verge of a brilliant career in video game design, he’s finally ready to be his true self...
  • The Professor's Date by Lane Hayes

    The Professor's Date by Lane Hayes

    Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars
    · Steam rating: 5 of 5
    Explicit and plentiful [?] · 13 ratings
    The professor, the hair stylist, and a wedding date…. Tommy. Help! My sister is getting married and according to her, I need a date. And a makeover. I’m a busy man, though. I don’t have time to meet eligible bachelors, and the tape holding my glasses together works just fine. Until my hair stylist steps on them...
  • Never Enough by E.M. Denning

    Never Enough by E.M. Denning

    Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars
    · Steam rating: 4 of 5
    Explicit open door [?] · 10 ratings
    Tommy Parker has everything under control. He's made it through almost four years of University without revealing the secrets of his tumultuous home life. He has his eye on the prize but he can't turn down a party invitation from his friend Shawn. Even though it's not his scene Tommy finds he doesn't mind being the subject of Vince Barnett's attention. Vince Barnett is ready to move on...
  • Andre by L.A. Witt

    Andre by L.A. Witt

    Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars
    · 9 ratings
    Matt. There’s nothing quite like a night with one of the Gentlemen of the Emerald City. No strings. No complications. I’ve been burned by love, and I’m not going there again. Unlike my teammates who fell for their Gentlemen, I know how to keep emotions from coming into play. At least… I used to. Andre. I used to love this job. The money doesn’t matter—just the thrill. But that thrill is gone now...
  • Abandoned by J.P. Barnaby

    Abandoned by J.P. Barnaby

    Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars
    · 11 ratings
    Little 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...
  • School and Rock by R.J. Scott, V.L. Locey

    School and Rock by R.J. Scott, V.L. Locey

    Rated: 4.18 of 5 stars
    · 13 ratings
    When Colorado Penn finds an unexpected package on his front step, his life will be changed forever. Colorado Penn is living the dream. Starting goalie for the Arizona Raptors when in season, lead singer for a hard rock band when summer rolls around. He’s the quintessential free spirit who’s making sure he enjoys all the carnal blessings of his athleticism, and gritty singing voice...
Fantastic book recommendations by romance book lovers for romance book lovers.
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

romance book finder

Looking for more inspiration? Enter another book title to get more suggestions on what to read next.


Or - use our amazing romance book finder to get recommendations based on your favorite content tropes and themes. Mix and match at will.