Books like 'Simplicity'
Readers who enjoyed Simplicity by Nicole Dykes also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary gay romance forced proximity friends to lovers found-family queer office new adult grumpy sunshine insta-love
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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... -
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...Categorized as:
friends to lovers forced proximity office queer found-family small town grumpy sunshine cold hero -
Lovers Like Us by Krista Ritchie, Becca Ritchie
Twenty-seven-year-old Farrow Keene lives by his actions, and his actions say he’s the best at whatever he does. As a 24/7 bodyguard and the new boyfriend to Maximoff Hale, protecting the headstrong, alpha billionaire has never been more complicated. And one rule can’t be bent: Keep your relationship secret from the public. Farrow is confident he’s the best man for the job...Categorized as:
new adult queer found-family forced proximity friends to lovers insta-love office sweet-hero -
How to Be a Movie Star by T.J. Klune
Sequel to How to Be a Normal PersonA How to Be Novel Josiah Erickson wants to be a movie star. The problem with that is so does half of Los Angeles. But he’s on his way, what with memorable roles as a TV show background cadaver and a guy in a commercial for herpes medication. All he needs is his big break...Categorized as:
friends to lovers sunny hero forced proximity queer found-family m-m contemporary humor -
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The Dangerous Convenience Store Vol. 1 by 945
This hit Boys' Love webtoon/manhwa (comic) is coming to print in English for the first a full-color and Mature-rated romantic comedy about a convenience store part-timer and a handsome gangster!Yeo Eui-joon needs cash, so he works part-time at a convenience store--where the clientele includes hoodlums and mobsters...Categorized as:
queer grumpy sunshine cold hero sunny hero sweet-hero working class hero m-m contemporary -
Not That Ridiculous by Isabel Murray
Charlie Galloway is handling it, okay?Yes, he’s been left to run the family coffee shop all on his own, he’s up to his eyeballs in mortgages and loans, and his fixer-upper dream house is falling down around his ears. Big deal. He can handle it... -
The Dangerous Convenience Store Vol. 2 by 945
This hit Boys’ Love webtoon/manhwa (comic) is coming to print in English for the first a full-color and Mature-rated romantic comedy about a convenience store part-timer and a handsome gangster!College student Yeo Eui-joon works the graveyard shift at a convenience store to pay his bills... -
The Dangerous Convenience Store Vol. 3 by 945
This hit Boys’ Love webtoon/manhwa (comic) is coming to print in English for the first a full-color and Mature-rated romantic comedy about a convenience store part-timer and a handsome gangster!College student Yeo Eui-joon works the graveyard shift at a convenience store to pay his bills...Categorized as:
queer grumpy sunshine working class hero cold hero sunny hero contemporary age difference mafia -
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 -
Crew: A MM Second Chance Baseball Romance by Kimberly Knight, Rachel Lyn Adams
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsComing... -
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
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 queer m-m contemporary hurt-comfort length-medium -
Golden Boy and the Two Bears by Nash Summers
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 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... -
Wicked Outlaw by Jocelynn Drake, Rinda Elliott
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsCole 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 m-m cowboys contemporary queer-awakening -
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Amid Our Lines by Zarah Detand
Realising your new boss is the adult star you fancied as a teenager? Awkward.In the snow-kissed Swiss Alps, Adrian’s world is a high-wire act of old-world charm and new-world problems at the Gletscherhaus Hotel. Enter Eric, an undercover London songwriter, seeking a mental break in a place where the Wi-Fi is as patchy as his past relationships...Categorized as:
small town forced proximity queer contemporary m-m boss & employee length-medium explicit-open-door -
Wicked Heat by Ella Frank
RyanKind, caring, and protective. Those are the three qualities I’m looking for when it comes to my dream man. In a city as big as Chicago, you wouldn’t think he would be that hard to find, right?Wrong.Sure, my boss found a super-sexy detective and my best friend fell madly in love with the most eligible bachelor around...Categorized as:
friends to lovers grumpy sunshine cold hero queer contemporary m-m firefighter men in uniform -
On the Run by May Archer
I was supposed to be partying with a bunch of celebrities in paradise this week, okay?But then I made one teeny, tiny error in judgement before leaving New York, and suddenly the paparazzi expected me to give a command performance as “the other man” in their straight celebrity “outing” of the week.Um, no, precious. So much no...Categorized as:
insta-love grumpy sunshine queer new adult small town sunny hero sweet-hero working class hero -
The Pretenders of Copper County by May Archer
It was supposed to be a straightforward protection job. Remove the target from Vermont, get him to the safehouse, keep him there until his mafia uncle testifies, get back in my employer’s good graces.Boom, done. Easy... -
There Is A Light by Ban Gilmartin
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsJamie Gilmour is starting over. A new school, a new city, a tenth attempt at a second start. All he has to do is stop making bad decisions and stick to something for once in his life. All he has to do is stop being himself.Jude Pujari is thinking of calling it all off. He’s overstressed, depressed and frozen in place, trapped by grief and fear of change... -
Bowling for Turkeys by Amy Lane
Milo Tanaka was not recovering from the mother of all breakups when his best friend barged into his home and gave him a dog. While Julia the dog doesn’t like squirrels, cats, turkeys, other dogs, or most humans, at least she gets him out of bed...Categorized as:
queer sweet-hero working class hero m-m contemporary christmas length-medium explicit-open-door -
Hard Ink by Ali Lyda
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsI 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...Categorized as:
friends to lovers queer found-family m-m age difference contemporary length-short audiobook -
The Contractor by Raleigh Ruebins
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsHe’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 office queer found-family m-m contemporary queer-awakening length-short -
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 grumpy sunshine friends to lovers found-family contemporary m-m length-medium virgin hero -
Break the Rule by Lucky Hart
Charlie King: As free-spirited as he is chaotic, Charlie's rules to art and relationships are as follows: 1) get messy and 2) move on to the next piece. He lives for the thrill of the new, on canvas or in bed, and just because he's over 30 doesn't mean he needs to settle down. When a pretty boy wearing a scowl and a skirt upends Charlie's life, he brings one more rule: don't fall in love...Categorized as:
queer found-family new adult m-m hurt-comfort age difference contemporary explicit-plentiful -
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Total Creative Control by Joanna Chambers, Sally Malcolm
Sunshine PA, meet Grumpy Boss ... When fanfic writer Aaron Page landed a temp job with the creator of hit TV show, Leeches, it was only meant to last a week. Three years later, Aaron’s still there ...It could be because he loves the creative challenge. It could be because he’s a huge Leeches fanboy. It’s definitely not because of Lewis Hunter, his extremely demanding, staggeringly rude ..Categorized as:
forced proximity friends to lovers grumpy sunshine office queer cold hero sweet-hero contemporary -
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 forced proximity queer found-family m-m age difference hurt-comfort contemporary -
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
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... -
Resonance by Neve Wilder
I gave the rumor mill fodder for a lifetime the day I walked away from a lucrative music career without explanation. People can talk all they like; my record stores are my lifeblood now, and I’m devoted solely to keeping them afloat in the digital age. There’s just one little thing distracting me: an earth-dwelling sunbeam named Owen Harper. I don’t know what I was thinking when I hired him...Categorized as:
friends to lovers grumpy sunshine forced proximity cold hero sunny hero queer m-m age difference -
Sweet as Pie by Beth Bolden
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsLuca Moretti is grumpy—and he wouldn't have it any other way.Wrangling six—Italian—siblings and the family's restaurants would make anyone cranky. But when his mother requests that he save his aunt’s struggling Italian deli in charming, picturesque Indigo Bay, he has no idea that he's about to get an overdose of sweetness...Categorized as:
grumpy sunshine insta-love queer m-m height-difference hurt-comfort contemporary length-medium -
Nice Guys & First Times by K.M. Neuhold
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsYou Always Remember Your First…Come along for a sweet, steamy compilation of 4 MM romance novellas by the queen of swoon herself: K.M. Neuhold... -
A Fool and His Manny by Amy Lane
Seeing the truth and falling in love. Dustin Robbins-Grayson was a surly adolescent when Quinlan Gregory started the nanny gig. After a rocky start, he grew into Quinlan’s friend and confidant—and a damned sexy man. At twenty-one, Dusty sees how Quinlan sacrificed his own life and desires to care for Dusty’s family... -
Of Pranks and Passion: An Unexpected Love Story by Amy Padilla
The stories of success and happiness usually revolve around the golden child of the family. They can do no wrong. This story is about the forgotten child. The one who fights tooth and nail to find their happily ever after, and the found family who supports them the whole way... -
Horribly Harry by Lisa Henry, Sarah Honey
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsBad Boyfriend, Inc—when you can’t find a good boyfriend, why not hire a bad one instead?To supplement his income while he’s completing his Early Education degree, Harry Townsend hires himself out as a terrible date—for a set fee, he’ll horrify parents and family members in all sorts of interesting ways. But when it comes to actual relationships—and sex—Harry doesn’t get the appeal... -
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Bring Me Home by Annabeth Albert
***Coming soon from acclaimed author Annabeth Albert*** A brand-new small town series perfect for fans of her Rainbow Cove series featuring a forty-something friend group to fall for, romances to swoon over, steamy times and big feels.BRING ME HOME stars a navy Lieutenant fresh from the service and his childhood BFF's all-grown-up son... -
The Sweetest Goodbye by Christina Lee
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsBillie Montgomery was always known as the sick kid with the therapy dog. Dylan Bowden never had two nickels to rub together, let alone a true home to call his own. The two have been best friends since high school. They’re always there for each other, so when Billie opens his own bakery called Montgomery’s Sweets no one supports him better than Dylan... -
Take a Chance on Me by Alexa Land
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsFree-spirited ballet dancer Quinn is sure he made a terrible mistake by agreeing to be Duke’s roommate. The big cop is the most uptight person Quinn’s ever met, and both men begin driving each other crazy from day one. Before long though, an undeniable spark of attraction ignites between them...Categorized as:
queer cold hero sunny hero m-m contemporary height-difference length-medium men in uniform -
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
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... -
The Principal's Office by Jae
Chemistry teacher Regan and her childhood best friend, Kylie, are no strangers to visiting the principal’s office. When they were growing up, mischievous Regan often got them in trouble at school. But this time, their trip to the principal’s office has a very different they need to tell Regan’s boss that the gossip about them is no longer just rumors...Categorized as:
friends to lovers queer found-family m-m f-f contemporary length-novella glimpses-kisses -
Signs of Love: Winter by Anyta Sunday
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWhat happens when a clueless hero believes in star-sign compatibility? What happens when there’s only one sign left to try? Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces, Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer... Caspian’s tried the lot, compatibility nil. Leo is his last hope for happiness. He just has to find one. Maybe his Virgo best friend will help? He should sneak over next door and see.. -
His Until Christmas by Con Riley
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWelcome back to London for another snow-dusted and super-emotional holiday romance from Con Riley's Christmas collection."What do you mean I'll be someone else's PA?" I slump, the bell on my Santa hat tinkling. "For how long?""Just until Christmas," Rex promises. "Don't worry, Jack. You'll like him... -
And it Came To Pass by Laura Stone
Adam Young is a devout Mormon whose life is all planned out, by both his strict father and his church. He follows the path theyve established for him, goes off to his mission in Barcelona, Spain, and realizes that his life may not follow the trajectory already chosen for him.His mission companion, Brandon Christensen, is a handsome, enthusiastic practitioner on the surface... -
Head Over Wheels Book 2 by Jayda Marx
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsHarley - Life is great. I’m healthy and happy, enjoying every day with my sweet and sassy Finn by my side. Jake is graduating college and starting his new career, and in just a few weeks, Finn and I will be joined together as husbands. But it never fails that just when you least expect it, life will throw you a curve ball...Categorized as:
queer sunny hero sweet-hero m-m contemporary length-medium disabilities and marks audiobook -
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Queried Sick by Dallas Smith
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsFor fans of Casey McQuiston and Always Only You, Queried Sick is a slow-burn romance about two bisexual disasters finding love while working at a publishing company during the pandemic—complete with grumpy/sunshine vibes, found family, and an attention-seeking cat...Categorized as:
friends to lovers new adult office grumpy sunshine queer contemporary m-m length-medium -
Tashiro-kun, Why're You Like This? Vol. 2 by Yamada, ヤマダ
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsFirst we're trapped at a rural bus stop during a thunderstorm. Then the storm of the century comes along when I'm trapped at your place. All these mf'ing storms sure are convenient for you.. -
Room For Love by Quinn Ward
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsA single dad, a small town, and one very persistent carpenter.LUKENoah needs my help. His house is a disaster—leaky pipes, warped floors, and enough structural issues to make any contractor cringe. Lucky for him, I love a good project.The problem? Noah himself.He’s all sharp edges and stubborn pride, with a permanent scowl that shouldn’t be attractive—but somehow is... -
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 sunny hero queer sweet-hero found-family m-m contemporary -
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... -
Alex by S.M. Shade
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsNinety- two days. Thirteen weeks. That’s how long it’s been since I lost my love, my best friend. It’s been everything I can do to drag myself out of bed and get back to work, but I know Cooper would want me to move on. I think he’d even be happy if he knew who I want to move on with. The target of my affection, though, may not be so thrilled about my choice. He’s straight. Or he thinks he is...
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