Books like 'The Long Refrain'
Readers who enjoyed The Long Refrain by Maya Jean also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
gay romance queer grumpy sunshine caretaking consensual-non-con sweet-hero rockstars
-
Snow Fairy by Tomo Serizawa, 芹澤知
Rated: 4.53 of 5 stars · 22 ratingsWhen Hokkaido-born Haruki meets animal photographer Akihito and finds out his accommodations have fallen through, he offers his home as a shelter for the winter. A city slicker, Akihito is smart, charming, and a smooth conversationalist; the polar opposite of country boy Haruki. Despite their differences, Akihito wants to close the gap between the two of them, before the snow thaws in the spring... -
Protecting Mr. Fine by Lucy Lennox
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsI’m a lucky man and I know it. Kids from backwoods Georgia don’t land scholarships to Yale, but I did, and striking it rich–like, billions of dollars rich–with my best friends after graduation should have used up my luck for a lifetime. But luck struck again when I followed my passion into music...Categorized as:
queer grumpy sunshine m-m virgin hero contemporary secret-relationship hurt-comfort super rich hero -
On or Off, Volume 3 (On or Off (Paperback Ed.) #3) by A1
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsWinner of the Ridibooks 2019 BL Awards Ahn Yiyoung is hard at work building a startup with his college friends, knowing that a successful product could change all of their lives... -
Vow Maker by Lily Morton
Dylan Mitchell wants to get married.However, after seven years of being engaged, that’s looking slightly doubtful. After going through ten wedding planners, they’re gaining a reputation somewhat akin to Henry the Eighth on the wedding circuit.Gabe has vetoed symbolic dove releases, forests of flowers, fire-eating performers, and puce as a wedding colour...Categorized as:
grumpy sunshine queer m-m contemporary humor age difference hurt-comfort explicit-open-door -
-
On a Midnight Clear by Lily Morton
It can safely be said that Lord Barnaby Greenwood is not having the best of Christmases.He’s penniless, up to his eyeballs in debt, and about to lose his estate. Therefore, it’s hardly surprising that when a local property developer offers a lot of money to buy King’s Wood from him, Barnaby is very tempted... -
Off Duty Volume 2 by Gregory Ashe
Rated: 4.58 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsHazard and Somerset: Off Duty Volume 2 is a collection of short stories. It includes the following:“John-Henry Somerset: Sold!”Somers enters a charity bachelor’s auction without telling his boyfriend. This story takes place before The Rational Faculty.“Pretty and Pink and Perfect”Hazard plans a toddler’s birthday party. This story takes place before The Rational Faculty... -
Ranger by K.M. Neuhold, Nora Phoenix
I’ve been living under storm clouds since my honorable discharge, but Julian’s the sun.I’ve tried everything to deal with my PTSD from yoga to sunning my butthole, but nothing seemed to help.So when my brother suggests a therapy dog, I figure I don’t have anything to lose...Categorized as:
queer grumpy sunshine caretaking sweet-hero military contemporary m-m men in uniform -
Easton by Riley Hart
EastonI’m the youngest Swift brother. The one who’s always in trouble and can’t get his life together. I wouldn’t know where to start, and ever since my twin died, I can’t bring myself to care. After my last “situation,” Dad washed his hands of me. And though my brothers should’ve done the same, they stood up for me, fracturing their relationship with him too... -
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... -
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... -
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... -
Fairy Cakes in Winter by Lane Hayes
A grumpy baker, a quirky ad man, and a recipe for forever…ScottSo this cute guy sits next to me on the plane and proceeds to talk my ear off for hours. Not good. I don’t like talking and I don’t like strangers. But Theo’s sweet, smart, and sexy—the perfect distraction from business woes and personal worries.Okay, things got overly friendly, but we’re adults and we know the score...Categorized as:
grumpy sunshine queer m-m age difference contemporary bisexual length-short explicit-plentiful -
Abandoned But Not Alone by Nicole Dykes
FelixI’ve always been a helper. Someone who sees the world in a brighter light than others do. Who tries to show everyone there’s good in this world.So when I meet Henry, I immediately make it my mission to show him how great the world can be if he’ll only accept a little help.Easier said than done. But I’ve always liked a challenge...Categorized as:
grumpy sunshine queer friends to lovers m-m office contemporary single-father found-family -
Prince by Cambria Hebert
Once upon a time…A baby is born in privilege, blooming under the warmth of his parents’ love. Jealousy sprouts and brings with it malevolent intentions. A king and queen cursed with an empty kingdom. A child abandoned in revenge.A misfit, the boy should turn hard and cold among the thorns he grows in. Despite lifelong attempts to destroy him, this child does not wither...Categorized as:
grumpy sunshine queer sweet-hero contemporary m-m insta-love height-difference abuse -
-
Reinventing Cato by Barbara Elsborg
Fate is not always written in the stars…Being headhunted by NASA might be his ultimate dream, but Cato’s life still sucks. He’s tired of anonymous one-night stands. He’s tired of being lonely. And, frankly, he’s tired of himself. As the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s Eve, he realises the only thing to do if he wants to be happy is to reinvent himself... -
Playing With Spencer by Izaia Winter
Spencer desperately wants to love a little, but it’s not in the cards for him. Spencer Howell knows what it’s like to get burned, and once was enough for him. Littles are strictly off limits. It doesn’t matter how cute they are, or how much their innocent smiles warm his heart. He knows to keep his distance. And he’s fine with that… most of the time... -
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...Categorized as:
grumpy sunshine queer m-m queer-awakening friends to lovers forced proximity contemporary bisexual -
Off Duty Volume 2 by Gregory Ashe
Rated: 4.45 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsHazard and Somerset: Off Duty Volume 2 is a collection of short stories. It includes the following:“John-Henry Somerset: Sold!”Somers enters a charity bachelor’s auction without telling his boyfriend. This story takes place before The Rational Faculty.“Pretty and Pink and Perfect”Hazard plans a toddler’s birthday party. This story takes place before The Rational Faculty... -
Winter Waites by Lucy Lennox
Gentry Kane is a rockstar I've been half in love with my whole life. And now he's my patient.When Winter Waites knocks on the door to the snowy cabin where his next physical therapy patient awaits him, he has no idea his dream celebrity is on the other side. Gentry Kane is everything Winter has always fantasized about. But it was only a fantasy...Categorized as:
rockstars queer contemporary m-m insta-love christmas length-novella explicit-open-door -
The Hermit of Aldershill Manor by K.L. Noone
Charlie Ash is ready to start a new job and a new life at Aldershill Manor. As a historian, he’s thrilled to dive into the estate’s archives. And he can hide from all the memories of his messy break-up back in California, where the man he’d thought he’d marry left him instead. He can find solace in exploring Aldershill’s famous gardens ... until he’s caught in the rain, and found by a gardener...Categorized as:
queer caretaking sweet-hero m-m contemporary age difference height-difference insta-love -
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:
grumpy sunshine queer contemporary m-m firefighter men in uniform friends to lovers cold hero -
The Making of Matt by Nicola Haken, E. Adams
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 22 ratingsMatt Carter, self-proclaimed sex-god and drummer for world renowned Souls of the Knight, didn’t have the time or inclination for planning his future, preferring to fill his days with music, women and alcohol. He didn’t want or need anything else in his life. Until the band parted ways and he found himself no longer living the dream...Categorized as:
rockstars queer m-m musicians friends to lovers new adult contemporary queer-awakening -
Muscle Cub by Slade James
He’s a little too young and way too hot for me.Austin Fox is a twentysomething beefcake living his best life working at a clothing-optional campground. He’s the reigning Best Cub of Bear Mountain Lodge. With a twinkle in his eye and a mischievous smile, he radiates body positivity and self-esteem.He could have anyone he wants...Categorized as:
grumpy sunshine queer m-m age difference contemporary humor found-family length-medium -
Lust Hate Love by Ella Frank, Brooke Blaine
USA TODAY bestselling authors Brooke Blaine and Ella Frank continue the story of sexy Fallen Angel rockers Killian and Levi in LUST. HATE. LOVE. As the sexy, charismatic bassist for world-famous rock band Fallen Angel, whatever Killian Michaels wants, Killian Michaels gets...Categorized as:
rockstars queer m-m contemporary forced proximity office length-short explicit-open-door -
-
Stealth by Reese Knightley
Rated: 4.37 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsHunter – Seven is hot as hell, possessive, and dangerous—his perfect match. Except Seven is not into long-term commitments. So, when the man is still in his bed one morning, Hunter thought they’d have a couple of perfect days together. Hunter wants to share about his past. Then again, maybe he shouldn’t say a word since his secrets could get both of them killed... -
All We Are by Jessie Walker
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsPride. Will and Waylon have been through hell and back—more than once. But they’re still standing, still loving each other, still embracing their found family. And that’s something Will is stupidly proud of. He’s happier than he’s ever been, and more in love than he ever thought possible. He just hopes he can find a way to make Waylon believe in them as much as he does. Pride... -
Off Duty Volume 3 by Gregory Ashe
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsLife happens when you’re not looking. Unfortunately, so do a lot of other things.Hazard and Somerset: Off Duty Volume 3 is a collection of short stories. It includes the following:“If Your Friends Jumped Off a Bridge”Hazard is going to get Evie the perfect toy for her birthday, no matter what. This story takes place before Relative Justice... -
Composed at Randy's by Zile Elliven
"How do I tell the guy I like that I’m not homeless, just a dumbass?"Love beyond the binary, serving up low angst trans romances at Randy's Diner.Composed at Randy’s is a 'dumbasses in love', cis male/trans male pairing with a smooth-brained (not remotely smart) genius, a goth himbo, and all the help they can get to achieve their happily ever after... -
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 m-m contemporary christmas length-medium explicit-open-door working class hero -
Alpha & Omega by Courtney W. Dixon
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsThis is not a shifter/Omegaverse romancePlease, please be careful of spoilers in this book. There is a big plot twist.I’m stubborn, but even I can admit I need help from my family and Harley.Omega (Harley)Hudson’s mother abandoned us six years ago, leaving me to pick up the pieces of my son’s distraught heart. With therapy and hard work, life is good...Categorized as:
queer grumpy sunshine m-m contemporary found-family hurt-comfort single-father single-mother -
녹색전상 1 by JAXX, 잭스
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 19 ratings초고층 빌딩으로 가득한 섬. 조각 전공생 매튜 레이너는 우연히 마주친 진청우에게 작품의 모델이 되어 달라 제안한다. 조직을 일으켜 세운 사나운 개, 섹스 중독자. 진창을 구르며 끊이지 않는 통증과 불면에 시달리던 신해파 간부 진청우. 맹목적으로 달려드는 매튜에 기이한 호기심을 느낀 진은 제안을 수락하는 대신 조건을 내건다. "모델을 서 주는 동안, 넌 내 말에 무조건 복종한다." 두 남자는 서로 다른 욕망을 감춘 채 거래를 시작한다... -
Finished by Cara Dee
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsBook 5 of 5 | Romantic Suspense | Hurt/Comfort | Trauma | Age Difference The Auctioned Series is a journey packed with action, nail-biting suspense, family, and love. In Gray and Darius’s fight for freedom and a future where they aren’t haunted by the ghosts of their pasts, they’ll make you laugh, cry, possibly yell at your e-reader, and swoon just a little bit...Categorized as:
grumpy sunshine queer military m-m age difference contemporary found-family length-novella -
Played by Cara Dee
Book 4 of 5 | Romantic Suspense | Hurt/Comfort | Action | Family The Auctioned Series is a journey packed with action, nail-biting suspense, family, and love. In Gray and Darius’s fight for freedom and a future where they aren’t haunted by the ghosts of their pasts, they’ll make you laugh, cry, possibly yell at your e-reader, and swoon just a little bit. One last mission... -
Jinxed by Sandrine Gasq-Dion
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThis book is the second in the series and is preceded by FRET. It can be read as a standalone. It contains homosexual relations and harsh language. A sneak peek to book 3 follows the ending. Jinx Jett is a rock superstar. As such, the hunky Skull Blasters drummer thoroughly enjoys the many perks of willing groupies, earning him a reputation as the band slut... -
-
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... -
A Nothing Special New Year by A.E. Via
New Year’s Eve is usually a night of fun and wild celebrations, but for a police officer, it can be the most dangerous night of the year. Officer Ellis Mason has worked as a beat cop on the streets of Atlanta for over eight years, and he knows what it takes to survive them...Categorized as:
queer sweet-hero contemporary m-m insta-love age difference men in uniform explicit-plentiful -
Chasing You 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:
queer grumpy sunshine caretaking sweet-hero men in uniform friends to lovers contemporary m-m -
Baiting Burke by Jaclyn Quinn
Burke RussoI don’t do lovey dovey. Watching my four best friends trip and fall into their forever person has been both comical and confusing. When a hurricane hits Coral Pointe Inlet, it throws me into a tailspin I didn’t see coming—with a man who lives to drive me crazy. Jared, the sexy—I mean, the snarky fisherman, has been the bane of my existence for the last three years... -
A Filthy Engagement by Jaxson Kidman
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsBarista by day.Engaged to the baddest rock star in the world by night.Well, fake engaged.I mean, what’s one more lie, right?To be fair, it was Dex’s idea.In trouble one too many times…Now he needs me to make him look tame.Trust me, there is no taming this wild hunk.He’s built from muscle, music, and a thirst for women.He can do whatever he wants.Just as long as holds up his end of this crazy lie... -
B-Mine by Ava Olsen
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsHolloway: I’m the lead guitarist for Wayward Lane and I love everything about my rockstar life. Everything except my security detail. And the more popular our band becomes, the less freedom we have. All it takes is one overzealous fan and I find myself constantly shadowed by the one bodyguard I love to tease and evade: Dawson Everly. Mr... -
Got Me Merry by Casey Cox
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsCan my best friend get me to enjoy the holidays? Ho... Ho... Um…No? Christmas just isn't my jam. The crowds. The cold. That Mariah Carey song blasting everywhere I go. Thanks, but no thanks.Don't get me wrong. I'm no Grinch. The holidays are awesome if you have a great family and money to shower them with gifts. Unfortunately for me, I have neither of those things...Categorized as:
grumpy sunshine queer friends to lovers contemporary college humor m-m mature couple -
Let Your Heart Be Light by J.R. Lawrie
FOR SERVICES RENDERED Dr. David Christmas has heard every joke in the book when it comes to his name. Weary of the festive season and from his long shifts in the emergency room, David is also tired of his lonely single life. His only hope for Christmas is a glimpse of the shy but gorgeous neighbour who lives above him...Categorized as:
queer grumpy sunshine caretaking sweet-hero m-m age difference contemporary christmas -
Scene Queen by Charlie Novak
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsNote to self: just because he's hot and funny doesn't change the fact he's annoying AF.Hooking up with my irritating as hell neighbour wasn't on my agenda for the week, even if he is ridiculously gorgeous with a smile that lights up my life. His music is too loud, he’s too nosy… but I can’t stop myself from wanting more than a taste...Categorized as:
grumpy sunshine queer m-m contemporary hurt-comfort forced proximity sports length-medium -
Santa: A Cultural Hegemony by Gregory Ashe
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsHazard & Somerset deal with Santa... -
-
Head Over Wheels Book 2 by Jayda Marx
Rated: 4.60 of 5 stars · 5 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... -
To Take a Quiet Breath by Fearne Hill
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 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 grumpy sunshine contemporary m-m length-medium virgin hero friends to lovers hurt-comfort -
Say It Again: A Dazzling MM Romantic Comedy by Tessa Hatfield
Daniel Greene’s life is dance. What it is not? Really anything outside of that. He certainly doesn’t know how to hobnob with rich people or play bartender for their rich private parties, so when his best friend guilts him into doing exactly that, it ought to end in disaster. Instead, it ends with him pressed against a bathroom wall while a hot lawyer kisses his grand jeté-ing brains out... -
Grinch Kisses by DJ Jamison
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsI'm the grinch who saves Christmas … Yep, you read that right. Every year I save Christmas--and Christmas Falls--by organizing a massive festival that sustains tourism for our little town. But it turns out when Christmas is your life 24/7, the shine wears off the twinkly lights after a while...Categorized as:
grumpy sunshine queer m-m christmas contemporary forced proximity age difference siblings-bff -
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 queer m-m height-difference hurt-comfort insta-love contemporary length-medium -
A Kind of Honesty by Lane Hayes
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsA Kind of Story Music is drummer Tim Chalmers’s great escape and the one thing that’s never let him down. But his band Spiral’s meteoric rise to fame has made it difficult for him to maintain a low profile. Unwanted press pesters him after a public breakup with a volatile ex-girlfriend who loves the limelight as much as he loathes it. Tim’s main goal is to avoid confrontation...
Fantastic book recommendations by romance book lovers for romance book lovers.
Find out more about romance.io.
Find out more about romance.io.
Get recommendations by genres & tropes
Use the romance book finder to mix and match over 100 content keywords to find the books that match your preferences

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