Books like 'Ruin My Life'
Readers who enjoyed Ruin My Life by Julia E. McColgan also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
gay romance queer anal sex college small town hurt-comfort second chances
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Dirty Laundry by Rhys Ford
Rated: 4.46 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsFor ex-cop turned private investigator Cole McGinnis, each day brings a new challenge. Too bad most of them involve pain and death. Claudia, his office manager and surrogate mother, is still recovering from a gunshot, and Cole’s closeted boyfriend, Kim Jae-Min, suddenly finds his teenaged sister dumped in his lap... -
Jonty in Russia by Barbara Elsborg
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsWhen Devan, Best Boyfriend in the Entire World, books them a trip to Russia in February, Jonty’s excitement knows no bounds. There’s packing to do, plans to be made, and places to see.Armed with his smile and a handful of dubious Russian Phrases, Jonty is ready for the delights Vladivostok has to offer—the famous glass beach he’s dreamed about, ice skating on a frozen sea, and snow... -
Ruined by April Wilson
Rated: 4.58 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsFinally! Sam and Cooper's long-awaited story is here... a second chance gay romance, with a guaranteed HEA. Sam... Coming out of the closet was easy. Falling in love with a man twice my age was not. Cooper grew up old-school, hiding his true self. He may be the love of my life, but I can’t be his dirty little secret any longer. He needs to man up and claim me if he wants to keep me... -
French Martini by Mia Monroe
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsMaybe asking my burly golden retriever contractor to be my fake fiance was a bad idea. But as the saying goes, desperate times and all that. Listen, getting married again sounds about as fun as a shopping spree in a dumpster, so dating is definitely off the table. I’ve resisted Oakley’s tempting presence, knowing it can only lead to trouble, and I don’t need any more of that... -
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Landon Alexander by Michael Robert
Rated: 4.75 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsEight years ago, Landon Alexander’s father was imprisoned for committing an unspeakable crime, and Landon is still picking up the pieces of his shattered life. With his mother a shell of her previous self and the family business in peril, Landon’s in over his head as he attempts to restore the legacy he was born into... -
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...Categorized as:
hurt-comfort second chances queer anal sex small town m-m contemporary friends to lovers -
It's Only Love by A.E. Jensen, Courtney W. Dixon
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsKiss me again. Give me a second chance to accept you instead of running… DennisI’ve had a crush on Mike Tanner, my brother’s best friend, since I was twelve. It’s more than a crush. I love him. He’s the strong, silent type who would give you the shirt off his back. Mike has no idea how beautiful he is, both inside and out. Before I left for college, I took the chance to tell him how I felt...Categorized as:
hurt-comfort college queer friends to lovers siblings-bff m-m queer-awakening length-long -
All the Battles We Surrender by Garry Michael
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsTime. That was what Sawyer Montgomery thought he had until he realized that it was running out. Now, all he wanted to do was right a wrong from three years ago. He made a vow to spend what little time he had left with Hawkins, the only man he ever loved. He would try everything to penetrate Hawkins’ armor before it was too late. Time... -
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:
hurt-comfort queer m-m friends to lovers forced proximity contemporary 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... -
The Bequest by Joanna Chambers
Rated: 4.45 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsDavid Lauriston and Lord Murdo Balfour have been living happily together for three years at the Laverock estate in Perthshire. But when some unexpected news arrives, Murdo must confront old demons he thought he’d put behind him forever. This story will be exclusively available to my newsletter... -
Alone On the Water by MadLori
Rated: 4.45 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsSherlock Holmes never expected to live a long life, but he never imagined that it would end like this. - 7725 WordsSorrow’s my body on the wavesSorrow’s a girl inside my caveI live in a city sorrow builtIt’s in my honey, it’s in my milkDon’t leave my half a heart alone on the waterCover me in rag and bone sympathyCause I don’t want to get over you... -
Keeping Secrets by Alexa Land
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsThe truth can cost you everything. Twenty-six-year-old Beck Medina is convinced of that. He’s been abandoned by so many people over the course of his life, including most of his adopted family. Now he’s created a new family for himself at the resort he manages on Catalina Island. But they don’t know the whole truth about him... -
Pink Heart Jam, Vol. 1 by Shikke, しっけ
A drunken dare turns into a college student’s chance to confront his own sexuality—by visiting a male brothel!For college student Haiga, starting school in the big city is a chance to make new friends and try new things. On the first day of classes, he spots an impossibly gorgeous upperclassman named Kanae strumming a guitar and decides to join the school’s rock band... -
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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... -
An Allotment of Time by Ripley Hayes
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsMurder? Suicide? Accident? Or all three? Daniel Owen is coming to terms with not being a cop. He’s happy to find a bunch of likeminded people at the town allotments — until one of them is brutally murdered. Mal Kent is settling into his new job as the man-in-charge of Melin Tywyll CID. The fly in the ointment is bigoted, lazy DI Carey, Daniel’s replacement... -
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 hurt-comfort queer m-m contemporary angst friends to lovers single-father -
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... -
Embracing Love, Vol. 3 by Youka Nitta
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 10 ratings"Perfect for newcomers to the yaoi genre."-AnimeFringe.com The romantic adventures continue as Iwaki and Katou engage in a ten-day sexual romp that leaves them both exhausted and eventually affects Iwaki's day job as an adult film star. But things take a turn for the worse when Iwaki finally confesses his love for Katou . . . a statement that the impossibly beautiful blond does not want to hear... -
The Law of Miracles by K.C. Wells
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe sequel to A Christmas Promise… Joshua Trant is doing his best to support his son Micah and Micah’s partner Greg as they approach the trial of Greg’s attackers. This was never going to be easy, especially as Greg wants them prosecuted for a hate crime, but County Attorney Alexander Rycliffe assures them he’ll do his utmost to make sure the perpetrators are held accountable for their actions... -
Grinding by Sean Ashcroft
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsTwo childhood best friends. One accidental fake engagement. One Labrador puppy. One week to fall in love.When Harvey runs into his childhood best friend—literally—on the way into Otter Bay for his cousin's wedding, he doesn't plan to end up playing the part of the guy's fiancé... -
Second Wind by Aimee Nicole Walker
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsSecond wind: a new strength or energy to continue something that is an effort. After an amicable divorce, Lincoln Huxley is ready to embrace the sexuality he repressed for more than two decades. Rush Holden is no longer willing to settle for closeted men or those who don’t share his dreams of marriage and fatherhood. A chance encounter on a lakeside pier is the second wind they both need... -
Saturated by B.L. Sparrow
Being a college athlete is hard. You and your twin brother having a 'no-sex' pact to remain closeted until your trust funds are released? Also hard. But when one of you is harboring a secret kink from the one person you can tell everything to, that makes things even harder... -
Igniting His Flame by HJ Welch, Helen Juliet
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsLove makes us all braveDARIOAfter escaping my controlling ex-boyfriend and moving to Redwood Bay, I swear off men for good. The only company I need is my new rescue dog, Queenie. Meeting gorgeous firefighter Lochlan Bell at puppy training class doesn’t count because he’s straight, yet for some bizarre reason he’s decided to become my friend... -
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Hot Ice, Tennessee by Raleigh Ruebins
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA hockey hotshot has me wrapped around his finger…Even after I learn his dirty secret.Jesse is cocky, charming, tattooed, and even more possessive off the ice.…He’s also my friend’s younger brother—which I found out like a puck to the face.He’s too young, too popular, and he knows he has my attention. He’s a college dreamboat, with frat bros riding his jock every day. My world’s different... -
Hannah's Big Night by Mary Calmes
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsA Jory and Sam Thanksgiving... -
Embracing Love, Vol. 1 by Youka Nitta
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsThis is a love story about Iwaki and Kato - two impossibly gorgeous looking actors that feel an immediate attraction to one another, but don't know how to express their love... -
Just a Little Heartache by Merry Farmer
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsLondon playwright Niall Cristofori stands on the verge of becoming one of the most celebrated authors of his generation with the highly-anticipated production of his latest work, Love’s Last Lesson. But Love has a few lessons left to teach Niall himself. He has never been able to get over his first love, the man who made his world come alive ten years ago, then left him heartbroken... -
The Ghosts Between Us by Brigham Vaughn
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsDr. Christopher Allen knows how to deal with death. He’s a psychiatrist who works with hospice patients and their families, helping them cope with grief and letting go. But Chris’s job doesn’t prepare him for the sudden death of his devil-may-care brother Cal. At Cal’s funeral, Chris is completely thrown when he meets Elliot Rawlings, an artist Cal has been dating... -
Perfect by Jenny Wood
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsAdoption is hard. Paperwork and more paperwork, lawyers and more lawyers and it seems like begging and choosing....all to get your heart broken when the expectant mother backs out. Not wanting to go through that again, or put Morgan through it again; they opted out. Unfortunately, the new guy didn't get the memo and they were chosen by expectant young mother, Haley... -
Never Say Goodbye by Felice Stevens
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWho knew getting snowed in at the airport could be so much fun?The nomadic lifestyle of a wildlife photographer is perfect for Ren Stewart—he travels the world with no obligations, no place to call home. With time between assignments, he’s ready to leave the cold New York winter for sunny California. But twenty inches of snow on a layover means his flight’s canceled and he’s stranded... -
Hit the Brakes by Beth Bolden
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsCan they fake it til Tate makes it?Tate Ward is in a bind. His food truck hasn’t been the runaway success he’d always dreamt it would be. When he tries to join a new food truck collective to gain a larger following, his sales aren’t even high enough to win a spot. What he needs is a high profile endorsement—and he knows just the guy.Tate hasn’t seen Chase Riley since high school... -
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... -
ChrisMyths by Amy Lane
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsAfter courtship, cohabitation, and learning about love and each other, Andy and Eli face the ultimate test: being separated at Christmas.Eli’s seen the propaganda—the country boy goes home from the city and realizes his heart is back among the snow, trees, and chickens. A big happy family is something Eli, with his demanding job running a shelter for LGBTQ youth, can’t provide... -
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Intimation by Vee Hoffman
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsBook 3 in the Acclamation series, Intimation chronicles the months following the end of Lent and Easter holiday and the increasing and intensifying intimacy between Michael and Dominic. Moments stolen away from public sight, even when foreshadowed by Dominic’s approaching graduation and Michael’s intentions for the future, only serve to strengthen their feelings for each other... -
Sinister in Savannah by Aimee Nicole Walker
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsSinister in Savannah is a fictional podcast exploring the city's most nefarious crimes with Southern-fried snark. The best-selling trilogy is now available in one collection! Ride the Lightning: When the Sinister in Savannah team delves into the thirty-eight-year-old murder of a drag queen, they quickly discover that the story doesn't end with the alleged killer's confession in 1995. Mr... -
After Ben by Con Riley
Rated: 4.09 of 5 stars · 27 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... -
Again by Sierra Riley, Stella Starling
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 13 ratings“If you can’t remember it, was it ever real at all?” “How do I fall out of love?” Cash Bennett enlisted in the Marines the day his boyfriend married someone else, but military life failed to numb the pain... -
Yarn & Yearnings by Duckie Mack
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsCollin is big, burly, and rides a Harley. He's the last person anyone would expect to have a passion for yarn. He crochets and sells his wares at the Heartcraft Market.Harper is new to town. He wants to plant roots and find someone to share a life with. He has only dated women since that unforgettable night with a biker who took his v-card...Categorized as:
second chances queer hurt-comfort m-m contemporary age difference height-difference found-family -
His Warrior: a Second Chance M/M Protector Romance by Sue Brown
Rated: 4.18 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsWill an alpha guy like Si willingly give his heart to Howie for a second chance at love? Si Raines thought his plans were set for the future. He’d marry his fiancé, the bar-owner Howie Gray, continue with his covert ops career, and when he was ready to retire from that, find a new job and settle down to life together... -
Cold Winter Nights by Sue Laybourn, Jay Aheer
Beauregard Stone lives a life of solitude in the snow-blanketed town of Windeville, Maine. The burly, gruff lumberjack is a man of few words and even fewer smiles. He hasn’t spoken much since his husband died eight years ago. Now, each day bleeds into the next as Stone loses himself in his woodshop and lumber- hauling business...Categorized as:
queer hurt-comfort anal sex small town contemporary m-m childfree-couple height-difference -
Dear Mona Lisa... by Claire Davis, Al Stewart
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsTom; shy office clerk by day and drawer of foxes by night, wakes up one Monday knowing the most extraordinary week of his life is about to begin. In five days, a lifelong ‘secret’ will be made gloriously public—but will it mean losing the person he loves most?Getting married… It seems only yesterday Tom changed nappies and sang nursery rhymes to a laughing baby... -
Late Check In by Mia Monroe
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsHis late awakening plus my years of pining equals one explosive reunion. Five years ago, he was my history professor. The crush I had on the sophisticated, intellectual man morphed into love. As an older student and teaching assistant, I figured I’d take my shot. I asked him out as soon as the semester was over, only to find out he was married. Oh, and straight...Categorized as:
second chances queer m-m age difference friends to lovers forced proximity length-short -
You Don't Know Jack by Anna Sparrows
…And, apparently, neither does he. At 31, Jack Bradford’s life is looking just the way he wants it to. He literally lives in paradise (Surfers Paradise, but who’s counting?), loves his job as a firefighter, has a great group of friends and all the freedom his heart desires and nothing is about to change that. At least, that’s what he thinks...Categorized as:
hurt-comfort queer age difference m-m boss & employee length-medium explicit-open-door -
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The Accidental Dragon Baby by Anna Wineheart
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsIvo's in hiding... from a handsome stranger who knocked him up with a dragon baby.With one eye blind and a face full of scars, Ivo knows he's no one's first choice for a mate. That's okay. He has an adorable baby girl, and a group of loyal friends. It's just... Sometimes, he really wants to be held... -
Unconditional Love by Andrew Grey
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratings"A Seven Days Story" Can a person's life change in just one day? How about seven? Donald Pottier and Jason Greene are barely more than boys when they meet on Chincoteague Island, Virginia. A day of crabbing soon turns them from strangers to friends, then to something more, but the boys' time is limited: at the end of the summer, Jay will leave Don and the island behind... -
Cort—Unbreakable by Felice Stevens
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsCort I spent years waiting for someone who never put me first. He took my love, took me for granted. Took my heart. Now I’m on my own. Living life my way. The crowd only sees my smile. Never my loneliness and pain. I need someone to need me. When I meet another lost soul my friends try to warn me. He’s a liar. A user. Homeless. Heartbroken. He’s all that and more... -
Once Broken, Twice Loved by Romeo Alexander
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWhen the man who left you broken-hearted reappears with a child in tow, do you slam the door or let the past come flooding back? He left me broken . He walked out of my life ten years ago with no explanation, and I fell apart.Ian, the only man I’ve ever loved just walked back into my life…with his sassy, eleven-year-old daughter, Ayla, who’s deaf. Yes, I can do the math...Categorized as:
second chances hurt-comfort queer single-father m-m angst contemporary from hate to love -
Sweet Things by Mia Scott
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThis bad boy Chef just lost the only home he’s ever had. I spent the last decade building a restaurant and running a kitchen I’m proud of, but with one selfish choice, my brother destroys it all. I’ve sacrificed everything—including any chance at a love life—and I’ve ended up with nothing.Well, not exactly nothing...
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