Books like 'Worthy'
Readers who enjoyed Worthy by Michele Lenard also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary gay romance angst bad boys queer-awakening friends to lovers queer sports
-
Winning With Him by Lauren Blakely
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. . -
#Fate by Cambria Hebert
Rated: 4.57 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsWhat’s meant to be will always find a way. Perfection isn’t an illusion. I met it, held it in my hands. But then it slipped right through. Perfection isn’t an illusion. It’s elusive, cleverly evasive, and, in many ways, a horrible tease. I’m not a man to be toyed with. Quiet, thoughtful, and even sometimes careful,. but never someone to taunt... -
Sponsored links / Remove ads
-
Forever by Kindle Alexander
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...Categorized as:
friends to lovers angst queer m-m military contemporary length-long explicit-open-door -
The Gift by May Archer, Alexander Cendese
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsListening Length: 9 hours and 55 minutes. Daniel: I suck at relationships and don't trust anyone, but there are reasons for that. For one thing, every person I've ever cared about has let me down. The only recent exception: O'Leary's town veterinarian. .. my new best friend. I came to O'Leary for a fresh start. To pare things down to essentials. To forget about the failures in my past...Categorized as:
friends to lovers queer queer-awakening m-m contemporary humor length-medium audiobook -
-
Hold 'Em Tight by Alisha Williams, Amber Nicole
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThey 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...Categorized as:
sports friends to lovers queer new adult from hate to love contemporary length-medium m-m -
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... -
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...Categorized as:
friends to lovers sports angst queer queer-awakening m-m grumpy sunshine lgbtqia hate -
Dauntless by Victoria Denault
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsHe’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...Categorized as:
friends to lovers angst queer m-m contemporary secret-relationship length-short audiobook -
Change of Heart by K.M. Neuhold
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsDoes 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...Categorized as:
friends to lovers angst queer m-m contemporary length-medium standalone standalone-first -
Free Me by Mia Monroe
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsOnly his ropes can unravel the past. I never thought I’d see him again, but when my former best friend shows up ready to make amends, it becomes clear just how tied to the past I am. He disappeared when I needed him the most, leaving me to navigate my truth alone. Now he’s back. Nixon’s art leaves me vulnerable, defenseless, and I like it...Categorized as:
friends to lovers queer queer-awakening contemporary m-m bdsm length-short audiobook -
Fancy Free by Mia Monroe
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe last thing I need is a curious straight guy sniffing around me. So why is he so hard to resist? My life is everything I ever wanted - by design. Being one of the nation’s most sought after wedding planners has led to a life of traveling to glamorous locations, bumping elbows with the rich and famous, and sampling every handsome hunk the world has to offer... -
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... -
Bear's Best Friend by Raleigh Ruebins
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsHe’s a ray of sunshine. I’m a loner lumberjack. We don’t make sense……But my straight best friend keeps ending up in my bed. Sawyer Hendricks is the best friend I’ve ever had—the Goose to my Moose, and the shoulder I’ve cried on even though I’m not the crying type. The difference between us? Sawyer brightens any room in an instant, and I’m the gruff guy wearing flannel who’d rather be alone... -
Third Time Lucky by R.G. Alexander
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsFrom Author New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author R. G. Alexander, Book 3 in the Finn's Pub Romance series! Ever had a thing for the man next door? My sexy new neighbor is confusing the hell out of me. Elliot Ransom is a baseball player and a single dad, but he doesn’t know his butter beer from a snozzberry... -
-
Ollie Always by John Wiltshire
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsNamed after the main character in his mother’s infamous Oliver novels, Ollie’s been fighting his fictional namesake his whole life. It’s a battle for identity he is slowly and inevitably losing. Ex-army PTI Tom knows all about battles—the real ones that break soldiers... -
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, 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... -
Delicious by Sierra Riley
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 17 ratings“You’re exactly what I never knew I needed. ”. “I don’t have time for love. ”. Gavin Campbell has poured everything he has into starting up his bakery, Delicious... -
The Jock by E.M. Denning
Colby Bennett is straight. At twenty-five, he’s the middle of three boys raised by a single father. He’s always been a jock, so managing a gym feels like his calling. If only being a big brother were as easy. When Colby stumbles on his younger brother trying on feminine clothing, Taylor is angry and embarrassed...Categorized as:
sports queer-awakening queer contemporary m-m length-short audiobook explicit-plentiful -
Falling by Sierra Riley
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 18 ratings“You’re the best fake boyfriend I ever had. ”. “Love exists… in books, at least. ”... -
Playing the Player by Beth Bolden
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsCenter Logan Banks didn’t come to Miami looking for a best friend. He came for football and for a chance at freedom—the freedom to live out of the closet. But after a water main break, he lands an unexpected roommate, the new Piranhas kicker, Dylan Leonard. Between practices, games, and too many late nights on the couch, a best friend is exactly what he gets... -
Skating to Him by Christie Gordon
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsI’m skating to the NHL while he’s running from his past. When we collide, am I brave enough to take the shot? Tyler. Hockey is my life. My ticket to the NHL is in sight, and I can’t afford distractions. Then Coach pairs me with Rowan, the new guy from Boston. He’s talented, sharp, and annoyingly irresistible. When he asks to hit the gay bar with me and my friends, I chalk it up to curiosity... -
War Torn by Andria Large
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsMy life has been completely turned around with the help of my boyfriend and best friend, Tucker. My depression is under control. I’m not having nightmares or flashbacks anymore. My sister is having a baby. Life with Tucker is great…. Or is it? Everything seems to be going so well, almost too well...Categorized as:
friends to lovers queer queer-awakening m-m military contemporary length-novella cliffhanger -
Poolside by Taylor E. Weston
Divorce left Tommy Littleton shaken. He thought he’d checked all the boxes in his marriage, but none of it mattered when “love” was left out. With nothing else to show for his life, Tommy will stop at nothing to get a promotion–even if it means participating in an open-water swim to impress his boss. Unfortunately, he looks like a drowning raccoon in the water...Categorized as:
sports friends to lovers queer-awakening queer contemporary m-m found-family length-medium -
-
The Right Way by May Archer
Rated: 4.18 of 5 stars · 10 ratings"The right way is the one where we end up together. .. And to do that, we need to survive this. ". A brilliant, obsessive mind is the heart of Sebastian Seaver’s genius. It might also be the thing that costs him everything he’s created and everyone he’s ever loved...Categorized as:
friends to lovers queer queer-awakening m-m suspense contemporary length-medium audiobook -
Break Down by Rebecca Norinne
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 5 ratingsHis heart says no, but his body says yes. Liam Donnelly's honed, athletic body craves something he can't have. Not when the last time ended in disaster. Now, the Dublin Rugby player is seeking redemption with a new team in Edinburgh. His fresh start is going strong, but one look at Chef Lachlan MacLeod's inked forearms and whiskey-colored eyes and he's tempted by far more than what's on the menu... -
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... -
Aiden's Luck by Con Riley
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsSeattle Stories: Book Three. House-sitting for a friend is supposed to be a lucky break for Aiden Daly. Discovering his new housemate is the image of his first crush turns it into a nightmare. Marco de Luca is obviously interested in being more than housemates, but his resemblance to Aiden’s ideal man seems only skin-deep. Besides, Aiden doesn’t date...Categorized as:
angst friends to lovers queer m-m contemporary from hate to love hurt-comfort audiobook -
Cocky Bastard by Charlie Novak
Austin Carter is a living legend. He’s handsome, arrogant, and can bring any man to his knees with just one smile. Nobody can resist his charms meaning Austin is used to getting exactly what he wants. The only one who’s ever been able to resist him is me. I think Austin is a bastard. A vain, smug, cocky bastard... -
Change Up: An Out For You Gay Sports Romance by Quinn Ward
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsNo one expected the loudmouth of the team to be hiding in the biggest closet of them all. When he’s paired with someone who just wants to keep his head down and play the game, sparks are going to fly. Kevin Green has always been the life of the party. He’s the one everyone turns to for a bit of comic relief... -
The Right Time by Lane Hayes
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsA Right and Wrong Story. Workaholic Nate Erickson is a successful real estate developer who thrives on long hours and stress. When a Los Angeles project prompts him to relocate to Santa Monica, he welcomes the change of scenery. Nate has always considered romantic entanglements trouble, but his sexy next-door neighbor isn’t easy to ignore...Categorized as:
friends to lovers sports queer queer-awakening m-m multicultural contemporary athletes -
Change Up by Sloan Johnson
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsKevin Green has always been the life of the party. He’s the one everyone turns to for a bit of comic relief. With so many of his teammates coming out of the closet and living healthy lives, it’s getting harder for him to keep the secret only one other person knows: that he’s not as straight as everyone assumes when they see him out with his hot girlfriend... -
Sol: Learning to Love #2 by Con Riley
Rated: 4.05 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsSolomon Trebeck’s heart broke the night of his bi-awakening. Fifteen years later, Sol’s back in Cornwall where it happened, single, shy, and oh-so lonely. Teaching art to kids wasn’t his life plan. Neither is raising a teenage nephew, but with no family left to support him, a live-in job at a boarding school becomes his life raft. Problem: that life raft is sinking... -
Biscuit in the Basket by Kit Oliver
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsEvery love story needs its happily ever after - and then even more. Biscuit in the Basket follows Sebastian and Gil through the week after their first story ends in Light Up the Lamp. In this novella, they settle into their new lives, get their feet under themselves, and start to build their future...Categorized as:
sports queer friends to lovers hockey contemporary m-m second chances length-novella -
-
In Me an Invincible Summer by Ryan Loveless
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsTo an outsider's view, world-famous action star Joe Nestra lives the Hollywood dream—parties, women, and a high-profile divorce. In reality, Joe's agent directs his public life. Those women he's supposedly intimate with? Prearranged dates ending at the red carpet... -
Knowing Me, Knowing You by Renae Kaye
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsLoving You: Book Four. Can friends turned occasional lovers move beyond past mistakes and wrong assumptions to build something that can last? Quiet bookworm Shane has a big secret—one he’s kept for fifteen years. AFL superstar Ambrose Jakoby grew up next door to Shane. They were close friends, and Shane supported Ambrose through school. One night, everything changed... -
Tell Me Lies by Hinsel Meyer
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsDrew. A wedding planner moves to Las Vegas to start a new business…. Does that sound like the start of a bad joke? Well it’s my life... -
Two Weeks and a Day by R.G. Alexander
Rated: 4.04 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsIt’s either the beginning of a great porno or a disaster waiting to happen. That feeling when you’re a thirty-year-old gay virgin with a little OCD, nosy neighbors and a lot of awkward, secret fantasies revolving around your straight best friend? Yeah, that’s me right now... -
Riptide by Ruthie Luhnow
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratings"The weirdest part about kissing my best friend is that it isn't weird at all. ". Drew Riordan is excellent at compartmentalization. It's the only way he's managed to survive three years at Bellamy university—and on the crew team—and how he's made peace with staying in the closet for the foreseeable future... -
One Small Thing by Piper Vaughn, M.J. O'Shea
Rated: 3.99 of 5 stars · 30 ratings“Daddy” is not a title Rue Murray wanted, but he never thought he’d have sex with a woman either. Now he’s the unwitting father of a newborn named Alice. Between bartending and cosmetology school, Rue doesn’t have time for babies, but he can’t give her up. What Rue needs is a babysitter, and he’s running out of options... -
See My Words by Melanie Hansen
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 5 ratingsSuccessful underwear model Scott Ashworth is lucky—his attack at the hands of an unknown assailant will leave no visible scars. His professional goals are still within reach, and best of all, his stepbrother Rylan Mahoney is back in his life, their teenage infatuation at last getting the chance to deepen into something more... -
Don't Fall In Love With Me by Aiden Wilde
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 5 ratingsEDDIE. Everyone knew Max was a bad boy, but everyone fell for him all the same. When I returned back home to live, he said we should hang out a bit. And that's what we did, except we started to hang out a lot. Because now I was falling for Max, too. MAX. No one has ever understood me like Eddie. I was so stoked when I heard he was coming back... -
When Fake Changed Everything by J.P. Sayle
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 5 ratingsWhen did being ‘fake boyfriends’ start making it difficult to remain ‘friends? Jamie Rider is a man who accepts who he is with no boundaries, but with that comes consequences that leave him vulnerable. That is, until Todd. Todd shows him that he'll always be his knight in shining armour bringing Jamie to a new reality... -
Boys of Summer by A.E. Wasp
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsTeammates, roommates, friends with benefits. What could go wrong? Boys of Summer is a book about finding the perfect person to ride shotgun with on the crazy road trip called life. It contains a Dolly Parton lookalike, an unfortunate deer versus car incident, and poorly-timed epiphanies. Everybody leaves. That was the first lesson Thunder goalie James McVicker ever learned... -
-
Rock Bottom by K.M. Neuhold
Rated: 4.05 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsMeet the Band with this exclusive Replay Introduction: Rock Bottom. Grab it free on Instafreebie! Downward Spiral— a band with a handful of platinum records, and almost no hope of making it. Meet Lincoln, Benji, Lando, and Jude— the hottest rock stars of the decade, who’ve just about hit rock bottom...Categorized as:
friends to lovers angst queer m-m contemporary hurt-comfort self harm length-novella -
Billy & The Beast by Eli Easton
Rated: 4.04 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsA stolen rose leads Billy to the Beast of his dreams. .. The rose is so perfectly pink and delightfully fragrant, so temptingly within reach through the bars of the locked gate. One snip later, and a masked man from Billy’s darkest fantasies grabs his arm. Billy’s punishment for the theft? To toil in the estate’s horribly overgrown garden for the summer. Only this summer job comes with a mystery... -
Mourning Heaven by Amy Lane
Rated: 4.01 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsHeroes fall. Peter first came to the tiny backwater of Daisy, California, as a child, and he was sure of one thing: his cousin Michael would take care of him. When Michael started a friendship with the fragile, haunted Bodi Kovacs, Peter's consolation in losing any claim to Bodi was that Michael would care for him too...Categorized as:
friends to lovers angst queer contemporary second chances m-m hurt-comfort length-short -
Checked Out by Sean Ashcroft
Rated: 4.02 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsLibrarian Charlie Jules really needs to stop falling for straight guys. Every man he’s been attracted to over the past year has turned out to be straight—including Scott, a cute new library patron who comes complete with an adorable puppy. Charlie was almost ready to give up on ever finding love in Hope Springs, but when Scott kisses him…. . .. twice…... -
The Cook by Sasha Avice
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 5 ratingsTim had three rules:. Never compromise the quality of the cook. It might be meth, but it was still his name on the product: The Cook. Never use his own gear. Not even to be sure it’s good. Use the tester. And never let Jake—his straight best friend and roommate—find out he’s in love with him and has been since high school. Tim liked his rules. They gave him a feeling of structure and order...Categorized as:
friends to lovers angst queer queer-awakening m-m contemporary length-short australia -
My Straight Husband by Spencer Spears
Rated: 3.99 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsA marriage of convenience is one thing. But married to a straight guy? That’s a whole different story…. Brooklyn: I’ve got a dissertation to finish and tenure to secure. The last thing I’m looking for is romance. But with my advisor’s charity on the brink of losing funding, I’ve got one shot at saving it...Categorized as:
friends to lovers queer queer-awakening m-m contemporary age difference humor length-medium
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.

