Books like 'The Hardest Thing'
Readers who enjoyed The Hardest Thing by James Lear also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary gay romance mystery male-pov military suspense abduction age difference queer
-
Domestic Animals by Gregory Ashe
Sometimes, the most dangerous animals are the ones you let inside.When a man hires Emery Hazard to track down a teenager who, he claims, robbed him, Hazard isn’t convinced. The story has holes in it, and the client seems eager—too eager—to keep the authorities from getting involved. But Hazard is willing to play along; he suspects something much darker is going on, and he wants to know what it is... -
![The Hitman's Guide to Righting Wrongs While Causing Mayhem by Alice Winters]()
The Hitman's Guide to Righting Wrongs While Causing Mayhem by Alice Winters
Rated: 4.53 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsLeland: Growing up, I was taught that getting too close to someone would be my downfall. But I’ve proven that wrong now that I’m happily married to Jackson, the greatest man in the world. The issue is that mayhem always seems to find me (which is definitely not my fault), and this time, it comes in the form of a woman looking for her daughter... -
![]()
![]()
Sponsored links -
![Dirty Heart by Rhys Ford]()
Dirty Heart by Rhys Ford
Rated: 4.54 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsA Cole McGinnis Mystery Former LAPD detective Cole McGinnis’s life nearly ended the day his police partner and best friend Ben Pirelli emptied his service weapon into Cole and his then-lover, Rick. Since Ben turned his gun on himself, Cole thought he’d never find out why Ben tried to destroy him. Years later, Cole has stitched himself back together... -
![To Have and To Hold by Nicole Edwards]()
To Have and To Hold by Nicole Edwards
Rated: 4.83 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsFrom New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Nicole Edwards comes the eleventh installment in her Brantley Off the Books series.The moment everyone’s been waiting for!Brantley Walker and Reese Tavoularis are counting down until their wedding day... -
-
![Somebody to Cherish by April Wilson]()
Somebody to Cherish by April Wilson
Tyler and Ian are embarking on their new venture as private investigators. After they solve their first case, they celebrate by taking a road trip to Key West. Their objective: fun and relaxation in the sun. Unfortunately, fate has something else in store for them. When a guest at the hotel where they're staying goes missing, they can't just sit by and do nothing...Categorized as:
mystery age difference suspense queer m-m contemporary explicit-open-door queer-awakening -
![Ignite by Jocelynn Drake, Rinda Elliott]()
Ignite by Jocelynn Drake, Rinda Elliott
Two of Noah’s Army buddies are dead. Someone has taken shots at Noah. And now Noah’s former lover, JB, is a target. Noah, Rowe, and JB team up to track down a killer trying to take out all of Noah’s old Army team in hopes of covering up a dark secret. But this trip to Washington, D.C. threatens to unravel the perfect life that Rowe and Noah have built over the past three years... -
![The Magnolia Murders by Aimee Nicole Walker]()
The Magnolia Murders by Aimee Nicole Walker
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsEverything old is new again in love and murder.Work together, live together, and play together is the name of the game for Royce Locke and Sawyer Key. But one of those things changes when Chief Mendoza taps Sawyer to lead the newly formed cold case unit. His first task: solve the Magnolia Murders that spanned three decades and suddenly stopped in 2000... -
![Killer Honeymoon by Aimee Nicole Walker]()
Killer Honeymoon by Aimee Nicole Walker
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsHoneymoon, happily ever after, and…homicide?Newlyweds, Royce Locke and Sawyer Key, embark on a honeymoon road trip where their biggest threat should be dodging drunk tourists on golf carts. But their arrival on South Bass Island lands them in the middle of a contentious battle between lifelong islanders and a property developer who won’t accept no for an answer... -
![Wintering with George by Mary Calmes]()
Wintering with George by Mary Calmes
Rated: 4.48 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsGeorge Hunt is certain that spending time with his boyfriend’s family over the holidays will be a disaster. How can it not? For starters, he knows nothing about families, never having had one, as for the rest…talk about pressure. What if he messes up, says the wrong thing, and ends up losing the most important person in his life? Dr. Kurt Butler is his miracle; George can’t afford any missteps... -
![Tied Over by Mary Calmes]()
Tied Over by Mary Calmes
Josiah Redeker has been tied up, tied down, and just plain tied to Bodhi Callahan since the younger marshal was paired with him five years ago. It was an easy slide from partners to best friends, and though Bodhi wanted more, Josiah thought Bodhi could do far better than him...Categorized as:
suspense military age difference queer m-m friends to lovers contemporary length-medium -
![Chain Reaction by Nicole Edwards]()
Chain Reaction by Nicole Edwards
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsFrom New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Nicole Edwards comes the tenth installment in her Brantley Off the Books series.During the two years since they created the Off the Books Task Force, Brantley Walker and Reese Tavoularis have had their share of difficult cases, but their next one hits close to home. Too close... -
![Castiel by Annabella Stone]()
Castiel by Annabella Stone
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWhat once was strong is broken.Can what was broken be repaired?Former SEAL and Operative for the US Government’s elite Red Squadron, Castiel Cunningham Clark has defied the odds more times than he can count. He learned the hard way how fickle fate can be and he’s made it his business to live his life at one speed and one speed only… full steam ahead. Except when it comes to one person... -
![A Chosen Man by Jaime Reese]()
A Chosen Man by Jaime Reese
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsFor Wall McCormack, actions speak louder than words. He’s giving and protective, loyal to his friends, and devoted to his job. While confident and powerful enough to conquer any challenge, his greatest strength lies in his calm nature. Until an unexpected assignment sends his world into a loud and colorful chaos he never could have anticipated. Rejection... -
![Blaze by Jocelynn Drake, Rinda Elliott]()
Blaze by Jocelynn Drake, Rinda Elliott
The rings have been selected. The champagne placed on ice. The cake decorated. And the pre-wedding sex is off the charts... Lucas Vallois and Andrei Hadeon are finally ready to walk down the aisle. There’s just one small problem. A ghost from Lucas’s past shows up days before the wedding, desperate for help... -
-
![Noble Hops by Layla Reyne]()
Noble Hops by Layla Reyne
Everything Dominic Price has worked hard to uphold is about to come crashing down on everything he holds dear. So much for the quiet life. Just as assistant US attorney and brewery owner Dominic Price is settling into a comfy new chapter with his partner, FBI agent Cameron Byrne, the sudden death of Nic’s father puts their happily-ever-after in jeopardy... -
![Black Moon: MM Romantic Suspense by Elle Keaton]()
Black Moon: MM Romantic Suspense by Elle Keaton
Rated: 4.57 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsOne corpse, two corpse, old corpse, new corpse.Summer is crashing into fall and Mat and Niall have a wedding to overthink.A body is discovered floating in the harbor and this time it's the missing ex-Piedras Marine officer Duane Copper... -
![Reinventing Cato by Barbara Elsborg]()
Reinventing Cato by Barbara Elsborg
Rated: 4.57 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsFate 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... -
![Body and Soul by Patricia Logan]()
Body and Soul by Patricia Logan
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsMore than ten years ago, a series of train bombings devastated railways throughout Europe. Strange poetry sent to local newspapers right before each bombing, confounded investigators at the time. In one of only a handful of failed covert missions, Jarrett had been sent into North Korea to take out the bomber... -
![Pretty Poison (Sinister in Savannah Book3) by Aimee Nicole Walker]()
Pretty Poison (Sinister in Savannah Book3) by Aimee Nicole Walker
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsRedemption seeker. Chameleon. Damaged heart.By day, Rocky Jacobs is a private investigator. By night, he produces Sinister in Savannah, a true-crime podcast, with his two best friends. Rocky’s life revolves around three principles: possessing skill is better than having luck, a man’s reputation is everything, and there’s no sacrifice too great for those you love... -
![Rialto by Jocelynn Drake, Rinda Elliott]()
Rialto by Jocelynn Drake, Rinda Elliott
Someone has it out for Rialto. Ian Banner is loving his hectic life. He’s newly married, ready to start a family, and opening a new restaurant. All his dreams are coming true. The last thing he needs is a problem with his restaurant. But when one attack after another comes, he grows convinced he has another enemy... -
![Short Stack 2 by Lily Morton]()
Short Stack 2 by Lily Morton
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsWhat happens after the happy ending?Drawn together for the first time, this is a collection of Lily’s short stories about some of the much-loved men from her books. Follow them through wet and windy marriage proposals, surprise workplace visits, and a very entertaining ghost tour... -
![Forever by Tinnean]()
Forever by Tinnean
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsLately, life is both sweet and sour for intelligence operatives Mark Vincent and Quinton Mann. The sweet is they’re settling into a relationship; Mark has found a condo in Alexandria with the help of Quinn’s mother, Portia; and Mark and Quinn are looking forward to spending the holidays in the Caribbean. As for the sour, something shadier than usual is going on at Langley... -
![The Bruise-Black Sky by John Wiltshire]()
The Bruise-Black Sky by John Wiltshire
Ben usually overlooks Nikolas's occasionally jarring dissonance. Not this time. A deep rift, a terrible lie, separates them. Eleven thousand miles from Nikolas, in New Zealand, it's bitter winter as Ben films the tragic story of a post-apocalyptic gladiator, a victim of his own personal darkness. But on receiving a death threat, Ben suspects the truth of actor Oliver Whitestone's suicide... -
![Edison's Professor by Jocelynn Drake]()
Edison's Professor by Jocelynn Drake
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe stranger chose him.Edison Walker had never seen the man with the wide green eyes before. He only knew that he was in trouble.And that he took one look at Ed and decided he was his haven. His protector.Ed would not let him down... -
-
![Whatever It Takes by Reese Knightley]()
Whatever It Takes by Reese Knightley
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsOne man’s temper may be the other’s salvation. Dillon Gannon went from almost getting kicked out of the Army to being a revered member of a Special Forces unit. When his commanding officer orders him on a protection detail, it’s the last thing he wants to do. He’s a weapons expert, not a babysitter. Luke Rhine worked his way up through the Army and retired as a general... -
![Modern Warfare by Valerie Vaughn]()
Modern Warfare by Valerie Vaughn
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsCovert Affairs M/M Romance Book Two Navigating a new relationship is never easy, but Deputy Director Syler Perrin has the uniquely hair-raising privilege of doing it with one Special Agent Arthur Dufault, premiere CIA operative and all around menace... -
![School of Fish by Amy Lane]()
School of Fish by Amy Lane
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsJackson Rivers has been learning how to take care of himself so he can be there for Ellery Cramer, but after eight weeks of healing, body and soul, he’s itching to get back to work. Finally Ellery gives him a simple task: pick up a file on a kid who probably didn’t commit murder but who refuses to participate in his own defense.Nothing is ever that easy... -
![Off Course by Nicole Edwards]()
Off Course by Nicole Edwards
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsFrom New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Nicole Edwards comes the ninth installment in her Brantley Off the Books series. With wedding plans underway, Brantley Walker and Reese Tavoularis are attempting to create some balance between work and life. After a busy summer, they’ve finally slowed down enough to take a breather. At least until the hacker extraordinaire—a.k.a... -
![The Spoil of Beasts by Gregory Ashe]()
The Spoil of Beasts by Gregory Ashe
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA jailhouse slaughter. A relentless killer. And way too much jackassing around. When word comes that two key witnesses in an investigation are dead, North and Shaw are surprised—and pleased—to learn that their friend, John-Henry Somerset, is interested in hiring them as freelance contractors for the Wahredua police department... -
![Enduring Night by John Wiltshire]()
Enduring Night by John Wiltshire
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsThe supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting. Nikolas has always liked art. You'd have thought that Ben and Nikolas would have learnt that their romantic holidays inevitably end up as disasters. A short break on the polar ice sees them trapped in a nightmare of murder and deceit... -
![Long Shadow by Elle Keaton]()
Long Shadow by Elle Keaton
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsNiall’s known nothing but betrayal. All Mat wants is Niall’s heart; what will it take for him to coax Niall in from the cold? Mat's connection with Niall is tenuous. One step forward, two steps back. Since that night on the beach Niall's been avoiding Mat like a bad case of the flu--which, ironically, most of his deputies have come down with... -
![Roman by Annabella Stone]()
Roman by Annabella Stone
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsFact: Six years ago, former Force Recon Marine Roman Walsh made the biggest mistake of his life and chose duty to his country over love. Fact: He was an idiot. Now the one he loves is missing, and Roman has only one thing on his mind. Get him back alive... -
![Thunder and Lightning by Patricia Logan]()
Thunder and Lightning by Patricia Logan
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsJarrett Evans and Thayne Wolfe have been partnered in the ATF for nearly two years and their love and commitment to each other has grown over time. Now faced with one final challenge, the boys are headed to Arizona to help Thayne’s mom, stumbling headfirst into a brand new case... -
![Point and Shoot by Patricia Logan]()
Point and Shoot by Patricia Logan
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThayne Wolfe and Jarrett Evans have been working together for nearly a year. Now, living together as well, their relationship has taken on a whole new meaning for both men. It seems that danger has always been a part of their lives in the ATF but when SAC Stanger sends them to a relatively routine crime scene, things quickly get complicated... -
-
![Somebody to Love by April Wilson]()
Somebody to Love by April Wilson
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsChicago homicide detective Tyler Jamison has accepted that fact that he was born defective. Women just don't do it for him, and he can't contemplate any other option. So, loneliness it is. Ian Alexander has met the man of his dreams, but the guy's in complete denial of his sexuality. Ian's not giving up on Tyler, though. Tyler's a domineering, controlling force of nature.. -
![How Not to Break by Susan Hawke]()
How Not to Break by Susan Hawke
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsTake one former SEAL with a healthy dose of regret… Nick St. Cloud is living with shame from the one time he let his lust override his sense of honor. He’s haunted by the memory of when he made love to his best friend’s eighteen-year-old son. The tragic accident that happened that same night has only compounded his guilt... -
![Looking For Love by Stella Starling]()
Looking For Love by Stella Starling
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsMicah Finn Rawlings has lived most of his life blind, sheltered, and craving adventure. Now, at twenty-two, an operation has given him his sight back and he’s ready to take on the world. Well, sort of. His newly restored vision isn’t exactly all that he’d hoped it would be, but he’s definitely not going to let that stop him…... -
![Just Say When by Aimee Nicole Walker]()
Just Say When by Aimee Nicole Walker
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsSomeone wants Police Chief Emilio Mendoza dead. And if his unknown assailant doesn’t kill him, pining for Sheriff Abraham Beecham just might. Abe and Lio’s thirty-year journey has taken them from heated rivals to best friends with countless labels and pit stops along the way. Romance is the only avenue left unexplored but not from lack of love or desire... -
![All That Remains by R.J. Scott]()
All That Remains by R.J. Scott
Federal Agent Lucas Beaumont has an agenda—get himself assigned to the case of the apparent serial murders at Lancaster Falls, find out who the murderer is, and then lay the ghosts that haunt his grandfather to rest. In the midst of a horrific murder investigation, the only peace he gets is from simple moments in a warm kitchen, talking to hotel owner, Josh... -
![In Dog We Trust by Neil S. Plakcy]()
In Dog We Trust by Neil S. Plakcy
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsan alternate cover edition can be found hereAfter a bad divorce and a brief prison term for computer hacking, 42-year-old Steve Levitan has returned to his home town of Stewart’s Crossing and taken a part-time job as an adjunct professor of English at his alma mater, Eastern College... -
![Killer Bond by Jocelynn Drake, Rinda Elliott]()
Killer Bond by Jocelynn Drake, Rinda Elliott
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsDaniel Hendricks wants a vacation. Ward Security’s accountant and resident code breaker just needs a little R&R from the chaos and usual shenanigans of the office. But what was supposed to be a sexy vacation hook-up explodes in his face when he’s mistaken for a rogue secret agent... -
![Cops and Comix by Rhys Ford]()
Cops and Comix by Rhys Ford
A Murder and Mayhem Short It’s all fun and games until someone leaves a dead body on the floor. Life for comic book store owner Alex Martin usually runs to the mundane. Sure, he has a regular influx of geeks and freaks, but for the most part, it’s a familiar weird. That all changes when he opens up Planet X Comics one morning and finds a corpse in the middle of his shop... -
![The General and the Elephant Clock of Al-Jazari by Sarah Black]()
The General and the Elephant Clock of Al-Jazari by Sarah Black
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratings"The General and the Horse-Lord: Book Two" "Sequel to The General and the Horse-Lord" Fresh out of the closet, General John Mitchel and Gabriel Sanchez are settling into their new life together when an old army colleague taps them for a rescue mission to Tunisia. Eli and Daniel, two former Rangers working security, have been arrested in Carthage, charged with blasphemy and thrown into prison... -
![A New Empire by Layla Reyne]()
A New Empire by Layla Reyne
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsLegacies were made to be rewritten. Assassin Hawes Madigan wants to do right—by his family, his organization, his city, and the man he’s falling for, ATF agent Christopher Perri. But Hawes’s rules are being challenged by someone willing to kill for the old ways... -
-
![Conspiracy Theory by Elle Keaton]()
Conspiracy Theory by Elle Keaton
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsYears of grueling police work have left Niall Hamarsson jaded and disillusioned with life…although it’s likely he’s been that way all along. The last straw lands when the DA refuses to try a case Niall worked for years to bring to justice. Within hours he finds himself heading to the only place he’s ever been able to call home—a place he knows he doesn’t belong... -
![Silent Knight: A Fog City Novel by Layla Reyne]()
Silent Knight: A Fog City Novel by Layla Reyne
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsI won’t let anything happen to you. Fourteen years ago, Braxton Kane’s feelings were forbidden.As an officer, he couldn’t fall for an enlisted… no matter how much he longed for Holt Madigan.Now—as a police chief in love with a digital assassin—his promise to always protect Holt is becoming harder to keep. I’ll protect you... -
![Real Danger by Elle Keaton]()
Real Danger by Elle Keaton
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsHow can one man be so incredibly frustrating but so sexy at the same time?Ryder knows two things. Tragedy can strike at any moment so you have to hold tightly to the gifts life gives you. And, Shay is one of those gifts. To Ryder their fifteen-year age difference is nothing, Shay is the man he wants. Now he just needs an opportunity to plead his case with the sexy lawyer... -
![War of the Wicked by Davidson King, Morningstar Ashley]()
War of the Wicked by Davidson King, Morningstar Ashley
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsLucifer’s Landing is full of unscrupulous people: five families desperate to own every inch. For years, under the watchful and most powerful eye, there has been peace. With the murder of the most powerful man, it’s as if the gates of Hell have opened.Dante Scavo is trying to fill his father’s shoes, find the person responsible for killing him, and stop Lucifer’s Landing from becoming a war zone... -
![Zenith by Eli Easton, R.J. Scott]()
Zenith by Eli Easton, R.J. Scott
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA killer haunts Prophet, and this time it’s personalThe discovery of a body at the Thompson Cabins sets off a chain of events that hits too close to home for Sheriff Gabriel Thompson. When his brother Sam becomes a prime suspect in the murder investigation, Gabriel is forced to keep secrets from Tiber and call in outside help as he fights to prove Sam’s innocence... -
![Jaxon by Ruby Raynes]()
Jaxon by Ruby Raynes
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAlex: My life is going fine. Okay, it was going fine until I found myself both homeless—my trusty car Trixie on her last leg—and in need of a fake fiancé. What I don't expect is for Jaxon, my long-time crush and the owner of Ink Me, to come swooping in like a knight in shining armor...
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.
