Books like 'Before the Call'
Readers who enjoyed Before the Call by Emma Alcott also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary romance small town mlm lgbtq family humor friends-to-lovers slow-burn children
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How to Be a Movie Star by T.J. Klune
Rated: 4.57 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsSequel 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... -
![Cowboy Seeking a Second Chance by Janice Whiteaker]()
Cowboy Seeking a Second Chance by Janice Whiteaker
Rated: 4.60 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsTen years ago Boone Pace made a mistake out of selfishness and immaturity.He’s regretted it ever since.Competing as a professional rodeo cowboy was everything he wanted. All that mattered. An opportunity he wouldn’t pass by.But it meant leaving his high-school sweetheart behind.Mae Wells was sweet, and innocent, and quiet... -
![Fools by Lucy Lennox, May Archer]()
Fools by Lucy Lennox, May Archer
Rated: 4.41 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsTucker Wright’s Clues for Life:What’s a 4-letter word for an utterly oblivious, totally commitment-phobic, heartbreakingly gorgeous man with a pet pig named Bernadette? That’d be D-U-N-N, as in Dunn Johnson, my very best pal and fishing buddy since I moved to Licking Thicket... -
![The Calendar of New Beginnings by Ava Miles]()
The Calendar of New Beginnings by Ava Miles
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThe last thing international photojournalist Lucy O’Brien expected when she returned to her hometown was for her mother to ask her to shoot photos for a ‘Calendar Girls’-like calendar…Of course, it’s all for a good cause—raising money for breast cancer. Lucy agrees to help—ribald photos and all... -
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![My Kinda Song by Lacey Black]()
My Kinda Song by Lacey Black
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsAbby Summer has been in love with one man most of her life, but he doesn’t know she exists. For years, Abby has watched him go home with woman after woman, not even noticing the one who stands loyally beside him. That’s why a dating site is the perfect solution to Abby’s problems: get over Levi and move on to someone else... -
![Hand Picked by May Archer]()
Hand Picked by May Archer
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsOnce upon a time, I moved to Vermont… and wound up accidentally sort of married.Webb Sunday is the straight single dad next door.He’s lumberjack-gorgeous,Strong and steady as the trees in his family orchard,A grumpy fairytale prince...And entirely off-limits.Or so I thought.Until the drunken night the two of us walked into a bar…And landed ourselves in the middle of small-town history... -
![Thick as Thieves by Lucy Lennox]()
Thick as Thieves by Lucy Lennox
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsJulian:I've been in love with my best friend since forever. Okay, fine. Like, kindgergarten. It started out platonic, obviously, but then became... nope. Still platonic. The problem is that Parker Ellis has been straight since forever. And that makes it difficult to convince him the two of us are meant to be together.And now there's no point. All is lost... -
![Right as Raine by Lucy Lennox]()
Right as Raine by Lucy Lennox
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsTiller:As the first openly gay professional football player, I can’t afford to make any mistakes, on or off the field. And the absolute biggest mistake I could make right now would be to fall for Mikey Vining, my best friend, employee and, more importantly, Coach’s baby boy. I might fantasize about Mikey at night-—every night—but actually touching him would be a serious personal foul... -
![I've Got You by Becca Seymour]()
I've Got You by Becca Seymour
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsWhen a single dad and a newly outed veterinarian meet by chance, it takes red-cheeked conversations, a tentative friendship, and the willingness to put their hearts on the line to show these men they’re made for each other. Single dad Davis Jackson is busy balancing his coffee shop and being the best dad he can be. That doesn’t mean he’s not lonely... -
![The Cowboy Contract by B.A. Tortuga]()
The Cowboy Contract by B.A. Tortuga
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsRyder Vittor has almost everything he could ever want. He was a successful bull rider, he runs a rodeo company and a ranch for his family, and he's right where he wants to be. Until his grandmother issues him an ultimatum... -
![Off Key (Whispering Key) by May Archer]()
Off Key (Whispering Key) by May Archer
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsI’m about to sing you the saddest song in the universe, and it’s called “The Man of My Dreams Married My Sister.” It’s kinda my theme song. And trust me when I tell you, it’s heavy on the violins.Because the man in question? He’s not just any guy, he’s Rafe freakin’ Goodman. My former best friend. The boy who made my summers on Whispering Key magical... -
![Second Wind by Aimee Nicole Walker]()
Second Wind by Aimee Nicole Walker
Rated: 4.33 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... -
![Color Me In by Riley Hart]()
Color Me In by Riley Hart
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsCaleb White has been a lot of places and made a lot of decisions he isn’t proud of. He’s ready to settle down and figure out who he really is. Where better to do that than Last Chance, the home he was ripped away from at sixteen? A fresh start is in order, but he has no idea how to do that when he’s not even sure what he wants in the first place. Ryan Daily is a pro at hiding his insecurities... -
![Waiting for Forever by Jessica Prince]()
Waiting for Forever by Jessica Prince
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsAfter a bitter divorce had left him jaded and cynical, Leo Drake thought he was done. To him, love and happiness were myths. Then the shy, sweet, coffee shop owner looked up at him with those big gray eyes and beautiful smile, and he was done for. Danika Parrish had been the nerdy girl growing up... -
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![The Gift by May Archer]()
The Gift by May Archer
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsDanielI 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... -
![Hard Knox by Riley Hart]()
Hard Knox by Riley Hart
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsCallumA gay guy walks into a straight bar and notices the hottest man he’s ever seen.Why am I not surprised my life sounds like the beginning of a bad joke? First, my ex cheated on me, and I went running to Havenwood and the mom I have a complicated relationship with. Then, there’s Knox, the gorgeous lumberjack I don’t stand a chance with... -
![Short Stack 2 by Lily Morton]()
Short Stack 2 by Lily Morton
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 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... -
![Tinsel and Tatas: A Holiday Romantic Comedy Anthology by Kilby Blades, Serena Bell]()
Tinsel and Tatas: A Holiday Romantic Comedy Anthology by Kilby Blades, Serena Bell
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsGet a head start on the holiday spirit by reading for a great cause! Nearly twenty of today’s most entertaining rom-com authors have teamed up to sell #Books4Boobs. This collection of holiday shorts ranges from sweet to steamy and promises to entertain... -
![Ready for It by M.L. Nystrom]()
Ready for It by M.L. Nystrom
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA woman who seems to have it all, a shy construction worker who prefers to keep in the shadows, and news that will blow their worlds wide open. Join bestselling author ML Nystrom in the Dragon Runners MC spin-off following the much-loved McAteer brothers.Party girl Melanie Miser has it all: looks, brains, and money... -
![Life after Love by J.J. Harper]()
Life after Love by J.J. Harper
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAll 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... -
![Spring Rains by R.J. Scott]()
Spring Rains by R.J. Scott
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWhen love is on the line, the only way to move forward is to challenge ghosts of the past and find a place to belong.High School Teacher Chris, an amputee since his teens, has wrestled with darkness and emerged victorious. He’s a pillar of strength in the classroom, deflecting his overbearing family by day and yearning for love by night... -
![Don't Fall for Your Brother's Best Friend by Logan Chance]()
Don't Fall for Your Brother's Best Friend by Logan Chance
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWhat happens when you fall for your older brother's best friend? They say there are lines you shouldn't cross, but where's the fun in that? Especially when it comes to falling for your brother's best friend... Picture this: I've got five brothers, and I'm the only girl. Standing out isn't easy, especially with my big bro breathing down my neck... -
![Starts With a Bang by Aimee Nicole Walker]()
Starts With a Bang by Aimee Nicole Walker
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe best way to get over a cheating jerk is to get under someone new. Dominic isn’t looking for love or salvation at the Thirsty Cowboy. He needs a temporary escape from the drudgery his life has become, and the universe provides him with the sexiest distraction he’s ever seen. Sven is a sucker for sad eyes, thick thighs, and a Royal Cosmopolitan... -
![Again with Feeling by Gregory Ashe]()
Again with Feeling by Gregory Ashe
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWe might not be doomed to repeat the past. But it’s pretty likely.When Dashiell Dawson Dane receives a phone call from his nemesis Vivienne Carver (okay, one of his nemeses), he’s caught off guard—to say the least—by her help solve the murder of her brother, who disappeared almost thirty years ago. His gut tells him to say no... -
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![Loving My Omega by C.W. Gray]()
Loving My Omega by C.W. Gray
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsSam and Teague have been best friends for years. Now that they are both single, can friendship become more?Hurting from a break-up, Sam moves home to Hobson Hills to take care of his great-aunt. After a year passes, he realizes the only thing he misses from his life in Seattle is the one man that has always been there for Sam, his best friend, Teague... -
![Navigating Noah by Jaclyn Quinn]()
Navigating Noah by Jaclyn Quinn
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsNoah HathawayThe saying 'livin' the dream' is usually said with sarcasm, but I truly am living my dream in Coral Pointe Inlet with my four best friends. Still, as I watch three of them fall in love, my heart aches a little with longing. It doesn't help when Hunter, a man I spent an incredible weekend with, comes back to Coral Pointe--not alone, I might add... -
![Levi's Love by K.C. Wells]()
Levi's Love by K.C. Wells
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsUnrequited love hurts like hell Levi Brown has loved Noah White since he was a teenager, but Noah isn’t looking for a relationship. Every time Levi sees him, his heart aches for what it cannot have. Because dear Lord, he wants Noah, in his life, in his bed.Especially in his bed. The only reason Levi is still a virgin is because he was waiting for Noah. Except Noah doesn’t want him... -
![Pretty Relentless by Lacey Black]()
Pretty Relentless by Lacey Black
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsAvaMy life is content. Living and working in my small hometown of Pine Village is right where I want to be, especially with family and a few close friends nearby.It’s taken me some time to dig my way out of the negative spotlight I found myself under a few years back, thanks to an old photo from college that resurfaced... -
![In the Long Run by Haley Cass]()
In the Long Run by Haley Cass
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsFree-spirited and easygoing Taylor Vandenberg left her hometown of Faircombe, Tennessee as soon as she could, and in the twenty-five years since, she has rarely looked back. She wouldn’t change anything about how her life has turned out – having traveled to nearly every country, never staying anywhere long enough to feel stifled... -
![Convincing the Alpha by C.W. Gray]()
Convincing the Alpha by C.W. Gray
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsStory takes place in the Omegaverse. Hobson Hills Omegas: Book EightInjured in the army over three years ago, Noah Wilson walked away with his life, but lost his hearing. It's taken him years and the support of his family and friends to adapt to a new normal... -
![Unraveling the Omega by C.W. Gray]()
Unraveling the Omega by C.W. Gray
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsStory takes place in the Omegaverse. Hobson Hills Omegas: Book Six Ernie Lawson meets the alpha of his dreams while on a Big Foot excursion with his best friends. No, Big Foot is not the man of his dreams. His man is big, handsome, and the shyest person Ernie has ever met. So shy, in fact, that Ernie is afraid introducing the alpha to his family will send him running... -
![The Alpha's Christmas Wish by C.W. Gray]()
The Alpha's Christmas Wish by C.W. Gray
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsStory takes place in the Omegaverse. Hobson Hills Omegas: Book Seven Juan Vega lives in a town full of loving families and happy couples. As he watches his best friends fall in love, he can't help but wish for his own omega. He's been in love with Jackson since he met him, but it doesn't look like there will ever be a future for them... -
![Tanner by Katy Regnery]()
Tanner by Katy Regnery
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsNew York Times bestselling author Katy Regnery is back with an addictive six-book series featuring the Stewarts of Skagway!When Tanner Stewart learns his crazy ex is returning for a summer in Skagway, he places a personal ad, looking for someone to pose as his fiancée for the summer. Enter McKenna Cabot, a commitment-phobic college professor from Seattle caring for her aging grandmother...Categorized as:
humor family friends-to-lovers angst romance contemporary fake-relationship small-town -
![Sagittarius Saves Libra by Anyta Sunday]()
Sagittarius Saves Libra by Anyta Sunday
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsTrue love is on the horizon, Sagittarius. It’s a good time to step out of your routine and into the unknown.Jason Lyall wants someone to come home to, someone he can be his most ridiculous self with. Someone who loves him regardless. But no matter how hard he tries, he can never quite make that connection, and now his last girlfriend has moved on—she’s engaged... -
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![Tristan by Karla Sorensen]()
Tristan by Karla Sorensen
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThere's one thing you should know about Tristan Whitfield: he’s been in love with Anna for years. There are two problems with that: she has no idea, and she's married. Or at least, she was. Anna Callahan knows three things about her brother’s friend, Tristan: he's quiet, incredibly handsome, and has a smolder that could set the room on fire... -
![Drawn to You by Jaclyn Quinn]()
Drawn to You by Jaclyn Quinn
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsLeaving his enormous family behind, native New Yorker, Elijah, decides to move to Brighton Pier for a fresh start. Being part of a large LGBTQ community and landing his dream job at Inkubus, a local tattoo shop, is too big of a draw for him to turn down... -
![Meet Me in the Blue by A.M. Johnson]()
Meet Me in the Blue by A.M. Johnson
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsMeet me… in the place where the sun kisses the horizon and sinks into blue shades of you and me.Meet me there… where everything was always perfect. You and me and the damp grass at dawn and the gray dirt in the late evening rain.Meet me where we were ourselves and not these two people who can’t even say I love you... -
![Let Your Hearts Be Light by Fae Quin]()
Let Your Hearts Be Light by Fae Quin
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsA stranger is just someone you haven’t been forced to spend Christmas with yet.Baxter: As a 42-year-old single father the last thing I expected before Christmas was for my daughter to sign me up for a community matchmaking event... -
![Blank Canvas by E.M. Lindsey]()
Blank Canvas by E.M. Lindsey
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsWhen a car accident changed the trajectory of his life at fifteen, Sam Braga set out to find his own way in the world. It never occurred to him he’d find home in Fairfield, Colorado, working with a childhood friend at a tattoo shop, and the legal guardian of a gorgeous little girl who was abandoned by her mother at birth. Sam has his life organized exactly the way he needs it... -
![Griff's Place by Riley Hart]()
Griff's Place by Riley Hart
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsGRIFFINI always felt I wasn’t wired like my peers, but when my brother, Kellan, gave me three terms—ace, aromantic, and demi—I had possible names for it. Those three words have been on my mind ever since, as has my brother’s best friend, Josh Westbrook. It’s been cool getting to know him and spending time together, just us. He makes me feel something I never thought I’d be able to feel... -
![Return to Blackcreek by Riley Hart]()
Return to Blackcreek by Riley Hart
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThis December it's time to go back... Wes and Braden Braden plans a surprise weekend getaway for him and Wes. Two days alone in a cabin with his husband? There’s no telling what kind of trouble they can get into. Wes isn’t fooled though. He knows this weekend is about more than just a sexy escape... -
![A Lifetime Kissing You by Riley Hart]()
A Lifetime Kissing You by Riley Hart
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsCharlesI have a great family, a successful career, and never struggle to find the company of a man when I want it, and I do—often. The loss of my brother years ago is the one dark spot in an otherwise perfect life. But at forty-three, my world suddenly feels emptier than it should. Something’s missing... -
![Run with It by M.L. Nystrom]()
Run with It by M.L. Nystrom
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe struggle is real. Beverly spends so much of her time juggling her four kids, a dead-beat ex, and two jobs that she never has time for herself or another man in her life. Then Connor moves in next door. Connor is healing from a hard break from his family and is working to find his own identity. He has no interest in joining another one. Then he meets his neighbor... -
![Wild Hart by E. Davies]()
Wild Hart by E. Davies
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsEverything I want is here, in front of me. Rusty Campbell left Hart’s Bay after high school to work in the wilderness. Now he’s back home for one purpose: seaweed farming. To succeed, he’ll need to fight the tide and win over his skeptical family, once-burned by the fishing industry collapse... -
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![Blooming by Sean Ashcroft]()
Blooming by Sean Ashcroft
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsInstagram crush. Instant fling.The last thing amateur food photographer Milo expects to find in the sleepy town of Otter Bay is the cute boy he’s been crushing on from Instagram. He’s in town to help his pregnant sister, not to look for a fling, but his best friend is right—it’s been so long since he got laid that they’ll be reissuing his v-card any day now... -
![Real Hazard by Elle Keaton]()
Real Hazard by Elle Keaton
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThey're not looking for love, but it catches them anyway. Can two very different men find common ground and claim a future... together? FosterThings I love✓ my kid sister✓ the no-hope dogs I rehabilitate✓ my job as an EMT✓ and maybe my new friend Dutch.But Dutch isn’t gay and physical attraction isn’t something I feel often... -
![In Too Deep by Daryl Banner]()
In Too Deep by Daryl Banner
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe plan: hit up the beach with my best friend, get one of those fruity drinks with an umbrella in it, and read my book on the sand with the waves crashing at my feet and the sunshine beaming over me.Not part of the plan: being distracted by all of the gorgeous single men who apparently inhabit this Texas beachside getaway.Definitely not part of the plan: falling for one of them... -
![The Wilderness by Rosalind Abel]()
The Wilderness by Rosalind Abel
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWill Epstein had it all—playboy good looks, wealth and prestige, and a gorgeous fiancé to costar with him on a reality television show. But that was years ago, before he was abandoned at the altar on national television. In the aftermath, Will’s world crumbled, leaving him humiliated and lost. Andre Rivera married his first love and lived a dream life until tragedy stepped in... -
![Perfect by Jenny Wood]()
Perfect by Jenny Wood
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 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... -
![Meant To Be: A Prequel Daddy Novella by Sammi Cee]()
Meant To Be: A Prequel Daddy Novella by Sammi Cee
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsPJ couldn't be more surprised that he needs a Daddy in the bedroom...Joel and PJ met as pre-teens at Takoda Outreach Center. They’ve shared every secret, first as best friends, then roommates. But now that they’ve graduated from college, adulting presents circumstances and unforeseen problems that they never saw coming...
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