Books like 'Shelter the Sea'
Readers who enjoyed Shelter the Sea by Heidi Cullinan also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary romance north-america usa iowa mlm lgbtq family social-commentary realistic
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Something Like Autumn by Jay Bell
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsLove can appear unexpectedly: a chance meeting at a friend’s wedding, the arrival of a handsome new co-worker… or while being robbed at a convenience store.For some, love seems an impossible dream. Growing up gay in small-town Missouri, Jace Holden thought his chance would never come... -
![A Scarcity of Condors by Suanne Laqueur]()
A Scarcity of Condors by Suanne Laqueur
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsJuleón "Jude" Tholet has survival in his DNA. His father, Cleón, lived through imprisonment and torture during Pinochet's military coup in Chile. His mother, Penny, risked everything to gain her husband's freedom and flee the country with their newborn son... -
![Time Stamps by K.L. Kreig]()
Time Stamps by K.L. Kreig
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsTime stamps. Our life is marked by them. Significant milestones to the seemingly mundane. All of them have a place. A purpose. Moments and chapters stacking on each other, building scars and memories. Creating stories that are only ours to tell. But those stamps are finite, pre-determined. And eventually our allotment runs out. This is our story. Our collection of time stamps... -
![Differently Normal by Tammy Robinson]()
Differently Normal by Tammy Robinson
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsEvery family has its issues. For Maddy, life is all about routine. It has to be, to keep her autistic sister happy and healthy. With just Maddy and her mother as Bee’s full time carers, there’s no time in Maddy’s life for complications like friends, let alone a boyfriend... -
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![Against the Wall by Alexa Land]()
Against the Wall by Alexa Land
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsDon’t start something you can’t finish.It’s a cliché, but 22-year-old graffiti artist Christian lives by those words. He’s going away when he graduates from art school in just six short months. With so little time left, getting involved with gorgeous Shea Nolan has to be a mistake. If only he could make himself stay away from the sweet, sexy police officer.Christian has a decision to make... -
![Away by B.A. Wolfe]()
Away by B.A. Wolfe
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsWhat good is running AWAY when you only end up lost? Cassandra Pierce had her whole "perfect" life planned out by her parents. One night of pure weakness and lust has her running away from it all and seeking refuge in Alamosa with her best friend. But it seems life has other plans for her when she finds herself lost in the small town of Keaton. Jason Bradley is a charming country guy... -
![Be Our Guest by CJ Bishop]()
Be Our Guest by CJ Bishop
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsBlood is just blood. Family ties are knit in the heart and strengthened by love. With most of whom they consider ‘family’ already right there within their tight-knit circle, the Phoenix couples begin to look beyond that circle and contemplate those from the past who rejected and hurt them. Deep down, Dane longs for reconciliation with his parents... -
![Fisher's by Sammi Cee]()
Fisher's by Sammi Cee
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsA MM Contemporary Romance Fisher knows what it's like to be hungry. He’s dedicated his life to feeding those in need, and now that he’s offered sanctuary to two homeless teenage boys, that mission has never felt more personal. Officer Marcus LeBleu is the newest volunteer at Takoda Outreach Center... -
![Bittersweet by Deborah Bladon]()
Bittersweet by Deborah Bladon
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsMy world exploded on my wedding day.A dark-haired, gorgeous stranger objected as I stood at the altar in my long, white gown.He told all of my friends, my family, and my fiancé that he was the man for me.I had no idea who he was, but he offered me an escape I was craving, so I left the church with him.He might have been a little drunk and horribly confused... -
![Like the Taste of Summer by Kaje Harper]()
Like the Taste of Summer by Kaje Harper
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsJack managed to get a scholarship to a small-town college in the middle of the Iowa cornfields, September 1981. It wasn't New York, or California, but he figured it would be better than being home. College would be be a new start in a new place, maybe somewhere he could be himself... -
![The Language of Seabirds by Will Taylor]()
The Language of Seabirds by Will Taylor
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsA sweet, tender middle-grade story of two boys finding first love with each other over a seaside summer.Jeremy is not excited about the prospect of spending the summer with his dad and his uncle in a seaside cabin in Oregon. It's the first summer after his parents' divorce, and he hasn't exactly been seeking alone time with his dad. He doesn't have a choice, though, so he goes.. -
![Dex in Blue by Amy Lane]()
Dex in Blue by Amy Lane
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsTen years ago David Worral had plans to go to college and the potential for a beautiful future in front of him. One tragic accident later, he fled to California and reinvented himself as Dex, top porn model of Johnnies.Dex’s life is a tangled mess now, but the guys he works with only see the man who makes them believe even porn stars can lead normal lives... -
![Falling for Hadie by Komal Kant]()
Falling for Hadie by Komal Kant
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratings“Sometimes there is a single moment that changes your life forever.” Hadie Swinton is giving up on boys. After a disastrous relationship, she is convinced that all males are the same—arrogant, self-assured, and complete jerks. Lincoln Bracks is giving up on his old life. After moving to a new town to escape the problems plaguing him, he is set against ever getting close to anyone again... -
![Fever Pitch by Heidi Cullinan]()
Fever Pitch by Heidi Cullinan
Rated: 4.18 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsSometimes you have to play love by ear. Aaron Seavers is a pathetic mess, and he knows it. He lives in terror of incurring his father’s wrath and disappointing his mother, and he can’t stop dithering about where to go to college—with fall term only weeks away. Ditched by a friend at a miserable summer farewell party, all he can do is get drunk in the laundry room and regret he was ever born... -
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![The Sky Blues by Robbie Couch]()
The Sky Blues by Robbie Couch
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsSky’s small town turns absolutely claustrophobic when his secret promposal plans get leaked to the entire school in this witty, “earnest, heartfelt” (Becky Albertalli, New York Times bestselling author), and ultimately hopeful debut novel for fans of What if it’s Us? and To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before... -
![When I Grow Up by John Goode]()
When I Grow Up by John Goode
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA Tales from Foster High Story After graduation, Kyle Stilleno and Brad Graymark move to California to pursue their dreams. But high school sweethearts are called that for a reason, and their love rarely stands up to the test of time. As money, school, sex, and jealousy test their relationship to the breaking point, Kyle and Brad fight to hold on to the love that brought them together... -
![Sawyer by JJ Harper, Jay Aheer]()
Sawyer by JJ Harper, Jay Aheer
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsTake one bartender. Add an unwelcome engagement party With a dash of hot, sexy stranger For a spicy and sweet new beginning. Sawyer can’t believe his cheating ex has chosen Bar 28 to hold his engagement party. The grin on his smug face proves he has done it on purpose... -
![Shouting Match by Pandora Pine]()
Shouting Match by Pandora Pine
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAfter the death of his father, Capone Lombardi was tasked not only with keeping his father’s legacy alive, but also to look after his mother and three younger brothers. Putting his own love life on the back-burner, he’s spent the last five years ensuring the family restaurant, Lombardi’s, thrives... -
![The Long Way by DomLuka]()
The Long Way by DomLuka
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsNote: Book cover incorrectly titled.After tragedy strikes at home and he loses a special friend, is betrayed by someone he trusts and his father discovers he's gay, Owen Dovan moves in with the brothers he hasn't seen in two years. Even in a loving environment things aren't always easy... -
![Lending Light by Rose Christo]()
Lending Light by Rose Christo
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratings"Sometimes my imagination bleeds into reality." Eleven years ago a serial killer menaced the Nettlebush Indian Reservation. Rafael Gives Light is his son. A loner, Rafael relies on his startlingly overactive imagination to escape the distrust and vitriol of his peers. In the summer of 2000 an exceptionally blond boy moves to Nettlebush... -
![Fearless by Chris O'Guinn]()
Fearless by Chris O'Guinn
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsAt fifteen, Justin is already a cynic. He’s experienced too many betrayals, too many disappointments. He doesn’t want to be involved in anything. He doesn’t want to be popular. He doesn’t even want friends anymore, since they only ever let you down. He just wants to get through high school and the best way he can come up with to accomplish that goal is to simply be invisible... -
![Taking the Long Way by Lily R. Mason]()
Taking the Long Way by Lily R. Mason
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsOne woman's journey towards self-acceptance through love, loss, family, friends, and career. Sample: “I don’t like him,” Natalia mumbled. It was the easiest way to start the conversation. “Um… I’m sorry,” Bridget said. “I don’t like that you’re spending all your time with him,” Natalia said. Her voice sounded pressured and forced, like she had to push a block of ice up from her chest... -
![The Layover by Roe Horvat]()
The Layover by Roe Horvat
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsEight years ago, Ondro Smrek fled Slovakia and the bigotry that drove his first lover to take his own life. The demons proved impossible to outrun, though, and now, desperate for somewhere to belong, Ondro is returning to start over. During a layover in Basel, Switzerland, he meets Jamie, an American living in Scotland who is as brilliant as he is beautiful... -
![Tales From Foster High by John Goode]()
Tales From Foster High by John Goode
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsKyle Stilleno is the invisible student even in his nothing high school in the middle of Nowhere, Texas. Brad Graymark is the baseball star of Foster High. When they bond over their mutual damage during a night of history tutoring, Kyle thinks maybe his life has changed for good. But when you're gay and falling for the most popular boy in school, the promise of love is a fairy tale, not a reality... -
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![Let's Hear It for the Boy by T.A. Webb]()
Let's Hear It for the Boy by T.A. Webb
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsAuntie Social is the biggest, baddest drag queen in Atlanta—she knows what she wants and she gets it. She’s tough, merciless, and top dog. That’s what Paul Stewart, reporter for the Journal, had heard, and all he expects when he’s assigned to interview the legend.. But nobody really knows the person behind the make-up... -
![Snowflake Kisses by Jacki James]()
Snowflake Kisses by Jacki James
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsFrankie Taylor is a pastry chef in need of a fresh start, and Cap Roberts is a coffee shop owner in need of a pastry chef. Should be a perfect fit. But the delicious pastries he bakes aren't the only thing about Frankie that makes Cap's mouth water, and as a newly single father, Cap can’t afford to risk not only his heart, but his daughter's as well... -
![Kill Your Darlings by MesserMoon]()
Kill Your Darlings by MesserMoon
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsKill Your Darlings: To remove or refrain from using something in spite of one's affection for itYears after Regulus loses his brother they're reunited, and as he struggles to figure out where he fits in Sirius's life he also struggles not to get lost in the impossible feelings he has for Sirius's best friend... -
![Ballads of Suburbia by Stephanie Kuehnert]()
Ballads of Suburbia by Stephanie Kuehnert
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsAn aspiring film writer tells about her troubled teen years in the Chicago suburbs when she and her friends tried to escape the pain of their lives through rock music and drugs... -
![Walking on Thin Ice by Jocelynn Drake]()
Walking on Thin Ice by Jocelynn Drake
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsIt’s not easy for Spenser Roland to admit it, but he needs help. Christmas is just a few days away, and he can’t face the idea of showing up to his family’s gathering alone … again. They want to see him happily settled, but Spenser doesn’t date. He can’t risk it if he wants to protect his family... -
![Henry Hamlet's Heart by Rhiannon Wilde]()
Henry Hamlet's Heart by Rhiannon Wilde
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsA sparkling queer YA romance set in Brisbane, Henry Hamlet’s Heart follows one guy and his sometimes hilarious, sometimes heartbreaking journey to love.Henry Hamlet doesn’t know what he wants after school ends. It’s his last semester of year twelve and all he’s sure of is his uncanny ability to make situations awkward. Luckily, he can always hide behind his enigmatic best friend, Len... -
![Test Drive by Riley Hart, Sean Crisden]()
Test Drive by Riley Hart, Sean Crisden
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsA double shot of devastating news turns Justin Evanson’s life upside down. When he learns his father has cancer, and he has siblings he never knew existed, he leaves everything behind and moves to Virginia to support his dad as he tries to make amends with his family—a family Justin’s not sure he has a place in... -
![After the Rain by Lisa De Jong]()
After the Rain by Lisa De Jong
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsA novella follow-up to When It Rains. The last few years have been my best and my worst. Now I’m learning to move on after my greatest heartbreak of all. I’m in college with the guy I’ve loved since I was just a kid, but when two people have the history we do, there are always obstacles to overcome. They say love conquers all, and it's time to find out how true that really is... -
![The Road to Amazing by Brent Hartinger, Josh Hurley]()
The Road to Amazing by Brent Hartinger, Josh Hurley
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratings"I think gay guys like weddings more than anyone. And it's not because we want to destroy marriage, like some people say. It's because we really, really want to get married!"Russel Middlebrook is gettin' hitched! The wedding is taking place in a remote lodge on an island in Puget Sound... -
![Fixer Upper by Jason Collins]()
Fixer Upper by Jason Collins
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsKIP: Rule one of hiring a handyman: don’t fall in love with him. My new house needs some renovations, and I’ve got my eye on Ted. He’s a contractor from my support group with a hands-on approach and a million-dollar smile, and I’m thrilled when he agrees to help. As it turns out, this renovation isn’t the only thing he’s got in hand. Every time he’s around, I go weak in the knees... -
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![Finding Finn by Charlie Novak]()
Finding Finn by Charlie Novak
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWhat happens when a quiet boy with a secret falls for his best friend?Finn has always kept people at arm’s length. Being quiet and shy doesn’t get you many friends outside your family, and it’s even harder when you’re running a spicy, secret side project.But Gem might be the exception to the rule. The game designer is clever, self-deprecating, and appreciates Finn’s affection for all things nerdy... -
![His Surrender by Jaclyn Osborn]()
His Surrender by Jaclyn Osborn
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsREMIEvery Friday night, he sits in the corner of the bar, eyeing me over a glass of whiskey as I play piano on stage. We’ve never said a word to each other, yet I feel… something. An attraction unlike any other.Then one night he finally approaches me.He’s nothing but a playboy who wants to add me to his list of conquests. I can’t give in to him... -
![The Fairy Dance by Tara Lain]()
The Fairy Dance by Tara Lain
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWhat if the man of your dreams dances into your life—and he’s a nutcracker?Maintenance man, Jed, might yearn for an alpha-femme guy, but where’s he going to find him in his small Oregon town?New York ballet rising star, Henri, just wants to dance, but his desire for top roles only leads him into the pervy artistic director’s bed.The chances of these two meeting are less likely than a grand jete... -
![Nowhere to Hide by Andrew Grey]()
Nowhere to Hide by Andrew Grey
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsStylish Sinclair Llewelling has little contact with his family, but he loves his cousin Lilly very much, and agrees to help her plan the elegant country wedding of her dreams. There’s just one problem: the foreman of the ranch where the wedding is to take place.Former rodeo cowboy Dawson West takes his job very seriously, and he doesn’t appreciate anyone who gets in the way... -
![Afterglow by Phil Stamper]()
Afterglow by Phil Stamper
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAfter a summer of life-changing, these four friends are finally ready for senior year.Gabriel is thrilled to create his school's first LGBTQ+ advocacy group, but his long-distance relationship is fading from summer love to something else... Heath feels secure for the first time in years, but with his future riding on a baseball scholarship, each pitch triggers his anxiety.. -
![The Ballad of Darcy and Russell by Morgan Matson]()
The Ballad of Darcy and Russell by Morgan Matson
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsDarcy believes in love at first sight. Even though it’s never happened to her, she’s spent her whole life waiting for that magical moment, hoping that when she meets the right guy, everything will fall into place perfectly.But right now, her life is anything but perfect. Heading home from a music festival, engine trouble means she’s stranded at a Nevada bus station until morning... -
![Breathe by Sophia Soames]()
Breathe by Sophia Soames
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsMeet Ryan, aka, Joey Hole, disgraced former adult entertainer with more issues than he can keep track of. His boyfriend left him for an Instagram twink with 150K followers, his Mum wants him out of her spare room and then there's that idiot at college who just won't take no for an answer.Meet Luke. He was once the rich kid who'd just been gifted his first car, and now he doesn't even own a bike... -
![The Best Man's Secret by Ana Ashley]()
The Best Man's Secret by Ana Ashley
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsBeing the best man is hard. Being in love with the groom is worse.A note under my door, and suddenly, I have to tell my best friend he’s been jilted on his wedding day. When it comes to Adam, there’s nothing I won’t do. I’ll go on his honeymoon, invite him to live with me, and forget I’m keeping secrets that could destroy our friendship... -
![Lima Oscar Victor Echo and The Truth About Everything by Suki Fleet]()
Lima Oscar Victor Echo and The Truth About Everything by Suki Fleet
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsGrowing up in a small village in Wales with a domineering homophobic father, Oscar has always believed he has to hide his real feelings. He's hidden his heart from everyone, but most of all from his best friend, Jamie--who also happens to be the boy he's in love with... -
![The Blue-Haired Boy by Courtney C. Stevens]()
The Blue-Haired Boy by Courtney C. Stevens
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsSet before the events of Courtney C. Stevens's debut novel, Faking Normal, this digital short story focuses on Bodee Lennox, otherwise known as the Kool-Aid Kid.Bodee Lennox has secrets. About where he got the four-inch scar on his leg. About the bruises on his back. About what it's really like to live in the Lennox household. These are things he doesn't share with anyone . . -
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![Honesty by Seth King]()
Honesty by Seth King
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA radiant story of first love and self-acceptance for fans of John Green, Jandy Nelson, and Rainbow Rowell “Maybe we weren’t meant to collide. Maybe we were meant to explode.”As a closeted teenager in the Deep South with a holy-roller father and the scars to prove it, bookworm Cole Furman has resigned himself to experiencing life and love only within the pages of his favorite novels... -
![Now I'll Tell You Everything by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor]()
Now I'll Tell You Everything by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsIt's Alice—for the rest of her life! Yes, the very last Alice book, and it reveals every last bit you'd want to know about Alice, including whether she spends the rest of her life with Patrick! "This is the book where Alice, every girl’s girl, turns into every lady’s lady" (VOYA).Alice McKinley is going to college! And everything, from her room to her classes to her friends, is about to change... -
![Just Between Us by J.H. Trumble]()
Just Between Us by J.H. Trumble
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsSeventeen-year-old Luke Chesser is trying to forget his spectacular failure of a love life. He practices marching band moves for hours in the hot Texas sun, deals with his disapproving father, and slyly checks out the new band field tech, Curtis Cameron. Before long, Luke is falling harder than he knew he could. And this time, he intends to play it right... -
![Enlightened by J.P. Barnaby]()
Enlightened by J.P. Barnaby
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsLittle Boy Lost is the story of Brian McAllister, the boy next door. Brian goes to school, does his homework, and helps his foster parents around the house. Brian also has a secret: he is in love with his best friend, Jamie. But in Crayford, Alabama, being in love with another boy is the worst kind of sin. Brian and Jamie will discover just how deep their emotional bond runs, and at what cost... -
![Filthy Little Secret by Devon McCormack, Jay Aheer]()
Filthy Little Secret by Devon McCormack, Jay Aheer
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 12 ratings“I won’t fall for him.” After breaking up with his cheating ex, Mark Kenmore turns to rebound sex with the campus drug dealer, Tim Halwell. He’s heard the rumors about all the hearts Tim’s broken, but after how he’s been hurt, there’s no way he’ll let himself fall into that trap... -
![Invisible by Jeff Erno]()
Invisible by Jeff Erno
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsChase Devereaux is a fifteen year old boy under a great deal of stress. He has to give a speech today for his Oral Communications class, and he's terrified of public speaking. Worse yet, he's being bullied by one of the most popular kids at school. He just has to make it through his third-hour gym class and then give his speech, and everything will be all right...
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