Books like 'Despite the Odds'
Readers who enjoyed Despite the Odds by Chris T. Kat also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary romance north-america usa new-jersey mlm lgbtq friends-to-lovers family drama
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Take a Chance on Me by Alexa Land
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsFree-spirited ballet dancer Quinn is sure he made a terrible mistake by agreeing to be Duke’s roommate. The big cop is the most uptight person Quinn’s ever met, and both men begin driving each other crazy from day one. Before long though, an undeniable spark of attraction ignites between them... -
![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... -
![Caldwell Brothers: The Complete Series Bundle by Aiden Bates, Ali Lyda]()
Caldwell Brothers: The Complete Series Bundle by Aiden Bates, Ali Lyda
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsNico is it for me...too bad he’s my brother’s best friend. Friends and brothers are off limits. That’s always been the rule in our house. In a big family it’s the only way to keep the peace. That doesn’t stop my heart from belonging to Nico, my older brother’s best friend... -
![Leaning Into the Look by Lane Hayes]()
Leaning Into the Look by Lane Hayes
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsGrant Kostas made a career based on his looks before joining his family’s real estate firm. He may not love his job but he’s better at sales than he thought. And when he’s poised to bring in the biggest account of the company’s history, even his father is impressed. Unfortunately, the extra attention highlights Grant’s personal life. His parents accept that he’s gay... -
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![Family Rules by Jacki James]()
Family Rules by Jacki James
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsJustin had three simple rules for dating: No co-workers, no repeats, and absolutely no men with kids. He was happy with those rules. And no one had ever tempted him to break them. Until a night on the prowl had him crossing paths with an adorably geeky accountant. Mark spent the last year being the best dad possible to his little girl while enjoying life as an openly gay man for the first time... -
![Suffocate: A Senses Series Novel by Xavier Neal]()
Suffocate: A Senses Series Novel by Xavier Neal
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsER Nurse, Luke Hart, is known for his desire to take care of others and his need to be in control at all times. However, Stuart Ducane knows exactly which buttons to push to make sure Luke relinquishes both. When the chance comes for them to take their delicate friendship that's coated in secret desires to the next level, the timing isn't convenient and neither are the circumstances... -
![Dreads & Crew Cuts by Sammi Cee]()
Dreads & Crew Cuts by Sammi Cee
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWelcome to Takoda Outreach Center. Prepare yourself for open hearts, a full belly, and all the love you can handle. When my homophobic, racist father caused a scene at my high school graduation, nobody was surprised, especially me. Getting kicked out the same day? Not a surprise either... -
![Kade & Cameron by A.D. Ellis]()
Kade & Cameron by A.D. Ellis
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsCameron Lewis is left reeling when his perfect life—two beautiful children, an adoring husband, and a house on the lake—is ripped apart by loss. Kade Ramsey is living the American dream with a wife, two amazing children, and a comfortable job. But dreams are often only illusions, and Kade discovers his life isn’t all he thought it to be. Kade and Cam have been friends for years... -
![Once Burned by Alexa Land]()
Once Burned by Alexa Land
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsCameron Doyle is an arson investigator who’s learned he can’t trust anyone. Ignacio Mondelvano is an artist with a secret that could tear them apart. A year ago, shy, quiet Cameron had his trust shattered by a sociopath who used him to gain information on an arson case... -
![Fancy Free by Mia Monroe]()
Fancy Free by Mia Monroe
Rated: 4.25 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... -
![Marriage Rules: A Breaking the Rules Novel by Jacki James]()
Marriage Rules: A Breaking the Rules Novel by Jacki James
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsAfter one incriminating photo outs him to his parents, Stevie loses everything: his family, his home, and his shot at finishing his degree. He’s at a loss what to do until the guy he’s been crushing on makes him an offer he can’t refuse. Coming off a jilted engagement, Casey is done with relationships, swearing off marriage forever... -
![Home for Christmas by R.J. Scott]()
Home for Christmas by R.J. Scott
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsCan Connor show River a real family Christmas? When Connor finds River on the roof of the campus admin building, he doesn’t know what to do. His friend is drunk, and shouting into a snowstorm, a bottle of vodka in his hand. The easy part is getting River down; the hard part is insisting River comes home with Connor for Christmas... -
![Operation Meet the Parents by K.M. Neuhold]()
Operation Meet the Parents by K.M. Neuhold
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsTeddy is ready to pop the question, but can he find the perfect movie-moment proposal for Harlow? And more importantly, will Low survive meeting the parents? Oh, the joy of Christmas... -
![A Little Bit Broken by Michele Notaro]()
A Little Bit Broken by Michele Notaro
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsI have felt alone in this world for a long time, so when new friends come into my life, I’m always afraid to let them get too close. I don’t know if I can risk my heart breaking when those people inevitably leave me. But I’m overwhelmed too. Overwhelmed and so incredibly lonely. Unfortunately, my past has a way of finding me and I’m going to need some help at the coffee shop I own... -
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![Heart Strain by Michele Notaro, Sammi Cee]()
Heart Strain by Michele Notaro, Sammi Cee
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsHolden~ When I get a call that my twin brother’s been shot, I’m in shock as I head back to Baltimore to be with him. Seeing him in a coma is the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do; sitting here not knowing whether he’s going to live or die is the worst thing I can imagine. But at least Jameson is with me—he makes it more bearable, and I don’t feel like I’m in this alone... -
![Any Given Sunday by Mari Carr]()
Any Given Sunday by Mari Carr
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsWild Irish, Book Seven.The child who is born on the Sabbath day, is bonny and blithe and good and gay. Sean Collins is happy working at the family pub and sharing a house with the woman of his dreams. He and Lauren are equals in every way, including in bed, where they burn the sheets. Life is good. Even if he must hide a couple of secrets to keep it that way.Lauren is madly in love with Sean... -
![My Ride, I Love You by Patrick Rangimant]()
My Ride, I Love You by Patrick Rangimant
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 5 ratingsThis is a love story of Mork, who is a motorcycle taxi driver in Bangkok, and Tawan, a junior internal medicine resident doctor in the university hospital. Seems like they both have a small chance to meet, let alone the falling in love, but it did happen... -
![Fusion by Posy Roberts]()
Fusion by Posy Roberts
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA love story comes out of the shadows. Everyone in Kevin’s life knows him as straight rather than bisexual. There was no need to come out until now, but loving Hugo is worth any prejudice he’ll encounter. Hugo does his best to be patient while Kevin navigates his way toward openness, but he refuses to be put back in a closet for long... -
![Hair Balls by Tara Lain]()
Hair Balls by Tara Lain
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWhat happens when a blue-collar dude who hides behind his Sasquatch hair gets sheared by a toppy femme in pink lace bikini panties?Contractor, Rick Ronconi can’t admit what he really wants because it’ll lose him his job, his father, his few friends, and maybe even the one thing he really cares about—his sister, Alice... -
![What You Are by Erin E. Keller]()
What You Are by Erin E. Keller
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAlex walks down the road of his life, apparently without any detours. He has a job, friends, a nice apartment and a girlfriend who meets his needs. A smooth life lived on a smooth road. But when Daniel shows up at his door, Alex meets the first bump in road -- which turns out to be more like a boulder -- in his way... -
![As I Am by E.M. Leya, Sara York]()
As I Am by E.M. Leya, Sara York
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsKyle has struggled to protect his brother from the darkest things in life, but in doing so, they've lived on the streets, making a life for themselves away from those who would hurt them. It's taken years, but life is starting to look up for Ky. Still, he finds it hard to quit working the streets and the easy money it brings. Carson has everything he could want in life... -
![Pride by E.M. Leya, Sara York]()
Pride by E.M. Leya, Sara York
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe world is full of perfectly imperfect people. After being dumped by his longtime boyfriend, Milan finds himself back in the dating scene, and it isn't anything like he thought it would be. Shamed and ridiculed for how he looks, Milan decides that it's time to get back into shape, but stepping foot in a gym is harder than he imagined. Everything in Kelson's life is about fitness... -
![Jericho Candelario's Gay Debut by R. Cooper]()
Jericho Candelario's Gay Debut by R. Cooper
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsJerry Candelario, known as Potts to almost everyone, has spent his entire adult life focused on raising his siblings and his niece. But the home he fought hard to make feels empty since everyone has grown up and moved out, and his precious baby niece is now a teen with a life of her own... -
![This Time for Always by Andrew Grey]()
This Time for Always by Andrew Grey
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsPolice officer Finnigan Pettaprin’s life is his job. He’s driven to be the best, always. Past relationships have largely been heartbreaking, so he keeps to himself. The last thing he expects is for a near-disastrous car chase through town to bring him in contact with Mark, the one who got away.Mark Wallace hasn’t had the best luck in life... -
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![The Doctor's Wish by Andrew Grey]()
The Doctor's Wish by Andrew Grey
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsDr. Jackson Burnside is an orthopedic surgeon who made his own way. Always different, he got out of Natchez before his family could throw him out, but still wishes things could be reconciled. He's built a successful practice and a sound reputation in Carlisle. When he's called to the hospital for a consultation, the last person he expects to meet is Wes... -
![Foul Ball by Haven Hadley]()
Foul Ball by Haven Hadley
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsDeclan Armitage. The right fielder Espen got in a trade.A powerful hitter, a hard throw, and an unmatched stolen base percentage. Not expecting to be traded, he was happy to learn where he was headed. If only he didn’t need to find a new place to live. One phone call from his brother and the plan was put into motion. Brock Richmond was loyal to a fault... -
![Undercurrent by Pandora Pine]()
Undercurrent by Pandora Pine
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsTWO LOST MEN, ONE SAFE HARBOR…Internationally best-selling author, Landon Fairchild struck gold with his first novel, but can’t seem to string two words together now... -
![Haven by Sean Ashcroft]()
Haven by Sean Ashcroft
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratings“Mike is the painfully straight man who made me realise I was painfully bi.” After four years away, Mike returns to the Wild at Heart animal sanctuary for Oscar and Ryan’s wedding—only to run straight into Ezra, his old best friend. Dreading facing his ex-girlfriend at the wedding festivities, Mike jumps at the chance when Ezra jokes about going as his date... -
![Treasures & Found Family by Sammi Cee]()
Treasures & Found Family by Sammi Cee
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWelcome to Takoda Outreach Center. Prepare yourself for open hearts, a full belly, and all the love you can handle. Opening a soup kitchen in my mom’s honor is a dream come true. Doing it with my two best friends only makes it better. Zachery, with his haunted eyes and air of unhappiness, is convinced to help out, and I want nothing more than to make him smile... -
![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... -
![Leaning Into Always by Lane Hayes]()
Leaning Into Always by Lane Hayes
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsLife is good for Eric Schuster. He owns a highly successful tech company, has a great group of buddies, and he’s about to marry the man of his dreams. Eric is pleasantly surprised to find the transition from friends to lovers has been easier than he thought... -
![Dancing with Daddy by Susan Hawke]()
Dancing with Daddy by Susan Hawke
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsI love my daughter, but finding out she wasn’t biologically mine is the best news ever.I’m a widower who is too scared to have the stupid test that would tell me whether or not I even have the gene that would mean dealing with a horrible illness and certain death. A gene that could’ve also been passed to my child, had she been mine... -
![Operation Meet Cute by K.M. Neuhold]()
Operation Meet Cute by K.M. Neuhold
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsHarlow is on a single-minded mission: meet the man of his dreams by any meet-cute necessary.All my life, I’ve dreamed of one thing: the perfect movie moment. I want a man and his boombox outside my window; I want kissing in the rain; I want a romantic hero who will take my breath away.Switching mail with my cute neighbor didn’t work... -
![Love Comes Around by Andrew Grey]()
Love Comes Around by Andrew Grey
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA Senses Series Story Dan was a throwaway child and learned to take care of himself in foster care. As an adult, he devotes his life to the business he started and his heart to raising children no one else wants. Dan has already adopted six-year-old Lila, who walks on crutches, and then decides to adopt eight-year-old Jerry, who suffers from MD and is confined to a wheelchair... -
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![Full House by Carol Lynne]()
Full House by Carol Lynne
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsLife hasn’t been easy for Marco De Le Santo. He’s spent the last eight years raising his young brothers and sister. At the age of twenty-four, Marco finally has the chance to explore his feelings for Kent Baker, his boss. He knows Kent thinks he’s a playboy, but Marco’s finally ready to tell his friend the truth about his secret life... -
![As I Am by Melissa Collins]()
As I Am by Melissa Collins
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsChase Hansen. Broke. College drop out. Male stripper. My life wasn't at all what I imagined it would be. I should have been finishing up college, interning with a well-respected business, partying with my friends. But instead, I was raising my seventeen year old brother, struggling to make ends meet. Love wasn't even on my radar... -
![Jase by Jenny Wood]()
Jase by Jenny Wood
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsJase is home from college and is nervous to tell his family that he's wanting to stay home for good. Stopping by the shop on his way into town, he meets the new guy; Joker. Quiet, mysterious and ridiculously gorgeous; he doesn't seem to like Jase, too much... -
![Fin & Rye & Fireflies by Harry Cook]()
Fin & Rye & Fireflies by Harry Cook
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 10 ratings“It started with a kiss…as love stories often do. Jesse Andrews had the arms of a Greek god and he was on the track team. The night of our kiss fell on a Friday.”Then, only a few days later, Fin’s world is turned upside down - and not in a good head-over-heels-in-love way - when Jesse cruelly outs him. An event which ultimately leads to his family leaving town... -
![Taking you Home by Cooper Davis]()
Taking you Home by Cooper Davis
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe man on his arm isn’t nearly as scary as the man in the mirror. Hunter Willis’s “Guy Town” passport was stamped and in as good working order as his Harley. Like a good Midwestern jock, he’d ride that manly machine to his construction job every day, even throw back a few beers with the boys. Hockey and baseball filled out his single-dude weekends... -
![Infinity Pools by L.A. Witt]()
Infinity Pools by L.A. Witt
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsSequel to the Amber Allure best-seller Getting Off The Ground... It started with a snowstorm and ended with a sizzling one-night-stand, but neither man is ready for it to be over. Jilted groom Elliott Chandler doesn’t do “last minute” or “impulsive,” but at the very last minute, he impulsively changes his flight from Oahu to Maui... -
![Something Borrowed by Sean Ashcroft]()
Something Borrowed by Sean Ashcroft
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 8 ratings“I want my family to at least think I could marry a man like you.” Returning to his hometown with a fake husband on his arm was the last thing Blake expected to do for his sister’s wedding, but the unexpected has been kind of a theme in his life for the past forty-eight hours. Three years ago, Blake got fake-married in Vegas on a whim to a man he never expected to see again... -
![Always the Groomsman by Raleigh Ruebins]()
Always the Groomsman by Raleigh Ruebins
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsHe’s my best friend’s best man, and I hate him. So... why do I keep wanting to kiss him? Weddings used to be fun... but then I had to be a groomsman in one. Then two. And now ten . The last place I want to be right now is in this Nowhereville, Idaho small town for my friend’s wedding, still single, and still a groomsman, yet again... -
![Up to No Good by Annabella Michaels]()
Up to No Good by Annabella Michaels
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsCole Morris is returning to his hometown of Vintage Ridge, North Carolina to celebrate his older brother’s wedding. Finding out he has to spend time with Jayce’s childhood friend and the man who tormented him as a teenager, just might be more than he bargained for. Miles Butler is honored to stand up with his best friend at his wedding... -
![Top Shelf by Allison Temple]()
Top Shelf by Allison Temple
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsMartin is a ghost. Well, not really, but he might as well be. Job gone, home gone, self-respect gone, and no one even seems to notice. The only person who really sees him is Seb, the artist who lives above the used bookstore. Seb haunts the edges of Seacroft in search of beauty... -
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![Scorch by H.J. Welch]()
Scorch by H.J. Welch
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsAt twenty-three, bad boy Blake is facing what most don't see until decades later: the end of his career. His record label has dropped his band, and he's got no place to go but home. Except when he gets there, it's only to discover his entire life has been turned into a reality TV show. Elion isn't where he wanted to be... -
![Rescue by Sean Ashcroft]()
Rescue by Sean Ashcroft
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 8 ratings“No one’s ever pretended to date me before.” Twenty-seven-year-old virgin Nolan has always struggled to get a date--until his cousin tries to embarrass him by buying one at auction. Wildlife sanctuary veterinarian Finn is gorgeous and kind, exactly the sort of man Nolan’s always wanted... -
![Son of Money by Brandon Witt]()
Son of Money by Brandon Witt
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsRandall Morgan, youngest son of one of Seattle’s wealthiest families, rejected his family’s money to live free of their control and pursue his career as a photographer. To make ends meet, Randall does erotic photography and massage—a secret he keeps from his family so he can remain a part of his young niece’s life... -
![Stuck in Oz by Andrew Grey]()
Stuck in Oz by Andrew Grey
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsTales from Kansas When Jeremy and Petey’s mother died, their house was taken to pay the debts she left behind, leaving them homeless. Afraid Petey will be put in foster care, they have no one to turn to but their Uncle Milt, so they pack up Jeremy’s beat-up car and leave San Diego for Wamego, Kansas... -
![You're the One That I Want by Kay Simone]()
You're the One That I Want by Kay Simone
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsRetro rocker Jeff seems like a man who could have anyone. But can he convince sweet Theo that he's more than just talk? "Well, hello darlin' and how do you do?" Bartender-turned-tutor Theo is struggling to make ends meet in Orlando. He refuses to go back to Jersey with his tail between his legs after a breakup and a failed business venture... -
![Always by Dillon Hunter]()
Always by Dillon Hunter
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratings"I always hoped we'd get a second chance." Ten years ago, Jonah Miller said goodbye to the boy he loved and the town he grew up in to follow his dreams in New York. Now, with a promising career in interior design and a Manhattan apartment with a view, there's only one thing that's missing..
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