Books like 'The One That Got Away'

Readers who enjoyed The One That Got Away by Nicky James also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.

contemporary  romance  mystery  action / adventure  mlm  dark  lgbtq  crime  suspense  slow-burn 

  • Where There’s Smoke by Cole McCade

    Where There’s Smoke by Cole McCade

    Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars
    · 14 ratings
    ABOUT THIS EPISODE They say where there's smoke, there's fire—but Malcolm and Seong-Jae have a lot of blood and no body in a case where the only witness to a murder may be the killer himself. Yet as they chase down a victim who may or may not exist in a crime that may or may not have happened, it's the sparks flying between them that threaten to ignite into dangerous flame..
  • Interlude: First Noel by Tal Bauer

    Interlude: First Noel by Tal Bauer

    Rated: 4.47 of 5 stars
    · 15 ratings
    Before Ethan returns to DC… Before he becomes Jack’s first gentleman… Jack and Ethan share their first Christmas together. Step back to Jack and Ethan’s first Christmas season and the tentative early months of their relationship under the world’s spotlight...
  • The Hatter's Game, Part II by Cole McCade

    The Hatter's Game, Part II by Cole McCade

    Rated: 4.60 of 5 stars
    · 10 ratings
    ABOUT THIS EPISODE Malcolm Khalaji is missing. And Seong-Jae Yoon is the only one who can find him. But to do so means walking paths he swore he would never tread again. Descending into the blackest hallways of a twisted and sadistic mind. Breaking down every wall he's ever built around himself, to try to predict what Sila will do next...
    Categorized as:
    angst  crime  dark  drama  law-enforcement  lgbtq  mlm  slow-burn
  • Sticks & Stones by Abigail Roux, Madeleine Urban

    Sticks & Stones by Abigail Roux, Madeleine Urban

    Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars
    · 24 ratings
    Six months after nearly losing their lives to a serial killer in New York City, FBI Special Agents Ty Grady and Zane Garrett are suffering through something almost as frightening: the monotony of desk duty...
  • Devil's Hour by Aimee Nicole Walker

    Devil's Hour by Aimee Nicole Walker

    Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars
    · 14 ratings
    Devil’s hour, noun: the hour when the demon or devil who leads hell is at its strongest. Born on the wrong side of the tracks, Royce Locke is no stranger to scrapping and fighting for the things he wants. What he desires most is Sawyer Key—his partner on the force and the man he’s falling in love with...
  • Shatter by Jocelynn Drake, Rinda Elliott

    Shatter by Jocelynn Drake, Rinda Elliott

    Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars
    · 16 ratings
    Maverick trauma surgeon Ashton "Snow" Frost keeps the world at a distance, relying only on his three closest friends to keep him connected.But when a ghost from their past returns to Cincinnati, Snow stands to lose everyone he loves.Framed for murder and reeling from attacks on his friends, Snow is pushed to his breaking point.Jude Torres won't let the doc shatter...
    Categorized as:
    angst  bodyguard  crime  dark  drama  in-uniform  lgbtq  mlm
  • Devour by Jocelynn Drake, Rinda Elliott

    Devour by Jocelynn Drake, Rinda Elliott

    Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars
    · 16 ratings
    Ian Pierce is the chef and part owner of the hottest restaurant in Cincinnati, his chosen family is full of happy relationships, and the scruffy, snarky cop who has been haunting his dreams is one step closer to being in his bed. But everything comes crashing down when the past he narrowly escaped nine years ago comes to a deadly head. Hollis Banner was enamored of Ian at first sight...
  • Diamond in the Rough by Charlie Cochet

    Diamond in the Rough by Charlie Cochet

    Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars
    · 17 ratings
    When the cards are stacked against you, the Kings will even the odds. For Ward “King” Kingston the role of protector, forged by fire and tragedy, is one he takes seriously. When King is asked to safeguard the son of a four-star general and friend, he is pulled back into the world of government black ops on a mission that raises painful memories from his past...
    Categorized as:
    angst  bodyguard  crime  drama  law-enforcement  lgbtq  mlm  slow-burn
  • Friends: A Friends to Lovers Gay Romance by Nora Phoenix

    Friends: A Friends to Lovers Gay Romance by Nora Phoenix

    Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars
    · 10 ratings
    Seth is so confused. If Coulson is straight, why is he checking Seth out? Seth is an out and proud Secret Service agent. When he’s asked to assist the FBI on an investigation, he meets FBI agent Coulson.Coulson is straight. Or so he says. Seth has no reason to doubt that, not even when they become close friends. Really close friends. But that’s all they are: friends...
  • Subway Slayings by C.S. Poe

    Subway Slayings by C.S. Poe

    Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars
    · 10 ratings
    Detective Everett Larkin of New York City’s Cold Case Squad has been on medical leave since catching the serial killer responsible for the Death Mask Murders. But Larkin hasn’t forgotten the anonymously delivered letter, nor its suggestion, that another memento—another death—is waiting to be found...
  • Backdraft by Cole McCade

    Backdraft by Cole McCade

    Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars
    · 12 ratings
    ABOUT THIS EPISODE When a 911 call goes wrong and a young man goes missing, it falls to Malcolm and Seong-Jae to investigate the responding officers when Internal Affairs' internal politics leave the case compromised and the officers aren't willing to talk...
    Categorized as:
    angst  crime  dark  in-uniform  law-enforcement  lgbtq  mlm  slow-burn
  • A Chosen Man by Jaime Reese

    A Chosen Man by Jaime Reese

    Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars
    · 12 ratings
    For 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...
    Categorized as:
    angst  bodyguard  crime  drama  in-uniform  law-enforcement  lgbtq  mlm
  • Rialto by Jocelynn Drake, Rinda Elliott

    Rialto by Jocelynn Drake, Rinda Elliott

    Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars
    · 12 ratings
    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...
    Categorized as:
    angst  bodyguard  crime  drama  law-enforcement  lgbtq  mlm  suspense
  • Tied Over by Mary Calmes

    Tied Over by Mary Calmes

    Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars
    · 12 ratings
    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...
  • Haven by K.A. Merikan

    Haven by K.A. Merikan

    Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars
    · 6 ratings
    — Not the same river, not the same man. —After seven years away, Seth and Domenico are back in Sicily with one goal in mind.Revenge.The man who’d hounded their family is still alive, and as untouchable as he’s always been. While they wait for the right moment to strike, reality clashes with fond memories of home...
    Categorized as:
    mlm  dark  crime  lgbtq  suspense  drama  angst  steamy
  • A Matter of Time: Vol. 2 by Mary Calmes

    A Matter of Time: Vol. 2 by Mary Calmes

    Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars
    · 16 ratings
    2nd Edition Books Three and FourVol. 2 Three years ago, Jory Harcourt changed his name and shut the door on a past full of pain, only to emerge stronger on the other side. He has a new career, a great working partner, and a satisfying life—except for the hole in his chest left behind when police Detective Sam Kage walked out with his heart. Now Sam's back and he knows what he wants..
    Categorized as:
    angst  crime  dark  drama  in-uniform  law-enforcement  lgbtq  mlm
  • Join the Club by Charlie Cochet

    Join the Club by Charlie Cochet

    Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars
    · 16 ratings
    Eduardo “Lucky” Morales is a fighter, from his childhood days in Cuba to his time as a Special Forces Green Beret. Scarred by the wars of his past, Lucky has learned nothing lasts forever. Guarding his heart is second nature, and getting emotionally involved is not an option...
  • Gilded Agony by K.A. Merikan

    Gilded Agony by K.A. Merikan

    Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars
    · 8 ratings
    “We are two halves of the same rotten apple.”Deep in the Amazonian jungle, there is a mansion with a rose garden and a hen house where juicy tomatoes are the perfect shade of red, and marble countertops glisten.Inside, where even the shadows don’t reach, something is rotting, and the perfect facade can only hold the stench for so long...
    Categorized as:
    angst  crime  dark  drama  lgbtq  mlm  steamy  suspense
  • Foxes by Suki Fleet

    Foxes by Suki Fleet

    Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars
    · 10 ratings
    When Dashiel's body is found dumped on an East London wasteland, his best friend Danny sets out to find the killer. But Danny finds interaction difficult and must keep his world small in order to survive...
    Categorized as:
    angst  crime  dark  drama  friends-to-lovers  lgbtq  mlm  slow-burn
  • Rampage by Reese Knightley

    Rampage by Reese Knightley

    Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars
    · 10 ratings
    Explosive action, bullets flying, heroes, villains, and love, you don’t want to miss this next installment in Reese Knightley’s Out for Justice series. Read Ricochet and Collide before diving into the next story! -Rampage - Three strong, independent, and protective badasses are on the cusp of romance when tragedy and disaster come at them like a landslide...
  • Killer Honeymoon by Aimee Nicole Walker

    Killer Honeymoon by Aimee Nicole Walker

    Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars
    · 10 ratings
    Honeymoon, 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...
  • The Hatter's Game, Part I by Cole McCade

    The Hatter's Game, Part I by Cole McCade

    Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars
    · 10 ratings
    ABOUT THIS EPISODE Broken trust. Shattered hearts. Secrets exposed--and yet still no closer to the truth. When Malcolm and Seong-Jae's relationship hits a wall, their partnership fragments as well...and they may not be able to withstand the crushing tide when protests over Tomasz Kowalczyk's death turn into deadly riots. Too many familiar faces return, and one will be leaving in a bodybag...
    Categorized as:
    angst  crime  dark  drama  law-enforcement  lgbtq  mlm  slow-burn
  • The Golden Ratio by Cole McCade

    The Golden Ratio by Cole McCade

    Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars
    · 10 ratings
    ABOUT THIS EPISODE The boys are back, and an old face from Seong-Jae’s past plunges BPD Detectives Malcolm Khalaji and Seong-Jae Yoon from a two-month suspension right into the depths of hell — and into one of the most horrific, grisly cases of Malcolm’s life. He's never seen anything like it...
    Categorized as:
    angst  crime  dark  in-uniform  law-enforcement  lgbtq  mlm  slow-burn
  • Ignite by Jocelynn Drake, Rinda Elliott

    Ignite by Jocelynn Drake, Rinda Elliott

    Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars
    · 12 ratings
    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...
  • Six Degrees of Separation by Taylor V. Donovan

    Six Degrees of Separation by Taylor V. Donovan

    Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars
    · 12 ratings
    Note from the author:By Degrees is an ensemble serial with continuing story lines. Six Degrees of Separation is the second installment, and it must be read after Six Degrees of Lust. Thanks.In the sequel to Six Degrees of Lust, F.B.I. team leader Samuel Shaughnessy and bar manager Machlan O’Bannon are exploring a new phase in their non-relationship...
    Categorized as:
    angst  crime  dark  drama  in-uniform  law-enforcement  lgbtq  mlm
  • Criminal Past by Gregory Ashe

    Criminal Past by Gregory Ashe

    Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars
    · 12 ratings
    It all starts to go wrong at the shooting gallery. Emery Hazard and his boyfriend, John-Henry Somerset, just want to enjoy the day at the Dore County Independence Fair. At the shooting gallery, though, Hazard comes face to face with one of his old bullies: Mikey Grames. Even as a drugged-out wreck, Mikey is a reminder of all the ugliness in Hazard’s past...
  • Promise and Protect: a small town romantic suspense novel by Lori Ryan

    Promise and Protect: a small town romantic suspense novel by Lori Ryan

    Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars
    · 12 ratings
    A perilous homecoming...    Promise and Protect is the second book in the heart-soaring and electrifying Evers, Texas, series by New York Times bestselling author Lori Ryan. A true masterwork of contemporary romantic suspense, it is the story of a beautiful artist returning home to danger, and to a love she never imagined...
  • Collide by Reese Knightley

    Collide by Reese Knightley

    Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars
    · 12 ratings
    Ex hacker Seth O’Leary enjoys the hell out of being part of an elite team of operatives known only as Phoenix. In fact, he’s pretty much made it his whole life. When things go horribly wrong with his deadbeat boyfriend, Seth is surprised to find help coming from an unexpected source. The man he’s secretly fantasized about for years finally takes notice...
  • Dealing Him In by Charlie Cochet

    Dealing Him In by Charlie Cochet

    Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars
    · 12 ratings
    Play with fire, and you’ll get burned.Santos “Saint” Cavallero had his life all figured out when he married his high school sweetheart, joined the Navy, and became a SEAL. After years of being deployed, Saint comes home for good, only to discover his wife has fallen for another man. Now divorced and a bodyguard for Four Kings Security, Saint loves his job and his found family...
  • Never Say Never by Nicole Edwards

    Never Say Never by Nicole Edwards

    Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars
    · 14 ratings
    Ryan Trexler has devoted his entire life to his family’s security business. And now that he’s slated to take over the reins for the company, RT knows that his life is only going to get more complicated. Add in the fact that he’s lusting over one of the men who works for him and RT knows that there are some serious tough times ahead...
  • Promises Part 3 by A.E. Via

    Promises Part 3 by A.E. Via

    Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars
    · 14 ratings
    A bounty hunter’s partners to lovers’ story. The hunt is on… and he’s the prey. Bradford (Ford) King was sure he had the rest of his life mapped out. Though he was no longer a SEAL Lieutenant, his brother was home safe and he had a job that still allowed him to satisfy his hunger for hunting bad guys...
  • It's Witchcraft by Cole McCade

    It's Witchcraft by Cole McCade

    Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars
    · 14 ratings
    ABOUT THIS EPISODE An eerie ritualistic murder sends Malcolm and Seong-Jae down a bizarre path of the occult to find a killer--but when it comes to witchcraft, the suspect's not the only one casting a spell. With Seong-Jae haunting his dreams, Malcolm is practically bewitched, his trust in Seong-Jae growing deeper and deeper as both men learn to rely on each other...
  • Cash Plays by Cordelia Kingsbridge

    Cash Plays by Cordelia Kingsbridge

    Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars
    · 15 ratings
    The Seven of Spades is back with a vengeance—the vigilante serial killer has resumed their murderous crusade, eluding the police at every turn. But a bloodthirsty killer isn’t the only threat facing Sin City. A devious saboteur is wreaking havoc in Las Vegas’s criminal underworld, and the entire city seems to be barreling toward an all-out gang war...
  • His Saint by Lucy Lennox

    His Saint by Lucy Lennox

    Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars
    · 18 ratings
    Augie:I don't need anyone's protection. I'm fine. But to appease my sister after a home invasion, I agree to take self-defense lessons. They just so happen to be with a big, muscled former navy SEAL who may or may not be everything I've always daydreamed about but never thought I could have.And he's dead-set on looking out for me even when things in my life suddenly get complicated...
  • Real Risk by Elle Keaton

    Real Risk by Elle Keaton

    Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars
    · 8 ratings
    It's possible they're a match but first the two men will have to survive trial by fire. Chief Flynn is fighting smoke and flames, tirelessly protecting the lives and property of his fellow islanders from yet another spate of fires.Arson or accident?When injury puts him on the sidelines, West Coast Forensics Arson Investigator Kimball Frye offers his assistance...
  • Seduced by a Sinner by Leighton Greene

    Seduced by a Sinner by Leighton Greene

    Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars
    · 8 ratings
    He’s innocent. He’s chaste. He’s promised to God. And he’s more temptation than I can handle.I’m supposed to guard the Boss's husband, but I just can’t keep my eyes off his best friend, Aidan O’Leary.Watching him.Wanting him.Knowing I can never have him.Aidan is pure in body and soul. He’s about to be ordained as a priest. Me? I’m going to burn for the things I’ve done...
    Categorized as:
    mlm  crime  suspense  lgbtq  dark  slow-burn  angst  bodyguard
  • Thunder and Lightning by Patricia Logan

    Thunder and Lightning by Patricia Logan

    Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars
    · 8 ratings
    Jarrett 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...
    Categorized as:
    mlm  suspense  crime  lgbtq  law-enforcement  angst  romance  mystery
  • The Parting Glass by Josh Lanyon

    The Parting Glass by Josh Lanyon

    Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars
    · 10 ratings
    Two and a half years ago, travel writer Timothy McShay let NYPD Detective Luke O'Brien talk him into hiking into the New Jersey Pine Barrens to face down a monster. Now Tim and Luke meet again under very different circumstances. The old attraction is still there -- but so are some of Tim's monsters...
    Categorized as:
    angst  dark  drama  in-uniform  law-enforcement  lgbtq  mlm  steamy
  • Zac's Mulligan by Ann Lister

    Zac's Mulligan by Ann Lister

    Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars
    · 10 ratings
    Zac Mulligan is a former Marine now providing personal security for the infamous rock band, Black Ice. Seeing all the guys around him in committed relationships reminds him of his childhood best friend . . . the only person Zac has never managed to get out of his head or his heart. Ben Holland is an artist...
  • Changing Faces by Cole McCade

    Changing Faces by Cole McCade

    Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars
    · 12 ratings
    ABOUT THIS EPISODE With Malcolm on forced bed rest and off duty, Detective Seong-Jae Yoon faces his first solo case since joining the BPD--and it's one that will challenge his morals, his sense of duty, and his insistence on adhering to the letter of the law, especially when his actions in the Bishop case leave him questioning his own integrity...
  • Forever by Tinnean

    Forever by Tinnean

    Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars
    · 12 ratings
    Lately, 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...
  • Press by Nora Phoenix

    Press by Nora Phoenix

    Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars
    · 12 ratings
    Henley is off-limits for Levar. So why can’t he stay away?Five years ago, Levar survived a terrorist attack. The bombing left its scars, but he’s picked up his life. He loves working for the vice president—who is openly bisexual—as his press secretary.Levar can’t afford a pesky attraction that proves to be frustratingly stubborn...
  • Protecting the Soul by Annabella Michaels

    Protecting the Soul by Annabella Michaels

    Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars
    · 12 ratings
    For Landon Greene, managing the band Carter’s Creed is more than just a job. It also means being there to keep his brother safe. When someone begins sending threatening letters to Carter, Landon feels overwhelmed with the need to protect him...
    Categorized as:
    bodyguard  crime  dark  law-enforcement  lgbtq  mlm  stalking  steamy
  • A Single Bright Candle's Flame by Cole McCade

    A Single Bright Candle's Flame by Cole McCade

    Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars
    · 12 ratings
    ABOUT THIS EPISODE Detective Malcolm Khalaji is at a loss. For the second time in his life, he wasn't there when his lover needed him. And with Seong-Jae Yoon on leave pending an internal investigation, Malcolm doesn't know what to do with a shattered partner and boyfriend who's retreated from him into a dark and broken place. It's Gabrielle all over again..
  • Sadistic Sherlock by Jocelynn Drake, Rinda Elliott

    Sadistic Sherlock by Jocelynn Drake, Rinda Elliott

    Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars
    · 14 ratings
    Ten years ago, Dominic Walsh faked his own death. With no true identity, it wasn’t hard. But if he’d stayed, he would have been drawn further into a life he’d never chosen. He has friends and family at Ward Security now and has managed to escape his dark past. There is only one thing he truly wants. Abraham Stephens...
  • Piece of Cake by Mary Calmes

    Piece of Cake by Mary Calmes

    Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars
    · 14 ratings
    A Matter of Time Story After years of domestic partnership, Jory Harcourt and Sam Kage are finally going to make it official in their home state of Illinois...
    Categorized as:
    crime  drama  in-uniform  law-enforcement  lgbtq  mlm  steamy  suspense
  • Darkness Lurks by J.L. Drake

    Darkness Lurks by J.L. Drake

    Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars
    · 14 ratings
    Emily McPhee has struggled to overcome her father’s death... It’s not easy, but Emily finally has the life she wants. She’s an A student at Orange University and has a comfortable home and a great circle of friends. She’s also in love with handsome Orange PD officer Seth Connors. He doesn’t seem to return her feelings, though, so she tells herself his friendship is enough...
  • Stacking the Deck by Charlie Cochet

    Stacking the Deck by Charlie Cochet

    Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars
    · 14 ratings
    Ex-Special Forces Communications Sergeant Jacopo “Jack” Constantino knows a thing or two about communications technology. As head of Cyber Security at Four Kings Security, Jack spends his days working with high-tech systems. Life for Jack is pretty uneventful—despite working with his brothers-in-arms—and he finds himself longing for a little excitement.Be careful what you wish for...
    Categorized as:
    bodyguard  crime  dark  drama  law-enforcement  lgbtq  mlm  stalking
  • Kill Game by Cordelia Kingsbridge

    Kill Game by Cordelia Kingsbridge

    Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars
    · 18 ratings
    Book one in the Seven of Spades series Homicide detective Levi Abrams is barely holding his life together. He’s reeling from the fallout of a fatal shooting, and his relationship with his boyfriend is crumbling. The last thing he’s prepared for is a serial killer stalking the streets of Las Vegas. Or how he keeps getting thrown into the path of annoyingly charming bounty hunter Dominic Russo...
  • Triangulation by Cole McCade

    Triangulation by Cole McCade

    Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars
    · 6 ratings
    ABOUT THIS EPISODE Less than a day. Less than a day of peace, of calm, of comfort before the white rabbit returns to tear Malcolm and Seong-Jae's lives apart. An eerie video presents them with a deadly ultimatum, which leaves our intrepid pair racing to discover the identity of the latest victim — and desperate to protect their families from the threat hanging over their heads...
Fantastic book recommendations by book lovers for book lovers.
Find out more about thebooknaut.com.



Looking for more inspiration? Enter another book title to get more suggestions on what to read next.


Or - use our amazing romance book finder to get recommendations based on your favorite content tropes and themes. Mix and match at will.