Books like 'After the End'
Readers who enjoyed After the End by Alex Kidwell also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary romance mlm lgbtq family angst second-chances sad grief
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Unwanted by Marley Valentine
Rated: 5.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsTwo halves of a whole, Arlo Bishop and I were both unwanted kids brought together by the foster system. Dealing with the aftermath of neglect and abandonment, we grew up side by side and found solace in one another.We wanted.We needed.We loved.Desperately.But somewhere along the way, Arlo wanted and needed and loved drugs more. So, I did the only thing I could and broke my own heart to save his... -
![John & Jackie by T.J. Klune]()
John & Jackie by T.J. Klune
Rated: 4.60 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsJohn and Jackie first laid eyes on each other when they were twelve years old. Now, seventy-one years later, Jack prepares to give his beloved husband the ultimate gift. Before he does, they'll relive five key moments from their younger lives together over the course of a single afternoon... -
![James—Uncontrollable by Felice Stevens]()
James—Uncontrollable by Felice Stevens
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsIt's time to travel with James and Malcolm through their twenty year history as they battle each other and struggle to hold on to a lifetime of secrets. James Never good enough. Not the real son. I will prove him wrong—prove everyone wrong. I am someone. I will succeed. I don’t need my brother to help me. I don't need anyone. My enemy holds my secret. He teases me. Taunts me... -
![Red Dirt Christmas by N.R. Walker]()
Red Dirt Christmas by N.R. Walker
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratings**14,500 words, gay romance** Travis had been here at Sutton Station for just over a year. We were technically engaged, not that we’d told anyone. He was happy just knowin’ I’d said yes, and I had some head-clearin’ stuff to work through. Knowing I was good enough for Trav was one thing, but knowing if I was good enough to be a husband and father was somethin’ else entirely... -
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![Shattered Pieces by K.M. Neuhold]()
Shattered Pieces by K.M. Neuhold
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratings“I was sure my heart had withered away years ago, but then you smiled at me, and I felt it beat again.” ~Gage Years ago, I fell in love with my best friend’s little brother. Then, he took his own life, leaving me shattered and unable to piece my heart back together. I’ve been a zombie for nine long years... -
![MAXWELL 3: Love's Conviction by C.J. Bishop]()
MAXWELL 3: Love's Conviction by C.J. Bishop
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsMAXWELL, Part 3 A tender romance begins to blossom between Savannah and Maddy as darker issues arise when Cole, Gabe and Dane are clued in to Brock Coulson’s intentions to drag Caleb through a vicious court battle. Clint and Cochise return to lend a “helping” hand and Clint finds himself unexpectedly drawn to a least likely candidate for romance... -
![Hot Wings by Eli Easton, Tara Lain]()
Hot Wings by Eli Easton, Tara Lain
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe alpha meets his match.Most macho of all the super-alpha Canali brothers and proud of it, Donny’s famous for his gorgeous face, his firefighter prowess, and for going through girls his family doesn’t approve of as fast as he changes jeans.Donny’s biggest hero is his fire captain dad, until his life gets saved from the skies by fire pilot Dell Murphy.Dell’s certain about most things... -
![Olive Juice by T.J. Klune]()
Olive Juice by T.J. Klune
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsIt begins with a message that David cannot ignore: I want to see you. He agrees, and on a cold winter’s night, David and Phillip will come together to sift through the wreckage of the memory of a life no longer lived. David is burdened, carrying with him the heavy guilt of the past six years upon his shoulders. Phillip offers redemption... -
![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... -
![MAXWELL 1: Not Without Guilt by C.J. Bishop]()
MAXWELL 1: Not Without Guilt by C.J. Bishop
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsMAXWELL, Part 1 While Abel faces trial for the death of Devlin’s brother – Craig Grant – Max and Horatio struggle with memories of the past, and what they still mean to one another. Holding the key that will free their hearts from the chains that have bound them for two decades, Horatio must hide it away and keep it secret now that “new” hearts are involved... -
![All I Ever Wanted by Alexa Land]()
All I Ever Wanted by Alexa Land
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsI’ve been given this amazing gift: a second chance. I have to get it right this time. Because Cole Ealy is all I ever wanted, and this is our last shot at forever. River and Cole met, and fell in love, and then it all went horribly wrong. A year has passed, but River can’t move on... -
![Charisma Check by Charlie Novak]()
Charisma Check by Charlie Novak
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsHatred is complicated, clothing is simple—Edward doesn’t need a man, and he certainly doesn’t need cosplayer and tattoo artist, Izzy Montes, AKA The Masked Gentleman, Edward’s ultimate nemesis.Edward and Izzy have been antagonising each other for over three years. Their rivalry is fierce, and Edward is determined to keep Izzy at arm’s length. Which would be all well and good.. -
![Nix by Aiden Bates, Ali Lyda]()
Nix by Aiden Bates, Ali Lyda
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsI’ve never wanted a guy before.Yet I can’t keep my mind off Dawson.The guy is bad news and headed for the bottom of a bottle as fast as he can.Too bad that’s a problem I can relate to.The only woman I ever loved led me down a dark path of addiction.I’ve been in recovery for years now. I won’t be someone’s fix.Or their cure. I can’t be responsible for his sobriety... -
![Rules to Break by Susan Hawke]()
Rules to Break by Susan Hawke
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsDavey’s Rule #91: Daddy never loses faith in his boy. Bryan Miller is satisfied with his uncomplicated life. He’s a discipline Daddy who’s not in the market for any kind of permanent relationship. And why should he be? Like the waves he surfs in the small beach town he calls home, there’s always another body available to warm his bed when he tires of the current flavor of the week... -
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![Center of Gravity by Neve Wilder]()
Center of Gravity by Neve Wilder
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsWhen life comes apart at the seams, love is the only thread that can mend it Accountant Rob Macomb has a stable job that he’s good at and… that’s about it. A year of nothing but heartache leaves him seeking refuge from loneliness and grief behind spreadsheets, punishing daily runs, and the occasional anonymous tryst... -
![Lost And Found by Aiden Bates]()
Lost And Found by Aiden Bates
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsI’m going to die on this cliff with only a bobcat kitten for company. I’m sure of it until the hottest man I’ve ever seen swoops in and makes me leap.Eli’s made for danger, and he dedicates his life to finding desperately stranded hikers like me.He’s too perfect to be true.I’ve fallen hard before and ended up bruised and battered.I have to resist him... -
![Out of the Ashes by Cara Dee]()
Out of the Ashes by Cara Dee
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsWe screwed up, Master. It wasn’t until I stood there alone in the ashes, raw, naked, enraged, and in more pain than I could handle that I realized we’d been wrong from the beginning. I saw our history in the rubble—all our memories, the pictures filled with devotion and laughter, my wholehearted submission to him. And we had to rewrite the ending. We had to. Kingsley and I couldn’t be over... -
![What We Broke by Marley Valentine]()
What We Broke by Marley Valentine
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsIf someone asked me to describe our love story, I would only need to use two words. Before and After. • • • •When I met Leonardo Ricci, he was determined I would only be a fling, while I was certain he was my forever. Seven years later, we're the perfect couple. Happy, married, and in love-in sickness and health, till death do us part. At least until the unthinkable happens... -
![Strawberries for Dessert by Marie Sexton]()
Strawberries for Dessert by Marie Sexton
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsWhen Jonathan Kechter agrees to a blind date with Cole Fenton, he expects nothing more than dinner and a one-night stand... but he gets more than he bargained for in Cole. Cole is arrogant, flamboyant, and definitely not Jon’s type. Still, when Cole suggests an arrangement of getting together for casual sex whenever they're both in town, Jon readily agrees... -
![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... -
![Broken In by B.A. Tortuga]()
Broken In by B.A. Tortuga
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsGreyson Hayden wants to prove to his ex that he's made it. He's a successful stock contractor with a couple of million dollar bulls, a ranch owner with more acres than he can count, and he stopped drinking when Kyler kicked him out. He's had a lot to prove, but now he's back in town to show Kyler that he has. And maybe rub it in... -
![Running from My Heart by Felice Stevens]()
Running from My Heart by Felice Stevens
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratings"Holding onto the past can hurt more than letting it go." People say six years is long enough to mourn the death of his husband but for Ross Miller, the pain is as fresh as if it happened yesterday. He’s left his glittering Hollywood life behind, yet guilt still dogs his steps, no matter how far he runs... -
![Second Nature by Alexa Land]()
Second Nature by Alexa Land
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe last time I saw Gabriel, he was putting me on a bus and sending me to some relatives I’d never met, with the hope of a fresh start after rehab. That was four years ago. Now he’s back in my life. I’ve wanted him for years, while he’s always thought of me as just a friend. This is my one shot at turning our friendship into so much more... -
![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... -
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![Forever by E. Davies]()
Forever by E. Davies
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsJake Gray always wanted a real family. He left his own behind when he began his transition, but if he wants a baby he'll need to come off testosterone and get his life in order. The tips he makes as a waiter are barely enough to pay L.A. rent, let alone raise a child. But he’s made his own way for so long that he doesn’t want to rely on others now... -
![Aftershock by Tanya Chris]()
Aftershock by Tanya Chris
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsBeing acquitted of Jamie’s murder won’t bring him back. Syed might be free, but he’s lost his lover and his sub, along with his sense of control, his libido, his friends, and the stomach to inflict the kind of pain Jamie thrived on. Even his high-rise apartment doesn’t suit him anymore... -
![Little Harbour by Sophia Soames]()
Little Harbour by Sophia Soames
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThis is a story about life and death, because there was never anyone else for Jens. He had been with Sofie almost all his life, from the day they met at school when they were fifteen, until the day she took her final breath against his chest. She was always everything to him. As he was to her. He never doubted that. Not for a minute... -
![Until Jude by Briar Prescott]()
Until Jude by Briar Prescott
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsI'm the first one to tell you doing the right thing has never been high on my list of priorities.Same goes for respecting the law. And ethics in general.It's more like guidelines anyway.Until him.Jude Riley.I invite myself into his life and refuse to leave. I know it's wrong. I know I shouldn't.I do anyway.It's never meant to turn into anything serious.It's never supposed to matter.Until it does... -
![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... -
![Totally Schooled by Nicole Dykes]()
Totally Schooled by Nicole Dykes
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsNolanI’m a teacher who has only one thing missing from his life: a healthy relationship.I have a plan in place. This should be easy.No more toxic men. No more casual hookups. I want something real. A love that’s equal, not lopsided. I’m a fixer at heart, but I’m done with the hopeless and the selfish.RafeI’m a dad. Pure and simple.The only thing I want is for my daughter to be happy and healthy... -
![Fireman's Carry by Andrew Grey]()
Fireman's Carry by Andrew Grey
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsOrphaned as a child, Jordan Kramer is a 28-year-old loner who lives for his work as a firefighter. It’s who he is. But his life changes when, on his way home from a fire, he finds Benny walking along the side of an isolated mountain road. With a storm coming, when Benny indicates that he’s alone in the world, Jordan follows his instincts and decides to help... -
![New Tricks by Davidson King]()
New Tricks by Davidson King
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsAfter thirteen years together, Malcolm and Embry are all too familiar with their differences. Malcolm is free-spirited and spontaneous while Embry prefers having everything planned out... -
![Finding Grey by Rebecca Raine]()
Finding Grey by Rebecca Raine
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWhen being seduced by a rock star, only a fool falls in love. Sean The night Dante Sinclair lured me into his dressing room and gave me my first kiss, I was oblivious to one important fact: all rock stars are spoiled narcissists. I learned my lesson when our failed attempt at a reunion left me humiliated and heartbroken. Now, Dante is booked into the music retreat I run... -
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![Be My Best Man by Con Riley]()
Be My Best Man by Con Riley
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratings~ Will Jason’s third time as a best man lead to first-time love for Vanya?After fleeing violence in Moscow, student teacher Vanya Petrov winds up lonely in a run-down London hostel... -
![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... -
![Like Water Catching Fire by E.M. Lindsey]()
Like Water Catching Fire by E.M. Lindsey
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratings"He was like if water caught fire—a beautiful anomaly. It was gorgeous. Danny wanted to exist inside that explosion and let himself be consumed by it." With his life upended at the sight of his cheating boyfriend, Danny Zhou flees across the country with two million dollars in his bank account, and a broken heart to mend. Danny was never the sort of man who was supposed to make it rich... -
![Legendary Daddy by Mia Monroe]()
Legendary Daddy by Mia Monroe
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsI knew he would be my Daddy one day. Now I have to convince him.My vision board has three things on it:Move to LABecome a popular directorMeet my idol and make him fall for meWhat can I say, I’m a dreamer. My chances of making that last one happen were slim to none, until one day, fate shined upon me and I was standing face to face with the man himself, Legend... -
![Leaning Into Touch by Lane Hayes]()
Leaning Into Touch by Lane Hayes
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsJosh Sheehan is unlucky in love and now… newly unemployed. He’s not sure what to do next, but he’s sure he should give up on romance. Especially after last time. His friends warned him that falling for the hunky Irishman was a bad idea. Josh can’t help feeling torn even though he knows it’s best to move on... -
![Heart2Heart Anthology, Volume 7 by Annabeth Albert, Avril Ashton]()
Heart2Heart Anthology, Volume 7 by Annabeth Albert, Avril Ashton
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsOnce upon a time SIX YEARS AGO, the Heart2Heart app made its first batch of incredibly unlikely (but oh-so-perfect) love matches... -
![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... -
![The Last Text by Alice Winters]()
The Last Text by Alice Winters
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsHappy Birthday, Daniel. I was told not to send you another text, but I never was any good at listening. I love and miss you. I always will. When I lost my partner of eight years, I felt like my world was crashing down around me. In order to feel some relief from the overwhelming emptiness, I’ve found myself sending him texts every year on his birthday, even though I know he will never answer... -
![Dear Mona Lisa... by Claire Davis, Al Stewart]()
Dear Mona Lisa... by Claire Davis, Al Stewart
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsTom, shy office clerk by day and drawer of foxes by night wakes up one Monday knowing the most extraordinary week of his life is about to begin. In five days time a lifelong ‘secret’ will be made gloriously public—but will it mean losing the person he loves most? Getting married… It seems like only yesterday Tom changed nappies and sang nursery rhymes to a laughing baby... -
![Wildflowers by Suki Fleet]()
Wildflowers by Suki Fleet
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsXavi has given up on love, unable to bear the pain he's caused.Sam has given up on living. He only wants one thing—to see Xavi one last time. He doesn’t expect Xavi to drop everything and promise to stay with him. They travel through the countryside in a stolen sea-green Cadillac, both searching for something neither has the courage to admit to... -
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![Blink by Rick R. Reed]()
Blink by Rick R. Reed
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsLife can change in the blink of an eye. That's a truth Andy Slater learns as a young man in 1982, taking the Chicago 'L' to work every morning. Andy's life is laid out before him: a good job, marriage to his female college sweetheart, and the white picket fence existence he believes in. But when he sees Carlos Castillo for the first time, Carlos’s dark eyes and Latin appeal mesmerize him... -
![The Dogs of Balboa by Rose Christo]()
The Dogs of Balboa by Rose Christo
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsMichael Mirez witnesses a sexual assault and does nothing to stop it. Torn apart by guilt, Michael sabotages his own life, until one year later, when Michael unexpectedly crosses paths with the victim again. Michael is determined to make it up to Noah, a painfully shy Native American boy whose only ambition is to travel into space... -
![The Soccer Field Is Empty by Mark A. Roeder]()
The Soccer Field Is Empty by Mark A. Roeder
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe Soccer Field Is Empty is the story of teen love, steamy romance, friendship, loyalty, understanding, and ancient prejudice. Here is a tale that breaks the stereotypes of the ignorant and peers into the soul of two boys who want what we all want; to love and be loved... -
![Bodies in Space by Shukyou]()
Bodies in Space by Shukyou
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsIsaac didn't make mistakes. He was a very thorough and hard worker, and had been praised for that by his supervisor on so many occasions that he'd lost count, and something had to happen very many times before Isaac lost count of it.Words: 21382 in two partsAlso on Ao3:http://archiveofourown... -
![River Rising by Brittan Kunsman]()
River Rising by Brittan Kunsman
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsRiver is the twenty eight old, newly single father of Amelia. He is determined to give his daughter a different life after his own was filled with abuse and heartache. After escaping his abusive husband in the night, he accepts his brothers offer of sanctuary... -
![Fool For Love by Felice Stevens]()
Fool For Love by Felice Stevens
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsCan there be a second chance for a first love? When Presley Dawson falls in love with a married man, he knows it’s wrong but can’t help himself. For the first time he’s wanted and desired and not so lonely. When his lover returns to his husband, Presley doesn’t worry. He always comes back—until he doesn’t. Years later, Presley is stuck in neutral and lonelier than ever...
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