Books like 'Realize'
Readers who enjoyed Realize by Susan Hawke also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary romance small town north-america usa texas mlm lgbtq drama friends-to-lovers
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To Catch a Firefly by Emmy Sanders
Rated: 4.60 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsHe was my beginning. And my never-ending. EllisThere’s a lot I’ve never told my best friend. The fact that I love him. That I miss him every day he’s gone. That, sometimes, I ache for him with a ferocity that leaves me breathless.Lucky Buchanan tore into my life as a boy, wild and daring, my opposite in every way. He drew me in, stole my heart without trying... -
![You & Me by Tal Bauer]()
You & Me by Tal Bauer
Rated: 4.54 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsA single dads, friends-to-lovers, bi awakening MM Romance.We're a puzzle made of two pieces.Landon Larsen is the envy of all the dads in Last Waters, Texas. He's cool, confident, and put together. He and his son—the high school's all-star quarterback—have the perfect father-son relationship. He’s such a Super Dad, it's almost sickening... -
![Ethan by Nicole Edwards]()
Ethan by Nicole Edwards
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsHow long did it take you to find your place in the world?For Ethan Walker, going through the motions of life, keeping his distance, and never getting attached has become the mantra he lives by. Success is measured by how many hours he can work and how little attention he can draw. That was until he landed on Beau Bennett’s radar... -
![A Fighting Chance by Tatum West]()
A Fighting Chance by Tatum West
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsDillon: I don’t do relationships. I’ve been abandoned all my life, and I don’t trust a soul except my own damn self. But there’s something different about Jack Chance. From his lithe, gymnast’s body to his soulful hazel eyes, he’s everything I never knew I wanted. When he’s wrapped up in my arms, begging for more, everything seems right about the world... -
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![Foreseen: Lex by Sloane Kennedy]()
Foreseen: Lex by Sloane Kennedy
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsLEX Even if I wasn’t losing my sight, I never would have seen him coming… I’ve known my fate for years, but I wasn’t willing to accept it. But as the light in my eyes dims a little more each day, I have no choice but to adapt. Or not... -
![Liars by Lucy Lennox, May Archer]()
Liars by Lucy Lennox, May Archer
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsParrish Partridge’s True Facts:There’s nothing hotter than a tall, gruff, bewildered, tattooed mountain of a man cuddling a sweet, orphaned baby, so you can tell yourself that you’ll resist him...But that’s a lie... -
![The Steady by Kelly Fox]()
The Steady by Kelly Fox
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsHot for teacher? No.Hot for teacher's widower? Maybe a little more than I should be.I merely meant to comfort Ren, to help him find steady ground in the middle of an ocean of pain. It was supposed to be a one-time thing.Only… our chemistry, set ablaze by our extreme size and age differences, was something neither of us had experienced before... -
![I've Got You by Becca Seymour]()
I've Got You by Becca Seymour
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsWhen a single dad and a newly outed veterinarian meet by chance, it takes red-cheeked conversations, a tentative friendship, and the willingness to put their hearts on the line to show these men they’re made for each other. Single dad Davis Jackson is busy balancing his coffee shop and being the best dad he can be. That doesn’t mean he’s not lonely... -
![The Cowboy Contract by B.A. Tortuga]()
The Cowboy Contract by B.A. Tortuga
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsRyder Vittor has almost everything he could ever want. He was a successful bull rider, he runs a rodeo company and a ranch for his family, and he's right where he wants to be. Until his grandmother issues him an ultimatum...Categorized as:
mlm lgbtq friends-to-lovers children fake-relationship slow-burn romance contemporary -
![Sheriff's Secret by K. Webster]()
Sheriff's Secret by K. Webster
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsFrom USA Today bestselling author K Webster comes a steamy and emotional MM romance!When you’re the sheriff of Brigs Ferry Bay, certain things are expected of you.Marry a local girl, settle down, have a few kids. You know, the small-town dream.But I’ve got a secret I’m terrified will get out.I’m gay.Not bi. Not curious. Not confused.Just gay.So, settling for that dream won’t be happening... -
![You Can Count On Me by Fae Quin]()
You Can Count On Me by Fae Quin
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsThey say you should love thy neighbor, but I don’t think they meant it the way I want to love mine.Miles “Rooster” Johnson: As a young single-dad with a teaching job, I haven’t had much opportunity to date. My son is my entire world, and though I would love to have a partner and someone to count on, the passing years have shown that it’s just not in the cards for me... -
![Home by Cara Dee]()
Home by Cara Dee
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsFor as long as I can remember, I've only had one goal: survival. It's what I know. There is no future beyond making it through another night and getting my hands on as much money as possible, by any means necessary. Pride and dignity are things I can't afford. It's been the worst year yet—and not because I live on the streets. That's nothing compared to being separated from my little girl... -
![Facing West by Lucy Lennox]()
Facing West by Lucy Lennox
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsThe first book in a new series by Lucy Lennox! Nico: I left my family and tiny Texas hometown fifteen years ago to escape small-town gossips and to give my mom and sister the chance at a better life... -
![Shaun's Salvation by K.C. Wells]()
Shaun's Salvation by K.C. Wells
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsRomance is the last thing Shaun wants, but what if it’s exactly what he needs – and deserves?A selfless son barely holding onShaun doesn’t have much of a life. When he’s not working in the restaurant in Portland, Maine, he’s home looking after his dad, who has dementia... -
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![Life after Love by J.J. Harper]()
Life after Love by J.J. Harper
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAll he wanted was a new life, not a new love.MerrickMerrick has the perfect life: a husband, a baby, and a great future ahead of him. Until all that is ripped away, and he’s left alone with his daughter. After two years, he knows it’s time to move on. To find a new life for him and Willow. It comes in the shape of a derelict mill house nestled in the hills above a Devon seaside town... -
![Reining in the Bad Boy: An MM Holiday Romance (The Men of River Gorge) by Jacki James]()
Reining in the Bad Boy: An MM Holiday Romance (The Men of River Gorge) by Jacki James
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWhat kind of loser pretends to have a boyfriend?Oh, yeah, that’s me, Landon Nichols. I’m the loser. In my defense, I didn’t actually make up a boyfriend. My mom just assumed I had one, and I figured if it made her feel better to think I had someone in my life, then what could it hurt? Nothing, right?Until she decides I need to bring my pretend boyfriend home for Christmas... -
![Navigating Noah by Jaclyn Quinn]()
Navigating Noah by Jaclyn Quinn
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsNoah HathawayThe saying 'livin' the dream' is usually said with sarcasm, but I truly am living my dream in Coral Pointe Inlet with my four best friends. Still, as I watch three of them fall in love, my heart aches a little with longing. It doesn't help when Hunter, a man I spent an incredible weekend with, comes back to Coral Pointe--not alone, I might add... -
![Levi's Love by K.C. Wells]()
Levi's Love by K.C. Wells
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsUnrequited love hurts like hell Levi Brown has loved Noah White since he was a teenager, but Noah isn’t looking for a relationship. Every time Levi sees him, his heart aches for what it cannot have. Because dear Lord, he wants Noah, in his life, in his bed.Especially in his bed. The only reason Levi is still a virgin is because he was waiting for Noah. Except Noah doesn’t want him... -
![Pretty Relentless by Lacey Black]()
Pretty Relentless by Lacey Black
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsAvaMy life is content. Living and working in my small hometown of Pine Village is right where I want to be, especially with family and a few close friends nearby.It’s taken me some time to dig my way out of the negative spotlight I found myself under a few years back, thanks to an old photo from college that resurfaced... -
![Forget Me Not by Felice Stevens]()
Forget Me Not by Felice Stevens
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratings"He had everything under control, except the way that cowboy made him feel."Texas cowboy Shea Montgomery has plans. Big plans. Still mourning the loss of his beloved father, he’s finally ready to sell the Forget Me Not ranch. He’s dusting off his boots, packing up his cowboy hat, and moving to New York City to make his dreams come true... -
![The Garden by Rosalind Abel]()
The Garden by Rosalind Abel
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsBeautiful Gilbert Bryant designs jewelry for the rich and famous, and he made his escape from his gossipy little hometown of Lavender Shores. However, with so many friends and family, he keeps getting pulled back. When he attends his best friend’s engagement party, Gilbert can’t help but sample one of the new men in town. It’s just some innocent—or not so innocent—fun... -
![Virgin Hearts by Emmy Sanders]()
Virgin Hearts by Emmy Sanders
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsCan an inexperienced cowboy wrangle the adult movie star of his dreams? HawthorneI’ve lived in the same small town my entire life. And I like it, for the most part: being a rancher, taking care of my chickens, and even my meddlesome family. What I don’t like is the limited dating options. I’m gay, and at thirty-six-years-old, I’ve never been with a man... -
![Grinding by Sean Ashcroft]()
Grinding by Sean Ashcroft
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsTwo childhood best friends. One accidental fake engagement. One Labrador puppy. One week to fall in love.When Harvey runs into his childhood best friend—literally—on the way into Otter Bay for his cousin's wedding, he doesn't plan to end up playing the part of the guy's fiancé...Categorized as:
mlm lgbtq friends-to-lovers fake-relationship romance contemporary small-town second-chances -
![Black by Quin, Perin.]()
Black by Quin, Perin.
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratings“Meow!”There it was.The sound that made my knees buckle.He purred, neck stretched, eyes half-lidded.With those cat ears, in his hair.And the tail, that he flicked.A ray of sun in the drizzling rain. I’d been a traveler, floating adrift, while he’d stayed in one place. How was I supposed to know he’d become my anchor? My light. My everything... -
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![The Crush by Kelly Fox]()
The Crush by Kelly Fox
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsAugustus Walker, Jr. is a problem. Every queer person I know has had a tragic crush on a straight person at some point in their lives, and for the last year, Walker has been mine.Not that my crush on him is serious—I'm just appreciating a sweet, sexy guy who happens to be a big fat goose egg on the Kinsey scale. Le sigh and all that... -
![Healing the Twin by Nora Phoenix]()
Healing the Twin by Nora Phoenix
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsEveryone thinks they know me. Hell, I don’t even know who I am anymore.We were at the top. Tomás and Tiago Banner, the most famous twins in the world. The sexiest men alive. My whole identity was rooted in being the older brother, in taking care of my twin, in being a model.Until Tiago fell in love and left me on my own. Now I’m lost, drifting without an anchor. Hurting... -
![Pure Country by Kelly Fox]()
Pure Country by Kelly Fox
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsI’d sooner cage a wild bird than try to pin that cowboy down. But God, I want to make him mine.Our sizzling banter and filthy texts are the stuff of legends, but Rowdy is the king of one-night stands, and one night with him will never be enough.I crave a future with him, which is exactly why I’ve kept him at arm’s length... -
![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... -
![Melting by Sean Ashcroft]()
Melting by Sean Ashcroft
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsButt naked and dripping wet wasn't how I expected to meet the man of my dreams.After a bad breakup, a rough year at his New York ice cream parlour, and no luck jumping back into the dating pool, celebrated pastry chef Hayden agrees to spend the summer with his dad in his childhood home on the Oregon coast to get away from it all... -
![Sagittarius Saves Libra by Anyta Sunday]()
Sagittarius Saves Libra by Anyta Sunday
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsTrue love is on the horizon, Sagittarius. It’s a good time to step out of your routine and into the unknown.Jason Lyall wants someone to come home to, someone he can be his most ridiculous self with. Someone who loves him regardless. But no matter how hard he tries, he can never quite make that connection, and now his last girlfriend has moved on—she’s engaged... -
![Navarro by Kelly Fox]()
Navarro by Kelly Fox
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsMy late wife made a bet with me: if I marry her brother, I have to take his last name. “That's the rule. You marry two Navarros, you become one of us.” Renée always did have a sense of humor—even as she was dying—but I’ll never love anyone the way I loved her. Falling for my brother-in-law? Psh. Desi’s almost twenty years younger than me and far too pretty. Besides, my son would never forgive me... -
![Drawn to You by Jaclyn Quinn]()
Drawn to You by Jaclyn Quinn
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsLeaving his enormous family behind, native New Yorker, Elijah, decides to move to Brighton Pier for a fresh start. Being part of a large LGBTQ community and landing his dream job at Inkubus, a local tattoo shop, is too big of a draw for him to turn down... -
![Convincing Cole by Jaclyn Quinn]()
Convincing Cole by Jaclyn Quinn
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsCole Sullivan Life's been pretty amazing. Moving back to my hometown of Coral Pointe Inlet and opening Shore Thing Management with my four best friends is the best decision I've ever made. Falling back into old habits with an ex? Not so much... -
![Meet Me in the Blue by A.M. Johnson]()
Meet Me in the Blue by A.M. Johnson
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsMeet me… in the place where the sun kisses the horizon and sinks into blue shades of you and me.Meet me there… where everything was always perfect. You and me and the damp grass at dawn and the gray dirt in the late evening rain.Meet me where we were ourselves and not these two people who can’t even say I love you... -
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![Griff's Place by Riley Hart]()
Griff's Place by Riley Hart
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsGRIFFINI always felt I wasn’t wired like my peers, but when my brother, Kellan, gave me three terms—ace, aromantic, and demi—I had possible names for it. Those three words have been on my mind ever since, as has my brother’s best friend, Josh Westbrook. It’s been cool getting to know him and spending time together, just us. He makes me feel something I never thought I’d be able to feel... -
![Boyfriend 101 by Riley Hart]()
Boyfriend 101 by Riley Hart
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsCamdenI'm a fun-loving guy who doesn't take life too seriously. If there's something I want, I go for it. Why not? Life's too short to slide into the grave with regrets. But what I don't do is go for men who aren't out and proud. Been there, done that. The only real way to get to me is to hurt my brother, but now that Sawyer's happy, he doesn't need me anymore... -
![Nobody's Prince Charming by Aimee Nicole Walker]()
Nobody's Prince Charming by Aimee Nicole Walker
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsFire and ice. Oil and water. Vodka and decisions. That’s what Darren McCoy and Wren Davison are: two opposites that shouldn’t mix well. Dare believes in fairy tales, true love, and happily ever after. Wren believes in fast cars, freedom, and no-strings sex. What can these two men possibly have in common? A magnetic pull strong enough to obliterate logic and reason... -
![Goodnight by Kelly Fox]()
Goodnight by Kelly Fox
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsTrip:I was born and raised on Rebel Sky Ranch. In the long, terrible year since my mother’s death, meeting Sam is the one bright spot. He reminds me of the horses we rescue. Scarred, skittish, and…strong. Beautiful.He’s a bit of a hat-stealer, and, truth be told, I’m a little leery of his chosen profession. The things he does in front of a camera... Well, it makes me blush just thinkin' about it... -
![A Little Bit like Desire by Brooke Blaine]()
A Little Bit like Desire by Brooke Blaine
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsWhat if you had everything in the world you wanted...except the man you never knew you needed? Shaw Jennings, the seductive, enigmatic owner of Body Electric Tattoo works hard and plays even harder. He’s built a life he’s proud of, and though that doesn’t include a significant other, he’s got plenty of sexy men to keep his bed warm at night... -
![Fresh Catch by Kate Canterbary]()
Fresh Catch by Kate Canterbary
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsTake a vacation , they said. Get away from Silicon Valley's back-stabbing and power-grabbing. Recharge the innovative batteries. Unwind, then come back stronger than ever . Instead, I got lost at sea and fell in love with an anti-social lobsterman. There's one small issue: Owen Bartlett doesn't know who I am. Who I really am. ** I don't like people... -
![Stay by Riley Hart]()
Stay by Riley Hart
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsWes Jensen just lost the sister who raised him, and gained custody of his niece. The last thing he needs to add to his full plate is dealing with Braden Roth, the one-night-stand who continues to try to push his way into Wes’s life. He has a kid to raise now, and Wes isn't great at getting close anyway.Braden has never had a woman or a man sneak out on him the morning after... -
![Wild Hart by E. Davies]()
Wild Hart by E. Davies
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsEverything I want is here, in front of me. Rusty Campbell left Hart’s Bay after high school to work in the wilderness. Now he’s back home for one purpose: seaweed farming. To succeed, he’ll need to fight the tide and win over his skeptical family, once-burned by the fishing industry collapse... -
![Blooming by Sean Ashcroft]()
Blooming by Sean Ashcroft
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsInstagram crush. Instant fling.The last thing amateur food photographer Milo expects to find in the sleepy town of Otter Bay is the cute boy he’s been crushing on from Instagram. He’s in town to help his pregnant sister, not to look for a fling, but his best friend is right—it’s been so long since he got laid that they’ll be reissuing his v-card any day now... -
![Faking by Sean Ashcroft]()
Faking by Sean Ashcroft
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA leaked sex tape. A fake relationship. A return home.Ryder swore he was never going back to Otter Bay after leaving at seventeen, but when his life is set on fire in LA, he finds himself ducking into a cozy café on Main Street with his tail between his legs.Unfortunately, he also finds that his best friend, the first boy he ever had a crush on, grew up hot... -
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![The Wilderness by Rosalind Abel]()
The Wilderness by Rosalind Abel
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWill Epstein had it all—playboy good looks, wealth and prestige, and a gorgeous fiancé to costar with him on a reality television show. But that was years ago, before he was abandoned at the altar on national television. In the aftermath, Will’s world crumbled, leaving him humiliated and lost. Andre Rivera married his first love and lived a dream life until tragedy stepped in... -
![Webber by J.D. Light]()
Webber by J.D. Light
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsKeller Peters lives to piss off his uppity mother. What could the woman expect who judges people by their careers instead of their heart? It's one thing for her to criticize his career as a life couch to those trying to get off drugs and be productive citizens in the world. He could handle her...Categorized as:
mlm friends-to-lovers lgbtq fake-relationship fiction male-mc contemporary small-town -
![Don't Date a DILF by D.J. Jamison]()
Don't Date a DILF by D.J. Jamison
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsI have one rule to live by: Don't Date a DILF.I've seen the consequences of blurring the boundaries between teaching life and dating life, and I'm not about to take that kind of risk.But I didn't count on Hunter Rhodes walking into my school. Never expected that the broad-shouldered, stubble-jawed, absolute glory of a man would be such a sweet and caring father...Categorized as:
mlm fake-relationship friends-to-lovers slow-burn lgbtq romance contemporary age-gap -
![Perfect by Jenny Wood]()
Perfect by Jenny Wood
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAdoption is hard. Paperwork and more paperwork, lawyers and more lawyers and it seems like begging and choosing....all to get your heart broken when the expectant mother backs out. Not wanting to go through that again, or put Morgan through it again; they opted out. Unfortunately, the new guy didn't get the memo and they were chosen by expectant young mother, Haley... -
![Meant To Be: A Prequel Daddy Novella by Sammi Cee]()
Meant To Be: A Prequel Daddy Novella by Sammi Cee
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsPJ couldn't be more surprised that he needs a Daddy in the bedroom...Joel and PJ met as pre-teens at Takoda Outreach Center. They’ve shared every secret, first as best friends, then roommates. But now that they’ve graduated from college, adulting presents circumstances and unforeseen problems that they never saw coming... -
![To Take a Quiet Breath by Fearne Hill]()
To Take a Quiet Breath by Fearne Hill
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThis isn’t a romance about chiseled, lantern-jawed college kids boasting V-cut abs. There are no marathon steamy sex sessions, not without having at least one nebulizer on standby anyway. Marcel Giresse, the thirty-six-year-old Director of Finance at the French Ministry of Justice, is happy to leave all that nonsense to his oldest friend Lucien, the sixteenth Earl of Rossingley...
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