Most of these romances feature gay and bisexual men. I have read a lesbian romance, but, for me, it don’t mean a thing, if it ain’t got that schwing. Unless otherwise noted, everything on this list has a contemporary setting. Reviews are linked, recommended books are in bold.
- Albert, Annabeth Waiting for Clark (Bryce/Clark) Hallelujah, both gay the whole time!
- Banner, Darryl Dog Tags (Brandon/Jesse)
- Bettencourt, Rick Marketing Beef (Evan/Dillon)
- Bowen, Sarina The Understatement of the Year (Graham/Rikker) – New Adult, part of the fantastic Ivy Years series, I really liked it.
- Bowen, Sarina and Elle Kennedy Him (Wes/Jamie) – New Adult, it’s steamy AND heartfelt.
- Bowen, Sarina and Elle Kennedy Us (Wes/Jamie) – Not-as-new adults, finding their way.
- Calmes, Mary A Piece of Cake novella (Jory/Sam) – Light and fluffy, mid-series novella
- Charles, KJ A Seditious Affair: A Society of Gentlemen Novel – (Silas/Dominic) Historical, strong political elements and period details.
- Dee, Cara Noah (Noah/Julien) – squicky dynamic
- Ford, Rhys Sinner’s Gin (Kane/Miki) – Overshadowed by the background story and over-the-top main plot.
- Frank, Ella Try (Logan/Tate) – Too much sex? Is that even possible?
- Frank, Ella Trust (Logan/Tate) – It’s possible.
- Frank, Ella Finley (Daniel/Brantley)
- Frank, Ella Devils’s Kiss (Jordan/Derek)
- Gale, Avon Power Play (Misha/Max) – Contemporary hockey romance, quite enjoyable
- Grace, Aria More Than Friends (Ryan/Zach) – New Adult
- Hart, Riley Collide (Cooper/Noah) – Decent, I meant to review it, but never bothered.
- Jaymes, River Brad’s Bachelor Party (Brad/Cole) – Not good
- Jaymes, River The Backup Boyfriend (Alec/Dylan) – Decent
- Jaymes, River The Boyfriend Mandate (Memphis/Tyler) – Meh
- Hawk,Jordan Widdershins (Percival/Griffin) – Paranormal, very entertaining
- Kell, Amber Attracting Anthony (Silver/Anthony) – Paranormal, weird daddy/son tone
- Kennedy, Sean Tigers and Devils (Simon/Declan) – Charming, a novel with romance more than a romance novel
- Klein, K-Lee Lazy Sundays (Devon/Scott) – Very quick read
- Merrow, J.L Muscling Through (Al/Larry) – Big and stupid (really stupid) meets small and smart
- Milan, Courtney The Suffragette Scandal (Edward/Free) – It has a small lesbian subplot and a unacknowledged but clear gay partnership in addition to the main M/F romance, but this book is SO GOOD I am including it anyway.
- Milan, Courtney Her Every Wish (Crash/Daisy) – It’s a M/F historical romance, but the hero identifies as bisexual.
- Milan, Courtney Hold Me (Jay/Maria) – Contemporary new adult romance in which the hero is bi and the heroine is transgender.
- Northcote, Jay First Class Package novella (Jim/Patrick) – quick, light read
- Riley, Sierra Guardian (Titus/Alex) – If you like big, tattooed men, this could be for you.
- Stewart, Nicole Home for Three (Selwyn/Jack/Kess) – A gay man, a bisexual one, and a straight woman.
- Walker, N.R. The Weight of It All (Henry/Reed) – Contemporary, enjoyable, sweet, funny
- Walker, N.R. Learning to Feel (Nathan/Trent) – Contemporary, mostly pretty standard.
- Walker, N.R. Sixty Five Hours (Cameron/Lucas) – Contemporary, pretty good.
- Walker, N.R. Imago (Jack/Lawson)- Contemporary, very good
- Walker, N. R. Imagines (Lawson/Jack) – follow up story only
- Walker, N.R. Twelfth of Never (Mark/Will)- follow up story only
- Walker, N.R. Red Dirt Heart (Charlie/Travis) – good, not great
- York, Sara Pray the Gay Away (A Southern Thing Book 1) (Jack/Andrew)- high school, drama, sweet, the start of a series.
As always, recommendations are welcome.
Links to my other reviews can be found on my complete reading list of books sorted by author or Author Commentary & The Tallies Shameful or my streamlined recommendations list.
Tagged: book reviews, Elle Kennedy, historical romance, Ivy Years Series, LGBT romance, LGBTQ Romance, LGBTQIA Romance, M/M romance, N.R. Walker, River Jaymes, romance review, Sarina Bowen, Sierra Riley
Mrs. Julien Presents 
Sunset Park by Santino Hassell. Out of Frame by Megan Erickson. All of Avon Gale’s books. Slide, Rare, and Between Ghosts by Garrett Leigh.
Kage by Maris Black
THANK YOU!
Excellent list. Once Courtney Milan’s next contemporary comes out, you can add trans to the list as well. I really haven’t read enough that fits into the LGBT category and really should. This month’s pick for Felicia Day’s Vaginal Fantasy book club is The Magpie Lord by K.J. Charles, which I’m very much looking forward to reading.
[…] Commentary & The Tallies Shameful or my streamlined recommendations list. I have a list of LGBTQ romances, […]
[…] Commentary & The Tallies Shameful or my streamlined recommendations list. I have a list of LGBTQIA romances, […]
[…] Commentary & The Tallies Shameful or my streamlined recommendations list. I have a list of LGBTQ romances, […]
Alessandra Hazard’s “Straight Guys” series, though — unless prison is your kink — I would recommend starting anywhere but the novella Straight Boy (#0.5 in the series). I boldly offer this recommendation in spite of the presence of “Gay-for-you story lines” on your Tropes To Be Put Out of Their Misery list because I’ve spent the evening immersed in your reviews and have thus far found only two points where we diverge. The series is currently available via Kindle Unlimited, so risk-free to anyone with a subscription.
Thank you for the recommendation. I have picked up a “Straight Guys” book – Just a Bit Wrong. On what points did we diverge?
*whew* Major relief on your Straight Guys selection. After I posted, I read a few more of your lgbt reviews and realized you were quite sincere in your distaste for the “gay for you” trope and that several of the other Straight Guy books would likely be unsuitable for you.
One point of divergence in our taste is Kleypas’s Winterborne. You described it as “middling,” while I think it is exceptional. My third-favorite Kleypas book, after Dreaming of You and The Devil in Winter. I love a besotted hero to begin with, but more than that, I love watching Winterborne rethink his own choices and prejudices. I was completely charmed by his quick reversal on the elopement decision at the start of the book. I like a hero who can come across a bit silly (which is how that felt to me), while the serious theme of tearing down his own assumptions under Helen’s influence played through straight to the end of the book.
I can’t recall the second sticking point, unfortunately. I can’t even remember if it was you liking something I didn’t or vice-versa. Though a later “hey, wait” moment did occur: you didn’t like Kristen Callihan’s Idol and decided not to read further in the VIP series. I haven’t read Idol because I loathe rock-star romances, but I thought Managed (the next book, featuring the band’s manager) was very good. (Though that may just be my fetish for tightly-wound heroes talking.)
Sorry if all this enthusiasm comes across as creepy-stalkerish. I happened on your blog when I was googling reviews of Penny Reid’s books. Just the day before I had remarked to a friend that I was going over a variety of top 10 lists on some romance site and found it impossible to find a rec list I trusted because the same lists would include my favorite and least favorite books. Then I read your quick overview of Knitting in the City, thought yessss, and discovered with each new review I read (Dare’s Romancing the Duke is twee…YES) that here was an opinion I could trust to be aligned with most of my own sensibilities.
(Incidentally, I don’t know if you plan to review Jewel E. Ann’s When Life Happened, but I’ll be keeping an eye out for it. That book is just too challenging for me to recommend because of the twist. I want to warn people without spoiling them.)
I’m writing my review of When Life Happened right this moment as a matter of fact. All of my kissing book friends read it and recommended it because once you read it, you REALLY need to talk about it,
I did try the Straight Guy book but I was a little a creeped out by the use of “the boy” during love scenes.
I really like the enthusiasm, it’s so welcome. It means a lot to me to have people comment and respond to my reviews.
Now I must away, as my son has me on a 30 minute timer to publish a review or he will play prog rock until I complete it.