Looking To Make Your Heart Beat Fast With Emotion?
Dive Into The World Of MM Beginner’s Guide to MM Romance Books
Have you ever been curious about what the fuss is regarding mm romance books?
To be honest, I never really paid any attention to them. I was too focused on my hetero books to think about stories of men falling in love with men. Stupid, right?
I didn’t think that mm books would be a big deal. To me they didn’t have any appeal. I only saw them as two guys getting it on and to be honest, I didn’t find it sexy.
Fast forward to 2023 and everything I thought about mm romance was blown out the water!
I saw a TikTok showing this gorgeous Thai actor with a man bun and I just had to check it out. Should I say big mistake or amazing luck?😅
After seeing that, I started watching Thai BLs and never looked back.
The downside was that I started with the hardcore series which have a lot of NC scenes, which I totally don’t mind! But by getting into these series, I found the novels on Wattpad and it was downhill from there. The novels are VERY different from the shows and with more spicy content.
It’s really hard to find a fluffy Thai novel, though to be honest, I prefer the spicy ones. The more smut the better!
It started with Wattpad and transitioned into Kindle and Audiobooks.
My first ever mm book was Inside Affair: Prime Time Series by Ella Frank. I had no idea this was part of a whole universe that expands into 33 books! Turns out I started with book 22 from the series🙈
Obviously I found out the reading order and started from the beginning. Game changer when you read books in order🤣
After reading that series is when I found Paz Iribarne. Even though I’m Dominican and my first language is Spanish, I’ve always felt more comfortable reading in English. I had never read a Spanish book before her.
It only took reading Mi Obsession for me to fall in love with her books and become, well, obsessed. After that I literally only read her work. She had plenty of materials for me to binge read, haha.
It’s too bad that her work hasn’t been translated to English. Though I had the honor to translate Mi Obsession to English so English speaking people can fall in love with it the way I did. You can find it here.
Now a little bit explanation about MM romance.
What is MM Romance?
MM romance, or Male-Male romance, is a genre that focuses on romantic relationships between two male protagonists.
While it originally gained popularity within LGBTQ+ literature, MM romance has now expanded into mainstream publishing, offering readers a diverse range of emotional, heartfelt, and steamy love stories.
Whether you’re new to MM romance or just looking for recommendations, this guide will help you navigate the genre and find the perfect books to start your journey!
Why Read MM Romance?
If you’re wondering why so many readers love MM romance, here are a few reasons:
Emotional Depth – These stories often explore deep themes like self-acceptance, coming out, and overcoming personal struggles.
Diverse Representation – The genre includes characters of different sexualities, ethnicities, and backgrounds.
Complex Relationships – From slow burns to enemies-to-lovers, MM romance delivers a variety of tropes.
Incredible Storytelling – Whether it’s a contemporary romance, fantasy epic, or historical love story, MM books are packed with heart and passion.
Popular MM Romance Tropes You’ll Love
Like any romance genre, MM romance has some fan-favorite tropes that make these books exciting and unforgettable. Here are a few common ones:
- Enemies to Lovers – Tension, rivalry, and fiery chemistry that turns into something deeper.
- Friends to Lovers – A heartwarming romance where two best friends realize they are meant for each other.
- Fake Dating – A pretend relationship that turns into real love.
- Forced Proximity – Being stuck together forces two characters to face their growing attraction.
- Opposites Attract – A grumpy vs. sunshine pairing where two very different personalities fall for each other.
- Age Gap – A romance where one partner is significantly older than the other. This trope often explores themes of experience vs. innocence, power dynamics, and personal growth within the relationship.
- Dad’s Best Friend – A forbidden romance where one character falls for their father’s best friend. This trope plays with themes of secrecy, trust, and an undeniable attraction that defies expectations.
- Boss/Employee – A workplace romance where one character holds power over the other. Whether it’s a strict CEO and his charming assistant or a hard-working intern falling for his demanding boss, this trope adds tension, drama, and sometimes a touch of scandal.
Where to Start: Best MM Romance Books for Beginners
If you’re new to the genre, here are some must-read MM romance books that are perfect for beginners. These stories are engaging, well-written, and filled with romance that will pull you in from the first page.
I have read all of these and I can comfirm they’re a great and comfort read. Some are standalones and others are a series of maximum 3 books.
Lights, Camera, Passion by Isabel Lucero
Playing a lead role in a book-to-movie adaptation with a wild fan base? Sign me up! The only downside is that I’m cast alongside Jacoby “Heartthrob” Hart—Hollywood’s golden boy. If only they knew he was an uppity, pompous snob.
We don’t get along, and if you’re reading the tabloids, you’d assume it was because I “stole” his girlfriend, but they have it all wrong.
Jacoby and his cold shoulder started this, and now we’re set to play lovers. The only thing I’d love to do is strangle him, but I’m a professional.
Behind the scenes, we’re either bickering or avoiding each other, but when the cameras start rolling, I can’t believe how much chemistry we have.
One night, during a passionate argument, something happens that I never anticipated. The chemistry that started out as an act turns into much more behind closed doors, but we both have secrets, and Hollywood is a hard place to keep those.
Contains mature themes.
A Little Bit Like Love (Book 1) by Brooke Blaine
Jackson Davenport, the charismatic, strait-laced heir to the Davenport fortune, has a secret. One he’s been hiding since he graduated from South Haven all-boys academy – and that secret’s name is Lucas.
When a work trip takes Jackson back to his old stomping grounds, memories of the year he shared with Lucas come crashing to the surface.
With growing pressure from his father to settle down and take over the family business, Jackson knows he’s on borrowed time and sets out to find the free-spirited daredevil he once knew.
But Lucas isn’t the same man he was eight years ago.
One night. A shattered heart. And an endless parade of nameless faces. Lucas Sullivan is South Haven’s ultimate playboy, a reputation he’s honed since the only boy he ever loved left without a trace.
To the world, he’s brash and confident, an in-demand artist who spends his days designing one-of-a-kind pieces and his nights as king of the downtown scene.
Many have tried and failed to get past the barrier he’s carefully constructed, but it’s the shy, studious boy he once coaxed out of his shell who still haunts him.
Maybe it was a mistake. Maybe it was lust. Or maybe…it was a little bit like love.
A Little Bit Like Desire (Book 2) by Brooke Blaine
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 although that doesn’t include a significant other, he’s got plenty of sexy men to keep his bed warm at night.
None of them have ever made Shaw sit up and take notice for long, though. But that all changes when a famous rock star walks through his door.
Trent Knox had the world in the palm of his hand as the lead singer of TBD, one of the biggest rock bands in history…until the day he walked away.
A getaway to South Haven Island seems like the perfect place for Trent to find himself again and reignite his passion for music.
But what he never expects is to find his muse in a six-five, tatted-up badass whose sinful smile he can’t get out of his mind.
The only problem? Trent’s a notorious womanizer, and Shaw isn’t interested in being someone’s experiment – muse or otherwise.
But in a town as small as this one, Shaw is finding it more and more difficult to keep the persistent rocker at arm’s length.
As the tension between them builds, maybe it’s time to finally give in and get carried away with something a little bit like…desire.
Aced (Book 1) by Ella Frank and Brooke Blaine
Ace Locke is Hollywood’s hottest action hero. Women across the globe fling their panties in his direction, but Ace isn’t interested in those—he’s more of a boxer briefs kind of guy.
Specifically, those of the nearly naked male model on a billboard he drives past every day.
Though he recently made headlines for his public coming out, Ace is wary about pursuing a relationship, fearing what the court of public opinion will do to his career.
But there’s something in the model’s expression that intrigues him and has him wondering what if?
Dylan Prescott just scored his biggest modeling campaign yet. One that has him plastered all over L.A. in not much more than what he was born with.
And when he’s cast in Ace’s latest blockbuster, it puts him in close proximity to his ultimate fantasy.
Outwardly confident, Dylan has no problem with his sexuality or his pretty-boy looks, and uses both to his advantage to get what he wants. And what he wants is the impossible—Ace Locke.
From Ella Frank’s Sunset Cove series and Brooke Blaine’s L.A. Liaisons series comes a scorchingly hot novel that blends humor, passion, and romance.
What happens when these two worlds collide?
*Although Aced is a spin-off of Ella and Brooke’s series, prior reading of those novels is not required.*
Locked: PresLocke Series, Book 2
Sorry, ladies – and fellas – Hollywood’s hottest action star, Ace Locke, is officially off the market!
The man on Locke’s arm has been identified as Dylan Prescott, the sexy new “it” model currently featured in the latest Calvin Klein ads.
Sources tell us the men met on the set of Locke’s upcoming action film Insurrection 2, and that “they only have eyes for each other.”
This is the first public gay relationship for Locke, who came out a year ago, and there has been much speculation on who would finally be the one to catch his eye.
According to multiple eyewitnesses, Locke whisked Prescott away on his private jet for a romantic weekend at Syn, the most exclusive hotel on the Las Vegas Strip.
After pictures recently surfaced of the new couple, affectionately named PresLocke, it appears from the possessive way Locke keeps his new beau close that things are heating up.
The world is watching #PresLocke, and we’ll be sure to keep you up to date on this budding relationship!
Wedlocked: Preslocke Series, Book 3
Because you have believed in them,
Celebrated with them,
Loved and encouraged them,
Ella Frank and Brooke Blaine
Invite you to join
Ace Samuel Locke
and
Dylan Prescott
Saturday, the twenty-fourth of May
at six o’clock in the evening
The Floridian Hotel
4406 Palm Way
Orlando, Florida
For love, laughter, and a happily ever after.
Series Reading Order: Aced, Locked, Wedlocked
Unscripted: Unscripted Series, Book 1 by J.R. Gray
Movie star 101: A smile hides all pain.
Quellcrist King has been playing a part his entire life. The more famous he becomes, the more he hides. The only person he ever let see the real him rose with him from nothing to the very top.
They were the king and queen of Hollywood— and then she wanted a divorce. The only way to survive his depression is to bury himself in work.
If he can be a character, maybe he won’t have to remember himself. A gay role can’t be any different than playing a straight one, can it?
But instead of finding solace in the character, he finds it in his costar. Hale becomes his best friend, his lifeline, the light in his darkness.
Quell is forced to examine everything he thought he knew about himself while filming intimate scenes with Hale that feel more real than anything ever has before.
He’s lived his entire life following the script. What would life be like unscripted?
Rewritten: Unscripted Series, Book 2
Quellcrist wasn’t new to fame or the effect it had on a relationship. He’d been married in the spotlight for as long as he’d been famous. But that was before Hale.
He knew it was going to test him, but even he hadn’t known the toll that months apart would take on his fledgling relationship.
Long days of shooting, different time zones, calls every day dwindled to days without calls, and rumors were all over the rags.
Through it all Quell had to battle his own worst enemy, but he didn’t know how to win against something inside him. Depression ate him whole, and pain took over.
There was so much more at stake than losing his boyfriend; he was losing his best friend. His lifeline, the love of his life. Was there any way to come back from the damage done?
Can they rewrite their ending?
Contains mature themes.
Unwritten: Unscripted Series, Book 3
I should have been on top of the world but I was trapped, suffocated by fame. My life wasn’t my own. I belonged to the fans and the media.
Too famous to leave my house without attracting a crowd. Fame and anxiety prevented a connection. I was doomed to stay a virgin forever, or so I thought until I fell for the one person forbidden to me: My director.
Four months of working side by side while trying to keep my hands to myself or one of us would lose our job. The temptation was going to kill me.
Strictly Curious by Joelle Lynne
I shouldn’t want him the way that I do…
Tyler
My world flipped upside down when my Dad suddenly remarried. What ten-year-old wants that surprise dropped on him?
I wasn’t expecting my stepbrother to become my best friend, my everything, and the source of my utter confusion. I didn’t realize he was hiding something from me, and I didn’t mean to see it.
It made me question everything.
Garrett
As close as we’d become over the last nine years, I never meant to hide my biggest secret from Tyler. I didn’t want our relationship to change.
What would he think if he knew I always imagined him in their place? Now that he knows the truth, how am I supposed to handle him being so curious?
Strictly Curious is a New Adult coming-of-age story. It features adult themes and sexual situations that are not suitable for readers under the age of 18.
The Date Mistake by Joelle Lynne
Doing it on my own didn’t mean I wanted to be lonely.
Trevor
When I said I wanted to do it on my own, I didn’t think it’d be so hard. Barely managing to get by wouldn’t be so bad except for the gripping loneliness.
I like to flirt, and at times it comes across as desperate, but maybe I am. After flirting with my boss’s brother, I didn’t think it would turn into what it did. After all, isn’t Aaron straight?
Aaron
Being thirty-five, the oldest child, and still single is, admittedly, a little embarrassing. When my brother asked me to be the best man at his wedding, I probably shouldn’t have invited the waiter who flirted with him.
It’s not as if my family assumes that maybe I’m not so straight after being single for so long, so it shouldn’t be a shock to bring a man, right?
Crossroads (Book 1) by Riley Hart
After divorcing the woman he’d been with since he was seventeen, Nick Fuller is starting over.
He owns the restaurant of his dreams and he’s determined to meet new people, find new passions, and experience life to its fullest. Easier said than done—that is until he meets his new neighbor, Bryce Tanner…
Bryce is all about a good time. He plans to show Nick how it’s done, help him meet a few women, and enjoy the gift of the single life he’s been given.
But things don’t go as planned, and soon they realize they’d rather be together than with anyone else.
Neither man has ever wanted another guy, but there’s a connection between them from the start—a spark they can’t deny.
They find themselves navigating an unfamiliar new world and dealing with unforeseen obstacles. Physical desire isn’t enough, and now Nick and Bryce are at a crossroads.
They have to decide which way to go: the easy path they’ve always followed, or the one that’s determined to trip them up at every turn.
Shifting Gears: Crossroads, Book 2
Rod Nelson is used to being someone’s good time, and that’s fine with him. Spending his days at his adult toy store, Rods-N-Ends, he never knows who he’ll meet.
The second Landon Harrison walks in, he has Rod’s full attention. It seems as if Landon wants him too, so why won’t the man jump in the sack with him already?
Landon never thought he’d return home to the town where memories lurk around every corner. He has to admit, Rod makes the adjustment a lot easier. He keeps Landon laughing.
Despite the fierce attraction between them, he’s not willing to risk his newfound friendship to get laid.
Neither man wants something serious, but the more they’re together, the harder it is to keep their hands to themselves, until eventually they stop trying.
But flings between friends are never simple, and as they attempt to shift gears, diving into their first relationship, they’re slammed with setbacks.
If they want to truly move forward, before they hit the open road together, they’re going to have to let go of a past that could make them crash and burn.
Contains mature themes.
Test Drive: Crossroads, Book 3
Where to Find MM Romance Books
If you’re ready to dive into MM romance, here’s where you can find great books:
📚 Amazon Kindle & Audible – A huge selection of MM books, including indie gems.
📚 Wattpad & AO3 – Free stories from emerging and established MM authors.
📚 BookTok & Goodreads – Great places to find recommendations and reviews.
📚 Local & Online Bookstores – Check LGBTQ+ sections for MM romance picks.
Final Thoughts: Start Your MM Romance Journey Today!
MM romance is a beautiful, emotional, and diverse genre that offers something for everyone. Whether you love slow-burn love stories, action-packed adventures, or heartfelt dramas, there’s an MM book out there waiting for you.
So, are you ready to dive into the world of MM romance? Which book will you start with? Let me know in the comments! 😊
Want to read more? Check out part one of my favorite series recs!
