Here are 12 books that You & Me fans have personally recommended if you like You & Me. Shepherd is a community of 12,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of The Song of Achilles

Roy L. Pickering Jr. Author Of The Absolutely Amazing Adventures of Ava Appelsawse

From Roy's 3 favorite reads in 2025.

Why am I passionate about this?

Author Reader Reviewer Family man Sports fanatic

Roy's 3 favorite reads in 2025

Roy L. Pickering Jr. Why Roy loves this book

A wonderful retelling of the story of the great warrior Achilles and his partner Patroclus and the siege of Troy by Greek armies to rescue the famously beautiful Helen. Told from the point of view of Patroclus, a prince who is banished by his father after inadvertently killing another young boy and sent to live under the guardianship of Achilles' father. In the original version of this story, Patroclus and Achilles are the best of friends. In the version crafted by Madeline Miller, the relationship between them becomes romantic. After an idyllic time spent in the mountains under the kind and knowledgeable tutelage of a centaur named Chiron, fate leads them both to the battlefield outside the impenetrable gate of Troy. Another departure from the original story is that a physical vulnerability that can be exploited is not featured. The Achilles Heel in Miller's novel is not a body part,…

By Madeline Miller ,

Why should I read it?

45 authors picked The Song of Achilles as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

**OVER 1.5 MILLION COPIES SOLD**
**A 10th ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL EDITION, FEATURING A NEW FOREWORD BY THE AUTHOR**

WINNER OF THE ORANGE WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR FICTION
THE INTERNATIONAL SENSATION
A SUNDAY TIMES AND NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

'Captivating' DONNA TARTT
'I loved it' J K ROWLING
'Ravishingly vivid' EMMA DONOGHUE

Greece in the age of heroes. Patroclus, an awkward young prince, has been exiled to the court of King Peleus and his perfect son Achilles. Despite their differences, Achilles befriends the shamed prince, and as they grow into young men skilled in the arts of war and medicine, their bond blossoms…


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Book cover of Aggressor

Aggressor by FX Holden,

It is April 1st, 2038. Day 60 of China's blockade of the rebel island of Taiwan.

The US government has agreed to provide Taiwan with a weapons system so advanced that it can disrupt the balance of power in the region. But what pilot would be crazy enough to run…

Book cover of Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe

Joe Ballard

From Joe's 3 favorite reads in 2024.

Unknown Author Why Joe loves this book

It made me glad to be human.

By Benjamin Alire Sáenz ,

Why should I read it?

7 authors picked Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 11, 12, 13, and 14.

What is this book about?

This Printz Honor Book is a "tender, honest exploration of identity" (Publishers Weekly) that distills lyrical truths about family and friendship.

Aristotle is an angry teen with a brother in prison. Dante is a know-it-all who has an unusual way of looking at the world. When they meet at the swimming pool, they seem to have nothing in common. But as the two loners start spending time together, they discover that they share a special kind of friendship--the kind of friendship that changes lives and lasts a lifetime. And it is through their friendship that Ari and Dante will learn…


Book cover of Whisper

Sarah Luddington Author Of Fortune's Soldier: Shadow Ops Alpha

From my list on gay romance thrillers with strong plots and men.

Why am I passionate about this?

This is a list for those who love a tough guy with a soft heart. If you crave a story with passion, heat, and that zing of a good thriller, then this is the list for you. I love a romance wrapped around a strong plot. I need a book to stimulate my mind and give my old heart its “Aw, shucks,” moment. I’ve been fascinated by those who serve and the long-term effects it has on mental health. These books tackle the effects of PTSD, trauma, and its consequences. I believe the romance genre, when done well, is one of the best for examining this darkness.

Sarah's book list on gay romance thrillers with strong plots and men

Sarah Luddington Why Sarah loves this book

This book changed my perception about what a romance book could be. I have never been so swept away by a single narrative and never been so haunted. It inspired me and broke me. The story is long and complex. It’s about a young CIA operative who joins the Agency just before 9/11 and how that one event shaped his life for years to come. It’s a fascinating fictionalised insight into LGBTQ rights in the military during this period, the horrors of the war, the consequences, the personal narratives, and the terrible implications of the wilder political landscape on those who have to fight. It’s full of love, romance, heartbreak, action, violence, torment, and ultimately, salvation. It’s the kind of book which teaches you to see the world through different lenses. One of the most extraordinary gay romance political thrillers I’ve read.

By Tal Bauer ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Whisper as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The truth is complicated.

On September 11th, 2001, Kris Caldera was a junior member of the CIA’s Alec Station, the unit dedicated to finding and stopping Osama Bin Laden.

They failed.

Ten days later, he was on the ground in Afghanistan with a Special Forces team, driven to avenge the ghosts that haunted him and the nation he’d let down. On the battlefield, he meets Special Forces Sergeant David Haddad. David – Arab American, Muslim, and gay – becomes the man Kris loves, the man he lives for, and the man he kills for, through the long years of the…


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Book cover of Trusting Her Duke

Trusting Her Duke by Arietta Richmond,

A Duke with rigid opinions, a Lady whose beliefs conflict with his, a long disputed parcel of land, a conniving neighbour, a desperate collaboration, a failure of trust, a love found despite it all.

Alexander Cavendish, Duke of Ravensworth, returned from war to find that his father and brother had…

Book cover of The Cardigans

Sarah Luddington Author Of Fortune's Soldier: Shadow Ops Alpha

From my list on gay romance thrillers with strong plots and men.

Why am I passionate about this?

This is a list for those who love a tough guy with a soft heart. If you crave a story with passion, heat, and that zing of a good thriller, then this is the list for you. I love a romance wrapped around a strong plot. I need a book to stimulate my mind and give my old heart its “Aw, shucks,” moment. I’ve been fascinated by those who serve and the long-term effects it has on mental health. These books tackle the effects of PTSD, trauma, and its consequences. I believe the romance genre, when done well, is one of the best for examining this darkness.

Sarah's book list on gay romance thrillers with strong plots and men

Sarah Luddington Why Sarah loves this book

This is the first in a long-running series about two very different police officers in Baltimore. Cole builds two characters who are fire and ice, both wounded and broken by their pasts and unable to accept the future is anything but bleak. The investigations are fast-paced and clever, often touching on difficult subjects with a deft hand of a skilled writer. The romance is a very slow burn, but the growing attraction between these two men is worth the wait. These books are savage at times, but also lyrical and beautifully written. The characters, the city, the murders, they make everything so very real. Again, we learn what it’s like to be a gay man in a hetero-normative world and how difficult it is to succeed.

By Cole McCade ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Cardigans as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Read the complete first two seasons of this thrilling, action-packed investigative suspense romance with two strong-willed detectives, an undeniable slow burn attraction, and a terrifying puppetmaster in the shadows before Season Three returns!

ABOUT THIS EPISODE

When a string of young queer men turn up dead in grisly murders, all signs point to the ex-boyfriend—but what should be an open-and-shut case is fraught with tension when BPD homicide detective Malcolm Khalaji joins up with a partner he never wanted. Rigid, ice-cold, and a stickler for the rules, Seong-Jae Yoon is a watchful presence whose obstinacy and unpredictability constantly remind Malcolm…


Book cover of Between Ghosts

Sarah Luddington Author Of Fortune's Soldier: Shadow Ops Alpha

From my list on gay romance thrillers with strong plots and men.

Why am I passionate about this?

This is a list for those who love a tough guy with a soft heart. If you crave a story with passion, heat, and that zing of a good thriller, then this is the list for you. I love a romance wrapped around a strong plot. I need a book to stimulate my mind and give my old heart its “Aw, shucks,” moment. I’ve been fascinated by those who serve and the long-term effects it has on mental health. These books tackle the effects of PTSD, trauma, and its consequences. I believe the romance genre, when done well, is one of the best for examining this darkness.

Sarah's book list on gay romance thrillers with strong plots and men

Sarah Luddington Why Sarah loves this book

I stumbled over this book and soon found myself hooked. It’s a romance, yes, but the research into conflict and its effects put it up there on my list of thrillers. It’s not strictly speaking a thriller, it’s more of a military action story and romance, but the characters are wonderful. The way they react to the war zone conflict, the effect it has on the unit and the reporter embedded with them, it has a wonderful ring of truth. And that’s what I’m always looking for in a good romance, the ring of truth. You have to really feel the RPGs coming in, and Garrett does an amazing job of making you really feel it.

By Garrett Leigh ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Between Ghosts as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

There are a hundred reasons why falling for a gorgeous, tattooed soldier is a terrible idea. An office romance with tanks and guns?

No thanks.

Besides, Connor Regan has other things on his mind. After his brother’s death, he finds himself bound for Iraq to embed with an elite SAS team. He sets his boots on the ground looking for closure and solace—anything to ease the pain of James’s death.

Instead he finds Sergeant Thompson—a moody, inked Adonis with a sinfully rare smile.

Nat is a veteran commander, hardened by years of combat and haunted by the loss of his…


Book cover of Locked in Silence

Sarah Luddington Author Of Fortune's Soldier: Shadow Ops Alpha

From my list on gay romance thrillers with strong plots and men.

Why am I passionate about this?

This is a list for those who love a tough guy with a soft heart. If you crave a story with passion, heat, and that zing of a good thriller, then this is the list for you. I love a romance wrapped around a strong plot. I need a book to stimulate my mind and give my old heart its “Aw, shucks,” moment. I’ve been fascinated by those who serve and the long-term effects it has on mental health. These books tackle the effects of PTSD, trauma, and its consequences. I believe the romance genre, when done well, is one of the best for examining this darkness.

Sarah's book list on gay romance thrillers with strong plots and men

Sarah Luddington Why Sarah loves this book

It would be remiss of me, not to mention Sloane in my list. Hugely popular, and rightly so, Sloane chooses to tackle some difficult subjects in her books. The protagonist is often deeply traumatised and trying to unlock (no pun intended) a mystery. In the process, they fall in love. In this book, Nolan’s career is being destroyed and Dallas’s entire life is ripped apart by the lies of those who should have cared. They are well-written, fast-paced romances. I like them because, again, you have the sense that the characters face events we face and have to make decisions we make. Yes, the men are usually big and beautiful, but it’s romance, that’s its job, but there’s something special about these romantic thrillers that means I remember the stories and the characters, sometimes wondering how they’re getting on—always a good sign for a good book.

By Sloane Kennedy ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Locked in Silence as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

I’ve spent years hoping someone would finally hear me. It’s easier not to try anymore…
Ten years after leaving his small Minnesota hometown in his rearview mirror for what Nolan Grainger was sure would be the last time, life has decided to throw the talented musician a curveball and send him back to the town he lived in but was never really home.

At twenty-eight, Nolan has traveled the world as a successful concert violinist with some of the best symphonies in the country. But success breeds envy, and when Nolan’s benefactor and lover decides Nolan has flown high enough,…


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Book cover of The Duke's Christmas Redemption

The Duke's Christmas Redemption by Arietta Richmond,

A Duke who has rejected love, a Lady who dreams of a love match, an arranged marriage, a house full of secrets, a most unneighborly neighbor, a plot to destroy reputations, an unexpected love that redeems it all.

Lady Charlotte Wyndham, given in an arranged marriage to a man she…

Book cover of Nova Praetorian

Sarah Luddington Author Of Fortune's Soldier: Shadow Ops Alpha

From my list on gay romance thrillers with strong plots and men.

Why am I passionate about this?

This is a list for those who love a tough guy with a soft heart. If you crave a story with passion, heat, and that zing of a good thriller, then this is the list for you. I love a romance wrapped around a strong plot. I need a book to stimulate my mind and give my old heart its “Aw, shucks,” moment. I’ve been fascinated by those who serve and the long-term effects it has on mental health. These books tackle the effects of PTSD, trauma, and its consequences. I believe the romance genre, when done well, is one of the best for examining this darkness.

Sarah's book list on gay romance thrillers with strong plots and men

Sarah Luddington Why Sarah loves this book

I love a well-written historical thriller with a flair for romance and this one is great. I know how hard it is to write a good historical thriller. I’ve done many for the medieval period, but this one specialises in the Roman period. A notoriously difficult period to write about for fiction. I couldn’t find anything wrong in there. The dynamic between the protagonists is very well handled and the action is superb. The politics and thriller aspects are deftly handled, never bogging down the action. Thoroughly enjoyable trip to ancient Rome.

By N.R. Walker ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Nova Praetorian as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

** 103,000 word historical romance **Quintus Furius Varus is one of the best lanistas in Rome. Tall and strong in build, fearsome in manner, and sharp of wit, he trains the best gladiators bound for the arenas of Rome. When Senator Servius Augendus seeks personal guards, he attends the Ludus Varus for purchase of the very best. He puts to Quintus an offer he cannot refuse, and Quintus finds himself in Neapolis, contracted as a trainer of guards instead of gladiators.Kaeso Agorix was taken from his homelands of Iberia and delivered to Rome as a slave. Bought by a senator…


Book cover of Eating Stars

Siri Caldwell Author Of The Mermaid Hypothesis

From my list on LGBTQ+ stories about feeling lost, then found.

Why am I passionate about this?

Every time I write a romance novel, I find myself returning to the same themes: seeing people for who they are beneath the surface, respecting others despite differences, and choosing to love those who might seem a little odd. Whether they’re angels, mermaids, or plain old humans, my characters lead lives where, despite marginalization and alienation, love and a sense of belonging are possible. My Christmas novella, Mistletoe Mishap, was a Lambda Literary Award finalist.

Siri's book list on LGBTQ+ stories about feeling lost, then found

Siri Caldwell Why Siri loves this book

I love romance novels with characters who care about others who are different than themselves. In this one, an extraterrestrial crash-lands on Earth and is rescued by a human man. They’re both emotionally lost, devastated by the deaths of their respective spouses, but as the man nurses the alien back to health, they both regain the will to live. The way they protect each other, despite barely being able to communicate, is heart-wrenchingly beautiful.

By Angel Martinez ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Eating Stars as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Flee. Scatter. Take your mates and your offspring and run.

A new Science Fiction Romance from Angel Martinez

The escape pods fall to Earth one by one over the course of weeks, a mysterious and diverse alien diaspora, each pod containing a different alien race and leaving the world's governments scrambling to deal with this unexpected immigration. Serge Kosygin, still grieving and isolated after his husband's death, watches events with gray disinterest until one day he witnesses a pod crash for himself while driving home. Two of the alien visitors have died, but one survives, badly injured, and Serge is…


Book cover of The Last True Poets of the Sea

Siri Caldwell Author Of The Mermaid Hypothesis

From my list on LGBTQ+ stories about feeling lost, then found.

Why am I passionate about this?

Every time I write a romance novel, I find myself returning to the same themes: seeing people for who they are beneath the surface, respecting others despite differences, and choosing to love those who might seem a little odd. Whether they’re angels, mermaids, or plain old humans, my characters lead lives where, despite marginalization and alienation, love and a sense of belonging are possible. My Christmas novella, Mistletoe Mishap, was a Lambda Literary Award finalist.

Siri's book list on LGBTQ+ stories about feeling lost, then found

Siri Caldwell Why Siri loves this book

I typically don’t read YA, but I’d just finished writing a book about searching for an ancient shipwreck, so I thought, why not see what someone else did with this idea? And I’m so glad I did. Otherwise I would have missed out on this compelling inner journey of a teenager who tries on adult responsibility and explores who she wants to be: someone who flees, breaks down, acts out, steps up, reaches for meaningful connection, or (and) loves.

By Julia Drake ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Last True Poets of the Sea as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 14, 15, 16, and 17.

What is this book about?

The Larkin family isn't just lucky -- they persevere. At least that's what Violet and her younger brother, Sam, were always told. When the Lyric sank off the coast of Maine, their great-great-great-grandmother didn't drown like the rest of the passengers. No, Fidelia swam to shore, fell in love, and founded Lyric, Maine, the town Violet and Sam returned to every summer. But wrecks seem to run in the family: Tall, funny, musical Violet can't stop partying with the wrong people. And, one beautiful summer day, brilliant, sensitive Sam attempts to take his own life.

Shipped back to Lyric while…


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Book cover of Old Man Country

Old Man Country by Thomas R. Cole,

This book follows the journey of a writer in search of wisdom as he narrates encounters with 12 distinguished American men over 80, including Paul Volcker, the former head of the Federal Reserve, and Denton Cooley, the world’s most famous heart surgeon.

In these and other intimate conversations, the book…

Book cover of Toward Amnesia

Siri Caldwell Author Of The Mermaid Hypothesis

From my list on LGBTQ+ stories about feeling lost, then found.

Why am I passionate about this?

Every time I write a romance novel, I find myself returning to the same themes: seeing people for who they are beneath the surface, respecting others despite differences, and choosing to love those who might seem a little odd. Whether they’re angels, mermaids, or plain old humans, my characters lead lives where, despite marginalization and alienation, love and a sense of belonging are possible. My Christmas novella, Mistletoe Mishap, was a Lambda Literary Award finalist.

Siri's book list on LGBTQ+ stories about feeling lost, then found

Siri Caldwell Why Siri loves this book

Escape often gets a bad rap—staying and fighting or enduring your circumstances are seen as more noble—but there are times when choosing to leave a demoralizing, unhealthy environment to make a fresh start is what you need to do to save your soul. In this book, a woman tries to disappear—and finds herself. If you appreciate books where unassuming sentences land like devastating little bombs, read this.

By Sarah Van Arsdale ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Toward Amnesia as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Devastated after her lesbian lover leaves her, a research scientist clears out her home and moves across the country, where she adopts an alien persona and practices "amnesia exercises" in order to wipe out the memories of her past. A first novel.


Book cover of The Song of Achilles
Book cover of Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe
Book cover of Whisper

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