“Hope was a dangerous, disquieting thing, but he thought perhaps he liked it.”
The Foxhole Court by Nora Sakavik is the viral Tumblr sensation and the first entry in her All for the Game series. The story introduces readers to Neil Josten, a young boy on the run from a syndicate boss known as the Butcher. With that being said, becoming the newest member of the Palmetto State University Exy team, one of the most high-profile sides in the sport, might not have been the best move, especially when it is revealed that one of Neil’s teammates is a friend from his past who knows all of his secrets. A charming contemporary M/M sports romance tale, join us at What We Reading for the best books like The Foxhole Court. These stories all feature high-stakes scenarios, complex and compelling characters as well as found-family tropes, making them the perfect follow-ups for any fans of Nora Sakavic’s books.
The Raven Boys (The Raven Cycle #1) – Maggie Stiefvater
We’re starting our list of the best books like The Foxhole Court with Maggie Stiefvater’s The Raven Cycle series. Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be-dead walk past. She never sees them, at least, not until today when a boy emerges and speaks directly to her. His name is Gansey and is a rich ‘Raven Boy’ from Aglionby, the local private school that Blue has learned to steer clear of.
But Blue is drawn to Gansey and all the familial wealth, devoted friends and good looks he brings with him. What she isn’t aware of, however, is that he’s on a quest of his own that has already roped in three of his fellow Raven Boys. For as long as she can remember, she has been told that she will be the cause of her true love’s death. But, as she becomes more and more involved with the Raven Boys, she’s not so sure that’s true anymore.
Captive Prince (Captive Prince #1) – C.S. Pacat
Damen is a warrior hero to his people and the rightful heir to the throne of Akielos. But, when his half-brother ambitiously seizes power, Damen is stripped of his position, and his identity and sent to the prince of an enemy state as a slave.
Prince Laurent is beautiful, manipulative and deadly. He encompasses all the worst elements of the court at Vere. But the political patchwork across the Veretrian court is full of intrigue, deception and things not being as they seem. Soon, Damen finds himself in the middle of a play for the throne and reliant on Laurent to survive and save his country. Never revealing his identity to Laurent is the one rule Damen swears by. Because the one man Damen needs is the one who has more reason to hate him than anyone else. For another great fantasy M/M romance read similar to The Foxhole Court, look no further than C.S. Pacat’s acclaimed Captive Prince series.
Icebreaker – A.L. Graziadei
Another one of the best books like The Foxhole Court combining LGBT and sports romance comes from A.L. Graziadei in their 2022 story, Icebreaker. Seventeen-year-old Mickey James III is a college freshman, brother to five sisters and a hockey legacy. On the back of his grandfather and father’s status as NHL legends, he is almost guaranteed the top spot in the league’s draft.
The only person standing in the way of his path to success is Jaysen Caulfield, Mickey’s infuriating, and infuriatingly attractive, teammate. Yet, as their bitter rivalry turns to something far more complicated, Mickey is forced to choose what he really wants, and how far he’s willing to go to get it. A story about falling in love, finding your team and stepping into your destiny, Icebreaker undoubtedly needs to be on your TBR list if you loved Nora Sakavik’s viral hit.
Check Out The Best Books Like Icebreaker
Wranglestone (Wranglestone #1) – Darren Charlton
In a post-apocalyptic United States, a community struggles in a national park surrounded by water where the dead are kept away. But, when winter comes, the cold will turn this water into ice and the dead will be free to cross.
Peter is a soft-spoken homebody who naively puts the community of Wranglestone into more peril when he allows a stranger ashore. As punishment, he is made to help the handsome rancher Cooper keep the dead away. Along the way, he begins to learn more about Wranglestone and the world beyond its shores. And soon a discovery points to this community having a dark past and withholding plenty of secrets in its shadows.
Dear Evan Hansen – Val Emmich
From the creators of the smash-hit Broadway and West End, the written story of Evan Hansen is next on our books like The Foxhole Court. Similar to Sakavik’s tale, Dear Evan Hansen is all about the mental health and coming-of-age of boys. The story begins with Evan writing an intimate letter to himself outlining his depression and lack of self-worth. Despite it only being penned for his therapist, the letter soon finds its way to Connor Murphy.
The very next day, Connor is dead and everyone believes Evan’s letter is his suicide note. Evan spins a white lie about how close he and Connor were to his grief-stricken parents, which leads to everyone believing that they were close friends. With everyone around him now suddenly caring for him, Evan no longer feels invisible, all on the back of a lie. But, as a swirling storm of guilt, regret and confusion threatens to engulf him, Evan soon finds himself at odds with himself over what he is doing.
We Now Return To Regular Life – Martin Wilson
Sam Walsh has been missing for three years. His older sister, Beth, assumed he was dead. His best friend, Josh, thought it was his fault. The pair were the last two people to see him. Except Sam’s been found. And he’s coming home. But whilst Beth is keen to learn more about what happened to Sam at the hands of his captor, their family refuses to talk about it.
For his part, Josh has also been keeping a secret: he’s gay, that his feelings for Sam have been growing, and he never told the police about everything he saw the day he disappeared. As Beth and Josh struggle with their problems, the community begin to slowly turn on Sam until everything is blown out into the open. One of the best books similar to The Foxhole Court, Martin Wilson’s We Now Return to Regular Life is a story about being an ally even when others around you don’t want you to be.
Every Broken Thing (Far From Ruined #1) – Nikole Knight
After he is saved from an attempted assault, high school senior Silas Brigs finds himself indebted to a blond stranger. Only, he wants nothing to do with the calm and collected Ben Adams. The Califonia diver reminds Silas too much of what brought them together in the first place, a moment that he would very much like to forget. But, no matter how much he might want to deny it, the two naturally find themselves gravitating towards each other.
With Ben’s mysterious past and Silas’ attacker still stalking in the shadows, their growing friendship seems destined to come undone. Both are haunted by their fears, but both must learn to face them together. Because, no matter how much Silas might want to resist, they are both exactly what each of them needs. Another one of the most heartwarming books like The Foxhole Courts, Nikole Knight’s Far from Ruined series is another coming-of-age M/M contemporary romance story.
Part-time reader, part-time rambler, and full-time Horror enthusiast, James has been writing for What We Reading since 2022. His earliest reading memories involved Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Horror tales, which he has continued to take with him to this day. James’ favourite books include The Last (Hanna Jameson), The Troop (Nick Cutter) and Chasing The Boogeyman (Richard Chizmar).
