That is, he loves spending time with them when they come out to Palm Springs for weeklong visits, or when he heads home to Connecticut for the holidays. But in terms of caretaking and relating to two children, no matter how adorable, Patrick is honestly a bit out of his league.So when tragedy strikes and Maisie and Grant lose their mother and Patrick’s brother has a health crisis of his own, Patrick finds himself suddenly taking on the role of primary guardian. Despite having a set of “Guncle Rules” ready to go, Patrick has no idea what to expect, having spent years barely holding on after the loss of his great love, a somewhat-stalled career, and a lifestyle not-so-suited to a six- and a nine-year-old. Quickly realizing that parenting—even if temporary—isn’t solved with treats and jokes, Patrick’s eyes are opened to a new sense of responsibility, and the realization that, sometimes, even being larger than life means you’re unfailingly human.With the humor and heart we’ve come to expect from bestselling author Steven Rowley, The Guncle is a moving tribute to the power of love, patience, and family in even the most trying of times.

    They got married around the same time, had kids around the same time, and now, fifteen years later, they’ve started getting divorced around the same time, too. With three of the Core Four unions crumbling to dust around them, Jessica and Mitch Butler take a long, hard look at their own marriage. Can it be saved? Or is divorce, like some fortysomething zombie virus, simply inescapable?To maximize their chance at immunity, Jessica and Mitch try something radical. Their friends’ divorces mostly had to do with sex—having it, not having it, wanting to have it with other people—so they decide to relax a few things. Terms are discussed, conditions are made, and together the Butlers embark on the great experiment of taking their otherwise happy, functional marriage and breaking some very serious rules.Jessica and Mitch are convinced they’ve hit upon the next evolution of marriage. But as lines are crossed and hot bartenders pursued, they each start to wonder if they’ve made a huge mistake. What follows is sexy, fun, painful, messy, and completely surprising to them both. Because sometimes doing something bad is the only way to get to the heart of what’s really good.

    Things get worse when his high school bully, captain of the football team and meathead extraordinaire, Ric Saunders, shows up for an appointment at the chiropractic clinic where Alex works. Things go from bad to worse in a comedy of errors that leaves Alex's head spinning. Has Ric turned into a crazed stalker, ready to pick up the bullying where he left off eight years before? Or has Ric got something else in mind this time?

    The novel deals with the love affair between two boys, together with the internal politics of the school itself. Carleton, a sixth former loves Allen, a boy two years his junior. At the same time the headmaster is trying to enforce a policy against such liaisons.At the time of writing it was a contemporaneous work. As such it now depicts a school at a period in history. It was published in the same year that homosexuality between consenting adults was legalised in the UK.

    On the internet, he’s a fashion-blogging Tumblr celebrity. In the real world, though, being an awkward gay virgin isn’t as cute and endearing as it is online—it’s a target on his back. After years of being bullied, Jonah’s determined to start afresh at college, but it’s hard to remake yourself when you’re sharing classes with your ill-fated junior high crush.Sebastian Rose, with his easy-going manner and great sense of humor, was one of the most popular guys in junior high. He was also one of Jonah’s only defenders. Too bad Jonah knows Sebastian’s kindness was only pity.Bumping into each other after all these years makes it seem like the universe itself wants Jonah to have a second chance at his first love. But how can he ever hope to reinvent himself when Sebastian’s presence pulls him further into his past? Then again, maybe moving forward doesn’t have to mean leaving the best part of your past behind.Please enjoy this free ebook, courtesy of Heidi Belleau and Riptide Publishing!

    Deny, deny, deny.2. Hope that his team and the public will just get over it.3. Make himself look better by means of a long-term, committed relationship.The problem? He has yet to really kiss another man.The solution? His manager knows just the guy.Enter Henry Brown: music student, openly gay, currently single, and so pretty that the public will just eat him up. He's all too happy to lend Ben a hand.Between public appearances and the media spotlight, they become friends. But when benefits come into play, the question is: are they ready for the real thing?Pull Me Under is a cheerful tale of two people finding truth in the middle of a media whirlwind — an emotional rollercoaster of slow ascents, magnificent drops and stomach-turning loops, all while hoping to come out with the sun on your face and a smile in your heart.

    He had long forgotten her already, but what she remembers felt like yesterday. Thus, in order to be together, in this heaven-sent second chance, Shi Yi decided to take charge and move fast. No matter if many things have changed and if their feelings are being challenged, to be together is all that matter.

    My chances for escape look pretty bleak when I’m handcuffed to Tony’s bodyguard, an intimidating man named Shepherd who apparently loves tight shirts and seems to be amused by making my life miserable. Soon, though, I learn that Shepherd has a heart and a brain. And sometimes, those two things can be a bigger weapon than anything in a time like this. I just have to learn how to wield them. After Shepherd gets me away from Tony’s men, I discover that he’s a survivor, a fighter, and the only person who seems willing to help me when it feels like the whole world is against me. At first, I’m not sure if I can trust the man, but the more we get to know each other, the more I realize that he’s funny and kind of sweet. He’s determined to protect me, but he doesn’t know all of my secrets. He doesn’t know that Tony isn’t the only one looking for me. But together, as we face betrayal and taking down the worst monster of all, we’re determined that we will be the lucky ones after all. Just My Luck is a 101k book that includes a dog that wants to eat Killian’s face off (or maybe just play with his shoe), handcuffs used in a disappointing way, way too much running, a hero that can’t hit the broad side of a barn with a gun (which might have something to do with the fact that he picks up a book instead of practicing every chance he gets), a game of strip checkers that doesn’t go as planned, and two broken souls who find peace in each other.

    That was all. To show the world Mason Bloom could be more than a small-town doctor living a medium-sized life. Private doctor on a swanky island with a posh resort? Check.But from the moment I set foot on this island, nothing went according to plan.I didn’t expect to find the resort falling apart.I didn’t expect the people here to be so charming and crazy and welcoming and real.I didn’t expect legends about shipwrecks and buried treasure.And I definitely didn’t expect Fenn Reardon, the island’s incredibly attractive, incredibly infuriating, incredibly male resident tour guide, to become the one person I can’t live without.Thirty-five’s a bit late for me to realize I'm not straight, though, right? And I have big dreams that won’t fit on Whispering Key, anyway—dreams that do not include tying myself to a tiny island stuck in the past or to a man who refuses to think about the future. My head’s telling me I have to leave Whispering Key… My heart’s telling me there might be treasure on this island after all.

    He has a summer job, a case of existential panic, and a hopeless crush on the unattainable Jai Hazenbrook. Except how do you know that your coworker’s unattainable unless you ask to blow him in the porta-potty?That’s probably not what Dad meant when he said Nick should act more like an adult.Twenty-five-year-old Jai is back in his hometown of Franklin, Ohio, just long enough to earn the money to get the hell out again. His long-term goal of seeing more of the world is worth the short-term pain of living in his mother’s basement, but only barely.Meeting Nick doesn’t fit in with Jai’s plans at all, but, as Jai soon learns, you don’t have to travel halfway around the world to have the adventure of a lifetime.This is not a summer romance. This is a summer friendship-with-benefits. It’s got pizza with disgusting toppings, Netflix and chill, and accidental exhibitionism. That’s all. There are no feelings here. None. Shut up.

    When he has to move to Florida, he can't believe his bad luck. His new school is a mix of bible belles, amberzombies, and football heroes -- none of which are exactly his type. Billy's efforts to fit in and stand out at the same time are both hilarious and heart warming. In this novel from adult author and media personality James St. James, readers are in for a wild ride as he tells Billy's fascinating story of bravado, pain, and unexpected love, inspired by his own experiences.

    Will Shima put aside a history of disappointment in order to take a chance on a complicated relationship?

    To make matters worse, she soon finds out he's her new neighbor!

    In just a few months he’ll be starting college, and it’s time for him to admit the truth: he’s gay, not bi, and only one of his childhood buddies holds any kind of real interest for him. When Dylan Finch, aka Mig, follows his lead and puts some distance between himself and the old crowd, he and Jess give in to a mutual attraction that’s been building for years.But navigating a fledgling relationship isn’t easy for beginners, and forces they can’t seem to control keep tripping them up: sexual appetite, personal insecurities, fear of discovery, and more. They need clarity. They need courage. Just as they’re on the verge of finding both, a vindictive act of jealousy sends one of them to jail. All their hard-won victories are in danger of falling to dust. The only way to save what they have is to recognize it for what it is . . . and fight for its integrity.

    Since they yanked their support for college he had to find a way to pay for it. Little did he know that joining the Army was going to change his life forever. Especially when he was introduced to a Drill Sergeant who was nicknamed 'Big Daddy'.Phillip Grabowski had joined the Army to follow in his father's footsteps; by the time Ryan entered, he had already made a name for himself. He was a soldier's soldier, but Ryan was making it really hard for him to remember that.69,653 words.