Book picks similar to
The Young Man's Guide to Love and Loyalty by Clara Merrick
historical
fantasy
romance
m-m
Desert Ice
Rose Maefair - 2017
He’d been betrayed by his family, exiled, and sentenced to slavery in the desert lands where he doesn't know the language or the customs. Yet, as he faces the scrutiny of an interested buyer, Wyl realizes he was wrong. With an exchange of coins, he could go from life as a warrior and a prince to that of a pleasure slave. Lysander finds the stench of the slave-trading city almost unbearable. He longs for the quiet shelter of his home. Yet, Steed’s Hold is under siege and he has come to the city to find a warrior willing to fight for the cost of his freedom. However, Lysander does not expect to find the handsome Northerner or the new desires he sparks inside of Lysander. He also does not expect the terrible stipulation attached to the man’s sale, one that would demand a heavy price of them both. Lysander is a mage more used to commanding earth, metal, and wood than people. How is he to be master of a slave, and the slave’s desire, when Lysander hasn’t fully mastered his own?
Sex, Lies, and Headlines
Peter Styles - 2018
It’s a dream most people would give anything to make real. For me, it’s a reality I’d give anything to make just a dream. Six years ago, he was just the gorgeous stranger across the room. That elusive one night stand who can electrify you with a touch. Whose kisses are all you can taste for days after. Until I tried the phone number he’d left and got dead air. And then he was just that jerk who’d played me. And himself. Because I never could shake that feeling that we could’ve had something real. A few months later, my mystery man’s face was on every billboard, his name on every lip. Impossible to get away from, even as I knew I’d never be alone with him again. And yet here we are. The connection is as real and instant as ever. His assurance that the wrong number was an accident is everything I’d ever wanted to hear. But after years of thinking I was the wronged party, turns out I’m the villain of my own fairy tale romance. I only got in to see him with stolen press credentials. And I’m only there to nab some scoop for my sister, a notorious Hollywood blogger in the business of outing closeted actors. I’m everything Luke hates. Most people never get a first chance with the man of their dreams. Now I’ve got a second. Too bad I have no idea how to keep it from turning into a nightmare… LUKE For years I chased my own rags to riches story, convinced fame and fortune would make me happy. And then I got it, only to find I’d spent all that time chasing the wrong story. Once upon a time, a man met his Prince Charming, and their one epic night together was perfect and wonderful and real. That’s the dream come true the universe gift-wrapped and delivered to me. The happy ending I should have fought for. But I couldn’t see what was right in front of me, and I let it all slip away. And now I’m doing it again. Fate gave me a second chance and I’m worrying about my fake romance with an actress I barely even know. Putting the closet and my career over the chance to just hold his hand in public. I didn’t listen to my heart then, and spent six years regretting it. If I make the same mistake again, I know I’ll regret it for a lot longer than that… This 50,000 word Hollywood scorcher comes with that HEA a true storybook romance deserves. There’s nothing G-rated about these sex scenes though, so eighteen and up only!
Consorting With Dragons
Sera Trevor - 2014
Or rather, his father has the problem, but since he's gambled away everything that was rightfully Jasen's, it's become his problem, too. With no money and no skills to earn a living, his best bet for getting away from his father is to present himself for marriage at Court in the Draelands, the kingdom at the center of the Allied Realms. Jasen's courtly manners aren't the most refined (to say the least), but he hopes he's still capable of attracting at least a minor lord.He isn't looking to cause a scandal, but that's exactly what happens when he immediately attracts the attention of both a powerful dragon and King Rilvor himself. The King serves as the mystical link between the magic of the dragons and humankind; since the death of his wife two years before, magic in the Allied Realms has suffered. He must take a spouse this year, and the fight for his favor has gotten downright vicious.No one, including Jasen himself, thinks he's a proper match for the king. But the growing affection between them can't be denied. Jasen loves Rilvor, but he's petrified about becoming lord consort to a king. Unfortunately, the two can't be separated, and Jasen must decide if true love is worth all the trouble. Consorting With Dragons has been nominated for three awards at the M/M Romance Group's 2014 Member's Choice Awards:Best DebutBest FantasyBest Love's Landscapes StoryThis story was written as a part of the M/M Romance Group's "Love’s Landscapes" event. Group members were asked to write a story prompt inspired by a photo of their choice. Authors of the group selected a photo and prompt that spoke to them and wrote a short story. This story may contain sexually explicit content and is intended for adult readers. It may contain content that is disagreeable or distressing to some readers. The M/M Romance Group strongly recommends that each reader review the General Information section before each story for story tags as well as for content warnings.
How to (Not) Train a Firecat
R. Cooper - 2016
They are also loving and loyal companions to the few they choose to serve. Every member of the royal House of Durii has a personal guard and a firecat to serve as a reminder of the greatness of their rule. After all, only the truly extraordinary would walk alongside a firecat. Only the truly extraordinary could. Not River, obviously. River took the job of cleaning up after the noble beasts when he came to Dua years ago. He’s not any kind of soldier or guard, and he’s too mouthy to belong around royalty. All he wants to do is avoid some of the more resentful guard trainees, care for the very spoiled cats, and try not to get his heart broken by one maddeningly gentle apprentice wizard. Apprentice Gavin is powerful, brilliant, and probably noble. He’s destined for greatness—and more than likely a guard and a firecat to protect him. He’s not meant for one insignificant little beastminder like River. But firecats are not the only creatures who are fierce, loyal, and beautiful to behold. River is about to learn that the firecats and the guards who walk with them have more in common than he thought. And he will have to accept that he might be extraordinary as Gavin thinks he is.
Royally Screwed: A Tale of Two Princes
Lynn Van Dorn - 2020
Never mind that Angelo isn’t gay and didn’t choose to be saddled with a moony-eyed princeling who is determined to ruin Angelo’s life. Then one day Yuri goes too far and Angelo has to take matters into his own hands. Add one doomed arranged marriage… Prince Yuri is destined forever to pine after Prince Angelo. Arranged marriages are archaic and awful enough without being stuck for life with someone you want who will never, ever in a million years want you back. Still, for someone who claims to want nothing to do with Yuri, Angelo is surprisingly possessive. And you just might get one unexpected romance. Two men, thrown together by fate and scheming parents, shouldn’t have a prayer of finding a happy ever after. But fate can be fickle, and love can exist where you never thought it could. Royally Screwed is a 75,000-word M/M novel featuring royalty, a poorly-thought-out betrothal, one prince in need of a firm hand, a second prince who isn’t as straight as he always thought, drunken texting, bickering, practice kissing, odious British nobility, and falling in love despite all the reasons why you shouldn’t.
Oak King Holly King
Sebastian Nothwell - 2022
When he wins a tournament in the Court of the Silver Wheel, its queen names him her Oak King - a figurehead destined to die in a ritual duel to invoke the change of seasons. Shrike is determined to survive. Even if it means he must put his heart as well as his life into a mere mortal’s hands.Wren Lofthouse, a London clerk, has long ago resigned himself to a life of tedium and given up his fanciful dreams. When a medieval-looking brute arrives at his office to murmur of destiny, he’s inclined to think his old enemies are playing an elaborate prank. Still, he can’t help feeling intrigued by the bizarre-yet-handsome stranger and his fantastical ramblings, whose presence stirs up emotions Wren has tried to lock away in the withered husk of his heart.As Shrike whisks Wren away to a world of Wild Hunts and arcane rites, Wren is freed from the repression of Victorian society. But both the fae and mortal realms prove treacherous to their growing bond. Wren and Shrike must fight side-by-side to see who will claim victory - Oak King or Holly King.
'Til Kingdom Come
Evangeline Anderson - 2010
Prince Thrain Blackwater is on a deadly mission to capture the one who can help him get his revenge and make him whole. But in order to do so, he must perform an act of brutality that will alienate the man he hopes to claim as his own.Prince Elias Trueheart is a Null--a noble of the royal Trueheart line who has no magic of his own. Resigned to a life of obscurity, his entire world is turned upside down the night Thrain comes for him. After the Blackwater prince claims him in a way Elias feels he can never forgive, he kidnaps him as well and drags him back to the snake pit he calls home--Castle Black.Thrain is certain Elias will hate him forever--and he doesn't blame the other man a bit. Still, he hungers for Elias's love and will do anything to earn it, even if it means facing down his brutal older brother who wants Elias for himself. But will Elias ever return his feelings or is he incapable of forgiving Thrain's crime? He will have to make up his mind very soon for beneath the dark and dangerous Castle Black lies a secret that will unlock Elias's magic and a deadly riddle that will put both his life and Thrain's in peril.Publisher's Note: This book contains explicit sexual content, graphic language, and situations that some readers may find objectionable: Dubious consent, male/male sexual practices, allusion to incest.
King's Heart: Reunited Book 1
Devon Vesper - 2021
Will their love survive the fight? Camden has spent his life not knowing who he is and being told he’s too broken to ever accomplish anything. But the truth is that he isn’t human, and his untrained powers hold the clue to either saving or damning all elven kind. Ripped from the only life he’s ever known and terrified, there’s no time for him to adjust when a gorgeous prince rides to his rescue. Crown Prince Morough of the Netherdark will do whatever it takes to save the small but fierce omega who is their only hope for saving their world. Falling in love and finding his mate isn’t in the plans, but he won’t turn down his chance at happiness, even on the eve of the apocalypse. But when it turns out that Camden’s powers offer either salvation or downfall, the stakes are higher than ever. With ominous premonitions of their love getting cut short, their fragile found family may very well be the first casualty of a war beyond winning. King’s Heart is the first book in the stunning new fantasy series, Adradis Rising. Fans of Soulbond: The Omega’s Assassin and the Fated Elves series will recognize this world you’ve been dying to see more of. So grab your copy today and get lost in epic fantasy as only Devon Vesper can deliver! Tags: Swoony alpha crown prince, feisty omega without a filter, found family, ancient evil, switched at birth, age gap, like serious age gap, 9000+ years of age gap, heat, knotting, virgin omega, name changes, ancient ancestors bent on destruction, Camden making a million+ year old king cry, Morough constantly exasperated by Camden, sane talking horses, murderous talking horses, prissy talking horses, magic kisses, epic adventure, a hint of mpreg, Omegaverse elves, magic, mayhem, and madmen. This book was previously published under a different title and pen name in another genre. It has undergone extensive edits from its original version.
The Firebird and the Wolf (The Ostentation Book 2)
Harrison J. Phillips - 2021
But then the old phrase 'seek and ye shall find' came true, but not in the way he expected. On a mission to rescue a kidnapped pup from traffickers, Vuk found his mate and was happy to take the little peacock home as well. Now that he found him, Vuk wasn't giving up on his mate even if some of his pack members found a peacock Alpha Mate a good reason to challenge him.Adrian had been thrown out of the ostentation for being unsuitable but regarded it as a gift. The only person he missed was the King's son, his best friend, but they had plans and he prayed they'd come true. He should've been praying for himself. No sooner was he free from the ostentation, Adrian was captured and given the stark choice of living in servitude, or dying painfully. Being rescued by his mate was more than he could ever hope for, even if it was five years later. But those five years had left their scars.Demons lurking, humans with a sick agenda, and a peacock who kept screaming about 'becoming' (whatever that meant) are just a few of the issues the pair have to face. When the Peacock King suddenly jumps into the mix and declares Adrian rogue, wanting him back at the ostentation to face punishment, Vuk is ready to pull on his fur and go hunting peacock. Can the peacock 'become'? Will love save the day?
Shadow Walker
Jayda Marx - 2020
I never imagined that an ancient evil would resurface, or that it would attack what means more to me than anything; my mate. Now my closest friends and I are tasked with spreading warning to other vampires in covens across the country, and recruiting as many as we can to fight alongside us. I’m responsible for the very existence of our kind, and the safety and well-being of my human fated love. Maddox - So there I was, minding my own damn business at work when I came face to face with evil incarnate. The thing runs me down and tries to eat me, and that’s not even the weirdest part of my night! In twelve hours, my eyes are opened to a world I didn’t even know existed; a world of Fate, forever, darkness, and danger, and I’m stuck right in the middle of it all. The strangest part? There’s nowhere else I’d rather be. **This M/M romance features my take on vampires and other paranormal beings. They share many (but not all) attributes of vampires found in other fictional works. This world is different from those found in my other paranormal series, and the vampires’ properties differ as well. This low angst book contains insta-love between fated mates, dark elements, steamy scenes and a dash of humor. The story is complete with no cliffhanger, but it does lead into the second book of the series.
Cethe
Becca Abbott - 2009
The most feared among them were their naragi, sorcerers whose power was all but invincible. Not until the coming of Arami Lothlain, King of Tanyrin and Blessed of Loth, did the rein of the nara come to a bloody end. For four hundred years afterwards, the land was at peace.Stefn Eldering was the youngest son of the Earl of Shia, the last in a long, proud line of demon hunters. He was also a sin-catcher, living proof of God's displeasure, the shame of his existence atonement for the sins of his ancestors. Michael Arranz was the son of a duke and one of the despised h'naran, half-bloods cursed with the blood of the nara running through their veins. Of all the h'nara, his family alone was immune from the persecution of the powerful Church of Loth, protected by an ancient covenant.In ordinary times, the paths of Michael and Stefn would never have crossed. Alas, times were no longer ordinary. The latest of the Lothlain kings was a weakling, unable to curb the ambitions of an increasingly powerful, corrupt clergy. Famine stalked the land. Fear of the h'nara, fanned by the Church, spread tentacles everywhere. Tanyrin teetered on the edge of chaos.A loyal and devoted friend to Tanyrin's crown prince, Michael could refuse Severyn Lothlain nothing, not even when Severyn asked the unspeakable of him. Determined to wrest the throne from his brother, Severyn intended nothing less than the resurrection of the ancient naragi. Michael, whose naran blood was the purest in Tanyrin, was the logical choice. But for Michael to become what mankind feared most, he needed a conduit through which to take the powerful, dangerous magic of the Dark Stream. He needed a man who carried the ancient blood of the cethera.He needed Stefn Eldering.___ This book is published by SL Publishing Group www.slpublishinggroup.com
The Secret Billionaire
Jason Collins - 2020
Money isn’t who I am, so when I finally use a dating app, I make up a fake “me” with no strings attached. But when I meet Jacob, the spark between us is real.He’s the only man I want, but the closer we grow, the higher the risk he’ll find out I’m not the man he’s falling in love with. Worse, Jacob would never date a rich guy, and with good reason—but that doesn’t change who I am. And who I am could tear us apart when he finds out.He can’t fall in love with a lie.JACOB:I don’t date rich, and I don’t date risky.Another wealthy guy in my life is the last thing I need. My affluent boss used his power to harass me, and now I’m knees-deep in a lawsuit. But when a friend signs me up for the dating app Matched, I don’t exactly back out, and before I know it, I’m matched with Ben.Our date lasts until sunrise, and I know I’ve got to see Ben again. Feelings form fast, and I can’t keep my mind off him—or what he might be hiding from me. I can’t shake this bad feeling, and the more Ben hides, the more I’m worried there’s a dark secret that could pull us apart.Who am I really falling in love with?
The Invisible Chains - Part 1: Bonds of Hate
Andrew Ashling - 2010
if your heart isn't big enough.
While the kingdom of Ximerion is threatened at its southern border by a major power, the high king sends his two youngest sons, the half-brothers Anaxantis and Ehandar, as Lord Governors to the Northern Marches where minor raids by wild barbarians are expected. Under the guidance of an old and trusted general, the king hopes to keep the young princes far from the major conflict in the south, while at the same time providing them with a valuable learning experience. The estranged half-brothers are rivals, but soon they feel attracted to each other. As if this was not enough of a complication, they begin to suspect that they were set up by their own father. The result is a fierce struggle for power where the lines between hate and love become almost indistinguishable and where nothing is what it seems.
Heart of Winter
Lauren Gilley - 2020
He was also not at all married to Oliver’s mother, a washerwoman, who died when Oliver was only six.”Oliver Meacham, bastard nephew of the Duke of Drakewell, and a massive disappointment to his father, has just lost all his male relatives to the war with the invading Sels from the West. Without an heir, the duchy of Drakewell stands to fall into enemy hands, unless one of Oliver’s cousins can marry a lord with an army strong enough to defend it – which is how he finds himself escorting his cousin Tessa to the Great Northern Wastes; to the kingdom of Aeretoll, with a hope that Tessa might wed the fearsome warrior king who rules there, Erik Frodeson, in order to protect her people.But the stern, forbidding Erik refuses to marry. He offers his nephew’s hand to Tessa instead. And to Oliver he offers insult, challenge – and the sorts of loaded glances that leave Oliver as flustered as he is furious.Tessa doesn’t relish the prospect of marrying for a political alliance, but she’s ready to fulfill her duty to her family and people – even more so when she realizes that she won’t have to wed the churlish Erik, but his charming nephew, instead. Only…the king has two nephews. And Tessa has a choice to make.The Drake Chronicles is a slow-burn fantasy series, full of court intrigue, adventure, drama, dragons, and passionate romance. Heavily influenced by Viking history and mythology, the series follows the intertwining stories of multiple couples as they fall in love, and fight to save their families, and their kingdoms.
Anhaga
Lisa Henry - 2019
If that wasn’t enough, Kaz is far from the simple hedgewitch he seems.With the Sabadines on one side and the fae on the other, Min doesn’t have time to deal with a crisis of conscience—or the growing attraction between him and Kaz. He needs to get Kaz back to Amberwich and get Harry’s curse lifted before it kills him. Saving Harry means handing Kaz over to his ruthless family. Saving Kaz means letting Harry die. Min might pride himself on his cleverness, but he can’t see his way out of this one.The Hidden Lord might see that he never gets the choice.