Book picks similar to
Trick or Treat by Sydney Blackburn
contemporary
halloween
romance
lgbtq
Up!
Al Stewart - 2018
He recovers from bitter disappointment and gradually life returns to a regular rhythm. Safe and predictable. Every day he gains confidence, but with health comes boredom. From the window ledge, he watches people outside and wishes he could be like them. There's another side to Luke. Underneath his bed are five hidden pairs of jeans with matching Dr Martens: yellow, purple, striped, green and tartan. Some days he feels the itch to get them out. Nope. Those days are gone. One day, an amazing thing happens. Dynamic blog artist Formaldehyde Bob comes to town with an exhibition of light and dark! Luke has crushed on him since being fifteen, idolising the man and his unusual creations. Something about the art calls to Luke like nothing else, makes him believe there might after all be someone out there who thinks in the same way. A soul mate. A bird with a similar song. No. Luke isn't going to go and see Formaldehyde Bob. He isn't. Because he's happy with his monotonous lot and doesn't want to see hope sliding down a mountain of sand. Will Luke take a chance and visit Formaldehyde Bob? Can the jeans ever be worn again? Does grumpy Barbara ever smile? And the most important question: is there any magic left in the world? Find out in this snowy tale of young love in the most unexpected places. Content warning: references to self-harm, mental illness.
Know Not Why
Hannah Johnson - 2012
After all, girls love a sensitive guy, and what's more sensitive than dedicating your life to selling yarn and ... stuff? (Okay, so maybe it'd be a good idea to actually learn what one sells at an arts 'n crafts store.) But things don't go exactly according to plan. Coworker #1 is Cora: tiny, much-pierced, and way too fierce to screw with in any sense. Coworker #2 is Kristy: blonde, bubbly, unattainable perfection. And Coworker #3 is, well, Arthur. It goes without saying that he’s not an option. Right?… Right?Yeah, Howie’s life just got straight up confusing.Pun intended.
Married to My Best Friend
Riley Hart - 2022
We do everything together, which is why I felt…weird when at sixteen I found out he’s gay. How can Alex be something I’m not?But now he’s getting married…to a guy he’s been engaged to for three months…in Vegas, which isn’t Alex’s style.Luckily, they realize what a mistake this would be and the ceremony doesn’t happen. Hungover, Alex and I go on his honeymoon together where we discover a wedding did go down, and I’m now married to my best friend.Did I mention I’m straight?But if that’s true, why do I love the idea of being married to him? Why do I want to touch him, kiss him, and never let go?Looks like I’m actually bi and maybe I’ve been in love with Alex all along.
Third Rail
Santino Hassell - 2017
No straight guy would have low-key lusted after his childhood best friend, right? Unfortunately, a combination of insecurity and overall lack of game has prevented him from further exploring his sexuality. That changes once he agrees to participate in a photoshoot for a queer dating app and meets Jace Fairbairn.Jace is beautiful, fey-like, and in an open polyamorous relationship with his gorgeous linebacker-looking husband Aiden. Once they set eyes on Chris, they’re instantly in lust and determined to broaden his sexual horizons. But what’s supposed to be a straight-forward sexual encounter gets complicated once a one-night-stand has repeat performances, and Jace and Aiden begin to fall in love.This collection of shorts explores the start of a relationship that eventually blossoms into something the three men realize they cannot do without.
Coddiwomple
S.E. Harmon - 2021
The world is his classroom, and he’s living his dream. His only regret is that he had to sacrifice the love of his life to do it. But as the saying goes, you can never go home again. That’s until there’s a family emergency, and he has to…well, go home again. His easy breezy lifestyle gets complicated fast. It certainly doesn’t help that his ex-fiancé has bought the house next door. After an unstable childhood, Cameron Foster loves small-town life. He has everything he needs in his vet practice, his friends, and his animals. Despite what numerous exes seem to think, he’s not still in love with Journey. And so what if they add “benefits” to their friendship? As long as he keeps his heart out of the equation, everything should be fine.Too bad Journey's not onboard with that plan. With summer ending, he has to convince Cameron that this is more than just a fling. This time around, he knows what he wants. He wants a second chance. He wants forever. Most of all, he wants Cameron’s heart.Journey may have put away his passport, but things are just getting interesting.
The Cranberry Hush
Ben Monopoli - 2011
He lives alone, works in a comic book shop, and has a crush on his coworker he can't seem to act on. Like an old comic book, his life's colors have started to fade. Everything brightens when Vince's long-lost friend Griff appears on his doorstep in the middle of a blizzard. They were roommates in college, so close back then that Griff's girlfriend called them "lifebuddies" -- but Vince's love for Griff had ended the friendship, he thought, forever. They haven't spoken in years. Why has Griff shown up again? And, more importantly, can Vince handle his return?Vince and Griff are two twentysomethings struggling to find their places in the world and in each other's lives. This is a story of friendship and love, both unrequited and requited, and of learning how to fly through the post-college void, which just might hold more than a cranberry hush.
Christmas in the City
L.J. ShenPenny Reid - 2019
Travel through six cities and fall in love with these enchanting love stories. L.J. Shen & Helena Hunting Just The Tip It’s not every day you meet a stranger who knows how to jingle your bells… Corinne Michaels & Melanie Harlow Baby it’s Cold Outside My Christmas list did not include a broken heart, freezing temperatures, or my tree stuck in the door to my apartment building, but that’s what I got. Just when I thought Santa had failed me, I got something I never thought to ask for … Vi Keeland & Penelope Ward Kissmas in New York It was just supposed to be a simple kiss with a stranger. I'd done it to prove a point--that I hadn't lost my sense of adventure. But you know what they say about the best laid plans. Maybe I'd get something in my stocking after all this holiday season... Sierra Simone & Kennedy Ryan The Christmas Crown Noelani, queen of Manaroa, has one mission on her diplomatic visit to the States: forge strategic alliances for her homeland. When she meets brooding security specialist Brock Grimsby, their unexpected alliance heats up the holiday. One night. No promises, but come Christmas, will either be able to walk away? Penny Reid & L.H. Cosway Songbird Two lonely souls find companionship in Dublin for one magical night. Broderick Adams doesn't mind his solitude, until she walks in. Ophelia Kelly sings to heal her heart, but has no idea he's listening. Sarina Bowen & Elle Kennedy EPIC Jamie and Wes are having a blast living and working in Toronto. Until a scout for another team swoops in to make one of them an offer that might complicate the life they've built together.
Of Candy Canes and Fuzzy Handcuffs
Sage C. Holloway - 2015
Lysander reflects upon past Christmas seasons and fellates a candy cane. Jarett has allergies, Cai spanks his boyfriend, and Finn is banned from decorating.
Bathhouse Confessions: M/M Gay Erotica Bundle
Nathan Bay - 2018
Leave your hang-ups and inhibitions at the door because this is a place where anything goes. Themes include: college hunks, daddies, bears, twinks, older/younger, group sex, ménage, double penetration, prostate massage, hands-free orgasm, sex toys, medical speculum play, BDSM, restraint, spanking, domination/submission, and so much more! This sizzling collection features three gay romance short stories. Each entry is approximately 40 pages of heat; just the right length for an exciting bedtime story. BOOK 1: BEAR HUNTING Meet Ty, a cocky young fitness guru on the prowl on a balmy summer night. Ty is handsome, talented, and fearless, but he's about to meet his match. There's a mysterious new man in the bathhouse, known simply as Bear. Other guys have been sharing stories about him, saying he has "magic powers" that enable him to take his partners to pleasurable heights they've never experienced before. Ty is determined to hook up with Bear, but he will soon learn the beefy stranger with smoldering eyes is not that easy to win over. Ty will have to prove himself worthy and surrender to Bear's domination if he wants to take a ride to paradise. Is Ty up for the challenge? BOOK 2: SENSORY DEPRIVATION Meet Trevor, a gay college student with a daring secret wish. Ever since he saw an adult film about a man's twenty load weekend, he's been curious about having a similar experience with a group. Now he's finally worked up the courage to pursue it at the bathhouse. To add to the intensity, he's going to do it with his wrists bound behind his back, a blindfold wrapped around his head, and earbuds playing an EDM mix so he can't hear anything. Relying only on his sense of touch, taste, and smell, he'll be at the mercy of anything random strangers want to do to him. How much stimulation can Trevor endure before he reaches his limit? And what happens when you relinquish all control in the bathhouse? BOOK 3: PROSTATE POUNDER Meet Adam, a closeted gay college student who's about to experience a bathhouse for the first time. Adam has so many secret desires he's kept under lock and key. Tonight is the night he plans to let go of fear and set his heart free. Elsewhere in the city, there's a man who goes by the nickname Prostate Pounder. His talent is self-explanatory. His conquests are legendary. It's been said that he can make any man experience the greatest climax of their life completely hands-free. A case of mistaken identity is about to bring Adam and the Prostate Pounder crashing into each other's worlds. Then a tantalizing opportunity will present itself. What will happen when Adam breaks all the rules and does something truly ruthless?
My Dinner with Hayden: A Heated Rivalry Short Story
Rachel Reid - 2019
So it’s an…epilogue prologue? It takes place almost sixteen months after the last chapter of Heated Rivalry, and about three weeks before the epilogue."-Rachel Reid
Mr. Jaguar
K.A. Merikan - 2014
The formerly popular high school quarterback now works at a gas station in the middle of nowhere. The last thing he needs is meeting the guy he used to bully at school and seeing him all sorts of polished up. James is now the proud owner of an amazing silver Jaguar and a self-made millionaire. It seems that the day couldn’t get any worse for Mike, but James ‘Lovelace’ Austin might just turn out to be his golden ticket out of the job he hates.When James Austin meets Mike Miller, his high school crush and tormentor all in one, working at an old, dirty gas station, it feels as if the stars have finally aligned in his favor. He wants to finally get his revenge on the guy, but when Mike turns out to be gay, the whole afternoon takes a turn for the surreal. Instead of just humiliating Mike at his workplace, James decides to hire him for a weekend at a conference he’s attending. A hot guy by his side is the only accessory James needs to rub his success in the faces of his frenemies.Only problem is, a gay Mike Miller might be too much of a blast from the past than James ever expected. If James wants his nerdy heart safe from the hunky jock, he needs to keep Mike at arms length. The task would be a lot easier if Mike wasn’t unashamedly hitting on James. Or is it just James’s money Mike is after?Photo Description: Two men lie on a bed locked in a passionate embrace. Completely naked, oblivious to the world around them, they share something special, a bond they couldn’t possibly have with anyone else.This 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.
Devil Take Me
Rhys Ford - 2018
Giving in is both dangerous and satisfying, though never in the ways one expects. While these enticements offer a vast range of benefits and boons, the cost is a soul and the devil expects his due. Sometimes suave and charming or calculating and cruel, these devils have schemes and desires of their own. They can be creatures to run away from… or toward.Join the most unique and celebrated authors of LGBT urban fantasy and paranormal fiction for a fast-paced and unpredictable ride, from a city on the other side of reality, to a world suspended in dusk, to a twisted version of the 1960s and 70s.Meet devils in top hats and waistcoats, a defrocked motorcycle-riding priest, and a genderfluid antihero—among many more. Full of humor, romance, horror, action, intrigue, and magic, these stories have one common element….They’re one hell of a good time.
Come What May
A.M. Arthur - 2016
He just doesn't know it yet. Or at least, he doesn't want to admit it. Because there is no way Jonas Ashcroft is gay. He's a straight, carefree frat boy player, just like any good son of a conservative state senator. If only his struggle to convince everyone—especially himself—didn't leave him so miserable. No matter how many girls or bottles he drowns himself in, Jonas can neither escape nor accept who he is.Enter Tate. He's smart, confident, and instantly sees right through Jonas's surly exterior. Sure, he's done things in life he's not proud of, but he knows who he is and what he wants. And what he wants is Jonas. As their easy friendship intensifies into something more, Tate introduces Jonas to a life he's never known. One filled with acceptance and sex and a love that terrifies and excites them both.But some inner demons refuse to be shaken off so easily. When Jonas's old life barges in, he faces a shattering choice, one that could destroy everything he and Tate have fought so hard for. Sometimes love just isn't enough—and sometimes it's exactly what you need.
Letters from Cupid
Ari McKay - 2015
He begins to think that he just doesn't have the passion to sustain a long-term relationship -- at least until a letter from a mysterious "Cupid" tells him not to lose hope. Intrigued, Derek replies to his anonymous admirer, and they begin a correspondence where Derek discovers he isn't the only one with doubts about his desirability.Dr. Macon Pinney has admired his colleague from afar for quite a while, but he only intended his initial note to Derek to offer encouragement. Macon doesn't believe that outgoing, sociable Derek could ever be interested in the type of quiet, withdrawn man he knows himself to be. And yet when Derek writes back, admitting his worries about never finding a true partner, Macon can't help but reply, sharing his own feelings from the safety of anonymity.But will Macon find the courage to step out of the shadows and admit to Derek his identity, or will both men spend the most romantic day of the year alone?