Book picks similar to
Dad Jokes and Pine Cones by C.J. Banks


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m-m-romance
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Boy Meets Boy


David Levithan - 2003
    Until he blows it. The school bookie says the odds are 12-to-1 against him getting Noah back, but Paul’s not giving up without playing his love really loud. His best friend Joni might be drifting away, his other best friend Tony might be dealing with ultra-religious parents, and his ex-boyfriend Kyle might not be going away anytime soon, but sometimes everything needs to fall apart before it can really fit together right.This is a happy-meaningful romantic comedy about finding love, losing love, and doing what it takes to get love back in a crazy-wonderful world.

Lancelot and the King


Sarah Luddington - 2011
    If his king needs him and he is called to the sword, he knows where he must be.His country is threatened, the dark wings of war are gathering and his love... that will just have to wait.The needs of one man’s heart cry for peace, but Lancelot understands what he must do.He will stand shoulder to shoulder with the man he loves and if they survive the battlefields, if they can survive the peace, then maybe, just maybe, a knight and his king can put aside their call to arms and listen to the call of their hearts. The Knights of Camelot series is a reimagining of the Arthurian legends. Each book features two (or more) men in love with one another, steamy encounters, and more. These books are not intended to be read as standalones, so be sure to start at the beginning with Lancelot and the King.

Listen to Your Heart


A.D. Ellis - 2021
    He’s never forgotten that big, cuddly bear of a man and fondly recalls their ski resort romance. Now, he’s miserable in what was supposed to be his dream job and has no clue how to fix his situation. When Ethan gets a mysterious letter requesting his presence at the Falls, he can’t help but wonder if it’s the answer he’s been looking for. Theodore “Teddy” St. James lost his heart when Ethan walked away all those years ago and it still hurts to think about what might have been. Teddy is happy as a jack-of-all-trades at his family’s ski resort, but something is missing. Finding out Ethan is back in Christmas Tree Falls is all it takes for Teddy’s heart to start getting ideas about a second chance. Ethan and Teddy are older and wiser this time around, but is it enough? Will the magic of the Falls bring the men back together and give them a Christmas to remember? Or are the obstacles of a decade ago too much to overcome? **Listen to Your Heart is a steamy, second chance, M/M romance with just enough holiday magic to make you believe. It shares the same world with Follow Your Heart by Declan Rhodes.**

The Sky Blues


Robbie Couch - 2021
    Determined not to let anything ruin his senior year, Sky decides to make a splash at his high school’s annual beach bum party by asking his crush, Ali, to prom—and he has thirty days to do it. What better way to start living loud and proud than by pulling off the gayest promposal Rock Ledge, Michigan, has ever seen? Then, Sky’s plans are leaked by an anonymous hacker in a deeply homophobic e-blast that quickly goes viral. He’s fully prepared to drop out and skip town altogether—until his classmates give him a reason to fight back by turning his thirty-day promposal countdown into a school-wide hunt to expose the e-blast perpetrator. But what happens at the end of the thirty days? Will Sky get to keep his hard-won visibility? Or will his small-town blues stop him from being his true self?

When One Door Opens


J.D. Ruskin - 2012
    At first Logan thought those three simple rules would be easy to follow. But that was before he accepted a side job assisting his boss’s housebound agoraphobic nephew, Caleb.Caleb is deceptively normal for a guy who hasn't left his apartment in three years, and his friendly, caring personality tugs on heartstrings Logan didn’t know he had. But hitting on his boss’s nephew is asking to be unemployed. Logan has enough problems with booze on every corner and a supervisor trying to jump into his bed. He doesn’t need to work out how to free Caleb from the anxiety that keeps him in his apartment; he needs to keep his nose clean, attend his AA meetings, and make a fresh start—alone.If only his heart would get with the program.

When You're Smiling


G.S. Rhodes - 2021
    No one has heard from him. He’s disconnected from his friends, from his family, and from the job he dedicated his life to—the job that cost him everything.Then a new, all too familiar murder occurs on his patch and Kidd has no choice but to throw himself back into the fold. A young woman has been found with a smile cut into her throat, eyes carved into her cheeks, the brutal signature of The Grinning Murders—one of the most ruthless serial killers the country has ever seen. A killer who lies behind bars.However things are not as they seem and not everything adds up. Only one thing is clear: Kidd may be the only one who can figure this out before this copycat killer strikes again.

Between Boyfriends


Michael Salvatore - 2010
    Single, slightly neurotic Steven Bartholomew Ferrante loves his sharp-tongued, loyal friends, his chaotic job as producer for the daytime soap "If Tomorrow Never Comes, " and his crazy Sicilian mother, not necessarily in that order. Yet at thirty-three, his life is a little like the peppermint mocha coffee drinks that are his favorite indulgence--fun, frothy, but only superficially satisfying. Four years after his boyfriend kicked him to the curb, Steven is still trying to find a replacement. There's been no shortage of casual couplings and one night (or less) stands, but while other body parts are catered to, his heart wants something more. Someone to share sexy Sunday mornings and shopping trips to buy unnecessary kitchen appliances. Someone he can trade knowing smiles with while dishing dirt with his crew at their favorite Chelsea haunts. Somebody to love. And maybe he's finally found it. Because if Steven's learned one thing from "If Tomorrow Never Comes, " it's that every storyline has its twists--and the beauty of living spoiler-free is that you never know who's waiting in the wings. . . "Outrageous and over the top, Between Boyfriends is the ultimate roller-coaster ride of the highs and lows of dating and mating." --Drew Ferguson, author of "The Screwed-Up Life of Charlie The Second" "Sexy, funny and drama-filled!"--Michael Thomas Ford, author of "The Road Home" Michael Salvatore is an award-winning writer and one of six playwrights whose career will be tracked by WritersInsight.com until 2010. He is a graduate of New York University, has studied at Playwrights Horizons and Gotham Writers Workshop, and has written several screenplays.

All the Stars


Duckie Mack - 2021
    He’s content with random hookups because dating means too much. That’s reserved for the one person he knows he can never have, his best friend, Cameron.After watching his own family fall apart, Cam longs for someone who will stick it out through thick and thin. He’s had a string of girlfriends that never seem to be the right one. The one person he can always count on is Rider.One night out changes everything between them. When Rider ends up telling Cam the secret he’s been hiding, Cam is left reeling. But will an accident end Cam’s chances to figure out what it means for them?All the Stars is a heartwarming story of friendship, love, and finding the one that was right in front of you all along. The Love Bank Romance series features sweet LGBTQ love stories with a little heat.

Tripping Over You: The Blue Book


Owen White - 2013
    Between discovering sexuality, pleasing a strict parent, and fitting in with peers, the task of starting a relationship can seem impossible not to trip over. Add the uncertainty of whether or not you should date someone and you're in for a roller coaster of blossoming neuroses.The Blue Book is the first four chapters of an ongoing love story about how hard, and amusing, it can be to find love in unexpected places.

In the Winter Woods


Isabelle Adler - 2020
    His latest mystery book sales are tanking, his finances are in a dismal state, and his spirits are anything but festive. Perhaps spending the holidays alone at his family lakeside cabin in the small village of Maplewood, Vermont, will provide him much-needed peace and quiet. Then he might finally get to work on a new book and (hopefully) jumpstart his stalling writing career.When he starts receiving anonymous letters threatening him to leave, Declan realizes his solitary writer’s retreat isn’t at all what he bargained for. And if the threats aren’t enough, a killer strikes, casting Declan in the role of the most likely suspect. Now it’s up to him and the handsome local Public Safety Commissioner Curtis Monroe to find out the truth before Declan spends Christmas (and the rest of his life) in jail. But as dead bodies pile up and dark secrets are revealed beneath Maplewood’s picture-perfect facade, Declan’s heart may yet be in more danger than his life…Word Count: 61800.

Timekeeper


Tara Sim - 2016
    I got out. I’m safe now.An alternate Victorian world controlled by clock towers, where a damaged clock can fracture time—and a destroyed one can stop it completely.A prodigy mechanic who can repair not only clockwork but time itself, determined to rescue his father from a Stopped town.A series of mysterious bombings that could jeopardize all of England.A boy who would give anything to relive his past, and one who would give anything to live at all.A romance that will shake the very foundations of time.

Anything Could Happen


Will Walton - 2015
    Which makes it hard for him to be in love with his straight best friend. For his part, Matt is completely oblivious to the way Tretch feels – and Tretch can’t tell whether that makes it better or worse. The problem with living a lie is that the lie can slowly become your life. For Tretch, the problem isn’t just with Matt. His family has no idea who he really is and what he’s really thinking. The girl at the local bookstore has no clue how off-base her crush on him is. And the guy at school who’s a thorn in Tretch’s side doesn’t realize how close to the truth he’s hitting. Tretch has spent a lot of time dancing alone in his room, but now he’s got to step outside his comfort zone and into the wider world. Because like love, a true self can rarely be contained. ANYTHING COULD HAPPEN is a poignant, hard-hitting exploration of love and friendship, a provocative debut that shows that sometimes we have to let things fall apart before we can make them whole again.

As Meat Loves Salt


Maria McCann - 2001
    The nation, seething with religious and political discontent, has erupted into violence and terror. Jacob Cullen and his fellow soldiers dream of rebuilding their lives when the fighting is over. But the shattering events of war will overtake them. A darkly erotic tale of passion and obsession, As Meat Loves Salt is a gripping portrait of England beset by war. It is also a moving portrait of a man on the brink of madness. Hailed as a masterpiece, this is a novel by a most original new voice in fiction.

Mr. Frosty Pants


Leta Blake - 2018
    He hoped time and distance would lessen the unrequited affection he felt, but all it did was make him miss Joel more. Home for the holidays, Casey hopes they might find a way to be friends again. But Joel’s frosty reception reminds Casey of just how hard he had to fight to be Joel’s friend in the first place. It’s going to take a Christmas miracle to get past that cool façade again. Joel isn’t as straight as Casey believes, and his years of pining for Casey have left him hurting and alone, caring for his abusive father and struggling to get by. Unable to trust anyone except his rescue dog—and with no reason to believe Casey is interested in him for more than a holiday fling—Joel’s icy heart might shatter before it can thaw. Can Casey and Joel’s love overcome mistrust, parental rejection, class differences, and four long years apart?Mr. Frosty Pants is a stand-alone, Christmas gay romance by Leta Blake featuring a virgin hero, childhood friends-to-lovers, second chance romance, and romantically steamy scenes.

Just Like Heaven


Suki Fleet - 2015
    He doesn't imagine the strong attraction he feels is mutual. But after overcoming his shyness, David discovers Jess is definitely interested.Jess just isn’t interested in anything but a one night stand. Or maybe two. Falling for David is definitely not part of his plan. But when David gets trapped in a snowstorm the night before Christmas Eve, Jess realises a night or two is never going to be enough.Proceeds of this sale will be divided between two UK charities working to support homeless youth: Shelter and Centerpoint.