Book picks similar to
Scars by Jason Collins
mm
mm-romance
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romance
The Plunge
Ruthie Luhnow - 2016
One day, he leaves it all behind and heads to the mountains in a desperate attempt to find himself. Matt can’t outrun his problems, though—and things only get more complicated when he meets a young, charismatic stranger he can’t seem to stay away from. Wild, passionate, and deeply troubled, Josh Day is interested in one thing: forgetting his crappy life. Whether it’s at the bottom of a bottle or in bed with a fling, Josh moves too quickly and parties too hard to give himself a chance to think about everything that’s gone wrong. When Josh meets Matt at a party, it seems like the perfect opportunity for his next hook up. The two men are quickly drawn to each other, opening up to one another in ways they never have before. As Matt and Josh grow closer, they are forced to confront their inner demons. To be together, Matt will have to leave his old life behind completely and Josh must face the trauma he’s been hiding from—but they find that love alone may not be enough to overcome their fears. Will both men be brave enough to take the plunge? The Plunge is an emotional m/m contemporary romance with hurt/comfort themes, plenty of heat, and a happy ending.
One Week Stand
Dillon Hunter - 2016
You don’t even need to know his last name. Hell, you don’t need to know his first name…”
Gabe Campbell doesn’t do one night stands, but after his boyfriend walks out on him, his best friend insists that it will be the perfect cure for his heartache. Gabe isn’t so sure, but when he meets a hot businessman who’s only in town for a week, it seems like the perfect opportunity to cut loose for once… as long as he can remember not to fall for a guy he’ll never see again.
“I will never, ever trust someone like that again."
Getting his heart broken once was more than enough for Nick Jeffries, and he’s spent the eight years since avoiding love in favor of easy, no-strings fun with men who don’t put his heart at risk. When his job offers him the chance to move from L.A. to Seattle, though, he finds more than he bargained for when a one night stand has him longing for things he’d long since stopped believing in.
“Trust me enough to give me a chance..."
Is one week long enough for two men to let go of their past and take a chance on forever… ?
One Week Stand is a steamy, standalone gay romance of approximately 25,000 words, with a HEA and no cliffhangers.
Is It Over Yet?
L.A. Witt - 2019
Mistakes have been made, lines have been crossed, and there’s no going back. Both men are exhausted and ready to move on. But their daughter is getting married soon. In the name of not putting a damper on her wedding, Derek and Rhys agree to keep the divorce on the down-low and show up as the happy couple everyone still believes they are. And between a roller coaster of a road trip and the love and joy surrounding the wedding… Derek and Rhys just might remember why they fell for each other in the first place. Are they only kidding themselves? Or can a rekindled spark really light the way to forgiveness? This novel is approximately 59,500 words long.
Truth or Consequences
B.A. Tortuga - 2020
Sinjun’s new life as owner of the Rainbow Spa and Lodge in small town New Mexico is the perfect bandage for all his hurts. Finding this surreal place of peace is more than Sinjun dared to hope for, but what he doesn’t expect from Truth or Consequences is meeting a beautiful Texas cowboy on the side of the road… and wanting to get to know him. From the first chance encounter, Rhys Davis knows he wants to see the free-spirited man with the weird name again. When Rhys offers to help renovate the lodge and spa to take the place from the 1970s to the modern age, he’s well aware he is falling for Sinjun. But the spa’s healing waters are needed more than ever when Rhys’s family interferes and Sinjun’s dangerous past comes back to haunt him. Now Sinjun and Rhys must trust each other and the place that brought them together if they’re going to survive to build a future.
Strung Tight
Ann Lister - 2020
We’d more than earned our spot in the lineup. We had the talent and Dagger groomed our stage swagger. All that was left was to wow the socks off of the audience.It should be easy, except I had major anxiety issues and it’s frowned upon when lead singers collapse on stage from panic attacks. Another detail adding to my anxiety level, I recently fell in love with a man. Imagine that, a straight guy falling for a dude. It’s the stuff stories are made of – and yet it’s my life.Rocktoberfest was supposed to be fun but our trip turned sour when my guy went AWOL. Now my concentration is shot and my is heart heavy thinking his absence might have more to do with him not wanting to be with me than missing the bus. One way or another, I had to give the performance of my career – regardless of what was going on inside my head or my heart.Strung Tight is the 1st book in the multi-author Road To Rocktoberfest series. Each book can be read as a standalone, but why not stay and enjoy the whole show? If you like scorching tales of hot rock stars and the men who love them, then you’ll adore the untamed musicians of Rocktoberfest!
Triumph
Avery Ford - 2018
In the ten years since he’s graduated, he’s opened a bookstore and made it his mission to bring diversity and inclusion to Silver Lake while working hard to maintain the small town charm that he loves so much. The only thing missing is someone to share his dreams - his once best friend, who left Calvin behind with a broken heart. Jack Roberts has the life he’s always wanted. He left Silver Lake ten years ago for college in Boston and hasn’t looked back since. If it wasn’t for the occasional holiday trip to visit his parents, he’d happily forget all about that town and all the memories it holds, especially Calvin Berry, who despite trying, Jack’s never forgotten. When Calvin and the other business owners in Silver Lake are on the verge of getting pushed out in favor of nameless corporations, Calvin knows he has to do something. He wants to turn Silver Lake around, and he needs as much help as he can get—even if that means asking for it from the man he used to call his best friend. Can Calvin and Jack get over the hurt from their past and take a second chance on each other? Will they be able to move forward and discover that despite the distance between them, their feelings for each other only grew stronger?
Falling for the Pet Doctor
Crystal Lacy - 2022
Out of his depth and dealing poorly with grief, Felix turns to compassionate veterinarian Tyler for comfort.Losing the love of his life in an accident has made Tyler Hayworth afraid to risk his heart again. When Felix walks into his life, Tyler tries his best to steer clear of temptation--but lowers his guard when he realizes Felix is only looking for a temporary fix for his loneliness.Felix is going back to the mainland soon. They can both take what they need from each other without compromising their hearts, right?An emotional romance featuring a singing African grey parrot, lots of cats and dogs, and a sweet, well-deserved happily-ever-after. This 44,000 word novella was originally published under Radish Fiction under the name Finding Home. It has been revised and edited for re-publication here.
Kiss Me Like You Mean It
Jacki James - 2019
Book 1.
"When he kisses me, I feel like I’m home. Like I’ve found something I’ve been looking for my entire life.”
When a huge investor says his company is interested in funding Clay's latest project he's thrilled. At least he is until he realizes the investor not only believes Clay is gay but wants him to bring his boyfriend along on a Valentine’s Day ski weekend to pitch the project to the rest of the board. When Trevor’s best friend Cassie tells him she can’t find anyone to go on a ski weekend with Valentine’s Inc.‘s newest client he agrees to go. After all, he owes Cassie big time and her job as the matchmaking services branch manager means a lot to her. Plus, it won’t hurt him to pretend to be a straight guys boyfriend for a weekend if it gets him a free ski trip, right? Trevor is the perfect boyfriend, and it isn’t long before the lines between pretend and real blur causing Clay to wonder if maybe he isn’t quite as straight as he always assumed he was. Neither man is sure what is real and what’s for show, but one thing Trevor knows is that when Clay kisses him it doesn’t feel pretend at all; when he kisses him it feels like he means it.
If Wishes Were Horses
Silvia Violet - 2014
Now he’s got another chance to capture his target, but the gorgeous rancher he’s investigating makes him long for things he can’t have.Ken gave up his society life to run a ranch, and he’ll do anything to protect what’s his. When he starts to suspect his new employee is hiding something, he knows he should send the man away. But Andy is as gorgeous as he is infuriating, and he‘s pulling Ken to him like a magnet. Both men long for control, yet neither knows how to surrender.A clash of wills is inevitable, but neither man expects the tenderness that grows every time they touch. With secrets between them and outside forces threatening the ranch, each man will need to decide how far he’s willing to go to protect the other.
Better Be Sure
Andy Gallo - 2019
Easy. Won’t be him kicked of the house.So what if his luck with guys on campus has been shitty? Ed Knowles is Jack’s winning ticket.Tall, handsome, hardworking—and he doesn’t go to Harrison.With every stolen look, every secret kiss, every clandestine touch Ed becomes more than just an answer to a bet.These cloak-and-dagger meetings that set Jack on fire? They mask one tiny, enormous obstacle: Ed’s not out. Can’t attend the dance.What does Jack do now?Hold on to his legacy… or his heart?"Better Be Sure" is a sweet, slow burn M/M romance with a heart-pounding HEA. This New Adult, college, opposite sides of the tracks novel can be read as a standalone and in any order.
Coffee and Ink
Olivia Joy - 2021
He only ducked in to get out of the rain the first time, but now along with his new reading habit he has someone to watch. Or watch over. Benjamin Harrison is starting over after tragedy changes his life in Texas and becomes too much to bear. In Boston, he pours his heart and soul into his bookstore and the sparkly, comfortable apartment above it. When his deal to rent part of his store as a coffee shop falls through, though, Benjamin isn’t sure how much longer his dream will last. Cary impulsively offers to fund and run the coffee shop because he knows he’s found exactly what he desires, mainly in Benjamin. The boy is all jangled nerves and confusion, and Cary loves to be the kind of Daddy who gives his boy guidance as well as showering him with love. Will Cary be just the kind of man Benjamin needs and never knew how to ask for?
Someday, Someday
Emma Scott - 2019
From addiction and living on the streets, to recovery and putting himself through nursing school, he’s spent the last ten years rebuilding his shattered sense of self. Now he’s taken a job as a private caretaker to Edward Marsh III, the president and CEO of one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world. Max soon learns Marsh’s multi-billion-dollar empire is a gold and diamond-encrusted web of secrets and lies.The longer Max works and lives with the Marsh family, the tighter the secrets tangle around him. And his heart—that he’s worked so hard to protect—falls straight into the hands of the distant, cold, and beautiful son of a dynasty…Silas Marsh is set to inherit the family fortune, but his father is determined his heir be the “perfect” son. Before Silas can take over the company and end its shady business practices, he must prove himself worthy…and deny his true nature.Silas must choose: stand up to his father by being true to himself and his undeniable feelings for Max. Or pretend to be someone he is not in order to inherit everything. Even if it means sacrificing his first chance at love.Content warning: contains scenes of conversion therapy, homophobia, and parental verbal abuse of a neurodivergent character. Readers are advised to proceed with caution.
Fall Guy
Felice Stevens - 2022
Hurt by people who should love him no matter what.Gabriel’s discovered my secrets, yet the more I push him away, the closer he stands by my side.And when his past crumbles, leaving him searching for answers, I’m right there for him, holding his hand.Holding him up.Because love is catching someone when they fall.And never letting go.From Lambda Literary Award-winning author Felice Stevens, comes an irresistible bodyguard romance about two men busy fighting the demons of their past—and their attraction to each other.
Hold the Door
Vinni George - 2021
When Sam finds out an older, hotter, and amazingly talented Max Martino is part of the acquisition, he knows the only way to keep his sanity is to avoid Max—and their history—at any cost.Max never planned to settle down, but recently he’s been pining for roots. A new job, a new city, and a second chance with Sam makes the thought of staying in one place exciting for the first time ever.But the harder Max pushes, the farther Sam runs, sometimes literally, and Max begins to wonder if Sam can ever let go of the biggest mistake Max ever made—leaving.But maybe a second chance at forever is as simple as holding the door open for love.Hold the Door is an 80,000-word contemporary romance that features friends to lovers and a second chance at love, a sassy work husband, and surfing lessons that often lead to more. Hold the Door is the first book in the Open Doors series and can be read as a standalone.
Very Late Blooming
Hayden Hunt - 2016
I'm not at a particularly good point in my life right now. I've recently lost the only person I truly loved and I'm not sure how to get back on my feet. The things I once cared about so deeply simply don't seem to matter anymore. I've lost my passion for life and I have no idea how to get it back. Honestly, at this point I don't even have the energy to care about getting it back. Until my loud and overly perky florist neighbor, Oliver, decides to weasel his way into my life. I've got a love for life but have never been in love... until I met him Things are going good for me, they usually are. I've got good friends, a great relationship with my parents, I feel very passionate about my job as a florist. Things aren't going too bad in my romantic life either, though I do have a tendency to jump from guy to guy pretty quickly. But what can I say? I haven't felt that urge to settle down yet. That is, until I meet my new neighbor, Gabe. Getting involved with a neighbor seems like a terrible idea... But I can't help myself, my connection to him feels magnetic. This standalone gay-for-you novella of 30,000 words and comes complete with a HEA ending! Includes bonus material from two of my other books!