The Back Passage


James Lear - 2006
    But wait — Edward “Mitch” Mitchell is no Hercule Poirot, and The Back Passage is no Murder of Roger Ackroyd. Mitch is a handsome, insatiable 22-year-old hunk who never lets a clue stand in the way of a steamy encounter, whether it’s with the local constabulary, the house secretary, or his school chum and fellow athlete Boy Morgan, who becomes his Watson when they’re not busy boffing each other. When Reg Walworth is found dead in a cabinet, Sir James Eagle has his servant Weeks immediately arrested as the killer. But Mitch’s observant eye pegs more plausible possibilities: polysexual chauffeur Hibbert, queenly pervert Leonard Eagle, missing scion Rex, sadistic copper Kennington, even Sir James Eagle himself. Blackmail, police corruption, a dizzying network of spyholes and secret passages, watersports, and a nonstop queer orgy backstairs and everyplace else mark this hilariously hard-core mystery by a major new talent.

Blind Tiger


Jordan L. Hawk - 2021
    Prohibition is in full swing and gang bosses rule the city with might—and magic.When Sam Cunningham flees his small-town life to try his luck in the big city of Chicago, he quickly finds himself in over his head in a world of gangs, glitz, and glamour. Fortunately, he has his cousin Eldon to teach him the trade of hex-making.Everything changes the night Sam visits The Pride speakeasy and meets grumpy cheetah-shifter Alistair Gatti. After losing his first witch to the horrors of the World War, Alistair isn’t interested in any new entanglements, romantic or magical. Especially when said entanglement comes in the form of kind, innocent Sam.When Eldon is brutally murdered, Sam becomes drawn into the dark underworld of the Chicago gangs. Sam must find the missing hex Eldon created for one of the crime bosses—before whoever killed Eldon comes back for him.Together, Alistair and Sam begin the search for the mysterious hex, diving deep into the seedy side of Chicago’s underworld while dodging rival gangs. And as they come to rely on one another, Alistair realizes he’s falling for the one man he can’t afford to love.

Block and Strike


Kelly Jensen - 2017
    Taking care of the bum curled up on his doorstep isn’t part of the plan. When he realizes the man has been assaulted, Jake takes him to the hospital, where he learns that Max is his downstairs neighbor… and that he could really use a friend. Keeping Max in the friend-zone would be easier if he wasn’t so damned cute.Maxwell Wilson has been bullied for years, and the only person who ever cared lives too far away to come to his rescue. Now his upstairs neighbor is offering support. Max remains cautious, suspecting he is little more than a project for the handsome Jake. When he learns Jake has had boyfriends as well as girlfriends, Max has to reevaluate his priorities—and muster the courage to take a chance at love.Just when a happy future is within their grasp, life knocks them back down. A devastating blow leaves Max lower than ever and Jake wrestling with regret. They both have to find the strength to stand on their own before they can stand together.

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.

Nobody's Hero


J. Leigh Bailey - 2015
    Now Bradley has seventeen dollars and a gas card, and he’s sleeping in his car. He’s an emotional mess and if he doesn’t land a job soon, he’s up the proverbial creek.Danny Ortega can take care of himself…most of the time. When what started as a date turns into sexual assault in a dark parking lot, he’s grateful for Brad’s help—and an instant admirer of Brad’s military school-honed muscles. He certainly doesn’t expect to see him again, and definitely not as the newest hire at Ortega Construction.As Brad and Danny’s quiet attraction turns into more, things start to go sour before they’ve even started. Danny grows frustrated that Brad won’t open up emotionally. And Brad is terrified of being responsible for someone else’s feelings. When Brad’s family makes one last attempt to turn him into an “acceptable” son, all bets are off—he and Danny will need to decide if they’re in this together…or apart.

Reckless


Kate Hawthorne - 2020
    His life is about to change, and Luke is older, attractive...and he represents something Cameron has never had before. Stability.Luke didn't mean to get involved with his son's best friend, but Cameron needed a strong hand and Luke was willing to deliver on his promises.This thing between them is supposed to be a secret, but something as big as love can't stay hidden for long. Then a single phone call sends Cameron further away from home than he'd ever planned to go, and Luke's subconscious keeps him grounded in the past unable to move on.Cameron is gone, and to get him back, Luke needs to do something big, something bold, something...reckless.

Alaska


Cate Ashwood - 2018
    Success. Money. Acclaim. I was standing on the doorstep to having it all when my father handed me an impossible ultimatum: travel to middle-of-nowhere Alaska to convince Gage Emerson to return to work or don’t bother coming back.Gage: Power and prosperity are overrated. Especially when they come at a price. When enough became enough, I walked away, forging a new, quieter life for myself in small-town Sawyer’s Ferry. That life was perfect, until one day Holden Prescott, son of my former business partner, showed up in my backyard. And he isn’t taking no for an answer.Nothing had ever tempted me to look back, but now I’m not so sure I can walk away a second time.

Job Hunt


Jackie Keswick - 2015
    A snap decision changes the game.And neither Jack nor Gareth can walk away from what they've just discovered: explosive chemistry, a tentative trust, a chance at a home and a family.A second chance is a boon. Can they make it work, or will Jack's secrets and Gareth's need to protect destroy the family they're building? Job Hunt is the start of an m/m action adventure suspense romance series of survival, love, revenge, and second chances.

The Adorned


John Tristan - 2013
    With nowhere to turn after my father died, I tried my luck in the capital city. Little did I know how quickly I would be robbed, beaten and forced to sell myself into servitude. But I was lucky enough to gain the attention of Roberd Tallisk, an irascible but intriguing tattoo artist who offered to mark me with enchanted ink for the enjoyment of the nobles. I was given a chance to better my station in life, and I could not refuse.But the divine rulers want not only the art but the body that bears it. In their company I can rise above the dregs of society and experience a life most only dream of, at the cost of suffering their every desire as a pawn in games of lavish intrigue. Their attention is flattering, but I find I'd rather have Tallisk's. Caught between factions, I learn that a revolution is brewing, one that could ruin Kered—and Roberd and myself along with it…

The Last Concubine


Catt Ford - 2012
    She is under no illusions: when the general discovers she is actually a he, death is his only future-though he doesn't plan to make it easy. Lan'xiu has dressed as a woman all his life, but he is no damsel in distress. He can swing a sword with the best of them.General Hui Wei has everything a man could want: power, wealth, success on the battlefield, and a harem of concubines. At first, he regards Lan'xiu with suspicion, but he finds himself strangely drawn to her. When he discovers the beautiful young woman is actually a man, his first reaction is to draw his sword. Rather than waste such beauty, he decides to enjoy the spirited Lan'xiu's submission-and ignites a passion and desire deeper than anything he's felt with other wives. But court intrigue, political ambitions, and the general's doubts may be too much for their love to overcome.A Timeless Dreams title: While reaction to same-sex relationships throughout time and across cultures has not always been positive, these stories celebrate M/M love in a manner that may address, minimize, or ignore historical stigma."

Risk Assessment


Parker St. John - 2019
    A midlife crisis of conscience has left him with shattered confidence, abandoned by his former friends and scraping by at a legal aid clinic. When a smoking hot bad boy rescues him from the side of the road, Elliot is sure he doesn’t stand a chance.After a misspent youth boosting cars, Lucas Kelly runs his own garage and is finally getting his life back on track. He isn’t about to risk everything by daring to hope for something more, especially not with a man so far above his pay-grade.The heat between them is enough to have them questioning everything they thought they knew about themselves. But is explosive chemistry enough to keep them together when Elliot’s career threatens to drive them apart?

The Pillar


Kim Fielding - 2014
    But a kind old man saved him, gave him a home, and taught him a profession. Now Faris is the herbalist for the town of Zidar, taking care of the injured and ill. He remains lonely, haunted by his past, and insecure about how his community views him. One night, despite his reluctance, he saves a dying slave from the pillar.A former soldier, Boro has spent the last decade as a brutalized slave. Herbs and ointment can heal his physical wounds, but both men carry scars that run deep. Bound by the constraints of law and social class in 15th century Bosnia, Faris and Boro must overcome powerful enemies to protect the fragile happiness they’ve found.

Spellbound


Allie Therin - 2019
    When an amulet with the power to control the tides is shipped to New York, he must intercept it before it can be used to devastating effects. This time, in order to succeed, he needs a powerful psychometric…and the only one available has sworn off his abilities altogether.Rory Brodigan’s gift comes with great risk. To protect himself, he’s become a recluse, redirecting his magic to find counterfeit antiques. But with the city’s fate hanging in the balance, he can’t force himself to say no.Being with Arthur is dangerous, but Rory’s ever-growing attraction to him begins to make him brave. And as Arthur coaxes him out of seclusion, a magical and emotional bond begins to form. One that proves impossible to break—even when Arthur sacrifices himself to keep Rory safe and Rory must risk everything to save him.Magic in ManhattanBook 1: Spellbound Book 2: StarcrossedBook 3: Wonderstruck Standalone Proper Scoundrels

One Night at Finn's


R.G. Alexander - 2017
    Alexander.** Ever been on a bad date? Hold my beer… My dry spell isn’t voluntary. It just happened. Or didn’t happen. And then... it didn’t happen some more. I’m not saying I’m looking for perfection, but is hot, sweaty sex with a genuinely decent guy too much to ask? When I meet the much older and newly retired Master Sergeant Carter Willis, he definitely fits my criteria. But after he rescues me from the worst of my dating mistakes, I can’t tell if he’s watching my back to protect it, or because he likes what he sees. Giving romance tips to strangers is easy. This feeling I get when Carter is around is making life complicated. It feels like a thing. A forever type thing. And if there’s one thing that scares me more than my accidental abstinence becoming a permanent condition… It’s trusting in forever. A previously published alternate cover version of ASIN B075ZHQ8Z3 can be found here.

Bird Meets Cage


Anyta Sunday - 2014
    I met him during the summer I worked at the cotton candy stand when the circus came through town.He was made of big dreams, sunshine, and raw sense of being that I’d never known existed before him. His eyes were black as mud, his lips were the same color as the cotton candy I sold, and his smile could put a solar eclipse to shame.He was everything I wasn’t. He was the first man I ever loved, and he left without me ever telling him that the way he looked at me broke my heart.I’m older now, and even if that circus never comes through town again, I’ll still call him Stardust.Photo Description: A man stares into the camera, a glint of magic in his dark eyes as he inhales his cigar making it sparkle like golden starlight.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.