Book picks similar to
Country At Heart by Char Dafoe


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Diary of a Drag Queen


Crystal Rasmussen - 2019
    Tom Rasmussen's honesty, vulnerability, and fearlessness jump out of every page and every word. It is the queer bible I've always needed." --Sam Smith, singer and songwriter Tom covers the nuance, doubt, and uncertainty of being a drag queen. Crystal covers the transcendence . . . Charisma and quick intelligence--two qualities that have long been prerequisites for drag . . . Diary puts on technicolor display. --Katy Waldman, The New YorkerIn these pages, find glamour and gaffes on and off the stage, clarifying snippets of queer theory, terrifyingly selfish bosses, sex, quick sex, KFC binges, group sex, the kind of honesty that banishes shame, glimmers of hope, blazes of ambition, tender sex, mad dashes in last night's heels plus a full face of make-up, and a rom-com love story for the ages. This is where the unspeakable becomes the celebrated. This is the diary of a drag queen--one dazzling, hilarious, true performance of a real, flawed, extraordinary life.I hope people like me will read this and feel seen and loved by it. I hope people who aren't like me will enjoy it, laugh with it, learn from it. And I hope people who don't like me will file lawsuits just so I can wear my brand-new leopard-print skirt suit and bust their asses in court.--Crystal Rasmussen, in Refinery29

Playing the Point


Ashley K. Broome - 2017
    It happened. But even he couldn't predict that he'd be going from Seattle to their biggest rival, the Sioux Falls Martens. It didn't keep him from happily packing his bags and moved to a team that, hopefully, wanted him there.With plans to keep his head down and to prove to the Marten's organization and his new teammates that he was a worthwhile trade, Henny thought he was ready.Until he met Matt.Matt Doherty, the captain of the Martens, had Henny throwing any plans he'd made out the window. Their chemistry was instantaneous, on the ice and off it. Getting his mind off the captain and on the game was near impossible. There was something about how Matt treated Henny that made it too easy for him to think there could be something more than friendship between them.As the season progresses, the temptation becomes harder to resist. For the first time, Henny started to think that he could have both hockey, and love.

Fate's Fools


Ophelia Bell - 2018
    What she wasn’t born with was a soul. It’s all she ever wanted, but the one thing she can never have. When Fate was handing out those precious things, it must have overlooked her, and a soul is required to unlock the dormant elemental powers within her. Not to mention the only thing that will ever give her a chance of finding the thing she truly desires: a soul mate. Not only has Fate forgotten her, it seems dead set on destroying the only part of her life that gives her purpose. An ancient bloodline of mixed-breed humans linked to Deva is being hunted by a pack of rogue fate hounds, and her link to the bloodline means she’s the only one who can save them. She doesn’t count on her quest taking her straight into the arms of a dragon, and she definitely isn’t prepared for the futile desire he incites within her, or the frustrating passion his ursa friend draws out of her. She shouldn’t want the pair so much, but when they both fall victim to the hounds, it may take nothing less than her love to save them. Warning: This series is a spinoff of Ophelia Bell's epically sexy "Immortal Dragons" series. It is a fast-burn HOT and steamy RH odyssey, with some M/M content, not meant for the faint of heart (or libido)... #whychoose!

Miles Away from You


A.B. Rutledge - 2018
    Eighteen months since a suicide attempt left Vivian on life support. Now Miles isn't sure who he is without her, but knows it’s time to figure out how to say goodbye.He books a solo trip to Iceland but then has a hard time leaving the refuge of his hotel room. After a little push from Oskar, a local who is equal parts endearing and aloof, Miles decides to honor Vivian's life by photographing her treasured Doc Martens standing empty against the surreal landscapes. With each step he takes, Miles finds his heart healing--even as he must accept that Vivian, still in a coma, will never recover.Told through a series of instant messages to Vivian, this quirky and completely fresh novel explores love, loss, and the drastic distances we sometimes have to travel in order to move on.

Bent Arrow


Posy Roberts - 2015
    Inheriting his grandma’s lake house is the last thing he wants, even if the plumbing in his tiny trailer doesn’t work. When Erik arrives to fix Luther’s pipes, a tattoo hints he might be up for more than working on the drain, though he’s shy about it.They kiss—unheard of—and when Luther wakes to an empty bed, he’s disappointed. He can’t get their night out of his head. The last thing he expects is to want more. Yet every time they’re together, Luther feels grounded and Erik comes out of his shell.When the lake house demands attention, Luther asks for Erik’s help. Working side by side, he imagines a more permanent life, one where he stops running. A life with Erik. Now to ask. But the skeletons in Erik’s closet might make this relationship as temporary as all the rest.An alternative cover edition for this ASIN can be found here.

The House of Impossible Beauties


Joseph Cassara - 2018
    Burned by her traumatic past, Angel is new to the drag world, new to ball culture, and has a yearning inside of her to help create family for those without. When she falls in love with Hector, a beautiful young man who dreams of becoming a professional dancer, the two decide to form the House of Xtravaganza, the first-ever all-Latino house in the Harlem ball circuit. But when Hector dies of AIDS-related complications, Angel must bear the responsibility of tending to their house alone.As the mother of the house, Angel recruits Venus, a whip-fast trans girl who dreams of finding a rich man to take care of her; Juanito, a quiet boy who loves fabrics and design; and Daniel, a butch queen who accidentally saves Venus’s life. The Xtravaganzas must learn to navigate sex work, addiction, and persistent abuse, leaning on each other as bulwarks against a world that resists them. All are ambitious, resilient, and determined to control their own fates, even as they hurtle toward devastating consequences. Told in a voice that brims with wit, rage, tenderness, and fierce yearning, The House of Impossible Beauties is a tragic story of love, family, and the dynamism of the human spirit.

Ranger Hank


Sam E. Kraemer - 2017
    My second toughest was to decide it was time to get out. I wanted more than that life had to offer—namely the return of my humanity and a life beyond the pain that had leached into my soul during my deployments. Without a hint at what to do next, I said goodbye to my Army life and headed home to Missouri.There were things I’d been hiding from my family for too many years—a secret that had nothing to do with my career as an Army Ranger. It was time I began to live my truth, but how to start, I didn’t know. I was aware of one thing for sure—I didn’t want to be lonely anymore.##Reed Bayless~I had a job I loved as a Special Education teacher at Carver Middle School in central Missouri. The kids were amazing, and their parents were supportive, unlike my last school where the parents believed their expensive tuition relieved them of their obligations to actually participate in their children’s education. Sadly, I was still alone, and I was getting a little long in the tooth to play the one-night game.Unexpectedly, my diamond brought her brother to the Christmas Eve service at the local Lutheran church, and I found myself off-balance by the gorgeous man. I felt there was a sadness about him that made me want to hold him in my arms until his hurts healed. Of course, he was an Army Ranger, the toughest of the tough and the straightest of the straight. Between Ranger Hank, and his dog, Cosmo, I wanted things I couldn’t imagine were possible. Or were they?This work of fiction is approximately 142,000 words in length and doesn’t end in a cliffhanger. It is the first book in the series entitled, “The Lonely Heroes Series.”

Married for His Convenience


Eleanor Webster - 2016
    So when the Earl of Langford makes her a proposal that will take her one step closer to finding her half sister, she can't refuse! Sebastian's dreams of romance died with his late wife's affair, so now he needs a convenient wife to act as governess for his silent daughter. Yet Sarah continues to surprise and challenge him, and soon Sebastian can't deny the joy his new bride could bring to his life—and into his bed!

The Syndicate


Shelena Shorts - 2012
    Eighteen-year-old Vasi Petrescu has never had a problem carrying out his duty, but, when ordered to eliminate an eighteen-year-old girl, he is immediately taken out of his comfort zone.The Syndicate has never targeted a female before, yet somehow this one has ended up on more than one hit list. Vasi would like to find out why, but there may not be time.Now, he'll have to decide whether or not to keep her alive even if it means going against his own family.The action, mystery, and conspiracy in The Syndicate will take readers on an immersing journey in which decisions are not only life changing, but irreversible.

Apple Polisher


Heidi Belleau - 2013
    And definitely no falling for his new roommate-tattooed bad-boy Max, who may or may not be a drug dealer.Most of all, it means no working at a porn store. But Christian's aunt has cancer, and her beloved Rear Entrance Video will go bankrupt if Christian doesn't take over managerial duties. Soon enough, Christian finds himself juggling sticky twenty-five cent peep show booths, a blackmailing employee, and a demanding professor who likes to make an example of him.And then there's Max, who doesn't know anything about the store, but hates Christian's preppy sweater vests and the closet Christian forces him into when they're together. Max just wants Christian to be himself-even though Max is keeping secrets of his own. Christian struggles to find the impossible balance between his real life and the ideal one he thinks a teacher needs to live . . . all while trying to keep his aunt's dream alive without losing his own.

Birthday


Meredith Russo - 2019
    We meet them once a year on their shared birthday as they grow and change: as Eric figures out who he is and how he fits into the world, and as Morgan makes the difficult choice to live as her true self. Over the years, they will drift apart, come together, fight, make up, and break up—and ultimately, realize how inextricably they are a part of each other.

All In


Bella Matthews - 2020
    Not her twin brother. Not the threats of a jealous ex. Not even myself. Now I just need to convince her.She’s it for me. She’s the end game.I’m all in.

May the Best Man Win


Z.R. Ellor - 2021
    Instead of bowing to the bigots and an outdated school administration, Jeremy decides to make some noise—and how better than by challenging his all-star ex-boyfriend Lukas for the title of Homecoming King?Lukas Rivers, football star and head of the Homecoming Committee, is just trying to find order in his life after his older brother’s funeral and the loss of his long-term girlfriend—who turned out to be a boy. But when Jeremy threatens to break his heart and steal his crown, Lukas kickstarts a plot to sabotage Jeremy’s campaign.When both boys take their rivalry too far, the dance is on the verge of being canceled. To save Homecoming, they’ll have to face the hurt they’re both hiding—and the lingering butterflies they can’t deny.

The Limelight


Louisa Keller - 2018
    The front man of a pop-punk trio on the verge of super-stardom, he was bold, outgoing, and enigmatic—everything I was not. Before I knew it, I was driving his tour bus across the country, getting an up-close look at the rock’n’roll lifestyle. I found all the things I didn’t even know I was looking for: hole-in-the-wall restaurants all over the country, a newfound passion for watching shows from the mosh pit, and a fiery redhead on top of me at the end of the night. That is, until somebody took pictures of us getting hot and heavy at a popular nightclub. The intense media scrutiny is more than I can handle… but if I walk away from the band, I’ll have to walk away from Levi, too. “I love you so much…but I don’t know if I can do this.” Levi: Porter never asked to have his face splashed across tabloids. A life-long battle with anxiety had left him guarded and cautious, and it was my fault that he left the safety of Seattle. Thoughtful, kind, and breathtakingly beautiful, he had me captivated from the moment he mixed me his signature neon blue cocktail. As my fame skyrocketed, Porter put all his energy into supporting me—while still managing to sneak off for some steamy private moments backstage. But just when I think we’re past the worst of it, my manager drops some news that changes the game entirely. Can Porter and I survive having our relationship thrust into the limelight? The Limelight is a contemporary m/m rock star romance featuring a hidden relationship, an epic road trip, and an HEA!

Frankissstein: A Love Story


Jeanette Winterson - 2019
    ‘Beware, for I am fearless and therefore powerful.'What will happen when homo sapiens is no longer the smartest being on the planet? Jeanette Winterson shows us how much closer we are to that future than we realise. Funny and furious, bold and clear-sighted, Frankissstein is a love story about life itself.