Book picks similar to
Tarsus by J.C. Owens
fantasy
m-m
mm
romance
The General's Hostage
A.C. Fox - 2016
Two bitter enemies. One chance at love. Tav Cyrdath, a powerful wind adept and a brilliant general, leads the last free humans in a war against the Boa Visk, monsters who have enslaved most of humanity. But when the man who rules Illunvia refuses to surrender, Tav is forced to take the city by sword and magic. Victorious, he intends to execute the human traitor who has done so much harm by defying him. But when the defeated ruler, Duric Darmain, begs him to spare the citizens of Illunvia, Tav finds himself overcome by sudden mercy. He takes the man as a hostage instead, intending to use him in a trap against the monsters who have set this war in motion. Duric is defeated, broken...and yet Tav can't get his enemy out of his mind. But how could he ever feel this way about a man who has betrayed all Tav stands for? Duric knows he was only a puppet ruler for the Boa Visk, yet he has done all he can to shield his people from the cruel overlords. Now he is a prisoner, fallen from power, hated and scorned as a traitor. And yet the enemy general begins to treat him with a curious respect and eventually even kindness. He dares not trust again, but this one-time enemy makes him want to yield his heart as hostage, even as he struggles to conquer the fears he can't escape... Magic can heal wounds, but hearts must be mended with love. Both men have deep scars. Both have seen dark times. But the chance at love exists...if only they can embrace it before the Boa Visk return.
Origin
A.J. Sherwood - 2020
With a new mechanical engineering degree, a new job looming, and a whole life planned out that isn’t his, Germany seems like the best place to find himself. So how does he end up discovering his lost magic heritage, running from bad guys with a secret agenda, and being adopted by the not-so-extinct Fire Dragon clan? Cameron blames tall, dark, and sexy Alric, king of the Fire dragons. His fated mate. Because of course he is, and mates are meant to take the blame, right? It may take a hot second, but as Cameron learns more about the scarred Alric and the life he’s landed in, Cameron realizes that perhaps this is where he’s meant to be, magic and mates and kidnapping and all.Turns out coming to Germany wasn’t an escape but his awakening.Tags: Not-so-extinct, Shifter dragons, mages, fated mates, secret clans, epic libraries, hurt/comfort, age gap, not that Alric cares, magical heritage, mechanical engineers being BAMF, grumpy dragon kings being protective of their cute mates, really the cuteness is downright criminal, we might need a firehose for these two, or not, sass, so much sass, Ravi and Cameron are no longer allowed to be alone together, for reasons, dragons hoarding, when you live long enough statistics will get you, bats named Cheryl, beheadings, no damsels in distress here, just very unhappy mages, with trigger fingers, anyone have life hacks on how to get rid of kidnappers, Cameron is open to suggestions
Clockwork Pirate
Lyn Gala - 2015
That changes when the pirate Beche takes Alex after capturing his ship. At first Alex believes his fate is death and the only question a matter of how he might die. However, the longer he is on the ship, the more he realizes that Beche hates the world because it is unfair in ways Alex never understood. As Alex begins to respect this strong, independent man, Alex’s dormant desires begin to reassert themselves.Beche hates the titled classes and their government enforcers. They might have outlawed slavery on paper, but they never came to the islands to free him or his family. Since his skin is black, society has little respect for him. Beche expects no more of this latest captive, but soon Beche begins to realize that Alex is a naïve and beautiful man who values family and struggles with his own place in society. That poses an even larger problem because Beche does not want to send Alex back to a world that will mistreat him, but he has no place for a lord on a ship full of pirates.
Alpha Bound
Claire Cullen - 2017
So when he goes to confront a trespasser on his land, he's surprised to discover an Omega wolf covered in Wiccan symbols and barely clinging to life. He's even more shocked when he realizes this pitiful creature is his mate. Fionn, rejected by his first mate for failing to conceive a child, is barely tolerated by his family. After a local Coven curses him, he escapes death at the hands of his Pack and flees across the river. He wakes in the company of a gruff bear shifter who declares Fionn to be his mate despite the curse that's slowly killing him. As Thane cares for him, Fionn gradually begins to trust his intentions. When Thane comes up with a plan to save Fionn, with the help of another Coven, it leads them on a path neither had expected but that they seem fated to follow. But both Fionn and Thane are hiding secrets from one another, secrets that threaten the fragile relationship they've begun to build. Alpha Bound is 43,000-word paranormal romance with a happy ending and no major cliffhangers. It contains some language and scenes not suitable for readers under the age of eighteen. It contains mpreg.
That Alien Feeling
Alessandra Hazard - 2017
Too bad he isn't human. Banished by his parents to the third planet in the Sol system, Prince Harht’ngh’chaali of the Second Grand Clan is completely fascinated by its inhabitants. Assuming the human name “Harry,” he tries to pass for a human to survive, but being human is so much harder than Harry expected. Humans are so confusing.Adam Crawford isn’t looking for love. Financially secure and good-looking, he’s in a good place in his life. He doesn’t mean to fall in love with the quirky guy working at the coffee shop near his office. Harry is ridiculous—and ridiculously endearing. He wears ugly shirts and flowers in his hair, and he has a kind word for everyone. Adam falls hard and fast.Little does he know that Harry isn’t what he seems and anything between them is impossible.Star-crossed love between a human man and an alien prince from a world half a galaxy away.Publisher's note: explicit sexual content
Laurent and the Beast
K.A. Merikan - 2017
Not time. Not even the devil himself.1805. Laurent: Indentured servant. Desperate to escape a life that is falling apart. 2017. Beast: Kings of Hell Motorcycle Club vice president. His fists do the talking.Beast has been disfigured in a fire, but he’s covered his skin with tattoos to make sure no one mistakes his scars for weakness. The accident not only hurt his body, but damaged his soul and self-esteem, so he’s wrapped himself in a tight cocoon of violence and mayhem where no one can reach him.Until one night, when he finds a young man covered in blood in their clubhouse. Sweet, innocent, and as beautiful as an angel fallen from heaven, Laurent pulls on all of Beast’s heartstrings. Laurent is so lost in the world around him, and is such a tangled mystery, that Beast can’t help but let the man claw his way into the stone that is Beast’s heart.In 1805, Laurent has no family, no means, and his eyesight is failing. To escape a life of poverty, he uses his beauty, but that only backfires and leads him to a catastrophe that changes his life forever. He takes one step into the abyss and is transported to the future, ready to fight for a life worth living. What he doesn’t expect in his way is a brutal, gruff wall of tattooed muscle with a tender side that only Laurent is allowed to touch. And yet, if Laurent ever wants to earn his freedom, he might have to tear out the heart of the very man who took care of him when it mattered most.
Honeythorn
Marina Vivancos - 2019
He must travel North through the continent towards the snow, the cold, and his new betrothed. They say that Lord Alpha Raphael Ledford, the man he is to marry, is as artic as the weather of his land. But Milan has always been an optimist. Perhaps he might find friendship in the arranged marriage. Even love. It doesn’t take long for Milan to realize that all the rumours about Lord Raphael are true. Reclusive, distant, frigid. Milan finds himself unwelcome in what he must now call his new home. He’s used to fighting for what he wants—but can he survive a husband as cruel as Lord Raphael? Being bonded to one who rejects you is a painful thing. Will Milan be able to win his husband’s regard? What terrible secret is Lord Raphael keeping, and will Milan be able to discover it before it’s too late? Or will Milan perish along with his heart? [This story takes place in an alternate universe regency-ish era. It is a non-shifter Alpha/Omega novella.]
Omega from the Ocean
Amy Bellows - 2019
With dragons. Merman Jack is a terrible virgin sacrifice. Mostly because he isn’t virginal. At all. Hopefully the Sea King won’t notice. For Jack, the human world has too many wonderful temptations, and too many alphas to resist. He only has two months left before he has to give himself to the Sea King, and he doesn’t want to spend them in the cold, dark catacombs where the Mermen of Rixton live. It may be forbidden for Jack to go to shore, but when did that ever stop him? Peter is a terrible dragon shifter. He can’t figure out what he’s supposed to collect for his hoard. Without his hoard, he can’t do any of the important dragon-shifter things, like take his dragon form or find his fated mate. After years of losing his lovers to their fated mates, Peter’s feeling his age, and he’s tired of being alone. When Peter sees a beautiful merman on the beach, he thinks he’s finally found his fated mate. Jack falls hard for Peter too, but he knows they can’t be together forever. If Jack doesn’t show up on the day of his sacrifice, the Sea King will kill his father and take his brother instead. Will the love between a terrible virgin sacrifice and a terrible dragon shifter be enough to change their fate? Omega from the Ocean is a 77,000-word gritty, age-gap romance with knotting, light D/s, and Mpreg of the dragon-egg variety. While the ending may be an HEA for Jack and Peter, it’s an HFN for the rest of the Mermen of Rixton. Omega from the Ocean is intended for an 18+ audience.
The Lodestar of Ys
Amy Rae Durreson - 2013
It’s a good thing that Celyn is engaged to Sjurd’s brother, not him, because Sjurd loathes the brat, and it’s quite mutual. When an elopement and the threat of invasion force the two princes together, however, they have no choice but to marry and fake true love to keep their countries safe. Can warrior Sjurd and diplomat Celyn find any common ground?
Deven and the Dragon
Eliot Grayson - 2020
All he has to do is convince the dragon to give up one of his magical scales. Lies, deception, seduction—nothing is off-limits. It should be easy. But it isn’t. Especially not when said dragon is so alluring in human form. It’s not long before Deven starts to want something way more valuable than a scale from his beautiful beast. But how do you convince a dragon to give you his heart when your entire relationship was built on deceit?Fiora is cursed. Love can kill him. Literally kill him. So keeping his mind (and hands) off the devilishly handsome Deven shouldn’t be a challenge. But it is. Deven’s entirely too warm, too attractive, too…everything to resist. And spending time with the lovable human makes Fiora question what’s more frightening—the curse, or the possibility of a life without Deven by his side.If they want a shot at happily ever after, Deven and Fiora will need to break the potentially deadly curse and overcome all the secrets that stand between them. Easy, right?They wish...This book is an explicit M/M romance with an absurd cloak worn during the summer, a dragon who hoards—well, it isn’t gold, and some extremely angry parents who can breathe fire.
The Price
Dominique Frost - 2013
He isn't one of the courtesans, largely because he's too clumsy to manage seducing anyone, but he does his best as a servant, keeping the wine-glasses filled and the guests happy.Everything changes when the warlord Darren Kaine visits the establishment. Darren is the new ruler of Havisham and is a brusque, commanding man. Fresh from a war that's lasted over six months, Darren is in no mood for frippery, and chooses Cale to accompany him for the night, rather than any of the courtesans on display.Indeed, Darren so prefers Cale's straightforwardness and simplicity that he decides to make Cale his concubine, and to have Cale visit him at the palace, every night. Stunned by this new turn of events, Cale is further confused by his body's reactions to Darren. Darren is darkly handsome, sexually demanding and absolutely committed to giving his partner pleasure - a fact that has Cale looking forward to his time with Darren, perhaps more than he ought to.Darren, too, is in danger of forgetting that Cale is just a tool he uses to slake his lust. For a new ruler, every action comes with a price. Will this one be too steep to pay?
Sursein Judgment
Jet Mykles - 2009
It was supposed to be the ultimate sexual high, except that you have to sleep with the one you desire most. If you don't, your body won't be satisfied and you'll die. Rynn lived, Lynnette didn't, and now her parents want someone to pay. Either luck or Surseine, the god of justice Himself, takes pity on Rynn by putting his trial in front of one of His judges. Sursei are graced by the god they represent with the power to see truth and Sursei Shasertai finds Rynn innocent of murder.But the drug is still out there and Shasertai and the people who travel with him are determined to root out the drug lord responsible for its existence. Shas invites Rynn to join them. He goes willingly, fascinated by the judge who gave him a second chance at life.Rynn might be innocent and straight, but Shas isn't. He's gay, happily so, and very much drawn to the farm boy whose simple innocence is a balm to one who can hear through the lies. What he hears is that Rynn's not gay, so he vows not to get involved. Until another drug, another time, gets in the way...and then he and Rynn will have to deal with the each other's truths and their growing attraction.Publisher's Note: This book contains explicit sexual content, graphic language, and situations that some readers may find objectionable: Anal play/intercourse, male/male sexual practices.
Swallow
Piper Scott - 2019
Grimbold Drake, influential patriarch of the Drake family, revels in his solitary life of order—a life which is thrown into chaos when his son pays him an unexpected visit, bringing with him a broken but gorgeous young man more than a millennium Grimbold’s junior. A man Grimbold instantly finds himself yearning to fix, to protect, and to claim. Meek, subservient, and eager to please, Wally Brand doesn’t doubt the tales he’s been told of the cruel and deceitful Amethyst clan, so when he’s forcibly taken from his home and entrusted to Grimbold Drake—the most powerful Amethyst dragon of all—he knows he won’t be long for this world. Only there’s a gleam in Grimbold’s eyes when he looks Wally’s way and a tenderness to his touch that Wally can’t understand. All he knows is one thing: whether Grimbold means him harm or not, if he can be good to his dragon captor, maybe, just maybe, he’ll get out of this mess alive. Swallow is a 30,000 word steamy omegaverse mpreg-ish romance set following the events of the Forbidden Desires series. It contains a broken young man who badly needs love, a curmudgeonly dragon with a heart of gold, new nicknames, familiar faces, and the sweetest dog known to dragonkind. For maximum enjoyment, Swallow is best read as a companion piece to the Forbidden Desires series.
The Alpha and His King
Kiki Clark - 2020
As alpha, Rick’s dedication to his pack has never wavered—until Kai. The pull he feels toward the younger man is more than a simple distraction, but Rick won’t let himself lose focus. Not while a hidden enemy is drawing near. Moving in with the grumpy alpha who saved him is a big change for Kai, and it isn’t long before he begins to ache for something he can’t have. As a half-human shifter responsible for his three younger siblings, he knows he can never be Rick’s mate. Pushing aside their doubts and insecurities, they grow closer. But when the pack’s enemies strike, bringing their fears to fruition, Rick and Kai have to decide if they’re willing to risk it all to be together. The Alpha and His King is the first book in the Kincaid Pack series and features a quick-tempered and possessive alpha; a sweet and feisty alpha-mate; shifters, seers, and witches galore; massive amounts of hurt/comfort; and a happily ever after.