Book picks similar to
The Thomas Flair by E.J. Russell
sports
mm
m-m
romance
Love Always, Wild
A.M. Johnson - 2020
To us. But no matter how hard I wish for what I want, there are some things in life that aren't meant to be. I don't expect you to understand. You've already moved on, living your life. But mine ended that night, nine years ago, and I still can't let you go. Not sure I ever will. I regret so many things, but hurting you, I'll never forgive myself. I'm sorry for… everything.Jax~****Jax,If only you could've seen it like I did, the way you were when you thought the world wasn't watching. How you'd change when I looked at you, when it was just us.But most of all… I wish you could've seen how much it hurt me when you disappeared. Regrets are for cowards. It has always been my belief you should chase after the things you want with actions, not words. There is no such thing as never meant to be.So this apology… not accepted…Love always, Wild
Breakaway
Charlie Novak - 2019
He’s talented, devoted, and on the road to glory. He’s following the path that’s been laid out for him since he was four, and he has no plans to deviate from it. Christian’s life revolves around a single goal—to be the best… until he runs into his first love and former best friend, David. David Cade is just trying to survive the final year of his PhD intact, while battling long hours, unmotivated students, and the idea that academia might not be for him. But a chance encounter with his first love’s twin sister changes everything, and suddenly David is faced with the realisation that he can’t leave the past behind.When David and Christian are drawn back together, sparks fly. Soon, Christian is forced to confront his deepest insecurities. Can they break away from their fears for a second chance at true love?Breakaway is a 79,000 word contemporary gay romance featuring light angst, glittery bath bombs, a ginger-haired roommate/pet, shared Star Wars love, and a meddling twin sister.It is book one in the Off the Pitch series and can be read as a stand alone.
The James Dean Vintage
Jess Whitecroft - 2018
Driven by social embarrassment and the anxiety that the messy truth might kill off his ninety-nine year old grandmother, Oliver finds himself ‘married’ to one James Dean Jackson. Hustler, card-counter, lapdancer, drifter – Dean is seemingly a chronic liar, a human tumbleweed incapable of putting down roots. By contrast, Oliver is as deeply rooted as the grape vines that are his livelihood. Oliver’s idea of heaven is a 1945 Chateau d’Yquem, while Dean thinks veraison is a cellphone provider and once almost did the Pinot Noir monologue from Sideways over a Laurent-Perrier Rosé. As the season unfolds and the grapes ripen, the mismatched pair begin to discover that playing the perfect husband isn’t so hard after all, especially when the other person might just have the thing you were missing all along.
One Step Back
Edie Danford - 2018
He was a hothead, and I was reserved. His life was football, mine was academics. He wanted to be out and proud, and I desperately needed to keep my orientation secret.But when we fell in love, my heart took the wheel, and I took every risk to be with Joe. Then one horrible night our secrets shattered. Joe disappeared--wrecking our families and breaking my heart.Eleven years later, I landed a challenging job at a premier PR firm. And the hotshot publicist who's been assigned to my first big account? Yep. It's Joe. Fate truly hates me because now Joe and I have three days to hole up in a Chicago hotel room and nail down a deal that could make or break our careers. He keeps distracting me, but I'm too jaded to fall for sexy smiles, bedroom eyes, and his impossible-to-ignore body. Except...I like being close to him again. A little too much. Working together 24/7 is showing me sides of Joe I've never seen before. And when we touch, being together seems like the only step worth taking.One Step Back is a stand-alone m/m romance of 95,000 words.
All Screwed Up
Beth Bolden - 2020
He’s even realized the lifelong dream of owning his own home. Except when he arrives, nothing is what he expected, and Griffin’s celebration turns from triumphant to terrible.Not only is his “cute bungalow” a derelict heap, it needs major remodeling work to be livable. And it turns out there’s only one person in town who’s even willing to commit to the project.The first time David Webber talks to Griffin about his disaster zone of a house, he’d like nothing better than to hang up the phone. But he’s stuck. All his grumpy behavior has gotten him is a whole stack of bad reviews online and no clients. From the moment they collide over a busted toilet, sparks and snark fly. The only thing that might be hotter than their mutual animosity is their intense chemistry.Neither of them wants to admit it at first but as the project evolves and their lives intertwine, maybe what they’re working on isn’t just a house. It might even be proof that a caring partnership can build a strong, long-lasting foundation--and an even fiercer love.
Hard to Know
Jason Collins - 2020
That’s too much time to spend with the last guy I want to see, but I don’t have any other options. We might not get along, but we’re adults now, and I won’t let my sister down.Ben and I have history, and it’s not the kind of history I can forgive. But this new Ben isn’t the jerk I remember, and that makes it even harder to ignore how hot he’s gotten. It’s almost enough to make me forget what he did—almost.He was a player back then, and for all I know, he’s probably gotten worse with age. He’s still my nemesis, and it’ll take more than those smoldering eyes to get me to trust him.Old rivalries don’t burn out—they simmer.BEN:I’ve changed, but Caden’s grudge hasn’t.When my cousin asks me to give a stranger a ride across the country, I figure a friend of his is a friend of mine. But when I recognize the handsome stranger as Caden, I realize I’m about to be trapped on a road trip with a guy who’s hated me since high school.What happened between us is more complicated than he thinks, but he doesn’t know that. The damage was done a long time ago. Still, that doesn’t stop me from imagining what his body would feel like under mine. With him this close to me, it’s impossible not to wonder.I don’t need a relationship, especially with the problems I’m facing at the youth center I run. But when it comes to trouble, Caden might be the only guy I can turn to—if this road trip doesn’t kill us.My heart’s in the hands of my worst enemy.Note to readers: This is a standalone MM romance.
Kiss and Cry
Keira Andrews - 2022
Everyone loves him—judges, fans, coaches.I hate him.Now he’s invaded my training center, and I have to see him every day as we prepare for the Olympics. I’m going to win gold if it’s the last thing I do. I’m going to beat him.But the strangest thing is happening. I’m peeking under his happy-go-lucky exterior and discovering there’s more to Theo than I imagined.This is a mistake. I can’t trust him.I can’t be falling in love.TheoMy mom’s convinced training with Henry Sakaguchi will distract me heading into the Olympics. No way—Henry’s epically boring and cold. He might as well be carved from ice.But when I need help, he’s there. He tries to keep me at arm’s length, but it’s no use. He’s too kind. Too generous. He’s caring and gorgeous and hot, and I’ve never wanted anyone like this.I might want Henry more than a gold medal.Am I falling in love?Kiss and Cry by Keira Andrews is a steamy gay sports romance featuring grumpy/sunshine opposites attracting, secretly soft-hearted boys, hurt/comfort, and of course a happy ending.
Perfect Day
Sally Malcolm - 2018
It grows. It never leaves.
When Joshua Newton, prodigal son of one of New Milton’s elite, fell in love with ambitious young actor Finn Callaghan, his world finally made sense. With every stolen moment, soft touch and breathless kiss, they fell deeper in love.Finn was his future…until he wasn’t.
Love stays. Even when you don’t want it to, even when you try to deny it, it stays.
Eight years later, Finn has returned to the seaside town where it all began. He’s on the brink of stardom, a far cry from the poor mechanic who spent one gorgeous summer falling in love on the beach.The last thing he wants is a second chance with the man who broke his heart. Finn has spent a long time forgetting Joshua Newton—he certainly doesn’t plan to forgive him.
Love grows. It never leaves.
One-click with confidence. This title is part of the
Carina Press Romance Promise
: all the romance you’re looking for with an HEA/HFN. It’s a promise!This book is approximately 63,000 wordsEdited by Kerri Buckley
The Play of His Life
Amy Aislin - 2017
But there Riley is, in all his tall, chiseled, blondness. The same guy who walked out on him six years ago, breaking his heart in the process. Who knew he's still in love with the jerk? Two years ago, Riley was injured out of the NHL, but he's got his own bakery now and a quiet life selling quiches and cupcakes to his customers. Then Christian unexpectedly walks back into his life, forcing Riley to question his choices. Especially that one choice he made six years ago that walked him out of Christian's life. Now if only he had the courage to tell a boy how he really feels about him...The Play of His Life was originally published in 2017. This updated version has a brand new cover, but very little new content aside from grammar and typo updates and the addition of the bonus epilogue that was originally available via subscription to Amy's newsletter.
Heels Over Head
Elyse Springer - 2017
He intends to keep pushing himself with one very clear goal in mind: winning gold at the summer Olympics in two years. That medal might be the only way to earn his father’s respect as an athlete.Brandon Evans is everything Jeremy isn’t: carefree, outgoing, and openly gay. With his bright-blue eyes and dramatic tattoos, he’s a temptation that Jeremy refuses to acknowledge. But Jeremy can’t ignore how talented Brandon is—or that Brandon has no interest in using his diving skills to compete.They’re opposites who are forced to work together as teammates, but Jeremy’s fear of his own sexuality and Brandon’s disinterest in anything “not fun” may end their partnership before it begins. Until a single moment changes everything, and they help each other discover that “team” can also mean family and love.
The Love Song
Kay Simone - 2016
Casey has plenty of friends, supportive parents to pay for college, and a solid future ahead of him. It should be easy to ignore a new outcast on campus.But try as he might, Casey is drawn to Grant—and the more he learns, the more he wants to learn.How do you go back to being strangers with someone who has seen your soul?Grant left a broken life behind him in Georgia. When his mom moves them to Middle-of-Nowhere, Nebraska, he wants a fresh start, setting his sights on a future when he’ll be done with school, helping his mom make ends meet, and able to forget all of his mistakes.The last thing he needs is someone getting in the way of that—someone feeling sorry for him. So why can’t he bring himself to stay away from Casey Dunne?I don’t want us to be strangers again.When circumstances tear them apart, it seems unlikely that they’ll ever be reunited. But when their paths do cross again, against all odds, their positions are reversed.Casey doesn’t believe that Grant will recognize—or want—the person he’s become since high school.Grant doesn’t know if he can give Casey the life he deserved all along… But he’s damned well going to try.The Love Song is a steamy and emotional standalone romance with second chance themes, hurt/comfort, and a happy ending.
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.
Changing Lines
R.J. Scott - 2017
To get out of their shadows, and against their advice, he accepts a trade to the Harrisburg Railers, where he runs into Jared Madsen. Mads is an old family friend and his brother’s one-time teammate. Mads is Tennant’s new coach. And Mads is the sexiest thing he’s ever laid eyes on.Jared Madsen’s hockey career was cut short by a fault in his heart, but coaching keeps him close to the game. When Ten is traded to the team, his carefully organized world is thrown into chaos. Nine years his junior and his best friend’s brother, he knows Ten is strictly off-limits, but as soon as he sees Ten’s moves, on and off the ice, he knows that his heart could get him into trouble again.Can Tennant show Jared that age is just a number, and that love is all that matters?
Just Be You
M.E. Parker - 2018
Of all the songs he’d written, why did it have to be that song? Over ten years had passed since he’d written the song and even more since Scott had become obsessed with Marshall Donavan, his brother’s best friend. It didn’t matter that Scott hadn’t seen Marshall in years. Nor did it matter that Marshall never belonged to him or even that Marshall was straight. Scott never managed to stop thinking about him. When Scott got a call from his manager asking him to submit a song for a movie and a call from his brother Abe informing him of Marshall’s engagement to Julia Sterling on the same day, Scott took it as a sign. It was time to say goodbye and forget Marshall Donavan forever. Submitting ‘Just Be You’ to the movie executives was supposed to be Scott’s way of letting go—of forgetting, of saying goodbye. But his plan backfired when the movie became a box office success overnight and his song was nominated for a Grammy. There was no way he’d ever be able to forget. The song would follow him for the rest of his life and so would his unhealthy obsession with Marshall Donavan. It didn’t help things when he found himself face to face again with the man who had consumed his thoughts for years. No, it didn’t help at all when he saw the still very sexy and very straight Marshall Donavan for the first time in eight years. It didn’t matter what would happen between them. As soon as he saw Marshall again, he knew that giving up his obsession wasn’t an option… Just Be You is a standalone, full-length, ‘brother’s best friend’ romance novel. It has ‘gay for you’ and ‘first time gay’ themes, is stocked full of STEAM, heartache, laughter, and has a guaranteed happily ever after ending.
Honeymoon Refrain
Harley Grace - 2020
But when he finds his fiancé buried deep not in wedding preparations but in his best friend, Andrew calls the whole thing off and cashes in that plane ticket for a solo honeymoon.Rock star Cord Fabien’s whole life blew apart when his band broke up.Now, he owes his label a solo album, but all he wants to do at the new gay resort run by the mysterious billionaire Adrien Blissand is hide from the paparazzi and lick his wounds. But when one sad interior designer catches his eye, Cord finds the inspiration to make beautiful music again.Two men, completely adrift, find in each other the strength to pursue their passions. But Bliss can’t last forever, and the lives they’ve left behind are waiting to shatter a romance that bloomed in paradise.