Furious, he speeds away from the gates of his luxury home and life into the unknown. When he finds himself stranded on the side of the road in a remote village, his future looking bleak, his dreams wasted on a fairy tale that turned out to be a nightmare, he doesn’t expect the handsome but shaggy-looking bookshop owner, Nathan Marshall, to come to his rescue. A Divine Intervention if Charlie ever saw one.But the village is foreign land to glamour puss Charlie, who’s more at home in the bustling city, shopping for the latest trends. getting his hair coiffed and his nails buffed by his best friends, glamour girls Trinny, Kylie and Sasha than he is trekking through muddy hills in jeans and wellies. And Nathan’s never even seen the inside of a beauty salon, let alone considered having that tumbleweed on his chest waxed. How on earth can a queen even begin to craft himself into something fabulous in such dire circumstances?Hope seems lost until Charlie discovers that an amateur dramatics group are looking for budding stars to fill in two of their starring roles at the last minute. Could the village offer more than babbling streams, scenic moorland and the smell of horse manure? Could it offer a chance for Charlie to claim back the dreams he thought he’d lost? And, more importantly, could an unlikely romance be brewing on the horizon, even when the dark characters from this unlikely pairing’s pasts come back to make matters worse for them?A darkly comic look at love, death, dysfunctional family, emotional trauma and finding yourself, with a huge cast of characters. More than a romance. A story of self discovery. Gay romance. Gay romantic comedy.

    It is a product of the Goodreads M/M Romance Group Hot Summer Days event and features original stories from 29 authors; if you like what you read, come join our group! Read these stories online or download the anthology from AReNote: These stories contain sexually explicit content and are intended for adult readers only. Mark Alders – PYROGASM (Paranormal/Firemen) Rory Auden – BONDS AND BUBBLE RINGS (Shifters/BDSM) Poppy Dennison – BLINDSIDED (Hurt/Comfort)Megan Derr – PERMANENT EXHIBIT: THE GUARDIANS (Fantasy/Angels) Charles Edward – HEROTICA: PHOTON'S STORY (Superheroes) R.L. Ferguson – RIDING FOR A FALL (Cowboys/Friends-to-Lovers) S.A. Garcia – BOUND TO BE SUITED (BDSM/Humor) S.A. Garcia – A CURE FOR THE KING’S LUST (Wizards/Warriors) David Greene – SNAKE BITE (Adventure/Coming of Age) Kathleen Hayes – BROKEN (Hurt/Comfort) Kayla Jameth – CONTROLLED FALL (Adventure/Nature) K-lee Klein – OUTFOXED (Rockstars/ Established-Couples)Celia Kyle – JOY AND PAIN (BDSM/Voyeurism) Taylor Law – WRONG TURN (Shape-shifter/Coming-out) Elizabeth Lister – THE BEACH HOUSE (M/M/M) Ryan Loveless – TWENTY YEARS LATER (WELCOME HOME TO THE CONQUERING HERO) (Military/Reunion) Selah March – THE SATYR’S LAMENT (Post-Apocalyptic/ Mythology) Michele L. Montgomery – TEARS FROM ABOVE (Angels/Light D/S)Zahra Owens – TRUST (Organized Crime) Sloan Parker – SWEPT AWAY (Established-Couples) Jen Pinto – BLUE FLAMES (Sci-Fi/Masturbation) K.D. Sarge – ROMEO AND JULIAN: A NEAR-TRAGEDY NEAR VERONA (Sweet-No Sex, In-the-Closet) Kate Sherwood – TAKEN (Friends-to-Lovers, Hurt/Comfort) K.Z. Snow – QUIET ERP (Fairies/ Non-Explicit Sex) V.J. Summers – LIAR, LIAR (Goth Club/Friends-to-Lovers)Fae Sutherland – MORE THAN WORDS (Guy-liner/Public Sex) Anne Tenino – WHITETAIL ROCK (Cops/Inter-Racial) Pia Veleno – FREEDOM’S SOUVENIR (Vacation Romance) Eden Winters – SWEET DREAMS (College/Coming-Out)

    Ever since he tragically lost his high school sweetheart six years ago, he's been unable to stay in one place. He’d rather drift aimlessly across the country than settle down and make memories. He knows that in an instant, the happiest memories can become the most painful. Preston Hawthorne is old money. But with excessive wealth comes excessive expectations, and Preston has never lived up to what his parents think he should be. They always overlook him in favor of his more successful siblings. On his way to a family vacation in Aspen, Preston finds Jake stranded on the side of the road and takes pity on the down-on-his-luck hitchhiker. He offers a deal: if Jake pretends to be Preston’s boyfriend for a week in Aspen, Preston will help him out of near-homelessness. For Preston, Jake is supposed to be a means to an end. His parents have been nagging him to settle down — this is his chance to get them off his back. If it upsets them that his first “serious relationship” is with another man, at least they'll be paying attention for once. But after spending more time with Jake, he’s enchanted by the man’s good looks, free spirit, and tenacious attitude. Jake instantly dislikes Preston. He’s rich, he’s entitled, and as far as Jake can tell, he's never faced a day's hardship in his life. But his deal is too sweet to pass up. Unfortunately, no good deal comes without a catch, and Jake’s dislike soon pales in the face of Preston’s charm. When they reach their destination, their fake relationship and their real feelings will be put to the test. This 40,000 word M/M romantic comedy features road trip and fake relationship tropes. Things might get angsty and intense at times, but this story comes with a guaranteed HEA and no cliffhangers! Content warning: homophobia.

    Salvation beckons in the form of a job opportunity in California.What newly-discharged army veteran Troy Johnson wants is simply to lay down - lay down his weapon, lay down some roots, and lay down the memories that haunt him. Red Deer sounds like the perfect place to do it.Sparks fly when their paths cross one hot Fourth of July weekend, and suddenly they find that what they need is each other.But the memories Troy is running from are hot on his heels and, whether Troy wants it or not, Dmitri is determined to save him from the demons he hadn’t even realized he was fighting.

    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!

    Five years after losing his job and his lover and almost going to prison, his self-help program, Charmed Life, is more successful than he’d ever dreamed. He thinks he’s put his sordid past firmly behind him, until he starts receiving cryptic threats . . . and realizes it might not be as over as he’d hoped. Security expert Lennox West has been lost since a deadly skirmish in Afghanistan led to his forced retirement from the Army. His PTSD makes helping his ex raise their daughter a challenge. When his ex’s sister asks him to set her boss up with a security system, Lennox isn’t expecting anyone like Elliot McKenzie—a man who captures his attention and makes him feel relaxed for the first time since leaving the service.But Elliott is dangerously stubborn. Even as the threats against him escalate, he refuses to involve the police, and Lennox fears that stubbornness could kill him. A battle of wills ensues that brings them closer to each other than either man expected. But if the threats turn real, they might not live long enough to get their future together.

    He’s seen and dealt with a lot of horrifying situations. He’s always considered himself mentally tough, but when he attends a multi-vehicle accident and sees a dead boy with features remarkably similar to his long-time boyfriend, his mental health takes a hit.All Jake Montgomery wants is to propose to his boyfriend on their ten-year anniversary. He’s already bought the perfect rings, but when Cameron struggles to look at him after a tragic accident, he has doubts about their future. Cam is withdrawing, and Jake doesn’t know why.With heated arguments and cold shoulders, Cam and Jake’s life starts to fall apart. Just when Cam thinks he can overcome his issues and finally talk to Jake, memories from Jake’s past threaten to push them apart forever.

    They share a gorgeous house in Antwerp, go out with their friends every weekend, and count down the days to their dream wedding. But their happy ending is shattered one late night, and just like that, Ollie is left bereft and alone.The months that follow are long and dark, but slowly Ollie emerges from his grief. He even braves the waters of online dating, though deep down he doesn’t believe he can find that connection again. He doesn’t think to look for love right in front of him: his bisexual friend Thomas, the gentle giant with a kind heart and sad eyes who’s wanted him all along.When Thomas suddenly discovers he has a son who needs him, he’s ill prepared. Ollie opens up his house—Sam’s house—and lets them in. Ollie doesn’t know what scares him more: the responsibility of caring for a baby, or the way Thomas is steadily winning his heart. It will take all the courage he has to discover whether or not fairy tales can happen for real.

    When he's not out walking his beat as a police officer, all he wants is peace, a manageable routine, and time to fix up his newly-purchased project home. And Samuel absolutely does not have room in his new routines for a relationship. Except a chance encounter with a handsome diner cook unexpectedly shakes his resolve. Rey King lives for his work as a short-order cook, part-time hardware salesman, and full-time handyman. He’s in debt up to his eyeballs, so he isn’t looking for complications. And the gorgeous blond cop who comes to Rey’s rescue is a complication he definitely doesn’t need. Lucky for him, Samuel feels the same way. But what starts as an afternoon of no-strings sex inevitably complicates itself, as the two men learn how deeply each other’s emotional damage goes. When Rey is seriously injured protecting a friend, their already shaky foundation cracks a little more. Samuel barely pulled his life back together after his first lover's death and falling in love again isn't part of his recovery plan. He knows renovations are always a gamble, but this one isn't about risking money—it's about Samuel risking his heart. NOTE: This book was previously published under the same title. This new edition has been lightly edited to address minor continuity problems, but the overall story is the same.

    From a young age he’d known he was interested in men but wondered if he’d ever find someone to settle down with. Though he wanted to stretch his wings, he knew the ranch was his life and he’d inevitably follow his heart back home. Would he be able to find love with someone that could give as good as they get and love the land as much as he did? Sean Welsh considered himself lucky that he’d grown up with two dads because coming out had been a breeze. Never wanting to trade in on the privilege of their last name, Sean and his identical twin wanted to forge their own path and open their own architectural firm in Jackson, Wyoming. He never expected Simon Redfeather, one of his new clients, to be a gorgeous, sexy, honest to god cowboy. With Simon pushing all his hot buttons, he finds himself wishing he wasn’t the shy twin and yearns to be daring, like his older brother. The attraction is instant but are Simon and Sean willing to risk everything in order to find their other half? My Forever, My Always is the first book in the Men of Crooked Bend series. Each book in the series will focus on a different couple and can be read as a standalone book but will be better enjoyed as a series as the couples all make appearances in each book. Each book contains sexually explicit material between two men and are intended for adults over 18.

    He goes out drinking with his colleagues, gets along well with his players, and dates all the prettiest women in town-he has the life most straight men dream of. But lately none of the women he dates seem to be igniting any passion in him. Then he meets the new school chaplain, Foster Lewis. Romantic attraction to another man is new and terrifying, and Chip just can't put his finger on why he's drawn to Foster, but it's stronger than anything he's felt for anyone in his life. Never one to back down from a challenge, Chip decides to go for it. But love is never simple, and sometimes it's a downright mess!

    Lucas arrives on the idyllic island of Sapphire Cay with its white-sand beaches and warm balmy nights for his sister’s wedding. Grieving for a friend, stressed, and with an ulcer, he wants to see his sister happy before he returns home to an uncertain future. He doesn’t have the spirit or desire to form a relationship, but laid back, Dylan tempts him with the promise of a new future if only he were brave enough to take the chance. Dylan never settles in one place for long. A free-spirited traveler, he follows the sun where it takes him and lives for today. Until he meets Lucas and realizes that sometimes the sun is brightest in people’s hearts, and now could be the time to stop moving on.

    saying goodbye to his best friend.Evan Wells is the local vet who attends to Harry and Peter is surprised at how quickly they become friends. Peter finds himself looking forward to Evan's phone calls and the meals they share together. He knows Evan is gay but it doesn't bother him until Evan confesses his attraction to him. Peter has to admit to himself that he's not as adverse to the possibility as he thought he would be, and that does bother him.32,000 words

    This can’t be how I die, not here, not tonight. Through the throng of bodies, I can see him...Thane. Of all the ways I thought tonight would end, this wasn’t even on my list. Pain lances through me and I can tell by the look in his eyes that whatever just happened, it’s bad. My hand reaches for my leg and I find it sticky and wet with my own blood.Whatever happens, I know Thane will save me.Screams, and blood, and tragedy haunt my dreams. I'm alive and I owe it all to the gorgeous former marine who refused to leave me for dead. But how can I start a new relationship when I'm not even sure who I am anymore?

    Scandal has shredded his LGBT soccer team’s history-making season, and now the once-unflappable striker is lashing out. Only one person can tame Duncan’s rage and make him feel like himself again…Bullied by schoolmates in his wee village, Brodie Campbell lurked deep in the closet before coming to the city of Glasgow. Here at university he’s out and proud, but the years of abuse have left him emotionally paralyzed. Can flatmate Duncan help Brodie escape his past and heal his wounded heart?As the two lads grow closer, Brodie can’t forget how athletes like Duncan once tortured him. When Duncan attacks an opponent who threatens Brodie, the situation escalates. Soon Brodie doesn’t feel safe anywhere—especially in Duncan’s arms.To defeat the bullies who’ve wrecked his life, his mind, and his ability to love, Brodie must find the strength to fight his own battles. And Duncan must find the strength to let him.