Book picks similar to
Strawberries and Thunderstorms by L. Luther
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contemporary
fake-boyfriend
Bet on Love
A.F. Zoelle - 2020
Will their surprise romance survive the wedding bells?Rhys HuntingtonDrunkenly eloping with my best man was never part of my wedding plans. Falling in love with him definitely wasn’t supposed to happen. But even though we’re both straight, the longer we’re married, the more I start to love Lucien as my husband and not just as my best friend.We’re supposed to get an annulment to undo our bad idea. That’s not what I really want, though. I’m ready to bet everything on love by committing to our marriage for real. Can I convince him to stay married to me and give us a chance at finding our happily ever after together?Lucien St. AmourI would do anything for my best friend. That apparently includes making a rash decision to save Rhys from the mistake of marrying a woman who doesn’t love him by eloping with him before his wedding. Instead of it being a funny story we tell our friends, the feelings I’ve suppressed for Rhys since sharing our first kiss as teenagers explode into a roaring blaze of desire for my new husband.Our marriage may have started as a joke in front of an Elvis impersonator at a quickie Vegas wedding chapel, but I meant every word of my vows. Will Rhys allow me to love, honor, and cherish him as my husband like I promised?Bet on Love is the first book in the Good Bad Idea series and part of the Sunnyside universe. This novel features a friends to lovers, dual bisexual awakening, second chance romance. If you love cute sweetness, sexy fun, and low angst stories that will make you laugh and swoon, you’ll enjoy this satisfying HEA without cliffhangers. Each book can be read as a standalone or as part of the series in order.
Say You’ll Be Nine
Lucy Lennox - 2020
One dilapidated cabin in need of renovation.Two stubborn men pretending to be a couple.Three summer months to get the job done.Four tangled legs in only one bed.Five cameras catching it all for YouTube.Six hundred thousand Instagram followers.Seven nosy family members with Opinions.Eight thousand reasons they should never fall in love.Nine million reasons why they will.Say You'll Be Nine is a standalone novel.
Second Wind
Aimee Nicole Walker - 2018
After an amicable divorce, Lincoln Huxley is ready to embrace the sexuality he repressed for more than two decades. Rush Holden is no longer willing to settle for closeted men or those who don’t share his dreams of marriage and fatherhood. A chance encounter on a lakeside pier is the second wind they both need. Or will it just be a painful reminder of all they had lost? Second chance: an opportunity to try something again that failed one time. Rush and Lincoln have shared a lot of firsts—friendship, young love, and heartbreak. Cruel reality forced the two men to choose paths that took their lives in different directions. Twenty-six years later, they get a second chance to fall in love with each all over again. Can it really be that simple, or will the same issues ruin their happiness a second time? Happily ever after: to live happily for the rest of one’s life. Rush and Lincoln know that love and life can’t be defined by words alone. Patience, commitment, and the determination to do whatever it takes will be the only way the two men achieve their happily ever after. Second Wind is a funny, sexy, and endearing standalone romance novel about love, loss, and rediscovery. It contains sexually explicit material and is intended for adults 18 and older.
Chiaroscuro
Jenna Jones - 2007
Laid off at his job and at odds with his ultra-conservative boyfriend, Micah, he's searching for something to fill the empty spots. When he meets Ben Gallagher, a cake decorator, Jamie knows he's found a friend. Taking a chance, Jamie turns to art for his new career, and Ben becomes his muse. He creates an entire show based on the man who is always there for him. The problem with Ben is that he's been hurt by love in the past, and might not be willing to risk his friendship with Jamie for something more. Can Ben get past his fear and see that all that Jamie has to offer before it's too late?
Striking Sparks
Ari McKay - 2016
Beau is a proud man, but the stakes are high, and smart, sexy Jake is his only hope, even if being around Jake reawakens the attraction he’s fought for years.Jake left his hometown, determined to build a life somewhere his sexuality wouldn’t hurt his family’s restaurant business—and far away from hunky, obstinate Beau Walker. Then his twin, Josh, is killed, and Jake returns to support his brother’s wife and children. Despite his reservations, he agrees to go head-to-head against Beau on national television. Between stress and grief, as well as pride and determination, only one thing is certain—the heat between Beau and Jake extends well beyond the kitchen.
Seek & Find
Megan Linden - 2015
The other just wants to raise his daughter in peace.Sam Daniels meets an amazing guy and then the very next day gets a job offer he can't refuse. The problem? Working in politics means it's never easy to sustain any kind of personal life, but when you're running a campaign to elect the first woman to the office of the President of the United States, it may become nearly impossible. Blake Morin lives a quiet life with his daughter after spending years as a SEAL and he's fine with that. He doesn't want to fight the attraction towards Sam, but the last thing he needs is to be thrown into the political world of DC. Are they going to find some middle ground or will they end up falling out before the race is over?*** This book was previously published under the title "Serve & Protect". The book was re-edited and slightly expanded from that edition.***Discover the other books in DC Files series: Cherish & Give (#1.5) - Sam & Blake's Christmas story - available only for my newsletter subscribersTrust & Confidence (#2) - Adam and Michael's story (childhood friends turned lovers meet after years apart - second chance romance)Press & Hold (#3) - Stevie and Will's story (the ultimate 'will they, won't they' of the White House gossip mill)and more on the way
A Heart Without Borders
Andrew Grey - 2013
When opportunity knocks, he signs on to work at a hospital in a tent camp in Haiti. One night while returning to his quarters, he comes across a gang of kids attempting to set fire to an underage rentboy and intervenes, taking the injured René under his wing. At the hospital, diplomat Anthony Crowley tells Wes that the kids involved in the attack are from prominent families and trying to hold them responsible will cause a firestorm.In spite of the official position Anthony must take, Wes’s compassion captures his attention. Anthony pursues him, and they grow closer during the stolen moments between Anthony’s assignments. Escaping earthquake destruction for glimpses of Caribbean paradise. When Wes realizes the only way to save René is to adopt him, Anthony is supportive, but time is running out: Wes must leave the country, and Anthony is called out on a dangerous secret mission. Now Wes must face adopting a boy from Haiti who has no papers without the support of the one person he’s come to rely on most and may never see again.Cover artist: L.C. Chase
Butterfly Wishes
Teodora Kostova - 2019
Right? In school, Nico and King are best friends, and each other’s first love. But their lives take a different path and they lose touch. Now, ten years later, King is a famous musician and Nico is trying to make a name for himself as a journalist. When King’s life starts falling apart, fate brings them together on a private island, and reignites old feelings. Can they make it work this time? Or are their worlds too far apart? Butterfly Wishes is a stand-alone novella featuring friends to lovers, sweet moments on a private island, a tortured musician and a soft journalist, and a very cute dog.
Two of a Kind
B.A. Tortuga - 2018
Their lives have changed quite a bit over the last six years, but Ap is still on the rodeo circuit, doing what he does best in an attempt to feed all those extra mouths.That leaves Trey back on the ranch, isolated and overworked as the kids’ sole caregiver. Something has to give, and when Ap comes home, they’re reminded how hot they burned once upon a time. But is it a love that can withstand wrangling over time, money, and the future? They have to decide what kind of family they want to be… and whether what they share can stand the test of time.
More to Life
Annabella Michaels - 2021
Of course, all the late nights and weekends he spent at the office had their price, which he paid dearly. He no longer has any friends or social life to speak of, but none of that matters when he’s finally given the chance for an executive promotion, one that will grant him the financial security he so desperately craves. Kieron Parsons loves his life. He’s got a great family, friends he can count on, and a job that he enjoys. He works hard, but he also knows how to have fun, and for Kieron, there’s nothing more fun than teasing the sexy, surly man that comes into the deli every day for lunch. In fact, making the man blush has become the one thing he looks forward to most. He would love the chance to crack that hard exterior and see if there’s any sweetness inside. When Shaw’s boss invites him to attend an exclusive company vacation for executives only, he is thrilled. That is, until his boss tells him how important it is to have a balanced work and personal life then asks who his guest will be. Worried that not having anyone might cost him the promotion, Shaw makes up a lie, using the only person he can think of, the outrageous guy who’s always flirting with him at the deli. Thankfully, Kieron agrees to Shaw’s plan, posing as the uptight man’s boyfriend, but how are they supposed to convince everyone that they’re a couple when they barely know each other? Will Shaw’s rigid nature end up exposing their lie or will Kieron finally be able to convince him that there’s more to life than just work?
My First Time Fling
Spencer Spears - 2021
It’s not like I’m gonna fall in love with you…Mark: Fresh out of the military, and even more freshly diagnosed with PTSD after a very public breakdown, I moved to small-town Georgia to clear my head. The plan was to renovate my grandmother’s house, and maybe renovate my brain a little, too.I should have known my brain would have plans of its own…When I meet Jesse, a wise-cracking bartender with a soft spot for the world’s ugliest dogs, we agree to run a marathon together. As friends. Just friends. Jesse’s getting over a breakup, and the last thing he needs is another guy to mess with his head. But hey, it’s not like I’m gonna fall for him.After all, I’m straight…right?That’s what I’ve always thought, but Jesse’s eyes just do something to me. And when we spend a night together in a ramshackle bed and breakfast, his body does something to me, too. Several things. The kind that leave me desperate for more.I didn’t mean to fall in love with anybody—much less with a man—but I can’t keep Jesse out of my heart. Only, he doesn’t know the truth about me, or all the ways I’m broken. And I don’t know if he’ll still want me, once he sees all my damage.There’s only thing I know for sure: I’m not going down without a fight.My First Time Fling is Book 1 in the Rebel Hearts series set in steamy southern Georgia. Each book is snarky, swoony, and full of heat. They can be read on their own, but are even more fun together. My First Time Fling is a 65,000 word m/m romance with a military veteran and first-time gay themes. HEA guaranteed.And earlier version of My First Time Fling was published under the title Runaway Heart by Harper Logan. The book has been revised, updated, and expanded for re-release
Faces
A.M. Rose - 2021
But while he can find everyone else’s soulmate, he can’t do the same for himself.Resigned to a life of solitude, he spends his days giving people the key to their happiness, borrowing their joy and basking in the beauty of their love. It’s enough…Until he meets Hayden.Hayden, who is everything Dorian had ever dreamed of.Hayden, who cares for Dorian the same way Dorian cares for him.Hayden, who doesn’t believe in soulmates.
Twice In a Lifetime
R.M. Neill - 2021
The other crushing feelings of inadequacy.Fate knew they needed each other.DominicFor the longest time, I believed we get one shot at true love. A single person that sets our soul on fire. I had that with my wife until she died, then I was lost in a dark sea of grief. In need of companionship, I decided to adopt a dog.What I found at the shelter was so much more. Micha, the volunteer, is insanely cute and ridiculously funny. He awakens feelings within me I never knew existed. Is it possible I may get a second chance at real love?MichaLove just isn’t in the cards for some people. And I’m among those unfortunate few destined to be alone. I trusted the wrong man with my heart once and had it shattered into a million pieces. I won’t make that mistake twice. Instead, I pour every ounce of my energy into building my business and trying to convince myself I’m not lonely.But Dominic could be the one to tear down the walls I hide behind. He’s the most handsome man I ever met and unbelievably kind. I know he experienced a horrible loss. Is that what’s behind his attraction to me? Or has the connection between us led to his bisexual awakening?Twice in a Lifetime is the first book in the Sheltered Connections Series. This book involves themes of hurt/comfort, bisexual awakening, and an age gap. Swoon-worthy moments, laugh-out-loud humor, and scorching chemistry make up this 70k word story. Oh, and don’t forget the cherry flavored icing.
Wait for Me
Kris Jacen - 2017
First it wasn’t too safe to find a partner and now his schedule is a nightmare with training soldiers and deployments. Scott Ash has found where he always was meant to be after a brief bout of idealistic do-gooder after college. He loves his job as a childcare director, if he could just find someone to love – perfect might cover it. A chance meeting when Scott is doing a favor for a friend starts them on a journey that could take them to forever, it’s just a matter of waiting.
Don't You Dare
C.E. Ricci - 2022
A dare. A single kiss.That’s all it took to flip my world upside down.I’ve always classified myself as straight, and as far as I can tell, so has he.I didn’t think one kiss would change that, but I was so wrong.Now, I can’t stop thinking about him. In all the ways I shouldn’t.My best friend.Aspen.His taste is branded in my memory, his touch seared in my skin.And I want more.This simmering attraction I feel only grows with passing time.Which is why I start tossing out new dares.Riskier ones that toe lines we never thought we’d cross.I’m gambling with our friendship, knowing it could ruin us.But there’s so much more at stake here.Like my heart.*Don't You Dare is a new adult college romance featuring two best friends, too many baseball puns, scorching dirty talk, and a whole lot of bi-curious exploration. Not suitable for anyone under 18 years of age.*