Book picks similar to
The Lighthouse Keeper by Jason Collins
contemporary
mm
mystery
mm-romance
What He Really Needs
Ryan Taylor - 2020
After an accidental meeting, Cayo invites Ben to stay with him while Ben looks for his own apartment. There’s only one complication, but it’s a big one—Cayo has been in love with Ben since they met.What begins as a heartwarming reunion of old friends heats up quickly, and Ben starts to wonder if he’s as straight as he always thought he was. Cayo and Ben reconnect in a most unexpected way, but their jobs complicate things. Cayo works for low-income people at Legal Assistance, and Ben works for the man.When Ben and Cayo become involved in a controversial case, powerful people with a lot to lose seize control of the situation. They want to bend the case’s outcome to their own nefarious ends, and they’ll destroy anyone who tries to stand up to them. Will Cayo and Ben find a way to save Ben’s career, and their budding relationship, before it’s too late?What He Really Needs is an action-packed book full of warmth and humor, a first-time bisexual awakening, a healthy dose of suspense, steamy sexy times, and an extraordinarily happy ending.
Love's Magic
Jan Jarrell - 2017
Traumatized by the attack, Nate sets his feet on a no-holds-barred path of activism designed to force university officials into addressing the issue of on-campus assault. To his shock, his primary frustration comes not from the university, but from his partner, David Gardener, a veteran of 12 years as a very popular Professor of Revolutionary War History. Terrified of losing his hard-won status at the school, David is reluctant to support Nate's militant efforts, while Nate, feeling abandoned by his partner, sees David's aversion to his activism as indifference to the trauma he suffered. Day by day they watch as their relationship disintegrates, while still struggling to resolve the disruptive issues engulfing the school they love. At the same time Irishman Colin Campbell, handsome and charismatic Sergeant for the campus police force, fights his own on-going war against campus assault. But behind his obsessive desire to gain justice for victims lies a devastating secret which could forever destroy his fiercely independent facade and expose his deepest fear. Ultimately, it is Colin’s powerful connection to a quiet, dark-eyed Title IX consultant which threatens to tear down his defenses and shatter the barriers protecting his heart.Colin was the bolt of lightning that ignited Joshua Abram’s heart. Cocky and irresistible, the dynamic police officer was everything Joshua had ever longed for in a man, and despite Colin’s insistence that he didn’t ‘do relationships’ Joshua couldn’t help but fall hopelessly in love. He knew his attraction to Colin could only end in heartbreak. His quiet, introverted nature could never hope to snare the vibrant, freedom-loving Irishman, so despite the undeniable and heated passion between them, he forces himself to back slowly away.When disagreements over an oddly disturbing case causes Colin’s hot Irish temper to erupt, their relationship is irrevocably shattered. Heartbroken, and convinced that Colin never wants to see him again, Joshua flees Charlottesville without a word, leaving Colin adrift and inconsolable. Finally forced to admit that he desperately needs Joshua by his side, Colin must now face the dark and long-suppressed memories which are irrevocably linked to his love for the handsome, Jewish consultant. Without even a forwarding address to guide him, he vows to find Joshua and beg his forgiveness. Colin’s struggle to conquer his pride and fear in order to find the love of his life and achieve their happily ever after will touch your heart. Four lives in turmoil fighting for the relationships they cherish, and at the heart of the struggle, a great university struggles to survive its most harrowing challenge. Please Note: This book contains adult language & steamy adult activities, it is intended for 18+ Adults Only.
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
Where There's a Will
Gianni Holmes - 2019
With just two weeks to plan a fairytale wedding, he is adamant that everything has to be just as he envisioned it. Maybe if he gives Willy the perfect wedding, he will feel better about his insecurities that he's not good enough for Willy. But how can he feel otherwise when his social media accounts are blowing up with perfect examples of how unsuitable he is for someone like Willy? Will knows Ainsley well enough to brace himself for an extravagant wedding affair. As the date approaches, he can't help but notice the difference in his fiancé since Ainsley started planning their wedding. The more invested Ainsley was, the more strained their relationship becomes. Can Will soothe his fiancé's fears, or will he cancel their wedding when he learns Ainsley's odd behavior is more than pre-wedding jitters? This book is not meant to be read as a standalone. The story follows androgynous model, Ainsley, and his partner Will from Unwrapping Ainsley, the first book in The Runway Project series.
The Necessary Deaths
David C. Dawson - 2016
His life hangs in the balance after a drug overdose. But was it attempted suicide or attempted murder? The student's mother persuades British lawyer Dominic Delingpole to investigate, and Dominic enlists the aid of his outspoken opera singer partner, Jonathan McFadden.The student's boyfriend discovers compromising photographs hidden in his lover's room. The photographs not only feature senior politicians and business chiefs, but the young journalist himself. Is he being blackmailed, or is he the blackmailer?As Dominic and Jonathan investigate further, their lives are threatened and three people are murdered. They uncover a conspiracy that reaches into the highest levels of government and powerful corporations. The people behind it are ruthless, and no one can be trusted. The bond between Dominic and Jonathan deepens as they struggle not only for answers, but for their very survival.
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.
Scott Sapphire and the Emerald Orchid
Geoffrey Knight - 2012
He is suave. He is sexy. He is a man of the world—and a man that the world desperately wants to catch.For Scott Sapphire is the greatest jewel thief of our time.Dashing. Daring. And always neck-deep in trouble.But when Scott’s latest heist lands him in possession of a map to a rare and precious orchid, it’ll take more than bedroom eyes and a charming smile to stay one step ahead of one of the world’s most powerful business tycoons, as well as keep the CIA off Scott’s back and a handsome special agent out of his pants—or maybe not.From the Venice canals to the Amazon rainforest, from Rio de Janeiro to the casinos of Monte Carlo, comes a brand new gay hero as irresistible as diamonds and pearls.Adventure has a new name! And that name is Scott Sapphire.
Fall for You
A.J. Truman - 2020
He especially has no interest in his kinda-odd-but-kinda-cute neighbor Patrick, a guy who owns enough pumpkin-scented candles to start a wildfire.For Patrick, the feeling is very much mutual. He’d rather watch wax melt than share air with his kinda-rude-but-kinda-hot jock neighbor. Newly single from a painful breakup, he just wants to enjoy his first fall back in Chicago.But Patrick’s plan and Spencer’s perfect summer both come to a crashing halt after Spencer eats it on the court and winds up in a cast. Stuck having to help his neighbor get around, Patrick begins to break through the bumps and spikes of Spencer’s personality. As the two of them experience all the glory fall has to offer, they soon find themselves lost in a corn maze of emotions. But will their newfound closeness fall apart once Spencer’s cast comes off?FALL FOR YOU is a story for everyone who believes in the magic of love, the beauty of autumn, and the power of scented candles.
The Couple Next Door
Rick R. Reed - 2015
But the one thing he really wants—someone to love—seems elusive. Until the couple next door moves in and Jeremy sees the man of his dreams, Shane McCallister, pushed down the stairs by a brute named Cole.Jeremy would never go after another man’s boyfriend, so he reaches out to Shane in friendship while suppressing his feelings of attraction. But the feeling of something being off only begins with Cole being a hard-fisted bully—it ends with him seeming to be different people at different times. Some days, Cole is the mild-mannered John and then, one night in a bar, he’s the sassy and vivacious drag queen Vera.So how can Jeremy rescue the man of his dreams from a situation that seems to get crazier and more dangerous by the day? By getting close to the couple next door, Jeremy not only puts a potential love in jeopardy, but eventually his very life.Warning: graphic violence, mentions of past sexual abuse
Bound in Blue
Spencer Spears - 2016
After years of falling for men who break his heart, Liam would rather go to bed alone than risk getting hurt again. But when a handsome policeman saves Liam’s life, it’s harder than usual to just walk away.
“Is there anything I can do?”“Could you stay with me tonight?”
Detective Mike Jeffries is a damaged man, reeling from the death of his partner and lover 8 months ago. After growing up in the projects, he joined the NYPD to make the world a better place; these days, all he can see is what’s wrong with it. But meeting Liam reminds him that some things are worth fighting for.
“Part of me wonders if I’m broken, for wanting what I want. But I don’t feel broken when I’m with you.”
Something about Liam makes Mike want to protect him, but Mike has secrets he needs to share if he’s going to keep Liam in his life. Liam yearns to surrender to Mike’s strength, but his painful past has taught him to guard his heart. Can they learn to trust the undeniable force between them, or will their fear of falling tear them apart?Bound in Blue is a 45k steamy romance with hurt/comfort themes and light BDSM elements (no sadomasochism). A no cheating, no cliffhanger stand-alone with an HEA ending.
Made of Stars
Kelley York - 2013
And it is—at first. But Chance, the charismatic and adventurous boy who made their summers epic, is harboring deep secrets. Secrets that are quickly spiraling into something else entirely.The reason they've never met Chance’s parents or seen his home is becoming clearer. And what the siblings used to think of as Chance's quirks—the outrageous stories, his clinginess, his dangerous impulsiveness—are now warning signs that something is seriously off. Then Chance's mom turns up with a bullet to the head, and all eyes shift to Chance and his dad. Hunter and Ashlin know Chance is innocent...they just have to prove it. But how can they protect the boy they both love when they can’t trust a word Chance says?
Because You Came Back
Ian Finn - 2018
And then I about faint when I see that the delicious-looking man inside it is Ashton Falls, my old high school classmate, and the object of my obsession ever since.Back then, I wanted him bad, but never let on. I was the popular football jock, and he was the nerd who tutored me. I had a reputation to uphold, which included staying closeted.After graduation, Ashtown moved away and became a Silicon Valley tech billionaire. He's back in Baytown for our ten-year high school reunion. Meanwhile, I stayed here to take care of my mom, and opened a mechanic's shop. And I'm still in that damn closet, because there's a stigma around these parts against gay men.Our worlds are about as night and day as they could get. But soon they collide with a night of passion in which I discover that Ashton is as attracted to me as I was to him, and that he always has been. He can teach me more than just math now, and he's as athletic in the bedroom as I was on the field. I want him to stay with me, and in me, for good. But will both of us be willing and able to change our lives enough for that to happen? And, first things first, after hiding my true identity from fellow Baytown residents for my entire life, will I have the courage to show up at our high school reunion with Ashton on my arm?Because You Came Back is a full-length standalone coming out, small town, second chance, rags to riches, opposites attract, billionaire/blue collar gay romance novel that combines humor, heat and heart. It has no cheating, no cliffhangers, and a very happy after ever. It's Book 1 in the Baytown Boys series. It can be read alone but, due to related characters and settings, is best read with others in the series... and a tall glass of water to cool you off after so much steam.
The Ballad of Crow and Sparrow
V.L. Locey - 2021
It’s a lonely existence, until one morning, while checking his trap line, Crow finds more than a rabbit in a snare. He stumbles across the outlaw Jack Wittington lying half dead in the wilds. He takes the wanted man in, heals him, and in return for saving his life, the smooth-talking criminal invites Crow to join his family. Starved for human interaction and a father figure, Crow leaves the mountains behind for what he assumes will be a brighter future.Six years pass. Crow is now a man, as well as a member of the Wittington Gang. He may be considered an outlaw, but his father’s morals are warring loudly with the lifestyle of his adopted family. When the gang decides to rob a train, Crow has no choice but to go along to keep a tight rein on the more bloodthirsty members. It doesn’t take long for the scheme to go horribly astray.Instead of gold-filled coffers, the gang finds Spencer Haughton, son of cattle baron and railroad tycoon Woodford Haughton, cowering in the family’s opulent private car. The outlaws grab the sickly heir in hopes of ransoming him off. Things then go from bad to worse for them when the law rides down on the Wittington hideout and Crow is given Spencer to hide until the ransom is paid. The pretty young man is nothing at all like anyone Crow has ever met before. Delicate, refined, well-educated, and possessed of a singing voice to rival the songs of the birds in the trees, Crow slowly finds himself falling for the winsome rich boy. But can two such opposite souls find the love they’re both seeking in each other’s arms?
Better Together
B.L. Maxwell - 2018
He lives in constant fear, stresses over his next meal, and dreads trying to find a safe place to sleep at night. He eventually finds an unlocked car and settles in to sleep, but is soon interrupted when someone steals the car. With little choice but to ride along, Caden soon learns that first impressions aren’t always correct. Seventeen-year-old Damario has been raising his little brother and sister by himself since his parents were deported. He never knew how hard it was going to be paying the bills and making sure there was always food on the table. Or how hard it would be to hold his family together when they all depended on him to do it. He finds himself stealing cars to make ends meet, but he never expected to find someone sleeping in the back of one of them. And he really didn’t expect this stowaway to change his life. When Damario brings Caden home, it was supposed to be just for a shower and a hot meal, but he can hardly kick him out onto the streets again. There is no way he could have seen that by saving Caden that night, he was also saving himself. When Damario’s world starts to fall apart, they both realize that the answer to all of their problems is helping each other, and although the world tries to drive them apart, they really are better together.
Big Cypress Crossroads
Bren Christopher - 2011
The last thing he expected to find was love in the form of a seemingly innocent wilderness guide--a guide who inexplicably knows more than he should.Noah Taylor lives for the wild backwoods, spending days camping alone and only returning to town on the weekends to lead kayak tours through the dark waterways of the Everglades. But when he finds the remains of a ritually sacrificed body hanging from the twisted limbs of a mangrove tree, his life's going to change in ways he can't possibly predict--or can he?Now Scott must untangle a web of deceit while struggling with his passion for Noah. Because loving him is easy. But trusting him could be deadly.