Book picks similar to
The Carpenter's Apprentice by Van Barrett
m-m
mm
romance
gay-for-you
Swap Meet
Lolita Lopez - 2010
When smoking-hot firefighter Chris Collins hits on Max, his night takes an even more unexpected turn. Soon he's pinned to a mattress beneath the sexiest specimen of raw masculinity he's ever seen...and questioning everything he's ever believed about himself.Chris went to the swap meet looking for a fling but finds so much more. Soon Max is treating him to the kind of luxuries only a billionaire can offer. But when Max wants something more than an illicit tryst, Chris bolts. He's just not ready for that kind of commitment or the potential consequences-and prejudices-of going public.Or is he? But by the time Chris realizes his mistake, it just might be too late.
A Bookworm for Christmas
Trina Solet - 2016
When Miles worked at his bookstore, Gavin was a strict boss and a secret crush. Gavin's life has changed since Miles saw him last, but he still seems unattainable. Miles can't stay away from him though and ends up spending time with his little boy too. Benji is the big change in Gavin's life, and being a dad suits him perfectly. But will he see Miles as someone who can join their family, or will his misgivings win out in the end?
Sex, Lies & Wedding Bells
E.M. Lynley - 2009
Contains approximately 25k words of new content.]Of all the tiny towns, in all the world, he walks into mine.Texas native Kieran Quinn has hit the big time, working in Manhattan as a columnist for Gloss, a national literary magazine. He’s well-known for his snarky, sardonic columns, but deep down he’s more interested in exploring what makes people tick than his editor would like. He keeps his desire to find his own Mr. Right hidden under a sexy, carefree persona that favors champagne and underwear models of the male variety.Jaxon Lang loves being the high school principal in tiny Buckwheat Springs, Texas after relocating from Austin to pursue his relationship with Danetta Archer, despite her reputation for leaving grooms at the altar. So far, he’s avoided examining the questions he has about himself, certain that marriage will put them to rest. Then Kieran arrives in town. Kieran’s charm and unique attitudes about sex and attraction soon challenge Jaxon’s concept of what—and who—he wants.While covering the latest wedding of a real-life “runaway bride," Kieran falls hard for the gorgeous—and supposedly straight—groom, Jaxon Lang, despite that ridiculous X. Then Kieran discovers the bride’s hiding a shocking secret.First Edition published by Ravenous Romance, April 2009.
Pushing Reset
K. Sterling - 2015
Growing up, he only had one friend and spent his teenage years building a software company that made him a millionaire in his early twenties. Despite his success and being what anyone would refer to as a hot nerd, Brandon found himself in a catastrophic marriage that resulted in him being a single father. Jude Strickland is Brandon's only friend. He's also the exact opposite of Brandon. Musically gifted, charming, popular, easygoing, stylish and strikingly handsome, Jude could have any woman he wanted. Which was moot because Jude wasn't into women. At night, he was having more than his share of luck with men and was content living quietly with Brandon, helping him raise his young son, Noah. A bad party, a few too many drinks, an argument and an insane offer turn their comfortable lives inside out and challenges everything they know about themselves and each other.
Driven
Harper Logan - 2016
With an ultimatum—get a promotion by his 36th birthday or find a new job—and a deadline looming over his head, it’s easy to get wrapped up in his own Ivy League world. That is, until he meets Oscar. The last thing Oscar Nash needs is to take on a new charity case at his failing mechanic shop. But when a handsome, well-dressed art history lecturer shows up with a vintage car in need of some TLC, Oscar is too intrigued to say no. Sure he can fix up the car… on one condition. Ben has to agree to a date. Despite misunderstandings and clashing worlds, the two men hit it off, connecting over their deep love of art. As their connection grows, Oscar shares his greatest yearning: the car mechanic’s dream to become a sculptor and open his own gallery. But will their chemistry be enough to overcome the differences in their two worlds? More importantly, can Oscar step up with a mechanical miracle while Ben’s career hangs in the balance?
Driven is a 50,000-word standalone contemporary gay romance, complete with lots of heat and a happily ever after ending.
Checking Him Out
Devyn Morgan - 2016
Cute librarian Tim finds himself long overdue for a boyfriend. He hasn't even had a date in almost a year. Which explains why he can't keep his eyes off the handsome construction worker renovating the library! Sporting bulging biceps and tight jeans, macho Karl seems as straight as the steel beams he carries by the circulation desk. Still, the blue collar stud's killer smile melts the librarian's heart. A déjà vu moment leads the two young men to discover the past has a way of catching up with you. Will fate, and their own choices, deny them the chance to find out what might have been? Checking Him Out is a short, standalone gay romance with explicit scenes and an HEA ending.
Wanting
M.L. Rhodes - 2009
Which led to another. And another. And then to a mind-blowing night of intimacy Jeremy Reynolds can’t forget. He can’t stop thinking about the gorgeous, smart, compassionate man who tilted his world. Can’t stop seeing warm, sexy eyes gazing at him with breath-stealing intensity. Jeremy tries to tell himself to let the incident go, move on, and chalk it up to a life experience. After all, what transpired between him and his best friend and roommate, Ben Cross, can never happen again. Ben is gay, and Jeremy…isn’t. At least he’s never thought he was before. But now he’s torn and confused and not sure what the night with Ben meant—for either of them. Already stressed about final exams before the holidays and his difficult family situation, Jeremy doesn’t know how to deal with the conflicting feelings he’s having. And the one person he’s always been able to talk to about everything is the very person he’s been avoiding for the past week because he doesn’t know how to face him after waking up in his bed. Afraid he might have already screwed up his and Ben’s friendship beyond repair, what haunts Jeremy even more is the backlash he could face if he admits to Ben, or even to himself, how much the night they spent together really meant to him. And how much he still wants Ben even now… This novella has been previously published and has been revised since its original release.
FU: Fixer Uppers
Devon McCormack - 2017
Not that I haven't been attracted to guys. The opportunity just never came up.I stand at the front door, naked. My bro's roomie, Scott, is pissed about how much noise I made with the girl I just escorted out of their apartment, but I figured we were alone, and I couldn't help that she liked to scream out to let me know she was enjoying herself. Just like I can't help that the raging boner I have right now is for Scott, not her. I don't know what it is about the angry glare he's giving me that turns me on so much, but I just want to tug on his curly brown locks and hear him call out my name as I show him a good time.Scott doesn't want anything to do with me. At least, I think that's the case, but I learn just how wrong I am one night when we wind up tearing each other's clothes off and racing for the bedroom. He blows my mind...and well, me too. We spend the next few days messing around before I head back to California. That's supposed to be the end of it. But after my sister makes a crap investment on a rundown house near my bro's apartment in Atlanta, I jump at the opportunity to help her fix it up. I don't want her to have to stay with our parents, who I've avoided since I left for college--don't get me started.Scott volunteers to work on the project too, which gives us plenty of time to have a little fun together. It's supposed to be about fixing up the house, but the more time I spend with him, the more I realize it's not the only fixer upper Scott's working on. He's doing something to me--making me better. And even though I'm heading back home when this is all over, I don't want it to end. Because I'm falling for Scott...so hard.FU is a steamy standalone romance novel with no cheating, no cliffhanger, and a totally adorable happily ever after.
The House on Hancock Hill
Indra Vaughn - 2014
He’d blame his past if he wasn’t trying so hard to avoid it.When his family’s farmhouse burns to the ground, he’s summoned to identify a body found in the ashes. Jason returns to Hancock, Michigan, and reunites with a childhood friend, small town vet Henry McCavanaugh. After fifteen years apart, their rekindled friendship soon develops into much more. But Jason’s baggage threatens their blossoming romance, and he leaves town unannounced to escape his feelings—and Henry’s feelings for him. He has learned the hard way if something seems too good to be true, it’s best to run for the hills. Jason stress-bakes more confections than he knows what to do with before wondering if he’s running in the wrong direction.
Fin & Matt
Charlie Winters - 2015
He’d long known he was gay – he’d just never shared it with anyone, not even his own free-thinking, liberal parents. Sure, they knew. Yet, they never quite gave up on linking him to some respectable girl with good genes and a generous bank account. Fin’s own account was nothing to be ashamed of, but even with all of the advantages, the only true thing he longed for was companionship. After dragging himself back home to Missouri after graduation, Fin prepared to start his adult life – beginning with taking a new job as a music teacher at a private school. He was set, at least by the traditional standards. On his very first day, he saw him... If there was a God, he made Matt DiFiore personally. Disheveled, straight black hair which appeared to be self-cut. Chiseled cheekbones. Tanned smooth skin. Fin knew he was staring. Matt’s lower half was covered by track pants with side snaps, but Fin knew that beneath those snaps housed the most glorious legs in existence. Those full lips wrapped around an apple, biting down as a small smile formed and he turned to walk… Fin’s… way. Contains M/M sexuality and adult language. This title is intended for mature audiences.
Never Too Late
Sloan Johnson - 2016
No, really. I was dead on the side of the road following a gruesome motorcycle accident. From what I've been told, it's only because of one stubborn man that I have another chance to make something of my life. I no longer hate him for screwing up what I thought I wanted. I want to thank him. NEED to tell him what his actions mean to me. Now, I’m headed back to the town I’ve never set foot in even though it’s a huge part of my life. I’m not thrilled about that, but the job offers haven’t exactly been flowing in. They’ll probably think I’m crazy, because there’s no way I won’t be able to look at every guy I walk past, wondering if he’s the one who saved me. Michael: My entire life, I wanted to save lives. I’d earned a full-ride scholarship and had been accepted to med schools across the country. I was so close to making those dreams a reality until the night held a dying man in my arms. I’ve never been able to get the images of his lifeless body caked in mud out of my head. Even when the paramedics tried to take over trying to save him, I couldn’t let go. I never let go. Eventually, my guilt over not doing more cost me everything but my son. And now, I worry I’ll lose him if I don’t get it together. I’ve often thought that if I could find him, maybe I could get some closure and finally get my life back on track. Now he’s here and I’m more of a mess than ever. Once the truth comes out, will he keep trying to save me or will he realize that it’s too late?
Reverb
Jet Mykles - 2011
Drugs. Rock ‘n Roll. Nick Gorman’s got it all. He’s on top of the world, living his dream, playing guitar on stage in front of thousands of people with non-other than Marlowe. The famous singer could have had his choice of anyone to replace his former guitarist, but he picked Nick to tour with him. Now Nick’s star is on the rise, all thanks to Marlowe, who’s not only Nick’s idol but is fast becoming a terrific friend.In the blink of an eye, it all turns upside down. A drug-hazed time in a bed alone with Marlowe forces Nick to be aware that the rock star’s interest in him is more than just friendly. Then, before he can even react to that, both singer and guitarist are in a near-fatal accident that could ruin both their careers.What now? Marlowe’s in jail for two years and Nick is broken. Could they ever play together again, let alone explore the sizzling reverberations that still exist between them?
Saving Kane
Michele Micheal Rakes - 2014
The one time Kane threw caution to the wind, he was left with a wired jaw and a tracheostomy. He can’t take much more hurt. But with his attacker’s promise to return, Kane lives in a constant state of fear, and with the ever-present paramedic, arousal.Garrett Young struggles with the question of his sexuality, unable to get Kane out of his mind even as he fights against the demise of his long-time engagement with his girlfriend Amanda. Every day is complicated by his ongoing battle with PTSD and alcoholism, compounded by his fear for Kane’s life.
Crossing Swords
Mixie Edwards - 2017
But after a breakup with his longtime girlfriend, he finds himself crossing swords with his best friend Jeremy Pratt. Who’s also not … gay. It was a one-time thing. It didn’t mean anything. They like girls. At least, that’s what these boys of summer tell themselves as they pretend it wasn’t more than experimentation. With only four weeks left before they leave town for college, Christopher and Jeremy awkwardly navigate their way through a series of unfortunate (or very fortunate) events. Often leaving them breathless, conflicted, and dressed in nothing but a pair of socks. Because socks are less gay. As their time together comes to an end, will Christopher and Jeremy accept that love doesn’t discriminate, or will they put their swords up for good?
Overboard
Sierra Riley - 2016
He's already sold almost everything he owns, but there's still no end in sight. With his business in hot water, he can't even afford to attend his sister's cruise ship wedding. On the verge of homelessness, he might have to do the unthinkable: move back in with his parents who don't know he's gay.
“Why make something of myself when everything has been given to me my whole life?”
Sebastian Walker is swimming in cash... not that he ever had to lift a finger to earn it. He parties hard and lives large—all thanks to his father's success—and he’s used to men who fall into his lap and hang around until Sebastian gets bored of them. But when he loses a bet to his friends and has to try speed dating as a punishment, he meets a sexy mountain of a man who won't even give Sebastian his name. The stranger is definitely not boring. He might even be worth working for.
“The only man who can help is the jerk I hate the most.”
At the last second, Sebastian offers to pay for Duncan’s cruise trip... so long as he can come too. Duncan wants to say no, but he has nowhere else to turn. Sebastian is a trust-fund brat, a sexy, arrogant prick that Duncan can't possibly bring around his family, but he also can't let his sister down. With his family surrounding them, Duncan fears they'll get suspicious about his relationship with the other man, and Sebastian isn't helping at all. Once onboard, he proves to be too hot, too close, too damn irresistible. The two men are trapped in a small cabin together for the duration, and Sebastian is more than willing to take advantage of their situation.As the heat rises, Duncan's resistance—and his ability to stay in the closet with all eyes on him—is in serious jeopardy of going overboard.
Overboard is a steamy, standalone gay romance novel with a HEA and no cliffhangers.