Book picks similar to
Ocean of Tears by Phetra H. Novak
m-m
may-december
beaten-track-publishing
fiction
Blank Slate
Louisa Keller - 2018
I figured it would be easy, fun even. But that was before I came sprinting into the studio on the first day, late and viciously hungover, and found myself face-to-face with Axel Hawthorne. Suddenly I was stripping down in front of the very man who had blown me off after a brutally hot night on the dance floor…and letting him draw me. Hot tempered and abrasive, I knew there was more to Axel than met the eye. As the term went on I decided I was going to figure out why an award-winning artist was teaching local art classes. And why I couldn't get his stupid, gorgeous face out of my head. "You don't know what you do to me." Axel: It had been one year since a devastating incident had robbed me of my ability to paint. I was ready to live out the rest of my days in a state of abject misery…and then Colby Stevens wormed his way into my life. Passionate, self-assured, and more than a decade younger than me, I was intoxicated by him. Suddenly I was making art again, filling canvas after canvas with his body and my desire. As our working relationship segued into something more, I allowed myself to consider that he might be the key to starting fresh. But healing would be an uphill battle…would I be able to start over with a blank slate?Blank Slate is a steamy contemporary romance with hurt/comfort and enemies-to-lovers themes, no cheating, and a guaranteed HEA.
Fret
Sandrine Gasq-Dion - 2015
He doesn't do emotions, and he doesn't do babysitting. Used to being on his own, his job consists of Wetwork (a charming term coined by the KGB) for his former Master Chief, Mac. When an out-of-the-ordinary job lands on his doorstep, Axel heads down a path that includes a famous heavy metal rock band and one quiet, vulnerable, guitar-shredding virtuoso named Gareth Wolf.Gareth Wolf's life changed in an instant when a car he was a passenger in crashed, hurting his brother's best friend and the band's lead guitarist. They created the band, Skull Blasters, as kids. Gareth had always been happy in the background, playing roadie. With the lead guitarist's injury, Gareth is suddenly thrust into the limelight and into a frenzied life he never imagined for himself. Finally fed up with living a lie, Gareth comes out as gay in a newspaper interview and finds himself in the bulls-eye of a crazed stalker. Somebody wants Gareth hurt - or worse - and Mac has been hired to be sure that doesn't happen. Babysitting duty is NOT Axel's strong suit, but Mac won't be budged.Enter Axel Blaze. Against his better judgment, the big man takes the job to protect the shy musician. The more time he spends with Gareth Wolf, the more he admires the man. Where's a simple assassination when you need one? The situation becomes more volatile for each man as the attempts on Gareth escalate just as Axel finds himself falling for the quiet lead guitarist.Strong, funny, smart-ass -- and kinda sweet Axel is everything Gareth has ever wanted in a man. Too bad he's off limits. As the stalker grows bolder, Gareth and Axel move closer emotionally - but is it too late? All Axel knows is that they don't stand a chance if he can't find the maniac trying to kill the man he's come to care about. A lot.Everyone knows that relationships that begin in pressured or volatile situations eventually fizzle out. Or do they?
They Told Me I Was Everything
Gregory Ashe - 2020
It’s a punishment, and he’s determined to make his way through the year, prove himself, and earn the right to go back home.Theo is a grad student recovering from a terrible car accident. He’s lost his husband and their daughter, and he’s trying to figure out how to keep going.When both are tangled up in a murder, though, they have to set their personal problems aside and work together—first to clear their names, and then, when the killer turns his attention on them, to survive.But what might really kill them is finishing a seminar together on King Lear.
More
Sloan Parker - 2010
An MMM gay romance. If you're going to break the rules, might as well break them big. For fifteen years Luke Moore has lived by three rules: stay off his father's radar, never spend more than a single night with any man, and never fall in love again. But one night of explosive sex and two men he can't get out of his head have Luke breaking every one of his rules. Richard and Matthew push him past all his boundaries—both sexually and personally—and now he's no longer hiding from his senator father. He's taking him on. And he isn't just falling for one man. He's falling for two. If you're going to break the rules, might as well break them big. But Luke's father has his reasons for hating how his son lives, and he'll do whatever he can and use all his power to keep Luke away from Richard and Matthew. Can this threesome find a way to make their unconventional relationship last with the world around them trying to pull them apart? And will Luke be able to keep breaking his rules for Richard and Matthew, or will he head back to his old way of life just when his new lovers want to pull him closer? This book contains explicit sexual content, graphic language, and an all-male menage relationship. Length: 110,505 words
Take My Picture
Giselle Ellis - 2007
He certainly doesn't expect to end up working as Jake's assistant for five frustrating, thrilling, and crazy years instead of in front of the camera.It all works until Jake realizes Aaron has become the focus of his life, a life that's threatened when Aaron actually leaves him to start a relationship with someone else. Though it breaks his heart, Jake realizes he has to set his beloved muse free to have any chance of winning Aaron back.Reprint: This short story was originally published in the Dreamspinner Press anthology Size Still Matters.
Fangs and Lullabies
Kallysten - 2011
His first teeth and first steps. School friends and bullies, recess, school plays and science projects. A girl, a crush and a broken heart. These childhood experiences are shared by countless little boys from different horizons.And yet… Jacob is anything but average. For as long as he has been able to understand, a secret has shaped his life, kept even from his closest friends: his father, Andrew, is a vampire. And so is his other father, Nicholas.In a strange era when demons are beginning to appear all over the world and threaten humans and vampires alike, the three of them form quite an extraordinary family. And yet, at the same time, they could hardly be more normal.Two fathers raising a son neither of them ever thought he would have. A Sire and Childe resuming their relationship after years of estrangement. Through snapshots covering Jacob’s life from birth to adulthood, discover this unusual family, and how, in the end, all it takes is love.
The Tin Box
Kim Fielding - 2013
Conflicted and unable to maintain the charade, he separates from his wife and takes a job as caretaker at a former mental hospital. Jelley’s Valley State Insane Asylum was the largest mental hospital in California for well over a century, but it now stands empty. William thinks the decrepit institution is the perfect place to finish his dissertation and wait for his divorce to become final. In town, William meets Colby Anderson, who minds the local store and post office. Unlike William, Colby is cute, upbeat, and flamboyantly out. Although initially put off by Colby’s mannerisms, William comes to value their new friendship, and even accepts Colby's offer to ease him into the world of gay sex.William’s self-image begins to change when he discovers a tin box, hidden in an asylum wall since the 1940s. It contains letters secretly written by Bill, a patient who was sent to the asylum for being homosexual. The letters hit close to home, and William comes to care about Bill and his fate. With Colby’s help, he hopes the words written seventy years ago will give him courage to be his true self.
Lesson Learned
Lillian Francis - 2012
He's decided his new teaching job in Cardiff is his chance to finally settle down. Perhaps here he can have a home, and even friendships that won't end in disaster. Like his growing rapport with history teacher Nathan Morgan.Nathan has been careful to keep his sexuality a secret at work. He doesn't want that kind of attention from the student body. There's one body he would like attention from, though—the new science teacher, Drew. But it's much too risky to let Drew know how he feels. He won't gamble their fledgling friendship on an awkward confession of lust. And Drew's probably straight anyway. Their friendship is derailed when a student's accusation forces a reluctant confession. Drew is tempted to run again until he comes face to face with the inescapable realisation that flight has ruined every relationship he's ever had. But maybe he's finally found someone worth staying in one place for.
The Long Way Around
Quinn Anderson - 2018
Right.Sam Cooper is the definition of an introvert: shy, bookish, and the sort to think a wild Friday night involves ordering takeout. He enjoys his quiet life, but after a bad breakup, he’s been yearning for a change of scenery. Luckily, his best friend and former college roommate has the solution.Wesley Reed—a jokester and expert Sam-handler—proposes an epic road trip to a wedding across the country. They’re both between jobs and boyfriends. Why not hit the open road and make some memories?Stuck in close quarters for the first time since their dorm days, they’re both surprised at the heat that springs up between them. As best friends, they’ve shared so much over the years, so why does sharing a hotel room—and occasionally a bed—make them want more? Chemistry this smoldering is hard to ignore, but there are road blocks to their romance. Wesley’s keeping a secret, and Sam can’t rely on Wesley to drag him out of his comfort zone forever. If they’re not careful, their relationship may take the ultimate wrong turn.
Date in a Pinch
Brigham Vaughn - 2021
Curious but inexperienced, Neil has no idea how to live out his fantasies until the hot lit teacher offers a helping hand.Alexander Ford likes to be in charge in the bedroom and he’s happy to tutor Neil in all things naughty. But when Neil asks him to pretend to be his date for the Sweetheart’s Game at Pendleton Bay’s Love Fest, Neil may be the one teaching Alexander about love.Note: Date in a Pinch was re-released in April 2021 with a brand new cover and an additional 11k of steamy new content.
Dance With Me
Heidi Cullinan - 2011
He hates his soul-killing office job, but he loves volunteering at a local community center. The only fly in his ointment is the dance instructor, Laurie Parker, who can’t seem to stay out of his way.Laurie was once one of the most celebrated ballet dancers in the world, but now he volunteers at Halcyon Center to avoid his society mother’s machinations. It would be a perfect escape, except for the oaf of a football player cutting him glares from across the room.When Laurie has a ballroom dancing emergency and Ed stands in as his partner, their perceptions of each other turn upside down. Dancing leads to friendship, being friends leads to becoming lovers, but most important of all, their partnership shows them how to heal the pain of their pasts. Because with every turn across the floor, Ed and Laurie realize the only escape from their personal demons is to keep dancing—together.
Echoes of Us
Teegan Loy - 2013
For Rylan Blake, love only complicates his life. After a disastrous trip home, Rylan and his best friend, Maggie, head back to Chicago to meet their new roommate, Jade Marin, and prepare for their final year of college.Love is the last thing Rylan expects when he meets Jade. But as the two men get to know each other and discover their mutual love of music, friendship becomes more. They compose songs and, at Maggie’s urging, post their work on YouTube—where the videos go viral and a music producer discovers them.But hitting it big isn’t always a good thing, especially when it comes with a price. When Rylan and Jade sign a deal with a big music company, they’re ordered to hide their relationship from the public and take fake girlfriends. At first, it’s a game, but as their fame grows, Rylan feels forced to choose: Does he stay and live a lie, or does he walk away from a life of fame—and from Jade?
Worship
Ella James - 2019
That’s the way I want it. Making you feel like we know each other—like we could go grab a beer sometime—is part of my job. Maybe the most vital part. It doesn’t hurt that I’m easy on the eyes, single at 35, and born richer than sin. My aesthetic matters much more than it should, but all the better for my worthy cause. And it’s a worthy cause. I’ve made an art out of making you feel good, and my influence makes you want to be good. Good like me. You think you know me, but you don’t. Everyone has secrets. Mine could cost me everything.So I’m a fortress. No one’s ever even gotten close. Until tonight. See that man, the tall guy dripping on the bow of my yacht? The one I just pulled from the ocean? He’s the one who’s going to cost me everything.***Book Two, Adore, will release November 11th.
Adam
Anthony McDonald - 2003
But there is another side to him, which comes to the fore when he falls for laborer Sylvain and gets sexually involved with two friends. The results are explosive in this passionate story of illicit romance and teenage angst-a combination that is eternally popular with gay readers.
My Mate Jack
Garrett Leigh - 2014
They’ve shared everything: love, life, laughs, even Will’s first kiss. But Jack’s straight, and Will’s long-buried infatuation means nothing until their last summer together draws to a close.Then one night, everything changes, but with Will bound for university in Leeds, and Jack for his dream DJ job in Ibiza, there’s no time to explore their blurred lines. Before long all that’s left are secrets, lies, and misunderstandings.In the months that follow, anger and hurt overshadow fifteen years of friendship, and Will must dig deep to remember Jack is his mate… his best mate, and nothing matters more than that, right?