Book picks similar to
Off-Balance by Brigham Vaughn
m-m
mm
age-gap
contemporary
The Palisade
Rosalind Abel - 2017
It was supposed to be just one night in town to close the deal, and sleeping with one of the local men, no matter how gorgeous, meant nothing more than a few hours of fun.Andrew Kelly is perfectly content with the life he has in his hometown. So much so that the only thing missing is someone to share it with. Going to bed with a tourist was never meant to be the answer to his dreams, just a beautiful distraction. He could get back to looking for Mr. Right the next day.Both Andrew’s and Joel’s worlds are turned upside down when a few hours of pleasure get extended to a couple of days. Even that shouldn’t have been a big deal. You can’t fall in love in that amount of time. That isn’t how it works. However, if destinies collide, a few short days may be all it takes to find your soul mate. Even so, when secrets and motivations get tangled, fate may do nothing more than leave two hearts in pieces.
Someday, Someday
Emma Scott - 2019
From addiction and living on the streets, to recovery and putting himself through nursing school, he’s spent the last ten years rebuilding his shattered sense of self. Now he’s taken a job as a private caretaker to Edward Marsh III, the president and CEO of one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world. Max soon learns Marsh’s multi-billion-dollar empire is a gold and diamond-encrusted web of secrets and lies.The longer Max works and lives with the Marsh family, the tighter the secrets tangle around him. And his heart—that he’s worked so hard to protect—falls straight into the hands of the distant, cold, and beautiful son of a dynasty…Silas Marsh is set to inherit the family fortune, but his father is determined his heir be the “perfect” son. Before Silas can take over the company and end its shady business practices, he must prove himself worthy…and deny his true nature.Silas must choose: stand up to his father by being true to himself and his undeniable feelings for Max. Or pretend to be someone he is not in order to inherit everything. Even if it means sacrificing his first chance at love.Content warning: contains scenes of conversion therapy, homophobia, and parental verbal abuse of a neurodivergent character. Readers are advised to proceed with caution.
Letting Go
Ashton Cade - 2018
But when my brother's old best friend and my teen crush Ian Barrett is here too, I find myself making excuses to stick around a little longer. He's still everything I've ever wanted, but this former baseball star is also a big-time player... if you know what I mean. I don't know what Ian would ever see in steady, reliable Grant Rainier. But I also know I can't stay away. When we start working away together on his dream, I know I'm in trouble. One glance and my heart melts, along with my resolve. Being with him means staying in Umberland and giving up my big-city ambitions, but being without him means losing the best thing that's ever happened to me. How am I supposed to let go of either one? Ian: I've had my share of men, but I've also attracted more than my share of controversy. And since I was a teenager, the Rainier family has always been my rock—I feel like part of the clan. When I see Grant Rainier again, I can't help but remember him as a teenager just off to college... and now the boy is all man. For the first time in my life, the chemistry is there, and so is the caring. But should I subject him to the whirlwind of my life? And can I risk the peace and solitude I've given up everything for? Letting Go is the first book in the Rainier Family series and can be read on its own. 67k words of dreamy, steamy, wishes-come-true love, getting over long-standing fears, Rainiers running interference, and a whole big, bustling, small-town family waiting for its HEA.
On the Rocks
Garett Groves - 2018
A country singing sensation. A small town second chance. Jason Smith has spent his whole life trying to escape Beauclaire, North Carolina, the tiny town where he was born and raised. But when his father passes away and leaves the family’s troubled bar to him, Jason’s sure he’s never going to escape the town and the painful memories that haunt him. Dan Montgomery never wanted to audition on America’s Next Top Singer, but gave in when he felt Beauclaire sink its dream-killing hooks into him. His unexpected success on the show launched a smash country music career—but it also cost him the only man who loved him before he was famous: Jason. After two exhausting, tumultuous years on the road, Dan longs for Jason and a quiet life in sleepy Beauclaire with all its quirks. So when he learns his mother is ill, he rushes home to care for her—and to croon his way back into Jason’s heart. Though they’ve both changed for the better since Dan’s been gone, Jason’s afraid to give their passionate but rocky romance a second chance. With a struggling bar to save and the eyes of the world watching Dan’s every move, it seems downright reckless—but Jason’s never been able to resist Dan. Can the two find a way to be together again? Or will they water down like whiskey on the rocks? On the Rocks is the first in the Southern Comforts series of small town, southern romances. Though each can be read and enjoyed alone, they fit together like butter on a biscuit when read as part of the series. If you like your romances with healthy sides of sweet tea, town gossip, “bless your hearts,” and scenes so steamy they’ll make your Mama drag you to church, you’ll love this latest book from Garett Groves!
Bunny
K.M. Neuhold - 2020
Bunny can be read as a stand alone but features a secondary character from Ziggy.
Aidan and Ethan
Cameron Dane - 2008
Never had the name of a town been more apt or mocked a person more.Aidan Morgan made many mistakes in his young life, but moving to Redemption gave him a chance to wash away his poor choices and repair his relationship with his siblings.Ethan Ashworth had the blond good looks of a hometown football star, but the picture didn’t match the heart and mind of the young man living inside.The new kid in town with a history of getting into trouble and an unlikely geek don't often make a match, but a unique friendship forms. With one searing kiss on graduation day, promises of a future are made. One day later Aidan is gone, and Ethan’s heart is left broken.Redemption, Maine. Never had the name of a town been more apt or mocked a person more … twice.Thirteen years ago Aidan disappeared in the dead of night, but he is home now. Aidan has come home to take the job of chief of the fire department and to reconnect with his brother and sister. He wants Ethan back too. Unable to forget their kiss, Aidan wants to explain why he went away, and he wants a second chance to win Ethan’s heart.Too bad for Aidan, Ethan isn’t so quick to forgive and forget. He dealt with a life-changing crisis after Aidan went away. His hurt and anger at how Aidan left him alone has resurfaced, bringing the controlled man back to life. Ethan will listen to Aidan’s reasons for leaving when he’s damn good and ready … and not a minute before.Redemption, Maine. A place for second chances. Will the town--and Ethan Ashworth--give Aidan Morgan another shot to get it right?
Incoming
A.E. Wasp - 2016
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.
Thief of Hearts
K. Evan Coles - 2019
Mark Mannix doesn’t believe in love or romance, which is ironic given his birthday falls on Valentine’s Day. As he approaches forty, Mark is perfectly content with his life and nursing career in Boston, and—outside of his long-time friend-with-benefits, Alistair—prefers his hookups to be one-night stands. When Mark’s plans for New Year’s Eve fall through, he attends his sister’s party and meets Owen Todd, a graphic designer of Caribbean descent. Owen is more than a decade younger than Mark and, at first glance the two men appear to have little in common. The chemistry between them is potent, however, and Mark breaks his no-strings pattern, seeing Owen week after week. A connection forms between the two men, leaving Mark in uncharted territory and drawn to Owen in ways he’s never known before. Even so, Mark continues his hookups with Alistair but is startled when Owen withdraws out of a desire to protect himself. His foundations shaken, Mark must decide if he can watch Owen walk away or … if the time has come to follow his heart in a new direction.
Carry and Drag
Michelle Frost - 2018
Eat. Sleep. Repeat. Qualifying to compete on a national level is all that’s on power lifter Dagen Rourke’s mind. After an injury sidelined him the previous year, his only goal has been to overcome the physical challenges and mental demons to get back in the game. Falling into bed with the new artist at his brother’s tattoo shop was never part of his training schedule. Now he has to find a balance between the time he wants to give Ollie and the brutal training for what could be the most important competition of his life. Run. Tattoo. Doze. Keep going. Oliver Vos jumps at the chance to work at Vidar Rourke’s award-winning tattoo shop, Open Wounds. Getting out from under a nasty mentor and making it on his own is all Ollie has dreamed of for years. Unbeknownst to him, the room Vidar offers to rent him until he’s back on his feet would have him sharing space with tempting gentle giant, Dagen. Living together is an adjustment, and when the heat between them morphs into something more will old insecurities and new tests drag them apart? Or will they find a way to carry the weight of their burdens…together? Carry and Drag is the introductory novella to the contemporary MM romance series Open Wounds. This book contains mature content meant for adult readers.
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.
Put a Ring on It
K.A. Mitchell - 2015
His adopted siblings are all overachievers thanks to his driven, liberal parents, but Kieran has elected to avoid disappointing anyone by not getting their hopes up. He’s coasting through his early twenties when he’s hit head-on by Theo. The successful decade-older Broadway producer sweeps him off his feet for a whirlwind thirteen months that are pretty sweet until it all comes screeching to a halt on Valentine’s Day, with an unexpected proposal via a NYC Times Square Flash mob.Now everyone wants in on the wedding, except the grooms…
The Intern
Serena Akeroyd - 2020
One I’m quite willing to pay. In fact, I prefer it. It’s easier that way, and in my life, I prefer ease. Prefer for most things to be transactional. So when the intern disrupts my day, I’m not happy about it. I have a dark and dirty little secret he knows about. One that could destroy my reputation in a world where reputation is everything.That makes him dangerous. He could ruin me professionally, wreck my life, but the touch of his mouth to mine, the feel of him in my arms—they’re all I can think about. I’m intoxicated. Drunk on him, when I’ve always been sober. Micah I’m gay. The freedom in admitting that is intoxicating. Enough to make me feel drunk with the relief of finally being myself. But what feels better?Devlin. He’s my boss. He holds my future in his hands in more ways than he knows, but he isn’t as free as I am. Doesn’t have the same freedom I do to own up to what he is.Because of that, I know I’m losing him. I can feel us becoming DOA. But is he worth fighting for when he won’t admit what I am to him? What we mean to one another?I guess you’ll have to read on to find out…THE INTERN is a standalone contemporary MM romance, with an easter egg for fans of Serena Akeroyd’s novels.Sensitive readers please note, this book includes a graphic rape scene.
The Only Way to Live
M.A. Innes - 2020
Nothing, that is, until Derek senses some unexpected curiosity from the man he always thought was straight. But who better than an adventurous switch to help Sean explore his wild side?Sean knows better than to take Derek’s teasing seriously. There’s a reason he’s always called the impetuous younger man “the pest.” But when Derek’s playful banter leads to some interesting reactions, Sean has to decide what’s more important…hiding behind what he’s always assumed or finally getting to discover who he really was all along.62k wordsStory Contains: M/m sexual content, playful use of the term Daddy, BDSM elements, spanking, a mischievous switch, a fun adult toy store, and a man who always thought he was straight.Author’s Note: There is no age play in this book, although Derek loves to drive Sean crazy about their age difference.
Out of the Blue
Kay Simone - 2020
After all, it’s a small price to pay to focus on his career (even though his overbearing boss seems to hate him). But then young Michael—young, hot, and horny—appears, out of the blue.Older and tattooed, Geoff is exactly the kind of guy Michael’s dad is going to hate. That makes him hotter, right?Romance is the last thing on Michael’s mind when he meets the tough-looking, tattooed Geoff one day on the beach. Michael doesn’t bother hoping for anything more than a steamy one-time encounter with this hot DILF—not after everything he’s been through. He may be a survivor, but he knows never to expect good things in his life, or good guys.Sometimes, the island feels smaller than it is.Sparks fly when Geoff and Michael meet by chance in their insular island community. They can’t seem to keep away from each other, despite their age gap. But when Geoff realizes that he’s dating his boss’s son, their entire world comes crashing down, and Geoff must choose between his career and his relationship.You’re the only one who’s made me feel anything good since everything happened...There is something undeniable between Michael and Geoff, a connection that’s deeper than the mind-blowing sex. Can their bond grow into a life together on the island, or will Michael’s father do anything he can to snuff out the flames of their fire?
Time for Goodbyes
Jay Argent - 2019
A boy next door. The latter dates a girl, but will that change soon?
After Kevin meets Lucas, he can’t get him out of his mind. And as if life at Oak River High isn’t hard enough, Kevin has a girlfriend. In the web of mixed feelings and unjust expectations, one thing leads to another, and ultimately someone’s heart is broken.Time for Goodbyes is a sweet romance and the first novel in Jay Argent’s Oak River Boys series. It’s a story about the kind of love that isn’t always easy but is definitely worth fighting for.