Checking Him Out
Debbie McGowan - 2014
He and Elise have been in Boston for eight years, he loves her, and she loves him. They’ve got a great apartment that’s kept its value, they’re both up for promotion, and he can hook up with any guy he likes—all the sex he wants, so long as it’s of the “no strings” variety. And that’s all fine and dandy… until a chance meeting at the checkout. * * * “This isn’t a fluffy m/m filled with stupid misunderstandings…this is a book about the cost of being truly grown up; not in a YA coming of age, but in a turning over a whole new chapter way, complete with love and loss. Excellent read.” “…wonderful and refreshing and just laugh out loud funny at times.” “A powerfully written, life changing book. A beautiful read.” * * * WARNING: this story contains sex acts between consenting male adults. * * * Also in this series: Checking Him Out For the Holidays - a Hanukkah/Christmas novella. Hiding Out - a Hiding Behind The Couch / Checking Him Out crossover novella.* * * * * * First published as part of the Love's Landscapes Anthology (DRiTC 2014, MMRomanceGroup.com), based on the prompt: Dear Author, When I met the love of my new life (his words not mine…ass), I was simply waiting in the checkout line. I might have been caught up in a conversation with my best friend/wife of X amount of years about something, I can’t remember at the moment. So anyway, we were distracted and didn’t notice that the line had moved. So after maybe 30 seconds, or a minute at the most (I’m pretty sure it wasn’t that long), Mr. Impatient, with an accent like that character on The Originals (not that I watch that show at my age), got our attention in the rudest way in my opinion, or in my wife’s heart-of-a-ho opinion, the kindest way possible for our insensitive asses. I’m pretty sure his accent, mixed with his damn charm, got him out of more trouble than it should. We had a rough start, but we had quiet moments when we weren’t all over each other or fighting, in and out of bed. Anyway, I would love a story about our first year. P.S. I want a story with interesting secondary characters interacting with the main characters. I want it to be known that the marriage is a *lavender marriage—no one is being fooled here. I want humor mixed in with hot-damn, slightly overwhelming sex. Alpha males with a bad case of the giggles at inappropriate moments. No BDSM please. One other request is that I wish the main characters to be in the age range of late twenties to early thirties. *A lavender marriage is a “beard” marriage of convenience. Sincerely, T
Long Winter
Rachel Ember - 2021
Alone, that is, except for his three devious cats, four saddle horses, and the forty-eight mustangs that roam the ranch. Robbie is preparing for yet another snowfall when he gets the last call he expected—a plea to pick up Lance Taylor from the county jail.Lance wasn’t just his little brother’s best friend, he was a part of the family. Then, one night, after Lance asked Robbie for something Robbie couldn’t give, he ran away and never came back. Lance was sixteen and heartbroken when he left his middle-of-nowhere hometown. Six years later, he’s at rock bottom with nowhere else to go, and no one to turn to but Robbie, the man Lance has been inconveniently in love with for most of his life.When Robbie offers Lance a place to stay, Lance expects a guest bedroom and awkward silences. Instead, he finds himself sharing Robbie’s one-room hayloft apartment and its single bed, while realizing that the old flame he carries for Robbie might not be so hopeless, after all.Long Winter is the first book in the Wild Ones series and has a happy-for-now ending. Robbie and Lance’s story continues in Signs of Spring.
Let There Be Light
A.M. Johnson - 2018
Hard work and drive kept Royal O'Connell one step ahead of his competition. His spot on the swim team, keeping his scholarship, was the only plan that mattered. His world was ebony and ivory. Natural talent and ambition set Camden Morgan apart from the other music majors. His dedication scoring him a full ride. Normally, their paths would have never crossed….But when Royal meets his best friend's new roommate, his big plan and Camden’s controlled environment faces a variable that could destroy it all. Attraction. The world they live in had no room for error. That undeniable pull between them was dangerous and neither one of them could've prepared for the choice they'd have to make. Love isn't always an easy road and, when everything they've worked for is on the line, they'll have to decide if being together is worth the risk. Let There Be Light is a full-length standalone.
The Straight Friend
Raleigh Ruebins - 2022
Is it so wrong that I’m madly in love with him?Ryder has always been there for me, even throughout years of being deployed in the Army overseas. Now he’s finally out of the military, back in our small-town home, and it’s everything I’ve ever wanted....Other than the fact that I secretly want to drag him into bed every night.My simple life as a high school teacher isn’t exactly as action-packed as Ryder’s life has been. But now that he’s back home, he’s searching for somewhere to belong, too. And when he tells me he’s curious about experimenting with men--in bed--I just about choke on my beer.But is Ryder just trying me out? Or could my straight best friend actually be the one?
Relay
Layla Reyne - 2018
A last chance at swimming gold, a second chance at lasting love.
Team captain.Olympic medalist.Devoted son and brother.Alex has it all, and all the demands that go with being the best.The last thing he needs on his crowded plate—and on his team—is his closeted ex.Dane is swimming’s biggest star.Carefully crafted from crib to pool, his fame feeds his celebrity parents’ empire.He dropped the act once—the summer he fell in love with Alex.Ten years later, the performance is crushing his soul.So is resisting the man he still loves.As the team struggles to gel, Alex and Dane clash in and out of the pool.Forgive and forget is easier said than done.But something has to give, if Alex and Dane want a shot at gold.And a second chance at love.Team captain and team celebrity square off in this enemies to lovers, second chance MM sports romance between two elite swimmers fighting against their hearts and fighting for Olympic gold.
Trouble On Top
Billie Bloom - 2021
Oh, and did I mention he’s replacing me as goalie for the MU hockey team?Everyone wants him, myself included, but he’s pure trouble…If only I had the willpower to say no to him.ParkerGrayson’s finally noticing me and it’s not just because of my hockey prowess. He can deny me all he wants, but I can see the truth in his eyes and taste it on his tongue when I finally break down his walls. What’s life without a little risk?Previously published as, The Rulebreaker; This is a short novella
Hanging Loose
Lou Harper - 2011
After graduating from art school Nate left the Midwest for sunny Southern California, not quite sure what he hoped to find. It was almost certainly not falling in love with another man. His whole world and assumptions about himself begin to slowly turn upside down on one hot summer day. Seeking respite from the heat and his loneliness at Venice Beach he has a chance encounter with a handsome blond surfer. Jez is friendly, easygoing, and just a little bit mysterious. Openly gay, Jez offers Nate a place to stay, and the two men become fast friends. Nate makes new friends, adjusts to his new life, but his unbidden attraction to Jez keeps growing. In their moments of closeness Nate realizes that he wants Jez more than just a friend, but it might be too late. To make Jez his, Nate has to face not only his own fears and insecurities, but his mysterious mate has secrets of his own. Warning: Al fresco man-love, a scene-stealing old coot, and a relentless California sun.
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.*
Something Sweet
Megan Derr - 2011
The kind of day he loves, even if the looming New Year's Eve leaves him feeling nostalgic and a little lonely. But then the last person he ever expected to see walks through the door of his shop, and Sherlock realizes that some things don't fade with time, but grow stronger.
Macon's Story
Hennessee Andrews - 2013
One is taboo, his best friend Wade Sutherland. His second love is the rodeo, where their problems begin. When a nosy reporter clicks a picture at the rodeo, capturing Wade and Macon kissing, life is never the same and neither are their relationships with their family and peers. As outcasts in their small, narrow-minded town, Wade and Macon feel the effects daily. Wade becomes secretive with their relationship, foolishly believing that hiding is the answer. What he doesn't realize is how much harm he is inflicting on Macon by doing so. Sneaking away for intimate moments with Wade are as hurtful as the glares Macon receives from people who are supposed to be neighbors, friends. Even roping buddies have stopped inviting them to functions. He can't stand how he feels or how Wade is treating him. When he receives a call from Zander Wesley, he sees a new life and opportunity for him and Wade. Note: This book is written in one point of view.Note: This book was previously available as a free read on Goodreads under the title Rough in the Saddle. ** A Siren Erotic Romance
Home Ice
Kate Sherwood - 2011
But Mike went off to be a star in the NHL and Jason stayed behind to start his life as the dedicated, deeply closeted coach of the town’s junior hockey team.Now Mike is back in town and Jason finds that their passion burns as hot as ever. But they’re both still in the closet and when Jason is threatened with exposure, he freezes. The flames of desire can’t melt Jason’s fears, but maybe, just maybe, the warmth of love will thaw the ice.
Swimming the Distance
Annabeth Albert - 2016
Despite sharing a home and a dog with Kyle, three-time Olympian Bohdan Petrov isn’t ready to come out publicly. After Bohdan’s lies start stacking up, Kyle’s not sure he can keep waiting quietly in the shadows. When their estrangement takes a toll on Bohdan’s performance, both must decide where their priorities lay once and for all.
Playing for Keeps
Lexi Ander - 2013
Caught in a compromising position, rumors abound. It's hard enough to be an openly gay football player, but gossip and snide comments only add to his stress. Threats against his partners causes Trent to wonder if he should step back from the relationship.AJ and Brock know there is something wrong when Trent begins to pull away. A call from Trent's father only adds to his distress. AJ and Brock refuse to let him shoulder the responsibility alone and they call for help. Will Trent find the strength to withstand the pressure and hold on to those he loves? Or will AJ and Brock be too late to convince Trent that they are playing for keeps?
Soft Hands
Ariel Bishop - 2018
Some say it’s ‘cause he doesn’t have any heart, but if you asked him at his most honest it’s because his heart isn’t his own: he’s hopelessly in love with his best friend and former linemate, who’s now happily married and traded away to Seattle last season.Playing the ice has always come easy...When Xander asks out Jordan Darling, team trainer and massage therapist, he doesn't expect to get shot down. It’s a first, but it only makes Xander that much more determined to make Jordan his. But Jordan wants a relationship, not just the one-night stands that make up Xander’s sexual life.Just when he thought his heart was on ice, love comes skating in...What Xander doesn’t know is that Jordan has been nursing an unrequited crush on him for over a year. Lonely without his best friend, when he finally opens his eyes to what is right in front of him, the chemistry is undeniable. And for once, it keeps Xander coming back for moreIs Jordan the other half of his heart? Will Xander put his player days and ways behind him? Or will he push Jordan away to find someone who deserves him?Find out in this steamy sports romance novel, filled with heart-stopping moments, heart-pounding sexual tension, and two hearts that just might be what the other needs.
Playing for Keeps
Avery Cockburn - 2015
Reeling from a brutal breakup, he’s determined to captain his LGBT soccer team out of scandal and into a winning season. For that, he needs strict rules and careful plans. He does NOT need a brash, muscle-bound lad messing with his head and setting his body afire.John Burns has a rule of his own: Don’t get attached. Boyfriends are for guys with nothing to hide. Nobody—not his university mates, not the men he beds—knows his family’s shame. Now his double life is starting to unravel, thanks to a certain Highlander whose storm-riddled eyes turn John inside out, who wears a kilt like he was born in it.Fergus is the first man John wants to share his secret with—but he’s the last man who could handle it. John knows the truth would shatter Fergus’s still-fragile heart. But how can he live a lie when he’s falling in love?