Book picks similar to
Rim Shot by Skylar M. Cates
sports
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college
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Fourteen Summers
Quinn Anderson - 2018
When they were children, Aiden was happy to follow his extroverted brother’s lead, but now that they’re in college, being “my brother, Aiden” is starting to get old. He’s itching to discover who he is outside of his “twin” identity.Oliver’s goals for the summer are simple: survive his invasive family, keep his divorced parents from killing each other, and stay in shape for rowing season. He’s thrilled when he runs into his old friends, the Kingsman twins, especially Aiden, the object of a childhood crush. Aiden is all grown-up, but some things have stayed the same: his messy curls, his stability, and how breathless he makes Oliver. Oliver’s crush comes back full force, and the feeling is mutual. Summer just got a whole lot hotter.Fun-loving Max takes one thing seriously: his role as “big brother.” When Aiden drifts away, Max can’t understand how his own twin could choose a boy over him. Summer won’t last forever, and with friendship, family, and happily ever after on the line, they’ll have to navigate their changing relationships before it’s too late.
Wes and Toren
J.M. Colail - 2009
Senior Toren Grey cares more about his family and his grades than what brand of clothes he wears. He agrees with the majority consensus that he's a nerd. So he's quite surprised when resident bad boy Wesley Carroll speaks to him in the hall, stirring feelings that Toren has to hide. Disconcerted by Wes's free and easy ways, Toren can't deny the attraction between them. As he relaxes and gets to know Wes better, he finds there's more to the sexy rebel than his public image. Before long the young men are exploring new territory and falling in love, but life just isn't that simple. After they graduate, obstacles block their relationship at every turn: Wes working versus Toren in college, the virulent disapproval of parents, and everyday trials faced by any struggling young couple. Wes and Toren have to believe in each other... and never doubt that their love can conquer all.
Stroke Rate
L.M. Somerton - 2013
However, unbeknown to Benedict, he has attracted the attention of Lucien Thorne, rowing aristocracy, an Olympic medallist and a Lord.Whilst looking for a new rowing partner, Lucien believes he has found what he needs in Ben. He pushes him to his limits on the water and it becomes clear that rowing with the pretty young man is not his only interest. Ben is attracted to Lucien but confused about his feelings. Lucien is demanding, arrogant and dominant—which Benedict responds to even though he feels he should resist.Fighting emotions he doesn’t understand, Ben has to contend with the bullying rowing club president and a humiliating auction of promises.Lucien recognises Ben’s hidden submissive streak and makes his own need for control very clear. He bids for Ben’s time and then forces Ben to admit to his own desire to test the ground between them.When the deeds to the boat club are gambled away, Lucien and Ben must work together to save it. Will their growing love survive the pressure, Ben’s uncertainty and Lucien’s desire to own him completely?
Pull Me Under
Zarah Detand - 2014
Deny, deny, deny.2. Hope that his team and the public will just get over it.3. Make himself look better by means of a long-term, committed relationship.The problem? He has yet to really kiss another man.The solution? His manager knows just the guy.Enter Henry Brown: music student, openly gay, currently single, and so pretty that the public will just eat him up. He's all too happy to lend Ben a hand.Between public appearances and the media spotlight, they become friends. But when benefits come into play, the question is: are they ready for the real thing?Pull Me Under is a cheerful tale of two people finding truth in the middle of a media whirlwind — an emotional rollercoaster of slow ascents, magnificent drops and stomach-turning loops, all while hoping to come out with the sun on your face and a smile in your heart.
Hurricane Reese
R.L. Merrill - 2018
But can the love of two opposites survive caring for an ornery octogenarian with wayward balls and a meddling family insistent upon tradition?Fresh off the successful London run of his musical, the last thing Reese expects when he comes home is a house surrounded by paparazzi and his girlfriend throwing his stuff into the pool. All he wants to do is spend time with his beloved grandfather and musical mentor who suffers from Alzheimer’s. Reese knows he doesn’t have much time left before the elder Matheson forgets who he is. In classic “Hurricane Reese” form, he moves into the cottage by the sea and displaces Jude, the intriguing caregiver he hired two years before. When Grandpa proves too much for Reese to handle on his own, Jude comes to his rescue, taming Grandpa… and the Hurricane as well. Soon all Reese can think about is how to get Jude out of his scrubs and into his bed—permanently. Will Hurricane Reese destroy everything in his path, or will this odd couple learn to harmonize together?
The Invasion of Tork
Claire Davis - 2014
Until he meets Tork. Tork is clever and funny. He makes origami models and reads Dickens. Tork has green hair and makes Adam's heart race with longing. But Tork is homeless and not at all impressed with Adam's attitude.Can Adam see past his fear and arrogance? Can Tork give Adam a chance? Can two such different men turn the world upside down and find out what really matters? Read to find out their story.Content Warning: the story includes reference to and description of self-harming.* * * * *A story from Boughs of Evergreen: A Holiday Anthology
The Lighthouse Keeper
Jason Collins - 2020
Now I’m racing to Briton Bay to put my reporter skills to work. Nicholas, the lighthouse keeper, is a rare new face in this sleepy coastal town, and his connection to my aunt isn’t the only reason I’m interested.He’s not just a neighbor I keep bumping into, he’s a former doctor with a puzzling past I’m endlessly curious about—and a face I wouldn’t mind seeing every day. It isn’t long before we feel an undeniable spark, but our relationship is a new complication. Falling in love on the job wasn’t in my plans.I owe it to my aunt to keep a clear head, but I can’t investigate when all I can think about is Nicholas. I’ll need his insights to get to the bottom of this, and the closer I get, the more I risk heartbreak for us both.As it turns out, Nicholas may be the biggest mystery of all.NICHOLAS:I wanted a fresh start, but trouble follows me.I moved to Briton Bay to escape my past. It was never the plan to make friends with the locals, least of all my elderly neighbor. Her passing is a shock, but not as much as her nephew, a reporter, arriving in town to investigate.Alex is as sharp as he is hot, and I can’t keep my eyes off him. The last thing I need right now is romance, but I have second thoughts when our investigation brings us closer than I planned. Now there’s more at stake than I ever expected.But the sooner he solves this mystery, the closer he is to leaving town forever. I should keep my heart out of it—but that’s the one thing I can’t do.The more we’re together, the more dangerous this becomes.Note to readers: This is a standalone MM romance.
After The Fall
Sarah Goodwin - 2012
His wife is a stranger, his dead parents just a photograph, and his home an unfamiliar, shabby place that smells of dog.At a local support group for amnesiacs, Connor meets Nate, a fellow sufferer of retrograde amnesia. Nate has no memory, and no idea how he came to lose it, but he remains easy going, and Connor quickly considers the foulmouthed, chain-smoking Nate a friend. But, when Nate makes a pass at him, Connor starts to question everything he’s learnt about himself. Is he really a happily married 32 year old, or are secrets being kept from him?Who is the mysterious ‘Coop’ whose cryptic emails are still in his inbox? And why, on the day of his accident, was he driving with another man in his car? A man whose life, and death, are still a touchy subject at home.
Handle With Care
Cari Z. - 2018
Road-tripping to his brother's wedding with his best friend, Tyler, seems a fun way to spend the mandatory two-week leave, and they set out for Kansas--and a difficult homecoming.Aaron's mother was a drug addict, and his adorable younger brother was quickly adopted, while Aaron spent his childhood in foster care. As Aaron mends fences, Tyler hopes to show him that this time, he won't be left behind to face his problems alone.Aaron's opening up to how right it feels to be with Tyler and to the possibility of taking the leap from friends to lovers. But along with the wedding celebration comes a painful reminder of the past. Aaron's heart is still breakable. Can he put it in Tyler's hands?
Given the Circumstances
Brad Vance - 2013
Both men are hungry for connection – Brian needs the acceptance, encouragement and support he never had growing up, and when he finds out his new best friend is gay, it brings his own identity into question. Roger needs a big brother, a best friend, but that will never be enough, especially not when he’s this close to big, strong, handsome Brian. And both men want something more – careers as professional athletes. For Roger, the demands of the closet, the need to reject the love of a man to fulfill his love of the game, will be a crushing burden. For Brian, his downfall will be the substances he uses to get an edge over the competition, and to suppress his gnawing self-doubt and guilt.One set of desires will bring them together, the other will force them apart…
Romancing the Wrong Twin
Clare London - 2016
Zeb can’t make the date, so he asks his identical twin, Aidan, to stand in for just one evening. Aidan, a struggling playwright, shuns the limelight to the extent people don’t even know Zeb has a sibling, but he reluctantly agrees. When the deception has to continue beyond the first date, Aidan struggles to keep up the pretense. Dominic likes his sassy, intelligent companion, and Aidan starts falling for the forthright explorer. But how long can Aidan’s conscience cope as confusion abounds? Will coming clean as “the other twin” destroy the trust they’ve built? This story offers you a gruff anti-socialite, an introvert whose good nature gets taken advantage of, the glamorous world of London modelling, fake boyfriend, a charmingly hotch-potch theatre group, a heart-to-heart at the top of a mountain, and a mischievous pair of blue briefs! Author Note: this is the same book as previously published by Dreamspinner Press, but with a new cover, and now published by the author.
In Dreams He Came
Trina Lane - 2011
There’s always one constant in Gabe’s dreams: a nameless man whose love completes Gabe’s soul. Gabe is waiting for someone special in his “real” life as well, and his best friend Phil is determined to find Gabe his elusive knight in shining armor.Nick Jackson, a university alum and Olympic swimming champion, immediately recognizes the quiet young man from the swim team and convinces Gabe to give them a chance at building something special. Considering the palpable attraction between them, Nick surprises himself by quickly agreeing to take their budding relationship slow. Unfortunately, real life is not a fantasy, and Nick’s demanding schedule as a professional athlete and Gabe’s obligations to the swim team and his degree make finding time to spend together difficult.Have the two men found everlasting love, or will it all prove to be just another dream?
Not So Smart
Misha Horne - 2017
Except, it probably was."
JOSHDamon Price is a brutally hot, ripply muscled, scarily confident, dimpled god. Without his hard body to stare at three times a week, I probably would have dropped out of college months ago. Too bad he doesn't know I exist. But, even if he did know, even if it was true that he screwed anything and everything that moved, an awkward virgin like me would still be at the bottom of his to-do list.Even if he knew the kind of filthy stuff I actually wanted.Even if he knew the last thing I need is any kind of relationship.
"I never meant to f*ck a virgin."
DAMONI should have been out the door the second that word came out of his mouth. A virgin was not what I was looking for. Except, damn, he knew how to talk. Knew how to say things so off-the-grid dirty I hardly knew what to say back. And talk wasn't all he knew how to do. There's kinky, and then there's crazy, and then, apparently, there's Josh Holloway-- who's up for anything.And who I definitely should not still be thinking about.Because the last thing I need is any kind of relationship.NOT SO SMART is a 52,000 word enemies-to-(still-mostly-enemies-but-also-)lovers novel, featuring messed up college guys who are great at lying to themselves, wall to wall sex, naked guitar playing, inappropriate library behavior, inappropriate dressing room behavior, inappropriate tube sock behavior, bondage, spanking, little bit of shoplifting, and some very unwelcome romantic feelings.**NOT SO SMART is based on a previously published short story series (Smart Boy). It has been substantially re-edited and expanded by 30,000 words.
Broken Silence
Felice Stevens - 2019
He’s served his time but remains a prisoner of his past, unable to forgive himself for failing his family when they needed him most. Justin’s grief is overwhelming, but he keeps silent and focuses on his goals. About to graduate college, he tries to keep his head above water—no matter how many times life keeps knocking him down. When he’s forced to register for a poetry-writing class, Justin discovers putting words to his feelings might be exactly what his fractured heart needs to heal. Or is it the older professor with the bow ties and gentle smile who gives him a chance when no one else will? Professor Foster Faraday Harding is a broken man. His divorce is final, and he’s reverted back to the safety of his books. Even his poetry no longer brings him joy; he’s sleepwalking through life. The raw emotion of Justin’s poetry awakens Foster to desires he thought long buried in the ashes of his marriage. When he discovers Justin is struggling financially, Foster offers him a solution that benefits both of them. Soon it’s Foster who’s struggling with emotions he can’t understand: Justin is his student. And a man. One crazy night years earlier doesn’t mean anything. Foster is straight. After months of denying the growing attraction between them, an unexpected kiss changes everything. Justin and Foster are no longer only professor and student—they’ve become lovers, but the strain of hiding their relationship increases with each passing day. Words have the power not only to hurt but to heal the greatest pain. If Foster and Justin listen to what their hearts are saying, they might break through their silence and live their own love poems—together.