Book picks similar to
Best Laid Plans by Zoe Dawn
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romance
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Boyfriend or Bust
Claire Castle - 2018
That's what happens when your greatest flaw seems to be to talk first and think later. How can Sam Bixton say no to his little sister's request for him to go to Greece with her best friend, who he's only admired from afar? Who would turn down fun in the sun with the one guy that's always been off-limits? Carson and Sam have a lot to learn about each other, and very little time to do it. Will they succeed in convincing Carson's ex that they're devoted boyfriends, or is it all about to go bust?
The Substitute
Sean Ashcroft - 2018
When his flakey younger brother walks out on his fiance on the eve of their wedding--and therefore robs the poor guy of his chance to go back to school--Flynn steps in to clean up the mess Aiden’s left behind, like he always does. Getting married wasn’t exactly on his to-do list, but what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, right? Except now he’s invested, and Zach’s a sweetheart who doesn’t take him for granted, and after a spur-of-the-moment kiss, Flynn’s forced to confront some feelings he’s never acknowledged before. Feelings for another man. But with Zach protecting his broken heart and Flynn afraid that he’s just a substitute for Aiden looming over them, can they be happy together? Or will they let their doubts and fears tear them apart? The Substitute is a standalone gay romance with a HEA ending. It contains: Flynn getting handsy with Zach’s pottery, environmental responsibility, a slightly meddlesome grandma, explicit sex scenes, true love conquering all, and two weddings.
Not Used To Cute
Becca Seymour - 2020
A lost soul who’s afraid to trust. When Elijah and Seb meet, sparks fly. But will either of them find the courage to take what they want?Pouring his all into his business, Elijah is perfectly content running his bar. With its prime location and its infamous drag shows, Bar QK is the place to be. Elijah is used to meeting new and sometimes interesting people, but it’s rare anyone catches his interest for anything longer than a five-minute conversation.It takes a wandering, unfiltered surfer, who’s tired of the chase and dog-tired of people taking advantage of him, to spark long-buried interest in Elijah.While kindness runs through his veins, Seb doesn’t believe in fairy tales. He has a past he’d rather forget and has no real expectations for his future. He believes it’s safer to not make assumptions about anything or anyone; that way, he’ll remain safe.It takes his elusive, aloof boss, whose mixed messages are more confusing than Ikea furniture instructions, to show Seb that opening his heart can be worth the risk.When Elijah and Seb find themselves working on a common goal, the high stakes may be just the nudge they need.Not Used To Cute is a low-angst, beach-town gay romance set in the Sunshine Coast, Australia.
All About Sawyer
Marissa Holt - 2018
If Sawyer didn’t know who Kace was then, Kace definitely knew Sawyer: gorgeous, honor student, gymnastic enigma, and star football player. A boy Kace wouldn’t dare dream he’d ever have. The guys Kace now met in the big city were okay, but they weren’t Sawyer. Nothing like Sawyer.At least until Kace stepped into Steam, Atlanta’s hottest male strip club, discovering the star entertainer looked almost like Sawyer. A little too much like him. But tattooed bad boy strippers were a definite no no on Kace’s check list of compatible guys. However, Kace might have to rethink his strict rules when Sawyer pursues him…and Kace finds himself growing totally infatuated again with the one guy he always wanted.SawyerDemanding pressure caused golden boy, Sawyer Jensen, to rebel against everything he was raised to be after graduating high school. Using his good looks and muscled physique, he pursued an exciting life as a male stripper. Coaxed into taking a job at Steam in Atlanta as the main attraction, Sawyer is soon intrigued by a shy-cutie that looks familiar. Sawyer pursues Kace and contemplates more in life than just random hookups…unaware of Kace’s past super-secret high school crush. When four years of suppressed hidden passion explodes, Kace faces increasing obstacles that threaten to destroy his one chance at finally landing his ultimate dream man.All About Sawyer is a steamy second chance M/M Romance Novel with a guaranteed HEA and is Book 1 of He’s The One Series. Can be read as a standalone.
From the Ashes
C.M. Valencourt - 2018
At their friend Justin's funeral, once-best-friends Derek and Hunter meet again almost four years after their monumental falling out. Hunter kissed Derek, and Derek freaked out and chose a college on the other side of the country. If they had a choice, both of them would walk away and never see the other again. Except Justin has given them a mission: an epic road trip to scatter his ashes all over the Midwest, complete with cryptic notes, new friends, and a whole lot of sexual tension. Can Derek and Hunter finish Justin's road trip without ripping each other's heads—or clothes—off? This is a stand-alone 65,000-word m/m novel with an HEA ending.
Born for Leaving
Jude Munro - 2020
Too bad distractions, like the hot little convertible he has his eye on, cost megabucks. And Oliver is flat broke. Renting the spare bedroom in his rundown beachfront cottage is his only option to pick up the cash he needs--a risky proposition, as Oliver is the polar opposite of a people-person. When he responds to a bizarre ad in the Waterfront Gazette seeking summer housing, he gets more than he bargained for. But Oliver can cope... After all, how much harm can a single quirky tenant do to his tightly guarded life in three short months?Where Oliver is a loner by design, urban cowboy Bodie is a loner by necessity. A family dispute long ago dropkicked him onto the path of a lifelong wanderer. This changes when Bodie moves into the tiny beachfront cottage and starts working the door at Oliver's bar.Despite Oliver and Bodie's nearly paralyzing instinct to avoid commitment, they fall into a wary romance. And to their surprise, life as a couple is sweetly satisfying; that is, until their jealous boss devises a cruel plan to destroy the tentative bond they've built. True to form, Bodie hits the road, leaving Oliver to lick his wounds alone.Can these wounded souls defy their urge to flee and fight for love?**Trigger Warning: discussion of childhood sexual molestation of adult character, graphic physical violence, off-page coerced sexual relationship
Dumped
Lucy Hawkins - 2018
Too ashamed to show his face in Manhattan again, Alex flees for his upstate hometown and vows never to plan another wedding again. When his best friend announces her engagement, she begs him to reconsider his decision. Torn between his duty as BFF and his newly acquired cynicism for love, Alex reluctantly agrees. Little does he know that by agreeing to do so, he’s also agreeing to work with his high school bully, Hank Morrison. Once a college football star heading for greatness, Hank Morrison now runs the inn he inherited from his aunt in the small town of Redwood. The problem is, his aunt’s beloved inn isn’t getting business and with the bank threatening repossession, Hank needs to come up with a way to acquire money fast. When his high school nemesis and first love interest, Alex shows up wanting to plan a wedding at the inn, he can’t turn down the kind of money on offer. Even if it means having to deal with the uptight wedding planner who always thought he was too good for him. Opposites in every way, Alex can't ever imagine hunky straight Hank ever being anything to him. Until he finds out Hank isn't so straight after all. Especially after all those years he made his life hell. Tensions run high between the pair as they're forced into close proximity due to their working relationship. It also means that they can't help getting to know each other and when they find out they aren't as different as they once thought, things become complicated.
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.
Strong Enough
Melanie Harlow - 2017
I wasn’t looking for Derek Wolfe.I wasn’t looking for anybody. All I wanted was to start a new life in America. But when I found myself stranded here with no place to go, he came to my rescue, offering me a place to stay.He’s smart, successful, and sexy as hell—I can barely sleep knowing he’s right down the hall. And when the chemistry between us explodes one night with fierce, fiery passion, it’s hard to deny there’s something real there.But he does.He says he was drunk. He says it was a one-time thing. He says he’s not into guys and what we did meant nothing.He’s lying. Because it happened again, and again, and again. And it’s better every time. I know we could be good together, and I want the chance to try, but I’m done hiding. If he’s not strong enough to admit the truth, I’ll have to be strong enough to walk away.
The James Dean Vintage
Jess Whitecroft - 2018
Driven by social embarrassment and the anxiety that the messy truth might kill off his ninety-nine year old grandmother, Oliver finds himself ‘married’ to one James Dean Jackson. Hustler, card-counter, lapdancer, drifter – Dean is seemingly a chronic liar, a human tumbleweed incapable of putting down roots. By contrast, Oliver is as deeply rooted as the grape vines that are his livelihood. Oliver’s idea of heaven is a 1945 Chateau d’Yquem, while Dean thinks veraison is a cellphone provider and once almost did the Pinot Noir monologue from Sideways over a Laurent-Perrier Rosé. As the season unfolds and the grapes ripen, the mismatched pair begin to discover that playing the perfect husband isn’t so hard after all, especially when the other person might just have the thing you were missing all along.
Anticipating Disaster
Silvia Violet - 2019
Oliver hates cold weather, sports, and socializing, but he loves his grandmother, so when she organizes a family reunion at a ski lodge in Wyoming, he reluctantly agrees to go. He promises her he’ll take one ski lesson, though he plans to spend as much time as possible in his room. After a registration mix-up places Oliver in a children’s lesson, a hot stranger comes to his rescue and offers to teach him. Oliver indulges in all kinds of fantasies about the tall, outdoorsy man, even ones including Oliver’s biggest secret, the satin and lace he likes to wear under his jeans. The mention of a past girlfriend makes Oliver assume his fantasy man is straight until the man starts making innuendos and looking at Oliver with heat in his eyes. David has never been one for casual hookups. For the last few years, he’s focused all his energy on starting his own business, but now he’s ready to make a real connection with someone. As he gets to know Oliver, he realizes there’s the potential for something special between them. Most people see Oliver as a nerdy guy who talks too much when he’s nervous and knows far too many trivial facts. David sees the real Oliver, a man bursting with creativity and intelligence who needs someone to show him how special he is. Just because David hasn’t been with a man before doesn’t mean he hasn’t wanted to. Can he start a relationship when Oliver’s only staying in Wyoming for a week? David plans on spending every moment he has convincing Oliver that David can keep him warm, no matter what the weather—or the world—sends their way.
As You Wish
Isobel Starling - 2015
Sam was abroad finishing his studies so the best men communicated by email for more than a year and wouldn't meet for the first time until a few days before the wedding. But on meeting Sam Aiken, Declan is surprised to see he isn't a kid at all, but a striking, athletic blond man with gorgeous green eyes and a wicked sense of humor. Declan is alarmed by the ferocious attraction he feels for Sam. And as the attraction is reciprocated, the events at Dunloch Castle change everything Declan has ever believed about himself. But is Sam Aiken all he appears to be?
Tease Me
A.T. Brennan - 2020
I’ve caught the feels for a client. Working as a mechanic and moonlighting as an escort takes up most of my time. The rest is split between hanging out with my friends and coworkers and taking care of my brother. I didn’t have the time or the desire for a relationship until I met a client I couldn’t get out of my head. Ryan is kind, attentive, and downright addictive. His maturity, as well as his calm and slightly awkward nature, draws me in. We’re as different as can be, but after an explosive first meeting, I can tell there’s something between us. Lines become blurred and boundaries are pushed as we continue to meet. Neither of us is looking for more, but Ryan is the first guy I can’t seem to get out of my head. I’m not sure what I want, I just know that ending things isn’t an option. Tease Me is a steamy 70k word, opposites attract, hurt/comfort story featuring an age gap, an empowered sex worker, some zany coworkers, and accidental feels. It is Book One in the Rebel Mechanics series but can be read as a standalone.
Guarded Hearts
Louisa Keller - 2018
Cue Forest Ethridge, my prickly, defensive coworker. I'm drawn to him right off the bat...despite the fact that he seems to find me more of a nuisance than anything else. I fall hard and fast, despite his warnings that I should guard my heart carefully. Just as he's opening his own heart to me, Forest disappears without a trace, leaving me wondering what exactly went wrong. Ten years later I'm still grappling with the repercussions of my first devastating love...and that's when he shows up again. Can I look past my own pain long enough to find out what happened? Or is it better to move on with my life? "I have one rule: don't let anybody in." Forest: As a teenager, I learned the hard way that nobody except my sister Faye can be trusted. Still reeling from our parents' abandonment, we've figured out how to fly beneath the radar. For years I never let anybody in...until I met Blaise Lancaster. He's kind and funny and full of hope. Making out with him is a mistake, and promising to take his virginity is an even bigger one. But before I can make good on my promise, Faye and I are thrust into chaos once more. It's time to leave my hometown once and for all, and there's no time for goodbyes. A decade later I'm still wary and defensive. My solace at the end of each day is listening to Blaise's award-winning podcast. When I find out that he'll be visiting a local bookstore on a promotional tour, I decide to go and skulk in the back of the room. Then our eyes meet, and I realize that my feelings for Blaise have never truly flickered out. Is it too late to rekindle my first love? And will Blaise be able to forgive me? Guarded Hearts is a standalone enemies-to-lovers gay romance featuring a whole lot of mutual pining, a second chance at love, and an HEA.
Under the Boardwalk
Felice Stevens - 2017
Every year is the same until a gorgeous man picks a spot in front of his stand to sing, captivating him with his beautiful voice. After two summers of listening, it might finally be time for him to cross that boardwalk and take a chance. Opera singer Cameron Maxwell has traveled the world, but the sight of the beautiful man serving custard to tourists touches his heart like nothing ever has before. A summer fling might be exactly what he needs to put his problems out of his mind, but the last thing Cam expects is to want the summer to last forever. It’s a season of discovery for both men who learn to dig deep within their heads and hearts to decide whether secrets old and new should remain buried, or if love is too important to keep hidden under the boardwalk. This is a 37,000 word novella