Book picks similar to
Drowning by Briar Lane
romance
free
short
lgbt
Rum Spring
Yolanda Wallace - 2010
When she meets Dylan Mahoney, however, the rules go out the window. During Rebecca's rumspringa—the four-year period during which Amish teenagers decide whether to join the church or leave it for the outside world—Dylan, a film buff and aspiring movie critic, shows Rebecca a world she never dreamed of. The pair make plans to spend the rest of their lives together until a rift forms between their families and forces them to part ways. After much soul-searching, Rebecca decides familial loyalty is more important than her own happiness. But when Dylan develops feelings for another woman, Rebecca's loyalty is put to the test.Love or tradition? Which path will she choose?
Moose Be Love
Jacqueline Winters - 2020
One inherited lodge. A charming Alaskan town with its own matchmaking moose. Tragedy brought her back, but love begs her to stay.When Cadence Whitmore and her two sisters inherit the Sunset Ridge Lodge, their immediate plan is to sell it. They’re spread out all over the country, and not one of them is willing to move to Alaska to run an inn they haven’t visited in thirteen years.But Cadence is the only sister who makes the mistake of visiting. The longer she’s in town—and around the kind and attractive caretaker, Ford Harris--the more she yearns to stay. Convincing her sisters to keep the lodge instead of selling it, however, might be an impossible feat.Ford’s younger sister is the only family he has left, and he’d do anything to help make her dreams come true. It’s the single reason he agrees to the death bed wish of Patty Whitmore. If he can convince Cadence to keep the lodge, he’ll receive the money he needs to help put his sister through her dream college.He never planned to fall in love with anyone ever again—especially not Cadence. He’s lost too many loved ones in his lifetime. Yet, he can’t deny how right they are for each other. But if she finds out the secret he’s been keeping, it might cost him everything.This is a sweet small town contemporary romance.Heat Level: Sweet/Mild
The Art of Mutual Pleasure
K.A. Merikan - 2017
---Benjamin Snowley is trapped in a most distressing predicament. He’s been feeling poorly and after having recently recovered from influenza, he knows that the fault for his declining health lies in a vice he wouldn’t dare mention in polite conversation. Onanism, self-pollution, masturbation. All names for the same sinful affliction. For Benjamin, it all started back at school, where he first encountered the immoral Frederick Cory. Ever since then, the man has been plaguing Benjamin’s dreams and causing most unnatural urges.Now is the time for all the infatuation nonsense to stop. With the help of an unorthodox doctor and an indecent proposition to a young stablehand, Benjamin will rid himself of the vile addiction. But can the experimental treatment be enough to make him forget his feelings for Frederick?Warning: Contains a clueless young man on a futile quest for chastity and a libertine artist eager to rid him of that goalPOSSIBLE SPOILERS:Themes: masturbation, historical attitudes to sexuality, medicine, doctor, guilt, unorthodox treatment, master/servant, groom, superstition, moral failure, enemies to loversGenre: M/M Regency romantic eroticaErotic content: explicit language, inappropriate medical examination, cum swallowing, bareback, sex toys, body worship, multiple partnersLength: ~45,000 words
Blessed Isle
Alex Beecroft - 2012
But his criminal attraction to his upper-crust First Lieutenant, Garnet Littleton, threatens to overturn all he’s ever worked for. Lust quickly proves to be the least of his problems, however. The deadly combination of typhus, rioting convicts, and a monstrous storm destroys his prospects . . . and shipwrecks him and Garnet on their own private island. After months of solitary paradise, the journey back to civilization—surviving mutineers, exposure, and desertion—is the ultimate test of their feelings for each other. These two very different men each record their story for an unfathomable future in which the tale of their love—a love punishable by death in their own time—can finally be told. Today, dear reader, it is at last safe for you to hear it all.Note: This is a revised, stand-alone edition of the story originally published in the Hidden Conflict anthology in 2009.
The Miseducation of Cameron Post
Emily M. Danforth - 2012
Relief they'll never know that, hours earlier, she had been kissing a girl.But that relief doesn't last, and Cam is soon forced to move in with her conservative aunt Ruth and her well-intentioned but hopelessly old-fashioned grandmother. She knows that from this point on, her life will forever be different. Survival in Miles City, Montana, means blending in and leaving well enough alone (as her grandmother might say), and Cam becomes an expert at both.Then Coley Taylor moves to town. Beautiful, pickup-driving Coley is a perfect cowgirl with the perfect boyfriend to match. She and Cam forge an unexpected and intense friendship--one that seems to leave room for something more to emerge. But just as that starts to seem like a real possibility, ultrareligious Aunt Ruth takes drastic action to "fix" her niece, bringing Cam face-to-face with the cost of denying her true self--even if she's not exactly sure who that is.The Miseducation of Cameron Post is a stunning and unforgettable literary debut about discovering who you are and finding the courage to live life according to your own rules.
Flirting with my Enemy
Laura Burton - 2021
I threw it in the trash.Off the record––I totally ate it, and oh my heck, it was finger-licking delicious.Just as I get ready to release something new, Got Cake? announces something suspiciously similar.Not forgetting the time three crates of fish got delivered to my shop. Dead fish.It took me DAYS to get rid of the stench.And Zane is my number one suspect.The only way I’m gonna find the proof I need to stop all this nonsense is to get close to him. Real close.He’s a man’s man with a hunky smile and a smolder that can melt any heart, I know exactly what an alpha male like him wants in a woman.My friends think I’m playing with fire. But I'll do whatever it takes to unravel his dark secrets. And the only way I'll get hurt is if I let my heart get involved. That's not gonna happen.Besides, there’s zero chance I’m gonna fall in love with my enemy.Flirting with my Enemy is a cozy mystery romcom. Packed with swoon-worthy romance, heart-warming characters, laugh-out-loud humor, and an exciting mystery.Author note: This is a steamy-clean romance. Sizzling kisses but no sex or curse words.
The Player
NOT A BOOK - 2022
It comes as a complete surprise to discover that he’s developed feelings for Con - his late husband’s best friend and now Frankie’s business partner.Why did he overlook the gorgeous man who's been by his side through everything? Even more importantly, how can he tell Con about his feelings when Con seems to have suddenly found love with another man?
Crossroads Serenade: A Novel
Laurie Adair Grove - 2012
But no matter how much time passes, she can’t forget Pete, the only man she’s ever loved. Meredith wonders how she can move on, when just looking at her little boy so painfully reminds her of everything that's happened.Her son is five when Meredith returns to Crossroads to claim The Serenade—a popular hotel, bar and restaurant—which she inherits from a dear friend who treated her like family when her own family did not. A single mother from a rough background, Meredith knows life is not all roses, and that she will have to work even harder than ever with her new responsibilities. But she has no idea of the obstacles that she must overcome, now that she has moved back home to claim her inheritance and hopefully reunite with Pete.
You Don't Know Me
Mandy Lee - 2015
When she takes on an office job at a construction company, she finds herself firmly in the sights of the owner, Daniel Foster - a dangerously attractive man with a dark past and particular tastes in bed.Although she tries to resist him, Maya soon finds herself embroiled in a steamy relationship with Dan. And while he slowly encourages her to paint again, she begins to peel back his layers. At last, when she believes that she's finally come to understand his ways, he has one final secret to reveal … and it's a secret that threatens to blow them apart.You Don’t Know Me, an erotic romance, is the first book in a trilogy.
Mad for Love
Elizabeth Essex - 2016
Set a thief… Rory Cathcart’s appreciation of the exquisite makes him the perfect man to expose forgeries and root out fraud in London’s tempestuous art world. But when his latest investigation into forged paintings puts him squarely in Mignon du Blois’ shaky sights, he finds himself deep in trouble, and captured by something more powerful than mere beauty. To catch a thief… The moment Mignon stops a rakish thief from making off with one of her father’s brilliant forgeries, she knows she’s found the perfect man to help her steal back a priceless statue, and save her family from unspeakable scandal. She has no intention of falling for Rory’s Caledonian charms, nor his seductive Scottish persuasions. From the drawing rooms of the ton to the auction rooms of the art world, the pair embark on a madcap adventure to save them both from ruin. But will the love they uncover be most priceless treasure of all?
Class Reunion
Linda Hill - 1997
But when she comes face to face with her first lover, she is overcome by the rush of desire that threatens to ignite the dangerous flames of rekindled passion.
Belle of the Ball
Pam McCutcheon - 2003
But a wish at a magical rock formation is about to change all that, in a most a-MUSE-ing way. . . . The three Sullivan sisters, named for the Three Graces of Greek legend who embody beauty, charm and grace, don’t live up to their names. Belle is no beauty. Charisma lacks charm. And Grace is somewhat less than graceful. But this doesn't deter their ambitious mother from bribing three bachelors to escort them to Colorado Springs’ beautiful Garden of the Gods. When the girls overhear their escorts mocking how little they resemble their names, each girl makes a wish at the magical Three Graces rock formation. Belle wishes aloud for beauty, but only so she can use it as a weapon to punish the cads who hurt her sisters. Her true wish is for revenge. Handsome viscount Kit Stanhope regrets his rude remarks and apologizes to Belle. He’s surprised when she tells him that's not enough. If he truly regrets his behavior, he has to make her beautiful in time for the Founders’ Day Ball. Kit isn’t sure he’s up to the task. But, intrigued by the spirited Belle, he agrees to assist her transformation from an ugly duckling into a swan with the help of a mysterious Greek dressmaker with muse-like qualities. Unfortunately, Belle makes a rather awkward swan. Still, after a few embarrassing escapades, she masters the flirtatious language of the fan and takes the town known as Little London by storm. Belle soon finds herself falling for the viscount and his sinful mouth. It seems he returns her regard, but she can’t renege on her promise to humiliate him . . . can she? Will her secret muse grant the wish she voiced . . . or the one she holds in her heart? Note to readers: This title was originally published in 2003 by Zebra Ballad.
Coming Home
Jay Northcote - 2013
When he’s reunited with Will—his best mate from sixth-form college and last summer’s fling—Jago’s feelings for him are rekindled and impossible to ignore.Over the short winter break, Jago can't resist taking whatever Will’s offering. But will the New Year bring new beginnings? Or will Jago be left with more bittersweet memories and a heart that needs to heal again?
Through The Years
Z.A. Maxfield - 2012
These stories -- re-edited for quality content and given a Winterheart Designs cover -- were written in 2008, in part as a protest over the passage of Proposition 8 in California. They follow the course of Ethan and Barry's love affair in ten year intervals from the moment they first admit it, at prom in 1978, to a major breakup and reconciliation in 1988, to a family vacation in Hawaii that turns into more in 1998, and election night 2008, a time of deliberation and decision.This version includes the *bonus* holiday (also previously published) story “The Cursed Noel.”
The Witch Sea
Sarah Diemer - 2012
Upon the distant shore prowls an ancient sea god kept captive by a generations-old spell, a spell that Meriel alone must protect.Meriel's life has been lonely and unchanging--until the arrival of Nor. Nor's shape is that of a woman, but her heart belongs to the sea. Even though Nor is also held captive by Meriel's spell, she shows kindness to the isolated witch. Nor sparks a passion within Meriel, defying every law that binds them both.This award-winning short story ("The Witch Sea" won first place in the "Kissed by Venus" Fresh Voices short story competition) is a dark fantasy tale of love, loss and the price of freedom.