But as he approaches midlife and realizes something is missing, can he forgive himself for the worst mistake he ever made—the one that left a hole no amount of career success can fill? Or will fear keep him from the full life he really wants?Liam and Ben were childhood sweethearts, then college boyfriends. But when Liam cheated on Ben, Ben forced himself to cut ties and move on. He’s still living in the small town where they grew up, teaching, but it’s not the life he imagined for himself as a younger man. Still, when Liam returns, he can’t risk his heart again. He certainly can’t allow himself to love Liam again after fighting so hard to get over him.Neither man wants to let go of the past and face their apprehension at starting over. They don’t want to fall in love a second time—but sometimes love happens whether it’s wanted or not.

    Two lonely men, destined for each other—if only they knew it.Alfie Carter grew up in New Milton, caring for his sick father and keeping their auto repair shop on its feet. He’s touchy about his poor education and doesn’t take kindly to snide remarks from the town’s prickly bookstore owner—no matter how cute he looks in his skinny jeans. Left to run the family business alone, Alfie spends his lonely evenings indulging his secret passion for classic fiction and chatting online with witty, romantic ‘LLB’ as they fall in love over literature.Leo Novak’s new life as owner of Bayside Books is floundering. And he could do without the town’s gorgeous, moody mechanic holding a grudge against him after an unfortunate—and totally not his fault— encounter last Christmas. Still reeling from a bad breakup and struggling to make friends in New Milton, Leo seeks comfort in his blossoming online romance with thoughtful, bookish ‘Camaro89’. But as the holidays approach, ‘LLB’ and ‘Camaro89’ are planning to meet, and realities are about to collide… This novella is approximately 39,000 words and comes with a HEA guaranteed.

    Not only is he on track to becoming a partner in his law firm, but he’s planning his wedding to Hank Burton, a south Texas contractor who has made a name for himself despite his humble beginnings. The introverted, lone wolf Santi and the friendly, outgoing Hank complement each other perfectly. From the moment they laid eyes on each other, they were hooked, and as far as Santi and Hank are concerned, a happily ever after is their destiny. But fate deals them a devastating new hand. A construction accident leaves Hank with severe head trauma and brings him precariously close to death. When he finally awakens, Hank doesn’t remember Santi or the love they shared for the past three years. Santi faces the greatest challenge of his life. Can he respark a flame his lover can’t recall? And can he stop the diverging paths that fickle fate charts between them?

    He goes to parent/teacher events, and he makes packed lunches, so he definitely didn’t mean to forget about Christmas. He just hasn’t celebrated it since he left home under a cloud years ago.Put on the spot, Jason makes the snap decision to take Mallory to see where he and her father spent their Christmases as kids. The last thing he expects is to run into Tommy, his ex—ex-best friend, ex-boyfriend—who is still living in town… and working as a sheriff’s deputy.It’s hard to avoid someone in a small town—and maybe Jason doesn’t want to. He got Mallory a Christmas, and maybe now it’s time to get himself a Christmas boyfriend. But first, he owes Tommy some explanations.

    But they are also times of stress and strife, family drama, pressure and heartache—a potent mix of high expectations and conflicted emotions. Add in power exchange relationships, kinky gift swaps, and unconventional love in a sometimes unforgiving world, and you have a formula for a sizzling anthology of stories that tug at your heart.From Ava March’s forbidden Regency love among men, to Katie Porter’s scorching hot contemporary tale of two women discovering holiday happiness, everyone will find a favorite here. Pervertible toys abound: Lambda Literary Award finalist L.A. Witt’s candy cane, Jane Davitt’s wrapping paper and tape, and Alexa Snow’s Christmas candles all please and delight. Newcomer Elyan Smith and fan favorite Kim Dare both celebrate New Year’s Eve with romantic flair and kinky fireworks, while bestselling author Joey W. Hill’s poignant story of love lost and regained will lead you home.Whatever your desires, we invite you to explore new fantasies and old with these eight kinky tales of holiday happy endings.Ava March, “’Twas the Night”Percival Owen yearns for the nights when he can kneel before his lover, even though no self-respecting gentleman willingly submits to another. Michael wants his first Christmas with Percy to be perfect, but is frustrated by Percy’s inability to ask for what he wants. The gift Michael offers Percy—and that Percy offers in return—is the best Percy could ever hope to receive: his will to submit.Jane Davitt, “Tree Topper”Martin’s new to the scene, and his sub Stan has recently stopped taking him seriously. Their tree has floggers, clamps, and cuffs underneath it, but will they ever be used? Frustrated and confused, Martin knows it will take more than a star to guide him on his way to becoming the Dom Stan needs—but their path to happiness might be shorter than he thinks.L.A. Witt, “Candy Caning”Nate is dreading the annual Christmas visit with his family, during which they will ignore or insult his partner and Dominant. Stephen tries hard to take Nate’s mind off the trip with the promise—and threat—of a three-foot-long candy cane. It’s a race to see if Nate’s resolve or the candy cane will shatter first.Alexa Snow, “Ring Out the Old and In the New”Recovering from a mugging on the London Underground, Evan has barely left the house in weeks. His partner and Dom, Russell, finally manages to drag him outside on Christmas Eve, but it’s the surprise that Russell has waiting for him back home that helps Evan get past his trauma and remember what’s important: being on his knees for the man he loves.Elyan Smith, “Open Return”Fifteen years ago, Zach left the small Midwestern town he grew up in, confused and scared and determined to figure out who he was. Now transformed, he’s drawn back by the memory and promise of the dominant couple he left behind. Laura and Scott are still together, and as the year draws to a close, they explore old feelings and new ones as they discover they’ve all been waiting for Zach to come home.Kim Dare, “His Very Last Chance”Drew screwed up. So when his master, Kingsley, summons him on New Year’s Eve, he knows he deserves the punishment in store for him. Everything changed for Kingsley when he overheard Drew running his mouth to his friends on Boxing Day. Now, there’s only one way he can possibly ring in the New Year: starting over fresh, either with an ending or a new beginning.Katie Porter, “Fireworks”Rachel’s job is taking her to Tokyo, which means leaving behind her lover and submissive, Emma. When she summons Emma for one last hurrah on New Year’s Eve, Emma answers, hoping desperately to be able to break through her ma’am’s emotional barriers and find the spark of love among the glittering fireworks.Joey W. Hill, “Submissive Angel”After Robert found Ange bleeding in an alley, he employed the man in his vintage toy store as an act of charity. However, this Christmas, the eccentric young dancer will offer his thanks—and himself—to teach a brokenhearted Master how to open his heart to love again.

    Devastated and all alone, he questioned how he would ever get through his first Christmas season without the husband he so loved. But when Drew's best friend convinces him to "find people who need help and help them," he finally begins to focus on something other than his own grief. And to his great surprise, he meets the one man with the ability to help heal his broken heart. Christmasing With You is a shamelessly heartwarming, upbeat holiday story that will require tissues, smiles, a box of good chocolates, and the willingness t o believe that Christmas miracles really happen.

    Not me. That would be too clichéd. Then again, I never thought I’d stoop to sitting on Santa’s lap and asking him to bring me a boyfriend, either. In my defense, though, the man of my dreams had just knocked me into a store display ten minutes prior, so I wasn’t exactly thinking straight. Hah, but when did I ever. I never thought I’d see Mr. Tall, Dark, and Handsome again, but it looked like fate—or Santa—had other plans when I ran into him the following night. Seemed like I might be getting my Christmas wish after all, right? Right. So imagine my surprise when I showed up at my parents’ house for the holidays, only to find out that my sister had asked Santa for the exact same thing I did—and he’d delivered early. Yep, my sister scored herself a handsome new boyfriend, and he’s absolutely perfect. He’s charming, my parents love him, and even Lucifer the demon cat tolerates him. Oh, did I mention he also happens to be my dream guy? The one who’s supposed to be under my tree? Yeah. Merry freakin’ Christmas to me. Someone pass the hot buttered rum. This is a fun, feel-good MM Christmas novella.

    He finds it all ridiculous; the decorations, music, and the obsession with spending a fortune just to show people you care about them. He used to love the holiday season. But that was before his world came crashing down around him. Now, the happy families and Christmas cheer only remind him of things he'd rather forget. Everything changes when he visits Treasures of Old Antiques. The snow globe on the dusty shelf was just a silly trinket. So why did Cole feel an overwhelming sense of peace when he picked it up? When he wakes up the next morning in a strange manor with no recollection of how he got there, he thinks he's officially lost his mind. And then he meets Ian Hensley, the sexy Bed & Breakfast owner. There's an instant connection between the two men; powerful and almost...magical. Though it's snowing outside, Cole and Ian stay warm and cozy between the sheets. But what happens when Cole's stay comes to an end? He can't stay in the snowy, charming town of Evergreen Valley forever. Welcome to Hensley Manor. Breakfast is at 7:30 and lunch is at noon. Warm yourself by the fire and enjoy your stay. And be careful, you might just find what you're looking for this Christmas. *Although this book is part of A Snow Globe Christmas series, it is a complete standalone, and it isn't a requirement that you read the previous books to follow along. We wish everyone a happy holiday season.*

    Would you accept a ride from a huge guy looking like a serial killer?Daniel Erickson stormed out of his family celebration after choking on his turkey served with a side of bigotry. Utterly miserable, he reluctantly lets himself be charmed by the hulk of a man and gets into his car…hoping he won’t be ax murdered.Axel Wilson—Ax for short, unfortunately—is a sweetheart. Really. He may be badass-looking but his heart melts into goo at the mere mention of his four-year-old niece. Surely, he’s not dangerous?Thrown together by family drama, they spend the evening getting to know each other. Axel is nothing like Daniel expected. But it doesn’t matter that he loves poetry, is gentle and patient—and hot!—Daniel is absolutely not falling in love at first sight. There’s no such thing.Right…?

    Every penny he makes as a welder goes to care for his dying father, an abusive, controlling man who’s the only family Jake has left. Because of a promise to his dead mother, Jake resists his desire for other men, but it leaves him consumed by darkness. It takes all of Dallas Yates’s imagination to see the possibilities in the fatigued Art Deco building on the WeHo’s outskirts, but what seals the deal is a shy smile from the handsome metal worker across the street. Their friendship deepens while Dallas peels back the hardened layers strangling Jake’s soul. It’s easy to love the artistic, sweet man hidden behind Jake’s shattered exterior, but Dallas knows Jake needs to first learn to love himself.When Jake’s world crumbles, he reaches for Dallas, the man he’s learned to lean on. It’s only a matter of time before he’s left to drift in a life he never wanted to lead and while he wants more, Jake’s past haunts him, making him doubt he’s worth the love Dallas is so desperate to give him.

     Brendan: Romance isn’t my thing, and I hate Valentine’s Day. All that matters is I’ll be working that day at the restaurant…or so I thought. I wasn’t expecting the crazy guy in the alley to try to kill me, or the hot paramedic who showed up to start flirting with me. Now the red-headed medic wants a date, but given my cursed love life, of course, I turned him down…for now. Ryan: Okay, so maybe hitting on an injured guy in a dirty alley, no matter how cute, wasn’t the smoothest move. But sometimes my mouth gets the better of me, so after they stitched him up, I asked him for a date. Well, Valentine’s Day is just around the corner! He turned me down, but I made sure he has my number… Brendan and Ryan have very different views of romance and, in particular, Valentine’s Day. Can the romantic spirit of the holiday work it’s magic to bring these two hot men together?

    Office workers Tim and Noel do nothing all day but antagonize each other—petty fighting that might be based on hatred… or a heated mutual attraction. It’s up to Jack Frost and his elf-friend Rudy to broach the hostilities and introduce some Christmas kisses, but is the Frost Prince up to the challenge of launching a new romance when someone’s trying to break his holiday spirit?

    The cause of his pain? The bed and breakfast’s big, shy caretaker, Nolan Sadler. Revealing his feelings for the man hadn’t just been embarrassing, it had been a disaster.Now Samuel is older and has vowed to keep his heart safe. But the sudden death of the B&B owner forces Samuel home. Home, where his family wants him to stay. Home, where he must face Nolan. Home, where he must find a way to resist falling back in love with a man who will never love him in return.  Noble is a standalone Christmas MM novella with an age gap, nosy family, sexy times, and a true love that time can’t stop. It deals with Nolan’s issues with depression, so some might find that triggering.

    Getting the holiday catering job at his childhood synagogue is the first step in demonstrating to everyone he didn’t turn out to be the failure they predicted. What he doesn’t count on is Rabbi Jonah Fine, his high school nemesis and secret crush, stirring up old feelings Gideon thought long gone and secrets he’s buried deep for years.An unexpectedly passionate encounter shocks Gideon, but he pushes Jonah away, convinced he isn’t good enough to be in a relationship and would never be accepted by Jonah’s father. But Jonah hangs tough—he won’t allow Gideon to hide or run away from life again. And when it comes to love, Gideon learns the most important lessons aren’t always taught in school.

    Jasper has been entrusted with reuniting the letters with their sender, but the only clue he has in the box they're in—an old chocolate box from Valentine's family shop. Snowed in together the night before Valentine's Day, the two men are drawn together as they search for answers.