Book picks similar to
Teaching Tenderness by Brittany Cournoyer
m-m
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contemporary
romance
Memories of the Heart
Felice Stevens - 2015
All words used to describe Dr. Micah Steinberg by the hospital staff for their next head of surgery. When a letter arrives from his grandmother’s friend at the assisted living facility, his orderly world tilts dangerously out of control. Josh Rosen had everything until it was revealed much of his world was a lie. Forced to re-evaluate his life, Josh gives up his career and returns home to New York City to care for his beloved grandmother. What Josh didn’t figure on was an attraction to a man who on the surface, appears to be exactly like the life Josh chose to leave behind.As Micah struggles with the reality of his grandmother’s illness, the bond these two share deepens, as Josh helps Micah heal, then open his heart. Micah discovers there is more to life than work, control and success. Josh is in deep but has yet to tell Micah who he really is.When the fight for the hospital’s head of surgery turns ugly, Josh’s past and present collide. Micah must let go of the past and accept who he is, if his life is going to move forward.Life is full of surprises, and as both Micah and Josh learn, love can happen whether you plan for it or not.
With Wings
Z. Allora - 2011
The Dark Angels have arrived. With his come-hither voice and body made for sin, lead singer Angel Luv draws lovers like a magnet. And when he caresses and taunts shy guitarist Darius Stone on stage, well…it’s an act, right? But every touch lights a fire, and every flirtatious glance chips away at Dare’s certainty that he’s straight. No one else has so captured his imagination.Temptation beckons. It’s hard not to notice the want in Dare’s eyes, the way he stares when he thinks Angel’s not watching. One wrong move might scare him away, but a work trip to exotic Bali might be the perfect place to let Dare explore his sexuality, with none to be the wiser. But their “friends with benefits” pact has an expiration date, that just might sour their friendship.
Heart Trouble
D.J. Jamison - 2016
Too bad he's given the nurse the impression he's some kind of daredevil. It couldn't be further from the truth. Gage is a college journalism instructor writing a series of guest columns that require him to jump into new experiences -- a fun bucket list, but one that does nothing to convince Ben he's not an adrenaline junkie. Fresh off his latest heartbreak, nurse Ben Griggs is wary when one of his patients shows an interest in him -- especially when that patient showed up in the ER after a motorcycle accident. Ben's ex was a biker, a friend with benefits, and he dropped Ben cold when someone more interesting came along. Ben isn't the kind of guy who can hold the interest of an adrenaline junkie like Gage Evans for long. The last thing he wants is to lose his heart to the wrong man again. The more Ben gets to know Gage, the harder he is to resist. He can only hold on for the ride and keep his guard up as much as he can. But Ben's lack of trust seriously gets in the way of building a relationship, and Gage will only be patient so long. Can he trust Gage enough to give his heart, or are they destined to have a fling that goes nowhere? This is a spin-off from the Ashe Sentinel Connections series, where Ben appears briefly in the book "Hard Press." It can be read as a standalone. A previously published alternate cover version of ASIN B01M0DE5N4 can be found here.
Wild Pitch
Sloan Johnson - 2015
The day he acknowledged to himself that he was gay was also the day he vowed to stay in the closet in order to chase his dreams. The problem is, he never counted on Mason Atley.Sean showed rookie short stop Mason Atley the ropes, both on the field and off. The two forged a friendship which continued as both of them moved through the ranks of the farm system and into the majors. Unfortunately, there’s always been one secret Mason never felt he could share with Sean. Until now.For seven years, Sean lived with the fact that he loved a man who would never reciprocate. When Mason admits that he’s always known he’s bisexual but has never allowed himself to pursue a relationship with a man, will Sean be able to put aside his reservations about starting a relationship with the friend he’d always assumed was straight? And more importantly, will they be able to find a way to stay together when their careers keep them apart more than they can be together?
Black Leather & Knuckle Tattoos
J.M. Dabney - 2018
No one compared to the large man and never would. A decade later, Brent, Troy’s father, falls ill and he needs to take over the business for a while. Interacting Day in and day out with sexy Win is a cruel punishment. Winston Sanchez hadn’t done a thing right in his life, except interviewing for a handyman job for Brent Canter. He loved his job, but an attraction to Troy Canter complicates things. As Troy ran the business while Brent fights cancer, it has thrown the man right in his lap. When an unexpected development in the package of a four-year-old daughter throws Win into a panic, Troy comes to the rescue. Can a man who doesn’t think he’s worth much let go enough to open himself to the love of a man who thinks he’s worth everything?
Keep Swimming
Kade Boehme - 2014
With the dog bakery now semi-successful and his son healthy, Cary thinks he may be ready to date again.Heath Cummings is trying his damnedest to get his charter boat service off the ground and dreams of one day soon being able to quit his job as an offshore driller. Paying off his dream requires making it through a couple more years, which means being open about his sexuality isn't in the cards just yet. When the two take their flirting to the next level, Cary wonders if he can handle another guy who might take off, while Heath has to decide if he can risk his dream of a laid back life—and giving up his long-held and much enjoyed bachelor status while taking on a child when being a father was never on his to-do list. Will they sink, or will they keep swimming?
Goodbye Phillip
Summer Devon - 2012
Group members were asked to write a story prompt inspired by a photo of their choice. Authors of the group selected a photo and prompt that spoke to them and wrote a short story.Download the story, read it online or find it in Love Is Always Write: Volume 4.__________Genre: contemporaryTags: baby; hot business; adoption; family; a bit of m/m steamWarnings: noneWord Count: 15,528
Face the Music
K.M. Neuhold - 2018
I was so sure becoming a rock star would heal the dark corners inside me. But every time I walk onto the stage, with a roaring crowd screaming my name, all I can think about is the boy I left behind. All I want to do is rewind and make a different choice. Jace I thought I hated Lincoln when he ghosted me ten years ago and destroyed my heart. I thought I hated him when he wrote a chart-topping hit about our idyllic young love. But I’ve never hated him as much as I do right now, standing in front of me like he has every right to be in my world again. He’s not the rock god I thought he was...he’s still that same lost boy I used to love. Can I ever trust him with my heart again? ***Face the Music is the first book in the Replay series. Each book in the series will focus on a different band member getting a second chance at love. Each book can be read as a stand-alone. This book contains descriptions of self-harm, suicidal thoughts, and sexy times.
First Impressions
Jay Hogan - 2018
Then I added a couple more just for good measure. I screwed up my life, but I survived. Now I have the opportunity for a fresh start. Two years in NZ. Away from the LA gossip, a chance to breathe, to rebuild my life. But I’m taking a new set of rules with me.I don’t do relationships.I don’t do commitment.I don’t do white picket fences.And I especially don’t do arrogant, holier-than-thou, smoking hot K9 officers who walk into my ER and rock my world.Josh:One thing for certain, Dr. Michael Oliver is an arrogant, untrustworthy player, and I barely survived the last one of those. He might be gorgeous, but my daughter takes number one priority. I won’t risk her being hurt, again. I’m a solo dad, a K9 cop and a son to pain-in-the-ass parents.I don’t have time for games.I don’t have time for taking chances.I don’t have time for more complications in my life.And I sure as hell don’t have time for the infuriating Dr. Michael Oliver, however damn sexy he is.
The Fall
Kate Sherwood - 2013
Dumped by his sugar daddy, part-time model Scott Mackenzie somehow ends up owning an abandoned church in rural Ontario. He dreams of using it for gay weddings, even if he’ll never have one of his own.Joe Sutton is trying to keep his family together after his parents’ deaths. Between the family ranch, his brother’s construction company, and commitments around town, he doesn’t have time for a relationship. But Mackenzie is hard to ignore.As both men fight their growing attraction, challenges to Mackenzie’s business threaten their relationship. If he can’t make it work, he’ll have to crawl back to the city in defeat. But the only solution involves risking the ranch Joe loves, and each man has to decide how much he’ll sacrifice for the other.
Man to Man
G.A. Hauser - 2006
Breaking up after a six month relationship with Luis, his partner and co-worker, Josh decided to make a total change in his life. Yearning the sun and sand, Josh tested to become a Los Angeles County lifeguard.Tanner Cameron was a permanent lifeguard and had made a career out of life-saving and being a paramedic. Divorced for a year after a five year marriage that ended badly, Tanner was trying to be content with his job and stayed away from the advances of the women he worked with. It seemed to Tanner that all the young ladies he met wanted marriage and babies, two things he no longer felt as essential. But Tanner was alone, and not happy about it.When Josh is assigned to Tanner during his mentorship program, Josh instantly falls for the tall, handsome guard in the red swimsuit. The only problem is, Tanner is straight. Very straight. And constantly reminds Josh of that fact when Josh's flirting gets carried away.The attraction and admiration Josh feels for Tanner soon sweeps him away. In a job where distractions can be fatal, Josh and Tanner struggle to keep their focus on the job as the chaos of nearly sixty million visitors flood the California coastline.As Josh’s good looks and seduction tactics begin to find a way through Tanner’s barrier of fear and intimidation, Josh finally makes some headway with the straight stud. But soon Josh wonders if all his efforts are in vain. Tanner is straight and always will be, and any hope Josh has to change him seem insurmountable. Or are they?Can Tanner get over the terror of the label he fears the most and open up his heart to the right partner? Or will he be unable to rescue his heart from a charming lifeguard whose idea of bliss is working it out, man to man?
Note:
This is a previously published work. The title, author, and/or publisher may have changed.
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.
Winter Freeze
E.M. Leya - 2016
Being homeless, Darren isn't used to anyone caring, especially cops. He's seen the worst in people, and trusting Andy isn't easy.To Andy, homeless means addictions, overdoses, and panhandling. It's a world he doesn't understand, and isn't sure he wants to. Yet, when it comes to life and death, he can't just walk away and let someone die.Their worlds couldn't be more different, but the more they get to know each other, they find that, inside, where it matters the most, they really aren't so opposite. Trust comes hard for both men, but when a murderer starts hunting homeless boys, the two work together, showing them that no matter where you come from, dreams really can come true.
Aftercare
Tanya Chris - 2017
Aayan Denir knows Garrett Hillier was once a high-powered defense attorney, and—thanks to a leaked photograph—he knows Garrett is sexually submissive, which makes him ideally qualified to defend Aayan's brother from the charge of murdering his sub. Aayan would do anything to protect Syed, even if he doesn't understand how Syed could hurt someone he loves. He could never hurt Garrett. He only wants to take care of him—love him, serve him, cherish him. And maybe torture him. Just a little. Garrett probably shouldn’t be dating his client’s brother. Right? And what’s the use in a confirmed sub dating a guy who doesn’t want to be a Dom anyway? The important thing is to get Syed cleared of the discriminatory murder charge he’s facing. Aayan is a distraction. But for the first time in the three lonely years since Garrett’s husband died, he’s feeling hope, ambition, and desire. Can he give up the pain he craves to find the love he needs? As Syed’s trial date looms, Aayan and Garrett explore what a BDSM relationship means for them, and what they mean to each other. Aftercare is a M/M BDSM contemporary romance about Aayan, a Muslim immigrant who’s not sure he can play the Dom role, and Garrett, a submissive attorney who walked away from his life when his husband died. 64,000 words.
The Ballerino and the Biker
Rebecca James - 2018
After years studying the art in Milan, Morgan comes home to New York City to apprentice with the Manhattan Ballet Company only to be hit by the unexpected death of his older brother, Jake. The grieving dancer learns his life is threatened by a dangerous rival motorcycle gang and that pierced, tattooed, HOT biker Zeke Ivers has been assigned by Jake’s MC to guard him. Saddled with the constant presence of the infuriating man, Morgan juggles the demands of an exhausting dance schedule as well as his new responsibilities as CEO of his family’s multi-million-dollar company. He never expects to develop an attraction for the straight, obnoxious biker, but that’s exactly what happens. Estranged from an abusive family, Zeke Ivers has lived at the Sentinel’s club house and worked on cars since he was a teen. When fellow club member Jake Wentworth and a rival club president’s girl are killed on Jake’s bike, the Sentinel’s president delegates the protection of Jake’s little brother, Morgan, to Zeke. Zeke would do anything for the club that pulled him off the streets, but Morgan’s a ballet dancer, for Christ’s sake, as well as annoying as hell. Still, Zeke finds himself inexplicably drawn to the young man. The more attracted Zeke becomes to Morgan, the more the biker is forced to examine his sexuality and decide whether two people from opposite sides of the tracks could possibly have a future together, or if Zeke should do what is fast becoming too painful to consider: let Morgan go.