Heart2Heart: A Charity Anthology Volume 5


Leslie CopelandE.M. Lindsey - 2022
    what would happen if Heart2Heart, the dating and community app responsible for bringing together couples from all over the world, encouraged people to do something they’d never done before?#NeverHaveIEver is trending on H2H, and fourteen authors who’ve never before appeared in a Heart2Heart anthology (and one who’s never left) have come together to show how funny, hot, and heartwarming it can be when H2H app users challenge themselves to do something outside of their comfort zones--from singing in public, to skinny dipping, to getting their first real kiss--while they manage to fall in love along the way.As always, all proceeds from this anthology will benefit LGBTQ+ charities to ensure that love in all its incarnations will be celebrated and protected every single day of the year!

Puzzle Me This


Eli Easton - 2013
    Every day he walks his dog in the woods nearby, never suspecting that someone who is completely smitten is watching. The watcher is Alex Shaw, and he too works from home, designing logic and crossword puzzles. Alex’s options are limited: he’s too shy to approach Luke and his wheelchair won’t let him follow into the woods. His solution? Secret messages for Luke in the crosswords he writes for the local paper. When Luke decodes them, romance begins, but then they face greater puzzles, like Alex’s interfering sister and what commitment to a man in a wheelchair really takes. And, most puzzling of all, how do you know if love is real?

Ever After


Riley Hart - 2018
    But he’s long been tormented by desires that are far from princely. Especially when the beautiful Cassius is promoted to be his new valet, and Merrick is struck by a longing like never before—a longing to know him far beyond royal and servant. After his father’s passing, Cassius Havendale’s sole duty is to provide for his family. A promotion to serve a pampered prince is something he endures only for their sake. Surely Prince Merrick has no understanding of the true suffering of the common people, nor could he possibly understand what it’s like to desperately desire something he cannot have. Except the prince is not at all what Cassius imagined. Kind, humorous, and caring to those in need, he also shares Cassius’s affinity for the arts. In fact, Merrick understands his deepest vulnerabilities in a most remarkable way. As their affection deepens, the underlying tension between them becomes unbearable and they’re unable to ignore it any longer. But when the queen prepares a lavish ball with all the eligible ladies in the land in attendance, Merrick must fulfill his obligations to his country, and Cassius has the needs of his family to consider. They’ve long known their stolen moments would have to come to an end, but are they ready to give up one another and the idea of a happily-ever-after? ***PLEASE NOTE: EVER AFTER is a romantic fairy tale—minus the magic—that features one compassionate prince, one brooding valet, and plenty of angsty, forbidden love. It’s loosely based on a certain treasured fairy tale in a wintery make-believe setting that wouldn’t be considered contemporary but also isn’t based on any specific time period and doesn’t play by any traditional rules.

Blue Days


Mary Calmes - 2014
    But from the moment Dwyer Knolls sees the beautiful but socially awkward Takeo Hiroyuki, he seems destined to make bad decisions. Takeo’s life is a string of failed attempts to please his traditional Japanese father. Unfortunately, succeeding in business turns out to be just as difficult for Takeo as changing from gay to straight. In fact, the only thing Takeo seems to truly excel at is taking notice of Dwyer Knolls. When Dwyer and Takeo head to Mangrove, Florida on a real estate buying trip, their tentative friendship combusts and becomes much more. Is their sudden connection real enough to bank their futures on, or should they chalk the whole thing up to the daze inspired by the blue ocean breeze?

Bent Arrow


Posy Roberts - 2015
    Inheriting his grandma’s lake house is the last thing he wants, even if the plumbing in his tiny trailer doesn’t work. When Erik arrives to fix Luther’s pipes, a tattoo hints he might be up for more than working on the drain, though he’s shy about it.They kiss—unheard of—and when Luther wakes to an empty bed, he’s disappointed. He can’t get their night out of his head. The last thing he expects is to want more. Yet every time they’re together, Luther feels grounded and Erik comes out of his shell.When the lake house demands attention, Luther asks for Erik’s help. Working side by side, he imagines a more permanent life, one where he stops running. A life with Erik. Now to ask. But the skeletons in Erik’s closet might make this relationship as temporary as all the rest.An alternative cover edition for this ASIN can be found here.

Short Stay


Heidi Cullinan - 2016
    They’re engaged, and their wedding is guaranteed to be a spectacle no event will ever top. So why are they hunkered down in a quiet corner of the Acker mansion, restless and edgy while they wait out the holidays?When Baz suggests a road trip with Walter and Kelly to Las Vegas, it sounds like an ideal escape, but it turns out Vegas only amplifies their unease. Elijah can’t slough off the self-hating his parents programmed into him, and he worries how that will affect his marriage. Baz, crippled en route because of too much time spent in the car without rest, must face the truth that his wealth and influence can’t always counteract the limits his disability will put on his—and Elijah’s—life.With help from their friends, a wily poker player, a take-no-prisoners drag queen, and a smooth-talking casino owner, they face the truth that happiness is a state of mind, not a destination where they book a stay. What happens in Vegas won’t stay in Vegas—it will follow them all the way down the aisle.This novella was written for and by the request of Heidi’s Patreon readers. It is suggested but not required that you read at least Lonely Hearts before reading this book.

The Holiday Hookup


Baylin Crow - 2021
    He dresses like it's Casual Friday every day of the week.2. Everyone loves him, even though I'm pretty sure he doesn't actually get any work done. It's the smile, I think. Definitely the laugh.3. He's so relaxed, sometimes I can't even tell if he's awake. Or conscious.4. He doesn't respect my office space boundaries. Stay in your own office and stop messing with my stuff!Okay, the list is actually really long, but none of it matters because it's time for the annual Secret Santa exchange, and guess whose name I draw.Hunter freaking HollidayAnd he knows this because, I repeat, he won't stay out of my office and leave my things alone.Even though I didn't ask, he has no problem telling me exactly what he wants.Me. For one nightThe Holiday Hookup is an MM Christmas short story with high heat and low angst.

Trailer Trash


Marie Sexton - 2016
    Now, instead of spending his senior year in his hometown of Austin, Texas, he’s living with his father in Warren, Wyoming, population 2,833 (and Nate thinks that might be a generous estimate). There’s no swimming pool, no tennis team, no mall—not even any MTV. The entire school’s smaller than his graduating class back home, and in a town where the top teen pastimes are sex and drugs, Nate just doesn’t fit in.Then Nate meets Cody Lawrence. Cody’s dirt-poor, from a broken family, and definitely lives on the wrong side of the tracks. Nate’s dad says Cody’s bad news. The other kids say he’s trash. But Nate knows Cody’s a good kid who’s been dealt a lousy hand. In fact, he’s beginning to think his feelings for Cody go beyond friendship.Admitting he might be gay is hard enough, but between small-town prejudices and the growing AIDS epidemic dominating the headlines, a town like Warren, Wyoming, is no place for two young men to fall in love.

Trouble On Top


Billie Bloom - 2021
    Oh, and did I mention he’s replacing me as goalie for the MU hockey team?Everyone wants him, myself included, but he’s pure trouble…If only I had the willpower to say no to him.ParkerGrayson’s finally noticing me and it’s not just because of my hockey prowess. He can deny me all he wants, but I can see the truth in his eyes and taste it on his tongue when I finally break down his walls. What’s life without a little risk?Previously published as, The Rulebreaker; This is a short novella

HeartShip


Amy Jo Cousins - 2015
    But when @joshfortytwo announces he’s coming to Miami for a spontaneous visit, Benji is pretty sure the left tackle (whatever that is) expects to meet a cute girl in a bikini, not an aging twink hoping to finally get his life together when he finishes massage therapy school.Josh doesn't let himself wonder about questions like:• why don't you want to ask @princessglitter if she's a girl?• why don't you tell your friends that you can't hang on Sunday nights because you've got a date to watch anime with your new BFF?• why do you call it a date?He just knows he needs to escape from the stress of having been injured just before the bowl game, and @princessglitter has somehow become his best friend.But when Josh's secrets and Benji's sex appeal smash together for forty-eight scorching hours, they're going to feel the heat from Miami to Minnesota.

Jay's Gay Agenda


Jason June - 2021
    While all this friends can't stop talking about their heterosexual hookups and relationships, Jay can only dream of his own firsts, compiling a romance to-do list of all the things he hopes to one day experience—his Gay Agenda.Then, against all odds, Jay's family moves to Seattle and he starts his senior year at a new high school with a thriving LGBTQIA+ community. For the first time ever, Jay feels like he's found where he truly belongs, where he can flirt with Very Sexy Boys and search for love. But as Jay begins crossing items off his list, he'll soon be torn between his heart and his hormones, his old friends and his new ones...because after all, life and love don't always go according to plan.From debut novelist Jason June comes a moving and hilarious sex-positive story about the complexities of first loves, first hookups, and first heartbreaks—and how to stay true to yourself while embracing what you never saw coming.

Kiss and Cry


Keira Andrews - 2022
    Everyone loves him—judges, fans, coaches.I hate him.Now he’s invaded my training center, and I have to see him every day as we prepare for the Olympics. I’m going to win gold if it’s the last thing I do. I’m going to beat him.But the strangest thing is happening. I’m peeking under his happy-go-lucky exterior and discovering there’s more to Theo than I imagined.This is a mistake. I can’t trust him.I can’t be falling in love.TheoMy mom’s convinced training with Henry Sakaguchi will distract me heading into the Olympics. No way—Henry’s epically boring and cold. He might as well be carved from ice.But when I need help, he’s there. He tries to keep me at arm’s length, but it’s no use. He’s too kind. Too generous. He’s caring and gorgeous and hot, and I’ve never wanted anyone like this.I might want Henry more than a gold medal.Am I falling in love?Kiss and Cry by Keira Andrews is a steamy gay sports romance featuring grumpy/sunshine opposites attracting, secretly soft-hearted boys, hurt/comfort, and of course a happy ending.

Bridesmates


Sydney Smyth - 2021
    But he agreed to be her Bridesmate (her male maid of honor), and a promise is a promise. What he didn't expect is to run into his high school crush, who's out of the closet and a smoking hot cop to boot. Will Baker is just as dreamy as he was when he broke Cooper's heart all those years ago - and it turns out he's in the wedding party too. Will Cooper make it through the ceremony with his heart unscathed, or will he risk it all for a second chance at love?

Darkling


Brooklyn Ray - 2018
    Keeping the secrets hasn’t been a problem, until a tarot reading with his best friend, Liam Montgomery, who happens to be one of his secrets, starts a chain of events that can’t be undone.Dark magic runs through Ryder’s veins. The cards have prophesized a magical catastrophe that could shake the foundation of Ryder’s life, and a vicious partnership with the one person he doesn’t want to risk.Magic and secrets both come at a cost, and Ryder must figure out what he’s willing to pay to become who he truly is.CONTENT WARNINGS:Blood-letting (consumption of blood)Explicit Sexual ContentDeath and Resurrection of an MCMild Gore (very mild)

A Fortunate Blizzard


L.C. Chase - 2015
    And with good reason: he’s been on the transplant-recipient list for too long now. When he learns just how numbered his days truly are, he resolves not to take them for granted. But he won’t be unrealistic, either—which means romantic commitments are off the table.Marcus Roberts seems to have it all. He’s handsome, financially sound, and on the fast track to partnership at a prestigious law firm. In reality, though, his drive for success has meant no time for friends or relationships. Add in the fact that his family discarded him long ago, and he’s facing yet another holiday season alone.When the biggest snowstorm to hit Colorado in decades leaves Marc and Trevor stranded at the same hotel, a chance encounter and a night of passion leads to more than either of them expected. Finding comfort in each other is a welcome surprise, but time is not on their side. Either they find a way to beat the odds, or they lose each other forever.2015 Foreword Reviews IndieFab Awards Finalist, LGBT2015 Foreword Reviews IndieFab Awards Finalist, Romance2016 Rainbow Awards, Runner Up, Best Gay Book2016 Rainbow Awards, Runner Up, Best Gay Contemporary Romance