Book picks similar to
Those Words I Dread by Tess Barnett


fantasy
mm
m-m
bickering-arguing-verbal-fight

The Fall of the Fairy Tale Prince


Lisa Oliver - 2020
    Oh, he had friends and he did his best not to show any of the jealousy he might have felt as they all paired off with gorgeous hunks. But while his friends were all talking about romantic plans for the upcoming Valentine's day, his only plans for the day included curling up with his cat Winston, and binge watching his favorite television shows. Lex was in a bind, a serious one. His father had given him six weeks to find a bond or true mate and present that person on Valentine's Day. With three days to go, Lex was running out of options. He needed a paranormal person - someone who could understand his issues, and who could handle staying with him long enough to appease his father. But when he spotted a cute human walk into the bar he was drowning his sorrows in, his tiger stirred. The human had paranormal friends. Unfortunately, Lex puts his big foot in his mouth within minutes of meeting Charlie. If it wasn't for Charlie's friends, his situation might have been worse. But when Terry and Zander, Sully and Q, and Roy and Richard all pitch in to help, Lex might have finally found a way to win his mate and get his father off his back for good. This is a short story of roughly 19,000 words, but it is complete. My regular readers will recognize the characters from my A&O books, Dancing Around the Cop and Change of Plans, however this book can be read as a standalone. This story has not changed from the Valentine Giveaway run through Prolific Works last month, so if you read it then, this is the same story. This is an MM true mates story including intimate scenes. It is intended for adults only.

Bubbly


Shea Balik - 2017
     There was no doubt about it, Macalister Whitmore was as straight-laced as they came. He worked all the time, never did anything that would be considered fun, and almost always wore a suit and tie, even in the laid back southern town of Dahlonia, where the dress code tended to be jeans and t-shirts. It was how his parents raised him and Macalister was sure even a tanning salon couldn’t change that. David Wilson wanted to throttle his best friend for sending Mac to his tanning salon to try and loosen up the uptight lawyer. He had never met anyone that had actually worn a suit to a tanning salon before. What Mac needed was a doctor to remove that stick from his ass. Then again, if Mac continued to look down his nose at David, he would remove it himself. Still, it seemed that opposites do attract, so they decide to give each other a chance. Happily ever after may sound like a dream come true, but no one ever said it didn’t come with pain and heartache. Will they walk away from each other, or walk through hell for the chance to pop some Bubbly and celebrate finding their happy ending? Male/Male romance and sexual situations.

The Alpha and His King


Kiki Clark - 2020
    As alpha, Rick’s dedication to his pack has never wavered—until Kai. The pull he feels toward the younger man is more than a simple distraction, but Rick won’t let himself lose focus. Not while a hidden enemy is drawing near. Moving in with the grumpy alpha who saved him is a big change for Kai, and it isn’t long before he begins to ache for something he can’t have. As a half-human shifter responsible for his three younger siblings, he knows he can never be Rick’s mate. Pushing aside their doubts and insecurities, they grow closer. But when the pack’s enemies strike, bringing their fears to fruition, Rick and Kai have to decide if they’re willing to risk it all to be together. The Alpha and His King is the first book in the Kincaid Pack series and features a quick-tempered and possessive alpha; a sweet and feisty alpha-mate; shifters, seers, and witches galore; massive amounts of hurt/comfort; and a happily ever after.

Home Again


Cardeno C. - 2011
    He holds it together, taking comfort in the fact that the man he has loved since childhood, his partner, Clark Lehman, is on his way. But when Clark finally arrives, Noah is horrified to discover that he doesn’t remember anything from the past three years, and he simply can’t understand why. It will take some painful confrontations if Noah’s going to figure out why he’s lost all memories of his recent past... and secure the future he’s dreamed of having with Clark.

Wild & Unruly


Laurel Alexander - 2015
    yet. He's just a lowly paralegal on an unexpected flight to Wyoming. Oil has been discovered in the wild, beautiful country out near the Bighorns, and Elliot's bosses desperately need him to close the billion-dollar deal on its sale—a task that should be as simple as collecting a signature. Or it would be if it weren’t for Jared Carter, the stubborn, ruggedly handsome cowboy who refuses to sign away his land. Tensions run high as Elliot tries to convince Jared to sell. The rancher is more than his ultra-masculine exterior led Elliot to believe at first glance, sensitive and beautiful in the most unexpected of ways—and undeniably attracted to Elliot. Elliot struggles to ignore the building heat between them, the strange pull that keeps drawing them together despite mounting pressures. When they give in to their deepest temptations and embark on a passionate, physical affair, will oil and money drive them apart?

Feral Dawn


Lee Colgin - 2020
    When Hugo stumbles upon Ivan, he’s faced with an impossible choice: leave the injured vampire to perish in the sun’s rays, or take him to the home he’s lived in alone for the last decade. Ivan, bleeding and helpless, must trust this mysterious werewolf to protect him and nurse him back to health. He learns Hugo is on his own, cast out from his pack and cut off from his family. Hugo saves his life, and Ivan will do anything to return the favor—even take on the rogue alpha terrorizing Hugo’s childhood pack. Can an outcast werewolf and a disgraced vampire find love, or will an old enemy tear them apart? Feral Dawn is a novella-length MM paranormal/fantasy romance featuring a vampire who will do anything to protect those he loves, a shy werewolf willing to take a risk, hurt/comfort, and a touch of violence for readers who love a good fight scene.

Ignite (Set on Fire #1)


Rebecca James - 2021
    And although he knows it's going to be difficult to go back to the real world, he can't help but get a little lost in the act. Funny thing is, before this trip Luca would have sworn he knew everything about his best friend. But before they leave Miami, Michael reveals something that Luca never expected.Tropes: Fake boyfriend, friends-to-lovers, bi-discovery, virgin, tall/short.

Falling into Love


S.C. Wynne - 2014
    He's lost his job and his boyfriend and is feeling depressed. His best friend Jenny tells him about an ad she's noticed where The Muddy Mountain Ski Resort is looking for waiters. Chris has restaurant experience and since his New Years Resolution is to learn to ski it seems like a nice opportunity to jump start his life.Trevor Brown is a ski instructor at the resort. He befriends Chris right away and the have undeniable chemistry. But Trevor has guilt over the death of his lover, Lane two years earlier. Can the two of them learn to trust each other and move forward and forget the past?

Letters to Aleksanta


Jessamyn Kingley - 2019
     Tasked with this new responsibility, Aleksander is the recipient of multiple letters with suggestions for anonymous gift-givers while he puzzles over what to get the person whose name he plucked out of a hat crafted from his own dragonskin. With plenty of festive spirit, the gang is ready for the big day and all its fanfare. However, an unexpected arrival takes the D’Vaires by surprise, serving as a beautiful reminder that the most important part of the season is their incredible family, including and especially their beloved Aleksanta.

Chance for the Win


Zach Jenkins - 2015
    He's talented, rich, gorgeous, and has an amazing kid. The only thing missing in his life is the one thing that could cause him to lose it all; a man to share it all with. He keeps telling himself to focus on the game, the money, and the lifestyle until he retires, and then he'll come out and find a man.Manny needs the crazy job that fell into his lap...His last children's book still hasn't found a publisher, and he can't find the right words for the one he's writing, but the bills keep showing up in the mail. Just when he starts to contemplate a life in a cubicle, a sexy, famous quarterback asks him to be the nanny for his son. The salary will solve all his problems. The kid is a dream to watch. But the biggest shock is when they start falling for each other.Passion leads to problems...When an old friend from Manny's past threatens to tell their secret to the press unless Chance gives him money, will it be the final straw that tears them apart, or will they work together to give themselves a chance for the win.

Buying You


Wendy Rathbone - 2018
    It’s quite another to be sold as one. Prized for his looks, Dane knows it’s shallow, but he is on his way to having it all. It feels good to be gorgeous, smart and have top designers from around the world requesting him. When he returns to his hometown to participate in a small Date-For-Charity auction, it seems harmless enough—until a hooded man walks in and bids higher on him than anyone else. Dane is intrigued but nervous when he finds out the guy has vanished after the winning bid, leaving only a limo behind to whisk Dane off into the night. Enemies to lovers, opposites attract, and hot steamy nights that challenge two guys’ trust issues along with their biggest fears.

Handsome Death


Sara Dobie Bauer - 2020
    But I've never needed anyone.---------------In a world where paranormal creatures live amongst us and must follow certain laws, living life as a dangerous loner works for vampire Ethan. Inhabiting his gleaming apartment, wearing his designer suits, jetting around the world as a fanged killer-for-hire, Ethan does it all alone. That is, until he literally runs into Tristan. Tristan, who is clearly trouble wrapped in skinny jeans and an oversized sweater. Tristan, with his shock of angelic blond curls. Tristan, who plays piano more beautifully than the old masters-- and Ethan would know; he saw Beethoven.Tristan is gorgeous, a little sassy, and irresistible. Also, Ethan is horrified to note, Tristan has no idea how incredibly tempting he is to things that go bump in the night. Overcome by the urge to keep Tristan safe, Ethan begins to... well, stalk is such a strong word. What starts as an obsession quickly becomes something more, something that Ethan needs. And to his surprise, Tristan seems to need him, too...This darkly romantic tale delivers steamy passion and a happily ever after. Be advised that Handsome Death includes explicit m/m content, stalking, mentions of past abuse, and graphic violence.

Five Minutes Longer


Victoria Sue - 2016
    Finn has battled all his life. His selfish mother, his father's suicide, his homophobic brother, and finally his undiagnosed dyslexia stopped his dream of joining the FBI before it could even start. His one chance--his only chance--is joining an experimental group and partnering an enhanced human with lethal abilities that wants him to fail. Saving the world might be doable. Losing his heart will be impossible.

Perfect Ten


L. Philips - 2017
    But when Meg, his ex-Catholic-turned-Wiccan best friend, suggests performing a love spell, Sam is just desperate enough to try. He crafts a list of ten traits he wants in a boyfriend and burns it in a cemetery at midnight on Friday the 13th.   Enter three seemingly perfect guys, all in pursuit of Sam. There’s Gus, the suave French exchange student; Jamie, the sweet and shy artist; and Travis, the guitar-playing tattooed enigma. Even Sam’s ex-boyfriend Landon might want another chance.   But does a Perfect Ten even exist? Find out in this delectable coming-of-age romcom with just a touch of magic.

Pressure Head


J.L. Merrow - 2012
    The local police keep his number on file for a different reason—his sixth sense for finding hidden things.When he’s called in to help locate the body of a missing woman up on Nomansland Common, he unexpectedly encounters someone who resurrects a host of complicated emotions. Phil Morrison, Tom’s old school crush, now a private investigator working the same case. And the former bully partly responsible for Tom’s injury.The shocks keep coming. Phil is now openly gay, and shows unmistakable signs of interest. Tom’s attraction to the big, blond investigator hasn’t changed—in fact, he’s even more desirable all grown up. But is Phil’s interest genuine, or does he only want to use Tom’s talent?As the pile of complicated evidence surrounding the woman’s murder grows higher, so does the heat between Tom and Phil. But opening himself to this degree exposes Tom’s heart in a way he’s not sure he’s ready for…while the murderer’s trigger finger is getting increasingly twitchy.Warning: Contains a flirtatious plumber with hidden talents, a cashmere-clad private investigator with hidden depths, and an English village chock full of colourful characters with plenty to hide.