Book picks similar to
New Beginnings: A Holiday to Remember by Jayne Lockwood
books-i-ve-written
holiday-stories
lgbt
novella
Dream by the Fire
Devyn Morgan - 2015
They attend the same university, and it was a no-brainer to live together. Yet, Mason crossed the country to choose this school over a more prestigious grad program. He always told Darcy it was because of the extracurricular opportunities. Darcy wonders: did Mason move for him? They cuddle now and then... but Darcy's always assumed his best friend was straight. Darcy isn't looking forward to a lonely Christmas. His parents won a Christmas cruise they've been looking forward to forever, but it's for two people. Meanwhile, Mason's flying thousands of miles across the country on Christmas Eve to be with his family. That leaves him alone for ten days. The news of a freak storm sweeping in off the Atlantic shouldn't excite Darcy as much as it does... When the planes are grounded, the roads are a mess, and the airports close down, Darcy and Mason are snowed in together. Now, with the magic of Christmas in the air, they can connect on another level. But can their relationship as best friends withstand the drastic change as sparks fly? Dream by the Fire is a standalone story with a HFN ending.
Cold Feet
Jay Northcote - 2014
When the heat rises, will they get cold feet?Getting snowed in at a remote cottage in Wales with someone he’d fancied for ages isn’t exactly how Sam expected to spend Christmas. His feelings for Ryan are pointless. Ryan’s straight—or so he thought.Until now, Ryan’s kept his feelings for Sam buried. Why ruin a friendship over what might only be gay experimentation? Playing it cool seems safer, until a cold snap makes sharing body heat vital. In their Welsh safe haven, anything seems possible.As Ryan’s reserve melts away, Sam wants more than stolen kisses under the mistletoe. But a sudden thaw means making decisions. They could face the New Year together—unless one of them gets cold feet.word count: 32,000 approx
She's Got Balls
Mia Watts - 2009
How better to bust a ring of drug dealing suburban house wives than to go undercover-way undercover, as a married couple? Though Chris reluctantly gets in touch with his feminine side, he quickly finds ways of making his sexy partner squirm. And Vin is definitely squirming, but will he run away from his faux wife, or right into 'her' arms? One thing is for sure: as the investigation heats up, 'inter-agency cooperation' will take on a whole new meaning...
Inseparable
Chris Scully - 2012
So when Joe says Adam is straight—and Joe’s not—and they’re just best friends and roommates, Adam is more than a little confused. But as Adam starts to fill in the gaps, the one thing that becomes apparent is that Joe is the missing piece that can’t be replaced.
Eight Days
Cardeno C. - 2012
Story is now bundled with In Another Life.
A story from the Dreamspinner Press 2012 Advent Calendar collection Evergreen.Maccabe Fried and Josh Segal have nothing in common, but they’ve been friends forever. Maccabe is an athlete with dreams of playing professional baseball. Josh is a good student with dreams of being with Maccabe. Then both dreams come true.Maccabe and Josh fall into a passionate long-distance romance, and after years of hiding from the world, Josh wants to bring their relationship into the open. When Maccabe refuses, Josh is faced with a tough decision: stay with the man he loves or live the life he deserves. Somebody's bound to get hurt, but in the season of miracles, there's always hope for a happy ending.
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)
The Letter
Jerry Cole - 2017
Not everyone has had the sort of beginning Sam has. He was found at birth on the steps of a children’s home run by a convent in Chicago and raised by nuns, eventually to be adopted at the age of three. Given a life with a new family down in Florida, he is unable to shake off the natural curiosity that comes with wanting to know exactly where he came from. Resentful and angry, he ducks and dives his way through his existence, often with the help of law enforcement, before being given a lifeline that takes him back to Chicago. It’s an opportunity both for a new start, and to see whether he can ever get answers to questions he has over how he came to be. When a letter linking him to his past arrives, he is thrown into turmoil, and decides to join a local support group. It’s run by Jay Millar, himself an abandoned baby, but one Sam envies. Jay seems to have his life together in a way Sam craves. Sam soon realizes that it may not be just Jay’s life he’d like, but Jay himself. He is faced with some very tough decisions. Should he reach out to the stranger who gave birth to him? And should he follow his heart down a path he has never dared to tread? It’s time for Sam Nolan to grow up, but he can only do that by closing wounds that have been open since the day he was born. Please Note: This book contains Adult Language & Steamy Adult Activities, it is intended for 18+ Adults Only. Novel, approx. 50,000+ words in length. HEA (happy ever after ending). Does not end with a "cliffhanger". BONUS NOVELLA - "When Worlds Collide" Scott Rogers thinks of himself as the average guy - he works his job, he drinks with his friends, and he has the occasional hook-up with other average guys. If you asked him, he’d say that nothing in his life is remarkable. His friends don’t think of him as average - they see him as incredibly kind, understanding, and full of humor. For a lot of people, he’s the first one they’d turn to in a crisis and he’s always ready to lend a helping hand. But Scott is modest, and he doesn’t have high hopes for his love life. Owen Carlisle is anything but an average guy. A breakout child star at sixteen, he’s lived his entire life in the spotlight. He’s considered to be one of the most intelligent and talented actors of his generation but not a single one of his fans realizes that he’s living a lie. Owen’s reputation and his career depend on his image of being a straight man, the dream man for many women around the world. For Owen, this means he can never have a true relationship and is doomed to pretend to date a string of Hollywood starlets he doesn’t even like. He has no real hope for true happiness. Neither of them expect the whirlwind romance they are thrown into when they come across each other one fateful night. Can Owen sacrifice his career for Scott? Can Scott love somebody who would have to keep his existence a secret? When these two star-crossed lovers meet, they will change each other’s lives forever. Whether they change it for the better or for the worse is up to them. Please Note: This book contains Adult Language & Steamy Adult Activities, it is intended for 18+ Adults Only. Novella, approx. 40,000 words in length. HEA (happy ever after ending). Does not end with a "cliffhanger".
The Manny
Sara Bell - 2009
He's flat broke, his dead lover's parents are suing him again and his asshat landlord A.J. Boyd is evicting him from his bike shop, the one constant in Tate's life. He's starting to think things will never look up when sees an ad in the paper for a night and weekend nanny. So what if the guy who's doing the hiring is none other than A.J. himself, or if A.J. makes Tate's blood heat with something other than anger? After having his wife dump him because she claimed a bisexual man could never be faithful, A.J. Boyd has stopped being surprised when life throws him curve balls. Stopped being surprised, that is, until he finds out his ex-wife has died and left him with a six-week old daughter he didn't even know he had. Now he's sleep-deprived, scared stiff, and ready to do something really stupid, like hire the stubborn, infuriating, cocky Tate. And if the tension between them's hot enough to restart the Chicago fire, well, so be it.
The River Leith
Leta Blake - 2014
Unmoored and struggling to face his new reality, Leith must cope anew with painful revelations about his family. His brother is there to support him, but it’s the unfamiliar face of Zach, a man introduced as his best friend, that provides the calm he craves. Until Zach’s presence begins to stir up feelings Leith can’t explain.For Zach, being forgotten by his lover is excruciating. He carefully hides the truth from Leith to protect them both from additional pain. His bottled-up turmoil finds release through vlogging, where he confesses his fears and grief to the faceless Internet. But after Leith begins to open up to him, Zach's choices may come back to haunt him.Ultimately, Leith must ask his heart the questions memory can no longer answer.
Wrapped Up in You
Ella Frank - 2018
But with his partner, Dr. Vaughn Bennett, working crazy hours in the ER, it’s difficult to make any kind of plans. Easter was an appendectomy. Thanksgiving, a ruptured spleen. And Christmas had called Vaughn away to work for Doctors Without Borders. So when the calendar hits February 14th, Carter expects it will be just another day when he kisses his man goodbye so he can go and save the world. Little does he know that Vaughn has a huge surprise up his sleeve—one that will change their lives forever.
A Taste of Love
Andrew Grey - 2010
Billy gains Darryl's respect with his earnest nature and willingness to work hard, but Billy's admiring looks resurrect pain and shame from Darryl’s past.Until Darryl stumbles across Billy's secret, Billy is suffering in silence: his father died a few months earlier, leaving him struggling to raise his twin five-year-old brothers. Darryl takes Billy and the boys to the restaurant, where they’ll stand together to face the smorgasbord of troubles in their future… while Davey, Donnie, and Billy all worm their way into Darryl’s heart.
Unrequited
Abigail Roux - 2009
He's stuck in a rut, uninspired by his job, and in love with a man who has no clue. Thinking a change of scenery and company will do his aching heart some good, he goes off on a road trip with his best friend, only to find that the answers to his problems may have been right there in front of him all along.
Yours For The Holiday
D.J. Jamison - 2017
Jason Hendricks has always treated him like a little brother to tease and taunt, all the more embarrassing because Remy has secretly crushed on the jerk since puberty. But when Jason confides he's bisexual, Remy realizes the crush he loves to hate could be the perfect rebound.Jason has always found Remy appealing. He didn't handle his attraction well when he was younger, but now Remy's a grown man and Jason's no longer afraid of his feelings. Some playful flirtation sounds like a great way to spend Thanksgiving break, but he's not prepared for Remy's newfound sex appeal or his decision to make Jason his rebound fling. Jason doesn't want to risk fallout with a family that's always been there for him, but he's not sure he can resist.When the two part ways, they don't plan to stay in touch, but soon they're texting, trading sexy pictures and helping each other cope with family drama. Remy agrees to be his for the holiday, continuing their secret fling over Christmas, but Jason knows that won't be enough. He'll have to find the courage to be open and honest with his best friend -- and the whole Wells family -- if he wants a chance at love in the new year.
Unintended
M.J. O'Shea - 2010
He never meant to fall for the hottest guy in school...or any guy at all for that matter. But he did.Alex Stewart is in love. He took one look at the adorable skater boy with the big lost eyes and was gone.They're both happier than they've ever been, but can their fragile new love survive?
Fall For Me
Ann Lister - 2013
Exposing the story would boost Ryan's career, but it would also come with the risk of ruining Dagger's privacy – and possibly his Rock God status.The unlikely friendship that develops between Dagger and Ryan brings Ryan to question more than just his journalistic oath to report the news. It also forces him to take a look at himself and newly discovered feelings – feelings that make Ryan blind to the risk of becoming front page news himself.Will Ryan find the courage to make a life decision to give himself true happiness with Dagger or take the path that would likely lead to heartbreak and destroy his career forever?