Book picks similar to
The Definition of Normal by E.S. Carpenter
mm
mm-romance
tbr
trans
By Chance
Cat Grant - 2009
Growing up with a cold, unfeeling father and unstable mother has taught him exactly what he doesn’t want out of life or love. The troubled young man prefers a solitary life and is content to keep it that way until a campus emergency saddles him with an unwanted roommate.Popular, wholesome, straight Nick Thompson is far more temptation than Eric’s prepared for, but Nick’s warm, easygoing manner gradually cracks through Eric’s prickly protective shell.After Eric suffers a traumatic attack, their friendship gives way to an intense passion. Eric’s no stranger to casual sex, but what he feels for Nick is something deeper, and more fragile.Independent Eric doesn't know the first thing about being in a relationship, much less with a lover who can't even admit he's gay. But conservative Nick can't seem to find his way out of his own personal closet. 'Rock', meet 'Hard-Place'.
Bodyguard
Dassy Bernhard - 2021
Fortunately, everyone's focus is on the idols, and nobody looks at him too closely—or so he thinks.Kyo Seung-hyun, the new chairman of the Kyo Group, is looking for a trusted confidant while working on his eccentric playboy billionaire image (he's got the “eccentric” part down cold). When he meets Jun-young, he knows he’s found his man—in more ways than one. Jun-young is too honest for his own good, more intelligent than he lets on, and too attractive for Seung-hyun's peace of mind. The superpowers are a bonus, really.When Seung-hyun tries to correct his deceased father's past misdeeds, the corruption the two of them unearth is the kind many would prefer to be kept quiet. Jun-young would do anything to keep Seung-hyun safe, but this situation might be more than even he can handle.Author's note: Slow burn. Sweet romance. Idiots in love. Mutual pining. MARVEL and Connie Willis references. Corruption. The occasional cat. Happily Ever After.*This novel is a revised, extended version of a novella using the same name and cover*
Sunkissed Days
Samantha Chase - 2019
Coming back to Magnolia Sound to celebrate her great-grandfather’s birthday provides the perfect opportunity to show Jake that she’s no longer a child. The last thing Jake expected to do at his mentor’s birthday party was to find himself kissing Mallory under the moonlight. Though he’s known her for years, the thought of kissing her never crossed his mind. But the shy tomboy he once knew is gone, and in her place is a woman he can’t resist. They have one summer before they go their separate ways. Insecurity wars with the possibility of a future together, but it could all come to an end before it even has a chance to start.
Belle of the Ball
Pam McCutcheon - 2003
But a wish at a magical rock formation is about to change all that, in a most a-MUSE-ing way. . . . The three Sullivan sisters, named for the Three Graces of Greek legend who embody beauty, charm and grace, don’t live up to their names. Belle is no beauty. Charisma lacks charm. And Grace is somewhat less than graceful. But this doesn't deter their ambitious mother from bribing three bachelors to escort them to Colorado Springs’ beautiful Garden of the Gods. When the girls overhear their escorts mocking how little they resemble their names, each girl makes a wish at the magical Three Graces rock formation. Belle wishes aloud for beauty, but only so she can use it as a weapon to punish the cads who hurt her sisters. Her true wish is for revenge. Handsome viscount Kit Stanhope regrets his rude remarks and apologizes to Belle. He’s surprised when she tells him that's not enough. If he truly regrets his behavior, he has to make her beautiful in time for the Founders’ Day Ball. Kit isn’t sure he’s up to the task. But, intrigued by the spirited Belle, he agrees to assist her transformation from an ugly duckling into a swan with the help of a mysterious Greek dressmaker with muse-like qualities. Unfortunately, Belle makes a rather awkward swan. Still, after a few embarrassing escapades, she masters the flirtatious language of the fan and takes the town known as Little London by storm. Belle soon finds herself falling for the viscount and his sinful mouth. It seems he returns her regard, but she can’t renege on her promise to humiliate him . . . can she? Will her secret muse grant the wish she voiced . . . or the one she holds in her heart? Note to readers: This title was originally published in 2003 by Zebra Ballad.
Fawned
Winter Pior - 2020
When he signs up for a dating app, the last person he expects to match with is the campus' gay playboy, Gil Connolly.It should have been a one-night stand, but it’s one night Barnaby can’t forget. It’s the closest he’s ever felt to someone, the closest he’s ever felt to belonging.Gil wants someone to belong to him. He has a collar, and he wants someone to wear it. Barnaby has a deer onesie, and he’s starting to think, maybe, the two might look good together.
My Forever, My Always
Taylor Rylan - 2017
From a young age he’d known he was interested in men but wondered if he’d ever find someone to settle down with. Though he wanted to stretch his wings, he knew the ranch was his life and he’d inevitably follow his heart back home. Would he be able to find love with someone that could give as good as they get and love the land as much as he did? Sean Welsh considered himself lucky that he’d grown up with two dads because coming out had been a breeze. Never wanting to trade in on the privilege of their last name, Sean and his identical twin wanted to forge their own path and open their own architectural firm in Jackson, Wyoming. He never expected Simon Redfeather, one of his new clients, to be a gorgeous, sexy, honest to god cowboy. With Simon pushing all his hot buttons, he finds himself wishing he wasn’t the shy twin and yearns to be daring, like his older brother. The attraction is instant but are Simon and Sean willing to risk everything in order to find their other half? My Forever, My Always is the first book in the Men of Crooked Bend series. Each book in the series will focus on a different couple and can be read as a standalone book but will be better enjoyed as a series as the couples all make appearances in each book. Each book contains sexually explicit material between two men and are intended for adults over 18.
Follow The Sun
R.J. Scott - 2012
Lucas arrives on the idyllic island of Sapphire Cay with its white-sand beaches and warm balmy nights for his sister’s wedding. Grieving for a friend, stressed, and with an ulcer, he wants to see his sister happy before he returns home to an uncertain future. He doesn’t have the spirit or desire to form a relationship, but laid back, Dylan tempts him with the promise of a new future if only he were brave enough to take the chance. Dylan never settles in one place for long. A free-spirited traveler, he follows the sun where it takes him and lives for today. Until he meets Lucas and realizes that sometimes the sun is brightest in people’s hearts, and now could be the time to stop moving on.
Rising from the Dust
Adrianna Scovill - 2018
Facing the dissolution of the life he's worked painstakingly to create, Gabriel knows he has to finally learn to embrace all the parts of himself that he's kept buried if he has any hope of being happy. Jack Windsor is a police officer who has, for nearly a year, been mourning the devastating loss of his husband. He’s been running on autopilot, surviving day to day, doing his best to gather up the shattered pieces of himself. Now that he’s approaching his fortieth birthday, he’s still trying to come to terms with the fact that he has to live without the love of his life. When Jack pulls Gabriel over in the middle of the night, their mutual spark of attraction catches them both by surprise. However, if they can draw courage from each other and put their damaged hearts on the line, they might find the love they both desperately need. TRIGGER WARNINGS: mention of suicidal thoughts/actions, and past sexual assault
Apple Polisher
Heidi Belleau - 2013
And definitely no falling for his new roommate-tattooed bad-boy Max, who may or may not be a drug dealer.Most of all, it means no working at a porn store. But Christian's aunt has cancer, and her beloved Rear Entrance Video will go bankrupt if Christian doesn't take over managerial duties. Soon enough, Christian finds himself juggling sticky twenty-five cent peep show booths, a blackmailing employee, and a demanding professor who likes to make an example of him.And then there's Max, who doesn't know anything about the store, but hates Christian's preppy sweater vests and the closet Christian forces him into when they're together. Max just wants Christian to be himself-even though Max is keeping secrets of his own. Christian struggles to find the impossible balance between his real life and the ideal one he thinks a teacher needs to live . . . all while trying to keep his aunt's dream alive without losing his own.
Redemption
Garrett Leigh - 2020
When friendship turns to love, it’s up to Paolo to convince him second chances are worth the pain.Luis Pope is back on the street after a six year stretch in prison, but life on the outside seems just out of reach, especially when the whole neighbourhood knows his face for all the wrong reasons.Paolo’s temper makes it hard to keep staff, and he knows Luis’s rep all too well. But his nonno believes in redemption, and Luis isn’t the tough guy Paolo remembers. Prison has left its mark, inside and out, and all the kindness in the world can’t fix the three inch scar on Luis’s skull.And it can’t keep ghosts locked up. Luis’s the best worker Paolo’s ever had, and Luis’s happier than he’s ever been. But his old life doesn’t want to stay in the past. Trouble comes to call, and when it makes him an offer he can’t refuse, keeping Paolo safe hurts the most.Redemption is an angsty, standalone MM romance novel, with second chances, found family, friends-to-lovers, and buckets of hurt/comfort themed loveliness.
Wanting
Piper Vaughn - 2011
Written for the M/M Romance Group's "Hot Summer Days" anthology.Jonah Beckett has been in love with his older brother's best friend, Laurie, since he was thirteen-years-old. When his boyfriend, Dirk, breaks up with him for refusing to put out, Jonah uses his heartbreak over the situation as an excuse to ask Laurie to teach him all about sex before he starts college in the fall. Problem is, he made Dirk up, and Jonah has no idea what will happen when Laurie finally finds out the truth.~*~Cover design by L.C. Chase.Download the story, read it here or find it in Don't Read in the Closet, Volume 1 or Don't Read in the Closet: GayRomLit Retreat 2011 Special Edition.
Totally Trucked
B.J. Blakely - 2020
If you’re not careful, you can even fall in love.I hate relationships. It’s why I became a trucker.Long nights on the road mean you’re never in one place long enough for a guy to break your heart.But when my rig breaks down in the small town of Bear Springs, I discover my ideal life might not be so ideal after all.How can I keep truckin’ after the anonymous man at the local rest stop steals my heart?I find myself falling for him more each day, until I learn a secret about him and I can't keep pretending it's a casual fling.He's stolen my heart, but can I push past my fear of rejection and make him mine?Or will I fall flat on my face like last time, and end up totally “trucked?”Totally Trucked is an opposites attract low angst MM romance with an age gap, high levels of heat and steam, and a happily ever after that will leave you feeling warm and fuzzy as "truck." It is the first in a series of four age gap novels slated for early 2021 release.
Suicide Watch
Kelley York - 2012
His grades sucked. Making friends? Out of the question thanks to his nervous breakdowns and unpredictable moods. Still, Vince thought when Maggie Atkins took him in, he might’ve finally found a place to get his life—and his issues—in order.But then Maggie keels over from a heart attack. Vince is homeless, alone, and the inheritance money isn't going to last long. A year ago, Vince watched a girl leap to her death off a bridge, and now he's starting to think she had the right idea.Vince stumbles across a website forum geared toward people considering suicide. There, he meets others with the same debate regarding the pros and cons of death: Casper, battling cancer, would rather off herself than slowly waste away. And there’s quiet, withdrawn Adam, who suspects if he died, his mom wouldn't even notice.As they gravitate toward each other, Vince searches for a reason to live while coping without Maggie's guidance, coming to terms with Casper's imminent death, and falling in love with a boy who doesn't plan on sticking around.
Winter Interlude
Sandy Loyd - 2012
Right if you were spending all your time and energy with Mr. Wrong? And what about the book out a few years ago that created such a hoopla with the single crowd – He’s Just Not That Into You? The two main characters in Winter Interlude either didn’t heed their mother’s advice or haven’t read the book. Now, add into the plot that the two in question are enemies who regularly run into each other, given their current relationships. Paul Morrison, a hunky, blond, financial planner, has been putting time and energy into winning the heart of Kate Winter’s best friend for almost as long as Kate, a strong willed antiques dealer, has been dating James Morrison, Paul’s brother.The sparks start to fly when the two get stuck together for a three-hour drive to the mountains and years of misconceptions about each other are slowly being wiped out. It is in the confines of the BMW that the two begin their journey, taking them from being mortal enemies to lovers.Winter Interlude tells the story of their adventure – of how they finally find love. Kate and Paul’s story is the first one in a series of four friends caught in a time warp. They can’t move on because they are stuck on their idea of their perfect dreams. But sometimes life works in mysterious ways and they are all forced by circumstances to change.