Book picks similar to
River Inn by Jason Collins


m-m
contemporary
mm-romance
romance

Bounty of the Heart


Cody Ryder - 2016
    His heart and his trust wounded, Roy struggles to redefine his views on life and love, believing he’ll never love again. Everything changes when, at a local farmer’s market, a vendor selling fresh vegetables turns out to be someone from Roy’s youth—the only boy he’d ever loved. “It was like every plant that grew was healing me, giving me life again.” Dakota Heart has dealt with hardship his entire life. He lost his mother as a child, and after his father passed away, he decided to put all of his energy into one project: The Heart Lifespring Gardens, a permaculture food forest spanning the entire half-acre of his suburban backyard. He always viewed the gardens as his source of healing and love, but he never thought that his fruits and vegetables would bring him back face to face with his high school sweetheart—the one who got away. “This whole thing has just gotten me all turned around.” The two former lovers find passions quickly rekindling, but Roy needs healing, and Dakota doesn’t know if he can let himself fall in love with him again. It may be up to Rosie, Dakota’s clever border collie and sole emotional companion, to quietly keep the two men together. But can one dog, the healing power of nature, and the warm memories of a past love keep fragile hearts from pulling apart? Bounty of the Heart is a steamy contemporary M/M gay standalone story set in Southern California, and features a feel-good HEA ending with no cliffhangers!

Rescue My Heart


Avery Ford - 2017
    In his final year as an undergraduate, he’s been working himself ragged keeping up with the demands of work and school and the serious business of What Comes After Graduation. Dmitri O’Hannahan has never really had anyone to depend on. Up until a few months ago, he’s been the primary caretaker for his family, allowing his mother to spend her final months of life in comfort. Dmitri isn’t sure how to relate to humans - the Malinois dogs he raises are much easier to understand and relate to. He’s got trust issues a mile wide, and it doesn’t help that some young, starry eyed kid has decided to make him persona non grata at his only real social outlet - the Locust Hill Shelter. When Arthur comes into enough money to allow him to take a step back from his busy schedule, he decides to fill the void by volunteering at his local animal shelter. But finding out that the brooding, if deliciously handsome, Dmitri breeds and sells dogs rather than just adopting them leaves Arthur with a bad taste in his mouth that not even Dmitri’s illicit kisses can transform. Rescue My Heart is a a steamy, standalone gay romance novel, with a happily ever after ending and no cliffhangers.

Seeing Sunrise


Raleigh Ruebins - 2017
    It’s his last summer of freedom before graduating from college, and during his first week in town, he has a sexy hookup in a bar with a hot, mysterious man. The connection is explosive, but afterward, the guy refuses to meet up again. But two days later, Jesse finds out that that same man will be his roommate for the rest of summer… "Is this how you get all the guys?" "Not all the guys act like you." Nathan Stanford is still hurting after his engagement crumbled almost two years ago. He’s fully focused on his work as a photographer, and he’s definitely not looking for a serious relationship. But when he meets the young, intriguing Jesse in a bar, he can’t hold himself back. He never expected to end up living with Jesse for the whole summer. He’s completely afraid of taking things any further, but at the same time, he can’t pull away… “Stay with me. Just for tonight.” Soon, Nathan is pulled into Jesse’s life. He’s forced to photograph a wedding that Jesse is catering, and ends up bringing Jesse on an overnight camping trip soon after. It soon becomes clear that their feelings can’t be ignored, and what they thought was a summer fling could be so much more…. ----- Seeing Sunrise is a 60,000 word steamy, emotional MM romance, with slight May/December themes - HEA ending guaranteed.

Acquired Tastes


Chris Owen - 2009
    He chose a group of men to be brothers, and created bonds as strong as blood ties... What happens when the oaths he swore as a teenager are resurrected a decade later? Lee Sutton is working his way through his PhD at a new college, his old life left behind years ago. He's become independent, solitary and driven toward impending success. When he finds that one of his closest neighbors is a member of the same secret society Lee once belonged to, Lee's life is thrown into disarray at exactly the wrong moment, and he has to face new choices, weighted against the past. Dr. Joey Reed is a successful chemist, an outgoing and enthusiastically cheerful man who proceeds to worm his way into Lee's life, believing them to be long lost brothers, dear to each other simply because they chose to be, years before they met. Is it possible that vows made as a freshman can guide the life of a doctoral candidate toward happiness? Lee and Joey are only beginning to find out when the past is brought to the fore, taking them back to the college and home they'd once shared with a family they'd chosen.

Cold Turkey


Hayden Hunt - 2016
     All I wanted was to come home and have an enjoyable Thanksgiving with my parents. But I should have known that wasn't going to happen. We've always had a rocky relationship, we're not close by any means.I was much closer to my best friend's family. Ethan lived across the street from me growing up and we were always incredibly close. His house was a second home to me. So when he saw me outside of my parent's house, he offered to let me spend Thanksgiving with them.Which would be great, if I wasn't trying to hide the fact that I'm still madly in love with him.I never thought I'd see him again.I was elated when I saw Daniel sitting outside of his parent's old house. When he went away after High School, I was convinced he'd never come back to this town. I have missed him ever since he left...So when he agreed to spend Thanksgiving with my family, I couldn't be happier. And finally, I think I might have the courage to tell him how I really feel. I was a coward when we were younger, when I was still trying to figure myself out, but things are different now. At least, I hope everything will be different now.Because I still really, really want him.This standalone novel is currently on sale for .99! It comes complete with HEA ending and bonus material from two of my other books!

Cool Cats


Harper Logan - 2016
    After dropping out of the prestigious Beasley University, he's hung around as a townie, gradually drifting away from the student life he once knew. When he's roped into helping a PR firm promote the gallery's show, he comes face to face with the last person he expected to see: his old friend Grant Kennedy. "I never had the courage to be like you." Grant always envied Dylan for his effortless "coolness." Always following in his best friend's footsteps, whether it was playing in a band or aspiring to artistic greatness, he never could keep up. When he rekindles his friendship with Dylan, he sees an opportunity to become the person he never thought he could be—if only he can get over his fear of standing out. "It's never too late to discover who you really are." As the two men navigate their friendship, they rediscover what pushed them apart and what brought them together. When Dylan's cat breaks his leg, throwing him further into debt, and Grant finds himself straying from the path his parents set out for him, the two men find they need to lean on each other like they used to... And see what more can blossom from their connection. Cool Cats is a 30,000-word standalone contemporary gay romance, complete with lots of heat and a happily ever after ending.

Finding His Place


Nic Starr - 2017
    Despite striving to win his father's affection, a confrontation that has been years in the making leaves Kieran devastated to realize he will never be good enough. Jealous of the half brother he's never met, and who most likely doesn't know of his existence, Kieran vows to find out what makes his brother so special in their father's eyes.Darius Jensen manages a nightclub. He loves his job, but is reluctant to commit when given the opportunity to become a partner. His previous foray into business ownership with a boyfriend had disastrous results, and Darius is still paying the price, both financially and emotionally.When Kieran starts working with Darius at Sparks, Darius shows him it's not too late for Kieran to realize his dreams--the fulfilling career, a loving family, and someone who loves him for who he is. If only Kieran can convince Darius of the same thing. But before Kieran's and Darius's dreams can come true, Kieran needs to come clean with his brother and deal with the resulting fallout... which threatens his relationship with Darius.Note: This book was originally published as part of the Memories with the Breakfast Club Kindle World. The text remains unchanged.

The Deal


Zach Jenkins - 2018
    So this is just a convenience thing, for both our sakes, and maybe I'll even learn to settle down and become less of a broken man.All thoughts of healing fade fast when I see him walk around without his shirt on. All I can think of is whether his skin is as smooth as it looks.But I'm straight. Fake marriage with a straight man? My life is a mess. I'm out of money. My business is failing. My love life is gathering dust. So when he offers to fix both our problems with a phony marriage, it seems the answer to both our prayers. It should shake things up, too.Yeah. It's shaking me up all right. Instead of high-fives, his tender touch melts my bitter heart, and releases a powerful need I learned long ago to ignore.But he's straight. When our lips meet, nothing feels fake any more. The Deal is a steamy, standalone gay for you, 35k word romance novella with a HEA ending and a fake marriage that refuses to believe it is anything but true love.

Lone Wolf


Shelley Munro - 2011
     R.J. Blake begins a new session tutoring young werewolves in the old ways—before the introduction of the shift-suppressing drugs that allow their kind to live secretly among humans. He expects nothing out of the ordinary. Until sexy, smart, aggravating-as-hell Corey Wilson arrives. Older than the others, son of a powerful Los Angeles pack leader, Corey is an instant temptation he cannot afford. The last thing Corey wants is three months stuck in the Yellowstone wilderness, followed by the stifling life his father has all mapped out for him. One glimpse of R.J., though, sparks a determination to seduce the older man before he leaves. Yet as R.J. guides him through the sometimes terrifying process of rediscovering his heritage, a deepening respect calls to his artistic soul and fuels a burst of creativity. When their time comes to an end, Corey senses hesitation behind R.J.’s insistence that theirs was simply a summer fling. Inspiring him to take a leap of faith with consequences neither of them saw coming. A dangerous plot that reaches from the heart of their love to the highest office in the land… Warning: This book contains a young werewolf intent on seduction, an older werewolf determined to resist said seduction, werewolf politics and brutality, a little spilled blood, and hot, naked manlove in the great outdoors.

Through The Years


Z.A. Maxfield - 2012
    These stories -- re-edited for quality content and given a Winterheart Designs cover -- were written in 2008, in part as a protest over the passage of Proposition 8 in California. They follow the course of Ethan and Barry's love affair in ten year intervals from the moment they first admit it, at prom in 1978, to a major breakup and reconciliation in 1988, to a family vacation in Hawaii that turns into more in 1998, and election night 2008, a time of deliberation and decision.This version includes the *bonus* holiday (also previously published) story “The Cursed Noel.”

Foreshock


Kari Gregg - 2012
    Twice divorced and not long from the closet, he's found his way into a fulfilling relationship at last, but he can't quite escape the sense that he's left his manhood behind in the process.When Kyle's latest DIY project slides into predictable disaster, his lover, Eric Mulholland, wants him to retire his Allen wrench and accept that he isn't less of a man for loving Eric.Then the fault lines of their relationship meet the fault lines of the 2011 Northeast earthquake, and the two lovers learn not just to stay on their feet when the ground shakes, but to actually treasure the tremble."All author royalties on sales of this title are being donated to the Trevor Project, which provides crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to LGBTQ youth."

For the Living


L.A. Witt - 2012
    He’s ashamed of hiding it all this time and he doesn’t want to hurt her, so every time he gets the chance to tell her, he freezes up. The guilt has been almost unbearable, but when his wife dies suddenly, Jay’s conscience threatens to eat him alive. Funeral director Scott Lawson deals with the bereaved every day of his life, and he’s also all too familiar with the inside of the closet. He offers Jay some much-needed compassion and understanding, and from that connection comes a friendship that quickly—perhaps too quickly—turns into something more. But are grief, guilt, and loneliness the only things tying them together? Or will Scott get tired of being used as an emotional crutch before Jay realizes what he has?

Learning from Isaac


Dev Bentham - 2012
    Genevieve College for 15 years. It’s not a perfect situation, but he's resigned to being a gay man in a straight culture, a Jew among Catholics and single in a world of couples. Until the stunningly attractive Isaac Wolf appears in his classroom. Isaac is a few years older than his fellow students, brilliant, self-composed and Jewish. Wouldn't Nathan's mother be pleased? Except, of course, relationships between faculty and students are forbidden, especially those not sanctioned by the Church.Isaac has his own secrets, which Nathan finds out when he visits the racy new club downtown where boys can be bought in the back room. Behind the beaded curtain, the man on his knees turns out to be Isaac. What happens in the club stays there, right? Except Nathan's mind isn't the only thing Isaac blows, and Nathan can't stop thinking about that night. But what kind of future can there be for a college professor and a rent boy?Publisher's Note: This book contains explicit sexual situations, graphic language, and material that some readers may find objectionable: male/male sexual practices.

More Than Friends


Aria Grace - 2012
    When he met Drea, he hoped she might be the one. But when he felt more chemistry with her gay cousin Zach, Ryan felt more confused and terrified than he had in his life. He wasn't gay but he wanted to be with Zach. How could it possibly work?

Straight Up


J.S. Finley - 2017
     After the Marines, they went their separate ways, but he can’t forget…never forget and never leave a man behind, but that’s what he did when he ran from Brent. Maybe it wasn’t the best reaction, but he couldn’t face the truth. Now he has a second chance and he doesn’t want to blow it, instead, he wants to blow Brent. Brent: Maybe there’s something between he and Jake, but Brent can’t ask, and Jake won’t tell because in the Marines being gay is bad for business. Time heals all wounds, and that’s what Brent is gambling on when they meet in the hills of Tennessee. Brent is hoping for friendship…but if there is more, he’ll take it. When Brent meets his straight friend again in Tennessee will they remain friends or will they become more?