Book picks similar to
Root of the Spark by Michele Fogal
romance
fantasy
queer
mm-romance
Passing Stranger
Louisa Keller - 2018
When Riker Cavanaugh—cruel, demanding, and filthy rich—checks in, it’s easy to write him off as just another obnoxious guest. And even though he never seems happy with my performance, he keeps specifically requesting me. What’s with that? But as I spend more time with this breathtakingly beautiful man, I’m finding Riker is much more than his gruff exterior and his expensive taste. Over late-night lobster and impromptu frozen yogurt, I begin to see a man who is deeply wounded and fiercely loyal. I’ve spent my whole life dreaming of a Prince Charming to come sweep me off my feet, but what life could a billionaire and a concierge really build together? “I want to get to know you. If you’ll let me.” Riker: As the CEO of an international investment business, I have no interest in playing nice with the lowest level staff at the hotel I’m staying at as I close the most important business deal of my career. I didn’t get this rich by playing nice. Between my long hours and my failed marriage, romance is about as appealing to me as flying economy. And sure, Bryce Harrison is gorgeous, funny, and unbelievably compassionate, but that doesn’t mean I care about him. Something about Bryce gets under my skin, and for the first time in my life, someone sees right past all those walls I’ve carefully built. Bright-eyed, virginal, and nearly two decades younger than me, he is the worst possible match for a grumpy, work-addicted billionaire…but I can’t deny that, when I’m around him, I feel more alive than I have in years. My past still haunts me, but Bryce makes me believe that someone as jaded as me can find happiness. We come from two different worlds, though—will one of us have to give everything up? Passing Stranger is a contemporary billionaire romance with enemies-to-lovers, first time, May/December, and hurt/comfort themes, plus a very happy ending!
Fan Art
Sarah Tregay - 2014
Not college—that’s all set. Not prom—he’ll find a date somehow. No, it’s the worst problem of all: he’s fallen for his best friend.As much as Jamie tries to keep it under wraps, everyone seems to know where his affections lie, and the giggling girls in art class are determined to help Jamie get together with Mason. But Jamie isn’t sure if that’s what he wants—because as much as Jamie would like to come clean to Mason, what if the truth ruins everything? What if there are no more road trips, taco dinners, or movie nights? Does he dare risk a childhood friendship for romance?This book is about what happens when a picture reveals what we can’t say, when art is truer than life, and how falling in love is easy, except when it’s not. Fan Art explores the joys and pains of friendship, of pressing boundaries, and how facing our worst fears can sometimes lead us to what we want most.
Incursion
Aleksandr Voinov - 2012
When the local authorities ask Kyle Juenger to hunt a shape-shifting Glyrinny spy, he can’t refuse. After all, he can use the reward to replace his paralyzed legs with cyberware, and maybe even to return to his home planet. Besides, he hates the morphs—those invasive, brain-eating monstrosities whose weapons cost him his legs. Kyle’s best lead is the Scorpion, a mercenary ship armed to the teeth. Grimm, the Scorpion’s pilot and captain, fascinates Kyle. He’s everything Kyle lost with his legs, and he’s from the same home world. He’s also of the warrior caste—half priest, half savior. But Grimm’s been twisted by life as a merc, and Kyle’s stuck undercover as a criminal on the run. That doesn’t stop Grimm from coming on to Kyle, or from insisting he’s more than the sum of his past and his useless legs. But Kyle has other concerns—like tracking a dangerous morph who could be wearing anyone’s face. And as if things weren’t complicated enough, Kyle can’t tell if Grimm is part of the solution . . . or part of the problem.
Biting the Sun
Tanith Lee - 1977
Not if you're Jang: a caste of libertine teenagers in the city of Four BEE. But when you're expected to make trouble--when you can kill yourself on a whim and return in another body, when you're encouraged to change genders at will and experience whatever you desire--you've got no reason to rebel...until making love and raising hell, daring death and running wild just leave you cold and empty.Ravenous for true adventures of the mind and body, desperate to find some meaning, one restless spirit finally bucks the system--and by shattering the rules, strikes at the very heart of a soulless society....
All My Crimes
Tal Valante - 2012
But for Teregryn Eve, the human king’s former right-hand man, another nightmare is about to begin.It’s taken Teregryn two years to recover his health and magic in the aftermath of the war. He’d rather retire from the world of men, but an assassination threat and a malevolent ghost force him on a quest to save the king who no longer wants him. The elves are dead to the last, so who’s the mysterious assassin? And why has his king—who was once so much more to him—forsaken him?The answers may lie in Teregryn’s mind, but those memories are locked beyond his reach. As a web of lies and love unfolds around him, Teregryn must fight the past and present in a desperate bid for the future. Can he save everything he loves, or will the sum of his crimes drag him under first?
Pawn Takes Rook
Lex Chase - 2013
Hogarth is utterly smitten, but he soon discovers the superhero Power Alliance has ejected Rook for failing to protect a civilian.Hogarth devises a plan that will reinstate Rook and might even earn Hogarth a place in Power Alliance roster. But what he expects to be a simple few missions rescuing kittens and helping little old ladies cross the street turns into a shocking reality of citywide chases, foiling robberies, and facing his ex. Then Hogarth discovers the beating Rook saved him from wasn’t a chance attack. It’s possible Hogarth is just a pawn in Rook’s game….
Heart to Hart
Erin O'Quinn - 2013
Michael, immediately smitten with the sulky and sexy man, lays a plan to first become his new roomer, then his business partner.But Simon, stricken by his recent loss, is having none of Michael’s undisguised interest.Not a man to be deterred easily from a goal, Michael sets about winning Simon’s affection. That particular battle is almost as difficult as tracking down the murderer of his predecessor, a nosy detective who was getting too close to the crimes of an evil person.Simon spends more time ducking Michael’s advances than actually finding clues and solving the mystery. Inquiring minds want to know—how hard is Simon really trying to avoid Michael? And Michael isn’t hiding his forthright urges, but what secret is he hiding?NOTE: This story is part of The Gaslight Mysteries series.
The Alpha in the Mirror
Noah Harris - 2019
Trust me, it’s not as hot as it sounds. Fine, it’s a little bit hot. I came for the truth about my parents’ murder and I’m not leaving without it. But Veselko has an agenda, too, and the advantage. Power over an alpha wolf prince might not be what the omega is after, but he’s clearly savoring it. I’ll do anything to protect my brother and our people. There’s no lie I won’t tell, no dragon I won’t bed, if that’s the price it takes. I’m not sure who’s playing whom or what to believe but I don’t need to trust Veselko to use him. I just need something he wants. And if he can help me protect those I love, I’ll give him my very soul. VESELKO I never expected to be a traitor. Honestly, I never expected anything. I was an omega and the middle prince in a fading royal family. The fate of nations was for others to decide. But their decisions have endangered us all and someone had to do something. Kai is not the boy I remember, and I know he doesn’t trust me, that his performance is just for show. But I know there’s truth to it as well. He wants me, and what I can give him. But there’s danger, and Victory could cost me everything. Too much is at stake to be distracted by romance. People say I’m crazy. Maybe they’re right. But if I’ve already lost my mind. I can’t afford to lose my heart. The Alpha in the Mirror is the beginning of a passionate odyssey that weaves romance through many different lives. Savor this exciting M/M, shifter, MPREG romance that will take you into a world full of intrigue, secrets, and desires.
Finding King
Casey K. Cox - 2013
But then a raid went wrong and cost him the man he loved, and now Merrick spends his days pillaging ships only to continue the desperate search for his lost love. When all his efforts finally pay off, however, he realizes that though his lover has been found, he may well be lost to Merrick forever anyway.21,000 Words.
The Blacksmith Prince
Beryll Brackhaus - 2017
It is a corner of France teeming with spirits, dryads and nymphs, and like everywhere else, witches are burned at the stake.Born with the second sight, young fisherman Jehan wants nothing but to keep his head down, work hard, and stay out of trouble. Which works well enough until a suspicious string of bad luck befalls the village smith and his wife. Their adoptive son Giraud is everybody’s dashing darling, who behind his sooty smile and swashbuckling manners has buried a painful connection to the supernatural himself. Fearing that some evil is afoot, Giraud turns to the only other man in town who knows about the hidden world around them - Jehan. Before long, they are embroiled in a quest involving brigands, witches and noble fey, while their friendship and attraction gradually shifts into something deeper. If they manage to survive ancient feuds and everyday prejudice, they might even have a chance to forge a Happily Ever After all of their own... From Rainbow-Award-winning authors Beryll & Osiris Brackhaus, ‘The Blacksmith Prince’ is an old-fashioned, swoon-worthy historical fantasy romance about tender love in a time when history and fairy-tales were one and the same.
Kings of the Mountain
Morgan Brice - 2020
Outlaw country boys. Snarky werewolves, vengeful ghosts, and menacing monsters.Dawson King’s family has been hunting things that go bump in the night in Transylvania County, North Carolina, since before the Revolutionary War.Dawson was never happier than when he was racing his souped-up Mustang along winding mountain roads and hunting monsters with his best friend, Grady. Then Grady fell in love with him, which should have been perfect since Dawson had already fallen hard for Grady.But Grady was only seventeen, and Dawson feared that sooner or later, Grady would realize his feelings were just a first crush, and then he’d be gone, leaving Dawson devastated. They both needed space to figure things out. So Dawson joined the army, while Grady stayed on the mountain.Four years later, Dawson is coming home. He’s more sure than ever Grady is his forever love, and they’ve both agreed to begin this new aspect of their relationship as soon as Dawson gets back.Then Grady’s father is killed in a werewolf hunt gone wrong. Grady is devastated, and he’s throwing mixed signals about moving forward. Dawson knows he needs to hold off on this new thing between them until Grady has time to grieve. But monsters never sleep, and one hunt after another throws Dawson and Grady into constant danger, while tension and unresolved feelings ripple between them.Making it even harder, Dawson’s got a secret. He’s dreamed of death omens—which point to something stalking Grady. Can Dawson figure out who’s trying to kill Grady, save his life, and win back his heart?Plenty of mutual pining, hurt/comfort, spooky chills, sexy thrills, and a very happy ending. The Kings of the Mountain is the first novel in the series. It is a MM romance intended for readers 18 years of age and older.
Blue Skies
Tamara Allen - 2014
Her long-standing battle with developer Joe McGowan brings a fragile Bowery rowhouse to her attention, and she’s as determined to protect it as he is to tear it down. During an inspection, Susan discovers just how unique the property is when she comes across a frightened and apparently homeless man bearing a tale of time travel neither she nor her brother Neil believes—until they find they themselves have traveled three days into the future.Professor Robin Winfield learns too late the mistake he made in agreeing to help Joe’s great-great-grandfather Victor McGowan decode a family journal connected to the rowhouse, a place once used as a laboratory for electrical experiments. When Robin is inadvertently transported one hundred and twenty-six years from home, Neil and Susan take him in, hoping to get him back where he belongs before anyone else learns of his presence. But Victor’s will has already spilled those beans and Joe thwarts the attempt to send Robin back—only to end up trapped with Susan in 1887.Broke and homeless in the not-so-ideal past, Joe and Susan struggle to find common ground—and they aren’t the only ones, as Neil and Robin join forces in a desperate search to rescue Susan before Victor figures out the secret to time travel. But a secret Victor’s keeping is the one destined to change the future—Neil and Susan’s—for all time to come.
Rise of Heroes
Hayden Thorne - 2008
There’s a new villain in town, one with super powers, and he’s wreaking havoc everywhere and on Eric’s life. The new superhero who springs up to defend Vintage City is almost as bad, making Eric all hot and bothered, enough so that he almost misses the love that’s right under his nose.Peter is Eric’s best friend, and even if he does seem to be hiding something most of the time, he finds a way to show Eric how he feels in between attacks on trains, banks, and malls. The two boys decide to start dating, much to the chagrin of their other best buddy, Althea, who has a terrible crush on Peter and a secret or two of her own to keep.As the fight between the Devil’s Trill and Magnifiman picks up, Eric’s relationship with Peter almost ends before it begins when Eric finds out about Peter’s special talents, which might just rank Peter as a superhero in his own right. When the Trill takes an interest in Eric, Peter and Althea, along with Magnifiman and Eric’s normal, middle-class family, all have to work together to keep Eric and their city safe.
Spellhacker
M.K. England - 2020
Then an earthquake released a magical plague, killing thousands and opening the door for a greedy corporation to make maz a commodity that’s tightly controlled—and, of course, outrageously expensive.Which is why Diz and her three best friends run a highly lucrative, highly illegal maz siphoning gig on the side. Their next job is supposed to be their last heist ever.But when their plan turns up a powerful new strain of maz that (literally) blows up in their faces, they’re driven to unravel a conspiracy at the very center of the spellplague—and possibly save the world.No pressure.
Spellbound
Allie Therin - 2019
When an amulet with the power to control the tides is shipped to New York, he must intercept it before it can be used to devastating effects. This time, in order to succeed, he needs a powerful psychometric…and the only one available has sworn off his abilities altogether.Rory Brodigan’s gift comes with great risk. To protect himself, he’s become a recluse, redirecting his magic to find counterfeit antiques. But with the city’s fate hanging in the balance, he can’t force himself to say no.Being with Arthur is dangerous, but Rory’s ever-growing attraction to him begins to make him brave. And as Arthur coaxes him out of seclusion, a magical and emotional bond begins to form. One that proves impossible to break—even when Arthur sacrifices himself to keep Rory safe and Rory must risk everything to save him.Magic in ManhattanBook 1:
Spellbound
Book 2: StarcrossedBook 3:
Wonderstruck
Standalone
Proper Scoundrels