Book picks similar to
Breaking Ground by J.P. Oliver


m-m
mm-romance
romance
contemporary-romance

Let's Connect


Kelly Jensen - 2020
    But when he downloads the dating app "Let's Connect" and starts dating, his success/fail ratio isn't encouraging until he gets a connection request from Robin.Everything about Robin's profile is different, from the bright little bird he's using as an avatar to the long and thoughtful answers he's written for the standard questions. He's witty, funny, and easy to talk to. Robin could be his perfect match. But Robin is holding something back.Then again, so is Dan—beginning with the seven-year crush he’s carried for his best friend, Trevor. Sadly, except for one brief moment, they’ve never been single at the same time.Or have they?

Scott Sapphire and the Emerald Orchid


Geoffrey Knight - 2012
    He is suave. He is sexy. He is a man of the world—and a man that the world desperately wants to catch.For Scott Sapphire is the greatest jewel thief of our time.Dashing. Daring. And always neck-deep in trouble.But when Scott’s latest heist lands him in possession of a map to a rare and precious orchid, it’ll take more than bedroom eyes and a charming smile to stay one step ahead of one of the world’s most powerful business tycoons, as well as keep the CIA off Scott’s back and a handsome special agent out of his pants—or maybe not.From the Venice canals to the Amazon rainforest, from Rio de Janeiro to the casinos of Monte Carlo, comes a brand new gay hero as irresistible as diamonds and pearls.Adventure has a new name! And that name is Scott Sapphire.

Kiss & Tell


Beth Bolden - 2021
    His bar, the Funky Cup, is everything to him—except that he’s beginning to realize that maybe there’s more to life than sixteen hour days and too many spreadsheets to count.When Jackson runs into Alexis and his delightful Greek food truck—and the best hummus he’s ever had in his life—it’s almost enough to remind Jackson that all work and no play makes for a very dull boy.But when he bumps into the charming Alexis a second time, during his annual New Year’s Eve party, Jackson knows that when the clock strikes midnight, there’s only one thing he wants: his lips on Alexis’ lips.For one night only, he can have it all.But nothing ever goes to plan, and when Jackson realizes he actually likes the guy, and wants more than just kisses?Jackson is going to need some holiday magic. Kiss & Tell is set in the Food Truck Warriors universe, but can be read as a standalone.

Unobtainable


Jennifer Rose - 2015
    You will inherit nothing. If you marry but do not produce an heir, your shares will be divided among your siblings. If you do not wed by said date, you may if you should so choose to, keep your position with your grandfather’s company and draw a salary. You will also be entitled the corporate benefits program. Do you have any questions?...” I knew by the word marriage, that it meant in the conventional way, with the usual I do between a man and a woman in a church with all the bells and whistles. I wanted to say no, I should have said no, but like the fool I am I said yes.And now I’m trying to explain to everyone, why it is that I’m breaking Rebecca’s heart and I’ve been living a lie all my life. I’m still waiting for that bolt of lightning to strike me dead.Warning: M/M Romance, containing explicit language and sexual contentment recommended for readers 18+.

The Storm Before the Calm


Cate Ashwood - 2015
    It’s his salvation when it feels like the world is swallowing him whole. When his mom secretly secures him a spot in the summer intensive at the Free Rein Dance Company in New York, he is thrilled. He knows that once the summer ends, he'll have to return to Beacon to get a job and help support his family, but for those two months, he can spread his wings. In New York he meets Max, a junior instructor who is everything Charlie wishes he could be. Bold and self-assured, Max radiates pride in who he is. As they spend time together, Max shows Charlie what life can be like past the walls of his closed-minded home town. But Charlie doesn’t know if he’s ready to show the world who he truly is when standing in the spotlight is the last thing he wants.

After the End


Sara York - 2014
    People are dropping in the streets and life, as most know it, comes to an end. Two city dweller survivors, Dean and William, are forced to flee the city and live in the wilderness—where dangers lurk behind every tree and in every valley. Not everyone alive after the end is good, and William and Dean are faced with challenges that would bring many to their knees.Growing up in the hood of Atlanta, Dean knows how to overcome trials, but he knows nothing of love. Can he sustain a relationship with William, or will his doubts end them before they even have a chance?From birth William has had a silver spoon in his mouth and two in each hand, but the end brings him face to face with reality where he has to take responsibility for his life. After the end, money has no meaning, and life is lived on the edge.Join William and Dean after the end and find out how close to the edge they come.

Mister Professor


Ivy Oliver - 2018
     Four years ago I met the college professor of my nightmares... and my deepest fantasies. Arrogant, demanding, uncompromising, he's relentless when it comes to driving a student he believes in, and he's gorgeous. I wanted him from the moment I saw him, but I didn't dare act on it. His chiseled body, commanding demeanor, piercing eyes, and strong hands all had me dreaming of hopping on the desk for some extracurricular activities, but I didn't dare try, no matter how much I wanted to. Then... I found out I'm working for him, assigned to be his assistant. Now I have to survive a semester under him without falling for him, and it's already too late. When a chance encounter leads to a night of passion, our secret story begins... if I dare.

Cabin Nights


Ashley John - 2015
    Taking to the slopes like Bambi on ice, Ben isn't having much luck, until charming bearded beauty, Cal, comes crashing towards him in a flurry of snow at fifty miles an hour. From the moment Cal offers to help Ben get back on his skis, the attraction is instant and Ben is convinced that a man as perfect as Cal is out of his league. Womanizer Jonny wastes no time asking out a girl he meets on the slopes and he makes her promise to bring along a friend to keep Ben occupied that night in the Après-Ski Bar. When that friend turns out to be Cal, he's given the opportunity of a lifetime to wine and dine with a man of model like beauty, with a charismatic personality to match. When Cal invites Ben back to his Cabin, they find themselves trapped in an extreme whiteout and with the men forced to spend the Christmas holidays together, they quickly find they are doing more than roasting marshmallows next to the warm and inviting fire. *Contains gay sex scenes between an Oxford University Student and a sexy bearded cabin dweller*

Tops Down Bottoms Up


Jay Northcote - 2017
    The yoga and singing workshops are bad enough, but morris dancing is the final straw. Bearded men with beer guts prancing around wearing bells—who wants to watch that? All Rowan’s preconceptions are shattered when he meets Seth—a morris dancer, and the stuff Rowan’s fantasies are made of. Seth persuades Rowan to come to a dancing workshop, and Rowan’s willing to do whatever it takes to get to know Seth better. The attraction is mutual, and a lesson filled with innuendo and flirting leads to an incredible night together.When Rowan arrives home, he’s gutted to find that Seth has given him the wrong phone number. Assuming Seth did it on purpose, Rowan resolves to forget about him. But fate—and friends—conspire to get them back together. Will they manage to stay in step this time around?A much shorter version of this story was originally published in the Not Quite Shakespeare Anthology by Dreamspinner Press. This version has been revised and extended. Almost half of it is new content.

Macarons at Midnight


M.J. O'Shea - 2014
    He spends a lot of time working late at night, eating and sleeping alone, and even more time meandering around his neighborhood staring into the darkened windows of shops. One night when he’s feeling really low, he wanders by a beautiful little bakery with the lights still on. The baker invites him in, and some time during that night Tristan realizes it’s the first time he’s really smiled in months. Henry Livingston has always been the odd duck, the black sheep, the baker in an old money family where pedigree is everything and quirky personalities are hidden behind dry martinis and thick upper east side townhouse facades. Henry is drawn to Tristan’s easy country charm, dry English wit, and everything that is so different from Henry’s world. Their new romance is all buttercream frosting and sugared violets until Tristan's need to fit in at work makes him do something he desperately wishes he could undo. Tristan has to prove to Henry that he can be trusted again before they can indulge in the sweet stuff they're both craving.

Thou Shalt Not Love


Zane Michaelson - 2018
    Ten years after leaving the childrens home he was raised in, Matt is forced to sell his body to make ends meet.A chance encounter with a handsome stranger spins his world off its axis.Declan is everything Matt has ever wanted - Kind, caring & incredible sexy.But, he is a man of God, sworn to live his life according to the Bible's teachings.Torn in half, he has to make the ultimate decision.Is his love for Matt stronger than his love for the church?Matt refuses to force Declan into a decision, loving him enough to walk away, but Declan isn't willing to give in so easily and embarks upon a secret relationship wth the man he loves.Will the church discover Declan's deception, and will they let him go so easily?Will their forbidden love prevail, or will the secret Declan is keeping blow their world apart?

Protecting the Prince


Ali Lyda - 2021
    I’m not going to fall for a spoiled price.Prince Ryden is as hot as he is off limits.I have no intention of sleeping with a client, especially not a royal client.He’s got the weight of an entire kingdom on his shoulders, and he deserves to let loose for a bit.Maybe I can show him a thing or two.It can never be more than a fling.A guy like Ryden wouldn’t want me forever anyway.His family will never approve.My only job was to keep him safe.But now that I know how amazing he is, I want to keep him close for good.Falling for my bodyguard would be a disaster.As prince of Cosandria, I have a duty to marry and produce heirs.My bodyguard can never be my boyfriend.But what about a fling?I’ve never done anything with a guy before, no matter how much I’ve wanted to.When it comes to Ajax, I can’t resist.He’s here to keep me safe, but it’s my heart that’s in danger.How can I keep him when I have a duty to my country?And even if I find a way to come out, will he want to stay?Protecting The Prince is a 70,000 word bodyguard/prince romance featuring an irreverent and protective bodyguard and the nerdy and spoiled prince he needs to keep safe.

The Plunge


Ruthie Luhnow - 2016
    One day, he leaves it all behind and heads to the mountains in a desperate attempt to find himself. Matt can’t outrun his problems, though—and things only get more complicated when he meets a young, charismatic stranger he can’t seem to stay away from. Wild, passionate, and deeply troubled, Josh Day is interested in one thing: forgetting his crappy life. Whether it’s at the bottom of a bottle or in bed with a fling, Josh moves too quickly and parties too hard to give himself a chance to think about everything that’s gone wrong. When Josh meets Matt at a party, it seems like the perfect opportunity for his next hook up. The two men are quickly drawn to each other, opening up to one another in ways they never have before. As Matt and Josh grow closer, they are forced to confront their inner demons. To be together, Matt will have to leave his old life behind completely and Josh must face the trauma he’s been hiding from—but they find that love alone may not be enough to overcome their fears. Will both men be brave enough to take the plunge? The Plunge is an emotional m/m contemporary romance with hurt/comfort themes, plenty of heat, and a happy ending.

Lesson Learned


Lillian Francis - 2012
    He's decided his new teaching job in Cardiff is his chance to finally settle down. Perhaps here he can have a home, and even friendships that won't end in disaster. Like his growing rapport with history teacher Nathan Morgan.Nathan has been careful to keep his sexuality a secret at work. He doesn't want that kind of attention from the student body. There's one body he would like attention from, though—the new science teacher, Drew. But it's much too risky to let Drew know how he feels. He won't gamble their fledgling friendship on an awkward confession of lust. And Drew's probably straight anyway. Their friendship is derailed when a student's accusation forces a reluctant confession. Drew is tempted to run again until he comes face to face with the inescapable realisation that flight has ruined every relationship he's ever had. But maybe he's finally found someone worth staying in one place for.

Upside Down


N.R. Walker - 2019
    Gay, geek, a librarian, socially awkward, a nervous rambler, an introvert, an outsider. The last thing he needs is one more. But when he realizes adding the label ‘asexual’ might explain a lot, it turns his world upside down.Hennessy Lang moved to Surry Hills after splitting with his boyfriend. His being asexual had seen the end of a lot of his romances, but he’s determined to stay true to himself. Leaving his North Shore support group behind, he starts his own in Surry Hills, where he meets first-time-attendee Jordan.A little bewildered and scared, but completely adorable, Hennessy is struck by this guy who’s trying to find where he belongs. Maybe Hennessy can convince Jordan that his world hasn’t been turned upside down at all, but maybe it’s now—for the first time in his life—the right way up.