Book picks similar to
Roots Before Branches by Abigail Tyrrell


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A Material World Volume 1


K.C. Wells - 2017
    Lace – When Dave discovers Shawn’s little kink, it opens up a whole new chapter for the two friends. Except Shawn can’t help but worry – if there was no kink, would Dave be there? And is Shawn brave enough to find out? Lust, lace – and love. Satin - Can a touch of Satin bring a straight copper to his knees? When Detective Joel Hunter meets female impersonator Satin, he’s about to find out. Satin – and sensuality. Silk - What happens when the man who doesn’t ‘do’ relationships, starts to question his life? Lucas is about to embark on a journey of self-discovery…and escort Matt’s life is about to get messy…

Strings Attached


Nick Nolan - 2001
    Closeted teenager Jeremy is sent to live with wealthy relatives after his mother enters rehab. Struggling to fit into the posh world of Ballena Beach, Jeremy joins the high school swim team, dates a popular girl, and begins to think he may have landed in paradise - until his great aunt Katharine starts to dictate his every move and a late-night phone call insinuates that his father's accidental death was not so accidental after all.As Jeremy grows accustomed to the veneer of a fabulous life, so grows his need for answers - as well as the danger of immeasurable harm. Weaving together a murder mystery, sexual ambiguity, and characters with hidden identities and agendas, Nick Nolan offers listeners a deliciously witty novel about the "puppet" who wishes only to be a real boy. Strings Attached is also a surprisingly heartfelt story about coming-of-age and coming out - not necessarily in that order.

Maurice


E.M. Forster - 1971
    In order to be true to himself, he goes against the grain of society’s often unspoken rules of class, wealth, and politics.Forster understood that his homage to same-sex love, if published when he completed it in 1914, would probably end his career. Thus, Maurice languished in a drawer for fifty-seven years, the author requesting it be published only after his death (along with his stories about homosexuality later collected in The Life to Come).Since its release in 1971, Maurice has been widely read and praised. It has been, and continues to be, adapted for major stage productions, including the 1987 Oscar-nominated film adaptation starring Hugh Grant and James Wilby.

One Man Guy


Michael Barakiva - 2014
    Everyone knows that Armenians never eat out. Between bouts of interrogating the waitress and criticizing the menu, Alek’s parents announce that he’ll be attending summer school in order to bring up his grades. Alek is sure this experience will be the perfect hellish end to his hellish freshman year of high school. He never could’ve predicted that he’d meet someone like Ethan.Ethan is everything Alek wishes he were: confident, free-spirited, and irreverent. He can’t believe a guy this cool wants to be his friend. And before long, it seems like Ethan wants to be more than friends. Alek has never thought about having a boyfriend—he’s barely ever had a girlfriend—but maybe it’s time to think again.

Falling Back


Mercy Celeste - 2019
    With few options in his field, he returns to the diner he’d worked at as a teenager. Waiting tables again was like rubbing salt in an open wound. Resigned to his fate, Chase puts on a smile to greet his very first customer. Divorced, children’s book author, Gavin Hayes was looking for a quiet place to write. The corner table at the diner down the street had the best afternoon light. He could grab a bite to eat and work on his manuscript in peace while he tried to salvage what was left of his life. He never expected the friendly smile of the new blue-haired waiter to spark something inside him that had grown cold. While Chase has no plans to stay. Gavin has no plans to leave. Can love at first sight, bring them together?

All Mine


Piper Lennox - 2018
    In just a single afternoon, they go from friends, to lovers…to nothing. Three years later, Mel is determined to fix the mistake she made that day. But instead of the sweet, lanky boy she grew up with, she finds a man. He’s bulked up. He’s confident. Dominating. Hardened by rejection. Mired in the loss of his father. One thing hasn’t changed, though: how much he wants her. * * * The day Mel left, Blake swore he’d never give anyone else the chance to gut him so completely. He’s adept at getting what he wants from women, when he wants it. His method? Be aloof. Share as little of your heart as possible. Don’t wait around for what you want: demand it. But Mel is different. She always has been. Finally, he has her. All of her. But between his dad’s death and unexpected news from his ex, his life begins to unravel. Even worse: he’s the one pulling the thread. He can’t bear to lose Mel again…but what if letting her go is the only way to keep her safe? All Mine is an enduring yet gritty novel of young love and regret, second chances—and a happily ever after readers will ache to claim as their own. Please be advised: this standalone romance contains intimate scenes some readers may not find suitable.

The Guardian Series: The Complete Set


Max Walker - 2018
    These four books follow the interconnected lives of men who act as protectors and the men that fall in love with them. COVER ME Tristan Cole made a mistake by falling for his best friend, Adrian Hawk, all those years ago. Their friendship disintegrated after Tristan made a drunken move on Adrian. Now, the both of them are working as FBI agents positioned across the country from each other. But when they find themselves working on the same case after years of not speaking, they end up having to face their pasts headon while also hunting down an infamous drug kingpin before he sets off a devastating terror plot. FIRST DOWN Sean Drake is a star college football player still deep in the closet. With an increasingly crazy stalker seemingly around every corner, his coach decides a bodyguard would be a smart investment. In comes Connor Hawk, a man who resigned himself to living a lonely life dedicated to his work. When Connor and Sean meet, their chemistry is undeniable. Now, both men must come to terms with feelings they thought they were never destined to have. Can their budding relationship survive the worsening advances from the stalker or will they both not even make it to first down? EAGLE GRIP Isaac Hawk’s life wasn’t going as planned. He looked for a change and ended up accepting a job as security for the American gymnastics team. That meant he was traveling to Rome for the Olympics. He knew he would cross paths with his ex, Diego Cruz, but he didn’t realize what that meant. Neither did Diego, who was taken off guard by their chance encounter. Both men will need to deal with their emotions while an old flame of Diego’s threatens to throw them both off the balance beams and into their graves. FIRE FLOW Sexy firefighter, Colton Drake, has everything going for him, so why was he having such a terrible time finding someone to spend his life with? Cue Mason Bleu, a fire investigator who gets transferred to Colton’s station. They immediately connect on a level that rocks the both of them. The men must handle the fiery passion that promises to consume the both of them, all while a serial arsonist spreads fear throughout the community. Can they make it through the fire or will they be turned to ashes? _________________ These are four full-length, very steamy gay romance books containing zero cliffhangers and plenty of loving.

Doctor Daddy


Misty Walker - 2021
    The story is the same but includes a never been seen before epilogue.

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?

Gone, Gone, Gone


Hannah Moskowitz - 2012
    Sniper shootings throughout the D.C. area have everyone on edge and trying to make sense of these random acts of violence. Meanwhile, Craig and Lio are just trying to make sense of their lives. Craig’s crushing on quiet, distant Lio, and preoccupied with what it meant when Lio kissed him...and if he’ll do it again...and if kissing Lio will help him finally get over his ex-boyfriend, Cody.Lio feels most alive when he's with Craig. He forgets about his broken family, his dead brother, and the messed up world. But being with Craig means being vulnerable...and Lio will have to decide whether love is worth the risk.This intense, romantic novel from the author of Break and Invincible Summer is a poignant look at what it is to feel needed, connected, and alive.

Containing the Alpha Dragon


Emma Knox - 2019
     An accidental ritual unleashes them to reign again... Introverted and suppressed omega Liam had no idea that the adventure and excitement he’s longed to experience as an archaeologist would fall into his lap at the Smithsonian Institute. But that’s exactly what happens when his supervisor tells him to inspect three giant dragon statues from the Alps and he unwittingly awakens one of them. Suddenly, there’s a gorgeous, thousands of years-old Roman being standing in front of him—and he declares that Liam is the fated mate he’s waited for to release him. Draconus is the eldest of three dragon-shifter brothers who ruled the Roman world until the ultimate betrayal drove them into a magical slumber. Alive for the first time in ages, he’s thrilled that his delectable mate, the prophesied hero destined to rule at his side, is standing right in front of him. But Liam denies he’s who Draco has waited for. The world has radically transformed since the dragon brothers last drew breath. Too bad the traitorous force that nearly wiped them out centuries ago didn’t end up extinct as well… Containing the Alpha Dragon is the first book in the Alpha Dragon Brothers trilogy and is an Mpreg dragon-shifter romance. It’s full of sizzling hot men, ruthless enemies, and an epic HEA.

Guarded Hearts


Louisa Keller - 2018
    Cue Forest Ethridge, my prickly, defensive coworker. I'm drawn to him right off the bat...despite the fact that he seems to find me more of a nuisance than anything else. I fall hard and fast, despite his warnings that I should guard my heart carefully. Just as he's opening his own heart to me, Forest disappears without a trace, leaving me wondering what exactly went wrong. Ten years later I'm still grappling with the repercussions of my first devastating love...and that's when he shows up again. Can I look past my own pain long enough to find out what happened? Or is it better to move on with my life? "I have one rule: don't let anybody in." Forest: As a teenager, I learned the hard way that nobody except my sister Faye can be trusted. Still reeling from our parents' abandonment, we've figured out how to fly beneath the radar. For years I never let anybody in...until I met Blaise Lancaster. He's kind and funny and full of hope. Making out with him is a mistake, and promising to take his virginity is an even bigger one. But before I can make good on my promise, Faye and I are thrust into chaos once more. It's time to leave my hometown once and for all, and there's no time for goodbyes. A decade later I'm still wary and defensive. My solace at the end of each day is listening to Blaise's award-winning podcast. When I find out that he'll be visiting a local bookstore on a promotional tour, I decide to go and skulk in the back of the room. Then our eyes meet, and I realize that my feelings for Blaise have never truly flickered out. Is it too late to rekindle my first love? And will Blaise be able to forgive me? Guarded Hearts is a standalone enemies-to-lovers gay romance featuring a whole lot of mutual pining, a second chance at love, and an HEA.

Straight Laced


Joel Abernathy - 2021
    Ending up on my knees in front of my cocky coworker and long-term rival wearing silk and lace? Not part of the plan. Not by a long shot.It was just for the weekend. A one-night indulgence to let off steam and purge the desire that flares up as strongly as hatred whenever he’s around, but as usual, Nicolae has other ideas.He’s the kind of gorgeous, rich jerk who gets whatever he wants, and it was bad enough when he set his sights on my promotion.Now he wants more. He wants me.Straight Laced is a short and sweet ~17k Alternate Universe novella. My Alternate Universe stories feature characters from other books I've written in brand-new, unrelated stories and situations (in this case, Jack and Nicolae from the Flesh & Bone series). See inside for more details.Straight Laced is packed with enemies-to-lovers banter, angst and fluff as two coworkers who are sure they hate each other learn how to love.

Love Fanatic


Peter Styles - 2017
    But living and loving in the real world… that’s hard. Life should be easy for Lance Epstein. He’s the author of a hugely popular young adult fantasy series and he can afford just about anything he could want or need, including his mansion. All he has to do is write and make the occasional public appearance. He’s living the dream. Or at least he would be, if he was doing anything that people expected of him. Instead, after a bad ending to his only relationship, Lance becomes a hermit, spending five years in a state of perpetual writer’s block and depression. But when his agent sets up a giveaway for a fan, Lance is forced to have dinner with his biggest admirer: Sam Lawrence, a handsome and upbeat fanfiction writer who is infatuated with Lance’s work. One passionate night leads to another, and the two embark on a cross-country road trip to Fantasticon together. Soon, even the cynical Lance is taken in by Sam’s talent and enthusiasm. Spending every day and night with one another evokes feelings within Sam that are equally terrifying and electrifying. But the closer Lance finds himself to really falling in love, the more frightened he is, and the more the demons of his past fight to overtake him. Will Lance ever be able to set down of the baggage of his past? And, more importantly, will Sam be able to see past it? In this touching 75,000-word gay romance novel, Love Fanatic, Lance and Sam’s sensual story will leave you breathless. Descriptive, passionate scenes make this novel suitable for adults only.

The Boy Who Loved Wicked


C.P. Harris - 2021
    I’d impatiently waited three years to take the course, but from the moment he strode in with his sad eyes that mirrored my own, I was intrigued by only him. Dr. Sebastian Wicked. Intrigue turned into obsession, and common interests set the stage for a tentative friendship with the enigmatic man. In time, every line put in place became blurred as what we shared sparked the flames of a forbidden affair. An affair that should've never been, a wrong that the universe sought to right. There was only one possible outcome—we were both going to burn. Would our love rise up from the ashes? Or would it smolder in the ruins?My name is Phoenix Michaelson, and I am the boy who loved Wicked.