Book picks similar to
Rebel Heart by Ann Lister


m-m
mm-romance
musicians
mm-lgbtqia

The Perfect Blend


A.D. Ellis - 2021
     Justin plans to put his business and baking skills to good use once he owns the small-town coffee shop of his dreams. He’s willing to do whatever it takes to make his dreams come true. If that means involving an unsuspecting silver fox in his scheme, so be it. Morgan knows moving to Briarton was the right step in getting his life back on track. A case of mistaken identity lands Morgan right in the middle of young, handsome Justin’s completely unexpected plan. Morgan should just say no, but something deep inside urges him to take a chance. Will Justin and Morgan complete the terms of their unconventional deal? Or will they finally admit there’s more between them than they first realized? **The Perfect Blend is a steamy, M/M age-gap, marriage of convenience, coffee shop romance.**

Center of Gravity


Neve Wilder - 2018
    A year of nothing but heartache leaves him seeking refuge from loneliness and grief behind spreadsheets, punishing daily runs, and the occasional anonymous tryst. He wants only to bury the past and focus on his career, but he has one last task to complete: pack up his parent’s quaint beachside house and put it on the market. Alex Andrews is a budding artist with a penchant for Converse, Cracker Jack, and piercings. Family turmoil sidelines his dreams of finishing art school and building a career in three-dimensional design, and now he’s doing whatever he can to keep everyone afloat.When Alex shows up as a part of the moving crew hired to help Rob clean out the house, what should be a simple move becomes far more complex. Because it’s not the first time they’ve met, and their last encounter was memorable for all the wrong reasons. The attraction between them is undeniable and intense, but Rob’s hell-bent on pushing everyone away, and Alex is on the verge of spinning out of control. Can a grumpy accountant and a bootstrapping artist find their center of gravity together, or are they on a collision course to heartbreak?**An emotionally-charged, slow burn m/m romance featuring an age gap, hurt/comfort themes, and a very hard-won happily ever after. This is the standalone first in the Nook Island, Georgia series.**

St. Nacho's


Z.A. Maxfield - 2008
    He's currently moving from town to town, working in restaurant kitchens, and playing his violin for tips. As soon as he starts to feel comfortable anywhere—with anyone—he moves on. He's aware that music may be the only human language he still knows. Ironically, the one man he's wanted to communicate with in all that time is deaf.Shawn is part of a deaf theater group at the nearby college. Shawn wants Cooper as soon as they meet and he begins a determined flirtation. Cooper is comfortable with down and dirty sex, just not people. As far as Shawn is concerned, dirty sex is win-win, but he wants Cooper to let him into the rest of his life as well.Cooper needs time to heal and put his past away for good. Shawn needs to help Cooper forgive himself and accept that he can be loved. Both men find out that when it comes to the kind of healing love can bring, the sleepy beachside town of Santo Ignacio, “St. Nacho's” as the locals call it, may just be the very best place to start.Publisher's Note: This book contains explicit sexual content, graphic language, and situations that some readers may find objectionable: Anal play/intercourse, male/male sexual practices.

Off-Balance


Brigham Vaughn - 2014
    Stephen Parker is the company’s CFO. A spilled cup of coffee gives them an opportunity to act on the mutual attraction they’ve both been trying to ignore. But attraction isn’t enough with an almost twenty-year age gap and clashing expectations about their relationship. Fiercely independent, Russ isn't sure he's ready for long-term commitment and Stephen is afraid history is repeating itself. Their relationship reaches a crossroads when the death of Stephen’s father forces them to visit his hometown in southern Georgia. Estranged from his family, Stephen must come to terms with his past and say goodbye to the father whose expectations he could never live up to. The small, conservative town provides its own challenges as Russ must find the strength to be the man Stephen desperately needs.Note: Off-Balance was previously released as Equals and Partners. It has been completely re-written in a single novel with an additional 20k of brand-new content and fresh edits.

String Boys


Amy Lane - 2019
    In Seth’s uncertain childhood, the kindness of the Cruz family, especially Kelly and his brother, Matty, gave Seth the stability to make his violin sing with the purest sound and opened a world of possibility beyond his home in Sacramento.Kelly Cruz has loved Seth forever, but he knows Seth’s talents shouldn’t be hidden, not when the world is waiting. Encouraging Seth to follow his music might break Kelly’s heart, but he is determined to see the violin set Seth’s soul free. When their world is devastated by a violent sexual assault and Matty’s prejudices turn him from a brother to an enemy, Seth and Kelly’s future becomes uncertain.Seth can’t come home and Kelly can’t leave, but they are held together by a love that they clutch with both hands.Seth and Kelly are young and the world is wide—the only thing they know for certain is they’ll follow their heartstrings to each other’s arms whenever time and fate allow. And pray that one day they can follow that string to forever… before it slices their hearts in two.

Life in a Nowhere Town


Hanna Dare - 2016
    It's not the sort of place where a quiet, eighteen-year-old who loves the Beatles and playing guitar can expect to fit in.Conor's also pretty sure he's the only gay person in town.Well, except for one other person...Derek Folsom is the kind of bad influence parents warn you about. He's tough, rough, and always looking for a fight. He's the last person anyone would suspect of being gay, in fact he's likely to punch anyone who does suspect it. So why is he suddenly so interested in Conor?Conor's pinning all his hopes on auditioning for a TV show. It's his only chance to realize his dreams, and escape all of these confusing feelings. But will he be able to find his voice... and his true self?

Made Marian Volume One: Books 1-3


Lucy Lennox - 2016
    Included in Made Marian Volume One are the following three titles: Borrowing Blue Follow Blue Marian as he accidentally kisses a random stranger in a bar one night and kicks off a series of events at a big family wedding that throws everything into question. Little does he know the stranger would turn out to be his new brother-in-law who owns the vineyard in Napa where the wedding is being held. When Tristan Alexander decides to kiss the sweet man at the bar to make his ex jealous, he has no idea it will challenge everything he ever knew about himself. Borrowing Blue is the award-winning debut novel that opens the worldwide bestselling Made Marian series. Taming Teddy When photographer Teddy Kodiak decides to show up in Alaska to shadow one of the wildlife verterinarians on staff, he assumes his charming personality will win the guy over immediately. Little does Teddy know Jamie Marian has no patience for men with big egos and even bigger reputations. Been there, done that. All Jamie wants is time to himself to lick his wounds from being jilted not long ago. But Teddy has other ideas, and Jamie needs to brace himself for the whirlwind that is Teddy Kodiak on a mission to impress the sweet, shy scientist. Jumping Jude Jude Marian is a closeted country music star who does everything he's supposed to do. He's been shoving down his own desires for years in order to follow his career dreams. But when a mysterious attack leaves him shaken and vulnerable, Jude's new bodyguard brings all those desires rushing into the forefront of his mind. Derek Wolfe is a big, bad bodyguard who's as straight as they come. Except late at night when Jude is at his most vulnerable, it seems Derek is the one person he can be himself around. What if Derek isn't straight afterall? And what if there's a way Jude can finally have everything he ever wanted?

Running with Scissors


L.A. Witt - 2015
    Now, he’s got a second chance. The band’s bassist just quit, and Jude plays bass almost as well as he plays drums. The other band members aren’t thrilled, but they are desperate. Running with Scissors needs him, but there’s one condition: no hooking up with bandmates. That’s what ruined things eighteen months ago, after all. Jude’s on board, but no one warned him about the drummer who replaced him. A.J. Palmer is shy and unassuming . . . until he hits the stage. He gets Jude’s attention from the first beat, and suddenly that “no hookups” rule isn’t so easy to follow. Keeping secrets on a tour bus isn’t easy either, and it’s only a matter of time before the band catches on. When everything hits the fan, Jude has to choose: a second chance at the career he’s always regretted leaving, or a shot at the man of his dreams? This 82,000 word novel was previously published.

The Doctor's Heart


Andrew Grey - 2021
    Between his career and family, he has little time for any type of personal life. But he finds himself flirting with one of the ambulance EMTs and, to his surprise, he gets flirted with right back.Miguel is surprised the handsome ER doc even knows who he is. His own life is a little dull, but making eyes at Doc and getting a response supercharges his days. After he’s injured on the job, Miguel gets a firsthand look at Doc Rosco’s incredible bedside manner, not to mention the rest of him.As the two men tentatively start exploring the attraction that has simmered for months, the head of medicine takes exception to their budding relationship. Pressure builds, and the two men must make decisions about their lives, their jobs, and the one thing that could make each of them happy… each other.

Beyond Moonlight


Piper Vaughn - 2012
    They were finally touching the way it was meant to be. No anger, no resentment, just wonder." Affirmation– "The last leg of the tour, after that concert at Madison Square Garden, had been like a fantasy. Part of him still expected that any second he'd wake up and it would've all been a dream."Allegiance– "He started walking, feeling a little unsteady on his feet, with only one thought in his mind: snagging a bottle of tequila from the bar and getting up to the room he’d been given for the night."(Warning: Contains spoilers for Moonlight Becomes You.)Word Count: 10,500 (approx)

Exposed


Bey Deckard - 2017
    The camera is an extension of himself where he exposes his passion for the intersect of pleasure and pain. However, the lens also acts as a barrier, protecting his subjects from the shameful mistakes of his past, and Greg is left isolated and lonely.Emyr stands on the cusp of fame, but adulation and abuse are both eroding his confidence, and one night, at the river’s edge, he seeks solace in the rain, hoping to hide his tears.The photographer and the virgin rock star share an accidental connection on that dark, drizzly night. When Greg invites Emyr back to his hotel room, no strings attached, the young man should have bolted. Instead, an odd sense of trust allows him to follow Greg’s lead.When the camera comes out, Emyr learns the stage isn’t the only place he loves to perform as Greg touches something inside him that rarely awakens. Faced with a beautiful, talented boy whose soul is as lonely as his own, will Greg be able to face his past and come to terms with it, or will he run from the connection he so desperately desires?

The Strongest Shape


Tessa Cárdenas - 2009
    He finds both in a group of aspiring musicians, who offer help through their connections. But while building a strong friendship with Scott and Chris, a startling sexual tension flares to life among the three men, and Caleb is afraid the new friendships will fall apart.It won't be easy for Caleb, trying to find his way when Scott and Chris invite him into their relationship. They face criticism from their friends, but they'll struggle to stay together because they have discovered a three-fold love.

Rock Bottom


K.M. Neuhold - 2018
    Grab it free on Instafreebie! Downward Spiral— a band with a handful of platinum records, and almost no hope of making it. Meet Lincoln, Benji, Lando, and Jude— the hottest rock stars of the decade, who’ve just about hit rock bottom. Don’t miss their full stories in the upcoming Replay series!****This short story contains a depiction of self-harm ****

Adam's Song


Spencer Spears - 2017
    But since when do I say no to bad ideas? Adam: It’s not like I wanted to fall in love with Ben. When we first met in college, I thought he’d be like every other hot jock who’d made my life hell in high school. It's not my fault he turned out to be sweet, funny, and insanely talented. We moved to New York after college to break into the music business and of course Ben got signed by a major label—they’d be stupid not to want him. But even though he’s a famous popstar now, he still wants to be friends with a nobody like me. Honestly, if he didn’t want me falling for him, he should have been less goddamn perfect.Well, except for the part where he’s straight. Did I forget to mention that?In my defense, responsible decision-making has never been my strong suit. Case in point—collapsing on stage, guitar in hand, after discovering my then-boyfriend, now-ex was cheating on me, and downing a bottle of bourbon in response. But I’m cleaning up my act—no more hiding in the closet and no more bad life choices. But that also means no more waiting around for the day Ben magically decides he likes di…sgustingly sappy guys with secret crushes on him (aka me).So why did Ben have to pick now to make me question everything I thought I knew about us? “I’ve never wanted anything as much as I want you right now. When I see you, something inside me lights up.” Ben: It’s not like I planned this. I was on tour when Adam collapsed back in New York and he wouldn’t even let me come home early to visit him. But that’s Adam for you—brilliant, breathtaking, and pathologically afraid of vulnerability. All I wanted was to be there for him—and him coming out didn’t change that in the slightest. Yeah, I couldn’t help seeing him a little differently. And no, I couldn’t quite explain why I was suddenly noticing the curve of his back, the freckles on his cheeks, or wondering what his lips tasted like. But whatever weird awakening I was having, Adam needed support, not more confusion.And then I kissed him. Whoops.And I know it’s fast. I know it’s unexpected. I know my label would be livid if they found out I was dating a guy. But I also know—deeply and inexplicably—that this could be something real. I just have to convince Adam of the same thing. Beautiful, broken Adam who looks at the world through 14 layers of irony. Adam, who’d rather get an appendectomy than admit that he needs someone. Adam, who still doesn’t know all of my secrets.So do I convince him to risk everything—on me?Adam’s Song is Book 1 in the 8 Million Hearts series. While each book can be read on its own, they've even more fun to read together. Adam’s Song is a 120,000 word m/m romance full of snark, sweetness, and a healthy serving of steam. Friends-to-lovers and hurt/comfort themes. No cheating, no cliffhangers, and a guaranteed HEA.

Vespertine


Leta Blake - 2015
    They spent several idyllic months together until Jasper's calling to the Catholic priesthood became impossible to ignore. Left floundering, Nicky followed his own trajectory into rock stardom, but he never stopped looking back.Today, Jasper pushes boundaries as an out, gay priest, working hard to help vulnerable LGBTQ youth. He's determined to bring change to the church and the world. Respected, admired, and settled in his skin, Jasper has long ignored his loneliness.As Nico Blue, guitarist and songwriter for the band Vespertine, Nicky owns the hearts of millions. He and his bandmates have toured the world, lighting their fans on fire with their music. Numbed by drugs and fueled by simmering anger, Nicky feels completely alone. When Vespertine is forced to get sober, Nicky returns home to where it all started.Jasper and Nicky's careers have ruled their lives since they parted as teens. When they come face to face again, they must choose between the past's lingering ghosts or the promise of a new future.