Book picks similar to
Talking About Fungus by T.J. Baer


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ya-fiction
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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.

Friday Night Jamie


Bren Christopher - 2010
    Every day is planned; the future is predictable. And that schedule includes one night a week when he allows himself to blow off steam at a gay dance club in the City. One Friday night he gets more than he bargained for when he meets Matt, an out of work stranger with long dark hair and rough hands. The attraction is undeniable but Matt does not fit Jamie’s idea of the perfect man to share his carefully ordered life.Instead, Jamie longs for a date with his dream man: handsome, sophisticated Keith, a successful Vice President at his prestigious New York accounting firm, a man on his way up.But everything changes when Jamie discovers a suspicious error in one of his accounts. Suddenly, he finds himself on the run from both the mob and the FBI -- and the only man who can help him is the tall, dark-haired stranger he rejected. Because Matt is not who he seems -- and neither is Keith.Words: 65,000

Dressed to Thrill


Kimberly Gardner - 2011
    Right before spring break. What rotten timing! But since the trip to Key West is already paid for, Oliver decides that he'll go anyway. Who knows? Maybe he'll meet a hot guy to make him forget his woes. Little does he expect to be drawn to both a gorgeous local and a sultry drag queen that turn out to be one and the same.Drew knows he has what it takes to be a star. If he has to wear a skirt and stilettos to make it happen, so be it. He looks good as a woman. But then he meets Oliver and has his doubts. He can't tell this terrific new guy what he does with his evenings. Not when they're having such a great time and not when Oliver will be gone in a week. Given the circumstances, where's the harm in a little white lie?But plans and hearts have a way of changing. When both men’s secrets come to light, their hidden desires become their greatest thrills.

Stray


Ash Penn - 2010
    In fact, he doesn't believe in love at all despite his latent desire for his best friend of fourteen years, builder Marc Pierce. Dan Hutchinson is a young homeless man living in a derelict house Marc's halfway to renovating. When Marc announces Dan's moving in for a while, Terry is understandably miffed. After all, it hasn't been that long since Marc spilt with his boyfriend of a year, so why is he intent on bringing a total stranger into their home? It seems to Terry there's more to this arrangement than meets the eye. Marc must be providing Dan with food and lodgings in exchange for sex. And with the lusty vibes Dan sends his way, it's not long before Terry succumbs to the boy's talents between the sheets. But carrying on with Dan behind his best friend's back is not easy. Or desirable. And when Terry's plans to oust Dan fail, he's the one who finds himself out in the cold. Publisher's Note: This book contains explicit sexual content, graphic language, and situations that some readers may find objectionable: Male/male sexual practices.

Wounded Soul


Annabelle Jacobs - 2018
    Becoming a vampire after tragedy struck seemed the only option when his soul was shattered, after all he’s no stranger to having to hide what he is from the rest of the world. But eternal life isn’t without problems or heartache. With a good job and great friends, Ian Moreton’s life would be almost perfect—if only he wasn’t in love with his best friend. His feelings are unrequited, and in an effort to move on, he takes a chance on a one-night stand with the handsome stranger he meets in a bar. Jesse knows the risks of becoming attached to a human, but with neither of them looking for anything serious, where’s the harm? At least, that’s what Jesse thinks until his chemistry with Ian proves off the charts. A second hook-up solidifies their connection…and brings Jesse to his senses. He scrambles to protect Ian from danger, but it’s already too late. With Ian unwittingly drawn into a world he knows nothing about, events are set in motion that will change both of their lives forever, and it’s up to Jesse to steer them safely through it.

Let Down Your Hair


L.M. Brown - 2012
    Deep in the Enchanted Forest, he finds Robert, a cross-dressing painter who lives alone in his tower. Mistaking him for a woman, Prince Aiden is determined to have Robert as his bride.When the prince of his dreams shows up at Robert's tower, he is far from happy, especially when the handsome prince refuses to believe he is a man. Can he convince Prince Aiden to love him as the man he is, or is their happily ever after doomed from the start?

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.

Colliding in Free Fall


Vivien Dean - 2009
    For most of his adult life, he's had to place his needs on the back burner, including the fact that he's a gay man in a small rural community. His career is not going to take the same route.When twenty-seven-year-old Frank Kaplan breezes into town, Jay ignores his immediate attraction to the younger man. After all, he's an old pro at pretending. The long-haired, tattooed drifter shouldn't even be his type, but the friendship they strike up satisfies a space in Jay's life he never realized was empty.Two men. Two lives in flux.No regrets. ________________________________________________________________Book Length: novella

In His Bed


A.J. Hardcourt - 2010
    But something is still missing. He can’t move forward with his life without finding out if there is something more for him in Salt Lake City. Maybe he’s chasing a dream--a wet dream--but he has to see Rob Aspen.Rob isn’t misreading the signals. But Jude is a temptation he shouldn’t want. Tell that to his body. Jude is hot, hard and hungry for cock. His tight ass and ripped body have Rob thinking reckless thoughts. How could he contemplating sex with his best friend’s son?

Latigo


B.A. Tortuga - 2005
    Giving young Will a ride to the next event is just the neighborly thing to do, passing on some of the kindness strangers have shown him over the years. Who could expect that Will could be such good company? So good in fact, that Dean figures he might just keep Will around. Will feels the same way, despite protests from friends and family. He and Dean have a lot in common, traveling together from rodeo to rodeo, enjoying all of the fringe benefits they can. Troubles with Dean's family and Will's stubborn pride separate them for a while, but they always seem to come back together when the chips are down. These two cowboys are a match made in heaven, but can they convince everyone else to let them live their own lives?

Gaymes


Carol Lynne - 2010
    A fiddle player since an early age, music is the only thing he's ever been passionate about. That is, until he sees Curt Macaula compete for the first time.As a competitor in the Highland Games, Curt knows how important it is to concentrate on the individual events. Getting distracted while tossing a one hundred and fifty pound pole isn't an option. Away from his events, Curt is free to ogle the very pretty member of the Brothers Fitzgerald band.Toward the end of the season, Curt knows it's time to make his move. With Shaw being guarded by four macho brothers, it won't be easy, but Curt is determined to win the man of his dreams.Good Cop, Bad Cop by Jenna Byrnes and Jude MasonTwo hot studs, an evening of scorching sex, a pub, and the gaymes begin...or have they?Officer Kevin Sands and his lover get off on playing games - role playing games. When one of their escapades goes awry, will someone else pay the price for their fun? Or can the lovers solve a mystery that could mean the end of everything they hold dear?Elliot's War by Kim DareThe Welsh and the English. Celts and invaders. Captors and prisoners. Victors and slaves. Let the war games begin!The woodland war is billed by the university as an important exploration of differing cultural traditions within the British Isles. As far as Elliot understands it, the game involves the local Welsh students and those who invade the university from across the border, waging a war in the woodlands that surround the university.Elliot's not quite sure how he ended up agreeing to take part in the war game. Nor is he entirely sure how he ended up running through the forest wearing a skimpy toga while being chased by a dozen Celtic warriors - all of them painted a very historically inaccurate shade of blue woad.For better or worse, Elliot's about to get an education that wasn't advertised in the university prospectus.Crossed Hearts by Lisabet SaraiWhen love is the prize, everyone wins.For the past six years, Jason Hofstadter has attended the Four States Annual Scrabble Tournament. Jason comes to the Four States for two reasons - to play Scrabble and to get laid. Every year since his first, he has managed to hook up with one of the other players for some sexual fun. This year he has a chance at the grand prize in the tournament. Meanwhile, he figures he has hit the jackpot when he spots handsome, bookish Matt Sawyer, who's competing at the Four States for the first time.Shy and seemingly innocent, Matt turns out to be full of surprises. First, he jumps Jason in the rest room at Starbucks. Then he reveals that he's into BDSM and encourages Jason to experiment with topping him. Finally, despite his lack of experience with tournament play, Matt ends up competing with Jason in the semi-final round. When Matt throws the game he should have won, Jason is forced to confront his own feelings - about winning, about casual sex, and about Matt.Rough Riders by Devon RhodesPlaying by different rules can lead to heartbreak, but changing the game plan can be the tiebreaker.Luke Briscoe has a good reason to stay in the closet with his team, the Rough Riders. Bitter past experience has taught him to be cautious around athletic teams. But after Mario, his teammate and lover of ten years, leaves him, tired of the secrecy, Luke is forced to confront his fears, especially since the sexy and confident new member of the team, Derek Grimm, has no problem with being out and proud.Derek has wanted Luke from the first moment he saw him. But he knows the timing is all wrong, and vows to let Luke have the time he needs to recover from his breakup. As time goes on, though, Derek becomes frustrated with Luke's determination to stay in the closet. Derek and Mario are out, and the team is fine with it. Why is Luke still holding back? Derek wonders if any amount of time will ever be enough. Maybe it's time to try a different game plan...Contact Point by Gwendolyn CeaseWhen two men who have nothing to lose and come together for one night, they both discover a connection they never thought possible.Jesse Chandler needed a place to get out of the storm. What he found was a bar catering exclusively to wolf shifters. Cade Reynolds, pack Alpha and bar owner, sees nothing but trouble when the small human wanders into his bar. When Jesse signs up for the pool tournament, Cade decides to let him participate, so he'll lose and leave. Instead, Jesse wins every game he plays until a storm puts the brakes on everything.Jesse desperately needed to win the tournament prize money, but instead of a nice cosy room, he ends up squatting under a tree for shelter. When Cade invites him home for the night, Jesse has no choice, but to accept. Sit under a tree in the pouring rain or sleep in a house...No one ever said Jesse was a fool.All Cade wanted was to offer Jesse a place to stay for the night. But one touch from the smaller male made him realise that sleeping wasn't what was on his mind. Cade wanted Jesse, but the wolf wanted to keep Jesse forever.

Stroke the Demon


Eden Cole - 2011
    Suddenly, he's growing claws, his eyes are turning red at the worse times, and his temper is through the roof. Nick's always been just a little bit evil, and he doesn't need this complication just when he's about to graduate and move on with his life. A summons from the two benefactors who have footed his bill through private school, and whom he's never met, sends him rushing to the meeting to get some answers. Nick can't believe what Aiden and Logan have to say. He's a half-demon, born of a human mother and a demon father. What's more shocking is that Aiden and Logan--committed to each other for centuries--planned for Nick to come into existence for their own enjoyment. Nick refuses to be treated like these these two demons' plaything, but he can't deny that when they take him to their bed, lust and desire ignite to set him on fire.Warning: This story contains M/M/M. These demons do not apologize for what they are--pure evil with a lust for sex that won't quit. Sensitive readers will be offended by several situations. Contents include bondage, dubious consent, adult toys, anal play, attempted rape, and violence.

Remember Him


Steve Milton - 2019
     He broke my heart ten years ago. Back in high school, Baxter pretended he didn't know me. I was a skinny, plaid-shirt-wearing nobody. I was openly gay, but nobody even cared — except Baxter, when he wanted a hookup. That was all a nerd like me could expect from the star quarterback and prom king. He treated me as his shameful secret. I’ve stayed away from Baxter for a decade now, even when he came back to visit Honey Bay. I’m older now. Wiser. I know I deserve better. But I can't stop thinking about those fleeting moments in Baxter's arms. Andy Silver: my one weakness. Every time Andy smiled at me from under his floppy hair, I couldn’t help myself. How could a nerd in wire-rimmed glasses be so hot? It was a high school fling. I spent ten years running away from it. My parents never would have understood who I really was. Disappointing my father was out of the question. I couldn't live the life I wanted, even if I loved Andy more than he ever knew. Bumping into Andy ten years later was the shock of my life. That shy nerd is a celebrity now? And he works out? I shouldn’t dwell on how much I miss being with him, even if every sight of him sends me there. My parents sent me to Honey Bay for business. I might just stick around for a second chance at love. Remember Him is a 42,000-word small-town second-chances gay romance. On their way to a feel-good happy ever after, a jock and a nerd dodge windmill blades, fog up the windows, and discuss the fine points of timber, lumber, and plain old wood.

Wildcat


Scarlet Blackwell - 2012
    His boss throws him one last lifeline: searching for the elusive Scottish wildcat as part of a nature documentary. But taking on the job means taking on reclusive, dangerously sexy cameraman Kade Macbeth, just the two of them, alone for a week in the wilds of the Scottish Highlands. Kade's out and proud but Dexter's straight... isn't he?

Trey (The Gates Book 8)


M. Tasia - 2021