Book picks similar to
Bringing Back the Light by Ariana May


all-kinds-of-nonsense
gfy-bi-married-hetero-elements
mm-ok-r
needs-ediiting-or-rewrite

Rode Hard


Kelex - 2015
    He’s got a long habit of thinking with the wrong head, as his desire for a spot of fun is all he really cares about. Luckily, he’s a hard worker, too, and lands a job at the Triple M ranch in the next county alongside three of the toughest ranch hands around.Jensen James has been in a three-way with ranch hands Owen and Davis for years. They’d worked well together and loved hard all night, but Jensen couldn’t stop feeling like the odd man out. When ranch owner, Mack Maitland, announces he’s bought the ranch next door and wants to increase his herd—and bring in new hands—Owen and Davis see it as the end to their fun. Jensen sees it as an opportunity, especially after he meets hot-bodied new hand Austin.The two of them combust when they’re around one another, but soon learn they just might not suit. Jensen refuses to give up, though, and quickly wears Austin down.

The Carpenter


Robin Stone - 2017
    One small bed. Two ex-lovers. What could go wrong?Broken-hearted Grant retreats to a cabin in the woods to work on his master's thesis and escape the sadness of a recent breakup. A blizzard is on the way, but Grant has food, books, and a cozy fireplace. But when a loud knock jolts Grant from his chair, he's stunned to see his intense ex-boyfriend, Adam...Adam wants to win back Grant's love, but it won't be easy. Harsh words were spoken during their breakup, and Adam's struggling to heal from his wounded past. Grant wants to start a family, but Adam can't imagine being a father...The men cooperate to stay safe and warm during the blizzard, but they can't deny their feverish attraction. They discuss a future together, but old hurts surface. Can Adam and Grant resolve their differences and have the future they always planned, or will this weekend be their final goodbye?The Carpenter is a 20,000 word standalone gay romance with a Happily Ever After.

Guarding Owen


Mason Winters - 2017
    They hated each other. Now, they’re stuck together. Born wealthy and handsome, Owen is used to getting what he wants. Unfortunately, what he wants always seems to be the wrong guy. Yeah, Owen has a type, all right. Sexy, strong and deliciously dominant. But after his last mistake, he’s done with the alpha assholes of the world. Garret prizes self-discipline above all else. When the client he vowed to protect starts receiving threats against his family, Garret is sent to protect the man’s son, Owen, no matter his feelings for the spoiled brat. But the threats hit closer to home than anyone expected, and Garret and Owen are forced to flee the city and hide out in the cabin Garret abandoned years ago. He doesn’t know what’s worse: being stuck in a cabin with Owen, or returning to the place that holds so many bad memories. He will have to come to terms with both to protect Owen from what is lurking out in the woods.

A Good Man


Grant C. Holland - 2017
    He was left a 45-year-old single parent raising a 13-year-old daughter, Mandy. The grief will never completely end, but he's ready to move forward with a new commitment to a positive life. That means a new house, new friends, and possibly a new love. To everyone's surprise, including Vincent's, that new love might be a man.47-year-old Andrew McCall is the A in ADJ Associates, one of the top upscale historical home renovation firms in the city of Minneapolis. Andrew is happy with his life. He has a successful business, loyal friends, and his work makes nearly every day a new, exciting adventure. The one thing he doesn't have, and isn't sure that he needs, is a committed man in his life. Then he literally stumbles into Vincent, and a flame is lit.To the surprise of both men, the relationship quickly deepens and blossoms into something that neither one expected. Soon it presents the possibility of finding what both Andrew and Vincent know their hearts truly need.Will great friends, the joy of beautiful homes, and the love of a good man be enough to defeat the forces that threaten a happy ending?A Good Man is the first book in the Forever Young series. It is a first-time-gay novel with steamy scenes, no cliffhangers, and a happily-ever-after ending.

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?

The Hidden Life


Erin Noelle - 2016
    I had the posh apartment, luxury car, and designer threads to prove it.But what happens when the life you lead isn't the life your heart wants? What it needs?How long can you live your public life when the one that really makes you happy is the hidden one?

Playing by the Book


S. Chris Shirley - 2014
    When seventeen-year old high school newspaper editor Jake Powell, fresh from Alabama, lands in New York City to attend Columbia University's prestigious summer journalism program, it's a dream come true. But his father, a fundamentalist Christian preacher, smells trouble. And his father is rarely wrong.Jake navigates new and unfamiliar ways "up North." Starting with his feelings for a handsome Jewish classmate named Sam. What Jake could keep hidden back home is now pushed to the surface in the Big Apple.Standing by his side are a gorgeous brunette with a Park Avenue attitude and the designer bags to match, a high school friend who has watched Jake grow up and isn't sure she's ready to let him go, and an outrageously flamboyant aunt who's determined to help Jake find the courage to accept love and avoid the pain that she has experienced. Provocative and moving, Playing by The Book is a feel-good novel about the pain and joy we encounter in the search for our own truth."In Playing by the Book, S. Chris Shirley tells a story I loved curling up with, featuring one of the most endearing teen protagonists I've read in years." --Alex Sanchez, author of The God Box and Boyfriends with Girlfriends "There's so much to admire in Chris Shirley's debut novel, but the most remarkable thing may be its voice. Jake is both earnest and skeptical, curious and guarded, and he tells his story with an endearing humility that-somehow-avoids the sarcasm that has become the norm. Playing by the Book reminds us of how rewarding it can be to climb into someone else's head."--Patrick Ryan, author of Send Me and Saints of Augustine

Loaded


Casey Ashwood - 2016
    He's been partners and best friends with Eugenio for years. Through thick and thin, they always have each other's backs, and there's no one else Denver trusts more with his life. But Denver's desire for more than a bromance with his partner just won't go away. You can't just use me like that. Detective Eugenio Mendes is a tough cop who likes gallows humor but loves his expressive, outgoing family – and he counts his cop partner, Denver, as family, too. He's been best friends with Denver for so long that he's never considered pursuing something more... besides which, he's straight. Still, there's something different about their relationship. If only he could figure out what it is. There was murder in his eyes. When Eugenio's cousin comes to them bruised and desperate for help, the detectives spring into action. The tension of their job leads to a sudden passion between them that they never saw coming. Can they get past the confusion and lust to become something more? Or will the harsh reality of this case and Internal Affairs destroy their future together as partners in every sense? Loaded is a gay romance novel. It's the first novel in the “Loaded” series but can stand alone. It has a happily ever after ending with no cliffhanger.

The Foundation


Diana McKinley - 2016
    With determination and perseverance, Ben has risen to the top of his class, both academically and athletically. And with careful planning, he has secured scholarships which ensure he has a real chance to see through his goal of becoming a doctor. But beyond that dream, Benjamin also wants a place where he can live freely and openly as the young gay man he is without shame, persecution, or fear. Cord Robinson also has a dream which he has held close to his heart for years, while he patiently waited for Benjamin to grow up and leave home – for Ben to be his. Cord has already gone through the steps of coming to terms with his sexuality and then coming out to his family and friends. And now that college is over for him and his best friend Branden, who is also Benjamin’s brother, Cord is ready to let Ben know that he is interested in a real future with the beautiful young man. But as Ben prepares for his graduation, the violence at home reaches a breaking point and he flees. When Cord realizes what has been going on behind the Alcott’s doors, it’s a race against time for him to find Ben and then open his heart to the one other man he wants to build a life and solid foundation with as Benjamin prepares to finally spread his wings and fly. CONTENT WARNING: Explicit Sex, References to Childhood Physical Abuse (No Sexual Abuse)

First Time for Everything


Brian RoweJeanette Grey - 2011
    Whether discovering the ravenous thrill of sex or the heartwarming power of romance, these men are going to take the plunge and try something new—something romantic or kinky, daring or safe, passionate or relaxed, even comforting or scary—all in the name of love. The First Time for Everything Daily Dose package delivers 30 M/M stories about all kinds of first times.Summer reading fun! A story delivered automatically to your bookshelf each day in June.

Chasing the Dream


Andrew Grey - 2016
    If he’s been left lonely because of his family’s pursuit of wealth and their own happiness, he figures it’s a small price to pay for what he sees as most important: money.Cade McAllister has never had it easy. He works two jobs to support himself, his mother, and his special-needs brother. They don’t have much, but to Cade, love and taking care of the people who are important to him mean more than material possessions. When Cade is mugged in the park, he can’t afford to lose what little he has, and he’s grateful for Brian’s intervention. Cade is given a chance to return the favor when Brian’s grandfather passes away and Brian’s assets are frozen. Cade offers Brian a place to stay and helps him find work, and the two men grow closer as they learn the good and the bad of the very different worlds they come from. Just as Brian is starting to see there’s more to life than what money can buy, a clause in his grandfather’s will could send their relationship up in smoke.

The Night We Met


Rob Byrnes - 2002
    He has yet to become the literary voice of his generation. And he most definitely has not met Mr. Right. Now, stuck in a dead-end publishing job, and nursing a broken heart, Andrew is resigned to a life of anti-fabulousness...until the night he meets dark, hunky Frank DeBenedetto. With his confident way of taking care of things and his shy demeanor in the bedroom, Frank wins Andrew over. But problems arise when Frank turns out to be the son of the Maria's top boss, and he's engaged to Anna Franco -- daughter of "Crazy Tommy" Franco -- a woman who does not take to catching her fiance in the act of becoming a "made man."Suddenly, Andrew's once-boring life is heating up with enough action to fuel ten novels...if only he can keep his very cute butt intact and his man from ending up on a Most Wanted poster. From a couple of "sensitivity-trained" cops to a persistent FBI agent...from guys with nicknames that all have to do with pain to a Mafia princess whose hair is nearly as big as her mouth...from ex-lovers, drag queens, and suspicious doormen to a cast of other characters as zany as New York itself, "The Night We Met" is a frantic, nonstop, madcap romp through a wild romance no reader will be able to refuse.

Winter Games


Kyell Gold - 2012
    You can trust him. If he doesn't talk a lot about his past, well, a lot of guys have done things they'd rather forget. A lot of guys have been through things they'd rather forget, too. He's so nice that it isn’t that weird when he asks about some of the other guests. Not like a cop, though, or a Fed—well, okay. Maybe a little like that one guy from that movie. Maybe he's off-duty, settling a score on his own time.Or maybe he's the guy on the run. Come to think of it, he looks around corners like someone's after him, too. But you know, some guys are chased by nothing more than the ghosts of their past...

No One Should Be Alone


Tinnean - 2011
    After his old cover ops organization is disbanded, he’s relegated to the CIA, where his career is slowly being strangled to death by conspiracy and apathy. Come New Year’s Day, he plans to be out of there, only… the one partner he ever wanted to keep is having a drink with him in a smoky bar, and something about Quinton Mann is suggesting he’s not as straight as Vincent first thought. Quinn has been hiding his attraction to Mark for some time now, sure that exposing his feelings to his partner would only get him a laugh and a load of trouble. But a quiet showdown on a snowy street might change the intel they have on each other—for the better.Alternate reality of Mann of My Dreams

And Hell Itself Breathes Out


A.R. Moler - 2010
    When one murder becomes two, he can't help but start connecting the dots, putting cases and clues together. He's not the only one, though. John Benchley, director of Special Investigative Services, a tiny government agency attached to Homeland Security which deals with darker realities, and his team are soon on the case, and they bring Evan and his special skills on board. Both bisexual, Evan and John find they are attracted to each other, even as they work together to solve this string of murders which keeps growing in scope. Their serial killer seems to be moving toward darker and darker deeds with every murder and ritual performed. Can John and Evan find solace in each other, even as murderous men and demonic forces threaten not only their own team, but the city as well?