Book picks similar to
The Body by R.J. Martin


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The Geek and His Artist


Hope Ryan - 2015
    He needs to get away from his abusive father before he suffers the same grisly fate as his mother. Because he's learned the hard way running away doesn’t work, he’s counting the days until his eighteenth birthday. Jimmy Bennet should be spending his lunch studying so his senior GPA is good enough to get him into college, but he can't seem to focus thanks to his distracting artist. When he’s given the opportunity to tutor Simon in Trig and discovers Simon’s home-life nightmare, he wants nothing more than to get Simon out of danger. This need becomes more urgent when Simon comes to school the Monday after their first date with bruises, but it takes a broken leg before Jimmy can convince his boyfriend the Bennets really want him. But the danger Simon thought was past shows up at the most unexpected time, and he must stand up to the fears he’s held so long to protect not only himself, but the man he wants to spend his life with.

My Bare Naked Heart


David Avery - 2016
    Highly Recommended." - Grady Harp, Amazon Top 100 Vine ReviewerJohn Branson is a college freshman with a big secret: he likes girls, but he also likes guys – and he is surrounded by them at the preppy, all-male college he attends in Vermont. It is the 1950s, a time when gay sex was illegal throughout the US and grounds for expulsion from colleges like his.Against that backdrop, John struggles with the desires that drum inside his head with a deafening roar. Those desires are manifest in his complicated feelings of affection towards his roommate and best friend, Daniel. John also has his eyes on Dusty, a golden boy from California who is a senior and the dorm’s resident advisor. It is a tumultuous year for John and his buddies as they learn about friendship, sexual awakening, and falling in love during a time of hate. MY BARE NAKED HEART is a fun, sexy read that is both literary and impassioned. It will make you laugh, cry, and remember what it was like to fall in love for the very first time.If you ever read A SEPARATE PEACE and wondered if there was more to the male friendships portrayed in those pages, MY BARE NAKED HEART will speak to you. It is a book that explores love and passion with the intensity and lyricism of CALL ME BY YOUR NAME. It is written with sexual frankness and set in the time of A BOY’S OWN STORY, GIOVANNI’S ROOM, and THE CITY AND THE PILLAR.Note: this book is gay fiction, not m/m romance.

Wonder Boy


Bain Taylor - 2016
    It is his one great escape from a world that doesn't always look kindly on gay teenagers; a world that can oftentimes be downright dangerous. But as he enters into high school, he quickly learns that trying to fly quietly under the gay radar, and having unbridled speed out on the running track, make for a conflicted pairing. The super jocks of the school take notice of Devon's amazing talent, and dub him a 'phenom'. He is immediately adopted into a popular circle of some of the hottest athletes he'd ever laid eyes on - the kind of guys that could snap him like a twig for staring at their ripped bodies for a second too long - guys that should be avoided at all costs. And yet, the kind of guys that love you like a brother when you win races for the team. *This Novella is intended for a mature audience.

My Favorite Uncle


Marshall Thornton - 2014
    Martin's first impulse is to send him back to his parents. But when he discovers that Carter has been in a mental hospital to cure his gay-ness he realizes he's stuck with the boy. Unfortunately, the two get on each other's nerves, each driving the other to distraction. Independently, however, they each arrive at the same conclusion. The other would be much less annoying if he only had... a boyfriend.

Skyler Phoenix


Damien Benoit-Ledoux - 2016
    How can they promise to love everyone at church but choose to hate me because I'm different?The social worker told me to keep my chin up, but I don’t know if I’m headed for the streets or the orphanage on the other side of town. Wherever I go, I won’t let them discover my dirty little secret. I can’t risk telling them the truth everyone hates about me.I wish I could take it back.I wish I'd never fallen in love with my best friend, Cameron.Skyler Phoenix is the first book of the Love Grows in Honest Places series.Get it now.This book was originally published as The Climb.

You Can't Go Home Again


Michael Murphy - 2014
    But Jack is wracked with guilt when his rookie partner Kevin is shot during an undercover assignment and dies in his arms. Why didn’t he take the time to get to know the rookie a little?At the funeral, Jack takes a liking to Kevin’s brother, Devin. But Jack knows making a connection can cause more hurt, and living on opposite coasts is an added obstacle.With his brother dead, Devin feels a responsibility to Kevin's pregnant widow, Marie. He packs up and moves east, only to have Marie, outraged that he’s put his life on hold, slam the door in his face. Devin turns to the only other person he knows in town. As much as it goes against his philosophies on life, Jack takes him in without hesitation.Their tentative exploration into romance is interrupted when Devin is mistaken for his dead brother and taken captive. Just as Jack opens his heart, reality slams into him. But he can’t lose anyone else. More than the need to simply save a captive drives Jack to find Devin and bring him home.

Sins of the Father


D.W. Marchwell - 2010
    Touched by Caleb's story, Charlie agrees to help. When Charlie manages to track down Junior, he discovers the man has long since changed his name to James Marshall and wants absolutely nothing to do with his father. Charlie understands James's anger; Charlie spent most of his adolescence trying to convince his own incarcerated father to see him, but his father always pushed him away. Now, Charlie has nothing but regret for the past and the lost opportunities, and he wants to spare James the same fate. But Charlie's attempts to help James forgive and forget become complicated by feelings he hasn't experienced since the death of his husband. For them to have any chance at finding happiness, James will have to end his self-imposed emotional isolation, but will Charlie's efforts bring James closer or push him further away?

What Comes After Dessert


Ren Benton - 2015
    During the annual pilgrimage to his hometown, he finds something sweeter than cookies behind the counter at the bakery — Tally's back in town, and his response to her makes it clear the only flaw in his heart is that it's still full of her.AND OTHERS CHANGE FOR THE WORSETally Castle knew twelve years ago she wasn't good enough for Westard's golden boy. While Ben made a success of himself out in the real world, she made an even bigger mess of her life. The one good part of limping home was that he hadn't been around to witness her walk of shame. Now the only man she's ever wanted is back, assaulting her brittle defenses with goofy smiles and serious kisses.CAN SEVEN DAYS CHANGE HEARTACHE TO HAPPILY EVER AFTER?To protect her heart, Tally must remind herself his presence is only temporary. To heal both their hearts, Ben must convince her a week is only the beginning of their second chance.

The Moment


T.C. Anderson - 2013
    You love her.

Must Like Spinach


Con Riley - 2016
    He’s on the corporate fast track as an executive problem solver, yet he can’t help feeling hollow. Yearning for a life spent outdoors makes no sense if he wants to flourish in this city, nor does losing his cool with clients when they make bad decisions. Only leaving the East Coast behind for three months can save his business reputation. His exile in Seattle has unexpected upsides. Jon’s rented home has a garden where his true passions blossom. It’s overgrown yet idyllic—perfect if he didn’t have to share it with another tenant. Tyler might be as cute as hell, and their landlady adores him, but Jon can’t let himself fall for someone who seems lazy. Three months could be enough time to see Tyler clearly, but choosing which to nurture long-term—love or a business career—might take Jon longer than one summer.

Continental Divide


Alex Myers - 2019
    His parents reject him. His girlfriend rejects him. Feeling trapped and miserable, Ron decides to leave Harvard and travel west to work on a Wyoming ranch to prove to his parents, his ex, and himself that he can live unequivocally as a man. As he embarks on this journey of independence, Ron must deal with the constant fear and anxiety of being discovered as a trans man as he enters a world more dangerous than he ever imagined.

Ingenious


Barrie Farris - 2019
    Academically gifted with a brain like the ancestors, he's well on his way to figuring out how to kill the vines overtaking the land, earning him--a male--an unheard-of seat in the Assembly of Ruling Mothers. And with an inheritance and an impeccable pedigree, he's guaranteed his pick of virgins to marry after graduation from the academy. Instead, one moment changes everything. Caught in a compromising position with his loyal-to-a-fault friend Beau, a half-feral, his plans are derailed. Now Quiggs's life depends on the gorgeous soldier who saves him. Their forbidden attraction burns hotter than Quiggs's new fuel paste as political intrigue, danger, and the rules of society threaten their lives, and their budding romance. Now it's a battle to save the world as they know it . . . or create a new one.Adventure, science fiction, and scorching hot m/m romance come together in a slow burn that heats up with every unexpected twist and turn in this first book of the Ingenious series. Warning: For readers 18 and older. Contains emotionally-charged, explicit m/m love. Look elsewhere if you want horny heroes jumping into bed by the second chapter. If you want a plot with steamy sex only when a scene justifies it--this sci fi is written for you. But, yeah, there are plenty of totally justified, smoking hot scenes.

Fool's Errand


Louis Bayard - 1999
    In searching for the man of his dreams, Patrick Beaton crosses paths with other searchers, in an inventive debut novel that is reminiscent of Armistead Maupin's Tales of the City.

Game On


Monica Seles - 2013
    There are only two ways in. Deep pockets or enough talent to score a scholarship. Young tennis star Maya's dreams have finally come true when she earns a scholarship to The Academy. Plucked from her small town, Maya moves to the sports training facility/boarding school to (hopefully) start the beginning of her pro career. But Maya's fantasy of The Academy doesn't quite match the reality. Because where there are hot, talented teens, there's a lot of drama. Meet the players:Cleo: Maya's rebel/punk roommate who is nearing the top of the golf world.Renee: The gorgeous swimmer with enough money to buy her way into The Academy.Nicole: A tennis star who feels threatened by Maya (but she'd never admit it).Travis: The son of The Academy owner--perfectly groomed to be the next NFL star. Jake: Travis' younger brother--the bad boy to his brother's good.

Fire on the Island


Timothy Jay Smith - 2020
    Set against the very real refugee crisis on the beautiful, sun-drenched Greek islands, this novel paints a loving portrait of a community in crisis. As the island residents grapple with declining tourism, poverty, refugees, family feuds, and a perilously damaged church, an arsonist invades their midst.   Nick Damigos, the FBI agent, arrives on the island just in time to witness the latest fire and save a beloved truffle-sniffing dog. Hailed as a hero and embraced by the community, Nick finds himself drawn to Takis, a young bartender who becomes his primary suspect, which is a problem because they’re having an affair. Theirs is not the only complicated romance in the community and Takis isn’t the only suspicious character on the island. The priest is an art forger, a young Albanian waiter harbors a secret, the captain of the coast guard station seems to have his own agenda, and the village itself hides a violent history. Nick has to unravel the truth in time to prevent catastrophe, as he comes to terms with his own past trauma. In saving the village, he will go a long way toward saving himself.   A long time devotee of the Greek islands, Smith paints the setting with gorgeous color and empathy, ushering in a new romantic thriller with the charm of  Zorba the Greek while shedding bright light on the very real challenges of life in contemporary Greece.