Book picks similar to
Peck of Pickles by Lena Austin


humor-comedy
m-m-m
character-scientist
dont-have

Designs on You


Carrie Pack - 2014
    So when tasked with retouching photos for a big fashion client, a stunning, lanky model mesmerizes Scott and occupies his thoughts and fantasies long after the assignment is finished. Scott soon discovers that the object of his desire is nothing like the backstory he imagined. Despite Jamie Donovan’s aloof and dismissive behavior, Scott struggles to forge a friendship with him, all the while trying to keep his attraction at bay. Will Jamie follow through on signals that he may be interested, or will he forever be the beautiful man in the photograph, an untouchable fantasy?

Broken Rules


Jade Buchanan - 2011
    In a bid to escape his pain, Jonah moved halfway across the country to start over. Now, his mother’s death brings him home where he will discover a shared passion with his childhood best friend. Neil Brogan returns home hoping to reconnect with Jonah and ends up with more than he ever thought possible. They live on opposite sides of the country but the distance between them may be more than mere miles. Neil hopes to convince Jonah that some rules are made to be broken.

Cupcakes


Sean Michael - 2014
    Now Allen is the owner of Sweet ‘n’ Sassy Cupcake Shop, a cute boutique downtown, where he invents delicious flavors like strawberry and French meringue. Between working long hours and making special orders, Allen barely has time to think.Then a hunky contractor walks into his shop looking for a treat. Allen and Byron Bannigan are total opposites, but they're perfect together—salty and sweet like Allen’s signature peanut butter and chocolate ganache cupcakes. But as Allen struggles to juggle his business and his boyfriend, he learns he can only handle so much. He may have to choose between the cupcakes in his store and the cupcake in his bed.

Hamelin's Child


D.J. Bennett - 2011
     Now he’s Mikey and he works for Joss. With streaked blond hair and a cute smile, he sleeps by day and services clients at night. Sometimes he remembers his old life, but with what he’s become now, he knows there is no return to his comfortable middle-class background. Then he makes a friend in Lee. A child of the streets, Lee demands more from friendship than Mikey is prepared to give. But the police are closing in on them now and Mikey’s not sure anymore who he really is – streetwise Mikey or plain Michael Redford. Hamelin’s Child was long-listed in the UK Crime Writers’ Association Debut Dagger Award. A thriller set in the seedy world of London's drug rings, this book contains strong scenes and adult material. (approx 85,000 word novel)

The Towel Boy


Dianna Bell - 2014
    He has spent this entire school career under the radar of the multiple cliques in the school. But in doing so, poor little Aaron has been completely oblivious to everything that goes on around him. Including the fact that his crush on the Varsity football team quarterback, Josh, may not be a one sided draw on his part. It wasn't until his coach and his guidance counselor informed him of his failing grade in physical education. Aaron was offered, but he felt like he was forced to become the towel boy to the Varsity Football team for extra credit. Aaron had no choice but to open those pretty chocolate brown eyes of his to see that Josh shared those intense feelings of attraction. Read to find out what happens between the jock and the towel boy.

The Distance Between Us


L.A. Witt - 2010
    Thanks to Seattle’s depressed real estate market, though, they’re stuck living as roommates with a hefty mortgage hanging over their heads. In an effort to speed things along, they decide to bring in some extra money by renting out the spare bedroom.Wilde’s bartender Kieran Frost moves in, and suddenly, the only thing Ethan and Rhett both want more than getting away from each other is getting close to their single, young, hot roommate. Kieran doesn’t mind the attention from both, and he certainly doesn’t mind sharing. Their combined chemistry ignites something else that Ethan and Rhett had thought was long dead—the mutual attraction that drew them together in the first place. Except bitter jealousy over Kieran could push them even farther apart… This 53,000 word novel was previously published and has been lightly revised. An alternative cover edition for this ISBN can be found here.

Bridges


Kyell Gold - 2010
    Kinzi wants someone who won't cheat on him. Vico just wants a quick lay. In Gateway, when you need to meet someone, there's no-one better than sexy, flirty Hayward to get you just what you want-or at least have a good time trying. But when Hayward himself needs someone, who will be there to help?

A Love Story


Peter Styles - 2015
    He's out of work, he's been through a breakup, and now his friends are kicking him out of the house. Little does he expect how much his life will change when he answers an ad in the newspaper for a position as a caretaker to a cantankerous, neurotic writer. This book contains sexually explicit content not suited for those under the age of 18. The book is approximately 35,000 words, has a happy ending and does not end in a cliffhanger. There is a free bonus chapter that can be obtained at the end of the book. However, the bonus chapter is not required to finish the book.

The Royal Street Heist


Scotty Cade - 2014
    When the gallery’s insurance company sends Tollison Cruz to the Big Easy to conduct their own independent investigation, personalities clash and battle lines are definitely drawn.The heist quickly becomes a politically driven high profile case, and Detective Bissonet is furious when he’s ordered to work along side Investigator Cruz to assure a timely arrest. The heat index soars to new levels when the two investigators discover they have a lot more in common then originally thought.With the tension between them temporarily sated, Bissonet and Cruz finally start to work together, on more then just a professional level. But everything comes to a screeching halt when Beau discovers his cohort in crime has been withholding information regarding the investigation and has been concealing a very questionable past. What happens next rivals the scorching summer heat.

Bound and Bonded Series Boxed Set


Lisa Oliver - 2016
    Please don't buy this if you already own them. 3 full books, all standalone, just over 300 pages, 100,000 words, contains BDSM themes Don't Touch - Book 1 Submissive wolf shifter Levi has met his mate, the one he wants to call Master. The problem is the Master concerned wants him for nothing more than a regular Saturday night scene and thanks to the rules the man has put in place there is nothing Levi can do about it. Thanks to the war Steel is a damaged wolf. He knows Levi is his mate and wants nothing more than to claim him. But to do that means spilling more secrets than Steel has ever been willing to share with anyone. Does he have it in him to tell Levi what is going on, or should he release him to another Master at the club? Two men who want each other - rules and secrets standing in their way. Topping The Dom - Book 2 Pearson, Alpha of the Bound and Bonded Pack, had always wanted to find his mate. But as an Alpha he had always assumed the man he would be paired with would be a submissive. But when Dante appears in his office hoping to be accepted into the pack, he is anything but the submissive Pearson had believed was his Fated lover. Dante has a past of his own, and while he didn't try to hide it from his Fated Mate, he should have known it was going to cause problems. If Dante's pride didn't stop this mating from happening, then events outside of the Bound and Bonded pack just might. Getting the promise of a HEA was going to be a lot more difficult for these two men, than it should have been. Total Submission - Book 3 Kyle, one of the head enforcers of the Washington Pack, wants nothing more than to find the evidence he needs to convince his Alpha that the man he is following is gay, so he can head back home. Being in Iowa is doing his head in. But a fleeting encounter in a gay nightclub, has Kyle rethinking his priorities because out of nowhere, he had scented his true mate. Teric is a cat-shifter with a job to do and more than a few secrets of his own. Scenting Kyle at a nightclub is the last thing he needed, but Fate intervenes. When the two men meet, secrets come out and for the safety of his pack, Kyle has to let Teric do his job. But what happened to the total submission he had spent his life dreaming about? Warning: All three books contain graphic intimate situations between men. Some BDSM themes and scenes. Strong language and violence. All books are standalone, have an HEA for the couple concerned and as with all of my books, no cheating. These books are based on the true mate trope so if that is not your cup of tea, please don't buy them.

A Life For Nicholas


Matt Zachary - 2013
    He has to deal with adolescence, his sexuality, the loss of friends and abuse as he figures out his place in the world. This book is a novella of about 13,000 words and the prequel to "A Home For Christmas" by Matt Zachary. Other Books by Matt Zachary:New Discoveries (Book 1 of the New Discoveries series)Broken Hearts (Book 2 of the New Discoveries series)Life Changes (Book 3 of the New Discoveries series)New Beginnings (Book 4 of the New Discoveries series)The New Discoveries Series: Complete Collection (All 4 Books)12 Days of CraigslistA Life For Nicholas (Book 1 of The Nicholas Chronicles)A Home For Christmas (Book 2 of The Nicholas Chronicles)A Year For Change (Book 3 of The Nicholas Chronicles)The Nicholas Chronicles (All 3 Books)

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.

Purring with His Mate


Shea Balik - 2017
    What no one had expected was to find their salvation in an abandoned town that was ready to collapse. Yet, that is exactly what happened when they moved to the town of Miracle, Oregon. Edrick Rapp, a mountain lion shifter, wanted to kick himself for not moving he and his friends far from their former pack years earlier. It wasn’t until he came upon one of his friends being beaten to death for their sins that he realized his mistake. Mouse shifter, Nole Hayward, had been punished by his Alpha. Left for dead, he barely managed to crawl away with his life. He ends up hiding out in Miracle, Oregon until a group of mountain lion shifters show up. Before he could get away he ends up with a building collapsing down around him and his mate rescuing him. Can Edrick and Nole find love or will they let the ghosts of their pasts tear them apart?

Catching Heir


Julia Talbot - 2016
    So when he inherits an old Colorado hotel from an unknown relative, he really should leave well enough alone.Matt Nathanson has been managing the Treeline Estates since college. He loved the elderly former owner, and he stands to inherit the place if no one claims it in the next week. Of course, Cullen shows up, and Matt thinks it’s time to move on. He doesn’t want to like Cullen, no matter how engaging the guy is, or how hunky.Cullen has grand ideas for the Treeline, but he doesn’t want to implement them without Matt, and he’s not sure he’s ready to give up snowboarding. Can Matt convince Cullen that putting down roots is worth it… and maybe catch his heir at the same time?

Corrupt


Chase Potter - 2018
    Political connections and lucrative city contracts have turned his unassuming company into a powerful development firm, and Matt has never been afraid of bending the rules to get what he wants. All that changes when he collides with the city’s new district attorney, Alex Price. Dedicated to cracking down on years of shady politics, Alex enlists Matt as an insider ally. But when a spark of chemistry and a less than honest collaboration quickly spiral into something more, Matt finds himself falling for Alex faster than he’s prepared for. As Alex’s investigation leads him toward a corruption scandal rooted deep in the past, Matt realizes he might not be able to protect both his business and his heart against a man who could take everything from him. And as the two men find their professional and personal lives increasingly entangled, they begin to understand that the law can cut both ways.