ScarsCaleb always knew that his work was dangerous. For years, he'd thrived on the adrenaline rush, the danger thrumming under his skin, the tangible efforts of his labor a secondary reward when the flames flickered away to nothing and he was able to save a building, or save a life. He'd thought that the Johnson City Fire Station 10 was his home - until he got caught in a building with no way out. Henry wasn't always shy and meek. As a child he'd always been buoyant and vivacious; in university he was the life of the party. And then he met Pritchard, and before he knew it he was skipping classes, flunking out, and isolated from his friends and family on threat of Pritchard's fists. Finally finding the courage to leave him was the best thing that Henry's ever done for himself - and also the hardest. Caleb and Henry are both trying to put their lives back together, both scarred in different and lingering ways. Henry's bruises might have healed - but Pritchard's fists had left their mark on his soul. And Caleb's body is still healing from the burns and broken bones he'd suffered in that burning house. Neither of them are looking for love. Neither of them want someone to look beyond the surface. A quick jolt of pleasure is all they need before going their separate ways again... right?2. SlanderBenedict d'Arcy has never had to worry about where his next meal was coming from, or whether he'd have enough to purchase the season's latest fashions. Growing up in the prestigious d'Arcy family meant comfort, stability, and a certain amount of lavish opulence. But when his beloved father dies, leaving his stepmother in charge of the family's assets, Benedict is demoted from shining star to suspicious freeloader. Kota's parents have always been wealthy, too, but Kota chose another path in life - becoming a police officer. He's comfortable in his small home, knowing that he's benefiting his community and making a difference in the world. He's a simple man, with simple pleasures, and the only thing that's missing from his life is a committed partnership with someone he loves. When Benedict's suspicions about his stepmother's involvement in his father's death begin to grow and manifest, he decides that it's time for him to leave the family home - at least until he has concrete proof against his stepmother. But he mistimes his efforts, and something goes wrong - he's being followed. When he stumbles into the next county's annual Policeman's Ball, he doesn't expect for a man with kind eyes and gentle hands to help him to his feet and claim that they're together. He doesn't expect an immediate show of trust and willingness to get to the bottom of his situation. And he sure as hell doesn't expect their one night of pretending to be in a relationship to lead to something more - something authentic. 3. Secrets Crew Turner didn’t make his decision to leave the military lightly. He’s always enjoyed being with his brothers in arms, even if it did mean traveling far from his home and family and seeing unspeakable horrors. Mark Hartnett doesn’t go out much. Ashamed of the large birthmark that covers his upper body, and too nerdy to have much in common with the general public, he has few friends, preferring to live his life behind a computer monitor. Crew makes Mark want all the things he never thought he’d have – but Crew is hiding something underneath his good old boy façade, and those secrets might just tear them apart. PLUS 3 MORE!4. Protector5. Gingerbread6. A marriage Resolution

    That is, until Theo, Eden’s lead singer and James’s secret lover, violently betrays him, sending James into a deep depression and cutting their current tour and the band’s life short. Kieran Jackson, the lead vocalist for the less successful band Lost and Found, is at his wits’ end. At thirty-three, he never dreamed he’d still be opening for bands comprised of twentysomethings. When Eden pulls out of the last few shows of their summer tour, Kieran returns home burned out and heartbroken. Over a year later, James, Phil, and David of Eden decide to reform under a different name with Kieran as their new vocalist. James, never having forgotten his single interaction with Kieran, nor the only time he ever listened to him perform, knows Kieran’s the best choice. James is still closeted—and skittish after his last relationship—and one fumbling, drunken kiss threatens to undo everything he’s worked so hard to rebuild, as well as the cover he’s fought to maintain. Can James overcome his past, confront his demons, and reclaim his former fame? Or will he and the newly formed True North remain in Eden’s shadow forever? Can he finally find comfort in who he is, accept his past, and reopen his heart? Or will the memories of Theo’s betrayal and the subsequent fallout dash any hope of finding—and trusting—love again? Trigger warning: this book contains explicit rape, as well as one failed suicide attempt by a main character.

    

    Broke. College drop out. Male stripper.My life wasn't at all what I imagined it would be. I should have been finishing up college, interning with a well-respected business, partying with my friends. But instead, I was raising my seventeen year old brother, struggling to make ends meet. Love wasn't even on my radar. Besides, what did I have to offer? A few crumpled singles pulled from my G-string? Defeated and exhausted, I knew I had zero chance of finding someone to love me just as I am.Noah Carpenter. Angry. Betrayed. Doctor.Just when I thought my life was going exactly as it should, everything turned upside down. With my final rotation in medical school complete, I finally achieved my lifelong dream of becoming a doctor. What I never expected was to catch the man of my dreams in our bed with the man of his. Beyond infuriated, I struggled to piece together the remnants of my life. Just when I'd decided to give up on love altogether, I found a man who loved me just as I am.This is the extended version of the short story which originally appeared in the Drunk in Love Anthology.

    But the only “woman” Boone trusts enough to ask is Honey, the alter ego of his gay, cross-dressing best friend Rob. Desperate, he begs for Rob’s help. Rob has doubts about the wisdom of agreeing to help because he’s had a crush on his straight friend for years. After a practice date, however, he decides to go along with the charade, despite the chance that Boone might discover his secret infatuation. Between nosey relatives, illegal moonshine, and the sight of Rob in white lace panties, Boone starts to wonder if he’s as straight as he’d thought. When an earth-shattering kiss sends Rob running to protect his heart, however, Boone learns some surprising things about both his family and himself. Now he needs to convince Rob to give him another chance, or else his first taste of Honey might also be his last.

    In the aftermath of a nasty break-up, though, he’s had trouble believing he’ll find it again… or that he can let himself trust in it if he does. Jack doesn’t know how to love… Ten years ago, Jack Davis ran away from a small town that held nothing but sorrow for him. Joining the Marines took him to the other side of the globe… which didn’t turn out to be far enough to forget all the bitter feelings he’d left behind in Bridgewater, Georgia. Two men connected by loss… When Jack inherits his dad’s old flower shop, his only thought is to sell it as quickly as possible—to take the money, leave the memories, and run as far away as he can get. One chance for love to bloom… Beverly’s Blooms has always been more than just a job to Ethan. Now—while still reeling from the loss of his mentor and friend--he only has a few weeks to change Jack’s mind about the sale. A few weeks to make Jack fall in love with the shop… and with Bridgewater… and just maybe, with a little luck, to fall in love with Ethan, too. Chance To Bloom is a gay romance novel of approximately 74,000 words that contains an abundance of flowers, an ex-Marine whose heart is closed, and an optimistic florist who knows exactly how to make beautiful things bloom. This feel-good standalone novel has a whole lot of sweet, plenty of heat, and a happily-ever-after that will make true romantics swoon.

    Forced to overcome physical and emotional trauma, the young lovers turn to a network of family and friends as they attempt to rebuild their lives. But can their one constant—their love—survive the changes both undergo on the road to recovery?

    New home. New job. New town. She's moved in with her politically-active best friend from university who has promised to find Millie a date before Christmas.  When news that the local head of the council, Nightmare Nightingale, has decided that there will be no Christmas tree in the town centre that year, Millie is quick to pick up a placard and join the protests. After all, what is Christmas without a tree? But Millie soon discovers that Professor Kay Nightingale isn't quite the nightmare she is painted to be.  What will happen when Millie gets closer to Kay? How will she explain the confusing relationship to her friends? And will there be a Christmas tree in the end?

    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?

    Long ago, he joined the Metropolitan Police to escape his father’s tyranny and protect people like himself. Now his father is dead, and he’s been fired for punching a suspect. Afraid of his own rage, he returns to Trowchester—and to his childhood home, with all its old fears and memories. When he meets a charming, bohemian bookshop owner who seems to like him, he clings tight.Fintan Hulme is an honest man now. Five years ago, he retired from his work as a high class London fence and opened a bookshop. Then an old client brings him a stolen book too precious to turn away, and suddenly he’s dealing with arson and kidnapping, to say nothing of all the lies he has to tell his friends. Falling in love with an ex-cop with anger management issues is the last thing he should be doing.Finn thinks Michael is incredibly sexy. Michael knows Finn is the only thing that still makes him smile. But in a relationship where cops and robbers are natural enemies, that might not be enough to save them.NOTE: The Trowchester Blues series features stand-alone titles that can be read in any order.

    Under their combined management, Koios is thriving, but crime is inevitable. For crimes involving both human and hirsa, there is the Department of Integration. When a particularly vicious murder is committed, two partners will have to question everything they know to find the killer--and learn about each other along the way.

    1 a wife whose husband works away and only comes home at the weekends. 2 a wife who misses her husband when he's gone, but wants him gone when he's at home.Emily's vision of country life was building dens with the children, walking a glossy hound and cosy nights in by the fire. But her kids are more interested in their smartphones, the family dog has 'issues' and she's permanently freezing. And when husband Matt is home, he still seems worryingly distant.Sasha and her husband Ned used to have a great connection, but nowadays the only connection between them is via Skype. And when a woman from Ned's past comes with news that threatens the perfect life she's built for her children, Sasha feels further from her husband than ever before.Tamsin's husband might be away during the week, but he's never truly gone. He seems to know her every move, which is fine, sort of - until her first love reappears in the most mysterious of ways...

    When Tucker’s fiancée goes missing a week before their wedding, Zoe has her own ideas as to why the trailer-park-queen disappeared, but she keeps those opinions to herself… That is until she hires Stone Investigations, and Greg Stone specifically, to hunt down the missing woman. Greg Stone is determined to find the missing fiancée before anything bad happens to her. But Zoe keeps getting in his way, and before long, he sees her as more than the overly intelligent, know-it-all lawyer who hired him. Greg begins to see Zoe as his perfect match. Part 2 Jennifer Langdon is a workaholic G.P. who lives in a beach-side bungalow and enjoys the lazy rhythm of Harper’s Bay when she isn’t giving flu shots or trying to figure out the source of her patients’ odd rashes. She comes from a big family, and family is important to her, but somehow she’s never managed to meet the right man to settle down with and start a family of her own. The baby bug has bit her, though. She wants one and because of it, she jumps at the chance to babysit her two-year old niece any time the occasion arises, which is often. But one day when she’s babysitting and checks her cell phone while her niece is playing on the beach side playground, that’s all the time it takes for the little girl to disappear into thin air. Part 3 Cara loves her father more than anyone in the world. She runs Fancy’s, the best seafood restaurant in Harper’s Bay, and while her father owns the place, he gives her free reign and full control, breezing in only for dinner each night in his crisply tailored suits. But one night when Cara’s father doesn’t show up for his steak and merlot dinner as always, she instantly knows something is terribly wrong. And soon her budding relationship with Tom shifts away from romantic flirtation and into the mysterious territory of trying to figure out what happened to Joseph “Fat Joe” Conway. Part 4 Professional surfer, April Chase has traveled the world from Hawaii to Indonesia. Along the way, she developed a close friendship with fellow surfer, Bethany Waterbury, who falls in love with the next town they arrive at to compete—Harper’s Bay. But the night before the big surfing competition, Bethany goes missing. The media flies into a frenzy and soon people start to suspect that April had something to do with it in an attempt to ‘knock out the competition’. Nothing could be further from the truth, which is why April needs the help of Stone Investigations and William specifically to help find her missing friend. Part 5 Matthew Stone has always been a loner, but a lone man would be nothing without man’s best friend, and Matt’s best friend is Rudy, a Rottweiler whose bark is far worse than his bite. Rudy has never bitten anyone and Matt knows he wouldn’t, but he’s been getting dirty looks and a complaint or two about Rudy’s daytime whining. He’s never thought to hire a dog walker, but when he does, he quickly discovers that there’s at least one woman in Harper’s Bay who isn’t afraid of his intimidating dog. Could it be a sign? Meanwhile, Hurricane Jane presses in on Harper’s Bay and the brothers of Stone Investigations work tirelessly to close in on Abigail Gardner’s real killer, but what Greg, Luke, Tom, Will, and Matt discover is far more disturbing than any of them could’ve ever imagined.

    He believes relationships can ruin lives. Brynn Powell had a tough childhood and after her husband died in the line of duty, she leaves the city for the small-town of Hawk Ridge Hollow to start over as a teacher. Aside from her lively classroom, she leads a quiet life fixing up an old house and would like to keep it that way. Owen Hawkins, former Olympian, cop, and single father moves to the town where he grew up to give his daughter a sense of belonging even though he’d turned his back on his brothers. He isn’t looking for anyone to replace his ex-wife, especially not the pretty kindergarten teacher. She needs a room parent and he’s perfect. He needs someone to look after his little girl because he works the night shift. The arrangement suits them just fine until they start turning to each other for laughs, for friendship, for something more... Brynn’s thankful that she has Owen in her life. He and his daughter are like the family she’s always wanted. Then she makes a mistake and oversteps a boundary. Owen isn’t sure he can forgive her. But he hasn’t told her his entire story either. They’re both keeping secrets. Can they trust each other? Can they trust themselves to love again? This is book 4 in Rich & Rugged, Hawkins Brothers Romance series. Each book stands alone but reading them in order provides a deeper, richer experience. It is a sweet, “clean and wholesome” romance without swearing or mature content and contains a HEA.

    So when his normal responsibilities as a forest ranger are interrupted by a request to search for a missing camper, he jumps at the chance to work off his wounded pride by doing something so meaningful and worthwhile. Gwyneth Moore can’t believe her business partner and boyfriend of three years is dumping her for an anemic-looking supermodel. Too crushed to return to her job as a university research scientist, she decides to take the afternoon off to study a rare breed of flowers at the Rocky Mountain National Park. When she slips down a steep incline and becomes trapped on a narrow ledge, she is stunned speechless to discover the super-hot “Fighter” Jet Channing from TV is the one who’s been sent to her rescue. Maybe it’s her dehydration and exposure to the elements taking over, but Gwyneth finds herself crushing all over the swoon-worthy ranger who’s literally trying to talk her off the ledge in a daring rescue attempt. And it’s way too bad, he’s not looking for a new girlfriend, because that’s exactly the vacancy she wants to fill if she survives the night! Step into the world of Disaster City Search and Rescue, where officers, firefighters, military, and medics, train and work alongside each other with the dogs they love, to do the most dangerous job of all — help lost and injured victims find their way home.