Book picks similar to
My Name Is Ayla by Phetra H. Novak


transgender
hurt-comfort
law-enforcement
normal

Her SEAL Rescuer


Katie Knight - 2019
    But instead he finds himself on a flight with Megan Foster, the only woman he’d ever loved. When their plane goes down in a fiery crash, Benjamin finds himself acting as protector to Megan and her little charge, Logan. Making matters worse, he quickly realizes someone is out there trying to kill one of them. The Navy SEAL wasn’t looking for romance, especially not with her, but it’s hard not to think about what could've been when Megan is near him. As they work together to escape danger, Ben feels unwanted stirrings in a heart he’d nearly forgotten he had. As Logan’s nanny, Megan knows two things—she needs to get Logan safely back to his parents, and that Ben is the best bet she has. Though he’d left her heartbroken years before, she trusts that he can protect them both. What she doesn’t realize is that Ben is a different man than the one who abandoned her, and it’s impossible to ignore the chemistry burning between them. As the danger increases and those hunting them draw ever closer, she’s finding it more difficult to resist his quiet strength. But will he still be around to protect her when they’re safe? Or will old habits kick in and leave her heartbroken once again? This novel contains sexual content violence and profanity.

Drive Me Crazy


Beth Bolden - 2020
    Too bad he’s not allowed to take a bite out of the boss.Considering all the crap Lucas Barnes has done to achieve self-employed independence, taking a job making fish tacos for a local food truck should be a no-brainer. In the off hours, he can even work on his dream business: health-conscious energy bars.But it turns out the hardest part isn’t the long hours, the stifling heat inside the truck during a Los Angeles summer, or even the non-vegan menu, it’s his new boss.Tony Blake is over-confident and an enthusiastic carnivore—and also one of the hottest, funniest, most charming guys Lucas has ever met. Even when Tony is driving him crazy, he’s completely irresistible.Lucas knows hooking up with the boss is off-limits, but Tony is a tough guy to resist. And with the two of them spending the steamy summer evenings tucked in each other’s pockets . . . it turns out it’s not a question of if, but a question of when.

The Mistletoe Marquess


Sahara Kelly - 2016
    His family is responsible for the ale reputed to be the best in England and Reid’s heart lies in brewing not wooing. Until one wintery night when his world is turned upside down by a snow-laden branch and a woman who smells of spring. Lady Prudence Eldridge has come to Chillendale Village with her cousin, and really didn’t expect to find astounding passion flat on his back at her feet. She’s ready, willing and intrigued by this kind man who is so much more than he might appear. His clothes mark him as a gentleman – when he removes them he’s anything but!There are Christmas Fêtes for the children and a Mistletoe Ball for the adults. There will be carols sung, there will be naked frolicking in the snow, and there will be surprise romances. There will most likely be a Christmas pudding or two for good measure. Reid and Prudence may have found each other, but keeping each other may be a bit more of a Christmas challenge…

Alpaca My Bags


J.L. Merrow - 2019
    A bit of fun in the sun with rugged alpaca farmer, Ryan, could be just what the doctor ordered for Scott—but first he’ll need to get past his over-protective daughter! Stressed out from new motherhood, Katie’s worried her dad’s going to get his heart broken. Free spirit Ryan doesn’t believe in relationships. An ex foster child, he’s learned to move on quickly from hook-ups and cut his emotional losses. But with the island’s limited dating opportunities, he’s taken up knitting to while away the lonely evenings. Ryan’s not planning to waste a minute in getting Scott into his bed—but into his life? They’ve said all along it’s just a holiday fling. When both men realise it could be the start of something more, they’ll need to work hard to counter Scott’s family’s misgivings—not to mention their own. Note: this novella first appeared in the Hot Summer Nights anthology.

Keep Me Still


Stephen Hoppa - 2016
    That's when he learns what it truly means to surrender everything. Cody is strong, sexy, and more generous than Travis believed possible. He takes him in and begins unraveling all the pain and secrets that led to Travis being alone, homeless, and running for his life with an envelope of stolen cash.With such a sweet, fragile heart, Travis has never let his guard down with anyone, but he can’t resist falling deeper and deeper into Cody’s effortless dominance and possessive touch. Over stormy summer nights in Cody’s isolated cabin, Travis discovers the euphoric passion of giving in to the desires Cody draws out of him.Heart. Mind. Body. Travis hands over everything to the man who taught him to trust. The only problem is... Cody isn’t who he says he is—and his own dangerous secrets may shatter the faith Travis put in him.This is a 70,000 word stand-alone novel which contains intensely intimate scenes between two men, and a happily ever after with no cliffhangers.

Team Phison


Chace Verity - 2017
    Online dating has been a soul-crushing experience for the restaurant owner. Too many meat-haters interested in microbreweries or something called geocaching. His matches in the multiplayer for his favorite video game have been equally sucky too.One night, he encounters a newbie who is so helpless, Phil can’t help showing him the ropes. It doesn’t take long for Phil to become interested in his enthusiastic teammate. 28-year-old Tyson Falls from Georgia loves working as a server in a rinky pizza joint and sees the best in everything. As Phil’s online dating matches get worse and his in-game matches with Tyson get better, he finds himself wanting to pursue the easygoing chatterbox with a thick, sexy drawl.But Phil can’t get past the fear that Tyson couldn't possibly want a fossil like him. If his brain doesn’t stop being so damn insecure, it might be game over for his heart.

Love Lessons Learned


K.C. Wells - 2014
    To start off, he lands his first teaching job. Then his brother, Evan, and Evan’s husband, Daniel, take him out to celebrate in Manchester’s gay village. An encounter with a sexy man forces John to admit what he’s been denying for too long—he’s gay. His coming out proves he’s supported and loved by his family and roommates. What more could a man want? There’s just one small problem: John’s dishy Head Teacher, Brett Sanderson, and John’s gigantic crush on him. Too bad Brett is straight. Brett Sanderson leads a double life. At thirty-three, he is the Head Teacher of a primary school. But for seven years now, during every school holiday, Brett has fled to Brighton, where he becomes ‘Rob,’ a man who has a different guy in his bed every night but has never had a relationship. Once he’s back in school, Brett is firmly back in that closet, until his newest staff member starts prying open the door. When John pulls out all the stops to get Brett’s attention, neither man is prepared for the consequences.

Lovestruck


Allie Keane - 2019
    Their weekend-long reunion brings back countless great memories from their youth. But it also revives a past crush that Colleen thought she buried away.Meanwhile, Molly is grappling with her own feelings of attraction—feelings she never expected and can’t ignore. She doesn’t have time for love, though, with a 7-year-old daughter under her sole care and a mounting pile of debt.Once they share a kiss, however, Colleen and Molly can no longer just be friends. They decide to give a long-distance relationship a shot. But busy lives, bad cell phone reception, and hundreds of miles between them prove to make it difficult. Will they be forced to give up each other, or will they find a way to make their love last?LOVESTRUCK is a standalone friends-to-lovers romance with an HEA.

Tit for Tat


R. Cooper - 2019
    A lower-caste Luudi who left her planet and made a new home with a group of idealistic humans, she spends her time looking out for new family and working in secret to rescue refugees from a neighboring country. She is content with what she has, if sometimes lonely. Then a Pros arrives their tense little border town. Although mostly human, the Pros were genetically engineered to look perfect and to offer pleasure, both physically and psychically. Beautiful, sophisticated Cin is no exception, which is why when she approaches Tat, Tat knows it can’t be personal. Luudi are big, strong, purple, and impervious to psychic influence—making Tat the safest outlet for someone like Cin. Tat says yes with no expectation that Cin would ever want more, while convinced the danger will eventually drive Cin away. But the Pros can take care of themselves, as well as any quietly heroic Luudi who catches their eye—if only that Luudi would let them. Tat has spent so long helping others find a future, it doesn’t occur to her to seek out her own even when her silence might cost her the one she wants.

Code Red


N.R. Walker - 2021
    He’s at the top of every music chart, every award show, every social media platform, and every sexiest-man-alive list. He’s the bad boy, the enigma, the man everyone on the planet wants a piece of.He’s also burned out and exhausted, isolated and lonely. Not in a good headspace at the start of a tour.Roscoe Hall is Maddox’s personal manager. His job is high-flying, high-demand, high-profile, and he loves it. Maddox has consumed his entire life for the past four years. Roscoe knows him. He sees the real Maddox no one else gets to see.He’s also in love with him.When the tour and stress become too much, when the world begins to close in, Roscoe becomes Maddox’s lifeline. But as Maddox knows already, and as Roscoe is about to learn, the brighter the spotlight, the darker the shadow.Word count: 102K

Torn Between a Goon and a Gangsta 2


Jade Jones - 2013
    A carefully planned home invasion was meant to go smoothly...but an unforeseen turn of events ultimately leads to bloodshed. Nothing is what it seems and no one can be trusted when it comes to the love of the almighty dollar. Filled with drama, love triangles, and a plethora of deadly secrets, "Torn Between a Goon and Gangsta 2" gives new meaning to the phrase, "Keep your friends close and your enemies closer."

All The Dark Secrets


Jennie Felton - 2014
    Turning for comfort to the one man she can trust, she finds a sudden and undeniable passion instead. But any future with Josh Withers seems a betrayal of her past, and Maggie realises the only way to survive is to conceal a very dark secret of her own... *Includes a preview of the next book in the series and bonus material from the author.* Don't miss Jennie's Families of Fairley Terrace series, which began with Maggie's story in All The Dark Secrets and continued with Lucy's story in The Miner's Daughter, Edie's story in The Girl Below Stairs, Carina's story in The Widow's Promise and Laurel's story in The Sister's Secret.

Thug: The Doyles: A Boston Irish Mafia Romance


Sophie Austin - 2019
    But she could break my heart. I'm the family enforcer. So sometimes I get sent on... errands. I go to Martha's Vineyard with one job in mind: Protect our family. Stop a rival mob family from trying to take what’s mine. I never expected to meet her. Siobhan is gorgeous, with legs for days and eyes that smolder. She understands the music that lights up my soul. She's ice and I'm fire. It can never work between us. Dueling mob families. But sometimes rules are made to be broken. And sometimes summer love can last. Thug is a fast-paced, steamy romance that shows you what happens when two people from rival mob families have a summer fling they can’t forget. Get ready for an enemies to lovers, second chance, opposites attract love story that shows you some things really are meant to be. No cheating, no cliffhangers, and a heartwarming, sizzling hot HEA.

Storm Season


Elle Keaton - 2017
    Cleaning up his father’s chaotic life was never on Adam’s bucket list. Worse, Adam finds himself inexplicably drawn to the elusive, terminally-clumsy, gorgeous, Micah Ryan. No way is he getting involved with someone from his hometown; he’s always insisted the best view of Skagit was in his rearview mirror. Micah Ryan has been coasting on auto-pilot since his family was killed in a car accident a decade earlier. He runs a web business and has an irritable cat. He hardly leaves his house, unless it is for his afternoon espresso. His world tips upside down when Adam Klay rolls into town. For the first time in years, he feels alive. Unfortunately, Micah’s return to the living has been noticed and is not appreciated. Someone has a secret. Someone is exploiting the vulnerable youth population in Skagit. Teenagers are disappearing, young women turning up dead, the dirty secrets of Skagit are surfacing.

How to Catch a Prince


Ana Ashley - 2019
    Charlie is back in his hometown of Chester Falls for his sister's wedding. What he needs is a date to keep him away from the wandering hands of his ex. Prince Kristof of Lydovia, or simply Kris, needs an escape from the latest press scandal. Hiding away in an American small town doesn't mean he can't pretend to not be royal, or be someone's boyfriend. Especially when that someone keeps falling all over him, literally.Intense chemistryA family weddingToo many secrets When their fake relationship starts to feel very real, and the press closes in, how will Kris and Charlie handle the fallout? And when the truth comes out will Charlie catch his prince, or will he let him go? Welcome to Chester Falls, where you can expect to meet sweet men, sexy situations, interfering friends, lots of feels, and a happy ever after.Book One in the Chester Falls series. How To Catch a Prince is a sweet and steamy MM romance novel with no cliffhanger, and a guaranteed HEA.