Book picks similar to
Destination Wedding by Jason Collins
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romance
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There Was a Boy
Justin Durand - 2017
Two days after his birthday, a momentous first date with the man of his dreams convinces Aaron he's in love and ready for marriage. However, Aaron must first address the damage he suffered from a difficult childhood. “You aren’t super macho. More like…sweet and hot.” That‘s how Aaron’s friend and neighbor Michelle, the smartest girl in the class, describes him. She promises he’ll meet someone soon.Aaron is skilled at ignoring an unhappy childhood that left him serene on the outside and insecure, vulnerable and anxious on the inside. From middle school on, he concentrated on getting good grades and running faster but also gained more than enough experience with hopeless crushes on really nice straight classmates. Now, at the start of his last semester of high school, he’s ready for a real romance. With help from Michelle and a pooch named Daisy, he meets three seriously good-looking guys who invite him to join their running club. Daniel, Justin and Matthew are a few years older than Aaron but they quickly accept him into their social group. Life has programmed Aaron to be pessimistic but he gets his hopes up and for the first time he makes a connection with another gay guy. Aaron knows “the course of true love never did run smooth,” but he lets himself forget and believe that it will for him. Naturally, when it doesn’t he blames himself. There Was a Boy recounts a pivotal time when a teenager enters adulthood sooner than he’s ready, meets the man of his dreams and falls in love. Aaron has a lot to learn about sex and love. He’s positive he’s found the right teacher but an additional lesson awaits him and he must confront the wounds of his childhood before he can graduate to his new life.
Behind Iron Lace
Mercy Celeste - 2011
Until he meets a smooth talking bad boy who makes him question his entire belief system.Darcy Butler is a fish out of water (or in his case a Duck out of Oregon), and he is suffocating in the humid New Orleans' heat. Dissatisfied with his career, his life, he is homesick and heartbroken. But above all Darcy is straight. Or so he believes until he meets the drop-dead gorgeous photographer he wants to hire to revamp the art department of the e-magazine he co-owns with his former lover.Caleb Mitchell, bad boy extraordinaire lives life on the edge. He's been around the world covering murder and mayhem. Back in New Orleans to tend his dying mother, Caleb is worn down by grief and his own mortality. He seeks the diversion of playing art director of a small local e-magazine to help keep him sane. He doesn't expect the instant attraction to the bright-eyed editor/owner. That Darcy is deeply closeted and possibly straight doesn't matter to Caleb. Because when Caleb wants something, there is nothing going to stand in his way.Not even Darcy.A jealous ex, the hot summer nights, and the secrets Caleb carefully hides behind iron lace tattoos could just be Darcy's undoing.
Wild Pitch
Sloan Johnson - 2015
The day he acknowledged to himself that he was gay was also the day he vowed to stay in the closet in order to chase his dreams. The problem is, he never counted on Mason Atley.Sean showed rookie short stop Mason Atley the ropes, both on the field and off. The two forged a friendship which continued as both of them moved through the ranks of the farm system and into the majors. Unfortunately, there’s always been one secret Mason never felt he could share with Sean. Until now.For seven years, Sean lived with the fact that he loved a man who would never reciprocate. When Mason admits that he’s always known he’s bisexual but has never allowed himself to pursue a relationship with a man, will Sean be able to put aside his reservations about starting a relationship with the friend he’d always assumed was straight? And more importantly, will they be able to find a way to stay together when their careers keep them apart more than they can be together?
Private Eye
S.E. Culpepper - 2011
With each day that passes, Rafe becomes further fascinated with Jeremy Halliday...but the biggest problem isn't his attraction to the cop or his growing need for him. It's the tiny little detail of Jeremy being straight.Jeremy isn't as immune to Rafe as he'd like to believe and as they work together, sifting through a case that is more mysterious and dangerous than it seems, Rafe draws away from him. Knowing he might miss out on someone incredible, Jeremy has to figure out what and who he really wants. And soon.Nothing is black and white anymore.
Falling
D.W. Marchwell - 2010
Hank is a study in contrast: he lives for the rush of climbing and cutting trees almost as much as he loves the peace he finds exploring the mountains he calls home. Scott's attraction to Hank is immediate and mind-blowing, and it's what Scott has always wanted: to know what it's like to love someone he can't live without. Scott needs to know if Hank's true feelings will be a roar of passion or simply a quiet friendship, one that doesn't match Scott's devotion. But it may be too late... Scott simply can't help himself from falling hard for Hank.
The Senator's Secret
K.C. Wells - 2016
It doesn’t matter that the photo is totally innocent. He has no choice but to come clean… until his staff suggest putting a spin on it that leaves Sam reeling.Sure, he’ll end up with a lot of sympathy, not to mention the possibility of more voters from the LGBT community, but it still seems a pretty drastic solution.Now all they have to do is persuade Gary, the other man in the photo, to play along. It sounds so easy: convince the constituents of North Carolina that he and Sam are engaged.No big deal, except for the fact that they’ve only just met….
The Art of Hero Worship
Mia Kerick - 2016
He willingly, even eagerly, risks his life to save a stranger as a murderous, deranged shooter moves methodically through the darkened theater on the Batcheldor College campus, randomly killing innocent men, women, and children.The stranger he saves is college freshman Jason Tripp. Jase loses everything in the shooting: his girlfriend, who dies on the floor beside him, and his grip on emotional security. He struggles to regain a sense of safety in the world, finally leaving college to seek refuge in his hometown.An inexplicable bond forms between the two men in the chaos and horror of the theater, and Liam fights to bring Jase back to the world he ran away from. When Jase returns to school, they’re drawn together as soulmates, and soon Liam and Jase fall into a turbulent romantic relationship. However, the rocky path to love cannot be smoothed until Jase rescues his hero in return by delving into his shady past and solving the mystery of Liam’s compulsion to be everybody’s savior.
Ever After
Riley Hart - 2018
But he’s long been tormented by desires that are far from princely. Especially when the beautiful Cassius is promoted to be his new valet, and Merrick is struck by a longing like never before—a longing to know him far beyond royal and servant. After his father’s passing, Cassius Havendale’s sole duty is to provide for his family. A promotion to serve a pampered prince is something he endures only for their sake. Surely Prince Merrick has no understanding of the true suffering of the common people, nor could he possibly understand what it’s like to desperately desire something he cannot have. Except the prince is not at all what Cassius imagined. Kind, humorous, and caring to those in need, he also shares Cassius’s affinity for the arts. In fact, Merrick understands his deepest vulnerabilities in a most remarkable way. As their affection deepens, the underlying tension between them becomes unbearable and they’re unable to ignore it any longer. But when the queen prepares a lavish ball with all the eligible ladies in the land in attendance, Merrick must fulfill his obligations to his country, and Cassius has the needs of his family to consider. They’ve long known their stolen moments would have to come to an end, but are they ready to give up one another and the idea of a happily-ever-after? ***PLEASE NOTE: EVER AFTER is a romantic fairy tale—minus the magic—that features one compassionate prince, one brooding valet, and plenty of angsty, forbidden love. It’s loosely based on a certain treasured fairy tale in a wintery make-believe setting that wouldn’t be considered contemporary but also isn’t based on any specific time period and doesn’t play by any traditional rules.
Racing into Love
Noah Steele - 2021
Falling for him is a risk. I just have to be willing to take it.My relationship rut ends when pro racer Derrek Luna speeds into my cozy bookstore and crashes the end of a disastrous date. He's way too risky to fall for, but I can't ignore the sudden sparks between us. It doesn't take long before we're head over heels for each other, and we'll need that love to cross the finish line.Lap 1: Derrek wants to settle down and stop racing. The woman who runs his life on the track refuses to lose her star without a fight.Lap 2: The closer I get to Derrek, the angrier my ex-turned-best-friend gets. Is he...jealous?Lap 3: Someone broke into my bookstore. I'm starting to wonder if Derrek's exes ghosted, or if someone convinced them to disappear.But I'm tired of playing it safe, even if being with Derrek is risky for more than just my heart.Racing into Love is a low-angst contemporary M/M instalove romance. Opposites attract in swoony, steamy ways before a guaranteed HEA. It is suggested this series be read in order. Content warnings include: on-page panic attacks.
Motorcycles and Macarons
Ashton Cade - 2019
I’ve mastered the quickie, the one-night stand, and I’m not into changing things up. Why mess with perfection? When I roll into Snow Lake to take over my uncle’s mechanic shop, the last thing I want to do is settle down. Until I lay eyes on Grayson, who is not the kind of man suited for a one-night stand. He’s domestic as all hell, running his bakery and doing cute sh!t with his son all damn day. Not. My. Type. But I can’t take my eyes off of him. Every time I see him, my heart pounds; I go weak in the knees. I dream about holding up a ring, and making him mine forever. I never wanted this life—I always thought it was a trap. But Grayson, gorgeous and kind, is giving me a sweet tooth for his baked goods and all his other delights. I just might want to make a home on this road where I’ve landed. If Gray is with me, I might fall in love with Snow Lake after all. Grayson: My partner left the minute Harry came into our lives. Ever since then, it’s been me and my boy, all on our own. I didn’t want to be a single dad, but Harry makes it all worthwhile. Sure, I’m not going on any dates, but romance can wait. I’m done with the heartbreak of losing my man, and I’m not pulling Harry into any relationship that won’t last forever. That’s why Layton comes as a surprise. He’s everything I never wanted—a bad boy with bedroom eyes, and thighs muscled from gripping his motorcycle. He keeps showing up in my nighttime fantasies—and at my bakery every morning, looking like he wants to take a bite out of me. When I slip up and let him get a taste, I know he’s all wrong. I can’t keep a man like Layton happy, and I need him out of my life for good. It’s too bad because I was a little bit in love. I never imagined it would hurt so much to leave Layton behind—or that my sweet boy would want to have Layton around. Layton keeps telling me he’s for real, that he’s in this for keeps. I’ve never been the kind of guy to take a chance, but maybe this is the time to give it a try.
Whiteout
Ann Grech - 2016
What could go wrong? Or will it be the moment they get all they’ve ever wanted? In discovering their bisexuality, will Reef and Ford be brave enough to reach for each other?Pro-snowboarder, Reef Reid, is at the peak of his career. He has it all. Except the one thing he desperately wants: a lover, the white picket fence and his happily ever after. Disillusioned and exhausted, he flees to a tropical paradise to defrost.But a ticketing mishap lands him in the ski village of Queenstown, New Zealand.Stratford ‘Ford’ Wallace loves the ladies, but rarely sticks around longer than a night. Falling for a man wasn’t on the cards, but everything he knows is flipped on its head when the enigmatic Reef Reid literally drops out of the sky.When a whiteout traps them on a mountaintop neither expects sparks to ignite. They’re unable to resist each other, but will they give into temptation? Or will the avalanche that tears through the mountain end them?Whiteout is book one in Ann Grech’s international hit male/male romance series, Unexpected. Books 2 and 3 continue Reef and Ford’s story through the highs and lows of the pro-snowboarding circuit. You’ll fall in love, want to slap a certain someone or two and swoon over these two men who are made for each other.
Succumbing to His Fear
River Mitchell - 2016
Before meeting Alfie and his family, Fear was content with his casual hookups and one-night stands, purposefully keeping everyone at an arm’s length. As Alfie comes into his burgeoning feelings, a curveball shakes the two men, threatening to destroy Fear and his new found chance at happiness with Alfie. With everything thrown into turmoil, Fear decides to fight for those he loves, Alfie and his family included. Will they be able to survive the collateral damage around them, or will they lose everything?
Temptation by Design
Andrea Dalling - 2016
Now, their burning need could cost them everything.
This steamy hot-for-teacher, straight-to-bi M/M romance has an HEA and no cliffhanger. Forbidden attraction… Shakespeare professor Ben Silver teaches in a small college town with few prospects for love. Most gay men he meets are students and off-limits. That's never been a problem until architecture major Chase takes over set design for the college production of Macbeth. Older than most college juniors, his maturity and leadership skills—not to mention his smoking-hot body—capture Ben's attention. But a tryst could ruin Ben's career, and he can't risk it. Awakening desire… Former petty officer Chase Coltrane understands fraternization rules. His years in the Navy taught him to keep his hands to himself, especially where people in authority are concerned. But when Ben ignites Chase's attraction to men, Chase's self-control heads out to sea. He wants to explore this newly discovered part of himself, and the sexy, charismatic professor has tied knots around his heart. Will his desperate attempt to win the man he loves destroy their future? Or will it lead them on a path to lasting love?
Broken
Colette Davison - 2019
Jag’s rules have kept him safe and free since he escaped conversion therapy, but that was before he walked into Heaven and Hell. A no-strings fling with the club owner, Michael, turns into so much more as Jag finds himself breaking one rule after another. Michael hasn’t been able to commit to anyone since his partner died, until Jag walks into his club. Falling in lust with the elfin young dancer is easy, and his heart is quick to follow. Michael gives Jag a reason to stay, but fear rules Jag’s heart more than love. Despite his deepening feelings for Michael, Jag knows he can’t stay. Can he? **Contains adult themes, content, and language.**
Devoted
Sierra Riley - 2016
He just never realized how much. As a single dad, he’s tried to balance paying the bills with making time for his son, Ryan. He’s been treading water for a long time and right now, his best friend, Jake, is the only thing keeping him afloat. But when his son needs major surgery, Russ isn’t sure anyone can save him from going under.“I’d do anything for you. You know that.”Jake Larson has been in love with Russ since college, but he knows they’ll never be more than friends. Even so, he can’t seem to stop himself from coming to Russ’ rescue. With Russ facing bankruptcy thanks to his terrible insurance, Jake concocts his most desperate plan yet: A sham marriage to get Ryan on his policy.“You’re the only thing that feels real to me right now.”It was supposed to be temporary, but when an insurance agent questions the validity of their marriage, Russ and Jake are forced to get a whole lot closer. Jake knows that once their time is up, they’ll go back to being friends regardless of what they’ve shared. But after having Jake as a partner both physically and emotionally, Russ isn’t ready to let go. Can they manage to turn their fake marriage into something real?Devoted is a steamy, standalone gay romance novel with a HEA and no cliffhangers.