Books Tagged With what - concept - resilience

Word Count: Click here to reveal15373 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealGay (Click here to hide)

Summary: A scrying stone says after his gift is destroyed, a famous songwriter will fall in love. Will the stone’s prediction come true? Glass artist Ashton Snell is delighted when superstar singer/songwriter Hunter Davidson walks into his shop looking for a gift for a friend. On a whim Ashton looks through a scrying glass to see what’s in store for Hunter in the future. The stone shows a vision of the glass unicorn gift shattering and Hunter falling in love. Should Ashton tell Hunter what he’s seen? Before he can decide, Hunter asks him to lunch. Ashton agrees although he’s surprised someone as celebrated as Hunter would want to be seen with him. Despite living with it since birth, Ashton is still self-conscious about his limp. Hunter, however, doesn’t seem to notice it. Could their lunch be the beginning of a lasting friendship? Or will their attraction turn into something more?

Word Count: Click here to reveal85445 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealGay (Click here to hide)

Summary: At 130 years old, lone Nova Scotian werewolf Malachi Powers never intended to find a mate, until fate sent him Quinn Boucher, a much younger man. Now, after only a few months, Malachi can't imagine his life without Quinn. But when Quinn returns to Nova Scotia, Malachi learns that the man who belongs to him has been keeping a secret--something Malachi cannot allow. At 22, Quinn Boucher has been through more trauma than most people survive in a lifetime. Although he is healing, lately his nightmares have worsened. After he lashes out during a flashback, his employer sends him to Nova Scotia to rest with Malachi at the home of Anax Silas Creighton, ruler of the Canadian werewolves. Face to face with his mate, the man he calls Sire, Quinn can no longer hide the truth. As Quinn battles his demons with Malachi by his side, a new threat faces them. Silas's newest guard, Andy, has malevolent intentions against Silas--and the rest of the werewolves of Canada. Only Quinn, with his clairvoyant abilities, can see what Andy truly is and the magic the other man wields, and only Quinn is left to fight when Andy takes control of Malachi, Silas, and the other guards. But to save his mate and the others, Quinn must first defeat the worst of his buried memories--memories now fueled by Andy's power. This book includes intense descriptions of flashbacks to abuse and sexual assault, harsh language including one use of the F-slur against a gay man, depictions of PTSD, and on-page unaliving of an evil werewolf. The main characters' relationship includes a VERY large age gap (over a century; werewolves live a long time!) and one character consensually commanding the other.

Word Count: Click here to reveal48,000 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealGay (Click here to hide)

Summary: Patrick and Goose are getting married on Halloween. Before they can say their "I dos," however, they must recover both physically and mentally from the tragedy that befell them over the summer. While doing that, a new mystery begins, as several new ghosts enter their lives. Since Jefferson and Daniel were forced apart the last time Patrick and Goose saw them, Goose is convinced these new ghosts are somehow part of a puzzle to get the angelic duo back together. Meanwhile, Carrie gets a job working with children. At least one parent isn't happy about that. Rip and Shelby prepare for the arrival of their little one, and all three help Goose and Patrick with their new paranormal  adventure.  At the end of it all, marriage,  birth,  death, love and romance, plus many surprises abound in Ghosts of Honor.

Word Count: Click here to reveal82000 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealGay, Pansexual (Click here to hide)

Summary: While the other members of glam rock sensation The Rade indulge in public affairs and flirtations, bass player and soulful lyricist John has kept himself to himself. He's had no end of offers, seeing as he's the heart of the band (and stacked like a brick wall), but since losing his mortal lover, no one has sparked his interest. After all, to a centuries-old shapeshifter-fae, most people's lives are just too short for him to risk his heart on them. Then he meets someone who captures his attention as well as his long-buried protective instincts. Venkat, a shy but brilliantly talented energy vampire and classical violinist, is just coming off a triumphant US tour. He and John bond immediately over their love of music and blossoming mutual attraction. But Venkat has a past, one that seems to give his fae manager Red an unbreakable hold on Venkat's violin and life. And Red isn't above using it to keep him isolated and under his power. John and Venkat know the future could be theirs. But the road to freedom will lead directly through the darkest places in both their pasts.

Word Count: Click here to reveal52900 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealAce, Pansexual (Click here to hide)

Summary: Havesskadi has won the Rainbow Award for Best Asexual Debut Book (2018-2019), and second place in the Best Asexual Book (Asexual – Contemporary, Fantasy and Paranormal Romance & Romantic Comedy | 2018-2019) category. The red dragon is hunting her own. Up in the icy peaks of the northern mountains, Orsie Havesskadi spends his days hiding from her, but eventually he is found and his dragon magic stolen. Cursed to wander the lands as a mortal unless he recovers his magic before twenty-four rising crescents have passed, Orsie embarks on an arduous journey. Spurred by the whispers in his mind, his quest takes him to a castle hidden deep in a forest. Arkeva Flitz, a skilled garrison archer, discovers an abandoned castle in the woods. Trapped there, he spends his days with his two companions, one cruel, the other soothing. One day, a young man arrives at his gates, and soon they are confined by heavy snowfalls and in danger from what slumbers in the shadows of the castle.

Word Count: Click here to reveal112000 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealAce, Aromantic, Gay (Click here to hide)

Summary: Be not inhospitable to – handsome – demons, lest they be angels in disguise. Two things are well-known about Alberto. One: he's gorgeous. Like it or not, like him or not, there's no debating that. Two: Alberto feels nothing and everyone constantly jokes about it. There isn't much else to say about him. Floating about like a drifting cloud, Alberto likes minding his own business, but out of nowhere, an angry guy named Mathias charges into his life, demanding answers. Deep down, he knows Mathias isn't the solution to his problems, but it doesn't matter, as long as he feels something. But here's the annoying thing with feelings: they can sneak up on you at the least opportune time... *** Mathias is new in town and enrolled at Colette International due to unfortunate circumstances. His devotion to his family places him face to face with a puzzling equation, one he never thought he'd have to solve before. Now he's forced into the path of a schoolmate he particularly dislikes, and not without reasons. The only problem is, he can't seem to take his eyes, nor his hands, off him. He was promised a peaceful senior year after everything he went through. But Mathias already knows life is never that easy. And now he's in the thralls of an unfeeling demon.     He Looks So Fine is a seven-part story about two young men's rediscovery of empowerment, communication and trust, about the lasting damages of trauma and the healing virtues of friendship. Part One is 360 pages long and contains arcs 1 to 3 pertaining to Alberto and Mathias's journey. The upcoming Part Two is longer; it contains arcs 4 to 7 and concludes their story. As it features several characters from the previous books, it's usually recommended to read the series from the start. However, the tone of this story is darker and more mature and differs from the rest of the series. As a result, this book can also be enjoyed as a standalone. Content Warning:Due to the presence of difficult themes, sexual content and other potentially upsetting scenes, this work isn't intended for readers below the age of eighteen. (A full content warning list can be found at the beginning of the book.) This is not a happy book! This work explores themes such as depression and grief.  If you're looking for fluffy romance, please select another book/author.

Word Count: Click here to reveal81000 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealDemisexual, Gay (Click here to hide)

Summary: A baby’s laughter. A mind uncaged. Lance is known as Scourge, the warrior in the black armor, the dog of the warlord Ulfr Blackwolf. He was just a boy when Ulfr found him and molded him into the perfect weapon. He slaughters and pillages on command, merciless and numb, devoid of emotions. Then a baby girl laughs at him during a raid. And everything changes. When Gust, a talented healer, is out deer hunting and stumbles across a magnificent horse bearing a mortally wounded rider, he has no idea that his life is about to change forever. Gust applies all his skills to his patient, determined to save the rider’s life, and is rewarded when the man opens his eyes. As friendship, and more, bloom between warrior and healer, so does the danger over the horizon. Ulfr has not forgotten, and Lance must take his first steps on the long road to redemption.

Word Count: Click here to reveal44080 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealGay (Click here to hide)

Summary: Wolf shifter Xavier learns that you are often your own worst enemy. Josh McPhee always wanted to be an agent. To keep from going crazy at the Agency’s New Mexico substation, he talks to the imprisoned wolf shifter—or tries to. Their one-sided conversations only prove the shifter is not getting the help he needs. After all, he is a victim too. Wolf shifter Xavier doesn’t remember much before his time with the Knights or the time under their control, where he was brainwashed and used to kill innocent shifters. He wants to recover his memories, and yet he fears what he might find. He would escape were it not for the aide whose voice quiets Xavier’s implanted urges. Late one night the Knights attack the station to retrieve what’s theirs. Overpowered, Josh cannot stop them before they unlock Xavier’s cage. But Xavier rushes to Josh’s rescue and, sensing his opportunity, escapes, taking Josh with him. When Josh wakes up on the road, they strike a bargain: Josh offers Xavier one month of freedom before he calls in the Agency. Both doubt he can be cured, but something about Josh makes Xavier better. They just have to figure out what before the enemy catches up to them. Second Edition with updated and revised text.

Word Count: Click here to reveal20055 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealGay (Click here to hide)

Summary: A Shifter Chronicles story, sequel to Healing Minds With the construction for their shifter rehabilitation clinic in Haven underway, wolf shifter Xavier and his mate Josh couldn’t be happier, professionally. But their busy lives leave them little alone time. It’s putting a strain on their relationship, and they still haven’t had anything close to a honeymoon. Josh realizes Valentine’s Day is just around the corner and sees an opportunity he can’t let get away. But never having observed the holiday before, he has no idea what Xavier might want. All Xavier knows is that Josh wants to celebrate, but he has no clue how. Before either of them makes a concrete decision, a bear shifter attacks Haven and threatens to trample their romantic plans. Second Edition with revised text.

Word Count: Click here to reveal86000 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealGay (Click here to hide)

Summary: Sometimes willpower isn't enough. Cam Social anxiety's been my constant companion for twenty-three years, sometimes in the background, sometimes silencing me and yanking my guts out in the nearest trash can. No matter how much I love playing music, I'm never going to get up on a stage and perform in front of a crowd. But since I met Erik, and was asked to join his band Hellsbane, that knowledge hurts worse. No heart (even Erik's) or dick (even Erik's) is big enough to carry me past my limits, but God, I wish there was a way. Erik Life's damned unfair when a guy with the voice of a hard-rock angel and a songwriting talent like Cam's can only post anonymous videos online. But you can't cure anxiety with wanting, or willpower. My drummer needs to quit trying to push Cam onstage with us before he breaks. Rocktoberfest's our goal, and touring with Hellsbane was my only ambition until I met Cam. Now I can't have everything I love in one place, but dammit, I wish there was a way. A first-times, life challenges, coming out, rockstar romance. Hidden Blade is part of the multi-author The Road to Rocktoberfest 2022 series. Each book can be read as a standalone, but why not read them all and see who hits the stage next? Hot rockstars and the men who love them, what more could you ask for? Kick back, load up your kindle and enjoy the men of Rocktoberfest!

Word Count: Click here to reveal41979 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealGay (Click here to hide)

Summary: Everyone is lying to Cory and he is getting fed up. Someone was going to tell him the truth or his Kitten was going to come out in full force. He may shift into a house cat, but it was a Main Coon cat, and that was not an animal to mess with. Jotham had problems within his coven and as Rei it was up to him to fix them. He didn’t have time for his enforcer’s new mate’s best friend’s questions and nosing around. Intent on getting Cory to leave, Jotham goes to speak with him and is in shock to find that Cory is not only his mate, but he is not all human. He must have him, but Cory doesn’t seem to want anything to do with him or his coven. Cory needs time to think things through, so he does the one thing that always clears his mind…he shifts and goes for a stroll only to come across men plotting the death of his mate, Jotham, and destruction of the coven. Can Cory put aside his anger, hurt, and distrust to help save his vampire mate? Jotham’s only concern is for his mate. Because if he can’t find the men bent on destroying his coven, they may not just try to kill him. But his mate as well.

Word Count: Click here to reveal55000 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealGay (Click here to hide)

Summary: A rowdy superstar in danger. His resentful new guardian. It’s hate at first sight until love takes an unexpected encore.   Closeted actor Owen fears failure and betrayal. So after he’s stabbed by a crazy fan, the movie studio offers a hunky bodyguard for protection. Suspicious that the ripped security man is just a gossip-seeking plant, he pushes back at his bulging biceps, ignoring the chemistry.   Newly retired SEAL Jamal is having a hard time adjusting to civilian life. Reluctantly taking a Hollywood job for a bad boy with tight abs, he’s sure the star is simply paranoid. But when he discovers the sexy celebrity is in serious jeopardy, he doesn’t hesitate to jump into action mode.   As the peril hits closer to home, Owen finds himself falling for the handsome hero fighting for his life. And as the threats intensify, Jamal fears he might lose the man he has come to love.   Will Owen and Jamal go down in a catastrophic climax, or will they star in their own happy ending?   Hollywood Lighting is the red-hot first book in the Bodyguards M/M contemporary romance series. If you like tortured heroes, intense predicaments, and steamy affairs, then you’ll adore J. V. Speyer’s tale of LGBT passion.   Buy Hollywood Lighting to let desire take centerstage today!

Word Count: Click here to reveal72855 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealBisexual, Gay, Questioning (Click here to hide)

Summary: What’s a straight guy to do when he falls for his new friend? Paramedic Connor Devlin is a stressed-out tower of a man. Hoping knitting will help him unwind, he visits a local craft shop, where he’s overwhelmed by the yarn selection but more so by his feelings for shop owner Judah. Judah Bissel is tired of falling for unavailable men. He can’t help his crush on Connor, though, or wanting to get closer to the big, gentle bear. And that just might spell trouble because pining for straight guys is not Judah’s style. As a blizzard pummels the city, the men hunker down together to wait out the storm. When the spark between them ignites, will the revelation that Connor feels more than friendship for Judah bring them together or tear them apart? Hooked On You is a 72.8K friends-to-lovers MM novel. It features a stressed-out paramedic who’s figuring out he’s not quite straight, a yarn shop owner with a bad habit of falling for unavailable guys, lots of knitting and snowdrifts, and a sweet, happy-sigh HEA.

Word Count: Click here to reveal41820 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealGay (Click here to hide)

Summary: Enemies can sometimes become allies... and lovers. Orphan Hunter Landon craves a family who will love him unconditionally. When he’s adopted by the Knights, an organization dedicated to destroying shifters, Hunter is grateful, but their ideology never sits right. Finally, on a rite of passage during which he’s supposed to kill his first shifter, Hunter discovers the truth: he meets Glenn Lightfoot, a deer shifter, and asks a lot of questions. Glenn hates the Knights and worries about the safety of his herd with one in their midst. After all, the Knights have hurt his family before. On the other hand, this is his chance to convert an enemy, and instinct tells him Hunter won’t betray him. When Hunter sees the Knights for the monsters they are, he knows he must leave the herd and protect Glenn. But Glenn is determined not to lose the man he has come to love and respect to the Knights’ cruel campaign. Second Edition with updated and revised text.

Word Count: Click here to reveal78000 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealGay (Click here to hide)

Summary: Ex-necromancer Frank Hope risked his life to help his demon lover Kasimir return to his homeland, a dimension humans call Hell and Kasimir calls the Eternal Realm—a beautiful medievalesque land. Now, because Kasimir is the heir apparent to a vast, wealthy kingdom, the two live in luxury in a palace by the sea. But darkness haunts them. Necromancers, humans sworn to capture and slay demons for Earth’s energy corporations to use as fuel, continue to strike the Eternal Realm. Strife between the Eternals’ kingdoms grows as well. When war breaks out with a neighboring land, Frank and Kasimir are forced to make hard choices that threaten their relationship—and even their lives. Is their love truly meant to be? Will the universe that once smiled upon them turn against them? This is the final book in the Love Songs for Lost Worlds trilogy and combines elements of fantasy, paranormal, and gay romance within the framework of an alternate 1980s world. Explicit sex, violence, suicide attempt, sexual assault

Word Count: Click here to reveal67000 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealDemisexual, Gay (Click here to hide)

Summary: Morgorth and Aishe must contend with a deadly threat that could spell disaster for their world. Payshthas were the first of the Mother’s intelligent children. It is rare for true friendship to form between them and another species—which makes Morgorth’s bond with Enfernlo unique. And it is due to their friendship that Morgorth doesn’t hesitate to answer Enfernlo’s plea for help. A thief has stolen something vital from Enfernlo’s colony—a stone of power. Their hunt for the stone leads them to a war torn kingdom, and Aishe can hardly stomach what he sees. The devastation urges him to assist however he can, no matter the risk. Meanwhile, Morgorth is faced with reminders of the monster he used to be, and contemplates how far he’s come, and yet how far he still has to go. And when his estranged mentor joins them on their search, Morgorth is forced to confront his resentment and sense of betrayal, and use Master Ulezander as a tool to save the payshthas. Forced into a deadly quest where trust is in short supply, and faced with challengers for the stone, Morgorth must put his faith in those he loves and in himself... and become a champion not just of the Mother but for Karishian itself.

Word Count: Click here to reveal35, 600 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealGay (Click here to hide)

Summary: Summer fireworks were undeniable, but Warwick needed time to deal with his past, so in fall, he and Dom went their separate ways. Even though fate intervened with an unplanned reunion on a flight to Europe that ended in a kiss, Warwick still took the planned break once back in England. With his head clear by winter, Warwick knows what he wants -- Dom. Dom feels the same, but his opera diva mother, who swears by romantic fables and love mythology, claims the third time is no charm. In fact, a third reunion, according to her, is always cursed. As the three embark on a Christmas concert tour, the prophecy seems to be coming true. Sfortuna, bad luck, follows them from city to city. Is Warwick and Dom’s relationship really doomed before it begins, or will mythology and Christmas spirit provide a way around the jinx?

Word Count: Click here to reveal70000 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealGay (Click here to hide)

Summary: It’s 1985, but different.... Frank Hope is a troubled high school senior. Being gay in a small Texas town in the eighties is hard enough, but Frank’s also fighting to win back his ex-boyfriend, trying to graduate while hating school, and struggling to care for his sick mom. Despite his cynical nature, he tries to remain, well, hopeful. Everything he desires seems beyond his reach—until a newfound ability promises financial success and prestige. But success always comes with a price. What is Frank willing to sacrifice? Kasimir is—humans would call Kasimir a demon. Kasimir’s people refer to themselves as the Eternals, who are engaged in a centuries’ long conflict with the mortals from another world. But Kasimir, sensitive and idealistic, can’t hate humans because he fell in love with a human boy named Frank while watching him through an interdimensional window when they were children. Now, as a priest scholar specializing in the study of humans, he’s set on finding his old crush. However, his boy has grown into something feared by all beings of the Eternal Realm. Taking place in an alternative 1985 where demon essence fuels everything from mopeds to the space shuttle, this story of star-crossed lovers combines elements of fantasy and dystopian genres with gay romance while weaving together themes of surviving past trauma, breaking obsessions, and the transformative power of love. Warning: period homophobia, hate speech, suicidal ideation, past suicide, explicit language, sex, violence, child abuse, drug abuse, smoking

Word Count: Click here to reveal110000 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealGay (Click here to hide)

Summary: Call it a situationship, call it roommates with benefits—whatever it is, Riley Sweet is mostly fine with the arrangement. After all, he’s got an awesome off-base apartment on Okinawa, and he’s got someone to hook up with on the regular with no pressure and no strings. The problem is that he’s starting to catch feelings for the hot, aloof Marine who’s apparently interested in very specific types of fun, but nothing else. He won’t even sleep in the same bed as Riley. Nolan Tyler is carrying a dark secret that’s kept him closed off from everyone for years. Out of shame, fear, and self-preservation, he keeps everyone at arm’s length, including Riley. When Nolan is asked to be his brother’s best man, there’s no bowing out. Not even when going home means facing everything he enlisted to escape. Though Riley doesn’t know exactly why Nolan balks at going home, he offers to come with him as backup. In exchange, Nolan will come with him as his “boyfriend” in a last ditch effort to get Riley’s parents to accept, once and for all, that their son is gay. Nolan takes him up on it, but he’s terrified that the truth about his past will come out… and the man he’s falling for will leave. Content Advisory: past sexual assault, on-page harassment and verbal abuse, discussions of self-harm

Word Count: Click here to reveal53000 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealGay (Click here to hide)

Summary: One rash decision will lead him down the path toward revolution... Nathaniel Hill, eldest son in a well-connected and respected English family, is offered two choices by his father after being caught in a compromising situation; public shame to force his good behavior, or to sever his family ties and leave on the first ship for the colonies in America. Rather than endure the life his father expects him to lead, he makes the choice to begin anew where he knows no one. Landing in Boston, Massachusetts in 1772, he uses what money he has to purchase a tavern for a bargain price from a desperate seller, and sets about scraping together a life in a city he quickly realizes is on the verge of complete catastrophe. Though he attempts to remain neutral in the politics ripping at the city's foundations in the years that follow, he is destined to fail. A musket, a British officer, a rebel spy network, and a dashing Frenchman are fated to disrupt his carefully-held neutrality.