Books Tagged With potential trigger - alcoholism

Word Count: Click here to reveal115,000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Life hasn't been easy for Aeley since she arrested her brother, and her role as a political leader leaves her feeling isolated and lonely. Days before her brother's trial, she meets Lira, a quiet and modest scribe who makes Aeley want more than just a professional relationship. When she attends the trial and leaves with a marriage contract, Aeley doesn't know what to do. She must choose one of two brothers, marrying into a family she doesn't know. Then she discovers that Lira is part of the same family—a sister to Aeley's suitors and the family's disgrace. And not at all opposed to an intimate relationship. Except random acts of violence against her people test Aeley's ability as a leader, and a web of lies and deceit threaten not only her chance at happiness, but her life...

Word Count: Click here to reveal41591 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Opposites attract when the timid bar owner asks out the resident bad boy. Brad Flynn’s reputation doesn’t change just because he has. Prison might not have been fun, but he’d made the most of it. Since his release, he’s tried to make the most out of his freedom as well. His handyperson business is taking off, but his clientele is in the nearby towns. When local bar owner, Kendrick Ashby, calls him to fix a leaky roof, he doesn’t expect the attraction he feels to go anywhere. Kendrick’s violent past doesn’t make asking him out on a date a simple task. Can Brad be brave enough to start over?

Word Count: Click here to reveal32000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Having survived one nightmare of a relationship, Justin Tesh thought he'd left the worst behind when he put his ex Peter behind bars. But when his new lover, Russell Pine, explodes in a fit of alcohol-fueled rage, Justin finds himself frozen with a fear he thought he’d long since worked through. While older, more experienced Russ is anxious to put the incident behind them, avoiding personal issues never works, and for Justin, his fear is an open doorway to demons both he and Russ need to confront. Despite their histories of loss and pain, Russ has faith in the promise of their relationship. But if he can't heal the wound he's inflicted on his lover’s heart, he risks losing Justin forever to Peter’s legacy of brutality.

Word Count: Information not available

Character Identities: Click here to revealBisexual, Polyamorous (Click here to hide)

Summary: The search for the swords brings Douglas and Margaret back to England, where Mystere has hidden the sword Almace -- his own sword. Four months pass with no signs of Mystere, and Douglas and Margaret start to make plans to go in search of him. Then they accidentally become the caretakers of an injured street urchin. The boy — a sweep’s apprentice — tells them that there is something invisible haunting the rooftops of London, preying on the children who make their living there. In the absence of Mystere, Margaret insists that they need to help, but Douglas refuses. Margaret defies him and goes anyway, only to discover that what lurks on the rooftops is far worse than she had imagined -- Caedda has taken the rooftops of London as his domain. Worse, he has taken Mystere prisoner, he holds the sword Almace, and he knows that Margaret is there. Trapped on the roofs, unable to reach Douglas, Margaret has to rely on her wits and her memories in order to save Mystere, herself and her unborn child.

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

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

Summary: No one is good all of the time. Especially me. Six years ago, I promised my friend Kellan that I’d never mess around with his little brother. I accepted it. I didn’t regret it, and I didn’t think twice about it. Milo Sterling—the good student, perfect son, and promising dancer—was off limits. But that was before. Before we went away to college. Before Kellan died. Before I flunked out of school. Now, I’m back home, and Milo’s different. He’s quieter and colder, no longer a boy but a man. And that hurt in his eyes? I put it there the night I failed to save Kellan. I have a lot to make up for. Falling for Milo, no matter how much I want him, would be one more thing to add to my list. But promises are meant to be broken, and if there’s one thing I’m bad at, it’s being good. Bad at Being Good is a best friend’s brother/brother’s best friend (dual POV) M/M romance featuring hurt/comfort, found family, coping with grief, and—of course—a happily ever after. Readers are advised to check the Author’s Note for content sensitivities.

Word Count: Click here to reveal75000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Rory Graeble returns to college determined to reinvent himself. Too many years have been wasted with masks, but becoming a student leader is a step Rory isn’t sure he’s ready for. A new identity takes more than just a new nickname, and Rory knows he has to take the chances that his old self would never risk. When that chance is a party that ends with an anonymous hot skater’s tongue down his throat and a phone number in his pocket, Rory knows what he has to do. Danny Smits never expected to see stuffy lit geek Rory Graeble trying to be out, trying to be proud, trying to be… Rory. It’s damned sexy, and too much for the entrepreneurial skater to resist. When Rory calls him back the day after the party, Danny knows Rory has changed. But will Danny’s haunted past deter Rory? Or will Rory embrace the chance to experience everything the closet had stolen away? Danny believes in keeping things real, in a brutal honesty he knows means Rory will run screaming. But this time Rory isn’t running.

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

Character Identities: Click here to revealAromantic, Bisexual, Demisexual, Pansexual, Polyamorous (Click here to hide)

Summary: Shattered by betrayal, Aria's Companions have separated. Aven and Del have retreated to the safety of the Water tribe, leaving Owyn and Treesi behind on land to stand with Aria and help their wounded Heir heal. Despite their best efforts, Aria retreats, rejecting them both. Owyn knows that he and Treesi can't do this alone. He starts riding out to the coastal villages surrounding Terraces, sending messages out to the deep, begging Aven to come back, telling him that the Heart can reach the Heir. Then he returns from one such trip to find Aria and Treesi have left Terraces, leaving him behind. Abandoned, Owyn leaves Terraces. Instead of following Aria, he goes north, trying to find a way to contact the Water tribes. Trying to find a way to save everything before it's too late. To do that, he must face his deepest fear, risk losing his heart, and accept help from the most unlikely of allies.

Word Count: Click here to reveal60000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Standoffish Aiden is content keeping people at a distance and ensuring his boundaries are impenetrable. There’s safety in not opening up, but there’s also a loneliness he doesn’t realise exists until he meets Riley, a new member of the LGBTQIA+ adventure group Outback Boys. Fascinated by the new guy, Aiden is quick to discover his flirtation skills are rusty and his sweet-talking is cringeworthy. But sweet and clumsy Riley doesn’t seem to mind so much. Even though Riley doesn’t quite know how to handle Aiden’s intensity, he’s willing to step out of his comfort zone and see how their tentative friendship unravels. Between a surf lesson that resembles a kangaroo on acid and paddle boarding that is trickier than walking a tightrope, Aiden and Riley discover love may be a possibility after all. Happiness relies on honesty and openness, though. And with both men holding on tightly to past struggles, their future together is at risk. Can the two Aussies bounce back and heal themselves and each other, or are some wounds too raw to recover from? Outback Boys is a sweet and sexy M/M romance series complete with bruised butts, rope burn, and overworked muscles… all in the pursuit of adventure, of course!

Trigger Warning: Contains themes (discussions) of mental illness and suicide.

Word Count: Information not available

Character Identities: Click here to revealBisexual, Lesbian, Transgender (Click here to hide)

Summary: Toni At thirty-three, I was hopelessly in love with my best friend and roommate, Aisling Butcher. She was everything I wanted but could never have because I wouldn’t break that barrier. My fear of losing her was too much to transcend. That didn’t mean I didn’t live for every adoring expression when she looked at me. Yet how much longer could I remain strong before I revealed my secret? Butcher My baby sister’s best friend, Toni, was flawless. She was everything I’d always wanted but knew I couldn’t possess. She was always my Babygirl. Her happiness and safety my only concern in life. That’s why I wouldn’t make my feelings known. I wasn’t good enough. I wouldn’t let my demons touch her perfection. But when teasing kisses turn to more, am I brave enough to claim what’s mine?

 (Previously published in Dirty Daddies Pride Anthology. This doesn't contain any new content.)

Word Count: Click here to reveal106000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: When two broken men find redemption together, will one survive to accept it?
 Chance 
Everyone assumed I was a magnet for trouble, or maybe I searched it out on my own. By the age of forty, I almost destroyed my life. The tragic event that changed my entire perception of myself is haunting me. When a friend is in danger, I volunteer to keep them safe and momentarily distract myself from my problems. Yet my demons keep hunting me down.
 Bart
 For twenty years since my divorce, I'd completely cut myself off from all physical connection with another person. PTSD has taken everything from me, and a time bomb lives in my head—ready to go off at any moment. For the most part, I've learned to control it. When Chance needs help learning a healthier coping mechanism, I offer my assistance, but when he’s healed, will I be able to let him go like I'd promised? 
Nothing had prepared two traumatized men for each other. Can they heal and find redemption, or will the danger around them take one from the other before they realize they have more than their demons? 
(TW: Mentions of childhood sexual, physical, and mental abuses. Passive Suicidal Ideation, self-harm, eating disorders, and mental illness. These are mainly off-page, but there are detailed flashbacks and conversations of said acts. Yet if these are triggering for you, please feel free not to read the story. Your self-care and mental health are more important. Thank you.)


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

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

Summary: Wherever August Morrison and Ricardo Torralba go, chaos is sure to follow. The authors certainly know this, since their “standalone book” has now turned into a series with no end in sight, because…UGH. These two. We give up. Anyway. Detective David Chandler had no clue what he was getting into when he and his partner decided they were going to nail August for murder. They didn’t realize it was one of the few murders August didn’t commit, or that their homicide investigation would lead them into the middle of a mob war. Cavalcante underboss Pedro Silva knew asking August and Ricardo for help was a terrible idea. Just mentioning their names is bad for Pedro’s blood pressure. Owing them a favor? Oh Lord. He still asked, though, because he was out of options, but he can’t say he didn’t know he’d regret it. Neither man expected things to blow up this badly. Now they’re both on the run from the mafia, the cops, and everyone in between… except for August and Ricardo. On one hand, that means they have two expert assassins in their corner. On the other, it means they have the biggest troll on the planet heckling them at every turn. And sticking them in a safehouse together. With only one bed. And if August or Ricardo make one more comment about how Dave and Pedro should just hook up already… Cop vs. Capo is 67,500 words long, and is book 4 of the Hitman vs. Hitman series. CW: combat PTSD, alcoholism, on-page violence, discussion of abuse of a sex worker

Word Count: Click here to reveal68000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: James Morgan, lead guitarist for the rock band Eden, seems to have it all. 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.

Word Count: Click here to reveal120,000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Blurb Crossing The Touchline by Jay Hogan What if you’ve worked your whole life for a dream, to play rugby for the most successful sports team on the planet, the New Zealand All Blacks? What if that dream is so close you can smell it? What if you meet someone? What if you fall in love? What if your dream will cost the man who’s stolen your heart? And what if the dream changes?   Reuben Taylor has a choice to make. Cameron Wano is that choice.   Part of the Auckland Med. series that includes ‘First Impressions’ Can be read as a standalone.  

Word Count: Click here to reveal87000 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealBisexual, Genderfluid, Genderqueer, Non Binary, Pansexual (Click here to hide)

Summary: Dalí Tamareia has everything--a young family and a promising career as an Ambassador in the Sol Fed Diplomatic Corps. Dalí's path as a peacemaker seems clear, but when their loved ones are killed in a terrorist attack, grief sends the genderfluid changeling into a spiral of self-destruction.Fragile Sol Fed balances on the brink of war with a plundering alien race. Their skills with galactic relations are desperately needed to broker a protective alliance, but in mourning, Dalí no longer cares, seeking oblivion at the bottom of a bottle, in the arms of a faceless lover, or at the end of a knife. The New Puritan Movement is rising to power within the government, preaching strict genetic counseling and galactic isolation to ensure survival of the endangered human race. Third gender citizens like Dalí don't fit the mold of this perfect plan, and the NPM will stop at nothing to make their vision become reality. When Dalí stumbles into a plot threatening changelings like them, a shadow organization called the Penumbra recruits them for a rescue mission full of danger, sex, and intrigue, giving Dalí purpose again. Risky liaisons with a sexy, charismatic pirate lord could be Dalí's undoing--and the only way to prevent another deadly act of domestic terrorism.

Word Count: Click here to reveal49152 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: A young cowhand with an uncertain future, drowning in debt. A wealthy rancher with a mysterious past, drowning in booze. A single chance at happiness in the face of impossible odds. Jace has been in the closet ever since he first realized he was gay. Not only is his personal life a mess, but now, hard on the heels of losing his mother to cancer, he’s about to lose their farm to the bank. An unexpected job offer from complete strangers could be his only opportunity to save it. After betrayal and addiction stole away everything Remy ever cared about, he figured that managing a promising desert reclamation project in bum-fuck Nevada and drinking himself to sleep every night was about the best he could hope for out of life. He never expected to fall for a clean-cut cowboy with a cartload of horse savvy and a giant chip on his shoulder. Too bad one of them is a broken-down wreck, and the other has the closet door locked so tight that he may never see the light of day. Because if there’s one thing Remy has never believed in, it’s fairytale endings. Though there is another book in the Love in the Desert series, Diamond Bar Alpha Ranch is a standalone HEA gay romance novel with no cliffhanger. It contains explicit sex scenes, as well as hot cowboys with issues—which is probably why you're here in the first place. (No cattle, horses, or hot cowboys were harmed during the making of this novel.)

Word Count: Click here to reveal32k (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: The life of rock star, Dorian Gray and his lover, award winning film director Scott Newland, has been filled with highs and lows. Their love has transcended drug addiction and insecurities, but will it survive another’s revenge against Dorian?   This story shows the progression of these two men from friends to lovers and a backstage look at what a rock star faces onstage and off. As David would say, “My Name is Dorian Gray and I’m here For Your Entertainment.”  PLEASE NOTE: This story deals with drug and alcohol addiction. If these are triggers for you please skip this one!

Word Count: Information not available

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

Summary: What is more dangerous than a man in love? A man in love who feels betrayed... Marc and Alex have been best friends since childhood. When Marc was fourteen, tragedy struck, and he found himself suddenly orphaned. Having no living relatives, Marc moved in with Alex and his family, who happily opened their hearts and their home to him. Five years have passed since the tragedy, and Marc’s love and devotion for his best friend has only intensified… some would say, to an almost obsessive level… Alex’s life is suddenly turned upside down when he is forced to make an impossible decision. Alex quickly learns that Marc’s love for him goes much deeper than just friendship. Alex begins to wonder, just how far is Marc willing to go in the name of love? And more terrifyingly, how dangerous is a man in love, who feels… betrayed. Fractured Love is a dark story of unrequited love, torment, and murder. Warning: This book contains scenes which may be considered triggering events involving alcohol addiction, physical/sexual assault, light drug use, and murder.

Word Count: Click here to reveal20000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary:

• releasing in a new edition in 2021

Word Count: Information not available

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

Summary: Can a Highland fling stir a culinary passion into lasting love? Dean Fraser traded his football dreams for cooking when injury struck. He's now got a shot at becoming the new chef at Castle Largleith, despite his lack of experience. Working at the Michelin-starred restaurant in the picturesque Scottish Highlands could change his entire life and help him escape the clutches of his cheating ex-boyfriend. Hot-headed Executive Chef Ewan Grant is bidding farewell to the career that cost him his lover. To atone for the suffocating guilt eating away at his life's passion, he's determined to fulfil his late partner's bucket list. First, he needs to find the perfect replacement chef. When Ewan conducts a series of cooking competitions to find the right fit, the underdog ex-footballer takes him by surprise. Dean's unlikely culinary talent brings a storm of emotions into the kitchen. Sparks fly between them, and an illicit attraction ignites more than the sizzling hotplates. But acting on it could ruin Ewan's reputation and Dean's chance at the job of a lifetime. Struggling to resist the tempting flavours of forbidden love, their whirlwind affair threatens both of their dreams. Can they navigate the treacherous waters of romance without sacrificing what they both need? Or will their passion leave them with a taste too delicious to resist? Highland Fling is a forbidden lovers, age gap, found family standalone novel in the steamy contemporary Flying into Love MM romance series, featuring a fiery Scottish chef too used to his own way and a determined ex-footballer desperate to prove he’s more than a pretty face. “A sizzling tale of culinary passion, unexpected connections, and the irresistible allure of Highland heat!” Potential triggers: Past alcohol abuse, mentions of death of a partner.

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!