Books Tagged With potential trigger - traumatic past

Word Count: Click here to reveal50000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: One dominant Marine. One troubled rugby player. The Sin Bin will never be the same. Gray Baird’s to-do list for the year includes starting a restaurant, claiming his submissive, and keeping his nosy friends out of his business. He has his work seriously cut out for him. Scottie Monk prides himself on bullying his way through problems—and sometimes even people. His life is spiralling out of his control, but he refuses to break. The last thing he expects is to find peace in the confines of submission. One man will try to tame a lion. One man will try to heal. And both men will have to join forces to deal with a toxic family and invasive paparazzi. The Lion Tamer is book six in Dahlia Donovan's international bestselling gay romance series, The Sin Bin. Each one features hot rugby players and the men who steal their hearts. ***It is recommended that readers have read at least The Royal Marine and The Unexpected Santa prior to reading The Lion Tamer

Word Count: Click here to reveal69,000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Gabe’s life changed in a heartbeat when his husband died in a plane crash, leaving him a widower and a single dad to their newborn daughter. Two years later, he’s finally ready to return to his work as an artist. When a bright, attractive college grad named Matthew presents himself as a live-in caretaker for Isabela, Gabe thinks he’s the perfect fit. Matthew is more than the solution to Gabe’s childcare problems. The two men soon fall into bed together, and Gabe wonders if Matthew was heaven-sent to create the insta-family of his dreams. But behind Matthew’s irresistible exterior lurks a desperate soul who could plunge Gabe into the greatest nightmare of his life. Romeo Preminger’s Guilty Pleasures Editions are a hardcore thrill ride with sex, murder, mayhem, and high stakes drama.

Word Count: Information not available

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

Summary: Even love can die without trust. Angel’s brother, Isaac, has returned home, and the pair begins to make slow and awkward attempts back to each other. Learning how to be a brother to a grown man instead of a parental figure has Angel adjusting his behaviors and habits, and Isaac still remains a mystery. Was it merely entering adulthood that turned Isaac away from an overprotective Angel, or does Isaac carry a secret that will keep them from finally being a real family? Daniel Macavoy, Angel’s new apprentice, is torn between his bond with Angel and the grasping machinations of his father. Dealing with a traumatized apprentice with dangerous holes in his magical education, saving Daniel may be harder than Angel first thought—especially since the biggest problem is not revenge, but guilt. The one shining beacon in his life is Simeon, Elder vampire of Boston’s only Bloodclan. Four hundred years old and sexy as sin, Simeon is warrior and sage, patient and cunning. The strength Angel draws from Simeon’s devotion and the newborn mate-bond between them is steadfast and true…and the fount of death magic that animates the undead lord places Angel in the midst of a power struggle for control over himself, his lover, and his family. Through it all, Angel is beleaguered by the unwanted attention of a troll-hybrid, the adventures of a dragon in the city, and a serial killer has decided to hunt the back alleys and midnight streets of Boston. **72k words. Contains bonus short story at the end, "The Necromancer's Birthday Surprise", written for Crystal's Many Reviewers, March 2016. Book TWO in a series. Not standalone. **Contains male/male sexual content. Violence, gore, sex, vampires. A cute dragon and some snark. Okay, lots of snark.

Word Count: Click here to reveal85000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Every action has consequences. For a decade, Angel Salvatore has been the most powerful sorcerer and only necromancer in all the Northeast. Never one to ask permission nor apologies, he has acted with near impunity for years. Until now. The High Council of Sorcery has come to Boston, and Angel is their target. Charged with numerous violations of practitioner laws, his freedom and family are placed in jeopardy. If found guilty, Angel's apprentice Daniel will be imprisoned to serve out the remaining years of his apprenticeship. Isaac, his brother, is too vulnerable to be left unguarded, and Angel fears for his sanity and health. And Simeon, Elder vampire and Angel's mate refuses to see Angel convicted under the laws of the Council and his actions to keep Angel free threaten to start a war that could destroy their world. And Angel faces the severest of punishments—the castration of his gifts. The Council has never cared for the people of Boston, and Angel doubts their motives. They have come for some insidious reason, and it has nothing to do with upholding the law and everything to do with Angel. Dealing with an impending trial, a wayward ghost, and a graverobbing ring of thieves leaves Angel on the edge. He thinks he may have a handle on things until violence erupts across the city, and a stranger comes to town...a stranger with his own dark powers of necromancy. This is book 3 of a series, and the previous books should be read first for full enjoyment. Trigger Warnings are on the Copyright Page and can be seen using the Look Inside feature or by downloading a sample of this book. 85,000 words 340 pages Gay Urban Fantasy Romance

Word Count: Click here to reveal46000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Ario six-four-nine-one is an obsolete synth gigolo—especially when his latest trick proves to be his last in a brutal and horrifying way. But he's only a synth, it's not like he can really think and feel. No one will notice one more out of date synth tossed in the garbage. Except for Elias, homeless and lonely because he's not what his father—or the world—wants him to be, haunted by a tragedy for which he cannot forgive himself. When he finds a battered, broken, long-discontinued synth in a dumpster, he decides to repair the poor thing despite all the reasons he shouldn't. Then all those reasons come crashing down, and in order to save each other from a world that doesn't want either of them, Elias and Ario will have to sacrifice everything they hold dear: freedom, safety, and even themselves. Warning: contains graphic depictions of violence and sexual violence.

Word Count: Click here to reveal30500 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Leaving his life in New York City behind, 33 year old Ira Hughes has moved back into his childhood home to help care for his ailing father. His overbearing mother quickly guilts him into looking after her interests in the family curio shop. That means dealing with her business partner Colton McCabe, the bully who made Ira's teen years a living hell. Ira is now forced to confront painful memories from his past. As he watches his father fight for his life, and his relationship with his mother become even more strained, he begins to find unexpected comfort in his time with Colton. Could it be that Colton is not the high school horror he used to be? Is the bane of his youth now becoming the love of his life?

Word Count: Click here to reveal96000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Robert is a pet, a human pleasure slave, and well past his prime. So when teenage Duke Thomar of Aylian buys him via mail order, Robert first suspects a dreadful misunderstanding. The duke is young, handsome and headstrong, and the very last thing he needs while struggling to secure his reign over his planet is an aging bargain bin pet by his side. Only, the more time Robert spends with Thomar, the more he learns that the young duke rarely makes mistakes. Unless, of course, Thomar dashes off on one of his mad adventures, which Robert increasingly becomes a part of… ‘The Pet and his Duke’ is a standalone m/m romance novel in the ‘Virasana Empire’ universe. Written by Rainbow Book Award winners Beryll and Osiris Brackhaus, it is a story of self-determination and love, and Happily-Ever-Afters in the most unlikely places. Warning: contains slavery, non-con and lots of fluff.

Word Count: Information not available

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

Summary: Harper, lead singer of glam rock sensation The Rade, knows his face, his body, and his voice are beautiful---so what if he secretly suspects he's an unlovable mess? He and his bandmates escaped a tortured existence in Fairyland years ago, and now they use their glamour and style to delight mortals instead of enthralling them. They love what they do, so when another band starts talking trash on their authenticity, Harper has to clap back. Beck O'Leary, lead singer of hard rock outfit Fireborn, has three platinum albums and the perfect life, and he's miserable. His bandmates are a joke, his family is held together with emotional duct tape, and his writing is, for the first time in his life, uninspired. He starts trash talking The Rade out of a petty grudge, but then keeps doing it for the thrill he gets from Harper's livestreamed reactions. And hates himself for both. When the two front men finally meet, they can’t deny their physical attraction. Sparks fly after a charity football game, but fan gossip takes a dark turn. Between Beck's disintegrating life and Harper's secret Fae existence, there's a lot to handle if they want to hang onto the magic they've found in each other. Or maybe two lead singers in one relationship is just too much?

Word Count: Click here to reveal220000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary:

Powerful vampire, Rose Foster, and her girlfriend, Kara Unnarsdóttir, take refuge in a hidden kingdom of vampires, as war breaks out between vampires and humans. Rose is shocked to find that even though she doesn’t know them, the vampires of this kingdom know her. Not only that, but they’re prepared to follow her into battle. Yet, they refuse to tell her why.

World war rages on in their absence, threatening the extinction of both species. Rose soon realizes that, even though she doesn’t want power, if she wants to prevent genocide, she’ll have to take her place as a Commander of Power.

But when Kara uncovers a terrifying piece of information about Rose, she must decide, once and for all, if her loyalty to the woman she loves is strong enough to withstand even the end of the world. Or if it’s time to do what she does best: betrayal.

In this final installment of the Creatures of Darkness series, the Eklektos will either save the world or destroy it.

Word Count: Information not available

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

Summary: “The Emperor cares for each and every one of his subjects.” An out-of-control psion is killing innocents on idyllic Shiraz. On their first outing together as Knight and Squire, Yaden and Ivan are sent to neutralise the threat. But that threat turns out to be a little girl on the run from the Psions Guild, fighting for her life. Naturally, their mission objective changes from ‘neutralise’ to ‘protect at all costs’. While Yaden tries to figure out exactly what and who they are up against, Colin has to find a bigger home for his growing family even as a powerful, traumatised girl is dropped into his care. Is it just one rogue psion who wants her dead, or is it the entire guild they are up against? In their own way, both Colin and Yaden will have to face powerful guild psions to ensure that their little family survives. ‘The Renegade Psion’ is a planet-hopping mystery adventure, a found family celebration and book 3 of the Virasana Empire: Sir Yaden series.

Word Count: Click here to reveal160000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Levi Harris has never had a reason to stay on the straight and narrow. Nothing he does is ever good enough for his family, his teachers, his bosses, his drill instructors. He can’t do anything right, so why bother trying? Then he gets caught breaking and entering, and now he’s bound for prison. Or is he? Austin Caldwell isn’t thrilled about being burglarized, but when he finds himself face to face with the intruder, he sees himself in those terrified eyes. He knows more than most how much prison chews people up and spits them out. Maybe, just maybe, he can save Levi from that fate. It starts as an arrangement for Levi to work off his debt to Austin. As trust grows between them, so does an undeniable attraction. Especially as Austin begins to see untapped desires in Levi, and he begins to unlock a whole new world of sensuality for his submissive protégé. Levi’s in heaven. He’s finally wanted. He finally belongs. For the first time in his life, he has something to lose. All he has to do is stay out of trouble. And hope trouble doesn’t find him. The Right to Remain is a 150,000+ word standalone contemporary gay romance with a guaranteed happy ending. CW: criminal activity, brief mentions of past death of a child, brief mention of past suicide, incarceration.

Word Count: Click here to reveal64000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Stefan Holt left home at nineteen, guitar in hand, determined that couch-surfing would be better than staying with his mother. He finally lands with Megan, an old band-mate, and they decide to resurrect their rock n’ roll dreams to get them out of their opioid-riddled small town. Unfortunately, neither of them is much of a lyricist. Han Westfall works at the local library, where he lives to rec poetry to the handsome, mysterious guy who brings in his guitar and stays all day. Han writes lines of his own, and when Stefan finally asks to see them, their musical chemistry clicks—and it brings them closer, faster than either of them imagined possible. They name their new band Virginie, ostensibly in honor of their Appalachian roots. They’ll have to work through band in-fighting, revenge porn, homophobic taunts, family addictions, parental drama, and their own inner demons to make things work, both in love and in music. But if they can make it, maybe they won’t just get out of town. Maybe they’ll rise up and take everyone with them.

Word Count: Click here to reveal40000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Struck by amnesia after a car crash, Brian Stouten has been living a life laid out by his family, a heterosexual life that just doesn’t fit. When he learns it was all a lie, he returns to the small college town that’s his only clue to his past. But the town is still unfamiliar, and the man he’d hoped would make all his memories return is on a honeymoon with another man. To add insult to injury, everyone thinks Brian died in the crash. It’s only when an out-of-place cowboy asks to bum a smoke that Brian realizes this trip was meant to be. Sylvester Thomas has always fought a secret desire, and done it successfully. But when geeky Brian offers him a smoke and a light, a simple brush of hands has Sylvester’s hidden passions burning deep. Did he make a mistake letting Brian walk away?

Word Count: Click here to reveal74000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: After losing his memory in the accident that killed his parents, Jack retires to a remote cabin with his aunt to recuperate. Here he meets Ciarrai, a gender-bending, androgynous beauty who captivates Jack and terrifies him at the same time. Ciarrei turns up on dates wearing a skirt and pretends to be his own twin sister. Ciarrai who likes to be naked and is utterly shameless. Ciarrai who is more damaged than Jack could know. When When Ciarrai's past catches up with him, a past that drove him to the brink of suicide on more than one occasion, Cierrai disappears without a word, trying to save Jack from his own fate, something for which Jack cannot forgive him. An accident brings them together, and something which is definitely not an accident almost separates them in the most final of ways. Can their love survive? Can they survive?

Word Count: Information not available

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

Summary: As a Certified Mental Health Therapist, Scott Reid has his share of interesting experiences, though nothing compares with the time he spends with the psychic, Alex Elson. Plagued by terrifying images and dreams, Alex turns to Doctor Reid in the hopes of learning to control his visions. Instead, Scott is pulled into Alex’s world, where dreams and reality mix and nightmares are real. Two young men, brothers, have been abducted from the lake outside of Oakton without a trace of who took them. That is, until Alex receives a silver pocket watch in the mail belonging to the elder brother, a taunt from the kidnapper for Alex to come find them. Alex’s visions turn at once into nightmares. Images flash in his mind of an abandoned well and a terrified, lonely boy slowly dying at the bottom. The shed looms close by, holding a horrifying secret, a dark place Alex’s frightened mind refuses to go. With the help of Scott Reid, Alex endeavors to control his visions and find he brutalized victims before death claims them. But the watch is ticking away and time’s running out

Word Count: Click here to reveal52000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Rescued from slavers, healer novice Jaime Buchanan finds himself alone and free in Pyrderi, a kingdom of magic, mythical creatures, and a culture as open and kind as his homeland was cruel and close-minded. Despite his rescue, Jaime is not left without scars, both mental and physical. Traumatized by his experience and hiding his gift, Jaime struggles to earn his place in the kitchens of Angharad Palace, the heart of Taliesin City. His former life as a student of the healing arts leaves him at a disadvantage in the kitchens, and his damaged state is becoming more apparent by the day. One day, when necessity and fate intervene, Jaime meets someone unexpected—Prince Maxim, youngest son of the Pyrderian king, a sword master and a devastatingly kind man. Unaccustomed to powerful people with compassion and heart, Jaime flees. A cascade of events reveals Jaime’s hidden talents of healing, and he finds himself not in chains, but at the beginning of a new life. This swift change of fortune opens Jaime up to new possibilities, including a smitten prince who cautiously courts Jaime, easing him away from his fears and reminding him that compassion and love can make him strong. The winter solstice is quickly approaching, and Prince Maxim shows Jaime the enjoyment and excitement to be found in a land that embraces the ice and cold, and the mysteries of all things magical. He learns to see the man under the royal mantle, and Maxim is more than even Jaime suspected. The winter solstice is nigh when tragedy strikes, and Jaime learns that his past of grief and sorrow can be a pillar of strength for his solstice prince. If there is one thing that Jaime believes above all else, it is in the healing power of love. 51,835 words, 182 pages Gay Epic Fantasy Romance

Word Count: Click here to reveal80000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: In a wicked game, the God of Love falls to his own arrow, and a gentle scholar learns how dangerous knowledge can be. Aphrodite has had it. It was bad enough that her son Eros walked a fashion show in drag, but did he really have to show the entire world his wings? Desperate to rein in the impulsive young god, she recruits the scholarly muse Rees to lure him back to Olympus until the scandal dies down. After hundreds of years, Eros has finally located the reincarnation of his former love, Psyche. The only way to her heart is through fame, so the God of Love plans a daring campaign to win her back. Yet the closer he gets to Psyche, the more he’s drawn to a geeky young professor who came crashing into his life. Eros drags Rees into his wicked world of high fashion and risqué parties, only to expose him to danger from an unexpected source. When Rees’ secrets come out, they threaten to destroy Eros’ love for him. Yet when Rees is kidnapped, Eros is forced to turn to the woman who set this catastrophe in motion—his mother, Aphrodite. Book #1 in the Aphrodite Project series

Word Count: Click here to reveal200000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary:

Rose Foster is just starting adjust to life as a vampire when a series of highly publicized murders throws the world into chaos. Rose and her friends must intervene, if they want to prevent the imminent war between vampires and humans.

But when they realize that the woman behind these murders is Alana—a vampire they believed to be long dead—intervening becomes complicated. Alana is as powerful as she is seductive. She is a master of manipulation and the queen of mind games. She craves vengeance, and she doesn’t care if she has to tear the world apart to get it. And now, she has an army.

Outnumbered and overpowered, Rose accepts help from a cunning and skilled warrior by the name of Kara Unnarsdóttir. Kara is the second-in-command of the largest vampire colony in the world—the Tomb of Blood—and she offers to help Rose infiltrate the Tomb of Blood and forge an alliance with Aaron, the most ancient vampire known to exist. There’s just one problem: Kara is Alana’s lover, and Aaron is the last person in the world that should ever be trusted. No one knows who will betray whom, only that betrayal is inevitable.

Word Count: Click here to reveal80000 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Information not available

Summary: It’s been months since Seth Byrne’s boyfriend ghosted him. Seth is still angry, but he’s worried too, because when Andrew Keller disappeared, he completely disappeared. Disconnected phone. Empty apartment. Abrupt departure from his job. Gone. Until tonight. Just as Seth is beginning to move on, Andrew shows up at his door with a story so wild it has to be fake… except he’s armed with a stack of evidence proving he’s telling the truth. And the truth is that everything Seth knew about Andrew is a lie. Detective Brandon Gaines was supposed to be Andrew Keller for the rest of his life. After being marked for death by the white supremacist cops he tried to bring down, he was put into witness protection. When a chain of events returns him to his old identity, Brandon doesn’t know who he is anymore. Now he’s caught between two identities that don’t fit, and nothing in his world makes sense… except the way he feels about the man he left behind. Is it even possible to rekindle their relationship when Seth knows nothing about Brandon? He understands why Brandon had to lie, but that doesn’t change the fact that the man in front of him is a stranger. Where do they even start? But as they struggle to bridge the gap between them, they may have much bigger problems. Because there are people who do know who Brandon is. And they haven’t forgotten why they drove him into witness protection in the first place. The Truth in My Lies is a standalone gay romantic suspense novel.

Word Count: Click here to reveal18401 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: M/M erotica wrapped in mystery Is this the end, or merely the beginning? It’s Hogmanay… New Year’s Eve in Scotland, 2014. A chance assignment finds Thomas and Burns in a medieval castle in Stirling, on a perilous hunt for a suspected bomber. Burns’ final secret may be revealed in the resolution of this case. What happens when two unusual sleuths follow their own private mystery to its astonishing conclusion?