Books Tagged With what - condition - mental illness

Word Count: Click here to reveal24000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: A HISTORY OF TROUBLE A Beacon Hill Sorcerer Collection A collection of brand-new short stories, featuring characters from The Beacon Hill Sorcerer Series by bestselling author SJ Himes. Red Wine and Blood The Blood Wars raged for centuries across Boston. Witness a brief glimpse into the brutal history of the Wars with Ignacio Salvatore and the vampire he loves, Ashwin Metcalfe, in 1897. A History of Trouble Angel was joking when he asked O'Malley if someone resurrected a mammoth. Little did he know that was exactly what someone did. Experience the untold story of what happened that unfortunate night at the Boston Public Museum. A Dragon in the City What happens when Eroch goes adventuring in Beacon Hill without Angel? Chaos, pure chaos. Fae's Gold Daniel is helping the newly-resurrected fae Ruairi Brennan become accustomed to modern-day living. A boring trip to the bank quickly escalates, and Daniel calls Angel for help. The day goes downhill from there but ends in a comfy meal in a pub for an ancient fae warrior and a necromancer's apprentice. This is an collection, featuring vignettes and short stories from the universe of The Beacon Hill Sorcerer series. For full enjoyment, the Beacon Hill Sorcerer Series Books 1 through 3 should be read before reading this collection.

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 reveal45,000 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Information not available

Summary: A Dom learns to love while Scotland Yard claims his time and a sociopath lays a trap for his sub. This is book 2 Vasquez Inc, a spinoff series from the popular Vasquez and James series. Jackie Vasquez knows he needs to submit to a Dom he can trust—just as much as he needs to manage his own life. He found the right Dom in Brian Harrison, and then romance beckoned them both beyond bindings and safewords. They take the first steps toward a life together in London, where Brian is pursuing his dream career at Scotland Yard, and Jackie is working toward a master’s degree. Their private hours deep in the night brim with both heat and beauty as Brian’s artful vision for bondage makes a masterwork out of Jackie, body and soul. But time together becomes scarce as a series of horrific gaslight crimes keeps Brian at work and out of reach for Jackie much of the time. Though Jackie is faithful, he isn’t the type to sit and wait for his lover’s attentions. His self-assured ways and his geocaching hobby lead him to a dangerous discovery—all is not as it seems at the University. Trapped in the Gaslighter’s web, he’ll need to use every trick he knows to stay calm and buy time. But will Brian unravel the knot of mystery in time to save the man he loves?

Word Count: Click here to reveal45,000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Gay American Dom with a fabulous sub juggles romance and bondage with Scotland Yard police work. Book 1 in the the Vasquez Inc series, spinoff from Vasquez and James. When Brian Harrison first met Jackie Vasquez at a Hawaiian wedding, Jackie was sixteen and troubled. Six years later they meet again; Brian’s career at Scotland Yard is budding with promise, while Jackie’s student days at the University of Nebraska are rolling toward a strong finish. Magnetic mutual attraction pulls them insistently toward one another, but the ocean separating their lives makes for a simmering romance. When the waiting ends and they get together for a weekend in Denver, Dom Brian and sub Jackie both know they’ve tapped into something scalding hot, and much deeper than sharing an artful session. Shibari, lust, and love are all on the agenda -- but for Brian, so is his police career, and a strange series of crimes seems poised to threaten their romance -- and maybe their lives.

Word Count: Click here to reveal51000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary:

Can a night of passion lead to a happily ever after?

Yakuza captain Hayato’s life is a mess. His boyfriend broke up with him, changed the locks, and kept all his stuff. He can’t crash at his brother’s because his girlfriend is moving in. And just when Hayato thinks things can’t get worse, he accidentally gets blackout drunk and wakes up in the arms of a clingy underling.

Masuo believes he and his boss made a deep connection, but when he’s blown off the next morning, he feels lied to. Assigned to run a failing pachinko parlor, Masuo is determined to turn it around to prove himself to everyone…especially his sexy superior.

When Hayato realizes he’s falling for the young parlor manager, he is more than ready for fun. But as Hayato’s tragic past comes back to haunt him, Masuo wonders if he’s ready to carry all Hayato’s baggage.

Can the unlikely pair learn to accept each other and find their way to happiness even while new challenges arise, or is their love destined to fall like balls through a pachinko machine?

Buy Addicted to Lust to find love in crime today!

Word Count: Click here to reveal149,000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: The star of the University of Virginia theater department, Aidan Emery is lusted after and admired for living out and proud. He uses his talent and good looks to his advantage and never sleeps with the same guy twice. But his glamorous patina has been carefully honed to hide the pain he carries inside. Aidan wasn't always such a player. He starts college naively romantic, hungry for the attention he can’t get from his workaholic father and mentally ill mother. Unfortunately, that leaves him ripe pickings for predatory professor Rodney Montgomery. Rodney’s flattering regard seduces Aidan into a dysfunctional relationship that destroys his innocence. Life looks up for Aidan when he finally breaks free of Rodney’s pull and moves to New York City to make it as an actor. Meeting sweet fellow actor Patrick Jaymes seems like the start of a fairy tale. But before Aidan can rebuild his life into happily ever after, family secrets rip him wide open, leaving him easy prey when Rodney decides he’s not willing to let Aidan go.

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 reveal50000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Ramsey has enough problems without a little vampire ninja biting him without even a hello first. All Ramsey Somerset wants is for things to remain peaceful. With an impending battle looming over him and the everyday problems of running a clan, his hands are too full for a mate. When he meets Fane, things go from bad to worse. It has taken Ramsey years to gain control of his water monster, but all that goes out the window with Fane. He can’t be Alpha and so instinctive toward Fane at the same time. He has to make a choice, either his clan or his mate.

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

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

Summary: Sonny Lakes is as lost as a person can be. After being discharged from the US Army following a traumatic event, he’s sent home, where unbearable nightmares and deep despair lead him to attempt to take his own life, a choice that puts him on the path to a new home in a new town where no one knows him. But as Sonny tries to settle in, mysterious vandalism and harassment begin to take over his life, destroying the anonymity he craves. Abe Ellis has lived his whole life in Sweetshade, Texas, and that kind of loyalty lends itself well to being a small-town cop. His quiet life changes when a handsome newcomer moves into town and unlikely events begin to unfold. As Abe and his partner Nate begin looking into the crimes, Nate grows increasingly suspicious of the stranger with no history, no enemies, and few friends, to whom Abe is so drawn. Can Sonny’s faith in himself be restored in time to find the love and stability he seeks? Can Abe count on his instincts and trust the young man with his safety and his heart? Sweetshade is a small town, as calm and inviting as the name suggests. But even places like that can hide sinister secrets and dangerous threats. Warning: PTSD, suicide attempt

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: Click here to reveal20,600 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Fashion stylist, Montgomery ‘Monty’ Ravenscroft, contemplates his life and career as he approaches forty. A friend introduces him to a dazzling designer with an anxiety complex that prevents him from socializing and promoting his dreamy creations. Younger and gorgeous, Dillen Ashbridge creates dreams and masterpieces in cloth, but no one knows him. Monty decides to invest his time in Dillen. He asks an actress to walk in one of Dillen’s gowns on the red carpet and helps Dillen create a runway collection for New York Fashion Week. He never expects he’ll also invest his heart.

Word Count: Click here to reveal103,507 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: A love worth the wait. When Riley Porter-Wright comes out as bisexual and confesses his feelings for Carter Hamilton, it severs their friendship. Carter’s rejection forces Riley to move on and he’s shocked to learn Carter’s marriage has fallen apart. Overwhelmed by his failure as a husband and father, Carter misses Riley, but feels guilty for disappearing after Riley’s coming out. After Riley extends an olive branch, the former friends agree to repair their relationship. Slowly, Carter pieces together a new life, admits his attraction to men and confesses his feelings for Riley. Leery of Carter’s initial rejection, Riley turns his focus to a new man, Will Martin. Disappointed, Carter fosters new friendships with men like Jesse Murtagh and Kyle McKee, while also navigating new waters with his ex-wife, Kate, as their children learn their parents are dating other people. As they rebuild their friendship, both Carter and Riley draw strength from each other, hoping the choices they’ve made are for the best. Wake, the prequel to Calm, was published in May, 2017.

Word Count: Click here to reveal97000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: A night of passion with a Cat Shifter escort becomes everything for a man with poor self-esteem. To mend his broken heart, Seth purchases a date with a Cat Shifter Escort. The sex was so amazing, it let him forget his pain. Seth never expected to see him again. Nao couldn’t forget the client who’d cried in his arms, so destroyed from love gone wrong. He wanted nothing more than to help the beautiful, broken man. Their night was supposed to be a onetime thing, but six months later, everything changed when they met again.

Word Count: Click here to reveal18700 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: The previous winter, Leon followed his twin sister Sara to a new town where she could be with her partner, Amber. There, Leon’s boyfriend Nick, friends Jeff and Daniel, and their nine-year-old daughter Abby, swiftly swept him up into their lives, a newfound family. After a year of growing their relationship, Leon is ready to take it to the next level. Nick, however, has been stalling. When Ben, Abby’s best friend, is suddenly abandoned, Leon is excited to finally care for the children he’s always wanted. Haunted by the mistakes of his past, Nick attempts to reconcile his feelings of inadequacy as a parent with Leon’s wishes. Against the backdrop of winter holidays filled with traditions from around the world, it is up to Leon to decide if he’s willing to stand by Nick, or if he should find his happiness elsewhere. Catch a Falling Snowflake, the fourth story in the Snow Globes holiday series, can be read as a stand-alone, but greater enjoyment will come with reading about these characters in the order written.

Word Count: Click here to reveal34679 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Cory’s had a rough year struggling with severe depression. He’s desperate to rebuild his shattered life and break away from his demanding family. When his therapist encourages him to do something for himself, he knows exactly what he needs. I want to see Asher again. The best friend Corey ever had who, at fifteen, held Cory’s heart in his hands without knowing it. Asher’s had a troubled relationship with his father since he came out. Now that Pops is sick, he’s fighting for his right to help or even find out about his father’s health. Then there’s the complication of an ex-boyfriend unwilling to let go. When Cory and Asher meet again after sixteen years, Cory’s feelings are as strong as ever. But does Asher feel the same?

Word Count: Click here to reveal83000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Ghost wards are failing. Mediums are vanishing. Someone—or something—is stirring up the ghosts of Toronto. It’s up to psychic medium Harlan Brand to find out why. After defeating a serial killer who could control ghosts, psychic medium Harlan Brand is feeling much more confident in his abilities working for the Toronto Police Service with his partner, Hamilton, as they protect the city from dangerous spirits. He is expanding his social circle, however reluctantly, to include the other police mediums and Morgan Vermeer, another graduate from the Centre—a school for training psychic children. Harlan and his boyfriend, Charles Moore, are continuing to explore BDSM, their relationship and Charles’ strange ability to shield people from ghosts. Hoping to find answers about Charles’ power and the serial killer, Harlan returns to the Centre only to find that one of its ghost wards—magical symbols that spirits can’t cross—is broken, and it’s a mystery as to how and why. The calm and order that Harlan has been building up in his life are shattered when wards start failing across the city and mediums begin to disappear, including one of his new friends and a student from the Centre. Someone—or something—is stirring up the ghosts of Toronto.   Reader advisory: This book contains scenes of violence and murder. It is best read as part of a series.

Word Count: Information not available

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

Summary: When a special assignment brings two men together, they become a target for a man with a grudge. Can they find the danger before it’s too late? Claxton My Commander made me the Rookie Wrangler. Well, one rookie, but that was more than enough. Trey Callaghan was the newest member of the Winston Harbor S.W.A.T. Unit and I was in charge of getting him settled in. That had been the plan until a nightmare from my past reappeared, and he had his focus directed on Trey. I'd protect the man by any means necessary. Trey Making the S.W.A.T. Unit was my dream assignment. I'd fought hard for the chance, and I'd do anything to keep it. At least, that’s what I'd thought until Lieutenant Sean Claxton. Being assigned as the sexy, older man’s partner hadn't been in my plans. When a threat to Claxton puts a target on my back, would I survive? When two men are cut off from traditional help, how far will they go to protect each other?

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.)