Books Tagged With what - topic - friendship

Word Count: Click here to reveal92000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Banyak & Fecks is a prequel to The Clearwater Mystery series of romantic gay novels. However, it is not a mystery. It is a story of how a Ukrainian refugee and the son of an Irish immigrant come to meet in the East End of London in 1884. It is a story about friendship. 1881. Andrej’s family are dead or missing, and his village in Ukraine decimated. Aged thirteen, he walks west to find a boat to take him to London. Three years later, homeless, starving and having resorted to prostitution, he finds safe passage and arrives in London alone but determined. 1884. Silas’ mother has died, leaving him to fend for his twin sisters in the hellish world of the Westerpool slums. Silas only knows the work of a thief and trickster and at sixteen, heads to London to make his money. What he finds is poverty, starvation and the Greychurch workhouse. About to give up, he encounters a giant Ukrainian, proud, handsome, and renting his body in the alleys of the East End. Silas (Banyak) and Andrej (Fecks) make an unlikely pair, but their friendship is all they need to survive life in London’s notorious East End. When disaster robs them of their home, they have no choice but to live rough and work the streets. Lodging houses, rope houses, arrest, violence and prostitution, they face it together. But when the Ripper starts slaughtering Greychurch rent boys, Banyak and Fecks have only their friendship to ensure their survival.

"A colourful and enchanting tale. Beautifully written. Marsh does an excellent job of evoking the look and feel of a different age."

Olivier Bosman author of the DS Billings Victorian Mysteries

Word Count: Click here to reveal30000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Welcome to Bear Essentials, where caring for the outside of you from head to toe is our specialty. ​Basil Paddington is living his dream. He's built from the ground up a safe space for anyone to get the services they need to feel beautiful. He's very proud of the work he's done and the life he's built. He has a successful business, friends, and a lovely cat named Arnold. What more could he possibly need? Basil gave up long ago on finding love, much less someone who accepted who he was sexually. He has his kinks and a very healthy sex life, in his opinion. Little does he know that there is someone right under his nose that's perfect for him. While Bear Essentials specializes in making the outside beautiful to each client's own eye, it's below the surface where we find the most surprises. ​Bear Essentials is a new series set in the same town as Kink Files. Join us as we follow the folks who work at Bear Essentials as they find love and their Happily Ever After. ​ Attention: This book contains explicit sexual content between consenting adults. There are depictions of sounding, needle play, and fuck machines. ​

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 reveal97,046 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Love, served behind the stick. Kyle McKee lives a charmed life. He co-owns Under, an uptown speakeasy, where he is chief mixologist. Friends poke fun at Kyle’s tiny one-bed apartment in Chelsea, but they’re the best support system a man could ask for. Unfortunately, Kyle’s lackluster love life has led him to take a break from dating. Harlem resident Luka Clarke is a lieutenant with Engine 47, the Pride of Morningside, where he carries on his father’s legacy with the FDNY. Luka, who is mixed race and bisexual, has his eye on Kyle, whom he met at a local burger joint and he just needs to make time to visit Kyle’s bar. Before work one evening, Kyle is trapped inside the luncheonette when a fire breaks out. Luka’s firehouse answers the call and he connects with Kyle again under the most unexpected of circumstances. When Kyle gratefully invites Luka and the firehouse squad to Under, the flirting between the two men leads to a date. Kyle and Luka quickly grow close, but Luka’s mother and sister distrust Kyle for being both white and gay. Luka believes his family will come around and accept Kyle in the end, but Kyle is not optimistic and hides his disquiet as attraction blossoms into love. Kyle and Luka’s near-idyllic bubble is shattered one evening after a hate crime leaves them scarred, inside and out. Shaken, they put on a strong front but struggle inwardly against fear and personal demons. As the emotions seething beneath the surface finally come to a head, both men must decide if they have the strength to find love enough to conquer hate.

Word Count: Click here to reveal105000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: A Lambda Literary Awards Finalist for Bisexual Fiction (2019) London, 1906 Lucien Saxby is a journalist, writing for the society pages. The Honourable Aubrey Fanshawe, second son of an earl, is Society. They have nothing in common, until a casual encounter leads to a crisis. Aubrey isn’t looking for love. He already has it, in his long-term clandestine relationship with Lord and Lady Hernedale. And Lucien is the last man Aubrey should want. He’s a commoner, raised in service, socially unacceptable. Worse, he writes for a disreputable, gossip-hungry newspaper. Aubrey can’t afford to trust him when arrest and disgrace are just a breath away. Lucien doesn’t trust nobs. Painful experience has taught him that working people simply don’t count to them. Years ago, he turned his back on a life of luxury so his future wouldn’t depend on an aristocrat’s whim. Now, thanks to Aubrey, he’s becoming entangled in the risky affairs of the upper classes, antagonising people who could destroy him with a word. Aubrey and Lucien have too much to hide—and too much between them to ignore. Rejecting the strict rules and closed doors of Edwardian society might lead them both to ruin… but happiness and integrity alike demand it.

Word Count: Click here to reveal93,000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Following an accident, a schoolboy and a tattooed Romanian find themselves unexpected guests at Clearwater's country house, Larkspur Hall. But what if their presence is no accident? What if Mr Smith is Protectori, a member of an ancient order of assassins bent on destroying anyone who sullies the name of the Szekely people of Transylvania? And what do a runaway boy and an assassin have to do with Clearwater's famed Easter dinner party and its guest of honour, the actor, Henry Irving? Ancestral feuds, a pocket watch and a rare Romanian wine are seemingly random connections until Silas breaks into a London theatre, and James rescues a boy from drowning. Then, it's a race against time to prevent a hideous murder and Archer's ruin. Bitter Bloodline is a no-heat mystery that sees Archer's loyal servants become their own band of Protectori. The Clearwater Mysteries are best read in order.

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

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

Summary: The rings have been selected. The champagne placed on ice. The cake decorated. And the pre-wedding sex is off the charts... Lucas Vallois and Andrei Hadeon are finally ready to walk down the aisle. There’s just one small problem. A ghost from Lucas’s past shows up days before the wedding, desperate for help. Against his better judgement, Lucas and his best friend, Ashton Frost, plan a fast trip back to the one place they swore they’d never go: their hometown in Oklahoma. But the danger is worse than they expected. Now, they’re in a race to track down a killer, keep a young girl safe, and get Lucas back in time to say, “I do.”

Word Count: Click here to reveal48870 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: A wolf and a cougar—with all that keeps them apart, can they have a future together? In Haven, Montana, the shifters and their human allies are safe—for now. But that safety hinges on the town’s location remaining a secret, and it’s about to be compromised. Cougar shifter Travis Kuger spent the past several years alternating between craving revenge and wishing he could forget his painful past. Ever since the shifter-hating Knights blinded him and killed his family, Haven—and Sheriff Jack Ulger—have been Travis’s refuge. Travis and Jack know their friendship could be much more, but Jack is part of Haven’s ruling wolf shifter pack. If he takes a non-wolf mate, he could be banished forever. But when a knight infiltrates Haven, love becomes the least of their problems. Second Edition with updated and revised text.

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 reveal64500 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: The bull shifter, Ryan, and his human mate, Caleb, have made a good life together. Alongside Caleb’s mother, Mandy, they run an animal rehabilitation center on their ranch. Ryan has become the honorary uncle to two young bull shifters, and Caleb is proud at how well his mate has acclimated to the human world. For Ryan, he’s found the family and the peace he’s long craved, and he’s determined to keep it by whatever means necessary. But their quiet lives are disrupted when Caleb’s aunt—Chief Hera of the US Agency—visits. And she brings a dire warning: the Knights of the Dawn want Ryan’s blood. After losing someone precious to them during a skirmish with the knights, Caleb spirals into grief, and Ryan must work through his guilt and sorrow to care for his mate. A task made easier when Hera stays with her nephews, sharing their heartache. After they retreat to Haven, Montana, they begin the long process of healing. Unfortunately, Haven is in a state of unrest, and they are sucked into shifter politics that threaten the safety of the community as a whole. Meanwhile, the knights still need Ryan’s blood, and he can’t hide forever. Note to readers: Caleb and Ryan first show up in Love is a Whirlwind. While many of these books can be read alone, for full enjoyment please read previous books in the series, as this one does have many cameos and character resolutions.

Word Count: Click here to reveal18,000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Will Simpson figures he’s the epitome of boring. He works in a cubicle, goes to the beach for vacation every year, and even the ex who only wanted sex once a week left him. So when he gets an invitation to spend a weekend at a B&B in Maine with a bunch of his old frat buddies, Will figures why not do something totally out of his comfort zone. He knows he might see Mitch again, but with enough guys around, it wouldn’t have to be awkward. Mitch Archer thinks a weekend with his old buddies might be fun, too, but when he gets to Maine, he surprised to find Will is the only one who made it. He’s also surprised to discover that the house itself is more than just a fun place to vacation in small-town New England. He’s always wondered what he and Will could have had together, so he grabs at the chance to test things out between them. He’s ready to explore, and he’s bound and determined to show Will how adventurous he can be. The matchmaker got a little nudge from an old friend on this one, and with the aid of forced proximity and a little inside information, he has put together their ultimate fantasy.

Word Count: Click here to reveal104,000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary:

Word Count: Click here to reveal42000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: What do you get when you mix a pro snowboarder with a music equipment salesman and his kid? --I don't know, but it's bound to be a good time. Griffin had no idea how hot Zane McDonnell was until he witnesses the famous sports stringer interview him. The snowboarder is charismatic and kind of adorable. When Griffin is encouraged to pursue the vibrant man, he decides to go for it—he needs adult fun in his life. Zane figured Griffin would be fast and fun -- exactly how he likes his lovers and his life. He was wrong. Griffin slips past his defenses faster than the downhill competition at the X-games. His friends might call him Big Mac, but inside he’s tiny and afraid. Despite that, he's tempted to stick around and see what happens, but the reality is nothing is permanent. Griffin's not about to let Zane take the easy way out. He can easily see Zane is making a rookie mistake. Will the snowboarder let himself fall for the solid father or will he blow his turn? Tags: sports romance, snowboarding & outdoor fun, music, single father, travel for work, merging lives.

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

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

Summary: In the world of covert operations, trust is paramount, yet I’ve been straying, fostering secret ties with the elusive “unicorn hacker,” challenging my loyalty to the ITU, my SICB family. No doubt about it, I’m going to be in deep shit when they find out—it’s only a matter of time. But when an investigation explodes, so does my world—and for the first time, I hear the hacker’s voice, magnetic and captivating, pulling me in deeper. I also finally get his name. Rowan Hart, a former agent and a tiger shifter with haunting scars. He becomes an unexpected hero, thrusting us into an alliance against Hornell, SICB’s prime target. Despite clashes with my team, we form an unstoppable duo, until a sudden attack fractures our team, leaving me changed beyond imagination. As I fight for survival, it takes both my unit and Rowan’s unwavering resolve to keep me alive. Amidst chaos, Rowan’s commitment becomes clear—he’ll move heaven and earth to grant me a second chance at life and, perhaps, with him. Brighter Than Fear is the third book in a gay urban fantasy romance series. Between the pages you’ll find high-octane action, snarky vampires and shifters, and scorching-hot scenes to make you swoon.

Word Count: Click here to reveal28000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Sibling rivalry and demons should never mix... Bryce has been many things in his nearly eight hundred years: lover to royalty, nightclub owner, and mentor to his younger brothers. And, most recently, lover to the nephilim named Rowan Courier. In all that time he has lived by the unwritten rules of the incubi in the human world, following human laws and keeping to his own territory. But not all of his siblings follow the rules. When a sister arrives in town and sets up her own club a little too close to his, he chooses to confront her, and he quickly discovers her transgressions go far beyond simply setting up shop in his territory. She's really working with the demon known as Leviathan. It's Bryce's past relationship with Rowan that drew Leviathan's attention, and now Rowan must do what he can to protect him. Having just learned that he has been passing on angelic powers to his previous partners, Rowan feels a sense of responsibility for Bryce's safety. Together with his partner, Marshall, and the Fallen angel who has been training them, Rowan heeds the call to help. They might just be Bryce's only hope, if they can manage not to be seduced before they can save him. The Angelic Blood Chronicles is a queer paranormal romance series that includes polyamorous arrangements, both new and established relationships, and a strong found family element.

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

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

Summary: Isaiah Cole escapes his everyday life as a schoolteacher by debating—and trash talking—online under a fake name. For the past four years, his internet persona has been getting closer and closer to another user. They’re friends, and there’s even a little flirtation now and then… but the guy doesn’t know Isaiah’s real name, and they’ve never seen each other’s faces. Until now. Of all the men who could be behind his friend’s avatar, Isaiah is stunned to learn he’s been chatting with Tanner Jeffries, a jaw-droppingly gorgeous forward from his favorite hockey team. As soon as they’re face-to-face, the chemistry is off the charts. They’re as inseparable in person as they are online, and their only regret is not doing this sooner. But eventually, the novelty is going to wear off. And when it does… How much can a broke, overweight average Joe actually offer a hot, rich, younger athlete? Burner Account is an approximately 80,000-word standalone M/M hockey romance. CW: discussions of school shootings/active shooter drills

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 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.