Books Tagged With when - season - winter

Word Count: Click here to reveal56000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: What the hell are you supposed to do when a cop old enough to be your father decides he owns your ass? I hate him. I hate what he did to me. I hate what he keeps doing to me. I hate everything about him. So why can't I stop thinking about him?

Word Count: Click here to reveal12,022 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Sequel to Watch with Glittering Eyes Life has been going well for Travis Grayweaver recently. The Grand Council of High Magick hasn’t summoned him for anything. For a witch without a Guild, he’s still getting plenty of work. And best of all, he’s spent the last six months falling more and more in love with his best friend Niko, a rambunctious and playful cat familiar, who happens to love him back. Tonight, they’ll be celebrating the Yule with lots of candlelight and a feast for two and a festival in town as they honor the start of winter and wait for the sun’s return. Only Niko’s been acting a bit off lately, obviously keeping something from Travis. Travis is trying to be patient with him, but this thing from Niko’s past might be more than he can handle. Old demons and long-kept secrets will be revealed, but can the love they have for one another endure these revelations during the longest night of the year?

Word Count: Click here to reveal108000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Fire. Water. Burn. In the two months since the All Hallows’ Eve party, Tally has courted Haru, buying expensive gifts, taking the two of them to upscale restaurants and trying to find a balance in earning Haru’s fragile trust while being new parents to the Cohen joeys. Tally sees hope in the new domesticity the family has settled into, despite having some bumps along the way. Gifts and treats have satisfied Haru’s otter, but the human half remembers the brutal lessons of giving their trust away. How can two lijun who barely know each other anticipate what will happen when times get tough? There are circumstances Tally doesn’t understand yet, and Haru struggles to find their feet with an Urusar who doesn’t know the rules. A revelation not only throws the tentative relationship between them askew, but also starts Tally and Haru down a path the two of them can’t escape, one so heart-wrenching Haru’s not sure their heart will survive. Traditionalist concerns that have always nipped at the Bastille clan’s heels come roaring to the forefront with demands and ultimatums. Tally needs to fall in line or face further threats to his otter, his family and his clan. Haru needs to find the strength to believe in the good despite the bad. In an environment where it’s vital to know ally from foe, Tally and Haru need to stand united or watch the community Tally’s family has built fall under the thumb of heartless, greedy autocrats.

Word Count: Click here to reveal111000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Now a Free novel in ebook: For a hidden shifter, falling in love with a man may be the death of them both. Simon Conley knows about being an outcast. Born into a secret werewolf pack, he’s the lone gay wolf, an outsider even among his packmates. The top wolves consider him a perversion, a failure, and a security risk. To survive in the human world, werewolves rely on absolute secrecy, and any breaches of their code are dealt with swiftly— and violently. So when Simon falls in love with Paul, a human man, even his Alpha's grudging tolerance won't protect him. He must keep Paul from discovering the truth about him and the secrets the pack jealously guards, or it’s not just their love that’ll end up dead. (re-released 2021 with light editing and the 1.15 short story included)

Word Count: Click here to reveal13084 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: The most wonderful time of the year is about to get even better. On a cold, rainy December morning, Finn’s beloved Grampa, his best friend and rock, makes a friend outside their home who he invites in for coffee. The last thing Finn expects is Nelson, a man with a painful past, who is beautiful and generous and turns Finn’s knees into jelly. What starts out as a chance to get out of the rain, soon becomes more as Nelson helps Finn get ready for the Christmas market. They bond over coffee and fabric and Mariah Carey. Can handmade Christmas ornaments and an understanding heart give Nelson the love he’s been denied?

Word Count: Click here to reveal118000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Life in foster care wasn’t easy. Life after prison? Unforgiving. But I’m determined to stay out of trouble, and I’m gaining a foothold on the closest I’ve ever known to normal. Then, thanks to a pair of escape artist dogs from the sanctuary where I’ve found work, I cross paths with my boss’s neighbor, Ty Adams. He’s a horse trainer, and winter is his quiet season. It’s also the season when he gets restless and lonely—two things I know all about. He’s not interested in love or romance. I’m just happy someone’s interested in me at all, even if emotions are strictly forbidden. When we’re not together, I’m thinking about him. When we are together… Well, I’m definitely thinking about what he does to me and what I want to do with him. As we keep each other warm through the Vermont winter, this feels a lot more than physical. Somehow he soothes my pain, and I wonder if I’m touching something deep inside him too. But Ty won’t let himself love anyone. I never had a chance. And now, with my past closing in, I could lose the one man I hoped I could count on. The one I thought might be different. When his present and my history collide, is it too much to hope he’ll choose me? CW: Sick horse and a minor accident involving a horse—no animal deaths or serious injuries/illnesses.

Word Count: Click here to reveal13527 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: All alone, caught in a blizzard—without a coat—on Christmas Day. Would you accept a ride from a huge guy looking like a serial killer? Daniel Erickson stormed out of his family celebration after choking on his turkey served with a side of bigotry. Utterly miserable, he reluctantly lets himself be charmed by the hulk of a man and gets into his car…hoping he won’t be ax murdered. Axel Wilson—Ax for short, unfortunately—is a sweetheart. Really. He may be badass-looking but his heart melts into goo at the mere mention of his four-year-old niece. Surely, he’s not dangerous? Thrown together by family drama, they spend the evening getting to know each other. Axel is nothing like Daniel expected. But it doesn’t matter that he loves poetry, is gentle and patient—and hot!—Daniel is absolutely not falling in love at first sight. There’s no such thing. Right…?

Word Count: Click here to reveal95,000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: "Death will come da capo, suddenly silent, and you will not hear your final applause. Fail us, and you die." Blackmail, a death threat and an opera. The Clearwater Foundation is to be launched with a charity gala at the City Opera House where Archer's old friend, Cadwell Roxton, is to star. But Roxton has a dark secret. He will be murdered during his performance unless he exposes Lord Clearwater's homosexuality. Archer's lover, Silas enlists the help of the new footman, James to unlock the mystery and save Roxton, the performance and the viscount's reputation — without raising suspicion. With only three days to go before the gala, it's a race against time that takes us from the notorious Cleaver Street brothel to the Royal Opera House and a thrilling climax with love, liberty and lives at stake. While in the background, enemies old and new plot Clearwater's ultimate downfall. Part three of the Clearwater Mysteries, 'Unspeakable Acts' follows on from 'Twisted Tracks.' The series is best read in order. "Another entertaining, well plotted, action-packed, triple mystery set in the imaginary, Victorian era of England 1888. Jackson Marsh has got me hooked!" Amazon review.

Word Count: Click here to reveal120000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: The story of Lars, Sven and the men of Asgard Felag continues: after the Rite of Purification something extraordinary happens and everyone’s life changes forever. Thanks to the help of a mysterious woman, whose nature will gradually reveal itself, the men will begin to set out on the path of their destiny to better discover themselves first of all, even if this means paying a high price, while she will start a different path and at the same time parallel to theirs to become fully herself. Magic, eroticism, mysticism, adventures and revelations alternate in a story where friendship, sex, brotherhood and love become indistinguishable in an ideal tension towards a future in which ancient fractures will be healed, to show humanity a common path in which we focus more on what unites rather than what divides.

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

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

Summary: Every assassin has an exit strategy – their ultimate plan for leaving that dangerous life and disappearing. They just never expect to live long enough to enact it. Gabriel Prescott was no different. But everything changed when he met fellow mercenary Justin Mallory. Now he’s racing across Europe with Justin to put to rest old threats before they can end both their lives. Of course, it will also mean coming clean to Justin about exactly who he is and who wants him dead. Gabriel can only hope that Justin will still want him when the truth comes out.

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

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

Summary: It’s not easy for Spenser Roland to admit it, but he needs help. Christmas is just a few days away, and he can’t face the idea of showing up to his family’s gathering alone … again. They want to see him happily settled, but Spenser doesn’t date. He can’t risk it if he wants to protect his family. But one unexpected night with Evan Scott has him thinking that maybe he can strike a deal that will make his family happy and give him a little holiday cheer as well. Evan never should have accepted a ride home from the sexy-as-hell corporate executive, but he’s proud that he stuck to his guns. He’s done with the one-night stand game. He wants something real. Something that lasts. But when Spenser returns, asking him to pose as his boyfriend over the weekend at a Christmas celebration, Evan is sure he’s lost his mind. But he can’t say no. Maybe it’s the shadow of loneliness in Spenser’s bright blue eyes that’s too much like his own. Or maybe it’s his heart-stopping smile. Either way, Evan knows he’s on thin ice with Spenser, risking his own rules and heart, but Spenser is worth the risk.

Word Count: Click here to reveal125,000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Bound by love, separated by a tragic mistake; can two Indigenous women realize their happy ending? Long ago, in an age of mysticism, Walks with Spirits, a two-spirit woman, perceives voices whispering on the wind and they empower her with the gift of calling animals. But who she truly wishes to call to her side is her childhood friend, Laughing Brook. Daughter of a shaman and an herbalist-midwife, Laughing Brook holds a prominent place in her society and bears the responsibilities it entails. She is training to be a healer like her mother, but her most compelling desire is to spend her life with Walks with Spirits. When a misunderstanding crushes their dreams of happiness, both women must learn to face the trials that await them in a land where danger lurks behind every tree and honor means more than life. Will the spirits intervene on their behalf, or are they fated never to manifest their visions of love? Walks with Spirits is a historical fantasy set in an ancient time. Packed with Native American themes, heart-touching imagery, and an epic love story, Walks with Spirits will immerse you in an inspiring view of life.

Word Count: Click here to reveal60474 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Each man must return—whether he wants to or not. Ireland and Britannia, 433 AD. Four warriors return to a place ten years burned into their past, along with a fifth wheel who seems to have no business at all running with the big dogs… The secret lovers Gristle and Wynn leave the relative safety of Derry in northern Ireland to seek a very bad man near the Wall of Hadrian, where both of them once led separate lives. Tristus, a priest-in-training, leaves the monastery of then-Bishop Patrick to help a brother who does not want his help. The high king’s wise man Dubthach joins them all, traveling to the land where he sired his only son and left in sorrow. And the fifth man? His name is Xan and he’s infatuated with the would-be monk. Nothing, even fear and deceit, can stop him from following the trail of a desirable man…

Word Count: Click here to reveal18000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Life hasn't been easy for Amir since he fled Iran after a brutal imprisonment. The trauma experienced at the hands of the guards left a dark spot on his soul. The one constant in his life since relocating to Chicago has been his lover—now husband—Esmail, whose steadfast love and support has soothed his wounded heart. ​But this Shab-e Yalda, Amir wants to be the one giving his husband something special, because even after the darkest nights, the sun will rise again.

Word Count: Information not available

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

Summary: The holiday season has rolled around and Cayden Winter has been invited to his first Saturnalia, the holiday his werewolf boyfriend celebrates with his family at Christmastime. While he's nervous about meeting the extended family, he's excited to learn more about his boyfriend's culture and honored to be invited as a human. Adrien Magnus has never had the pleasure of having a mate for Saturnalia, and he's excited for Cayden to join him and his family for the week-long celebration around Christmas. He deeply enjoys showing more of werewolf culture to his human mate, but there is a secret he's been keeping about how deeply he feels their mating bond. Will the holiday be the push he needs to finally be honest? Werewolf Days of Christmas is a sweet, lighthearted holiday story and is the sequel to Werewolf Days of Summer. CONTENT WARNINGS: Sexual content, mentions of an abusive relationship (physically and sexually), discussions of fatal diseases, discussions of childbearing requirements

Word Count: Information not available

Character Identities: Click here to revealAce, Bisexual, Pansexual, Polyamorous, Straight, Transgender (Click here to hide)

Summary: Once an exile, Matthias returns to lead his home Enclave and settles into a new life with his beloved Solomon. Struggling with his new role and responsibilities toward the new town of Sanctuary and the people who had once rejected him, he knows that the relative peace he’s found is temporary—the forces that destroyed Haven are still out there, and he knows that they’ll come looking for him. Until they do, there are alliances to make, mouths to feed, and people who look to him to protect them. Then tragedy strikes, sending Matthias, Solomon and Tam out once more, seeking answers in the forbidden north; answers that may lead to new beginnings, or to the end of everything they’ve ever known.

Word Count: Click here to reveal14000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Trevor Carson’s life changed the day his father died. After working as a small-animal vet in the big city, Trevor’s now back in his remote hometown, trying to keep his dad’s practice afloat while he figures out his next step. He expected he’d want to sell up and flee back to civilization as fast as possible, but the town is beginning to feel like where he belongs. Except every day he spends there is a day away from his partner Michael, back in the city. As Christmas approaches, with a much-anticipated visit from Mike, Trevor’s going to have to decide what “home” really means. (This warm, established-couple holiday romance is a lightly-edited rerelease of the 2011 story. Content warning for veterinary-related pet loss. 14,000 words.)

Word Count: Click here to reveal21,000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Gorgeous bosses, meddling friends, and personal ads—the path to love is never straight. Especially not for Brent Granger, who is ready to leave his straight ways behind. Aspiring writer Brent has good friends and a great job at an arts magazine in DC, but he’s batting zero in the arena of love. He begins to get a clue why things aren’t working with women from his strong attraction to his boss Graham, who already has a boyfriend. When Brent sees a personal ad from a man named Cody that quotes his favorite poet, he decides to do something wild. Wild and Precious is a sweet and sexy M/M novella in the Wild and Precious Series. If you like slow burn, friends-to-lovers stories spiced with a side of coming out and office romance, you’ll love Wild and Precious.

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

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

Summary: Things are finally going well for Luka Valdari. He’s found a home and family at the Institute for Psionic Research, and he has a job he loves. When a training mission takes him back to the streets of downside Riga, he’s got plenty of reason to be uneasy, and when a psionic cry for help leads him to a nightmare from his past, Luka’s ready to bolt. Things are not going so well for Damon Korsov. He’s got voices in his head, a hole in his memory, and strange dreams that may or may not be glimpses of his past. The one man who might hold the key to Damon’s past is the one man he can never ask. Because somehow, Luka knows Damon, and it’s clear to Damon that Luka hates him. Unwilling to expose anyone else to the danger Damon represents, Luka volunteers to train him. He wants to hate Damon, but instead finds himself fascinated. Before they get a chance to sort things out between them, the two men are thrown into the middle of a terrifying plot that puts every human life in the galaxy at risk. Can Luka and Damon confront both of their pasts and work together to prevent disaster? Or will all the human worlds burn in the flames of wildfire psi? (~105,000 words)

Word Count: Click here to reveal47410 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: When bull rider and rising star Sterling Kingsolver wins a national rodeo championship in a stunning upset, he becomes the public face of the rodeo league. But the big bosses had other ideas, and Sterling knows he’s in trouble. The league is pissed, there are a bunch of cowboys ready to kick his butt, and worst of all, he’s headed to New York City in the dead of winter to do a publicity junket. Sterling is just a cowboy from New Mexico, and all the fancy trappings of his new title don’t sit so well with him. Jonas Burke, an experienced public relations assistant hired by the rodeo league, can't believe his Christmas week vacation has been cancelled to get a hick cowboy from the middle of nowhere cleaned up and presentable by New York standards. The two men square off a couple of times, but as Jonas gets to know Sterling, he begins to understand what makes a real cowboy tick, and he finds a lot to admire. Sterling also starts to realize there’s much more to city boy Jonas than a flashy smile and a good suit. While taking in the sparkle and joy that is Christmas in New York City, their friendship quickly turns to more. But when the man who was favored to win the competition shows up looking for a piece of Sterling, the whole game changes. When the dust settles, Sterling’s days in the city come to an end, Jonas nearly loses his job, and facing that infamous midnight hour, Sterling and Jonas have to decide if their new year will include each other or not.