These books are primarily for the winter holidays, but can also encompass other holiday-themed works.
Note: these books are currently sorted by release date, with newest first.
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Word Count: 17500
Character Identities: Bisexual, Genderfluid
Summary: Can an angel gown for a little boy let a single dad and a drag queen stitch together a new pattern for love? Hospice nurse Gabe Martin is bisexual but doesn’t have time for love—his main priority is raising Ian, his adopted five-year-old son. Ian loves wearing dresses at home and wants an angel gown for his kindergarten holiday pageant. When Gabe visits a sewing store to get help with Ian’s costume, he’s assisted by a bewitching employee named Loren who opens up Gabe’s focused world. Drag queen Loren Schuster likes playing with gender norms and wearing skirts and dresses in everyday life. A bad breakup killed his interest in serious relationships, but he reconsiders that stance when gorgeous single dad Gabe walks into the shop. Loren helps young Ian see it’s okay to be himself, and together, Loren and Gabe create a new pattern for a family full of love.
Word Count: 49000
Character Identities: Bisexual, Gay
Summary: 35. Newly divorced. Single dad. Jack Reynolds never thought he’d be wading back into the dating pool at this point in his life. To brave the singles scene, Jack decides he needs to lose his dad bod in favor of something a little more cut. And getting back into shape is a lot easier with the help of his new friend, Corbin Barnes. But then, Corbin just has a way of making everything easier and fun. Even with his family drama, Corbin keeps Jack laughing with his amazing sense of humor and those sexy smiles. Whoa…wait a minute! Sexy smiles? Yeah, Jack can’t deny it. Corbin is a very sexy man. Jack treasures his friendship with Corbin, but is he willing to risk it to take a chance on something that could everything he dreamed of…with a guy? A very sexy, sweet, younger guy. Jack might need a little Christmas magic to figure this one out and still get his happily ever after. Defrosting Jack is a standalone MM holiday novella that has two cute kids, a meddling younger brother, a disapproving father, a sexy nun, a sprinkling of Christmas magic, and dirty fun with dessert.
Word Count: 50000
Character Identities: Gay
Summary: Nathan Fitzroy hates the holidays. Estranged from his family for refusing to marry, he’s still expected to keep up appearances, which means attending their holiday celebrations. And that means that, from the beginning of December until the middle of January, he needs to find work that will let him take off almost as many days as he works there. For him, that means working at a molly house called the Goat’s Horn. Owen Landon was quite content to be a stone cutter. It was what he’d trained for, and it earned him enough money to pay his brother’s school fees and still live comfortably enough in a cottage in their village. He’d always been told his father was distantly related to nobility, but he’d never thought much of it, until a solicitor came to tell him he was the new Earl of Morebrook, a position he has no idea how to fill. One night in December, when Owen can’t stand his new role another moment, he sneaks away to the seediest molly house he can find, the Goat’s Horn, for a distraction. And find one he does, a beautiful fellow with just the accent and bearing he’s supposed to be learning. When he sees the man again away from the molly house, he comes up with a plan to both spend more time with him and learn to be an earl. Owen offers him a position tutoring him before the start of the Christmas parties he’s supposed to attend. Nathan’s worst nightmare comes true when one of the clients of the Goat’s Horn recognizes him outside of the molly house. But the man offers him a position that will allow him to earn money away from the Goat’s Horn until Christmas. If only he can remember he’s supposed to be tutoring the fellow, not bedding him, and certainly not falling in love with him. A steamy Christmas romance with hints of Pygmalion. Approx. 50,000 words, 200 pages
Word Count: 10047
Character Identities: Gay
Summary: Have you ever been to an office holiday party? Well, Matthew Kaplan has been to plenty, and he’s not impressed. In fact, he hates attending the annual gathering at his office. This year, though, he’s trying to make partner in his small law firm and does his best to look like he’s enjoying himself, even though he knows the event is really a Christmas party with just the barest hint of a nod toward his own winter holiday, Hanukkah. Ethan Becker works for a busy caterer, and although all the Christmas music at these holiday office parties used to make his head ache, he’s learned to tolerate it so he doesn’t lose his mind. Sometimes he even sings along. There aren’t enough toe-tapping Hanukkah songs for a party anyway, right? Matthew is pleased to find latkes on the buffet and escapes the crowd to eat them peacefully in the kitchen, where Ethan recognizes his hunky one-night-stand immediately. Matthew remembers their night together fondly, but certainly hadn’t expected to run into the hottie with the sweet blue eyes again. When Ethan offers to make more latkes for Matthew another day, Matthew jumps to accept the invitation. But will their date be delicious or disastrous?
Word Count: 20000
Character Identities: Lesbian
Summary: Emily Williams has always felt driven to follow her dreams. Her art studies took her across the country, but she can't forget the girl she left behind. When she learns that Danica has been in a devastating car accident, she's glad to be returning home for Christmas. She has to see Danica again. Danica Swanson has tried to move on since Emily left but with limited success. The town of Myrton hasn't offered many dating prospects, but she found a job as a barista that made her happy. That was until the crash put her life in jeopardy and left her with little choice but to give up her job. Danica still misses Emily, but she has a lot to deal with as she recovers from her injuries. Meanwhile, Emily wants to give her dream of a relationship with Danica another chance. Can they find a way to rekindle their flame or have they lost each other for good? A Touch of Christmas Magic is a steamy lesfic second chance romance of around 20,000 words. It features sapphic love and adult language, with a pinch of holiday magic.
Word Count: 17000
Character Identities: Bisexual, Gay, Non Binary
Summary: On Canada Day, Undead Canadian Kit, his husband, Edward, and their friend Kamaria to go see the fireworks. While there, Kamaria sees words written in the sky—Help Me. Realizing the fireworks must be involved somehow, Kit steals the ones that look out of place. The ghost responsible for the message refuses to appear while Kit is nearby, but Edward and Kamaria learn the fireworks are blended with the ashes of a deceased woman. The woman, Rose, convinces them to return her ashes to her wife, Petra—so Kit, Kamaria, and Edward head off on a road trip.
Word Count: 18300
Character Identities: Gay, Pansexual, Transgender
Summary: Daniel Wu’s life is wonderful. He has an amazing family in his partner, Jeff, and their adopted daughter. The only thorn in his happiness is Abby’s biological father, Nick, who can’t seem to let go of the past. Ridden by guilt for trying to tear apart Jeff’s family a year prior, Nick Mariani struggles to find a place for himself in a future that seems bleak. With the backdrop of a holiday vacation, he embarks on a journey of redemption. An unexpected surprise is Leon, who flirts shamelessly from the moment they meet. Leon brings Nick hope, but the shadows of the past threaten to swallow all that newfound brightness.
Word Count: 17000
Character Identities: Gay
Summary: Jonah Walsh’s fledgling acting career in Dublin comes to an abrupt end when a video of him in a compromising position goes viral on social media. The offer of a part in a Christmas play in Sydney, Australia arrives at exactly the right time, although he isn’t sure about celebrating Christmas in the scorching heat. Nick Claseman isn’t happy that the actor he and his sister have hired will be occupying his granny flat. As for Jonah’s enthusiasm for Christmas, Nick doesn’t get it. He hasn’t decorated or celebrated in years. When Jonah turns out to be anything but a stuck-up starlet with delusions of grandeur, and Nick proves he’s not usually grumpy and borderline hostile, the two men gravitate toward each other. Their attraction morphs into something more when Jonah reacquaints Nick with the pleasures of Christmas and Nick shows Jonah the beauty of Australia. But Jonah is only Down Under for a few months. It would take a Christmas miracle for them to have a future together.
Word Count: Information not available
Character Identities: Gay
Summary: Can a chance meeting change your life forever? Paralegal Matt Kennington has had his heart broken too many times and is considering staying single forever. One morning in December, a handsome stranger sits beside him on the Metro, and Matt starts to think swearing off men might be a little extreme. Aaron Roth, a first-year associate at a large law firm, has been looking for the right guy, and when he sees Matt on the Metro, he’s immediately interested. Aaron sits down and introduces himself. Matt and Aaron are instantly smitten, and by the time they get to their stop, they’ve traded numbers along with promises to talk later. Things soon take a crazy turn when Matt realizes Aaron is one of his new bosses. Their firm has a strict policy against romances between employees, and although they try to resist each other, working together all day makes it impossible. Unfortunately, someone is watching the two men get closer, and as Matt and Aaron’s relationship heats up, so do things at the office. Will they be able to survive their Chrismukkah crisis and find the love both have been searching for? This full-length holiday book features new adults, a forbidden workplace romance, instalove, sizzling sexy times, and an extraordinarily happy ending.
Word Count: 20000
Character Identities: Gay
Summary: One of Santa’s elves is fed up with tinsel, mistletoe, lawn angels, and everything Christmas. Bah humbug! With the costume for his office Christmas party chafing at him and his dream promotion lost to his firm’s new wunderkind, snarky numbers guy Kyle resolves to change his whole life, starting with kicking his lackadaisical artist boyfriend, Vince, to the curb. Little does he know that Vince is playing Santa this year and has plans for his Scrooge-like elf. Poor but happy Vince doesn’t need to be rich, but he does need Kyle, and with Christmas only a day away he doesn’t have a lot of time to set his plan to keep him in motion. Hopefully, he’s not too late to show Kyle what’s truly in his heart, and what Christmas really means. Grab Bagging Santa’s Elf for a cute, sweet but spicy, heartwarming tale about two guys who snag their happy ever after just in time for Christmas. Don’t miss it!
Word Count: 40000
Character Identities: Bisexual, Demisexual, Genderqueer, Non Binary, Pansexual, Polyamorous, Transgender
Summary: After four years in the Alpha Centauri solar system, astrobiologist Dath Bellin is relieved to be back at ECHO-Crosspoint Space Station. His next mission: return to Earth and take a vacation. There's family to see, R&R to catch up on, and Imbolc to celebrate with his Druid grove—everything he could hope for from a Canadian winter. Unfortunately, everything goes wrong before he can even leave the station. There's also the matter of his exes, whom he can't have back no matter how much he wants them, not after his horrible mistake. For the past four years, Mack Ainsley Tsallis and Kytzia Polović have wanted to know why Dath left them the way he did. They're determined to win him back together, especially since Mack is convinced Dath wasn't completely honest with xem and Kytzia before he ran off to Alpha Centauri. Being ignored isn't cutting it anymore: it's time to start fresh and prove the three of them are perfect for each other.
Word Count: Information not available
Character Identities: Gay
Summary: WRAITH agent Will Donovan should have known better than to fall in love with a treacherous and beautiful Fairy, but he simply hadn’t been able to help himself. Now Commander Levi has teamed him with the gorgeous Ash again, this time to travel into the Vargr Realm to stop a dangerous and deadly drug called Candy Hearts from being sold and distributed to humans. Once Donovan arrives, he has to deal with a broken-hearted little wraith, a treacherous brownie, amorous Nymphs and a growing attraction to his partner. When he’s kidnapped by Cupids, he’s taken to their capital city and has to face the biggest threat to his safety yet—his love for a being who can never stay with him. Ash, along with a Paladin witch he picked up along the way, has to save Donovan, the love of his life and talk himself out of a relationship that will one day prove to be deadly. To do it he has to be willing to sacrifice his own life and break an ancient curse, but if he can pull it off, he might just get everything his heart desires.
Word Count: 29020
Character Identities: Gay
Summary: Some hearts are made to be stolen. Mark Mannix doesn’t believe in love or romance, which is ironic given his birthday falls on Valentine’s Day. As he approaches forty, Mark is perfectly content with his life and nursing career in Boston, and—outside of his long-time friend-with-benefits, Alistair—prefers his hookups to be one-night stands. When Mark’s plans for New Year’s Eve fall through, he attends his sister’s party and meets Owen Todd, a graphic designer of Caribbean descent. Owen is more than a decade younger than Mark and, at first glance the two men appear to have little in common. The chemistry between them is potent, however, and Mark breaks his no-strings pattern, seeing Owen week after week. A connection forms between the two men, leaving Mark in uncharted territory and drawn to Owen in ways he’s never known before. Even so, Mark continues his hookups with Alistair but is startled when Owen withdraws out of a desire to protect himself. His foundations shaken, Mark must decide if he can watch Owen walk away or … if the time has come to follow his heart in a new direction.
Word Count: Information not available
Character Identities: Gay
Summary: A divorce lawyer with a romantic spirit. A cynical television executive who thinks commitment is for fools. They can’t fight their attraction, or their affection. Can they find a way to reconcile their vastly different needs, or will each of them walk away from the best thing they’ve ever had? Jordan might be a divorce lawyer, but he’s a hopeless romantic. He doesn’t see the two as incompatible, either. He’s never had a relationship last long enough to be with someone on Valentine’s Day, but he’s still hopeful he’ll find the one out there somewhere. Sam is an executive vice president at a major television network. He spends his days managing programming, much of it centered around romance, and he knows exactly how fake television romances are. His own background of rejection only cements his views on the fleeting nature of affection. They meet by chance, when Sam’s sister and best friend file for divorce. The divorce is messy, and Sam and Jordan are thrown together often enough to try to make a relationship work. When the winter holidays roll around, the difference in their expectations comes to the fore. Can Sam overcome his fear of commitment – and rejection? Can Jordan get over his need to define their relationship? Or will they both lose the one thing in their lives that made them happiest?
Word Count: 20000
Character Identities: Gay, Straight
Summary: Eleven lovelorn singletons. Eleven tales of Cupid, catastrophe, and maybe more… These characters have had it with love—or, if not with that, with Valentine’s Day. But no matter how they fight it, Cupid refuses to relent. From struggling singles to secret crushes to enemies turned much, much more, these lightning strikes of love will add a spark of hope to your holiday. Worst Valentine’s Day Ever flips the script on lonely hearts who seem destined for Valentine's disaster. If you like laugh-out-loud rom-coms, terrible dates gone right, and gorgeous happily-ever-afters, then you’ll love this adorable collection. It ain't all hearts and roses; but these tales of triumph will find your faith in Valentine's Day—and your faith in love—restored. The Worst Day Ever Series The Worst Day Ever Series collects tales of hilarity, hope and survival for characters facing classically-stressful situations. From not-so-happy holidays to doomed-to-be-a-disaster predicaments, they find the love they need to get them through. This series is proud to feature characters from diverse backgrounds, #ownvoices authors, and a range of romantic themes: contemporary to paranormal, cis/hetero to LGBTQ+, sweet to steamy, body-positive, neurodiverse, interracial/multicultural, and more.
Word Count: 32000
Character Identities: Gay
Summary: This is the story of two college professors who share an office and not much else – until the holiday season works its magic. Eric’s semester hasn’t been going all that well. Not only have renovations to the English Department’s physical space forced him to share an office with the department’s newest faculty member, Mike Kistler, his mother showed up at the beginning of the semester with all her worldly possessions and a U-Haul. It’s not that he doesn’t care for his mother, but she’s disruptive. She keeps wanting to honor traditions they never cared about when he was growing up, starting with the giant antique advent calendar she dragged over from her parents’ house in Hamburg. Eric has a solution, though. He might not have much interest in his mom’s traditions, but his irritating office mate does. He’ll bring Kistler over, and his mom will have someone who cares, and someone to speak German with, and Eric will be left alone to grade papers in peace. Mike is the rising star of the English Department. He’s worked damn hard to get from homeless teen to young PhD, he’s proud of his accomplishment, and he loves to give back. He likes his work. He could live without his office mate, who’s attractive but stuffier than an overfull burrito. He’s shocked when Eric invites him to help his mother celebrate Advent, but intrigued by the old traditions. And it’s been more than ten years since he’s had anything like a family to celebrate anything with, so he agrees. Moving from a cramped office to a family setting shifts things for Eric and Mike, and they start to see each other through different eyes. Can they find love, or will old family issues keep them apart forever?
Word Count: 29000
Character Identities: Lesbian
Summary: Sofia Cancino is tired of her mundane life, her artificial environment and her large, boisterous family descending every holiday season. She's promised herself this year will be different and books a stay on the exclusive—and expensive--holiday-themed resort, Yule Planet. She looks forward to being pampered while reconnecting with Old Earth traditions steeped in the magic and mysticism of nature. Everything will be perfect and she'll leave as a more authentic human, better connected to her roots. Naturally, things go horribly wrong. Sofia's landing pod goes off course and instead of stepping out on the landing pad at the resort, she finds herself in the snow-swept perpetual winter of the planet's hinterlands. If that wasn't bad enough, she's "rescued" by a band of criminals on work release who run deliveries to the resort from far-flung shuttle delivery sites. They refuse to take her, a paying customer, to the resort and insist on dragging her along on their parcel run. Riding giant monsters. In frigid weather. Not to mention, Marta, who handles the monsters, obviously hates her. If Sofia survives her vacation, she's definitely yelling at someone's supervisor until she gets a refund.
Word Count: 4800
Character Identities: Non Binary, Polyamorous, Transgender
Summary: Tahl promised Enfys ice bears for Midwinter, but ey neglected to tell him that ey and eir kin were the ice bears. ___________________________ Written for the Rainbow Advent Calendar 2018
Word Count: 36000
Character Identities: Gay
Summary: A stolen Christmas present brings together two strangers who long for hearth and home at the holidays. It's mere days before Christmas when the gift Clayton intends to give to his nephew, an antique Bowie knife and hand-beaded sheath, is stolen. Clayton must track them down before Christmas morning. A lost & found ad is posted for the Christmas knife's safe return, bringing scammers crawling out of the woodwork who only want the reward. That is, until Clayton gets a call from a man named Kyle, who says he just wants to return the knife and sheath to Clayton, and he doesn't want the reward. Is it just another scam or can Clayton trust him? Clayton takes a risk and heads to Kyle's house to pick up the Christmas knife. Over the phone, Kyle's voice becomes Clayton's only beacon as he makes his way through a whiteout blizzard. After a long drive across the prairies during a raging, pre-Christmas winter storm, will Clayton find more than what he is looking for? Contemporary m/m romance, holiday blizzard, fireplace kisses, lost presents, long drives, family, contemporary, sweet, HEA.
Word Count: 10000
Character Identities: Bisexual, Lesbian, Transgender
Summary: What happens when your long-buried crush can't stay hidden any longer? Cassie is home from college for the holidays, and with a big family, she's not in the mood to crash at home. Being single after two years of accepting her boyfriend's proposal, she didn't want to deal with all the questions. When Neilie offers her guest room, she jumps at the offer. She hadn't spent enough time with her brother's best friend while away, and she's missed the older woman. The only problem is being in close quarters with Neilie showed her that her teenage crush wasn't a thing of the past. Could Neilie see her as more than the annoying girl she once was and accept her as the woman she'd grown to be?
