Romance stories written about young adults from 18-25 years of age, often featuring sex.
Note: these books are currently sorted by release date, with newest first.
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Word Count: Information not available
Character Identities: Ace, Pansexual
Summary: Qi Jiang - Heading into the last quarter of my senior year, I have all my ducks in a row. Ever since watching the world turn its back on my sibling for being queer, I knew what I wanted to do with my life. I've been accepted to my dream university to pursue a law degree to become a human rights lawyer. I have everything figured out, except my love life. My friends keep pushing me to date people but there's never a spark. At the beginning of my senior year I figured out I'm on the ace spectrum, most likely a cupioromantic aceflux. But I have more important things to worry about right now. I've stopped trying to date. Told my friends to quit setting me up, so how did I go from raising awareness for queer youth at a charity event to being auctioned off to a guy who looks like a locker-room pinup? Tristan Donovan - Money, power, prestige. All-American high school quarterback right here. Just got accepted to one of the most elite universities in the country. Nepotism-sure as hell looks like it, but no, actually not so much. There's the mask I wear at school, and then the few who know who I really am underneath. I'd like to think there's more to me than what meets the eye, but I've shut myself down for so long I don't know anymore. Until I see him, and then everything changes. Love at first sight? Don't believe there's enough of a connection for that to be verifiable. Lust at first sight? Don't think that works for someone who has never really felt lust. So then, maybe soulmate recognition? I don't know how else to explain how I become instantly drawn to a stranger, but here I am. And when his friends put three dates with him up for auction, there's no way I'm about to lose the chance to get to know him. Join Tristan and Qi on a journey of learning there are a million ways to be on the asexual spectrum but only one way to be uniquely themselves in this sweet and swoony low-angst romance with an aceflux MC who has a demiromantic awakening and the other MC who has a pan-greyrose awakening. Expect cute dates, honest confessions, lots of blushes, tons of support and lots of love. There's a little spice, but there's a higher emphasis on intimacy.
Word Count: 30000
Character Identities: Gay
Summary: Fortune As an heir to the Stouten family fortune, Brandon Stouten had anything he could want. But the girl his parents tried to foist on him for his birthday was a bit much, especially given that she had no idea she was being offered as a suitable bride. When Brandon balks at the unwilling gift, it causes a fistfight with her brother, and he escapes the party in the company of a tall, willowy angel of a man—a stranger who recognizes Brandon’s hesitance for what it is. When a night of comfort and wisdom becomes an ache in Brandon’s heart, he goes to the only man he knows will understand—the brother who walked away from the family fortune. Taylor Simmons has dressed celebrities and business moguls, but none of them ever filled out a pair of slacks quite as well as Brandon Stouten. Seeing an achingly beautiful and hurt young man, Taylor offers him insight and clarity that becomes a morning filled with passion—and regret. Famously conservative, the Stouten family would never give up one of their own to the demon they see in Taylor. Unfortunately for them, Taylor has no intention of letting Brandon go. This story takes place in the same universe as the Sam's Cafe Romances, with Fortune's Pawn taking place a couple years prior to The King's Mate.
Word Count: 70000
Character Identities: Gay, Questioning
Summary: For some, acceptance feels like an impossible dream—Even of themselves. . . Growing up in a military family and drowning in his parents’ broken promises, Ryver Nelson finds himself stuck in small-town Missouri for his senior year of high school. It was where his father grew up—a town at the end of the earth with deep roots and low tolerance. Ryver dreams of escaping and making his own way in the world. That is until he meets Jorrin Turner, the hot quarterback with a heart of gold and a sinful body. The closer Ryver gets to Jorrin, the harder it is to navigate a homophobic father, small-minded classmates, relentless hormonal urges, and the desperate need just to be himself. Homecoming is on the horizon, and Ryver’s never even been kissed. Maybe this year will be different. Maybe this year, he can have his hot jock, a fairytale dance, and friends who accept him for who he is and with all his quirks. It’s agonizing trying to stand out while also struggling to fit in. But maybe Senior year Homecoming will be different. Possibly more feral than fairytale, but if it means finally being true to himself, he’ll take it. Do you like small-town coming-of-age stories with epic teenage angst, visceral emotions, repentant bullies, and a heartwarming happy ever after? Then you’ll love This One Time! Grab some tissues and 1-Click this MM New Adult High School Romance today!
Word Count: Information not available
Character Identities: Ace, Gay
Summary: Barista Brewed Love - Love is always brewing at the local coffee shop! Sip your coffee, cozy up, and get ready for some warm m/m romance that’s just as sweet as the perfect cup! In the comfy corners of a local café, love is always on the menu. Jacques, a flirtatious and endearing barista with a knack for matchmaking, has seen it all—and made countless connections in the process. But after losing his husband, he's slowly learning that even the best cups of coffee can't heal all wounds. In Barista Brewed Love, a collection of interconnected M/M romance stories, unexpected sparks fly as strangers become friends, and friendships bloom into love. From the sweet jitters of a first date to the heartwarming comfort of second chances, these touching tales weave a tapestry of love, friendship, and new beginnings. You’ll fall for the unforgettable characters who pour their hearts out—whether it's a young couple navigating their first real love, a man filled with regret tracking down a lost love from the past, or older men discovering romance after years of solitude. And Jacques? He's there every step of the way, playing matchmaker, offering advice, and finding his own path to healing. Join these lovable characters in a celebration of love, vulnerability, and hope, and find out if Jacques can open his heart to new possibilities. With laughter, tears, and a few steamy moments, Barista Brewed Love will make you believe that no matter how complicated life gets, love is always worth the fight. Sip your coffee. Let your heart race. And let love brew...
Word Count: Information not available
Character Identities: Bisexual, Demisexual, Gay, Lesbian, Non Binary, Pansexual, Transgender
Summary: Queer, spicy, adventurous, swoony, The Superpowered Love series explores the mixed-up love lives of the “awakened”, humans with superpowers. As they find their loves, the world around them is changing--and their secrets won't stay secret forever. 1. Equilibrium 1.1. Jealousy: A Love Story 1.2 Best Gift Ever 2. Riot Boy 2.1: Willoughby Spit 3. Nobody's Hero 3.1: Grá Mo Chroí 4. Losing Better 4.1: Caped Crusader 5. Re-Entry Burn 6. In Distress 7. The Playhouse 8. The Takedown 9. Under Siege 10. A New Beginning The series is complete, and this box set contains all 10 novels, as well as the 5 short stories that come in between them, at a steep discount. Available only from the author at KateyHawthorneShop.com.
Word Count: 60000
Character Identities: Gay
Summary: In modern-day Iceland, a place of glaciers, volcanoes, and legends, the Norns have foretold a sorcerous invasion that could destroy everything. MAGNÚS, an elf of the huldufólk, is driven by the murder of his human lover a century ago to save those humans he can, and to figure out what is behind recent troll attacks on tourists. But the Norns have spoken. He must protect ALTAIR, a young human from Boston, who is bringing a dangerous magical force to Iceland. If Magnús fails to keep Altair safe, the country will fall to a sorcerer called the Black Priest. Yet if Altair lives, Magnús will meet his doom. For his part, Altair is a graduate student bullied to visit Iceland by mentors who seem to have their own agenda. He knows nothing of elves, sorcerers or prophecies. Suddenly, the handsome, mysterious Magnús is guiding Altair around Reykjavik and into danger. A witch, a berserker, and more elves are along for the quest across Iceland’s forbidding landscape. And why does everyone keeps calling Altair “the Falcon”? An elf and a human with a shared destiny. Will they solve the mystery linking their fates before it is too late for all Iceland?
Word Count: Information not available
Character Identities: Gay, Questioning
Summary: Tay and Toby are a couple now but Third is feeling like the odd one out. What next? Tay and Toby are living their best summer, working side by side at the movie theater, they’re closer than ever but it’s not the same for Third. With his job at the library and his internal struggles about who he is, Third starts to feel like he’s being left behind. The second book, It’s All Good Until You Start Dating, picks up the summer after their junior year, with Tay and Toby officially a couple. But the joy of young love comes with new complications as the boys take on summer jobs—and Third struggles with feelings of exclusion as he works alone at the library. As Tay and Toby grow closer, Third must confront his own place in the trio, while dealing with his own journey of self-discovery.
Word Count: Information not available
Character Identities: Bisexual, Gay
Summary: "Every single thing I do for you... will always be as close to forever as I can get." Following the events that sent them crashing into one another's arms in Awakening in Sapphire, Aaron and Morgan are back. Carving out their own little slice of forever in Etna City alongside their magical found family, the heroes of Once & Forever Kings return in this collection of short stories full of cozy moments and spicy encounters. With ten tales out of Camelot and Etna, Between Once & Forever tells of first times, holiday celebrations, a trip to the beach—and sets the stage for book two, Veiled in Argent, with Aaron's very first heist. This short story collection is a companion to the Once & Forever Kings series and is not intended to be read as a standalone, nor does it need to be read to fully enjoy the following books.
Word Count: 44000
Character Identities: Bisexual, Questioning, Transgender
Summary: College is a time of acceptance—but what happens when you’re tired of explaining who you are? Kiel, a young trans man, moved back to the Midwest to attend college with his closest friend, Shelly. Over the last few years, he’s lived his adventure, but now his heart yearns for something normal. Raziel, a straight college student, works at the college rec where Kiel exercises. During a night out, Raziel finds an unexpected attraction for Kiel. Confused by these unforeseen feelings, Raziel needs time to identify and understand his new desires. Both Kiel and Raziel suffer from navigating the world of acceptance and discovery. The yearning desire for normalcy without advertisement or hidden agendas, and the fear of exposing one’s heart only to find rejection. Someone must take the first step, but who will it be? And what will it teach them both about themselves, each other, and about love?
Word Count: 40000
Character Identities: Gay
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? This book was originally released by Dreamspinner Press in November 2016 with a different cover, and as part of the print anthology The Chess Master Chronicles, which bundled all three of the Sam's Cafe Romances.
Word Count: Information not available
Character Identities: Gay, Questioning
Summary: Two best buddies. One new guy. And a whole lot of questions about love, identity, and what it means to be different. Best friends since kindergarten, Tay and Third have always shared everything. But as they begin their Junior year at school, they begin to question their own identities. As Tay discovers his attraction to boys, Third grapples with his own sexuality. The charismatic Toby joins their school and Tay develops a crush, adding another layer of complexity to their already evolving friendship. In this heartwarming coming-of-age story, follow Tay and Third as they navigate the challenges of self-discovery, friendship, and young love. They delve into the online world of BL - Asian themed Boys Love dramas depicting budding gay romances, to help search for answers to the many arising questions of self-discovery. With relatable characters, poignant moments, and a touch of humor, "It's All Good Until You Realize You're Different" is a must-read for anyone seeking a story that celebrates diversity and acceptance.
Word Count: 32000
Character Identities: Gay
Summary: Having survived one nightmare of a relationship, Justin Tesh thought he'd left the worst behind when he put his ex Peter behind bars. But when his new lover, Russell Pine, explodes in a fit of alcohol-fueled rage, Justin finds himself frozen with a fear he thought he’d long since worked through. While older, more experienced Russ is anxious to put the incident behind them, avoiding personal issues never works, and for Justin, his fear is an open doorway to demons both he and Russ need to confront. Despite their histories of loss and pain, Russ has faith in the promise of their relationship. But if he can't heal the wound he's inflicted on his lover’s heart, he risks losing Justin forever to Peter’s legacy of brutality. This book was originally published by Dreamspinner Press with a different cover in March of 2015 and was included in The Chess Master Chronicles which compiled all three of the Sam's Cafe Romances into a single print volume.
Word Count: 62000
Character Identities: Gay
Summary: Remy Walsh is buried in secrets. The big ones he keeps from his friends are his maman, the Cajun beauty Aurore, is housebound and trapped in her own world, and his runaway father left six years ago without a word to Remy. He hates him. But Remy has another giant secret. Even though he and his boyfriend Trung are a popular couple at their school, Remy is afraid to tell his mother he is gay. The last thing he wants to do is hurt this fragile being he loves so much. So he retreats into the cocoon that being an actor is, starring in his school’s musical, and forgetting for a time each day, during rehearsal, that he has so many problems eating at him. His home is about to literally come crashing down on him. He well knows, but doesn’t believe, that “secrets have a way of coming out.” Will anyone come to his rescue?
Word Count: 135000
Character Identities: Bisexual, Genderfluid, Polyamorous
Summary: They say I’m not worthy to be the next queen. Guess I'm not the Cinderella story they signed up for. When you’re the celebrity bad girl and wild future queen of the witching world, you pretty much expect scandal, secrets, paparazzi, and bad press. Like those salacious pics plastered all over The Witching Inquisitor of me—Zara Gemini—getting hot and heavy with my whole warlock harem. Like I care about the gossip? My guys’ll burn the world down to rule at my side. What I don’t expect is to be betrayed, humiliated, and dethroned over the scandal by my backstabbing ex-boyfriend and my lying ex-BFF. And thanks for ruining my birthday bash on live TV. Now I’ll need to use every trick in my dark witch academy spell book to win back my throne, pay back my enemies, and prove I’m worthy to the whole witching world. Never mind that I’m only a freshman at the Icarus Academy, juggling an ever-expanding curriculum of magical superpowers and unpredictable superheats I can barely control. Or that adding the obsessed, possessive, tortured, and twisted Dark Fae King to my limited list of Academy allies splits my found family of warlocks right down the center. Suddenly I’m the mad, bad, totally rad rebel Cinderella of the witching world resistance. But hey, if the glass slipper fits… Gemini Wicked is a spicy, shifty, paranormal adult academy why-choose romance and the scandalous sequel to Gemini Wild. Get ready for teacher-student forbidden heat, wolf and dragon shifters, dragon riders, bi awakening, all swords crossed, seven hot bi warlocks, and a confident queen who never needs to choose. This series is guaranteed to whisk you away from your unmagical day and set your schoolgirl skirt on fire!
Word Count: 25000
Character Identities: Gay
Summary: Russell Pine goes to the café every morning to enjoy his time chatting with Sam Tesh, the café owner, a friend made over the past twenty years. So when Sam asks a favor, Russ reluctantly agrees to play in a chess tournament. But the contest isn’t the real challenge: Russ finds himself the focus of a secret courtship in words and pictures left for him to discover each morning, leading him to the question: In a café full of young and beautiful minds, who is looking at the graying chessmaster? The first edition of this novella was published in June 2013 as part of Make a Play, the Daily Dose anthology at Dreamspinner Press. This expanded second edition was first published by Dreamspinner in November 2016 under a different cover, and was included in The Chess Master Chronicles, which compiled all three of the Sam's Cafe Romances into a single print volume.
Word Count: 306
Character Identities: Bisexual, Polyamorous, Straight
Summary: Casting Vows is a story of lost love, found love, and misunderstood love. Three people with hearts of gold need to find their way through seemingly insurmountable challenges. Danger strikes from all directions. Nothing is as it seems. Nicolo Stark-James loves with his whole heart, but he finds there are despicable people who are willing to ruin everything. Matty Remington needs to be safe, but he’s trapped. He has strong faith and a heart made for loving, but he needs to reconcile his love for God with his personal desires. Eden Godwin might be the one to hold them all together, but her future isn’t her own to decide. She is pitted between love and saving her family from ruin. Obligations are questioned, and promises are made that may not be kept. The duty to family, faith in God, and devotion to a lover seem to war with one another in this stunning and steamy MMF romance set in Los Angeles in the 1880s.
Word Count: 175000
Character Identities: Bisexual, Gay
Summary: The Stone City and the Heart Wood: uneasy neighbors separated by the Bluebird River. In the City, Hendrik is about to lose the only life he's ever known, the only love he's ever wanted. In the Wood, corruption threatens the carefully cultivated ecosystem and Dagan's way of life. Two worlds, fated to collide at last. It could be the end. Or a new beginning.
Word Count: 84000
Character Identities: Bisexual, Gay
Summary: There’s a lot in life that comes hella easy for me. Turning heads with my stellar looks, strutting like a peacock with my smooth moves and adorable charm. Heck, need ideas for party shots or fresh recipes to make your friends jealous? I’m your guy. It’s not even a front—my epic modesty—but that doesn’t mean I’m not a lying liar who lies. What is definitely not easy is holding so much of myself back from my friends. Or from myself. It’s a truth that sucks. But I can’t do that anymore, and it’s absolutely 100 percent my best friend’s fault. Since our first college basketball practice, Bentley’s been by my side. He’s sweet, understanding, supersmart, and absolutely smoking hot. What’s more, he’s too good for me. What I should do is keep our friendship platonic, but apparently patience isn’t my strong suit. Go figure. Cue me starting something with him that I find impossible to stop, walk away from, or admit aloud. But loving him… heck if that doesn’t become the easiest thing I’ve ever done. I just need to find a way to be worthy of his love and for him to stay patient as I pull my head out of my ass and give him the world he deserves.
Word Count: 81,000
Character Identities: Gay
Summary: Shy guy Jed Carter has always felt invisible next to his charismatic older brother, Kent. Kent’s master plan for Jed is simple: University of Virginia, fraternity, business, sports, and ladies’ man. None of it is Jed, except for playing on the rugby team, which he joins in defiance of soccer-loving Kent. Jed comes out in his sophomore year and starts seeing Pete, an attractive junior, who uses him for sex and videogames. Jed wants more—in life and in love—and starts making his own plans. First on the list: getting to know Charlie, the handsome guy working at the local videogame arcade. Charlie Ambrose has always felt like an oddball, and not just for his tendency to stutter. Being gay sets him apart from his African-American community, and as a “townie,” he doesn’t fit in with the college crowd. Charlie’s inspiration is his cousin, Morocco, who’s transgender and doesn’t give a fig about fitting in. Art is Charlie’s passion, and when a local videogame designer discovers him, Charlie’s living a dream. The only thing he’s missing is love. But the last person Charlie expects to find it with is a cute, white U.Va. rugby player named Jed.
Word Count: 120000
Character Identities: Bisexual, Gay
Summary: Camelot is fallen. King Arthur is dead. The world carries on, slouching toward its final breath. "I do what I have to just to stomach this cesspool I woke up to!" Seventeen hundred years after the events that shaped him into a villain of legend, Morgan le Fay wakes, little more than flashes of his life past to guide the way. Thus, he dons the mantle the world has fashioned for him, cloaking his true identity beneath the guise of a mercenary—teaching the neon city of Etna that he is not one to be trifled with. "And me? What about my life helped you stomach this place?" Aaron Jones will never know a land beyond this one, and while it may not be a place of fairytales, he does everything within his limited power as an officer with the ECPD to make it safe. That is until his efforts lead him to a dark alley in the middle of a city-wide blackout, and a jab to the neck lands him on Etna's missing persons list. The past and future collide in Etna—one of the final bastions of humanity—as Morgan navigates the schemes of the corporate giant, Esotech, the politics of the Occult Community—and the notion that he could be so much more than the world remembers. Awakening in Sapphire is the first installment in the Once & Forever Kings series. While it is a low spice MM Romance at heart, it features many characters along the LGBTQ+ spectrum. With a grumpy/sunshine dynamic, a soulmates theme and a cast comprised of found family, it's a Happily Ever After for now that will continue in the following four books!
