Books Tagged With format - novel <100K

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

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

Summary: It’s 1985, but different.... Frank Hope is a troubled high school senior. Being gay in a small Texas town in the eighties is hard enough, but Frank’s also fighting to win back his ex-boyfriend, trying to graduate while hating school, and struggling to care for his sick mom. Despite his cynical nature, he tries to remain, well, hopeful. Everything he desires seems beyond his reach—until a newfound ability promises financial success and prestige. But success always comes with a price. What is Frank willing to sacrifice? Kasimir is—humans would call Kasimir a demon. Kasimir’s people refer to themselves as the Eternals, who are engaged in a centuries’ long conflict with the mortals from another world. But Kasimir, sensitive and idealistic, can’t hate humans because he fell in love with a human boy named Frank while watching him through an interdimensional window when they were children. Now, as a priest scholar specializing in the study of humans, he’s set on finding his old crush. However, his boy has grown into something feared by all beings of the Eternal Realm. Taking place in an alternative 1985 where demon essence fuels everything from mopeds to the space shuttle, this story of star-crossed lovers combines elements of fantasy and dystopian genres with gay romance while weaving together themes of surviving past trauma, breaking obsessions, and the transformative power of love. Warning: period homophobia, hate speech, suicidal ideation, past suicide, explicit language, sex, violence, child abuse, drug abuse, smoking

Word Count: Click here to reveal86756 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: East meets west. City meets country. Though there’s no denying opposites attract, can a college kid from New Jersey and a New Mexican cowboy learn to speak the same language, let alone trust each other? When Mason Wild heads west to escape his past, he doesn’t have a plan or a penny to his name. Luckily he finds a job with a roofing company run by a rodeo cowboy who’s kind, easy to work for, and even with his jaw wired shut, hotter than July in the high desert. Bull rider Levi Yost knows what it’s like to be down on his luck. He’s not much older than Mason, but he’s been around the block a few times, or at least around the rodeo arena. He takes a chance on the kid, giving him a job and a place to live on his ranch. The two of them discover a surprising amount of common ground, but trouble has a way of finding each of them. Mason has to learn to be fully honest with Levi, who in turn has to realize he’s not just riding out for himself anymore.

Word Count: Information not available

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

Summary: Iain Donaldson and Bran MacRae have been best friends since childhood, despite Iain being part of the gentry and Bran a mere crofter's son. Iain's feelings of friendship have deepened over time, and he suspects Bran might share his inclinations—and Hogmanay may be the time to confess feelings. As the old year becomes the new, Iain keeps his promise to first-foot at the MacRae cottage, and Bran takes the opportunity to bare his heart—will it be enough to overcome the challenges to their budding relationship?

Word Count: Click here to reveal84000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: It's Good? to be Home Lazarus Lenkov has been a civilian for almost two months, and it's going great. Sure, he's working at an art gallery instead of flying planes. Sure, his brother is preoccupied with his new husband, his sister is busy with her new baby, and he's plagued by nightmares and his malfunctioning foresight. But there are good things, too. He's got a new car. And just today, he got hit over the head with a bottle and then stitched up by a cute neurologist. Who then rejected his advances, but you can't have everything. Eli Sobel has never met anyone quite like Laz. He's smart and handsome in a scruffy way. He's also a mess. From the first time they meet, it's clear that Laz needs someone to take care of him, even heal him. And while Eli's a doctor, he's not interested in taking on any patients in his personal life. But Laz is funny and generous, and Eli can't help but get drawn into the investigation surrounding the attack he stitched the man up from. There's bad magic afoot, though neither of them quite understands it. From a similar crime at a Minneapolis art gallery to dead bodies in Edina, Minnesota, each step of the inquiry seems to pull the two of them closer together. But when they finally uncover the surprising motives that tie the events together, will they be able to move past their history into an uncertain future together? Lazarus, Home from the War is the fourth book in the Wisconsin Gothic series. It contains some spoilers for Troth, but can be read as a stand-alone.

Word Count: Click here to reveal122000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Scott Weston’s car is sensible, his suits are bland, and his job is stable but boring. Mundane routine helps keep his anxiety and obsessive tendencies under control. Socializing—especially dating—isn’t on his list of strong skills either, and, made worse with the echoes of his disapproving mother. So he’s content to stay at home with his lists and cleaning and wildlife documentaries, until a one-night stand goes unexpectedly right. History has taught Devon DuCaine that dating can be uncomfortable, but there’s just something about Scott. He may be the opposite of Devon’s own long-haired, tattooed, free-wheeling spirit but he brings out the nurturer in Devon. Maybe it’s Scott’s surprising fascination with Devon’s motorcycle, or his shy surprise in moments of affection, but there’s more under those sensible suits than meets the eye. The most important person in Devon’s life, his mom, taught him love and compassion and that’s all he wants to share with Scott. Their one-night stand turns into a regular thing, but Scott doesn’t trust it to last. He’s pretty sure Devon is hiding something. He’s even more sure that once Devon gets to know him, the attraction will fade. And then there’s his mother. However many sparks fly between them, Devon will have his work cut out to convince Scott they can have their happily ever after. (This book was first published as 2 short stories, but this new version has double the content from the originals.)

Word Count: Click here to reveal165000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: What does a former assassin do when he’s not out there… well… assassinating? Saving his species from extinction, of course. At least, that’s what Leopold wants to do with every molecule in his body. But the task won’t be fast or easy, and he can’t do it alone. Enter Mastrodai—a mrrog prince who has absolutely no desire to rule, much to his father’s exasperation. He craves the ability to prove his worth as a mate and to somehow atone for his actions that led to Leopold’s torture at the hands of an enemy. Making humans official would be a good start. But politics rule no matter what the species, and Mastrodai has to maneuver carefully and risk what he has built to give his mate what he deserves. And when he realizes both he and Leopold have deeper feelings for Alex, one of Mastrodai’s human slave women, he knows his future is out among the stars with his humans, not planet-bound with his kin. Unfortunately, before they can set their plan into motion, Leopold receives a vision that sends him reeling and questioning everything he knows about himself. A vision he must investigate, back to where he began—Lex, the backwater planet where he spent his early years, and where he swore never to return. Reader Discretion Advised: Includes violence throughout, PTSD, a scene of graphic torture, and the start of a consensual MMF relationship.

Word Count: Information not available

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

Summary: After breaking up with his partner, English professor Dr. Derek Chandler feels like a failure who will never win at romance. His aloof colleague, Dr. Macon Pinney, disagrees and pens an anonymous note of encouragement to Derek, which he signs “Cupid.” Thus begins an exchange of correspondence, a courtship through words where the two men find out they have a great deal in common. Meanwhile, Derek reaches out to Macon, not knowing Macon is his anonymous pen pal. Derek reveals through his letters that someone close by has piqued his interest. Could he mean Macon—or has Macon missed his opportunity and lost Derek to another man? Perhaps the time has come for Cupid to put in an appearance, and when better to do so than Valentine’s Day?

Word Count: Click here to reveal88766 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Beta Donnell Ursus Arctos devotes his life to protecting his leader and defending every bear in his clan. Some call him overprotective, but Donnell prioritizes safety. When he’s not working, Donnell has simple hobbies that others consider boring. Although Donnell is surrounded by family, wealth, and prestige, the bear shifter pines for Fate to pair him with the other half of his soul. For Joshua Brenton, little is going right. On the same day, Josh loses his job and his run-down apartment. But there is a bright light on the horizon—the annual retreat for mages. As an aqua mage, Josh has been disrespected since birth, but Fate has recently selected new leaders. After sweeping changes are made, Josh is randomly selected to prove his worth in the newly instituted mage testing. Josh is stunned when he meets the mage rulers and is invited to their home. Upon ringing the doorbell to the mansion, Josh meets Donnell, and they discover that they are mates. Although the pair are instantly drawn to each other, Josh learns he is more than a mage and must unravel a past he’d prefer to forget. It will be up to Josh and Donnell to chart a future while dealing with the surprises they encounter along the way.

Word Count: Click here to reveal98598 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary:

Seth Mason arrives at the Alphas’ Homestead under duress. The Council have made it clear that if his cousins, Caleb and Jacob, can’t tame Seth’s wild ways his very last chance will be used up and he’ll have nowhere left to go. Seth is horrified to find that he’s going to have to spend a year living in the backwaters of Nebraska. He hates the Alphas. He hates the dirt and the horses. He hates the nearby town and everyone in it. In fact, the only thing he doesn’t hate is Malcolm, the deputy sheriff. Unfortunately, Malcolm doesn’t seem to feel the same, especially when Seth uses his bad behavior to try to get the deputy’s attention. ~*~ Jacob feels for Seth—knowing what it’s like to lose family—but when his cousin’s bad behavior turns the town, not only against Seth but against all the werewolves at the homestead, he has to put his sympathies aside and fight to save his family and the place he’s called home for the last five years.

Sometimes the only shelter we can find from ourselves is in the hearts of others.

Word Count: Click here to reveal72000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: One night. Two identities. A love that threatens everything. Karl has always tried to avoid family obligations, but he would do anything for his twin brother, the Terengian ambassador in Vienna. When his brother falls ill, he has no choice but to take on his role. When Linus, the only man he has ever loved, turns up at the ball, Karl’s acting abilities fall short. Linus instantly sees through the charade and now, with their secret exposed, Karl's biggest threat isn't just the truth—it's the rekindling of a love he thought he could forget. Will that love be the kingdom’s downfall?

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

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

Summary: A dream vacation that could change everything... When my amazing best friend surprises me with the dream trip for my birthday, I couldn’t have been happier. But something went wrong with the booking and there's only one bed in the apartment. It shouldn’t be a problem. Except that I've been in love with my best friend for over a year and he doesn't know I'm bi. I know he's not interested in me that way, but my heart is telling me to go for it. But one night in that little bed could make things awkward at the very least–and it might ruin the best friendship I’ve ever had. Is giving into my desire worth the risk?

Word Count: Information not available

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

Summary: At the Coastal Carolina Highland Games, baker Martin Fletcher receives an unexpected visitor in the form of Fergus, Lyall McLannan’s escaped sheltie. When Fergus accidentally causes Martin to sprain his ankle, Lyall comes to the rescue, helping Martin run his booth at the Games. Unfortunately, Lyall doesn’t know a thing about baking, but he manages to avoid both disaster and Martin’s wrath by attracting patrons with his and Fergus’s showmanship. Martin accepts Lyall’s invitation to stay in his RV during the fair, getting to know the lawyer-turned-Highlander he’s watched from afar. Martin is captivated by Lyall’s charm… and the tantalizing view of him in a kilt. Entranced by Martin’s dedication to his work and love for Fergus, Lyall sets out to woo him with starlight and bagpipe music, because he’s discovered opposites can attract and love can be found in the most unexpected circumstances.

Word Count: Click here to reveal98950 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Ewan Matthews is one of Boston’s leading genealogy experts. When a would-be bridegroom comes looking for confirmation that there are no skeletons in his ancestral closet, Ewan considers turning the job down. Trey Capell is a jerk of the highest order and yet Ewan experiences an infuriating attraction that’s easy to justify. Trey’s exactly his type—a carbon copy of the man Ewan’s been looking for his entire life. Harder to explain is the sense of recognition that leaves Ewan speechless the moment Trey steps into his office. Or the stomach-churning sensation at the thought of casting the job aside. Trey gets more appealing by the day, leaving Ewan struggling with forbidden desire for his client. Desire not helped by strange voyeuristic dreams that have started to haunt his sleep. Dreams that appear to be an echo of the past. 98950 words

Word Count: Click here to reveal86000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Samuel Riley is gorgeous - tall, muscular, and intelligent. The girls love him. And so does his roommate, Aidan Flemming. Secretly, of course, because even the out and proud Aidan knows there are limits to Sammy's acceptance. Cursed to watch as Sammy dates half the co-eds on campus, a lonely Aidan spends his time writing, helping Sammy and his friends survive literature classes, and recovering from a disastrous love affair that left Aidan heartbroken. But when happiness finally comes for Aidan in the body of his roommate's fellow rower, all that changes. In Steven, Aidan finds happiness and romance. The rower, a blond, blue-eyed Adonis, makes Aidan feel desired and appreciated. But their very public courtship stirs up controversy and violence, and Aidan's life gets very complicated. Attacks rock the campus community, and in the middle of the upheaval, Aidan finds himself noticed by the last person he'd expect. Samuel Riley, his roommate, his impossible dream, and just possibly, a very jealous suitor. But the jealous suitor has a girlfriend. And she is not happy.

Word Count: Click here to reveal78000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Carter Wilkes believed in true mates—until a lifetime of ridicule and abuse shattered that dream, leaving him with a broken body and the certainty that no one could ever want a damaged wolf. Rey Featherstone has waited his whole life for the mate fate promised. He never imagined his first mistake would almost drive that mate away. Now, he’ll do anything to prove to Carter that he is worthy of love, safety, and a forever he thought was lost. As Carter finds his voice and strength in Rey’s hometown, a shadow from his past refuses to let go. His abusive ex is back, and this time, he’s not just out for control—he’s out for blood. Fate forges true-mate bonds. But only by fighting for their lives can they prove it’s strong enough to last. Please note, there is violence, domestic abuse, some slight anger management issues, reference to off-page dub-con between MC and ex. Tags: Fated mates, tattoos are delicious, coffee affects Carter oddly, height different – small/large, True Mates, protective enforcer, Senaka wolf pack, The Friendly Reboot is the perfect name, exes are the worst, Carter is a chatterbox.

Word Count: Click here to reveal35000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Jane always thought she'd live a fairly ordinary life. Then the world broke and changed everything. Jane never expected to be the one running the local unofficial orphanage. But while it wasn't what she had planned, she wouldn't trade it for anything. She loves her kids and the life they've all built. She's happy just trying to stay under the radar while keeping them all fed and out of the clutches of the local militia. Things are going well until her kids surprise her with an unconscious woman on the kitchen table, not even an hour after the militia was in the front yard looking for the same woman. Jane has no issue hiding someone from the militia as long as they aren't an actual criminal, so together the household nurses Livy back to health. It doesn't take long for Livy's bright smile to start chipping away at Jane's short but sturdy walls. Can Jane let down her guard enough for Livy to slip through? And what will Livy do if she does? She wasn't ready for her world to change again…but love has a mind of its own.

Word Count: Click here to reveal84000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Ethan Hockey season is over, and that means one thing—returning home to my empty condo. With nothing to distract me from this loneliness, it’s going to be a miserable summer. Then I hire Luca for one night. At least, it was supposed to be one night. Luca Ethan isn’t like my other clients (not that I have many these days). He’s nice. He’s genuine. He doesn’t treat me like I’m here to earn my pay. When he asks me to make this a regular thing for the summer, my wallet doesn’t leave me much choice. But I’m pretty sure my heart isn’t supposed to get involved. Gentlemen of the Emerald City Luca is Book 1 of Gentlemen of the Emerald City, a sexy series centered around the high class, high-dollar Gentlemen of Seattle’s most exclusive escort service. Each book is full of snark, sass, and sweetness, and like any Emerald City client, you’re guaranteed a happy ending.

Word Count: Click here to reveal90000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Alan I haven't been out with a guy in the last two years. Partly because I'm a gay elementary-school teacher in a fairly small, conservative town. Partly because I'm a sorcerer, and dating ordinary humans only leads to trouble. Sleeping with one though? That's doable, so when my birdbrained familiar Sunny lines up a tall, muscular firefighter for me, I'm not going to say no. Just once, though. Maybe twice. I don't need more trouble in my life. Jason I don't regret moving back to my hometown and my big family. Well, not much. I'm not out to them, and I miss the anonymity of the big city, but I like the local fire house and the slower-paced life. Still, when I see my niece's teacher, Mr. Hiranchai, in gray sweatpants talking to a mini-parrot on his shoulder, something inside me (or maybe something in front of me) perks up and says "I want that one." I can't have an actual boyfriend, but I sure wouldn't mind getting laid, and Alan's slim, dark-haired, smart-assed style rings all my bells. It's no surprise we turn out to be great together, even if my job and his responsibilities make it hard to find time. It is a surprise when I realize I want more than just an occasional night. But some weird fires out in the brush keep us firefighters hopping, and when this strange carnival comes to town and lands me with a pair of magical doll shoes, life gets truly confusing. There's more to Alan than he's telling me, and I'm getting a bad, bad feeling about all this. Magic Burning is a story in the Necromancer universe, 60 years after Marked by Death, and is part of the multi-author Carnival of Mysteries Series. Each book stands alone, but each one includes at least one visit to Errante Ame’s Carnival of Mysteries, a magical, multiverse traveling show full of unusual acts, games, and rides. The Carnival changes to suit the world it’s on, so each visit is unique and special. This book contains a snarky, matchmaking bird, a lonely young teacher, and a gay firefighter finally coming out to his large family.

Word Count: Click here to reveal93511 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: He specializes in drinks, not feelings. With a passion shaken not stirred, can the new guy serve up romance? If love ever walked into his bar, mixologist Nicholas Valentine would send it right back out the door. Figuring casual hookups are the best he can expect, he’d rather give his time to his makeshift family of inebriated patrons. But when the delicious new bouncer catches his eye, he can’t deny the flutters of his watered-down heart. Former soldier Davis “FatBoy” Newman can’t imagine coming out. But when the snarky hunk behind the bar proves irresistible, he wonders if he should risk it all for love. And after days of subtle hints and flirty looks, the smitten security man finally secures an after-hours first kiss. Just as Nicholas thinks he might have something real, St. Patrick’s Day shenanigans and an offensive live Irish band conspire to keep them apart. And while FatBoy is head-over-heels, staying safely in the closet may cost him everything. Can their perfectly mixed connection pour them a happily-ever-after?    

Word Count: Click here to reveal90000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Crofton Hall is buzzing with anticipation for the filming of the Secret Histories TV special about a scandalous affair that has been hidden for over four hundred years. The hall's new historian, Dara Callaghan, is drawn not just by the hall's rich history but to TV producer, Nathan Lorimer. Nathan is finally ready to start dating again, several years after the death of his husband. There's something about Dara, a quietly spoken Irishman, and the romance that surrounds Crofton Hall, that makes him want to take a chance. Meanwhile, Ben Redbourn, 16th Earl of Crofton, is trying to persuade his boyfriend Ashley Niven that he'd like to don doublet and hose and play Sebastian to his Anthony. But Ashley's not having any of it... until someone else agrees to the take the part of the 1st Earl of Crofton's lover. This is the second Modern Crofton novel, featuring Benjamin Redbourn, the 16th Earl of Crofton and descendant of Anthony Redbourn, 1st Earl of Crofton from my historical series, The Crofton Chronicles. While designed to be read as a standalone, events that lead to this novel follow chronologically from Saving Crofton Hall. Trigger warnings: discussion of grief and dealing with bereavement