Books Tagged With format - paperback

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

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

Summary: Cathal Kinnery is an arrogant, overeducated jerk, and Damon Eglamore is not afraid to tell him so. But Damon married Cathal’s best friend, so they have an uneasy truce. Then she passes away. Now they’re stuck together in close quarters, trying to honor her memory without shouting at each other all the time. At first, they have no idea how to move forward. Damon is a chef, but all his favorite recipes remind him of his late wife. Cathal would love to start tomcatting around town again, except for that annoying promise he made to his best friend about looking after Damon. Then Damon’s son comes to them for help, convinced the only way to win over his first crush is a gender-bending Shakespeare production. After that, Cathal talks Damon into taking up baking as a new way to use his talents. Next thing they know, they’ve begun a new life working as a team instead of jumping at each other’s throats. But can they trust each other long enough to make it last, or will they fall into old bad habits again?

Word Count: Click here to reveal54750 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: DOA becomes BRB when this client goes MIA… When I agreed to accompany my selkie boyfriend on a private boat trip, I didn’t realize the invitation included a swim. In the Pacific. In November. Naked. And I certainly didn’t expect to have our swim derailed the instant I got in the water—holy crap, that’s c-c-cold—by a literal boatload of selkie clan leaders. Climbing out of the water in front of them—did I mention naked? Yeah, way to make a brilliant first impression. Then things get worse: I get served. Not in the metaphorical sense, either. Nope, I’m being sued. By Death. Well, not Death precisely, but an Ankou—a Celtic psychopomp who escorts the departed to their final destinations. This guy is miffed that his workload has increased exponentially, which he blames on my actions in Sheol on an earlier case. I’m not about to take the heat when eons of shady demon shenanigans finally come home to roost, but here at Quest Investigations, we aid any and all supernatural folk in need—especially if they’ll drop their specious lawsuits against the agency’s lone human. When the Ankou skips out on us, though, all hell breaks loose. Because without anyone to lead them on, the dearly departed become nearly departed and stick around to party hearty. Now it’s not just the selkie leaders complicating my love life—it’s the ex-living as well. And when one of the ex-living decides not to remain ex? Things get really complicated, not to mention deadly. Dammit. Death on Denial is the fourth in the Quest Investigations M/M mystery series, a spinoff of E.J. Russell’s Mythmatched paranormal rom-com story world. It contains no on-page sex or violence, and although there is a romantic subplot, it is not a romance. The series is best read in order.

Word Count: Click here to reveal27900 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Stiles Long and Michael O’Leary were asked to join two agents from the Secret Service to break up a counterfeiting ring. They didn’t usually work with other agents, but since several Secret Service agents had been killed, the president wanted the Pinkertons in on the job. Reginald McCullough did not want to be anywhere near his uncle, but this was a chance for him to move up in the ranks. His new partner, Rochelle Warner, was a stranger, but he’d do whatever it took to do a good job. When he entered his uncle’s office in St. Louis, he was shocked to see his old lover, Michael O’Leary there as well. The assignment would take them on a new Pullman train across several states and cities. Death seemed to be at every turn. Stiles, Michael, Reginald, and Rochelle; all had attempts made on their lives. Every clue seemed to lead to a dead end. Could Reginald pull Michael away from Stiles?  Could they discover who the head of the counterfeit ring was before the end of the line in Santa Barbara, or would they end up just another dead agent riding the Death Train?

Word Count: Click here to reveal93508 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Greyson Variusdraconis is a newly shifted dragon searching for purpose. Growing up in the Consilium Veneficus, his tutors taught him not to trust Fate. Raised by his elder brother who serves their king directly, Greyson still lives under his sibling’s roof. King Varius recently signed a treaty, so Greyson’s job is guarding wizards. Greyson finds it boring, and he worries his brother will never accept his desire to avoid a political arranged marriage. As a child, Morgen Bassett struggled to find his footing. Two centuries later, the wizard works in a tiny library, lacks family, and has a rented room barely large enough for its furniture. Although Morgen’s early education included mentions of matebonds, the split between the Council of Sorcery and Shifters and the Consilium changed everything. With no promise of his other half or anything else, Morgen is doing little more than surviving. On an otherwise normal trip to the supermarket, Greyson and Morgen meet, and neither man is prepared for the force of their connection. Not long after the sparks fly between them, Greyson accepts a mission to infiltrate the Draconis High Court of D’Vaire. The pair will have to find a way to stay together. Should they be successful in gaining entry, they’ll also need to learn how to unearth all the D’Vaire secrets. However, Greyson and Morgen will soon find that nothing about their lives is what it seems.

Word Count: Information not available

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

Summary: There's no leverage like seduction...until love takes a big bite out of Adin's plans. As the Indiana Jones of historical erotica, there is no document Adin Tredeger can't unearth. Why he would risk the biggest coup of his career to join the mile-high club is beyond him. Nevertheless, the disarming, dark-eyed vampire Donte somehow enters Adin's locked airplane washroom and has him completely nude and coming apart, all without a whimper of protest. From that moment, Adin and Donte engage in an international battle of wit and cunning. The prize is a priceless 500-year-old journal with illustrations so erotic the Marquis de Sade would blush. Yet Donte's desire for the journal goes far beyond simple possession. He wrote it. And he's not above using every trick in his otherworldly arsenal—including seduction—to get his journal back. Chemistry draws them together even as fortune tugs them apart. When a third party enters the chase, will Adin and Donte join forces to fight an enemy with a deadly goal—to erase Donte from history forever?

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

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

Summary: Riding the unexpected success of his video channel for as long as it holds out, reluctant influencer Marcus Holloway is on a road trip to find the best pizza in each state. It’s a solitary journey, but he has his dog and kitten for company. What more could he need? When he interrupts another influencer trying to exploit a homeless person for clout, though, he finds himself on a most unexpected detour. Blake Wyatt is already down on his luck, living out of his car a thousand miles from anything he might call home. And it only gets worse when someone steals the car. The obnoxious jerk with the camera is just more humiliation. Then a softspoken savior intervenes… and turns Blake’s world on its head. Now they’re riding together, and as the miles fly by, both men realize how badly they’ve longed for connection and companionship. Blake adores Marcus’s kindness and his laidback vibe. Marcus melts every time his kitten falls asleep on Blake. And that’s to say nothing of the chemistry steadily heating up between them. But this isn’t forever. Blake has to get his life back in the rails. Marcus still has thousands of miles to travel. They can avoid it for a while, but sooner or later, their paths will diverge. As goodbye looms, though, neither is ready to let go. Maybe they don’t have to. Deep Dish is a standalone slow burn road trip romance. CW: moderate childhood trauma, past parentification, discussion of Covid-19/pandemic, homelessness, smear campaigns/accusations of abuse, brief mentions of a neglected animal, mild trauma responses in a rescued pet. If you have questions about this content warning or are concerned about specific content/triggers, please do not hesitate to email the author.

Word Count: Click here to reveal92,000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Henry Gennevios is an enchanter with little magic, but his lack of sorcery doesn’t bother him. Growing up in the chaos of his parents’ matebond, Henry escaped into his passion for food. Now, Henry is a famous chef with dozens of restaurants, best-selling cookbooks, and a successful line of kitchen products with his name slapped on them. Seristyn Cith-Oridi was raised in his father’s elf tribe, but he’s a hybrid with no friends and a father who dictates every aspect of his life. His family life is tumultuous, but Seristyn has quietly rebelled since he was a child. He devotes his ample energy to dance classes and chasing his dreams. On an otherwise ordinary morning, Seristyn and Henry meet. Instantly infatuated, they follow elven tradition and are mated within a few days. Despite the challenges Fate soon throws in their path, Henry and Seristyn are equally determined to build a matebond full of love and friendship.

Word Count: Click here to reveal95,502 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Sometimes when you don’t know what you want, life gives you what you need. When Neil Markovic witnesses the murder of his mother by Bone Men, his world is thrown into turmoil. On the run from the assassins that killed her, his sorcerer father and the police, Neil finds help in the form of a tall half-fae alchemist named Malachai. Mal seems more accepting than most of Neil’s demon bloodline but curiously immune to his charms. Malachai Valentine, disgraced scion of a noble leprechaun clan, back in the Old Country, is happy living as an anonymous scrap dealer. Using his talent for alchemy to make fuel and potions, most days he doesn’t even think of his ruinous past. When a scared young man with a fancy car crashes into his life, at first, Mal thinks he can do without the hassle. But as Neil begins to get under his skin, Mal reassesses his hopes and ambitions. Harassed by megalomaniac fae and stalked by sorcerous killers at every turn, Malachai and Neil must fight to be free, and to find what they both always wanted.

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

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

Summary: Sir Gerard Fogg, knight in the Royal Guard of the kingdom of Algonwick, is in love with the King’s only son, Prince Tristan Fysher. The two men carry on a secret, sexual affair and proclaim their undying love for one another, only to have it torn apart by an intruder from the future. A white supremacist named Malcolm, stumbling on a time portal between 2006 and their time of 1456, murders Tristan and escapes to the future. Sentenced to death for failing to protect the Prince, Gerard is freed by the King’s advisor, Ranulf Godfrey, the one man who knows where to find the murdering Malcolm. The two men travel through time to 2006 to discover the castle they love in ruins and a handsome young researcher named Jon Calder cataloging the artifacts of Algonwick’s forgotten age. Jon, who has never felt as though he fit in anywhere except the ruins of this castle, is the vessel within which resides the soul of the murdered Prince. As Gerard and Jon embark on a journey of sexual discovery more than 500 years in the making, the murderous Malcolm circles ever closer.

Word Count: Click here to reveal78967 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: The last straw was the stun gun. Dex knew it was either flee or die. Ross’s increasingly hateful treatment over the last two years was getting even worse. Leaving his job as lead platform dancer at Over the Rainbow was hard, but he’d find work somewhere else—somewhere far away—somewhere with friendly people and a chance to do what he did best. The job at Hill Country Hideaway seemed perfect. He would teach guests some of his moves. What could be easier? Then he meets Husker, and he’s in trouble again. How could he resist the gorgeous man? Husker was straight, that’s how. But maybe not. Then Ross catches up with him, and his ideal world falls apart. Imprisoned again, he wonders how he could escape Ross's even tighter rein. Would he ever see Husker again?

Word Count: Click here to reveal67880 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Vic Onelasa is a half-black, half-Cherokee ex-gang member with a rap sheet long and varied enough to make his juvie officers shake their heads in dismay. He was heading for either prison or an early grave until he washed up at Diamond Bar Alpha Ranch's home for troubled LGBT youth and found a new purpose in life. Angel Rathbone-DeBartolio is an up-and-coming young corporate exec, heir to one of the largest fortunes in the country. His world of helicopters, sports cars, fast women, and posh parties couldn't be further removed from Vic's life of dust, sweat, horses, and cattle. When the two meet, neither one is prepared for the immediate attraction between them. Vic's terrible life choices are largely a matter of public record. With Angel's past full of corporate scandal, parties, and one night stands, you'd expect him to be the one with skeletons hidden in his closet. But you'd be wrong. Vic has one secret left. A secret that has sent every romantic partner he's ever had running for the hills. And when Angel stumbles across it by accident, Vic knows with complete certainty that he's about to lose the fragile new connection he's only just allowed himself to want. * * * Diamond Bar Alpha 2: Vic and Angel is an LGBT romance with a “happy ever after” ending and no cliffhanger. While it takes place in the same setting as Diamond Bar Alpha Ranch, both books can be read as standalone novels.

Word Count: Click here to reveal49152 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: A young cowhand with an uncertain future, drowning in debt. A wealthy rancher with a mysterious past, drowning in booze. A single chance at happiness in the face of impossible odds. Jace has been in the closet ever since he first realized he was gay. Not only is his personal life a mess, but now, hard on the heels of losing his mother to cancer, he’s about to lose their farm to the bank. An unexpected job offer from complete strangers could be his only opportunity to save it. After betrayal and addiction stole away everything Remy ever cared about, he figured that managing a promising desert reclamation project in bum-fuck Nevada and drinking himself to sleep every night was about the best he could hope for out of life. He never expected to fall for a clean-cut cowboy with a cartload of horse savvy and a giant chip on his shoulder. Too bad one of them is a broken-down wreck, and the other has the closet door locked so tight that he may never see the light of day. Because if there’s one thing Remy has never believed in, it’s fairytale endings. Though there is another book in the Love in the Desert series, Diamond Bar Alpha Ranch is a standalone HEA gay romance novel with no cliffhanger. It contains explicit sex scenes, as well as hot cowboys with issues—which is probably why you're here in the first place. (No cattle, horses, or hot cowboys were harmed during the making of this novel.)

Word Count: Information not available

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

Summary: Diamonds in the Rough is an opposites attract, single dad, insta-family romance featuring a rancher cowboy and a New York City manny looking for a summer job. When Asher Allen heads west to become the nanny to a family in New Mexico for the summer, he’s expecting three kids who’ve lost their parents. He’s expecting to have to step in and save the day so their uncle, the cowboy who took them in, can get back to work on the family ranch. What he doesn’t expect is to fall so hard for New Mexico. And for his new boss. Sebastian Martindale is about to give up and make a run for it when Ash arrives. His niece hates him, he never gets enough sleep, and he can’t juggle three small kids and the mountain of work that needs to get done. Despite his total exhaustion he’s skeptical when his mom hires a nanny, but once Ash shows up, Bastian isn’t sure how he’d managed without the man. Together, Bastian and Ash have to navigate the children's grief, the first day of school, helping the kids understand they have a home right where they are, and falling for each other at the same time. Can they work it all out and polish up the diamonds in the rough they find?

Word Count: Information not available

Character Identities: Information not available

Summary: International Book Awards Finalist for L.G.B.T.Q. FICTION Landscaper, Diego Castillo struggles daily under the weight of his secret. He’s forced to hide his desire for other men from his family. Lately, the only time he can really be himself is when he’s with his landscaping client, Winston—a man of beauty and considerable wealth. They come from two different worlds, but in Winston he senses a vulnerable kindred spirit, and even though getting involved with Winston isn’t a good idea, he’s powerless to stay away. Winston Makena is suffering, too. All his millions can’t buy a minute’s peace from the crushing grief he’s felt since his husband’s death. The only relief he finds these days is when he’s with Diego in the garden. Despite their differences, Winston finds himself inexorably drawn to Diego’s honesty, kindness, and gentle soul. But can he ever truly love again? It’s not long before Diego and Winston’s clandestine attraction grows into something much more complicated, and as cultures clash, misunderstandings mount, and secrets loom, they’re left to wonder if the cost of following their hearts is more than they can ever pay…  

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

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

Summary: Izaak Calloway is young, carefree, and ambitious. He has everything a young gay man could want: the love and support of his family, a promising career with the money to match, and his own place and a fancy new car. And, when it comes to sex – he is an expert in that field. The one thing Izaak knew how to do is pull a man and he isn’t ashamed of his many adventurous sexcapades. While sleeping around with “trade” is fun, Izaak wants something more profound. He wants a meaningful relationship. Late one night while Izaak was out eating, he saw the man who would forever change his life. A chance encounter with that same guy, DeMarkkis, a few weeks later would help set the stage for a romantic rendezvous between the pair. To Izaak, outwardly, DeMarkkis “Squirrel” Sanders is the perfect man and lover. And while DeMarkkis only has eyes for Izaak, his past raised some questions. Will DeMarkkis ever be able to escape those old demons, or would they eventually find its way into their new relationship? Join Izaak and DeMarkkis on the first part of this two-book adventure as they test the waters of a young, burgeoning relationship. Will DeMarkkis be Izaak’s knight in shining armor, or will external factors cause this relationship to go up in flames?

Word Count: Click here to reveal81669 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Unearthing the past brings them closer together…and to danger. A maniac is on the loose in London, drugging young women and assaulting them before burying them in shallow graves. When Inspector John Cordiline asks Jake Chivis for his unique assistance as a Fire Elemental with the Cemetery Rapist case, he feels he can hardly refuse. What begins as a simple job—trying to get memories from a suspect to aid conviction—soon takes a darker turn when one of the victims dies and an offer of help comes from an unexpected and unwelcome source. Dr. Mari Gale is disturbed to find that his former lover Tomas Arregui is London and wants to meet with him. Despite his best efforts to avoid the man, fate seems to be pushing him onto a collision course with Tomas. And the impact will cast him into more trouble than he could ever have imagined. Digging deeper for the truth could be the death of them.

Word Count: Information not available

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

Summary: Henry Appleby has an appetite for life. As a recent high school graduate and the son of a wealthy family in one of Chicago’s affluent North Shore suburbs, his life is laid out for him. Unfortunately, though, he’s being forced to follow in the footsteps of his successful attorney father instead of living his dream of being a chef. When an opportunity comes his way to work in a real kitchen the summer after graduation, at a little Italian joint called Fiorello’s, Henry jumps at the chance, putting his future in jeopardy. Years ago, life was a plentiful buffet for Vito Carelli. But a tragic turn of events now keeps the young chef at Fiorello’s quiet and secretive, preferring to let his amazing Italian peasant cuisine do his talking. When the two cooks meet over an open flame, sparks fly. Both need a taste of something more—something real, something true—to separate the good from the bad and find the love—and the hope—that just might be their salvation.

Word Count: Information not available

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

Summary: It only takes a few days for Ollie D'Angelo to lose his boyfriend, his job, and his home. Instead of mourning what he doesn’t have, Ollie celebrates what he does: the freedom to pursue his real passion—cooking. He begins Dinner at Home, a home-catering business, and it takes off. Late one night, Ollie catches Hank Mellinger, a streetwise hood down on his luck, about to rob his car. Ollie soon discovers that appearances aren’t necessarily what they seem. Hank isn’t a criminal caught red-handed, but a hungry young man trying to make a life for himself and the four-year-old niece he’s trying desperately to take care of. Instead of calling the cops, Ollie offers Hank a job and a way to pull himself up by his bootstraps. Together, they discover they can really cook... and that their shared passion for food just might lead to a passion for each other.

Word Count: Information not available

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

Summary: Personal chef Beau St. Clair, recently divorced from his cheating husband, returns to the small Ohio River town where he grew up to lick his wounds. Jack Rogers lives with his mother, Maisie, in that same small town, angry at and frightened of the world. Jack has a gap in his memory that hides something he dares not face, and he’s probably suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. Maisie, seeking relief from her housebound and often surly son, hires Beau to cook for Jack, hoping the change might help bring Jack, once a handsome and vibrant attorney, back to his former self. But can a new face and comfort food compensate for the terror lurking in Jack’s past? Slowly the two men begin a dance of revelation and healing. Food and compassion build a bridge between Beau and Jack, a bridge that might lead to love. But will Jack’s demons allow it? His history could just as easily tear them apart as bring them together.

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

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

Summary: Shortlisted for the 2024 Lambda Literary Award in Gay Romance. Shortlisted for the 2024 Midwest Book Award for Fantasy/Scifi. A graduate student and an archivist fight a god. Fall, 1969. Ulysses Lenkov should be working on his dissertation. Instead, he's caught up in the troubles of ghosts and hapless magic users. But when his clients start vanishing, he worries there's something afoot that’s worse than an unavenged death. The last word on the victim's lips? Dionysus. Sam Sterling just moved back to Madison and is already embroiled in a family crisis. But his peaceful days as an archivist come to an end when the magnetic, mistrustful Ulysses turns up with a warning. There's a god coming, and it's coming for Sam. As the two men's lives grow ever more intertwined, they face harrowing demon attacks, family secrets, and the race to a solution that doesn't end in heartbreak and death. As the solstice draws near, so does a deadly showdown that threatens both Sam and the city itself. Dionysus in Wisconsin is the first in a new series of urban fantasy/historical M/M romances set in Madison, WI in the late 1960s/early 1970s. It doesn't end on a cliffhanger and can be read as a stand-alone.