Books Tagged With potential trigger - death

Word Count: Information not available

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

Summary: “Rowdy” Randy Cox, a woman staring down the barrel of retirement, is a curmudgeonly blue-collar butch lesbian, who has been single for twenty years and is trying to date again. At the end of a long, exhausting shift, Randy finds her supervisor, Bryant, pinned and near death at the warehouse where they work. Upon the news of his death, she battles to find a balance between the joys of an exciting new relationship and the struggles of processing her supervisor’s unexpected passing. The manner of her supervisor’s death leaves Randy unsettled and suspicious as she gets sucked into both a criminal investigation led by the police and an administrative investigation conducted by her employer. As Randy seeks the truth, trust erodes, key friendships are strengthened, and more loss awaits her.

Word Count: Click here to reveal71000 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealNon Binary, Pansexual, Polyamorous (Click here to hide)

Summary: Left alone after a tsunami destroyed eir village, Lefeng would have walked into the mountains and not looked back. But a child lost on the trails redirected eir course and another survivor planted the seed of an idea – a new family. Lefeng's commitment to those ey comes to love will take em to the hated city and a new way of life. But in a slowly dying city, Lefeng's determination can only carry them so far. Set in a genderless world of polyamorous marriage, communal care work and multi-generational families, this queernormative tale abounds with details ranging from trauma recovery and neurodivergence to winter romance and city politics. Lovers of cozy narratives can soak in the story of long, steady, unsung work in these pages, the effort and joys of building lives together and building each other up. It's an experience that will stay with you for a while. If you can't get enough of found family and queer fiction in fantasy, you'll love Planting Life in a Dying City.

Word Count: Click here to reveal71390 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: To the outside observer Ava Carmichael seemed to have it all. She was a young, successful heart surgeon married to a loving wife who had supported her through the darkest of times. But when Ava starts to feel unfulfilled by her idyllic life she looks elsewhere to satisfy her need to live life to the fullest, finding it in a second job which brings Kacey Hudson into her life. The dark, mysterious woman sparks the passion Ava craves, but the lies she tells to keep her job and Kacey hidden come with a steep price and it’s one Ava cannot afford. Will the thrill of living an uninhibited life be the thing to save Ava or will it cause her to drown in the lies she’s told?

Word Count: Click here to reveal47000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Ted MacTaggart's overbearing father is still trying to control his life, even from the grave. His will insists that, in order to inherit the family company, MAC Superior, Ted must be married by his twenty-fifth birthday -- and the marriage has to be "real." As in the board of MAC has to sign off on it.   Ted could fight the will, but then the handsome, artistic Ryan Costa, an old friend from school days walks back into his life, offering to be his groom-of-convenience. Ted draws up the contracts and Ryan, who has family medical bill problems, agrees gladly to the terms. Ted, emotionally walled off and afraid of his attraction to Ryan, also suggests they should keep their relationship strictly professional. Caring for people has always proven a weakness for him. Now isn't the time to start.   It's not long before Ryan's charm breaks through Ted's walls, but Ted isn't his own worst enemy in this case. Other forces are vying for MAC Superior, and even when their relationship is becoming the real deal, its shaky foundations land Ryan and Ted in trouble.

Word Count: Click here to reveal52000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Staging a musical in Purgatory can be absolute hell. Lonnie Coleridge last saw the sun in 1968. Since then, he’s been consigned to Limbo, still wearing the same tie-dyed T-shirt and bell-bottomed jeans he had on when he left his life behind. He and others like him have one chance each year at redemption: produce a show for the Greek pantheon. Whoever pleases this very specific—and temperamental—fan group could earn the right to move on. But after a literal act of god (*cough* Hermes *cough*) destroys their sets, lights, and costumes, the company needs emergency help to rebuild. Without it, all of them could poof out of existence forever. Out-of-work theater technician TD Baylor has precisely three things on his cosmic wish list: a job, a place to stay, and a boyfriend who isn’t a total tool. He thinks he’s got the first two nailed when he gets a line on a two-week gig that includes room and board. So what if the job tip came from a guy who was leaning way too hard into the LOTR cosplay at a sketchy Halloween pop-up? At this point, TD doesn’t have anything more to lose, so he figures…what the hell. He didn’t realize hell was the operative word. When Lonnie greets him at the theater door, though...whoa. TD fantasizes that item number three could be within his reach. But then Lonnie gives him the bad news: This is Purgatory Playhouse, aka Theater of the Darned. In two weeks—if they’re lucky and can successfully mount a musical version of A Midsummer Night’s Dream—the company will return to Limbo after the curtain falls. If they’re not lucky? Remember that part about hell? Purgatory Playhouse is part of the multi-author Magic Emporium Series. Each book stands alone, but each one features an appearance by Marden’s Magic Emporium, a shop that can appear anywhere, but only once and only when someone’s in dire need. This book contains a theater techie who’s one couch surf away from homeless, a production assistant who’s sort of, um, not alive, Greek gods behaving very badly indeed, and a guaranteed HEA.

Word Count: Click here to reveal22416 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: The Mating Games gathering has arrived! Finding ones mate is not always easy. Not everyone's mate is always the same species and the Council knows this, so they designed a way for all types of shifters and other paranormals to come together. Have some fun, meet new people, and if you are one of the lucky ones....find your mate. Just being a skunk shifter, isn't easy. Try being a skunk as well as a socially inept genius. For Ricky, that was his life. However, he was now at the Mating Games to try and change who he is. He wanted a mate. He wanted someone that would love him for who he is and not think him strange or boring. Derk had been trying to find his mate for years. With the urging of his best friend, Derk said he would give the Mating Games gathering one last chance. Being the quarterback to the large shifter football team requires lots of practice. However, he didn't expect it to bring him to his adorable mate. The thing is, not only does Derk want him, but so does the Council, and they will do whatever it takes to have Ricky in their possession. Can Derk keep his mate safe, or will the council jump in and intercept his mating.

Word Count: Information not available

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

Summary: As the only child of the Raven Kingand grandson of the Morrigan, Lorcan has known his entire life that he will someday inherit his father’s place and his title. But the Raven King had an heir before Lorcan’s birth, and Lorcan’s cousin will not relinquish the title without a fight, especially not to a raven shifter with white feathers. Kidnapped from his home and sold into slavery to fight in the gladiatorial arenas of Rome, Lorcan must learn quickly how to survive in a world where entertainment is murder, diplomacy is betrayal, and love is a commodity. And where a raven who is only supposed to ever have one mate will somehow find two–the daughter of the man who owns him… and the grandson of the Roman Emperor himself.

Word Count: Click here to reveal63482 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Danny Jarvis returns to his roots after the death of his abusive stepfather, expecting to sell his mother’s house and get back to his home in Los Angeles as fast as he can. A surprise stepbrother and the childhood coward who’d thrown him to the wolves to protect his own secret disrupt his plans. Todd Larson hadn’t ever expected Danny to return to town, but when his schoolboy crush reappears, he makes every effort to atone for his actions and convince Danny to give him a chance. With Danny’s stepfather’s will not quite making sense, Danny and Todd try to navigate their new reality. The unexpected arrival of Danny’s overly helpful friends test the fragile peace they’ve managed to achieve, but sinister events threaten both their lives and the child in their care.   Rediscovering Todd is the first book of the three-book Black Rock Cult Series.

Word Count: Click here to reveal102,000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: San Francisco’s legendary promise of acceptance draws Xander Peters to its streets like a rainbow beacon. Despite his parents’ cruel rejection after coming out to them, he is hopeful of the future awaiting him there. Entranced with the sights and sounds of the city he is blissfully unaware of the dangers lurking behind the friendly faces. Jamie Beck watches from the shadows of the bathhouse as a rowdy group of leather daddies try coercing the young twink inside. Unable to idly stand by while the men bait the naive teen, he steps into the crowd and rescues Xander from eminent danger. When Jamie offers Xander the spare bedroom in exchange for help with his ailing partner, he jumps at the opportunity. He’s won the lottery—free room and board in trade for a few hours each day of caretaking. However, the year is 1985 and the AIDS epidemic is relentless. Charles Greyson has a gift for making money. He is a successful lawyer and he harbors a secret. His newest client has a penchant for finding trouble and it’s his job to keep the young activist out of jail. Greyson recognizes his attraction to the young man, but he has a legal obligation to fulfill, and his interest in Xander only impedes his need to stay closeted. Over the course of three decades Remembrance and Renewal recounts the years AIDS savaged a generation. It is the story of one survivor’s journey toward the promise of love in a world left wary by the ravages of a pandemic.

Word Count: Click here to reveal20000 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Information not available

Summary: It should have ended with their deaths. But dying was just the beginning. Sentenced to eternal life for sacrificing themselves in battle, warriors Taz and Hiro must take turns living as human and Guardian on opposing sides of the veil, with only a chance to catch a glance of each other in the moment of death. Until an attack forces Taz and Hiro to make a choice. Should they cling to what little solace they’ve carved out for themselves? Or should they sacrifice their lives to save countless others and risk the wrath of the Judges for a second time? For an emotional, heart-wrenching read, follow Taz and Hiro as they fight for a chance to be together!

Word Count: Click here to reveal95400 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Alan Baxter’s lost the bulk of his savings and is struggling to make ends meet as a deejay in suburban Detroit. When he takes a job as a repo agent, he is dismayed to discover his first assignment is a car belonging to his drug dealer ex-boyfriend, Jason. In the middle of a heavy downpour, Alan's plan to quietly drive away with the cherry-red Mustang is derailed by a flat tire, and when a cop stops to offer assistance, they discover a body in the trunk, and Alan finds himself the prime suspect. While trying to prove his innocence to the overworked and perpetually crabby Detective Treadwell, Alan and his best friends, Sabrina and Gus, find themselves caught up in a dangerous mystery involving a lethal new street drug sweeping through Detroit's club scene. When his apartment mysteriously goes up in flames, Alan, along with Sabrina and his traumatized cat, Baxter, are forced to move in with his overly supportive father, Everly. Between dodging bullets, tracking down Jason, dealing with his home insurance company, and trying to stay employed, Alan must track down the drug supplier before he and those he cares about end up as nothing more than case files on Detective Treadwell's desk.

Word Count: Click here to reveal51000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: You can never escape from yourself. When Darach McNaughton returns to his home town, the one thing he isn’t looking for is love. But when he meets the mysterious Brice Drummond, his investigative instinct isn’t the only thing aroused. After a gang beats Brice Drummond, leaves him for dead, and needing to use a wheelchair, he ends up in a witness protection program. His only company is a beautiful cat aptly named Princess. He creates beautiful pieces of art, but allows no one into his life—until a handsome policeman appears out of nowhere. On a snowy night, Darach McNaughton returns a crying cat to its owner and is immediately curious about the beautiful man with the tattoos. Bit by bit, Darach uncovers the shocking truth about Brice’s history. Can he get past what he discovers? Can Brice let someone into his life? Or will the past catch up with them both and tear their fledgling love apart?

Word Count: Click here to reveal52000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Denial helped Diego survive childhood trauma, but if he wants a future with Beck, he must embrace the heritage he left behind. Eager to escape the shadows of a tragic loss, Diego walks away from the heritage his abuela offers. Right or wrong, he gambles and fights for a new and uncomplicated life. With his best friend at his side, Diego doesn’t want to push the boundaries of their friendship. He’s lost enough and doesn’t want to lose Beck, too. When he finally admits he’s been in love with Beck for years, their relationship takes a happy turn. But peace is easily shattered, as he’s learned all too well, and this time it’s ruined by the arrival of a mysterious package and dangerous men hell bent on violence. Memories of a dead brother and an untouchable drug lord inevitably rise to the surface. Diego dreads the idea that the man he loves is mired in the world Diego tried to escape. But Beck’s secrets aren’t so simple, and neither is the world in which Diego has been living… Tags: deny-deny-deny-deny, Diego does a lot of that, sometimes posturing works and other times it doesn’t, the bat actually gets used, secret love of lacy things, Diego will do anything to protect his family, fire alarm in the bedroom, everybody has secrets, friends to lovers, hidden supernatural world, pining, a villain you want to personally topple, single POV, urban fantasy, no cliffhanger, HFN ending.

Word Count: Click here to reveal57,000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Rudy and Clay are deeply in love and expecting the birth of their boys thanks to Clay’s twin sister, Clarice. Tragedy strikes, and Rudy and Clay become parents to not just their twins, but Clarice and Patrick’s three little girls as well. They desperately need help with the five kids so Rudy hires a ‘manny’, Jackson Frost. But Frost comes with a horrible past. Guilty of betrayal, and for almost killing Clay while they were in the military, he is freshly released from prison and desperate for work. The man is definitely not Clay’s first choice as a caregiver for his children. Strange things begin to happen, leading them to think that Patrick and Clarice were not just a random attack. Then Rudy is suddenly kidnapped. The clock is ticking and despite their past, Jackson and Clay must join forces to find Rudy before he is killed, or worse…  

Word Count: Click here to reveal48000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Third time lucky is too much to hope for. Isn't it? Tyler Samuels had his reasons for leaving the country town where he grew up. He moved to the city, established a home and a career, and found love. Now Ty is in his early thirties, and as his life takes another tragic turn, he finds himself returning to the place he first ran from. Mac McGrath has lived in Armidale all his life. He loves his family and his job as an electrician, running the family business. The only thing missing in his life is a relationship. When Ty, his teenage crush, arrives back in town, maybe he has found someone to love at last. What starts as friends with benefits quickly turns to more for Mac, but Ty will need to let go of his memories if he is to learn to love again. But can Mac wait that long?

Word Count: Click here to reveal76800 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Simon the Elf wants to tell you the true story behind Jolly Ole St. Nick. Yeah, he’s a vampire. But that alleged gift giver and lover of children hides more than that fact from you. And what about Mrs. Claus and Rudolph? Venture into a world of enslaved elves, enchanted animals, and death wrought by Santa himself. With his sharp wit, Simon will lead you into the darkest realms of Christmas in Santa is a Vampire by Simon the Elf, with Damian Serbu. Warning: Simon cusses a lot. But you would, too, if Santa held you captive.

Word Count: Click here to reveal89539 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Parker Rice breaks into handsome attorney Anthony Swifson’s estate expecting an easy take. When he finds the attorney behind him while his fingers clutch a set of rings in a jewelry box, he fully expects to go to jail. The abusive home Parker returns to late each night to hide from his mother’s boyfriend, Earl Primack, offers no sanctuary from the train wreck of his life. At twenty, he has no future. The deal he’s been forced to accept from the attorney turns out to be the turnaround he never conceived he could hope for. Unfortunately, Earl comes calling to the Swifson home. Anthony Swifson has a mountain on his plate. His ex-wife Claire leaves for a visit to her sister and cancer testing, taking their young son Gray with her. Expecting a couple months of quiet, Anthony’s world is turned upside down with the arrival of his new project – the thief in the night, Parker Rice. Both men must confront the pain of their past and give their unexpected attraction a chance to develop.

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

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

Summary: Rafe Varik The troublemaker. The risk taker. The sexy club owner full of wicked promises. Rafe has devoted his immortal existence to pleasure and causing mischief. The only ones who can depend on him are his brothers. Of course, that’s very much a Varik thing. But when the leader of the Arsenault clan specifically requests Rafe’s help in tracking down a killer, he can’t say no. Sure, Rafe claims he’s doing it for his family. They’ve attracted too many enemies and could use a few allies. That’s not the whole truth, though. There’s something about Philippe Arsenault that draws Rafe in. He wants more of Philippe. The vampire leaves him longing for another second in his presence, another taste of his lips, another caress of those perfect fingers. Yet when it’s all over, what will become of Philippe and Rafe? Because Philippe will always be an Arsenault, and Rafe will always be a Varik. Saving Rafe is the second book in an MM paranormal romance series that has vampires, betrayal, annoying brothers, music, heartbreak, hope, sexy times, and a pair of star-crossed lovers.

Word Count: Click here to reveal102663 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Out of the swirling mix of secrets and a hurricane, can love survive?  Two years later, part of the Charm family, Gavin Hartfield creates magical memories and events. One of those weddings will be for the Charm’s owners, Samuel Ashford and Dakota Mitchell, if they ever make up their minds. The other one for his ex-boyfriend and his new partner. In the middle of all this, he keeps tangling with a tattooed brusque EMT. Xavier “Gray” Grayson feels a bit on the outside looking in when it comes to the collection of Charm men. He envies all of them finding love. Pushing his non-existent sex life filled with one-nights at clubs aside, he runs through life as an EMT and college student pushing to better himself. Running along the beach and trails become his relief and sanctuary. Until he keeps tripping over the new event coordinator. An incoming hurricane takes aim at Shore Breeze. The town braces for the impact. Plans falter and change. Will life, love, and a wedding follow these changes?

Word Count: Click here to reveal61423 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Some truths were never meant to be spoken. Augur Bryn Ashton’s touch reveals truth, and, in a world where genetic mutations grant enhanced abilities, that makes him both indispensable and a target. After a rare day off is cut short, Bryn and his lupine detective partner Gunnar Ericson are assigned to investigate Thanacrine, a synthetic drug that boosts gene-enhanced abilities but causes violent psychosis and death. The trail leads to mob boss Salvatore Russo and a biotech company with a suspicious agenda. To infiltrate their network, Bryn must team up with the enigmatic sanguine Giles Delacourt, his nemesis and former trainer, to pose as investors at a fundraising business event. As the operation unfolds, the team uncovers illegal experimentation and possible federal involvement. A raid on a lab ends in tragedy, and a mission in Philadelphia nearly costs Bryn his life. With the body count rising, the emotional toll deepens, and so does the bond between Bryn and Gunnar. The final showdown at a high-profile memorial turns Boston’s Cathedral of the Holy Cross into a bloodstained battleground. With tension mounting and a serial killer resurfacing, Bryn must rely on Gunnar and confront the cost of chasing truth when enemies are everywhere and nothing is as it seems. Pulse-pounding and tense, this second installment in The Augur series raises the stakes and leaves Bryn treading a delicate line between survival and the vulnerability that comes with opening his heart to love.