Books Tagged With potential trigger - grief; past loss

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Summary: Detective Kurt O’Donnell is used to digging up other people’s secrets, but when he discovers his slain partner was married to another man, it shakes him. Determined to do the right thing, Kurt offers the mourning Davy his assistance. Helping Davy through his grief helps Kurt deal with the guilt that his partner didn’t trust him enough to tell him the truth, and somewhere along the way Davy stops being an obligation and becomes a friend, the closest friend Kurt has ever had. His growing attraction to Davy complicates matters, leaving Kurt struggling to reevaluate his sexuality. Then a sensual encounter neither man is ready for confuses them further. To be with Davy, Kurt must face the prospect of coming out, but his job and his relationship with his Catholic family are on the line. Can he risk destroying his life for the uncertain possibility of a relationship with a newly widowed man?

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

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

Summary: A death in the family. A body in the woods. A hidden threat growing stronger. Cody and Demetrius have been through a lot, but they're keeping positive attitudes and moving forward. Until, that is, the entire Bower clan comes into town, emotions running high, and their small house feels even tinier. If Cody thought being with his entire family in Colorado was bad, having them all in the house he shares with Demmy is worse. And of course it would be time for a monster case. Only this one is different. It's cunning, dangerous, and by the time Cody and Demetrius get involved, the threat is already burrowed deep within the town. But they’ve done this before, and they know what needs to be done. They’ll stick together and work with their odd collection of friends and family to unravel the mystery. When the threat strikes in unexpected ways, Cody and Demetrius face their most personal challenge yet. They forge ahead, digging into the details about the founding of Parson's Hollow itself for the key to save themselves and those they love here in the present. In a town where the truth about the past isn’t quite what they’ve been taught, they'll discover more about their histories, and each other, than they ever anticipated.

Word Count: Click here to reveal109959 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Book one in The Rhythm of His Blood series When inspiration shows up in person, can it only end in blood, sweat and fear? When British rock  latest release, there’s time for a little fun. During a visit to a strip club with a friend, he hears one of his songs being played, and he can’t resist a chance to meet the sexy dancer performing on stage. El Molino’s star performer, Xavier Gavrilov, is so much more than a pretty face and what starts off as a night of passion soon turns into something deeper as Xavier begins to fall for Rayne, and to care for his oddball bunch of aging porn-star friends. But Rayne has a dangerous secret, a craving for blood, a need that Xavier is more than happy to fulfill. The singer must soon go home to England, though, and things take a darker turn when he and Xavier come to the attention of Frisco’s vampire elite. When Rayne departs for London, Xavier tries to return to his normal life but is snatched by vampires working for the Master of San Francisco and plunged into a violent world he never knew existed. To save him, Rayne must return to the city, but he will have to call in favors from old friends if they are to safely navigate the dangers of vampire politics and maintain the powerful bond that is growing between them.    

Word Count: Click here to reveal129000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Mateo Taurasi and his family fled their island home when their people turned to sorcery. Mateo’s own magic is tame but it’s still banned in the Vaeringan Empire...and his family still use it every day in their cosy teahouse. The last thing they need is an Imperial barging in. Luckily, Jonas just wants to offer them a trade deal too good to resist. As hard as he tries, Mateo begins to find the cheerfully charming Jonas too good to resist, too. But an unfairly attractive Imperial is not Mateo’s only problem. Rumours of sorcery loose in the city mean trouble for the Taurasi. With Jonas caught up in the mess, Mateo must investigate. His family already lost their world once. Mateo can’t let them lose again. Not even if it costs him the man he really wishes he didn't have feelings for.

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

Summary: Only weeks after witnessing the massacre of nearly half his pack, Quinn Boucher is finding his footing as a guard to the U.S. Anax, ruler of all werewolves in the country. But flashbacks to the killings, and to the extreme abuse he suffered before joining the pack, plague Quinn. And a vital piece of his life is missing: his mate Malachi. From the moment they met in Nova Scotia, Quinn knew he and the older man were destined for each other. But Malachi is unwilling to accept Quinn as his, and his rejection cuts Quinn deeply. At 130 years old, Malachi Powers has spent decades grieving the two human men who shared their lives with him and each other. The last thing he wants is a mate, especially one over a century younger than him. But Malachi can't deny the attraction he feels to Quinn, a pull that isn't merely fate. When Quinn returns to Nova Scotia at the request of the Canadian Anax, Malachi, against his human side's better judgment, gives in to desire and claims Quinn as his mate and, at Quinn's request, his to command. As the walls between Malachi and Quinn crumble and their connection deepens, they're caught in the crossfire of a conspiracy against the Canadian Anax. As a guard, Quinn has pledged to protect the Anax. As Quinn's mate and the one to whom Quinn chooses to belong, Malachi has sworn to protect Quinn at any cost. With threats coming at them from all sides, will their chance at forever end before it truly begins? This book includes discussions of past sexual assault and depictions of grief and mourning. There is a large age gap between the main characters (over 100 years...werewolves live a long time!) It also includes consensual commanding of a character and an adult character being called "boy." This book is set in the Real Werewolves Don’t Eat Meat universe but is not a direct part of that series.

Word Count: Click here to reveal150000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Stronghold Fair Haven by the Sea is a beacon in a sometimes harsh world, open to all and deliberately, stubbornly kind. It also holds the honour and responsibility of hosting an atelier, a workshop for the rare and highly-prized magical engineers known as Mancers. Hazel lives a comfortable, contented life in Stronghold Haven as a member of the team of elite bodyguards protecting the resident Mancer. But when another Mancer comes knocking on Haven's door to plead for refuge from the stronghold zhey've just escaped, zhey bring the looming threat of invasion in zheir wake. Ash is disruptive to Hazel's peaceful routine in more ways than just that: to his own surprise, he's hopelessly attracted to the prickly, secretive Mancer. This might be the start of something precious...or the end of everything he holds dear.

Word Count: Click here to reveal81385 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Everything was empty. Not literally. My apartment was still filled with the remnants of my life with Austin. That was the problem. The things were there. Austin wasn’t, and he never would be again. Twenty years of love ended in an instant the night a drunk driver hit Del Nethercott’s partner Austin. In his grief, Del has pushed away most of his friends and is barely existing. Austin would want him to go on living, but how can he without the love of his life? Over the next few months, Del finds his way into his new reality with the help of Austin’s drag sister Remy, a sweater-wearing cat named Charlie… and Lochlan, a man hiding a supernatural secret. As Del works through his grief, he and Lochlan grow closer, until Del realizes he feels more than friendship for the other man. Only months after losing Austin, Del isn’t ready to love again. But maybe he’s ready to hope. This book has a main character who has lost his life partner and depicts his grieving process. It includes discussions of child abuse and child death, suicide, and homophobia and transphobia. But it also includes an adorable cat who wears sweaters.

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

Summary: (Jimmy) I fell for my best friend. Shifters like us have mates. If I didn't know better, I'd swear he was mine, but Savi's feelings for me? Purely platonic. I need to find a way to fall out of love with him. Because losing him? Not an option. Who would have thought a trip to the zoo would be the start of my forever? At just five years old I knew that the cute kitty in the cage was meant to be mine…my best friend, my person, MY Kiki. At sixteen, I prayed to every deity known in the human world that he would be my mate. At nineteen, I left. Now?  Our lives will never be the same.   (Savi) We should be planning the best summer ever, instead, I’m learning how to live without my best friend for the first time since he and his family rescued me from my terrible foster “parents” when I was a kid. Jimmy, my best friend, my person, up and left me for 6 whole months! One hundred eighty-two and a half-ish days. Maybe forever. It’s only a matter of time before Jimmy finds his mate and our separation is permanent. If only I was that mate. Because it’s only a matter of time before he can’t deny anymore that he needs more than me. He needs a mate. Something I’m not, something I can never be. Shouldn’t be. For anyone, but especially not for Jimmy LaFleur. For All Eternity : Destinies Entwined is an ongoing M/M Best Friends to Lovers, Paranormal, Kindle Vella Romance serial. It contains multiple points of view, but the main bulk of the story and main focus is on these best friends and their path to their eternity. For All Eternity : Destinies Entwined features an autistic main character, traumatic pasts, horses, and lots and lots of cuddling. Oh, yeah, and Blood Play (eventually!) The friendship these two have is nothing ordinary! Note: Heat level of 3 is indicative of the heat in the story thus far, not the entire story, which will be a 5.

Word Count: Click here to reveal75000 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealBisexual, Genderfluid, Non Binary, Pansexual, Transgender (Click here to hide)

Summary: A gender-fluid cutie, a workaholic hottie, and a hookup gone right.   Blake No romantic relationship could ever compete with my dream job. Sure, it gets lonely, but that’s what occasional hookups are for. Work-life balance? Who cares? I certainly don’t. Until chest pains bring me to my knees and land me in the emergency room.   It’s a wake-up call I can’t afford to ignore.   When my well-meaning family encourages me to make some major life changes, like hiring a meditation and physiotherapy coach, whatever that is, I’m worried enough to agree.   Imagine my surprise when my practitioner turns out to be the hookup I haven’t been able to forget.   Stef What’s a fabulously vivacious gender-fluid beauty to do when stress is high and Prince Charmings aren’t lined up at their door? Head to the club to recharge my sparkle on the dance floor. I have no intention of hooking up with anyone. Hookups are not my thing.   Then I see the slightly older hottie in the Tom Ford suit, and all my self-restraint goes up in a blast of glitter. When it turns out he’s my new meditation client and my friend's older brother, I’m sure the universe is messing with me.   Because mixing business with pleasure is a huge no-no. So why does my heart keep shouting yes? Free Me is a low-angst, opposites attract, worlds collide, contemporary LGBTQ romance about a hookup gone right. It contains no cheating, and a guaranteed HEA.

Word Count: Click here to reveal85445 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: At 130 years old, lone Nova Scotian werewolf Malachi Powers never intended to find a mate, until fate sent him Quinn Boucher, a much younger man. Now, after only a few months, Malachi can't imagine his life without Quinn. But when Quinn returns to Nova Scotia, Malachi learns that the man who belongs to him has been keeping a secret--something Malachi cannot allow. At 22, Quinn Boucher has been through more trauma than most people survive in a lifetime. Although he is healing, lately his nightmares have worsened. After he lashes out during a flashback, his employer sends him to Nova Scotia to rest with Malachi at the home of Anax Silas Creighton, ruler of the Canadian werewolves. Face to face with his mate, the man he calls Sire, Quinn can no longer hide the truth. As Quinn battles his demons with Malachi by his side, a new threat faces them. Silas's newest guard, Andy, has malevolent intentions against Silas--and the rest of the werewolves of Canada. Only Quinn, with his clairvoyant abilities, can see what Andy truly is and the magic the other man wields, and only Quinn is left to fight when Andy takes control of Malachi, Silas, and the other guards. But to save his mate and the others, Quinn must first defeat the worst of his buried memories--memories now fueled by Andy's power. This book includes intense descriptions of flashbacks to abuse and sexual assault, harsh language including one use of the F-slur against a gay man, depictions of PTSD, and on-page unaliving of an evil werewolf. The main characters' relationship includes a VERY large age gap (over a century; werewolves live a long time!) and one character consensually commanding the other.

Word Count: Click here to reveal341222 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: In six novels, a slow-burn but hot gay romance topped with intrigue and humor, set in 1920s Ireland. Save @70% on the box set… Michael McCree meets Simon Hart. Fisticuffs fly. And before Simon knows what’s happened, he’s gained a new flat-mate, a new business partner, and a wanna-be lover. It’s the “wanna-be” that drives every novel, from first to last. It takes Michael over 300,000 words to earn forgiveness for his steam-locomotive seduction of Simon, and it takes Simon almost that long to fully appreciate what the damn fellow did. ~Heart to Hart: A roustabout with a secret falls arse-over-bollocks for a surly, angry PI. Together, they solve a mystery but start their own, much deeper one. ~Sparring with Shadows:  A man fights his inner demons while confronting his horny flat-mate, a determined swordsman, and a dangerous criminal. ~To the Bone: A pesky newcomer burrows like a tick between the two PIs even as they struggle to fight crime and to understand each other’s most secret desires. ~Thin as Smoke: Hollow-chested Dashiell Hammett stands between Michael and Simon like a blunt revolver, and his presence in a Mafia hunt threatens to dead-end their edgy relationship. ~Masters of Cane: Even Simon is surprised at the true meaning of “cane master” in this novel of sex, crime, and punishment. ~Into a Crack: Michael and Simon’s arch-nemesis slips out of a staunch prison and into a crack. Their job is to bring a pitiless enemy to justice, or die in the attempt. ~gay  ~erotic romance  ~mystery  ~humor  ~action-adventure  ~forced-proximity  ~ 1920s Ireland  ~New box set of 6 full novels

Word Count: Click here to reveal135000 (Click here to hide)

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

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: Click here to reveal138000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Only I would start my new semester at the dark witch academy with a kidnapping (mine) on dragonback and end the night with a marriage proposal I don’t want from the King of the Dark Fae. My intense and sinister kidnapper. Suddenly I’m not only Zara Gemini, the wild rebel queen who’s supposed to save the witching world. I’m the misfit new student at the Avalon Academy for Promising Royals of the Faerie Court. And the unwilling future bride of Zephyr, the Dark Fae King. He claims our union is his last chance to break this curse that’s destroying his realm. Plus I’m already up to my royal neck in dangerous warlocks who’ll kill to rule at my side. Sounds delish, right? Not so much. See, the enchanted secret world of Avalon has a dark side, and so does this Hades-Persephone fairytale my latest suitor and I are enacting. Sure, Zephyr might be powerful as a god. He’s the sexy-pretty hottie every Fae at court is jonesing to shag. Turns out he’s also twisted AF. Let’s just call Zephyr a fixer-upper. Thankfully, my warlocks track me to Avalon, and they’ve got a hate-hate history with Zephyr. They’re hella determined to help me bust out of this joint and get us all back home to our cobbled-together found family. First I’ve got a curse to break and a kingdom to save. That’s gonna take all seven of my witchy suitors learning to trust each other, plus something even more risky from the Dark Fae King to me and my guys. That twisty, shifty, shattered heart of his needs to dare to love. Gemini Wild is a spicy paranormal why-choose romance and the sequel to Gemini Kings. This LGBT-friendly adult academy series delivers wolf and dragon shifters, dragon riders, teacher-student forbidden heat, first-time MM, bi awakening, all swords crossed, a badass queen who never has to choose, and flaming fast-burn heat!

Word Count: Click here to reveal82000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: While the other members of glam rock sensation The Rade indulge in public affairs and flirtations, bass player and soulful lyricist John has kept himself to himself. He's had no end of offers, seeing as he's the heart of the band (and stacked like a brick wall), but since losing his mortal lover, no one has sparked his interest. After all, to a centuries-old shapeshifter-fae, most people's lives are just too short for him to risk his heart on them. Then he meets someone who captures his attention as well as his long-buried protective instincts. Venkat, a shy but brilliantly talented energy vampire and classical violinist, is just coming off a triumphant US tour. He and John bond immediately over their love of music and blossoming mutual attraction. But Venkat has a past, one that seems to give his fae manager Red an unbreakable hold on Venkat's violin and life. And Red isn't above using it to keep him isolated and under his power. John and Venkat know the future could be theirs. But the road to freedom will lead directly through the darkest places in both their pasts.

Word Count: Click here to reveal107708 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: A lawyer and an architect walk into a bar…   Jocelin:   What do you do when your boss’s pushy nephew repeatedly asks you out and won’t take no for an answer? You create a fake boyfriend. One who works a lot, so he never comes to office functions or meets you for lunch. It works well until le salaud calls my bluff.   So that’s how I find myself at a client event, practically begging a handsome stranger to play said boyfriend. Only after I calm down do I realize le bel homme in the bespoke suit is no stranger at all. He’s my best friend’s brother, and mon Dieu, he cleans up well!   When Gunnar volunteers to keep up the ruse beyond one night, of course, I say yes. I’m no fool. But fake love can have very real consequences…   Gunnar:   Being accosted by the attractive, if slightly flustered, Jocelin Allard before I even make it out of the parking lot isn’t how I expect to start my evening. But pretending to be his boyfriend for a few hours seems like a harmless way to liven up an otherwise painful social event.   And as far as dates go, fake or otherwise, I could do a lot worse. He’s smart, gorgeous, and has a sexy accent. Plus, my sister would kill me if I left her bestie hanging.   When the evening goes shockingly well, almost effortlessly, our relationship turns real, and for a while, it’s total bliss. Until I unintentionally take a wrecking ball to my life. Again.   Heal Me is a low-medium angst, MM fake boyfriend, sister’s best friend, contemporary romance about bad decisions, past trauma, and loving someone including their flaws. It contains no cheating, and a guaranteed HEA.

Word Count: Click here to reveal25,000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Jimmy McSwain is enjoying a relaxing holiday at his grandmother’s cottage, but it turns out to be a set-up. Hester Bryne has a favor to ask: to meet with her old friends, Franklin and Carolyn Hardy, who wish to hire the young private-eye-in-training to find their son. Seems he’s been gone for forty years. Jimmy, taken with the idea of reuniting a father with his son, wants to take the case. But he must get the all-clear from his new boss, Finn, the ex-cop who has taken Jimmy under his wing. A visit to Finn’s home proves to be yet another set-up, one that takes an unexpected twist in the name of a newcomer to the city, Aiden Garvey. As Jimmy immerses himself in the case of the missing son, his attention keeps getting distracted by the newfound presence of a man who makes his heart skip a beat. Juggling the promise of a new relationship with the complexities presented by this puzzling case, Jimmy realizes that he’s getting too close to one of them, and it could end with more broken hearts than lives. Can a remembrance of his father be both his motivation and the cause for the destruction lying in wait?  

Word Count: Click here to reveal34000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: In 1920, a werewolf attack changed Malachi Powers’s life forever. Now, a decade later, Malachi lives near Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, as a lone wolf, avoiding humans and other werewolves alike. Two young men, Roger and Jonathan, arrive on the beach below Malachi’s cottage with a boat full of illegal hooch. Captivated by his unexpected visitors, Malachi wants them to stay. But bringing the men into his life would mean letting them in on his secret—and endangering his heart. Once again, Malachi’s life is changing. Forever. This book includes a scene in which the main character spies, without consent, on two people having sex. It also contains references to past sexual assault and underage male prostitution.

Word Count: Click here to reveal85,100 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Some hearts are made to be hopeful. Ian Byrne is done with love. Or so he’s been telling himself since his life crashed and burned. Ian got through his depression with help from friends and his career as an orthopedic nurse, as well as a big shaggy dog that’s not really his. And if most days Ian feels just all right, he thinks that’s fine. He never expected to meet a guy on the train. Especially not a robot-building whiz kid like Tris Santos, fifteen years younger than Ian and in so many ways his opposite. But they agree that epic love is a myth and strike up an effortless friendship, the spark of attraction between them quickly igniting and burning hot over chat screens when Tris moves away. Now, Ian can’t imagine his life without Tris. Can’t believe that what started as a fling became so much more and how deeply he feels for a man he doesn’t even see in person. Ian thinks Tris might be the right guy; that he might be ready to risk his heart one more time. But … is it too much to hope that Tris might feel the same? Hopeful Hearts is an 85.1 K age gap sex-buddies-to-lovers novel. In it you’ll meet a grumpy nurse practitioner recovering from heartbreak, a bright-eyed robotics genius who thinks epic romance is epically dumb, a huge wily dog in need of an owner, a 400-mile LDR, and a deliciously satisfying happily ever after. Content Advisory: This book contains a character coping with serious depression and contains references to homophobia and disownment. Happy ending absolutely guaranteed.

Word Count: Click here to reveal100000 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Information not available

Summary: Dawson Wozniak has lost both parents and a relationship in the same year. After working remotely in Mexico as an editor for a West Coast publisher during the Covid pandemic, he makes the big move to stay in the seaside town known for its beauty and festivities and pursue his goal of reinventing himself. He purchases a condo on the edge of the jungle and makes new friends. One night during a raging thunderstorm, he has an encounter with an iguana, engages in a stolen kiss, and witnesses a tragic death. The events are forever stuck in his head. Everyone around him wants to move on from that night, including Ivan, the divorced father with whom he shared the kiss. Dawson makes decisions that complicate his life and Ivan’s who finds himself in web of psychological and moral dilemmas. Despite the complications, Dawson believes there was something in that night that drew him to Mexico in the first place and he refuses to let it go. The enigmatic attraction between the two men finds its own tempo and they keep coming back to each other against all odds. In the quiet times they discover a refuge from the turmoil of their lives.

Word Count: Information not available

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

Summary: In one day, Dylan’s whole life was destroyed. In one night, he may have found the beginnings of a new one. Still grappling with the loss of his home, Dylan has no choice but to head for Wintervale. His one solace is in travelling the same direction taken by the enemy. But the truth behind the attack on the spellster tower suggests things aren’t as clear-cut and the enemy may well be closer than they thought. Crossing the kingdom also means remaining in the presence of Tracker, the King’s Hound who Dylan’s repressed desire refuses to let out of his head. The man’s gentle protectiveness, coupled with his flirting, certainly doesn’t help. It taunts him with ideas of the night they shared in the tower becoming something more, a thought that is no less ridiculous than remaining unleashed. After all, it’s a hound’s job to escort or kill spellsters. They do not disobey orders. They do not falter. And they do not fall. Especially not in love.