Books Tagged With potential trigger - traumatic past

Word Count: Click here to reveal68000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: James Morgan, lead guitarist for the rock band Eden, seems to have it all. That is, until Theo, Eden’s lead singer and James’s secret lover, violently betrays him, sending James into a deep depression and cutting their current tour and the band’s life short. Kieran Jackson, the lead vocalist for the less successful band Lost and Found, is at his wits’ end. At thirty-three, he never dreamed he’d still be opening for bands comprised of twentysomethings. When Eden pulls out of the last few shows of their summer tour, Kieran returns home burned out and heartbroken. Over a year later, James, Phil, and David of Eden decide to reform under a different name with Kieran as their new vocalist. James, never having forgotten his single interaction with Kieran, nor the only time he ever listened to him perform, knows Kieran’s the best choice. James is still closeted—and skittish after his last relationship—and one fumbling, drunken kiss threatens to undo everything he’s worked so hard to rebuild, as well as the cover he’s fought to maintain. Can James overcome his past, confront his demons, and reclaim his former fame? Or will he and the newly formed True North remain in Eden’s shadow forever? Can he finally find comfort in who he is, accept his past, and reopen his heart? Or will the memories of Theo’s betrayal and the subsequent fallout dash any hope of finding—and trusting—love again? Trigger warning: this book contains explicit rape, as well as one failed suicide attempt by a main character.

Word Count: Click here to reveal82679 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Everyone deserves to be loved. But with constant abuse from his step-father and his mother’s contempt, Christian Goodley isn’t so sure. Being gay in high school is hard enough. Also being the black sheep in the family with only one friend in the world makes life damn near impossible to bear. But when Christian’s path crosses with a new teacher his senior year, a ray of hope brings new life and meaning to his world. Damien Duvel, a recent college graduate and History teacher, forges a bond of friendship with Christian that the young man so desperately needs. As their relationship evolves and matures the rumor mill in the school starts turning. Hushed whispers and sidelong glances turn to outright accusations. For both Christian and Damien it would seem that fate had brought them together. But with so many factors conspiring against them, it is unclear whether they can tow the fine line they walk without stepping away unscathed emotionally or physically.

Word Count: Click here to reveal96460 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Christian Goodley did the unthinkable and now he’s left everyone to suffer the consequences of his actions. His family returned home from church, only to find him laying on the floor, in a pool of his own blood. At the hospital, Vivian got the devastating news about her son. With the family trying to put the pieces of their lives back together, Vivian is having stomach pains and after an important phone call, returned to the hospital. There, she received two additional pieces of information that forever altered the course of her life. Consequently, Vivian set forth a plan of action to undo years of her wrongdoings. While Vivian was focused on her plan and protecting her life-changing secrets, tensions start to brew between Cordell and his stepfather. This unfolds a past of abuse, lies and betrayal that in turn, leads to an ultimate showdown that threatens one of their lives. Because of his web of lies and secrets, Damien’s personal life is a disaster. His professional life, on the other hand, couldn’t be better. He is selected to represent his school at a national teaching conference. While on this trip, he accidentally stumbles across evidence that questions everything he knows to be true. Is Damien’s mind playing a dirty trick on him or is this newfound information actually reality? Crimes of the Heart 2: The Aftermath, is a story of secrets, lies, betrayal and redemption. Just how far would a remorseful mother go to protect her flesh and blood?g

Word Count: Click here to reveal158103 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: How would it feel to wake up every day, not knowing who you really are? How would it feel to know that the only family you have is your mother and baby sister? How would it feel to know that your mother is lying to you? Everyone around you is lying to you. Meet Raphael. Three months prior, fate allowed Raphael come in contact with a man that claimed he knew him. That chance encounter triggered a series of reoccurring dreams, filled with people he didn't recognize. He thought he was going insane; the dreams felt real. Upon the advice of his friend, he even sought out a psychiatrist. He was desperate for the truth, but the truth isn't always kind. Raphael and his friend went on a vacation to celebrate their college graduation. In Atlanta, Raphael saw another man that he felt he knew, but was afraid to approach. Seeing that stranger was the key he needed to solve his own investigation as to who he really was. Realizing what he had done in his past frightened him. He was tired of being lied to; he was tired of being hidden. Raphael took actions into his own hands. He was coming to Orlando. He was coming to gain his old life back. His family was going to be in for the shock of their lives. He had resurrected. Join Raphael and the crew on this final journey, as this web of secrets, lies and betrayal comes to a head. Someone must—and will—pay!

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

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

Summary: With the help of technomage and hacker Theo, rare snake shifter Robbie escaped his mother and clan, who planned to use him as breeding stock. While still working to break through the conditioning and mind control of his past, Robbie is enjoying exploring a new relationship with the worldlier Theo. But their fight isn’t over yet. A trip to his aunt’s house for Thanksgiving is highjacked by political intrigue, leaving the couple wondering who their friends really are. They cannot help but be drawn into larger plots while trying to find justice for Robbie at his mother’s trial. When clan rivalries turn deadly, they’ll need their allies—and each other—more than ever.

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

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

Summary: Note: These erotic novels were originally published with Samhain Publishing through my pen name, Dani Worth. Only the cover has changed. The content is the same. (Compilation of two books. Book one is MMF.) AFTER THE CRUX (Book One) Seventeen years after the Crux Virus wiped out most of the world’s population, Ross is doing what he can to keep his small community in what was once New Mexico safe. He’s made a habit of collecting survivors. They’re all family, especially Jenna and Dorian. Now, at thirty, Ross hopes to find a love of his own on supply runs, but his heart has long been snagged by his two best friends. Alone with his tangled emotions, Ross is about to discover that his friends have their own ideas about their relationship…and everything is about to change. SOLE SURVIVORS (Book Two) Chase Hawthorne is on the run from a ghost. The shooting that took his little sister and scarred him left far deeper scars on his brother Tripp’s soul. Driven to pull up stakes and head for the most haunted place in Louisiana, Chase hopes to prove to Tripp there is no ghost of their sister beckoning from the afterlife. When they come upon upon a young woman fighting off raiders, the Hawthornes don’t hesitate to help the first female they’ve seen in years. Chase tries to ignore his instant attraction, hoping Tripp will feel something, too—and emerge from his frightening depression. Keera has been alone too long, and scarred, difficult Chase makes her feel things she never thought she’d feel again. Tripp may be the needier brother, but it’s Chase she wants. Letting people too close comes with risks. Both Keera and Chase must accept the possibility that there’s more to life—and love—than simple survival.

Word Count: Click here to reveal80,000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Arizona started a new life when his birth daddy, Gaston Bondurant, found him living with a foster family and facing criminal charges for assaulting his abusive stepfather. Plucked from the squalor of rural Acadiana, Arizona was thrust into New Orleans high society and an elite New England boarding school. Home for the summer, Arizona sets out to find his younger brothers and sister, who were scattered to different places when their family was torn apart. Along the way, he reunites with his tenth grade sweetheart, Preston Montclair, who still holds a torch for him. But Arizona is struggling to figure out the man he’s supposed to be. He’s got an obligation to his daddy, who wants to mold him as his heir, but he’s also got a responsibility to his wayward siblings. It feels like he’s swimming against the rapids, trying to do both while figuring out if he belongs with his boyhood love or an educated man who can help him with his dream of being a famous writer.

Word Count: Click here to reveal94887 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealGay, Questioning, Straight (Click here to hide)

Summary: Twenty days. Nothing will ever be the same for these friends again in exactly twenty days. TJ’s past transgressions are coming back to haunt him in a big way. But the big question still remains – what exactly did TJ do? On the other hand, Elijah’s trip to Florida will turn his life around and have him standing on stable ground, but will it last? Will Elijah’s secrets finally catch up to him? While these acquaintances are going through their everyday routine, unbeknownst to them, a storm is brewing in the background. In the days following the passage of this storm, the pieces of the puzzle will start to fit together as the entire buildup of this book finally takes shape. How is Seven connected to both TJ and Elijah’s unfortunate events? Everybody is playing a dangerous game but at what cost? In the final analysis, lives will be shattered. People will be exposed. Death will be upon us. Join TJ, Elijah, and Seven in this meticulously crafted second entry to this series, as the group of friends embark upon challenges that will shape the rest of their lives. And then on the twentieth day, the chain reaction of all these dangerous games will go up in flames! Who goes to jail? Who will receive devastating news? Most importantly, whose door does death pay a visit to?

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 reveal75000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Someone is trying to kill Marc Foster. Attempted poisoning was bad enough, but when the would-be killer messes with the brakes on Marc’s precious Porsche, the art dealer admits he needs help. He just wasn’t expecting help to be quite so dark and sexy. Royce Karras loves his job at Ward Security. He’s making up for a lifetime of bad decisions and a bloody past he’d rather forget. But Marc isn’t the spoiled rich boy he thought he’d be protecting. Sticking close to Marc as his “boyfriend” gives Royce insight into his toxic family, but it also reveals a brilliant, compassionate man who completely disarms Royce. Against his better judgment, Royce finds himself falling. But can they find a way to make it work when Royce’s past threatens to tear their lives apart? Their future hinges on a lost Renaissance painting, six Bichon Frises, and a pornographic Robin Hood. No worries, right?

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

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

Summary: Will the truth bring them together, or tear them apart? When a battered shifter rescued from a lifetime of trauma ends up as the top tiger’s mate, Declan is faced with possible war. With his nephew safe, and a new mate to secure, he should be focused on them. Instead he’s facing a challenge that will end up changing everything, or his death. Sean grew up in a cage never dreaming of freedom, until the chance to save another brings him into the light. Now he’s met a man he can’t imagine living without. Only they both face a trial neither of them may survive. Can love give them the strength to win? This is Book One in the series and while the MCs do receive their happy ending, there is an overall story arc which must be read in order to enjoy the story. Each book will feature its own main couple. Content advisory warning: off page non-con, violence, child abuse, and PTSD.

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 reveal29539 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: A mystery to make the Queen blush... With the Queen due for her annual visit to nearby Balmoral Castle, Aidan Williamson has been transformed overnight from a constable into an undercover detective. He’s managed to emerge from his first case (Where There’s Smoke) with only a bullet wound and a few other scars no one can see. This time around, he’s in the close company of three murder suspects—a writer’s publicist, a widowed husband, and a hot Scot who’s their paid guide. And this time he has two assets. One is his old constable partner Mike Murphy, mad Irishman. The other is Logan, another smoking-hot Scot, who always seems to catch Aidan off guard but always has his back. At the Widow’s House of Queen Victoria on a lake in the Highlands…and in his own private life…there’s a smoldering deep fury at work, and Aidan’s determined to get to the bottom of it.

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 reveal52551 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: When Lorrine runs off with a wild mage, she leaves behind a woman in tears, whose shattered life may not be worth repairing. Will Kama recover? Will Lorrine ever grow up and recognize her own feelings? Or will wild magic bring an end to them all...

Word Count: Click here to reveal96000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Tobias and Noah explore their relationships more deeply than ever, not just through their own Dominance and submission, but by engaging with their friends. As Noah helps Tobias through the loss of someone dear, he finds Tobias helping him too, leading Noah through some intense sexual games, breaking down the last of his fears, and helping Noah face the biggest one of all: the cage. Meanwhile, Tobias's ex-lover, Phantom, becomes close friends with Noah and they discover and try to resist the simmering sexual tension between them. Their playful teasing turns to real support when Phantom reaches the breaking point due to a lack of consistent Master in his life; something Phan desperately needs. While Bradford decided he has to stand in as that Master for a while, Tobias and Noah go to Paris, where they see the sights, go to a sexy club, and re-negotiate their contract. Returning from Paris to their own lives brings them all sorts of new difficulties, from deciding whether they should live together, to trying to figure out just where Phantom belongs in their ever-changing relationship.

Word Count: Click here to reveal94000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: In this sequel to Deviations: Submission, Dom Tobias and Sub Noah are back, learning more about each other and their relationship, and testing the boundaries of what they can and can’t handle, both together and apart. Tobias works at becoming more comfortable and finding his balance as a full-time Master again. His work brings out the true submissive in Noah, who faces some of his greatest fears, and his greatest secrets, finally confessing to Tobias about a terrible time in his past. But Noah is not the only one who has a rough time. Tobias breaks down and shows Noah he's not all Dominance, too, which sends shockwaves through their romance, leaving them to wonder if they can hold onto their balance together. Dominations is a deep exploration of the BDSM scene, with secondary characters who enhance the story and a central romance that has the reader rooting for Tobias and Noah to work through their obstacles and come out stronger.

Word Count: Click here to reveal96000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Tobias Vincent is a big animal vet, and also skilled and seasoned Dom. City beat cop, and sub Noah desperately needs to find a man to help him work through a block but has yet to find someone who can take him where he needs to go. Through a series of encounters in the world of bondage and discipline, Noah reveals why he has trouble trusting, and why he needs such a firm, steady hand. Tobias is confident he can help Noah, but he has trouble letting himself love. Still, Tobias can't resist Noah's charms, and the two of them set about making a scene for themselves, one that works for them and their unique set of challenges. They learn to love, but how will they stay together while they explore each other’s secrets, in an environment where all is laid bare and emotions run high?

Word Count: Click here to reveal98000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Ian Pierce is the chef and part owner of the hottest restaurant in Cincinnati, his chosen family is full of happy relationships, and the scruffy, snarky cop who has been haunting his dreams is one step closer to being in his bed. But everything comes crashing down when the past he narrowly escaped nine years ago comes to a deadly head. Hollis Banner was enamored of Ian at first sight. He’s kept his distance, knowing the gorgeous, self-confident man is out of his league. Yet there’s no standing aside when Boris Jagger escapes a raid. Jagger’s world has been nearly destroyed and this time, the crime boss is coming after Ian and his friends personally. Hollis will do whatever it takes to keep Ian safe as they escape to a safe house with a couple of Ian’s overprotective friends. And Ian finds himself in a race to unlock painful memories—memories containing information that could take down the very last of Jagger’s illegal operations forever.

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.