Books Tagged With potential trigger - traumatic past

Word Count: Click here to reveal64000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Stefan Holt left home at nineteen, guitar in hand, determined that couch-surfing would be better than staying with his mother. He finally lands with Megan, an old band-mate, and they decide to resurrect their rock n’ roll dreams to get them out of their opioid-riddled small town. Unfortunately, neither of them is much of a lyricist. Han Westfall works at the local library, where he lives to rec poetry to the handsome, mysterious guy who brings in his guitar and stays all day. Han writes lines of his own, and when Stefan finally asks to see them, their musical chemistry clicks—and it brings them closer, faster than either of them imagined possible. They name their new band Virginie, ostensibly in honor of their Appalachian roots. They’ll have to work through band in-fighting, revenge porn, homophobic taunts, family addictions, parental drama, and their own inner demons to make things work, both in love and in music. But if they can make it, maybe they won’t just get out of town. Maybe they’ll rise up and take everyone with them.

Word Count: Click here to reveal40000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Struck by amnesia after a car crash, Brian Stouten has been living a life laid out by his family, a heterosexual life that just doesn’t fit. When he learns it was all a lie, he returns to the small college town that’s his only clue to his past. But the town is still unfamiliar, and the man he’d hoped would make all his memories return is on a honeymoon with another man. To add insult to injury, everyone thinks Brian died in the crash. It’s only when an out-of-place cowboy asks to bum a smoke that Brian realizes this trip was meant to be. Sylvester Thomas has always fought a secret desire, and done it successfully. But when geeky Brian offers him a smoke and a light, a simple brush of hands has Sylvester’s hidden passions burning deep. Did he make a mistake letting Brian walk away? This book was originally released by Dreamspinner Press in November 2016 with a different cover, and as part of the print anthology The Chess Master Chronicles, which bundled all three of the Sam's Cafe Romances.

Word Count: Information not available

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

Summary: Once, Tarjiaan was the sixth prince of war-tossed Meradon. His dreams were captaining his own ship with the man he loved beside him, until a devastating attack leaves him the only surviving prince and heir to the throne. Fifteen years later, to finally end the war with the Empire, all Tarjiaan has to do is marry the Emperor's granddaughter. Once, Daanir knew that his place in Tarjiaan's heart was assured, until the battle where his prince nearly died. To save Tarjiaan, Daanir unleashes his unsuspected magic. The power saved his prince, but the cost was his place at Tarjiaan's side. Fifteen years later, they are reunited… on the day of Tarjiaan's wedding. Once, Nika was the lowest slave in the Imperial Palace. Then she was told that as the bastard daughter of the Prince, she would be marrying Tarjiaan, the so-called Butcher of Meradon. She expects a monster, and instead finds a man willing to fight the world for her before he even knows her name. Together, Tarjiaan, Daanir and Nika must navigate a course through a storm of treachery, betrayal, and heartbreak in an attempt to end an endless war. But there's an unseen threat is lurking below the waves, and the battle is much closer to home than any of them expected.

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

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

Summary: Rescued from slavers, healer novice Jaime Buchanan finds himself alone and free in Pyrderi, a kingdom of magic, mythical creatures, and a culture as open and kind as his homeland was cruel and close-minded. Despite his rescue, Jaime is not left without scars, both mental and physical. Traumatized by his experience and hiding his gift, Jaime struggles to earn his place in the kitchens of Angharad Palace, the heart of Taliesin City. His former life as a student of the healing arts leaves him at a disadvantage in the kitchens, and his damaged state is becoming more apparent by the day. One day, when necessity and fate intervene, Jaime meets someone unexpected—Prince Maxim, youngest son of the Pyrderian king, a sword master and a devastatingly kind man. Unaccustomed to powerful people with compassion and heart, Jaime flees. A cascade of events reveals Jaime’s hidden talents of healing, and he finds himself not in chains, but at the beginning of a new life. This swift change of fortune opens Jaime up to new possibilities, including a smitten prince who cautiously courts Jaime, easing him away from his fears and reminding him that compassion and love can make him strong. The winter solstice is quickly approaching, and Prince Maxim shows Jaime the enjoyment and excitement to be found in a land that embraces the ice and cold, and the mysteries of all things magical. He learns to see the man under the royal mantle, and Maxim is more than even Jaime suspected. The winter solstice is nigh when tragedy strikes, and Jaime learns that his past of grief and sorrow can be a pillar of strength for his solstice prince. If there is one thing that Jaime believes above all else, it is in the healing power of love. 51,835 words, 182 pages Gay Epic Fantasy Romance

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

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

Summary: In a wicked game, the God of Love falls to his own arrow, and a gentle scholar learns how dangerous knowledge can be. Aphrodite has had it. It was bad enough that her son Eros walked a fashion show in drag, but did he really have to show the entire world his wings? Desperate to rein in the impulsive young god, she recruits the scholarly muse Rees to lure him back to Olympus until the scandal dies down. After hundreds of years, Eros has finally located the reincarnation of his former love, Psyche. The only way to her heart is through fame, so the God of Love plans a daring campaign to win her back. Yet the closer he gets to Psyche, the more he’s drawn to a geeky young professor who came crashing into his life. Eros drags Rees into his wicked world of high fashion and risqué parties, only to expose him to danger from an unexpected source. When Rees’ secrets come out, they threaten to destroy Eros’ love for him. Yet when Rees is kidnapped, Eros is forced to turn to the woman who set this catastrophe in motion—his mother, Aphrodite. Book #1 in the Aphrodite Project series

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

Character Identities: Information not available

Summary: It’s been months since Seth Byrne’s boyfriend ghosted him. Seth is still angry, but he’s worried too, because when Andrew Keller disappeared, he completely disappeared. Disconnected phone. Empty apartment. Abrupt departure from his job. Gone. Until tonight. Just as Seth is beginning to move on, Andrew shows up at his door with a story so wild it has to be fake… except he’s armed with a stack of evidence proving he’s telling the truth. And the truth is that everything Seth knew about Andrew is a lie. Detective Brandon Gaines was supposed to be Andrew Keller for the rest of his life. After being marked for death by the white supremacist cops he tried to bring down, he was put into witness protection. When a chain of events returns him to his old identity, Brandon doesn’t know who he is anymore. Now he’s caught between two identities that don’t fit, and nothing in his world makes sense… except the way he feels about the man he left behind. Is it even possible to rekindle their relationship when Seth knows nothing about Brandon? He understands why Brandon had to lie, but that doesn’t change the fact that the man in front of him is a stranger. Where do they even start? But as they struggle to bridge the gap between them, they may have much bigger problems. Because there are people who do know who Brandon is. And they haven’t forgotten why they drove him into witness protection in the first place. The Truth in My Lies is a standalone gay romantic suspense novel.

Word Count: Click here to reveal18401 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: M/M erotica wrapped in mystery Is this the end, or merely the beginning? It’s Hogmanay… New Year’s Eve in Scotland, 2014. A chance assignment finds Thomas and Burns in a medieval castle in Stirling, on a perilous hunt for a suspected bomber. Burns’ final secret may be revealed in the resolution of this case. What happens when two unusual sleuths follow their own private mystery to its astonishing conclusion?

Word Count: Click here to reveal126000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: 'Your ridiculous Art. It’s as twisty as you are, and that’s saying something.' Kit Whitely has been exploited his entire life for his unique magical specialty, opening doors and locks. He's finally safe…until bounty hunter Alexander Locke arrests him for the use of illicit Art. But Alex is a man of divided loyalties and he intends to use Kit for illicit purposes of his own. How much trouble could one pissant little thief give him, anyway?

Word Count: Click here to reveal144000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: New York City, 1924 Once their paths cross, their worlds will never be the same. Danny Moore and his crew only meant to rob the hotel suites of rich guests. He wasn’t supposed to find himself in gangster Ricky il Sacchi’s room. And il Sacchi wasn’t supposed to wind up dead. Now Danny has the attention of another notorious gangster. Carmine Battaglia is intrigued by the Irish thieves who would have made off with a huge score if not for il Sacchi’s death. They’re cunning, careful, and exactly what he needs for his rum running operation. But Danny’s already lost two brothers to the violence between New York’s Irish and Sicilian gangs, and he’s not about to sell his soul to Carmine. With gangster’s blood on his hands, Danny needs protection, whether he likes it or not. And that’s to say nothing of the generous pay, which promises to pull him and his crew—not to mention their families—out of destitution. Working together brings Danny and Carmine to a détente, then to something so intense neither can ignore it. Something nearly enough to make them both forget the brutal tensions between their countrymen. But the death of Ricky il Sacchi hasn’t been forgotten. And someone is determined to make Danny bleed for it. The Venetian and the Rum Runner is a 144,000-word gay historical romantic suspense novel set during Prohibition and the Roaring Twenties. CW: graphic violence, PTSD

Word Count: Information not available

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

Summary: Twins Bren and Clark have been holding each other up since their mother passed away. It hasn’t been easy. But Bren is running the family greenhouse and Clark has a good job at the local library. Life is quiet, just as Bren likes it. But Clark feels like he’s stagnating. Bren isn’t looking for love when a greenhouse customer dumps water all over her. But Elodie’s cute and bouncy and, it turns out, a folklorist at the local college and has a special interest in plants and their stories. It seems like a perfect match. Clark might have a tiny crush on a patron at the library, but he’s never going to say anything. But when Jasper, that very patron, asks for Clark’s assistance on a research project, Clark can’t say no. To Jasper or the project; Jasper’s researching local “ghost trails”. And Clark is a bit of a believer. But trauma and grief are slippery things, and getting through it isn’t simple or easy. Maybe love needs to find a way to help them both heal.

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

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

Summary: A stash of drugs. A twisted cop. A mob on the verge of self-destruction… Nao Murata is the new godfather of the Matsukawa syndicate. When Detective Yamada confronts Nao over a dead drug dealer, Nao knows his organization isn’t responsible. The Matsukawa doesn’t deal drugs… or does it? When Nao discovers drugs in a locker owned by his syndicate, he no longer knows who to trust. With the police bearing down on the Matsukawa, Nao must make unlikely allies to find out the truth. Can he discover who is betraying him before time runs out, or will everyone suffer for a crime he didn’t commit? Better Than Suicide is the second book in a Japanese mafia thriller series. If you like complex plots, gripping suspense, and a splash of romance, then you’ll love the next installment in Amy Tasukada’s Yakuza Path series. Buy Better Than Suicide to start the race against the clock today!

Word Count: Information not available

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

Summary: A bloody past haunts him. A devastating present lures him back... Nao hides from his violent past in the Japanese mob by opening a teahouse in Japan's cultural center, Kyoto. His past comes flooding back when he discovers a gravely injured man with a tattooed chest, a bloody knife, and a Korean business card. Saehyun would've died if not for Nao's help. He knows nothing of his savior's connection with the local mafia, but Saehyun has his own secrets. He commands the Korean mafia, the mortal enemy of Nao’s former syndicate. As Nao and Saehyun grow closer, so does the strength of the Korean mob. A shocking murder pulls Nao back into a past he'd all but abandoned. War is looming, and Nao must choose between protecting Saehyun or avenging the honor of his old mafia family. The Yakuza Path: Blood Stained Tea is the first book in a series of Japanese mafia thrillers. If you like complex characters, blood-soaked violence, and twists you won't see coming, then you'll love Amy Tasukada's gritty crime masterpiece. Buy Blood Stained Tea to dive deep into the Asian mafia tale today!

Word Count: Information not available

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

Summary:

A killer. A traitor. A deadly war that could take their love and their lives…

Ruling the Kyoto yakuza makes Nao Murata a perpetual target, especially with the Koreans encroaching into their territory. An attempt on his life at his mafia headquarters crosses a line. Setting up his beloved ally Aki as the would-be assassin crosses another. Nao knows the only way to save his friend’s life is to sever their growing bond and force Aki to fake his own death…

But Aki Hisona refuses to stay dead. Determined to expose Nao's would-be killer and save the man he loves, Aki goes deep undercover in the Korean underworld. But when he's asked to prove his loyalty, he risks becoming caught in a web of his own lies…

With Aki gone and the Kyoto mafia in grave danger, Nao fears his trust in others could be fatal.

Will Nao and Aki find the assassin in time, or will Nao's rule end in bloody chaos?

The Yakuza Path: Flowers of Flesh and Blood is the powerful fifth installment of The Yakuza Path thriller series. If you like gritty Japanese crime, richly-nuanced characters, and slow-burning gay romance, then you’ll love Amy Tasukada’s high-octane novel.

Buy Flowers of Flesh and Blood to slice into the Japanese underworld today!

Word Count: Information not available

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

Summary: Kaleo Lakeford skyrocketed in the entertainment industry during his first year of university. 15 years later, he is a retired entertainer. Married for ten years with a 7-year-old daughter, he finds himself divorced and a single parent after his wife was caught in a string of public affairs. Devastated and trying to put the crumbs of his and his daughter’s life back together, he decides to take a break from the cameras and media for the holiday season and takes his daughter to his childhood home that he hasn’t set foot in since before he got married ten years prior. Destin Ashwell left university his first year to take care of his sick mother. With no education, he fought to provide for her for six years until she passed away from her illness. The bank seized their home, and he was living in his car when Lilah Lakeford finds him and brings him home. With her help, he finishes school and rebuilds his life, both of them leaning on each other as replacements for his dead mother and her estranged relationship with her son, Kaleo. At 33-years-old Kaleo will come home this holiday season to repair the fences around the rocky relationship he has with his mother, put the building blocks of his and his daughter’s life back together, and unravel past misunderstandings and misconceptions of his old schoolmate Destin, all while trying to keep the holiday cheer turned up for his 7-year-old daughter. Will Kaleo find the life he’s been waiting for all along back home? Or will his walls send him back to the only life he’s known for the past 15 years? This is a winter holidays story about a family healing with holiday traditions and cheer to warm the heart. This story comes with a single dad, one-sided dislike to friends to lovers, second chance on first crushes, unrequited love, mutual pining, past misunderstandings, learning to communicate, hurt/comfort, and healing from an emotionally and physically abusive marriage. But it’s also paired with colorful holiday adventures, the joys of a child, along with undeniable chemistry and sizzling heat while learning to love again. A found family, and a reconnected and put back together family.

Word Count: Click here to reveal72,000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Westing House stood as a testament to the passage of time. Nestled in a quiet, overgrown garden, its once-stately facade bore scars of age. Faded paint peeled off in delicate layers, revealing weathered wood beneath. The roof, adorned with timeworn shingles, was pitted and sunken from years of elemental exposure. For Alex, Westing House represents a new beginning. Eighteen years old and fresh from a cruel and uncaring foster system, he’s suffered plenty of setbacks in his short life. But a job as the caretaker for a dilapidated historic house is the perfect opportunity for him to start anew. To get some money in his pocket and have a place to call his own, even if it’s just for a year. His tentative hopefulness is shattered by the arrival of several creepy messages and presents from someone who signs themselves only as “X.” This person knows everything about Alex, and they want it all—all his deepest, darkest secrets. His body. His heart. When the messages shift from uncomfortably romantic to menacing, where will Alex turn? He’s lucky to have Gabe in his life. A tall, handsome firefighter with the Emberford FD, he sweeps into Alex’s world just in time to catch wind of the monster that haunts Westing House. Gabe is strong, brave, and fiercely protective. But it may be the case that even Gabe can’t save Alex from the entity that wants Alex all to themselves… on pain of death. Will Gabe be able to save Alex from the faceless evil that pursues him? Or will their love go up in flames, along with Alex’s sanity? THOSE WHO FAVOR FIRE is a terrifying dark romance with adult themes. Readers should be warned of scenes containing graphic violence and peril. Discretion is advised.

Word Count: Click here to reveal65,000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: There are vipers in Arajon, from the Valley to the Bronze. Grace Harrington, the Dowager Archon of Arajon, is approaching her first anniversary on the throne she claimed following the death of her husband, slain at her own hands. But her position is so precarious that even the unwelcome presence of the former assassin Nathaniel Morgenstern, watching over her at her father’s behest, cannot protect her from her enemies. The city’s press has turned against her, the Bronze is rallying behind Odessa White, and her last hope of support from the Druids has gone up in smoke. The lies are adding up. A coup is coming for Grace, and she is running out of people in the city to trust…

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

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

Summary: Two years after meeting at a rock concert, Ben and Alex are happy together. When they find themselves facing a happy event and tragic news at the same time, they're forced to dig deep into themselves and their relationship to get through it. Can Alex provide the strength Ben is going to need?

Word Count: Click here to reveal98,000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: "I'm coming back to take what's mine, and you better not get in my fucking way." Richard Mason  Addiction and anger issues are causing the ex-mafioso CEO sleepless nights. Self-control is on a knife-edge, not helped by the return of his sultry ex, Pagan. Only being dominated helps ease his troubled mind. Tino Santini-Mason Richard’s beautiful, cross-dressing husband is slowly falling in love - with Pagan’s man. He believes he has a polyamorous solution for both couples to fulfil their desires, IF he can keep Richard under control. Pagan Sandhurst She’s back! This curvy domestic goddess is determined to have it all. Loyal to her family, yet her friendship with Tino brings mischief, mayhem and sexual hijinks. Marcus Sandhurst Outwardly a stern doctor, Marcus secretly craves Richard’s brutal punishments. His love for Pagan and Tino can only end in one mighty crash which will affect them all. Third and final book in the Switchblade Romance series can be read as a standalone dark romance.

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

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

Summary: Take one shy French gardener, mix in a naughty aristocrat, add a splash of water, a dash of sunshine, and wait for love to grow. If only it were that easy. Reuben Costaud counts his blessings daily. His run-in with crime is firmly behind him. He has a wonderful job gardening on the Rossingley estate, a tiny cottage all to himself, an orphaned cat named Obélix, and a friendly bunch of workmates. The last thing he needs is a tall, blond aristocrat strolling across the manicured lawns towards him. Falling in love is not part of his plan. Viscount Aloysius Frederick Lloyd Duchamps-Avery, Freddie to his friends, is in big trouble with everyone, from his father and his modelling agency, to his controlling older boyfriend. Seeking solace and refuge, he escapes to Rossingley and his adored cousin Lucien, the sixteenth earl. To take his mind off his woes, Lucien finds him a job with the estate gardening team. Mutual attraction blossoms amongst the gardening tools, and Freddie charms his way through Reuben’s defences. But as spring turns to summer and Freddie’s London life collides with their Rossingley idyll, Reuben’s trust in him is ruptured. Will their love flourish or is it destined for the compost bin?  

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

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

Summary: A grumpy aristocrat, a closeted doctor, a vast country estate, and a priceless butter dish – welcome to Rossingley! Dr Jay Sorrentino is getting married in ten days’ time to the girl of his dreams. So what the hell is he doing in a gay London club with a stupidly handsome stranger? As if calling off the wedding and alienating friends and family isn’t enough, Jay also has to contend with starting a new job in a new hospital. The last thing he needs is for his prickly supervisor to recognise him. Dr Lucien Avery, the unexpected and reluctant heir to the vast Rossingley estate, is difficult. Reclusive and miserable, he hates packed lunches, bland clothing choices, most of his colleagues, and supervising junior doctors. That is, until the delectable Dr Sorrentino turns up on his doorstep. To Hold A Hidden Pearl (Rossingley #1) is an M/M contemporary romance centred around Rossingley, a fictional country house and estate in southern England. The first in the series, it can be read as a standalone.