Books Tagged With potential trigger - traumatic past

Word Count: Click here to reveal120000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Fae aren't real. Soulbonds are woo-woo nonsense. And the man swooning in Bo's arms definitely isn't a kelpie. Bo Bo's made a career out of debunking the supernatural. His eager fans regularly tune in to discover what he'll disprove next. And Bo really should know better than to let them pick where he goes. It's supposed to be a routine visit to a so-called haunted house. But instead of dust and rats, Bo finds Everil: A strange, beautiful man who faints into his arms. Which, fine. Weirder things have happened. Except the man claims to be a kelpie. And Bo's soulbond. (Which explains why Bo can taste him, snowmelt and frozen grass, from across the room.) Bo should just walk away. Believing in magic has only ever hurt him. But he's always been too stubborn to take the easy route. Everil Everil's spent a century hiding from the Faerie realm and his abusive former soulbond. Now the man is back, and Faerie law makes his claim on Everil's soul inescapable. Which means Everil absolutely cannot give his soul to the brash, kind human who barges into his home. Unfortunately, his soul isn't keen on listening to him. Everil's ex will kill Bo if he finds him. To keep the human safe, Everil must break their bond. Only Bo rejects Everil's every attempt to protect him, offering rough reassurance in turn. A proper fae would insist. But Everil's always failed at being proper. And Bo's honey-sweet soul and wonder are impossible to resist. Despite the perils of homicidal dryads and duplicitous friends, Everil agrees to run. With Bo. Not from him. Everil is determined to protect his new soulbond. But he soon finds that the true risk comes with the lingering taste of Bo's kiss.

Word Count: Click here to reveal116000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: One soul. Poorly maintained. All serious offers considered. (Unseelie preferred.) Declan After a lifetime of being treated like a pariah, Declan's a fae on a fae on a mission: Take down Faerie's oppressive power structure from the inside. But first, he needs a soulbond. Too bad every potential match in Faerie has rejected him. Well, he'll just have to get creative. And he's always had a soft spot for humans. Antonio Antonio, a tattooed gearhead with a record, has a mission, too: Avoid the fae at all costs. He's been there, done that, and has the PTSD to prove it. Sure, he's screwed up his life in more ways than he can count. But it's his life. Then, the fae he used to belong to returns. This time, planning to keep him forever. Antonio has one chance to sell his soul before the fae he most fears takes it. If the buyer happens to be a scorching hot punk with bone wings, it certainly makes a bitter pill easier to swallow. And Declan, he can't turn down the wounded, dark-humored man who asks him for help. Together, they dive into the world of fae intrigue, supernatural hitmen, and family strife. Oh, and the awkwardness of falling hard when their bond is only supposed to be a business arrangement...

Word Count: Information not available

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

Summary: Robyn Jameson has worked on the streets and Below in a St. Louis brothel for almost ten years. His life has never been easy, and he started doing what he does early on and not by his choice. He has no problem with what he does and actually prefers his lifestyle. Now that he has a choice, he stays. He has friends, money he needs to live, and the drugs he needs to endure the life he leads. He is not inclined to change anything about this life, at least, he isn’t until he meets his latest john, a suave yet stoic businessman named Ricardo Vasquez. With a slip of the tongue, the word “Daddy” escapes his lips, only to find his client incredibly turned on by the word. Perhaps he’s been seeking something more along the way, and this is a way to see it fulfilled. He doesn’t know for sure, but he knows that things in his life can never be simple. He ends up embroiled in something much bigger than himself, and between Ricardo’s near obsession that he adores and his family making a sudden appearance, Robyn finds himself in a state of complex change.

Word Count: Click here to reveal76000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: For Andrew Tuttleman, sex is a means to an end. With a mother too sick to pay the bills on her own and college bills to pay, Drew has spent years resorting to sex with strangers to keep a roof over his mother's head and keep himself at school, far away from the hell where he grew up. This summer, his usual tricks are still paying the bills. But there's a new one, Grant, who never got the memo that a trick is a no-strings deal. Convinced that Drew is the answer to a hopeless prayer, Grant seems ready to pursue Drew to the ends of the earth. Drew, on the other hand, isn't so convinced. Grant comes with trouble in the form of a wife and three kids, not to mention a single and unwavering requirement: that Drew give up his livelihood. Grant's kiss makes Drew ache for more, a romance that he never dreamed possible. He finds himself unexpectedly willing to try. Can Drew weather Grant's angry father, wife, and a daughter determined to kick him in the shins so hard that he'll leave Grant's life forever? It all relies on Grant's faith in an impossible prayer.

Word Count: Click here to reveal110000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Welcome to another place in time...where one can be swept away into lands and eras long forgotten. This collection of short stories was birthed because a sworn "I don't like historicals" reader fell in love with what have become some of her favorite books by most of her favorite writers. Surprisingly, they were all historicals. Determined to make others feel the love, these authors were asked to contribute small tastes of how amazing historical storytelling can be. Along with a foreword written by Alex Beecroft, enjoy these original short stories that make up "Another Place in Time". Office Romance by Tamara Allen The post-war economy is at a standstill, much like Foster Wetherly’s life until he’s forced to do battle with irritatingly confident—and competent—fellow ex-doughboy Casey Gladwin for a position in their shrinking department at Manhattan Security Mutual. Introducing Mr. Winterbourne by Joanna Chambers Lysander Winterbourne appears to lead a charmed life. Handsome, amiable, and a renowned sportsman, he is the darling of London society. As far as Adam Freeman is concerned though, Lysander is just another spoiled aristocrat. A wealthy mill owner, Adam has no time for the frivolous world of the ton, but when his younger brother becomes engaged to Althea Winterbourne, he reluctantly agrees to be introduced to society–with the Winterbourne clan’s golden boy as his guide. Resigning himself to a few days of boredom, Adam is surprised to learn that there is much more to Lysander than his perfect surface. But will Adam have the courage to introduce Lysander Winterbourne to his own secret self? The Ruin of Gabriel Ashleigh by KJ Charles Lord Gabriel Ashleigh is a ruined man. Last night he lost everything at the card tables to his brother’s worst enemy, notorious gambler Francis Webster. Tonight, he’s going back for one more game. Ash thinks he has nothing left to lose. But Francis sets the stakes, and they’re higher than Ash could have imagined… Two Regency bucks. One game of cards. Everything to play for. Unfair in Love and War by Kaje Harper Many men lost brothers overseas in the summer of 1944. Warren Burch was one of them. For months he still clung to his big city life in Philadelphia, but finally he's made the difficult choice to return to his home town. Warren's polio-stricken leg won't let him serve, so the least he can do is be there for his mother, when brother Charlie never again will. Arriving home means a whole new life, constrained by the rhythms and prejudices of a small town. Fortunately, it's made more interesting by the mysterious and attractive young man next door. Carousel by Jordan L. Hawk When a child goes missing, is it a simple case of a young runaway, or are more sinister forces at work? “Carousel” is part of the Whyborne & Griffin series and takes place between the events of Stormhaven and Necropolis. It can be read as a standalone. Deliverance by Aleksandr Voinov This is a re-vamped, re-edited, improved version of "Deliverance". It's about William Raven, a templar, who thought he'd escaped his past. (Same character as in "The Lion of Kent".)

Word Count: Click here to reveal98500 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: The tall pines, the thick mist, the birdsong above his head...Barrett loves everything about living outside the remote mountain town of Lake Honor, but especially the peace and quiet. His days as a forest ranger are filled with unpredictable adventure, so home is the one place he knows he can count on. But even home has been a surprise of late, as his next door neighbor and good friend has suddenly passed away, and the house has been sold to someone new. He’s not sure this change will be good. When the new neighbor, Ambrose, arrives, Barrett realizes that the man is a loner, like himself, and clearly not looking for a friend. Which is a pity, because Barrett finds him fascinating and incredibly good looking. Ambrose didn’t move to the outskirts of nowhere to make a friend. But Barrett, his new neighbor, is kind and generous, and has soft brown eyes he can’t stop thinking about. As he slowly warms up to Barrett, fate finds a way to push them together when danger and sabotage strike. Barrett saves Ambrose’s life, and their bond is cemented. Ambrose isn’t sure about letting in someone new, but Barrett hasn’t proven to be anything but a good person. And a handsome one at that. As their lives entangle, and their relationship grows, neither man can ignore the attraction between them. But their pasts are complicated; an ex-boyfriend reappears, an estranged parent tries to get in contact, and Barrett’s nephew falls ill. On top of that, the sabotage of forest ranger equipment grows more dangerous and Barrett is pulled into the investigation. Both men want to take their relationship slow, even with all the drama swirling around them. Ask Me For Fire is a love story drenched in atmosphere, suspense, and heartfelt connections. Tropes: forced proximity, slow burn, grouchy loners Content warnings: explicit sex; some violence and danger (mostly minimal and/or off-screen); mental health issues including anxiety and depression; abusive and manipulative family; neglectful family and past relationships

Word Count: Click here to reveal120000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Death threats drove him from his country. Can he ever find asylum from his past?   Hernán had family, college, and a future in El Salvador. Until a vicious gang targeted him as gay. Threatened with murder, he braved a nightmare journey toward a new life. Now, haunted by his trek, he hides from immigration trouble as well as his enemies. He prays to pass in Provincetown unnoticed. But a handsome man with a secret like Hernán’s is vulnerable to predators. Colin is in town for a wedding when he falls into the harbor. The man who rescues him is dark-haired, dark eyed and gorgeous. He’s also a target because of his immigration status. Colin owes a debt, and wants to repay it by helping his savior escape the monsters who would exploit him. Hernán yearns to trust the kind man who offers him sanctuary. Will his demons destroy his chance at a future with Colin?   Asylum is a standalone gay romance novel but contains spoilers for the prior novel, September. Trigger warnings for brief references to off-page sexual abuse of a child and adult.

Word Count: Click here to reveal62,000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Tal finally had it all…until the man he loved abandoned him. Once, Tal Oryan was an elite warrior, fighting for the kingdom at the side of the powerful general who loved him. Then Tal loses everything in a haze of pain and betrayal after his hand is severed in battle. Now labeled a “cripple” and cast out from the warrior life he’s known for so long, he has no choice but to return to his past, a place of horror and guilt. He can no longer stay in the capital after High General Ramidine Swal, the man who once claimed him, never shows up after Tal is wounded. Worst of all, the priceless sword Ramidine once gifted to Tal is gone. Now Tal struggles to find a new purpose as the traumatic events in his past demand the most brutal of sacrifices… Ramidine Swal is known as The Golden General, feared, revered, and the right-hand man to the prince. But when he returns from a desperate victory to Tal, the wounded warrior he was forced to leave behind, he discovers that Tal has fled the capital. Ramidine soon learns of a twisted cover-up and a betrayal so dark it threatens not only the future peace but the very man he loves. Ramidine is not a man to be stolen from, and certainly not someone so precious as Tal. He is determined to find Tal and set things right, no matter the distance and no matter the cost. Tal will be his again.

Word Count: Click here to reveal121000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: A child’s memory. A journey’s end. Lance doesn’t remember the time before Ulfr found him. It’s a dark pit in his mind that he avoids at all costs. And yet, despite his best efforts, pieces start to fall, and echoes from the past begin to ring. However, he has little time to comprehend their meaning, since the Captain of the Imperial Army herself has come to collect him and bring him to the capital city of the Nifdem Empire. Whisked away to the gilded streets and glittering court of the Hill of Tarran, and then to the snowy reaches of Swenen, Lance and Gust will learn the answers to questions they’ve had from the start. And be forced to acknowledge their roles in the survival of the empire and the ripple effects of their actions. But such knowledge can come at a steep price. As allies and enemies begin to step from the shadows, Lance will learn the truth of his past and the price of his redemption, and all the pain that comes with them. While Gust will have to decide what he’s willing to sacrifice to safeguard the one he loves.

Word Count: Click here to reveal72579 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: A Dark Steamy Superhero Yaoi Romance ❤️former super-powered hotties returning to action! ❤️ second chance at love for a Hero and a Villain  ❤️ amazing secondary cast with their own love stories COMPLETE SERIES NOW AVAILABLE ON AMAZON & KU Several years past 50, Matt thought that his days as a Villain in the staged Chosen fights were long over. But then his powers returned in the wake of a devastating attack that took the powers of all the active Chosen, perpetrated by a young Hero. With no other choice, Matt goes to the one man who might understand what is happening to him - Colton. The man who was Matt's main rival back in the days of his fighting career. A man Matt hasn't seen since the day he burned out and walked away from the fights. That would be complicated enough. But back then, they were also secret lovers. Matt walked away from that as well without a goodbye. Now after nearly twenty five years, these two men are coming face to face for the first time. Can they handle their personal issues while trying to save the world from a Hero gone bad? Trigger warnings for dub/noncon, super tragic backstories, explicit on page sex, angsty gay dudes, and cliffhangers.

Word Count: Click here to reveal70000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: As far as rock star Gareth Kendrick, the last true bard in Faerie, is concerned, the only good Unseelie is . . . well . . . there’s no such thing. Two centuries ago, an Unseelie lord abducted Gareth’s human lover, Niall, and Gareth has neither forgotten nor forgiven. Niall O’Tierney, half-human son of the Unseelie King, had never lost a wager until the day he swore to rid the Seelie court of its bard. That bet cost him everything: his freedom, his family—and his heart. When he’s suddenly face-to-face with Gareth at the ceremony to join the Seelie and Unseelie realms, Niall does the only thing inhumanly possible: he fakes amnesia. Not his finest hour, perhaps, but he never revealed his Unseelie heritage, and to tell the truth now would be to risk Gareth’s revulsion—far harder to bear than two hundred years of imprisonment. Then a new threat to Gareth’s life arises, and he and Niall stage a mad escape into the Outer World, only to discover the fate of all fae resting on their shoulders. But before they can save the realm, they have to tackle something really tough: mending their own broken relationship.

Word Count: Click here to reveal32723 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Bryce Harkless is unapologetic. He’s raw, rude and arrogant but sweet, gentle and loving. He’s a sexy college basketball player from Savannah, GA that everyone loves and wants to sleep with. His life, however, is full of conflicts. He is haunted by the past, yet afraid for the future. He loves his boyfriend, but hates him, too. To avoid facing his troubling past, he lies, cheats and engages in risky behavior. There are layers of pain inside of Bryce that are destined to destroy his life if he doesn’t learn how to face them and move on. He was raised in the church, but he doesn’t understand God’s reasoning for treating him the way he does. He doesn’t want to be gay, but women do nothing for him. In turn, he blames God for everything. He hates God. The month of March is the hardest time of the year for Bryce. During this time, he is forced to deal with an event from his past that shattered his young life into pieces. As if dealing with that situation isn’t hard enough, an incident involving another man raises questions about his sexuality in the mind of his beloved auntie. However, everything comes to a screeching halt in just one phone call. There, he gets the news that undermines everything else. Come along for the ride in this novella, as the next few days are destined to turn Bryce’s already rollercoaster life, even more upside down!

Word Count: Click here to reveal32518 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: It’s been three gut-wrenching days since Bryce received that life-changing phone call in Savannah. He has avoided dealing with the situation, but now that his spring break is ending, he has no choice but to attack and face his truth as he heads back to his college apartment in Atlanta. To Bryce, all of life’s issues are hitting him at once. If dealing with the reality of that phone call wasn’t bad enough, his closest family members are directly and indirectly questioning him about his sexuality. His conscience is eating him alive as a result of the decisions that he’s making. To add insult to injury, his pastor accuses him of something unimaginable. All of this brings Bryce’s internal conflict with God to an all-time high, leaving him at the point of no return—emotionally, mentally and physically.

Word Count: Click here to reveal46584 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: It’s summer 2016 and two years have passed since we’ve last seen Bryce Harkless. He has moved past that devastating but eventual false diagnosis, but has much changed in his life? Is he still doing the harmful things that caused that initial life-changing scare? As Bryce prepares to head into his senior year of college, he plans a relaxing vacation to travel up the east coast with his best friend. Something unexpected happens while on the trip, so they alter their plans and head to the Midwest. While on that journey, Bryce encounters another life-shattering event that will shake him to his core. This unforeseen circumstance will force Bryce into a decision that’ll allow him the opportunity to seek vengeance for a previous wrong done to his family. Will Bryce do what his church upbringing taught him and leave it in God’s hands, or will he go out and do his own thing? Where will his relationship with God stand when the dust clears? Jaxon Grant, author of the "Incidental Contact" and "Life of a College Bandsman" series, pens a masterfully woven tale of adventure, crime and consequence, lust, secrets, exploration, revenge and mind-blowing sex. In the final book of this trilogy, join Bryce on this two-week voyage as he learns the hard truth about himself—the truth that maybe he isn’t even ready to discover.

Word Count: Click here to reveal93000 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealGenderfluid, Lesbian, Non Binary, Pansexual (Click here to hide)

Summary: When a change in collective conscious sends the Outsiders, a group of aliens, to the shadows below the city, humans reason that the demonization of their peers is simply more “humane.” There’s no question, nor doubt. Just acceptance. Lydia had embraced that sense of “truth” for as long as she can remember. The daughter of a powerful governor, she has been able to live her life with more comforts than most. Comforts can be suffocating, though, and when the opportunity to teach Outsider children in their private, “humane” community becomes available, she takes it. What she finds beneath the city is far from the truth she had grown to know. There she meets Alessia, an Outsider with the knowledge and will to shake the foundation of all those who walk above ground. The two find a new and unexpected connection despite a complete disconnect from the technological world. Or perhaps in spite of it. Still, it takes a lot more than an immutable connection to change the world. Lydia, Alessia, and a small group of Outsiders must navigate a system of corruption, falsehoods, and twists none of them ever saw coming, all while holding on to the hope to come out alive in the end. But it’s a risk worth taking, and a future worth fighting for.

Word Count: Click here to reveal23000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Four short stories from the world of the Undead Canadian series, including two previously unpublished works!

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

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

Summary: The rings have been selected. The champagne placed on ice. The cake decorated. And the pre-wedding sex is off the charts... Lucas Vallois and Andrei Hadeon are finally ready to walk down the aisle. There’s just one small problem. A ghost from Lucas’s past shows up days before the wedding, desperate for help. Against his better judgement, Lucas and his best friend, Ashton Frost, plan a fast trip back to the one place they swore they’d never go: their hometown in Oklahoma. But the danger is worse than they expected. Now, they’re in a race to track down a killer, keep a young girl safe, and get Lucas back in time to say, “I do.”

Word Count: Click here to reveal77816 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Ray Cortez returned to Seattle after fourteen years to help his pregnant best friend and her partner. He meets another fireman at his station, and is immediately attracted to blond Viking, but Ray doesn’t date straight or closeted guys. Leif Ramsey has spent the last year trying to figure out how to come out to his mother and macho firefighter brother, terrified he’ll lose them. With Ray’s no-closeted-men policy, Leif takes the risk. When a fire at Ray’s childhood home ignites past trauma and threatens their growing trust, can Ray and Leif survive the heat, or will their relationship go up in smoke?

Word Count: Click here to reveal48870 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: A wolf and a cougar—with all that keeps them apart, can they have a future together? In Haven, Montana, the shifters and their human allies are safe—for now. But that safety hinges on the town’s location remaining a secret, and it’s about to be compromised. Cougar shifter Travis Kuger spent the past several years alternating between craving revenge and wishing he could forget his painful past. Ever since the shifter-hating Knights blinded him and killed his family, Haven—and Sheriff Jack Ulger—have been Travis’s refuge. Travis and Jack know their friendship could be much more, but Jack is part of Haven’s ruling wolf shifter pack. If he takes a non-wolf mate, he could be banished forever. But when a knight infiltrates Haven, love becomes the least of their problems. Second Edition with updated and revised text.

Word Count: Click here to reveal60000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Sonny Lakes is as lost as a person can be. After being discharged from the US Army following a traumatic event, he’s sent home, where unbearable nightmares and deep despair lead him to attempt to take his own life, a choice that puts him on the path to a new home in a new town where no one knows him. But as Sonny tries to settle in, mysterious vandalism and harassment begin to take over his life, destroying the anonymity he craves. Abe Ellis has lived his whole life in Sweetshade, Texas, and that kind of loyalty lends itself well to being a small-town cop. His quiet life changes when a handsome newcomer moves into town and unlikely events begin to unfold. As Abe and his partner Nate begin looking into the crimes, Nate grows increasingly suspicious of the stranger with no history, no enemies, and few friends, to whom Abe is so drawn. Can Sonny’s faith in himself be restored in time to find the love and stability he seeks? Can Abe count on his instincts and trust the young man with his safety and his heart? Sweetshade is a small town, as calm and inviting as the name suggests. But even places like that can hide sinister secrets and dangerous threats. Warning: PTSD, suicide attempt