Books Tagged With what - emotion - grief

Word Count: Click here to reveal90500 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: From supporting role in a TV cop show to above-the-title co-star in a blockbuster movie franchise was crazy. Actually being married to the love of his life: Victor Garcia didn’t have words for that. He hadn’t found words for the other thing, either. Four months after being shot, he still wasn’t talking about it. The trauma counselor tried, their friends tried, and his husband Andy Martin certainly tried. But they had so much going on. For Victor, it was easier to celebrate life than to look back at almost losing it. Andy wasn’t the man who would say ‘no, we need to talk’ when the love of his life wanted something else. The tango tour was scandalously fun. Then they got home, and he went to visit his parents, and the bottom dropped out of his world. He and Victor had already been through a lot together. They both thought, if we could take that, we can take anything. But when he needed Victor most, things went sideways. What if this was simply too much? What if suddenly, at the worst possible time, they’d gone from ‘can’t get enough’ to ‘had enough?’ Neither of them could accept that. So they dug down, and opened up. Because on the other side of this was the rest of their love affair.

Word Count: Information not available

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

Summary: Kit Swann is starting over when he moves himself and his miniatures business to New York. Living on his own in the city can be lonely, so he starts watching the local gay bar from the coffee shop across the street, and he finally decides to take a chance on it, working up the courage to go inside. Elijah Russo has been looking for a full-time lifestyle partner for a long time. So long he’s ready to give up on finding someone who can be everything he needs. He thinks Kit might be the one, but he knows Kit is inexperienced with some of his specific requirements. While they learn to love each other, they must also navigate Elijah’s insecurity, Kit’s big secret, and the trauma left by the accident that left Kit a widower. If they’re going to bring their very different lives together, they’ll have to teach each other some new tricks.

Word Count: Click here to reveal130000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Author’s Note: Next Man Up was written before the tragic and senseless deaths of Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau. Out of respect for their memory and for the family, publication was delayed, and the book was revised to minimize some unfortunate and highly coincidental similarities to reality. 30% of the author’s royalties will be donated to the John and Matthew Gaudreau Foundation, an organization started by the brothers’ family to support causes that were near and dear to their hearts. ---------- When tragedy strikes the Pittsburgh Whiskey Rebels, winger Avery Caldwell loses more than his longtime linemate. Without warning, his best friend in the world is just… gone. There’s no time for grief, though. The season is starting, and now Avery is captain of his devastated team. He’s determined to be strong for them and lead them by example—putting aside his emotions and focusing on hockey. But he can only pretend he’s okay for so long. Peyton Hall was looking forward to a new start on a new team. He’d expected to land a place on the second line and play among men he’s been admiring for years… including a winger he’s been crushing on since forever. Now he’s suddenly centering the top line and trying to fill the skates of a beloved star who’s gone too soon. Avery is determined to ignore his heartache and carry his devastated team. Peyton is determined to find his place among grieving teammates. But can the new guy stop Avery from self-destructing beneath his grief and the pressure of the captaincy? And is there any room for the crackling chemistry they’re both trying desperately to ignore? Next Man Up is a standalone M/M hockey romance. TW: Off-page death, grief, self-medicating, self-destructive behavior, addiction. Also mentions of pregnancy loss/infertility. If you have questions or would like clarification about any of the potential triggers in this book, please contact the author

Word Count: Click here to reveal77000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: When we’re both needy and tactile AF, it’s no wonder everyone thinks my best friend and I are an item. But that’s so not what’s going on. Cassius Britton, the mouthy basketball player for the Minnesota Eagles, is my soul mate. He has been since he shared his gummy bears and let me have all the red ones. Because that’s the kind of person he is—selfless and sweet. But he’s so much more than that. He’s the man who rescued me from my homophobic parents. He’s the man who brought me and my sister into his family home and wrapped us in love and sunshine. All of that, and so much more, makes us soul mates—which doesn’t mean he’s meant to be mine. And when I become a dad and have to balance being a cop in our small town while dealing with grief, of course he steps up, because that’s who Cassius is. But when I need to get married, when I need a man to step up and be by my side, maybe Cassius is too close. Too much of a risk. Because how can I possibly marry my best friend and not start to fall, especially when the secrets between us are so explosive, they’ll either burn us to the ground or set our hearts free forever?

Word Count: Information not available

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

Summary: Careful what you wish for… Close to landing a role in a sitcom he hopes will show his father he isn’t a failure, Vane Riley loses everything when his boyfriend dumps him and his father dies. With nowhere to turn, he heads home to regroup and help his sister, Rose, keep the family diner afloat. Trying to ease his grief with a guy in a bar seems like a good idea until the guy can’t get rid of him fast enough. The last thing Vane expects is for his one-night stand to appear at his dad’s funeral with a quirky tarot reader on his arm and a romantic history with Rose. Doug Moore is a widower who isn’t ready to move on, but he can’t seem to get the clumsy guy he met the night before out of his thoughts. After helping Vane get back into the car he somehow locked himself out of, Doug figured he’d never see him again and can’t believe his lousy luck when Rose’s loser brother turns out to be the hookup he can’t stop thinking about. Doug is determined to keep his distance, but when Rose hires him to renovate the family home Vane is now living in, there’s not much chance of that happening. Though Doug wants nothing more than to resist him, Vane ticks all his boxes. Clumsy, needy, sexy and… Oh yeah. Paranoid. Not for a minute does Doug believe somebody is out to hurt Vane despite the strange accidents that have befallen him since returning home, but Vane is sure somebody wants him dead. Doug is solid and steady. Vane is emotional and imaginative. Nobody’s trying to kill him. Doug is sure of it…. At first.

Word Count: Click here to reveal48338 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Every story has a beginning…. Dragons. Angels fear them and demons follow them. Formidable beasts of incredible power, they fight each other to the death for dominance. But dwindling dragon numbers cause alarm among the angelic ranks. Surely when the dragons have finished killing each other, the victors will search elsewhere for conquest… maybe even the Upper Realm. Roland, an angelic artist of significant talent, doesn’t know what to believe. Part of him longs to see a dragon in person, and his peaceful life of contentment is wearing thin. He wants passion, desire, adventure, and love. He gets more than he bargained for when he and his sister are ambushed and captured by demons, and they bring him to a creature who surpasses Roland’s wildest imaginings. But the mighty dragon Asagoroth is not all that he seems. Something sparks between him and Roland. Something neither anticipated. Something that will shake the cosmos to its core. Second Edition, fully revised and updated.

Word Count: Information not available

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

Summary: A gentle nudge from the mysterious beyond may be all one needs for a happily ever after When Tad Conway’s ex-boyfriend, Bobby, returns after a long absence, he realizes that there are certain things in the universe he can’t explain. Like spending the night in Bobby’s arms only to learn that he’d died months before and is most likely haunting him. Oh, and that Bobby may be pushing Tad into the arms of another man, even though he isn't over Bobby. Drew Sinclair has had a major crush on marketing guru, Tad Conway, for the longest time. After Drew lands a job as an intern in Tad’s company, he gets his chance to show his stuff – in and out of the bedroom. Maybe he can earn more than a job, if only he can get Tad to see him. Help can sometimes come where you least expect it. #ghostromance #workplaceromance #haunting #dealingwithgrief #agegap

Word Count: Information not available

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

Summary: Alpha werewolf Eli Hammond returns from a fishing trip to discover a nasty surprise—five members of his pack murdered and the rest missing. He needs help locating and rescuing his pack mates, but the supernatural council in Asheville, North Carolina, turns him away. Except for one man. As they work together, Eli is stunned—and not especially thrilled—to discover half-elf Arden Gilmarin is his destined mate. But as Arden and his friends struggle to help Eli in his quest, Eli surrenders to the demands of his body—and his heart. They’ll need to bond together, because the forces opposing them are stronger and more sinister than anyone predicted. The evil has its sights set on Arden, and if Eli wants to save his mate and the people he is entrusted with protecting, he’s in for the fight of his life.

Word Count: Click here to reveal60869 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Storms pass and, in their wake, new beginnings can be found. Talented young artist Jonty Trelawn paints the sea as self-inflicted punishment. For almost a year he has hidden away from life, survivor’s guilt consuming him, but the time has come to move on. He conceives the idea of a charity art auction in support of the local lifeboat station and the men and women who saved his life. He hopes the tribute to his family will release him from the sea’s invisible chains. Carpenter Jed Curnow is bound to the water in a different way. As deputy coxswain of the Govenek, the local lifeboat, his world revolves around the close-knit crew. He thinks nothing of risking his life to save others. Saving Jonty is less dangerous but just as important to him. He wants nothing more than to give Jonty the love and security he needs. Jed’s dominant personality calls to Jonty’s more submissive nature but will he ever allow himself to be happy? It’s up to Jed and his best friend Marmite to help Jonty put his tragic past behind him and live for the future.

Word Count: Click here to reveal113803 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Tragedy struck one night, leaving Nathan with a permanent limp and a curse—the ability to see and communicate with ghosts. For six years, Nathan’s done everything he can to avoid them. But a persistent ghost, Alan, haunts Nathan every chance he gets until Nathan reluctantly agrees to reunite him with his fiancé for a chance to find peace. A turn of fate and a stolen CD brings Erik into Nathan’s life. Erik is everything Nathan believes he doesn’t deserve. But Erik is Alan’s lost love. Now he must untangle the threads of Alan’s death while hoping to keep the newfound love of his life. Will Nathan decide to expose his supernatural burden, or let Alan wander without rest forever? Love and trust hang in the balance as Nathan confronts the ghosts of his past and the man who threatens to shatter the wall guarding his heart.

Word Count: Information not available

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

Summary: All his working life, Kurt lived in a world of secrets. Those secrets killed his best friend, Nick. One secret, though, will tear his world apart – the one he’s keeping from himself. December, 1988: For Kurt Nash, CIA operative, a trip to Pemberton in Australia’s south-west to scatter Nick’s ashes should have been routine, except for the guilt plaguing him, and the trauma of the events that nearly killed him as well. When he encounters Lucy, Nick’s fiancée, returned to celebrate Christmas with her brother, Don, Kurt realises the time has come to tell Nick’s story. But Kurt will discover that opening up can be like lighting a fire in a forest. After all, when a forest fire burns, it is hard to predict what will catch and which direction it will turn. But as Kurt begins to find himself hidden under all the layers of secrets, will his growing friendship with Don and Lucy be enough to enable him to deal with those secrets? Will he be strong enough to come to terms with what he has been hiding from himself?

Word Count: Click here to reveal61770 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Morgorth is considered a villain by his own people and known as Dark Mage of the North. But now all he feels is light and love as he pursues a budding relationship with Aishe, a dialen of the Ravena tribe. Morgorth hardly believes his good fortune. He has allowed Aishe into his home, into his bed, into his heart. He laughs more, smiles more, and feels happier than he ever has before. He should have known such bliss never lasts. The Council of Mages, the ruling body over all mages on Karshian, knows he has Rambujek, a major stone of power—a stone won from an evil sorcerer. They also know his destiny—to become the Destroyer. Fearful, they send two emissaries to take the stone from Morgorth, using whatever means necessary. This includes tricks, threats to those under his protection, and the threat of war. A war Morgorth knows he would never survive. Conflict soon arises between him and Aishe. Their tenuous relationship is put into jeopardy, their very beliefs about themselves and their love is put into question. Morgorth doubts if he should keep Aishe in his life. He doesn’t know if he can protect Aishe from his enemies. Or from the monster he might become.

Word Count: Click here to reveal104,000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Penn from Adelaide. That’s all I knew. We shared a single kiss over a year ago, and I can still remember every toe-curling second of it. He thought I was too young for him. I thought he was running scared. But that kiss was the first time I’d felt alive in a long time, and I’ve been chasing the feeling ever since—doing my research, a lot of research, a lot of men. Something my protective older brother isn’t too happy about. I’ve been through more than most guys my age, and I still bear the scars. My head’s not always my best friend, but I’m building a life, PTSD be damned. I can’t turn back the clock, and I’m not sure I want to. Except maybe to that moment when Penn kissed me. I mean, the odds of us ever meeting again were slim to none, right? Yeah, about that. But this time I’m ready. I’m a year older, an ocean of therapy wiser, and I know exactly what I want.   Triggers: One of the main characters in this book lives with PTSD as a result of a fire and within the story there are flashbacks and descriptions of triggering events. There are also themes of loss and grief.  

Word Count: Click here to reveal15,000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary:

• releasing in a new edition in 2021

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

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

Summary: ETHAN SHARPE is living every young Kiwi’s dream—seeing the world for a couple of years while deciding what to do with his life. Then he gets a call.Two days later he’s back in New Zealand. Six months later his mother is dead, his fifteen-year-old brother is going off the rails and the café he’s inherited is failing. His life is a hot mess and the last thing he needs is another complication—like the man who just walked into his café, a much older… sinfully hot… EPIC complication. TANNER CARPENTER’s time in Queenstown has an expiration date. He has a new branch of his business to get up and running, exorcise a few personal demons while he’s at it, and then head back to Auckland to get on with his life. He isn’t looking for a relationship especially with someone fifteen years his junior, but Ethan is gorgeous, troubled and in need of a friend. Tanner could be that for Ethan, right? He could brighten Ethan’s day for a while, help him out, maybe even offer some… stress relief, no strings attached. It was a good plan, until it wasn’t.

Word Count: Click here to reveal97000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Dr. Ian Wallace, a rare Scottish Wolf, has dedicated his life to saving and healing wolf shifters by joining Frontline Doctors. Determined never to take a mate, he avoids relationships and is content to live a nomadic life, taking assignments to wild and remote places. That is, until an old friend asks him for a favor which Ian’s wolf will not let him refuse. Now on his way to the Blackwood Pack compound, his wolf becomes frantic and Ian learns not only that he has a Fated Mate, but that his Fated Mate is in danger. Colton was forced to give up his dreams of becoming a nurse and joining Frontline Doctors when tragedy befell his family. Instead, he healed sick animals around his home while hiding from a pack who wanted him dead. Given the chance to use his skills, Colton seizes it and embarks on a journey that will reveal just how special he is. A kidnapping, slave auction, revelations of long-kept family secrets and a rare, powerful gift from the gods are some of the surprises in store for both of them until they finally find their way into each other’s hearts after discovering neither is who the other thought he was. M/M, Shifters, Fated Mates, MPREG, HEA

Word Count: Information not available

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

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

Word Count: Click here to reveal104531 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Razor's Edge, The Cowboy and the Dom Trilogy, Book Two Razor blades left by a murderer continue to remind Sam and Thomas of James, the man they lost to violence, whose killer is still out there and seems to be watching them constantly, biding his time. Their carefully built relationship also teeters on the edge of a knife. Sam tries to be the full-time sub he thinks Thomas wants, but fails miserably, while Thomas tries to understand that Sam is unique and his cowboy’s needs don’t lend themselves to a formal BDSM lifestyle. They work through confusion, arguments, and stress, but when communication starts to break down, they struggle to reconcile their differences to learn what it means to be a “them”. An emotional misunderstanding might be the last straw, or it might be the opportunity the killer has been waiting for to take Sam out of Thomas’s life once and for all.

Word Count: Click here to reveal66000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Chaos lived a life much like his brothers, a torturous life, and as much as he cared for Ash, he knew his future was already decided. He could feel it, like a clock ticking away the minutes of his life, his time was running out. There was no point in letting anyone get attached. After being called in by the Hagrins to help with the initial take down of the recruiter, FBI agent Ashton Michaels found a home for himself among the band of brothers, and the love of his life. If only he could convince Chaos love and living were worth fighting for. Only cowards gave up. With the take down of the last facility, evidence of more sites come into play and unexpected dangers flourish. The Hagrin house has grown, as well as the family and their commitment to each other. It’s the simple things in life some take for granted that mean the most to others – a childhood, family, love, acceptance – and Ash and the brothers will do what it takes to make sure Chaos knows he deserves it all.

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

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

Summary: "Rejoice, dammit!" — I could hear my husband Thom's voice as clearly as when he was alive, telling me that four years were enough. That this year, I needed to stop avoiding the joys of the season, and get my solitary, colorless life out of its rut. But it took seeing Colin standing in an ice storm, waiting for a bus that wasn't coming, to convince me to take a chance on opening my life, and maybe my heart, a second time around. 34.000 words