Books Tagged With what - condition - ptsd

Word Count: Click here to reveal71000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Vivian Chastain is an adrenaline addicted veteran, transitioning to civilian life in Sacramento, California. She settles into a new routine while she finishes up college and works as a bartender, covering up her intense anxiety with fake bravado and swagger. All Vivian wants is peace and quiet, but her whole trajectory changes when she stumbles upon a heinous crime in progress and has to fight for her life to get away. While recovering from the fight, she falls in love with someone who is tall in stature but short on emotional intelligence, and this toxic union provides Vivian the relationship that she thinks she needs. Given Vivian’s insecurities and traumatic past, she clings to the relationship even while it destroys her. Vivian’s relationships are strained to their breaking points as she continues to seek balance. She turns to her best friend for support, only to be left empty handed and alone until she finds comradery and care from the last person she would have thought.

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

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

Summary: In 1888 Austin, Texas, a shy medium with clubfoot is visited by the horrific ghosts of murdered children and enlists the help of a rugged Texas Ranger to pursue their killer. As the two men hunt the murderer, they find themselves not only in the grip of a taboo love that could—at best—send them to prison, but also in danger of becoming the killer’s next prey. In the twenty three years of his life, Thomas Carillon has known nothing but unrequited love. People don’t notice him; they only notice his clubfoot. He has given himself up to a solitary existence with only the companionship of his cat and the ghosts who visit him. When a rare child ghost, her massive injuries evident, asks Thomas for help, the only law man that will listen is a hard-bitten Texas Ranger who reawaken’s Thomas’s secret desires. The two grow closer as they chase the killer, but can they hold onto their fragile, budding love in such hard times? Hadrian Burton thinks Thomas looks like an angel, except for whatever horror he’s hiding in that strange boot. Temporarily leaving life on the range and his complicated past to track down a killer with Thomas, Hadrian finds himself doing something he vowed never to do again—falling in love. Their “congress,” as Thomas calls it, is more intense than he has ever experienced. After a lifetime of virginity, the clubfooted man is going wild, and he doesn’t balk at Hadrian’s unconventional appetites. But they’re too different; Hadrian fears he will only hurt Thomas in the end. And yet, he has never fallen so hard for another man. How can he keep both his and Thomas’s hearts from being broken? And how can he bring the elusive Child Slayer to justice with only the help of a medium and ghosts? This erotic gay romance contains violence, period homophobia, period racism, period ableism, and graphic sex scenes.

Word Count: Click here to reveal105360 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: A man recovering from a traumatic event. His partner supporting him the best he can. An agent called back into the field by an old enemy. A case in Detroit requires the onsite attention of FBI Special Agent Aaron Pearce. Men are being murdered, notes left behind that reference Pearce, inviting him back to the city. But Pearce doesn’t want to leave his boyfriend, Mark Beecher, who is still recovering from their terrifying trip to Barbados. Surely someone else can track down this killer. Mark Beecher tells Pearce what the man already knows: this case is too personal, and Pearce has to leave him and return to Detroit. Regretfully, Pearce leaves, and Mark works on becoming more comfortable with himself and his memories, making progress every day. Which means, when the stakes in Pearce’s case become even more personal for him, Mark has to decide whether it’s better for him to stay in Washington, D.C., or be with Pearce in Detroit.

Word Count: Click here to reveal34190 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Two broken men. One chance at love. A connection neither can deny. And a claiming they both need. Cooper Jackson served his country honorably; he came home damaged but determined. In the blink of an eye, he went from soldier to bartender, back home slinging drinks at his family’s bar. He expects quiet, solitude, the same bar regulars he’s known since childhood, and for his grandfather to be all up in his business. What he doesn’t expect is to be dumbstruck when the mountain-man version of Adonis, aka Gage Holloway, walks into his bar. And he certainly doesn’t expect their obvious instant connection. But when Gage denies that connection and all but ignores him, Cooper makes it his mission to tame this surly mountain man. And as a former Army Ranger, Cooper is no stranger to difficult missions… or difficult men. Gage Holloway moved to Fire Mountain to escape his past—the job he never wanted, the family that never understood him, and the crushing guilt and grief of his former life. He ruins everything (and everyone) he touches, so now he just wants to be left alone where he can’t hurt anyone else. He nurses a drink at the local bar most nights sat alone in a secluded booth, so he can feel like he’s still part of the world without actually engaging it. He was fine on his own until a blond-haired, brown-eyed temptation in the form of the most beautiful man he’s ever seen upends his carefully-crafted, solitary existence. But there’s a reason Gage avoids human connection, and he’s not about to let Cooper Jackson make him forget… even if that’s the one thing his heart most wants.

Word Count: Information not available

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

Summary: High school senior Neil Darrien is a budding musical theater star. He has it all—a beautiful girlfriend Melissa Watt, a scholarship at a prestigious musical theater school, and a new friend Zane Jeffrey, the boy who has just come to town and immediately lands a spot in the school show choir. Neil is jealous of Zane at first, but they soon become fast friends. Neil harbors a deep dark secret. If it comes out, he is sure that it will destroy his future. But as he gets deeper and deeper into Melissa’s church, he sees a situation that he is sure he needs to fix, but if he does, his secret may come out. Meanwhile, his relationship with Melissa becomes rocky, and Neil finds he may be drawn to Zane in a way that is more than friendship.

Word Count: Click here to reveal79802 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: What if those who stand by you are the ones who betray you? France, 1944 Sometimes the most desperate struggles take place far from the battlefield, and what happens in secret can change the course of history. Victory is close at hand, but freedom remains frustratingly just beyond the grasp of German physicist Dr Kristopher Lehrer, Resistance fighter Michel, and the remaining members of the team sent by the Allies—Captain Matt Bryant, Sergeant Ken Lowe, and Dr Zhou Liang—as they fight to keep the atomic plans from the Nazis. The team reaches France and connects with members of Michel’s French Resistance cell in Normandy. Allied troops are poised to liberate France, and rescue is supposedly at hand. However, Kristopher is no longer sure the information he carries in his memory is safe with either side. When Standartenführer Holm and his men finally catch up with their prey, the team is left with few options. With a traitor in their midst, who can they trust? Kristopher must become something he is not in order to save the man he loves. Death is biding his time, and sacrifices must be made for any of them to have the futures they want. Author’s note: This is the second edition of Comes a Horseman. The first edition was released by another publishing house.  This story has been re-edited, and uses UK spelling to reflect its setting.

Word Count: Click here to reveal96,122 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealDemisexual, Gay, Non Binary, Pansexual, Polyamorous, Transgender (Click here to hide)

Summary: When it rains, it pours. And right now, it’s a freaking monsoon.   Bjorn:   After my parents' deaths, I devoted myself to raising my younger siblings. It meant growing up fast, but I had to keep the family together. Romantic relationships weren’t a priority. My siblings had to come first.   It takes my near-death experience for me to reprioritize yet again. I need to stop meddling in my siblings’ lives and focus on me. Only, I’m not sure I remember how. Then Kaino Nieminen and Xander Neilsen walk out of my past and into my hospital room, and maybe, just maybe, the universe is finally cutting me a break.    Xander:   I live to fill eager students’ minds with the wonder that is Dickens and Austen, to debate the merits of Shelley, and dive into the scandalous roots of the Bronte sisters’ novels. Woe betide the graduate student who doesn’t find English Literature fascinating. I have no patience for unenthusiastic students, or issues letting them know. I’ve been called sharp-tongued, defensive, and dramatic. Traits of many main characters in my beloved classic novels, so I take it as a compliment. Though it doesn’t win friends and influence students. Or Deans in the English department. Or romantic partners.   Except for Bjorn Osouf. Our fleeting but passionate relationship burns in my memory, like the glowing embers of Manderley. When the fool plays hero and almost gets himself killed, I take it as my sign to reconnect. As expected, there’s still a spark between us. What I don’t anticipate is the imminently fascinating Kaino Nieminen, or my inconvenient attraction to them.   Kaino:   Making personal connections is a challenge. I’m no introvert, but I need time to really get to know someone, to trust them, before they’re a friend. As a non-binary, touch-averse, demisexual, it takes even longer for anything romantic to develop, and believe me, most people aren’t that patient.    Only one person has cared to try. And when he almost dies, it’s the shove I need to reconnect. Before I know it, I’m in Bjorn Osouf’s hospital room, and the instant reconnection has me eager to give things one more try. Then Xander Neilsen walks in and throws a wrench into my plan. ​   Complete Me is a low-angst, MMX, opposites attract, second chance contemporary LGBTQ+ romance about unexpected connections, being more than two halves of a whole, and finding the perfect fit, even if it’s not quite as expected. It contains lots of dad jokes, no cheating, and has a guaranteed happily ever after.

Word Count: Information not available

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

Summary: The day started as any other day would. Bellamy Delacroix was shopping with his brother, and then he headed home to the inevitable discussion about his future with his mother. A woman who still cooks despite technology that doesn’t require her to, his mother is an old-fashioned type in a future world. Then, his world explodes quite literally, and he’s swept up into a world beyond his imagination. A war between extraplanar creatures who call themselves angels and demons draws him in because of what he is. And what he is, no one has ever seen before—a Nephilim. He is the child of an angelic mother and a demonic father and is thus capable of channeling both the positive and negative energies of the planes. This makes him dangerous and a target for both the minions of heaven and hell. ​An angel named Saniel takes him under her wing and helps him adjust as he is brought to the underground city of heaven, Elysium. He learns about what he is, who they are, and their enemies in Zion, the demons. A warning from an ally of his mother, though, rings in his head, and he wonders who he should really be trusting. Things begin to spiral in ways he doesn’t understand, and the world is changing before his very eyes.

Word Count: Click here to reveal51,000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: What happens when an autistic firefighter and his paramedic boyfriend share a thirst for true crime? Osian Garey and Dannel Ortea live together in a colourful flat in Covent Garden. They run a podcast and throw themselves wholeheartedly into Cosplay, video games, and musical theatre.  This year, they’re all fired up to attend their annual convention with a group of first responders. When Osian finds a paramedic friend murdered in the middle of the crowded venue, the police immediately turn their attention to him. They have one question on their mind. Is he the first witness on the scene or the killer? As the mystery unfolds, Osian has to face the trauma of his last job as a paramedic. Somewhere in those memories, a killer waits to exact revenge. They’ll have to prove Osian’s innocence and fight for their own survival when the killer puts them both in their sights.

Word Count: Information not available

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

Summary: Kerry Graham surprises his father by coming out as a gay cross-dresser and non-binary. Then again, when he performs in drag at a local cabaret named The Red, where his cousin works as a tailor. Despite being treated as an outcast, he now feels liberated and accepted in a world where he can truly be himself. He’s among people that understand him, and he can finally relax. At least, that’s what he believes. Then, a dress arrives, seemingly an apology for a bit of bigotry from a shop clerk. No one thinks a dress will cause any harm, so he wears it under the stage lights. Things go awry, though, and Kerry wonders what could possibly be happening. A bounty hunter named Martin swoops in, convinced that he can be of aid in the situation. Along with Martin, there’s an intrepid FBI agent named Zak on the trail of a pair of sadistic serial killers who target and manipulate young, attractive, feminine men like Kerry. Kerry doesn’t believe it at first. Could these people be targeting him? Then, things happen, and his phone and email fill with messages of horrible images of what these people plan to do to him. He’s frightened but staunch about living his life. He is adamant that he won’t let them win, no matter what they do to him. Still, as the manipulation and gaslighting continue from afar, he starts to doubt everything he’s ever known. He loses his purchase on reality but finds that Martin and Zak ground him. He refuses to give in to their sadistic games, but in the end, he wonders if his willpower is enough to keep these people away from him.

Word Count: Information not available

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

Summary: A mysterious garden... an enigmatic man... but are either of them real? Recovering from a bombing in 1990s Belfast, British soldier Nat Brook is sent to remote army rehab unit Frogmorton Towers to recuperate. At first he’s lonely and depressed, but then he finds the remnants of a once-beautiful garden, meets the enigmatic Richie, and begins to fall in love. Gradually, though, he realises there’s something odd about Frogmorton. He can rarely find the same place twice, and Richie proves every bit as elusive as the Chinese pagoda or the Scottish glen. Nat begins to question his own sanity, because if the garden is imaginary, what does that make the man he loves? Faced with the shocking truth, Nat must decide whether to stay with the army - even though that means hiding his sexuality - or find acceptance elsewhere.

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 reveal77000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Rich Cody joined the U.S. Marshals to hunt down bad guys, not babysit witnesses. Orders are orders, though, and now he’s protecting a hacker with ties to the Albanian and Sicilian mobs. It’s just another exciting day in WITSEC. Leotrim Nicolosi was born into a world of crime and bloodshed. When that bloodshed hits too close to home, taking down Leo’s boyfriend—the son of a notorious mob boss—Leo is determined to destroy the Grimaldi family. He’s got evidence that will send every last Grimaldi to prison, he’s got the family’s wealth in an electronic chokehold, and he’s got a vendetta that can only be settled with the blood of the man who killed his lover. When a routine transfer to a safehouse goes horribly wrong, Rich and Leo narrowly escape with their lives. With the Marshals compromised and Leo being framed for murder, he and Rich are on the run from criminals and law enforcement alike. They have no one to trust except each other, and nowhere to go that their enemies can’t reach. And the only way out might mean making a deal with the Devil. This novel is approximately 77,000 words.

Word Count: Click here to reveal43087 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Not all limits can be negotiated. The Edge is reaching a major milestone. After ten years in business together, Doms Joe Dexter and Heath Anders are planning a celebration and new beginnings. But even the best-laid plans can be thrown off course. When Olly, Joe’s beloved sub, gets caught up in a hostage situation involving Special Forces soldiers, PTSD and blood diamonds, a party is the last thing on Joe’s mind. He hates the lack of control, and the thought of losing Olly takes him close to the edge. Joe is not the only one reassessing his priorities. Olly needs Joe’s strength more than ever. He feels safe only in Joe’s arms or in his bondage. Can Joe and Olly find sanctuary in each other or will their latest adventure drive them apart? Reader Advisory: This book contains a hostage situation and scenes of violence. 

Word Count: Information not available

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

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

Word Count: Information not available

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

Summary: CJ Kim is a typical college student. He is doing what most college students do, figuring himself out, sometimes the hard way. He has some unusual dreams now and then, but he thinks they are just dreams. They’re certainly nothing to worry about when reality is pressing down so hard on him. Between the demands of school and family, he has enough on his mind. He ends up with a massive crush on a senior who is on the baseball team. Despite not being a baseball fan, he goes to games to see him. Of course, he’ll never notice a gay and nerdy English major like CJ. Things are good, though. He even has a good relationship with his parents and his twin sisters. He never expects his family’s past to come back to haunt him. It rears its head in the worst way possible, and CJ finds himself the prisoner of a vengeful man. Thrust into something that goes beyond what can be considered normal, CJ realizes that there’s a fate out there trying to destroy him. He doesn’t know how, but he has to reach for a destiny he can barely see.

Word Count: Click here to reveal154223 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Quiet. That's how he likes life, no drama to clean up... Tai Xen-Vorsy leads a straightforward life: work, time at the local clubs where shapeshifters like him can play without fear, and the comforts of home with a cat that's more than half attitude. After breaking up with his last submissive, he's even taking a break from Dom duties. Meeting Gates changes everything, and when Tai's childhood home is destroyed, his simple life goes up in flames. The Callensdale haven was his refuge as an orphan, a hideaway that saved his life. Now it's time to return the favour. Bringing in the Fluff Brigade Brotherhood would make all the difference... if he could just get them back together. Tai won't give up—he's not that kind of unicorn. But can he reunite the brotherhood and keep his new relationship with Gates kindled at the same time?   The darkness is dragging him into the shadows, one case at a time... Helping others is all Gates Colfaethe wants to do, being mostly unicorn shifter with a splash of Faerie. But years as an agent on trafficking cases leave him fearing just how far he'll lose himself in the job before he burns out completely. A random hookup with Tai might be the very change he needs. A new Dom means new rules and the chance to create safe distance from work—until his worlds collide in a twist Gates should leave well enough alone. What he knows is bad enough, but running headlong into danger could kill him.   Horn & Haven is an MM+ romance series featuring a found family of unicorn shifters brought together by tragic circumstances. Friends out to save a magical world in trouble. Family fighting to protect those they love. Lovers falling for the kinkiest unicorns this side of their universe... Welcome to the Fluff Brigade Brotherhood.

Word Count: Click here to reveal32850 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary:

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

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

Summary: Anax Tobias Rogan, ruler of all werewolves in the United States, is preparing for what should be the happiest day of his life: The day he finally marries his fated mate, vegan werewolf Kyle Slidell. But before the wedding can occur, Tobias has to make it through his first time hosting the annual gathering of the country’s werewolf leaders. Not everyone is pleased about the changes Tobias has made in the year since he became Anax. After one of the regional leaders and several of the alphas under his rule leave the gathering in protest, Tobias faces a fracturing country–culminating in the issuing of a challenge to fight for the Anax rank. A fight only one can survive. Tobias has always refused to kill without reason, but this time, the choice is to kill or to die. And all Tobias wants is to live to see his and Kyle’s happy ending. This book includes violence and death between werewolves; off-page trans-bashing of a transgender man; transphobia and homophobia; depictions of PTSD; and mention of past sexual assaults, including of an underage teen. 

Word Count: Click here to reveal13,900 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Some memories are better forgotten. Jules can’t remember his past; he only knows here and now. Oddly, being an amnesiac doesn’t even bother him much until he turns around one evening and finds a guy following him. The guy, Rae, is an old friend who’s come back to the city to help Jules regain his memory—or so he claims. Getting to know Rae sparks new life in Jules … but also gives him a distinctly bad feeling that recovering his lost memories could put them both in mortal danger. Flashpoint is a 13.9K word paranormal mystery MM romance short story. It features an amnesiac who’s trying to figure out what the heck happened to him, a public-school teacher who knows more than he’s saying, mysterious happenings that desperately need unraveling, and a hard-won HEA both guys deserve. (Then again, does ‘ever after’ really have to mean ‘the end’ ...?)