Books Tagged With what - topic - friendship

Word Count: Click here to reveal15000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Attending his daughter’s holiday dance recital should be easy for pro hockey player Patrick Barnes. Showing up in a tutu, however, wasn’t exactly part of the plan. And yet the holidays get even more interesting when he bumps into Lee, the man he let get away in high school. Ballet instructor Lee can’t believe who just walked into his studio. He also can’t believe how quickly the flare of attraction between he and Patrick resurfaces, despite the decade that’s gone by since they last spoke. In high school, they let opportunities get away. Now, almost twenty years later, is it possible they’ll have a chance to pursue the spark that has come back to life after just one conversation? Holidays are a time for giving, and neither Patrick nor Lee are about to take this particular gift for granted.

Word Count: Click here to reveal92000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Banyak & Fecks is a prequel to The Clearwater Mystery series of romantic gay novels. However, it is not a mystery. It is a story of how a Ukrainian refugee and the son of an Irish immigrant come to meet in the East End of London in 1884. It is a story about friendship. 1881. Andrej’s family are dead or missing, and his village in Ukraine decimated. Aged thirteen, he walks west to find a boat to take him to London. Three years later, homeless, starving and having resorted to prostitution, he finds safe passage and arrives in London alone but determined. 1884. Silas’ mother has died, leaving him to fend for his twin sisters in the hellish world of the Westerpool slums. Silas only knows the work of a thief and trickster and at sixteen, heads to London to make his money. What he finds is poverty, starvation and the Greychurch workhouse. About to give up, he encounters a giant Ukrainian, proud, handsome, and renting his body in the alleys of the East End. Silas (Banyak) and Andrej (Fecks) make an unlikely pair, but their friendship is all they need to survive life in London’s notorious East End. When disaster robs them of their home, they have no choice but to live rough and work the streets. Lodging houses, rope houses, arrest, violence and prostitution, they face it together. But when the Ripper starts slaughtering Greychurch rent boys, Banyak and Fecks have only their friendship to ensure their survival.

"A colourful and enchanting tale. Beautifully written. Marsh does an excellent job of evoking the look and feel of a different age."

Olivier Bosman author of the DS Billings Victorian Mysteries

Word Count: Information not available

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

Summary: Barista Brewed Love  - Love is always brewing at the local coffee shop! Sip your coffee, cozy up, and get ready for some warm m/m romance that’s just as sweet as the perfect cup! In the comfy corners of a local café, love is always on the menu. Jacques, a flirtatious and endearing barista with a knack for matchmaking, has seen it all—and made countless connections in the process. But after losing his husband, he's slowly learning that even the best cups of coffee can't heal all wounds. In Barista Brewed Love, a collection of interconnected M/M romance stories, unexpected sparks fly as strangers become friends, and friendships bloom into love. From the sweet jitters of a first date to the heartwarming comfort of second chances, these touching tales weave a tapestry of love, friendship, and new beginnings. You’ll fall for the unforgettable characters who pour their hearts out—whether it's a young couple navigating their first real love, a man filled with regret tracking down a lost love from the past, or older men discovering romance after years of solitude. And Jacques? He's there every step of the way, playing matchmaker, offering advice, and finding his own path to healing. Join these lovable characters in a celebration of love, vulnerability, and hope, and find out if Jacques can open his heart to new possibilities. With laughter, tears, and a few steamy moments, Barista Brewed Love will make you believe that no matter how complicated life gets, love is always worth the fight. Sip your coffee. Let your heart race. And let love brew...

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

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

Summary: Rory Graeble returns to college determined to reinvent himself. Too many years have been wasted with masks, but becoming a student leader is a step Rory isn’t sure he’s ready for. A new identity takes more than just a new nickname, and Rory knows he has to take the chances that his old self would never risk. When that chance is a party that ends with an anonymous hot skater’s tongue down his throat and a phone number in his pocket, Rory knows what he has to do. Danny Smits never expected to see stuffy lit geek Rory Graeble trying to be out, trying to be proud, trying to be… Rory. It’s damned sexy, and too much for the entrepreneurial skater to resist. When Rory calls him back the day after the party, Danny knows Rory has changed. But will Danny’s haunted past deter Rory? Or will Rory embrace the chance to experience everything the closet had stolen away? Danny believes in keeping things real, in a brutal honesty he knows means Rory will run screaming. But this time Rory isn’t running.

Word Count: Click here to reveal97,046 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Love, served behind the stick. Kyle McKee lives a charmed life. He co-owns Under, an uptown speakeasy, where he is chief mixologist. Friends poke fun at Kyle’s tiny one-bed apartment in Chelsea, but they’re the best support system a man could ask for. Unfortunately, Kyle’s lackluster love life has led him to take a break from dating. Harlem resident Luka Clarke is a lieutenant with Engine 47, the Pride of Morningside, where he carries on his father’s legacy with the FDNY. Luka, who is mixed race and bisexual, has his eye on Kyle, whom he met at a local burger joint and he just needs to make time to visit Kyle’s bar. Before work one evening, Kyle is trapped inside the luncheonette when a fire breaks out. Luka’s firehouse answers the call and he connects with Kyle again under the most unexpected of circumstances. When Kyle gratefully invites Luka and the firehouse squad to Under, the flirting between the two men leads to a date. Kyle and Luka quickly grow close, but Luka’s mother and sister distrust Kyle for being both white and gay. Luka believes his family will come around and accept Kyle in the end, but Kyle is not optimistic and hides his disquiet as attraction blossoms into love. Kyle and Luka’s near-idyllic bubble is shattered one evening after a hate crime leaves them scarred, inside and out. Shaken, they put on a strong front but struggle inwardly against fear and personal demons. As the emotions seething beneath the surface finally come to a head, both men must decide if they have the strength to find love enough to conquer hate.

Word Count: Click here to reveal105000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: A Lambda Literary Awards Finalist for Bisexual Fiction (2019) London, 1906 Lucien Saxby is a journalist, writing for the society pages. The Honourable Aubrey Fanshawe, second son of an earl, is Society. They have nothing in common, until a casual encounter leads to a crisis. Aubrey isn’t looking for love. He already has it, in his long-term clandestine relationship with Lord and Lady Hernedale. And Lucien is the last man Aubrey should want. He’s a commoner, raised in service, socially unacceptable. Worse, he writes for a disreputable, gossip-hungry newspaper. Aubrey can’t afford to trust him when arrest and disgrace are just a breath away. Lucien doesn’t trust nobs. Painful experience has taught him that working people simply don’t count to them. Years ago, he turned his back on a life of luxury so his future wouldn’t depend on an aristocrat’s whim. Now, thanks to Aubrey, he’s becoming entangled in the risky affairs of the upper classes, antagonising people who could destroy him with a word. Aubrey and Lucien have too much to hide—and too much between them to ignore. Rejecting the strict rules and closed doors of Edwardian society might lead them both to ruin… but happiness and integrity alike demand it.

Word Count: Click here to reveal93,000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Following an accident, a schoolboy and a tattooed Romanian find themselves unexpected guests at Clearwater's country house, Larkspur Hall. But what if their presence is no accident? What if Mr Smith is Protectori, a member of an ancient order of assassins bent on destroying anyone who sullies the name of the Szekely people of Transylvania? And what do a runaway boy and an assassin have to do with Clearwater's famed Easter dinner party and its guest of honour, the actor, Henry Irving? Ancestral feuds, a pocket watch and a rare Romanian wine are seemingly random connections until Silas breaks into a London theatre, and James rescues a boy from drowning. Then, it's a race against time to prevent a hideous murder and Archer's ruin. Bitter Bloodline is a no-heat mystery that sees Archer's loyal servants become their own band of Protectori. The Clearwater Mysteries are best read in order.

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 reveal64500 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: The bull shifter, Ryan, and his human mate, Caleb, have made a good life together. Alongside Caleb’s mother, Mandy, they run an animal rehabilitation center on their ranch. Ryan has become the honorary uncle to two young bull shifters, and Caleb is proud at how well his mate has acclimated to the human world. For Ryan, he’s found the family and the peace he’s long craved, and he’s determined to keep it by whatever means necessary. But their quiet lives are disrupted when Caleb’s aunt—Chief Hera of the US Agency—visits. And she brings a dire warning: the Knights of the Dawn want Ryan’s blood. After losing someone precious to them during a skirmish with the knights, Caleb spirals into grief, and Ryan must work through his guilt and sorrow to care for his mate. A task made easier when Hera stays with her nephews, sharing their heartache. After they retreat to Haven, Montana, they begin the long process of healing. Unfortunately, Haven is in a state of unrest, and they are sucked into shifter politics that threaten the safety of the community as a whole. Meanwhile, the knights still need Ryan’s blood, and he can’t hide forever. Note to readers: Caleb and Ryan first show up in Love is a Whirlwind. While many of these books can be read alone, for full enjoyment please read previous books in the series, as this one does have many cameos and character resolutions.

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

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

Summary:

Word Count: Click here to reveal42000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: What do you get when you mix a pro snowboarder with a music equipment salesman and his kid? --I don't know, but it's bound to be a good time. Griffin had no idea how hot Zane McDonnell was until he witnesses the famous sports stringer interview him. The snowboarder is charismatic and kind of adorable. When Griffin is encouraged to pursue the vibrant man, he decides to go for it—he needs adult fun in his life. Zane figured Griffin would be fast and fun -- exactly how he likes his lovers and his life. He was wrong. Griffin slips past his defenses faster than the downhill competition at the X-games. His friends might call him Big Mac, but inside he’s tiny and afraid. Despite that, he's tempted to stick around and see what happens, but the reality is nothing is permanent. Griffin's not about to let Zane take the easy way out. He can easily see Zane is making a rookie mistake. Will the snowboarder let himself fall for the solid father or will he blow his turn? Tags: sports romance, snowboarding & outdoor fun, music, single father, travel for work, merging lives.

Word Count: Click here to reveal89,000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Change has never come easy for Aaron, even when it’s been for his own good. He avoids it when he can, rebelling against anything the least bit uncomfortable. Unfortunately, there was nothing he could do to prevent the implosion of his band. Now he must decide how to deal with the fallout. Quit? Or help his best friend and former bandmate build something new? He wished the choice was easy, but there are too many triggers buried in his head and old memories dredged up when ghosts from his past reach out to him. ~~~ Hawk loved making music. A life of travel and performing was the only one he’d ever pictured for himself. When an accident left him the guardian of his brother’s three children, he was forced to make some tough decisions. The ripples sent shockwaves through his band and decimated friendships in the process. His choice gave him an instant family. But does it have to cost him the man he loves? Hawk might be on his way to the grocery store while Aaron heads for the desert, but there are many roads to Rocktoberfest and many ways of uniting a family. Broken Chorus is part of the multi-author Road to Rocktoberfest 2024 series. Each book can be read as a standalone, but why not read them all and see what antics our bands get into next? Hot rockstars and the men who love them, what more could you ask for. Kick back, load up your kindle and enjoy the men of Rocktoberfest!

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

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

Summary: Isaiah Cole escapes his everyday life as a schoolteacher by debating—and trash talking—online under a fake name. For the past four years, his internet persona has been getting closer and closer to another user. They’re friends, and there’s even a little flirtation now and then… but the guy doesn’t know Isaiah’s real name, and they’ve never seen each other’s faces. Until now. Of all the men who could be behind his friend’s avatar, Isaiah is stunned to learn he’s been chatting with Tanner Jeffries, a jaw-droppingly gorgeous forward from his favorite hockey team. As soon as they’re face-to-face, the chemistry is off the charts. They’re as inseparable in person as they are online, and their only regret is not doing this sooner. But eventually, the novelty is going to wear off. And when it does… How much can a broke, overweight average Joe actually offer a hot, rich, younger athlete? Burner Account is an approximately 80,000-word standalone M/M hockey romance. CW: discussions of school shootings/active shooter drills

Word Count: Click here to reveal45873 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: This is book 1 of the Eternal Flames series, Centuries ago the Phoenix and Dragons were a force no one could penetrate. They fought together, mated together, and worked side by side, and then all that changed. The children of the leaders were dead and war had practically destroyed them all. The fighting stopped and they both went their separate ways. Daytona was the Captain of the Crystal fire department. He loved his small town and he loved his job. However, what none of the small town knew was that he was also a dragon. Crystal was a small location just outside Denver, and it was also the home to the Phoenix. He had lived amongst them for years, hiding his scent, until the day came that he could no longer keep his secret. When a fire claims his mother's life, Ethan rushes home. Having your mother being a victim of an arson is not something he was prepared to face, but discovering he wouldn't have to do it alone, should have been a relief. The thing is...that relief came in the form of a dragon, and the town believes that his mate is the cause of all the fires around town. When the arsonist strikes close to home, Day knows he must clear his name and find the culprit that is now trying to kill his mate.

Word Count: Click here to reveal74,000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Cake & Cocktails is a steamy, M/M age-gap romance featuring a grumpy teddy bear of a bar owner and a quirky baker just looking for love, acceptance, and a forever family. Henry is well-aware he’s a bit of a grump. Outside of his passion for running the Riggs Family Roadhouse, and a precious few close friends and family, Henry doesn’t need anything—or anyone—else. But when a mysterious young man walks into the bar, Henry finds himself obsessed with making sure the blue-eyed beauty is taken care of. Determined to get far, far away, Jack fled his nightmarish home life with barely a hint of a plan. Five hundred miles later, the small town of Haven Grove might just hold the perfect recipe for healing Jack’s wounded heart. Maybe he’ll stay a while, especially if the cuddly bear of a man behind the bar keeps plying him with food, kindness, and sweet smiles. Henry just wants to help the newcomer get back on his feet. Instead, for whatever reason, his interfering heart is mixing up a different plan. Jack doesn’t know how he could leave when Haven Grove has all the ingredients for his happily ever after, but do Jack and Henry have what it takes to bake up their very own perfect slice of love?

Word Count: Click here to reveal103,507 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: A love worth the wait. When Riley Porter-Wright comes out as bisexual and confesses his feelings for Carter Hamilton, it severs their friendship. Carter’s rejection forces Riley to move on and he’s shocked to learn Carter’s marriage has fallen apart. Overwhelmed by his failure as a husband and father, Carter misses Riley, but feels guilty for disappearing after Riley’s coming out. After Riley extends an olive branch, the former friends agree to repair their relationship. Slowly, Carter pieces together a new life, admits his attraction to men and confesses his feelings for Riley. Leery of Carter’s initial rejection, Riley turns his focus to a new man, Will Martin. Disappointed, Carter fosters new friendships with men like Jesse Murtagh and Kyle McKee, while also navigating new waters with his ex-wife, Kate, as their children learn their parents are dating other people. As they rebuild their friendship, both Carter and Riley draw strength from each other, hoping the choices they’ve made are for the best. Wake, the prequel to Calm, was published in May, 2017.

Word Count: Click here to reveal66,000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Cameron Hayes believed himself to be a dedicated friend and a good son but destined to be alone. Because in his twenty-one years, he’d never fallen for anyone. Dating never appealed to him when he would rather spend a night at home. Despite his friend’s best intentions for Cameron to find a hookup for the night, he stayed at the bar as he nursed a beer. And that’s when Cameron spotted him and everything he knew evaporated with one look. Rylan Ellis wanted one night out without complications. To forget about his overwhelming responsibilities and stress at home. He loved to lose himself in the music and ignore everyone around him. But when he happened a glance at the bar and spotted the tall, broad, and sexy-as-sin man, he felt drawn to him. Soon, Cameron and Rylan learn about each other and establish their lives together. They also have to deal with a group of well-meaning friends, loving parents, and unexpected friendships. But most of all, a dangerous threat that could tear their lives apart. Will a chance meeting turn into something more? This novel contains heavy attraction at first sight and first-time gay sex between two men. There is no cheating or cliffhangers and ends with a happily ever after. *Contains a brief mention of a prior sexual assault and violence in later scenes.

Word Count: Click here to reveal44000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: College is a time of acceptance—but what happens when you’re tired of explaining who you are? Kiel, a young trans man, moved back to the Midwest to attend college with his closest friend, Shelly. Over the last few years, he’s lived his adventure, but now his heart yearns for something normal. Raziel, a straight college student, works at the college rec where Kiel exercises. During a night out, Raziel finds an unexpected attraction for Kiel. Confused by these unforeseen feelings, Raziel needs time to identify and understand his new desires. Both Kiel and Raziel suffer from navigating the world of acceptance and discovery. The yearning desire for normalcy without advertisement or hidden agendas, and the fear of exposing one’s heart only to find rejection. Someone must take the first step, but who will it be? And what will it teach them both about themselves, each other, and about love?