Books Tagged With where - general - restaurant

Word Count: Click here to reveal47053 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: It’s the last straw when three prudish pigs play a nasty trick on the set. So where else would Wolf go to plan the perfect payback, but Harry’s Behind the Scenes Bar, Baths & Grill? Soaking wet when he arrives at the back door, Harry’s dragon-magick fireplace soon gets Wolf’s fur mostly dry. Shifting to his human, silver-hair-to-his-bare-butt self, he’s almost done when the door opens again. And what to his wondering eyes does appear but a trio of boorish boar brothers—without a single reindeer!—all in a row from short to not-very-tall: Guy, Gresham and Grant Graham. Wolf’s idea is so brilliant, it’s definitely dawn coming up like thunder, “outer China ‘crost the Bay.” (Wolf really likes Kipling). A maybe mean, surely sneaky, snake-in-Eden idea. Payback is a dish best served hot...and hard. Join the fun as payback plays out. There’s help from Tom Thumb, fine food, expensive bottles of Harry’s Dragon’s Own Special Reserve wine (the only thing which gets a shifter drunk), Death by Chocolate, Lady Flame, a private tour of the baths. Plus rooms of straw and sticks and bricks, and an Easter Egg, which might be hiding in Manhattan. Fair warning: there’s a lot of huffing and puffing as part of the plan. Just not at doors. 47,053 words in the story

Word Count: Click here to reveal45000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: There’s no glory in custodial work. That never bothered campus janitor Carl Gibson any. He worked hard—had to. His love life was a tragedy best not reopened and his only hope for the happiness he broadcast to the world was in two things: Halloween and the shrill, ever-demanding bark of his darling Lilah. But Halloween decorations were being displaced by Christmas already, and his precious pug? He could only hope she’d hold on a bit longer. Austin Edwards had failed his little boy. The most junior dining manager at the college, when everyone called out on Halloween, he got called in. The house lights were all dark. except one. A sparkling hope of legend at the college. For his boy’s sake, he hoped Carl was as crazy about Halloween as the stories said. When Carl filled his son’s empty bag with candy, Austin couldn’t help but wonder why such a wonderful man was so alone. He had to find out. With Christmas fast approaching, Carl and Austin tip-toe into dating. But they both have ghosts and memories to contend with. Can Austin be Carl’s Christmas vision? Or will Carl retreat, as he always has?

Word Count: Click here to reveal45000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Hell's Kitchen has nothing on the flames Giancarlo and Garrett ignite at Restaurant Ransom... Garrett Ransom is America's hot chef du jour. He has a Michelin-starred restaurant in New York City, a hit reality TV show, and a new man in his bed every week. Yes, he secretly thinks his business partner, Giancarlo "Carlo" Rotolo, is hotter than a ghost pepper, but he would never jeopardize their friendship with a fling. Then Garrett overhears some juicy gossip among the crew and realizes he'll have to break Giancarlo's cardinal rule, no banging the staff - for Carlo's own good, of course. Just a taste of Carlo should be plenty. Long-term relationships aren't on Garrett's menu. Giancarlo's been in love with Garrett forever. He's sure Garrett will eventually realize they are destined to be more than business partners. But when Garrett installs his latest boyfriend as their new chef d'cuisine and announces plans to leave Carlo in New York while he opens a second restaurant on the west coast, Carlo is forced to re-evaluate his life. Can a high-strung British chef and a nice Italian boy from Brooklyn find the perfect fusion of fine-dining and family-style?

Word Count: Click here to reveal41000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: PRIDE parades can bring the unlikeliest together Ward had never seen a more alluring creature. He'd change his world to keep this pup. Jax didn't understand why he wanted this mysterious older man so much, but but he could be the master this pup needs. Only someone is getting in the way of all their fun, and Ward needs to figure out who before he loses everything. Billionaire's Pet is part of the Pride Pet Play 2023 multi-author series. Each book can be read as a standalone, but why not check them all out? If you like playful pets who are sometimes naughty, Pride parades, and Daddies who love their boys unconditionally you’ll fall in love with our pack!

Word Count: Click here to reveal83,000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Having a successful bakery and cake decorating business was everything Chef Jos wanted, or so he thought. Until he was confronted with a past he’d hoped to forget. Finn Leighton has been granted the chance of a lifetime. To compete on Cake Clash, a reality cooking show with a cash prize that would help make his dreams come true and allow him to make his small business the bakery of his dreams. Little does Finn know that one of the celebrity judges is his lost love, Josiah. When they’re faced with their past, both men realize there’s little point in denying their feelings. Elated with seeing Josiah again, he’s tempted by him, but also needs to focus on winning the competition. Caught on the set of a fast-paced show together, they’ll both need to decide if love is worth fighting for this time.

Word Count: Information not available

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

Summary: After training under the famed Escoffier, Henri is now Head Chef at the Royal Tea Room - the jewel in the crown of the newly opened Hartridge & Casas department store. With his sights set on one day opening his own restaurant, Henri has no time for distractions, especially not love. But his moorings are shaken loose when Nico, a charming and gorgeous new waiter, appears. However, the interfering adventurer Lord Ockley is determined to have Nico all to himself. When he can't, he threatens to expose Nico and Henri's relationship, risking not only the destruction of their careers and reputations, but possibly even worse. Will Henri abandon his career dreams for the love of the only man who has ever touched his soul? Can Nico convince Henri that love is the most important dream of all? Set against the backdrop of the 1908 Summer Olympics and the historic Franco-British Exhibition, Catering to Love is the story of two men trying to find love in a society where the mere mention of their passion risks ruin. Buoyed by a colorful cast of characters, they cook up a new meaning to romance. It's a new century, with London blossoming into modernity, and love is the most important ingredient.

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

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

Summary: After decades of unrequited love, this kangaroo will jump at the chance for a date. Any date. Lovelorn kangaroo shifter Hamish Mulherne, drummer for the mega-hit rock band Hunter’s Moon, waited years for the band’s jaguar shifter bassist to notice him. Instead, she’s just gotten married and is in a thriving poly relationship. How is Hamish supposed to compete with that? But with everyone else in the band mated and revoltingly happy, he needs somebody. Since he can’t expect true love to strike twice, he signs up with Supernatural Selection. Because what the hell. When Zeke Oz was placed at Supernatural Selection through the Sheol work-release program, he thought he was the luckiest demon alive. But when he seems responsible for several massive matchmaking errors, he’s put on notice: find the perfect match for Hamish, or get booted back to Sheol for good. The only catch? He has to do it without the agency’s matchmaking spells, and Hamish simply will not engage. But Zeke starts to believe that the reason all of Hamish’s dates fizzle is because nobody in the database is good enough for him. And Hamish realizes that his perfect match might be the cute demon who’s trying so hard to make him happy.

Word Count: Click here to reveal64,000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Konner was looking forward to learning more about his family heritage. What he found was his entire life was a lie. Even the worst mistakes can be forgiven. Konner O’Flattery, a passionate amateur genealogist, has finally gotten back the results of the DNA test he took. He’s been waiting months to uncover what mysteries his DNA has locked inside. But his results aren’t anything like he expected, and he unearths a secret buried since birth. His heart becomes shattered leaving no room for forgiveness. Now, Konner feels compelled to go on a journey to find the truth of who and what he truly is. Through the miracles of modern technology, Konner meets his distant cousin, Aaron Kirschenbaum. Turns out, he knows exactly who Aaron is, yet they’ve never met. Aaron makes the girls and boys alike swoon from his stunning good looks and velvety voice. Unfortunately, he’s picked up a bad habit of abusing his status for his own personal gain. Konner’s story pulls on the strings of Aaron’s heart. So, he offers to help Konner, in any way he possibly can. Aaron finds Konner to be incredibly attractive, so the two men are swept up into an intense romance filled with sensuous heat and passion. Distant Cousins is Eric Huffbind’s second published novel, a Contemporary Gay Male Romance. Take a journey with Konner as he finds heartbreak, intrigue, love, passion, and the importance of forgiveness. If you want to rekindle the euphoric high of falling in love, Distant Cousins is the book for you.

• 64,000 words / No cliff hanger / HEA
• This book is intended for mature audiences

Word Count: Click here to reveal230,861 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: The tiny Sierra Nevada community of Stone Acres looks benign on the outside, but it’s been a hive of activity since gay men from Silicon Valley began moving in. The Old Town establishment is up in arms as newcomers challenge the conservative community to move into the new millennium. Along the way, gay couples find true love and a new home. Contains the stories: What’s in a Name?: When barista Jimmy is dumped and gets drunk on his 30th birthday, a handsome, hunky bartender takes care of him, but is mum about his real name. When Jimmy presses him, the bartender makes the quest a game, giving him seven guesses and promising romance each night. For every wrong guess, Jimmy has to forfeit a hot, sexy kiss. Sounds good, but what’s the catch? Redesigning Max: Out and proud award-winning designer Fredi Zimmer takes on straight outdoorsman Max Greene’s cabin renovation. When he finds out Max is closeted and wants to come out, Fredi helps Max remodel not only his cabin but his life. Angered that Fredi has turned him, Max’s former friends intervene. Will Fredi and Max win the fight for their happiness? Behr Facts: After CEO Abe Behr discovers discrepancies in his construction company accounts, he hires CPA Jeff Mason to help him find the embezzler. Searching for the culprit, they become closer, and Abe realizes he’s gay. However, coming out to a hostile family and community may break up the couple before they cement their happiness. With so much strife, will love prevail? When Adam Fell: Jason’s drug addiction ripped them apart. Does Adam want to get back together now that his former lover says he’s clean? Relative Best: When hotel owner Zeke Bandy meets Vic Longbow, he sees stars. But Vic is in town to attend a wedding and to open an office, not to fall in love. Are they doomed as lovers because they’re both too busy for happily ever after? Frank at Heart: What will it take to make hardware store owner Frank update himself and his store? Could the new man in town be the key to unlock Frank’s life and future happiness? Waking the Behr: Ladies’ man and small town contractor Ben Behr is blindsided by his lustful feelings for San Francisco entrepreneur Mitch O’Shea. Can a country mouse and a city mouse bridge the gap in their upbringing and expectations to find love? Short Order: Amid the happiness of the Christmas season, horticulturist Fen Miller and his landlord sous chef John Barton have some serious decisions to make. Fen must decide on a career and John on eluding his grim past. Together can they support each other enough to discover their happily ever after?

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

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

Summary: James Puffton knew this day would come. As a fallible young man, he’d made all the wrong choices. He’d cheated on his girlfriend with a guy. More than once. And he’d used her—a shield, keeping his perfect image safe. Now that she knew, Jim’s life turned upside down. Faith has always been Jim’s guide, but when it leads him to the most flamboyantly gay freshman he’s ever seen, he wonders if God is punishing him. He can’t deny his feelings, but when people find out, will Tyler be in danger? Tyler Montgomery was terrified to come to campus. An incident last semester made clear the school wasn’t as safe as officials liked to pretend. When he passes out drunk after making a pass at a handsome young jock, he discovers that he was taken care of by school bully Jim Puffton. Tyler freaks, but Jim doesn’t push. He walks away. Then Jim does something profound that makes Tyler want to ignore all Jim’s terrifying history and trust him, sealing that trust with a kiss in front of everyone. But all Jim’s old friends are homophobic bullies. For Tyler, campus is suddenly a dangerous place to be.

Word Count: Click here to reveal131676 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Choices. You cannot escape the consequences of your choices. TJ’s choices have landed him in a whirlwind of trouble. Legal trouble. As he faces the biggest challenge of his life, he is also demanding answers about his past. Will TJ beat this case that is moving through the criminal justice system, or will his future come tumbling down? Will TJ have to reap the consequences of what he has sown? The choices Seven made are haunting his mind. Several people believe he was responsible for the Jaquez situation and that choice he made will return some grim results. While Seven tries to shake off the mistakes of his past, a new love interest develops. The choices he makes with this love interest can also come at a costly price. For Seven, do the ends justify the means? Insert Elijah. His past choices have led him to his new truth which causes the relationship with his mother to take a drastic turn for the worst. But why? What is really causing these problems in his home? What is really at the core of Elijah’s issues? Is his mother to blame? Or is it something deeper? What will Elijah do when the demons in his head take him to a place of no return? While the friends tackle these storms in their lives, something more sinister is at work. A plan is being crafted to destroy them at their core. Dark secrets will be revealed. The ultimate betrayal will occur. Someone will meet their untimely death. In their world, all bets are off. Who can you trust? Who do you trust?

Word Count: Click here to reveal10300 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Web Webster’s plan to own the muscle car he’s a passenger in is sidetracked when the driver wrecks the vehicle. Needing a new ID, Web barely has time to inhabit the body beside him. Web’s savior manages the accident with authorities and offers to put Web up at his place. Lying in the man’s bed, Web has one thought. If he’s not gay -- he will be for me! Casper Wainright is known for his penchant for fast, shiny cars. When a classic beauty rams a tree on his property, he helps the occupant escape before extinguishing the flames. The stranger needs a place to convalesce. Something about the stranger entices Cas, who decides one room in his house has a bed that has been empty far too long. Little does Cas know what evil he’s invited into his life.

Word Count: Click here to reveal62083 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Bells ring and choirs sing. People bustle with happiness and joy. Calories pile up while everyone gathers to chat with friends and relatives. What’s more exciting than all the holidays in December? But sometimes we need a break from the expectations and the wonderment. A great way to revive our spirits is by reading a story to ground us in the true meaning of the season. This collection features four stories infused with happiness, love, and joy. From a small business owner discovering his first fruitcake and a homeless man finding a permanent home to a blacksmith’s wish to propose to his childhood friend and a gay man relocating to a small town, each story is a journey of self-discovery leading to happily ever after. Contains the stories: Blame It on the Fruitcake: Motorcycle shop owner Sam McGuire falls for the fruitcake his loft neighbor’s grandma makes as well as the man himself. But will handsome, educated, personable Jay Merriweather be attracted to a grease jockey like Sam? The Orpheum Miracle: The son of crack addicts who abandoned him as a child, Mick has found refuge in the historic Orpheum Theater. But when the new owner takes over, will Mick be pushed out on the street or taken into the owner’s heart? Making the Holidays Happy Again: Butch has been manning the forge in Old Town and fantasizing over his best friend Jimmy since they were in high school. Does Jimmy feel the same way about Butch? Does Butch want to push their friendship and find out? Heart of the Holidays: When Silicon Valley programmer Dan Lassiter moves to a small California town, he doesn’t expect to find love. After Rick Reardon opens his bakery across the street, Dan may change his mind.

Word Count: Click here to reveal18,646 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Senator Franklin’s life seems perfect. He has a devoted wife, a smart son, and in a relatively short period of time, he’s moved up in politics to become Secretary of the Treasury. And then a man from his wife’s past arrives in DC and begins dating his son. What’s a man to do but call on a friend who’s one of the deadliest agents of all the alphabet agencies to look into it? Ryder Franklin’s life seems perfect. He has loving parents, a job at the State Department he enjoys, and a good friend who’s more than just a friend. Then a man from his mom’s past comes to DC and contacts him. Donald Edmonton assures Ryder he’s simply curious as to how his onetime sweetheart has fared, but Ryder isn’t sure he believes the man. Can he -- should he -- keep the man’s appearance from his family? Donald Edmonton’s life… isn’t perfect. His career has gone down the tubes and his finances are in disarray. The solution he comes up with lies in DC. He’s kept track of his former girlfriend and her family, and learned something interesting about her husband. He’ll go to her son first, see if he can get the rumor verified, and possibly make some money. After all, how difficult can that be?

Word Count: Click here to reveal56546 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Elian, a sexy restaurateur meets Martin, an equally sexy food critic. Will their past keep them from giving love a chance? Restaurant entrepreneur Elian Whitman believes hard work and determination usually wins out in the end, but that theory is put to the test after meeting the handsome but reticent Martin Williams. Martin knows better than anyone that relationships can fall apart when you least expect them to. After a nasty break-up he leaves his Texas home and restarts his life as a restaurant critic in Fort Lauderdale. Just as Martin is coming to terms with the belief that he’s going to spend the rest of his life alone, he comes face to face with the sexy Elian who throws his perfectly controlled world into chaos. Despite the roadblocks Martin throws up, Elian is persistent, but is persistence enough to break through Martin’s thick walls and give them both a chance at love

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

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

Summary: Troubled pasts, fresh starts, new love. Forced to leave home as soon as he finished high school, Bailey McCreedy's focus has been on earning enough money to survive. All he needs is a roof over his head and to keep his small mobile lending library running. Books are Bailey's escape, and he loves to share the joy of reading with those who don't have access to them. Tom Brooks's upbringing is very different to Bailey's, with a loving family, a good education, and a high-flying job--that is, until things came crashing down. Tom opens a coffee shop, struggling to build his business and reluctant to accept help, operating under the misguided belief that he must pay penance for his sins. Watching Bailey work with the street kids opens Tom's eyes to the reality that accepting help is not a sign of weakness, and that he is so much more than his past mistakes. But as Bailey falls for Tom, with his charming manner, obvious care for others, and group of successful friends, Bailey's own sense of self-worth threatens to tear them apart. In the face of intensifying challenges, he's reluctant to confide in Tom, afraid he's not good enough. A bright future will require Bailey to heed his own advice--people aren't defined by their failures or inability to live up to the expectations of others. It's time for Tom to pay it forward, and Bailey needs to accept the help and love that Tom offers.

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

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

Summary: Rafe vows to give Wren nothing. Instead he gives the vampire everything -- including his life! Snatched from his single mother by the wealthy family of the man he’s forced to call father, Rafe Gorman soon learns the greedy bastard has no desire to raise a child, which leaves Rafe bearing the brunt of his scorn. As soon as he comes of age to receive his trust, Rafe flaunts his disdain for his father’s regard by opening New Leaf, a gay club. It’s in New Leaf Rafe meets a being who haunts him day and night. A vampire from the 17th century, Christopher Wren’s seen enough evil perpetrated by human men to last many lifetimes. Born a bastard below stairs, he’s witnessing nobility take what they fancied without a care -- that made him a monster, not being turned. Now Wren makes sure those who flaunt such character pay for their misdeeds. Their day of reckoning is never without pain. Then he meets Rafe, and Wren swears no one will ever hurt his lover again.

Word Count: Click here to reveal102663 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Out of the swirling mix of secrets and a hurricane, can love survive?  Two years later, part of the Charm family, Gavin Hartfield creates magical memories and events. One of those weddings will be for the Charm’s owners, Samuel Ashford and Dakota Mitchell, if they ever make up their minds. The other one for his ex-boyfriend and his new partner. In the middle of all this, he keeps tangling with a tattooed brusque EMT. Xavier “Gray” Grayson feels a bit on the outside looking in when it comes to the collection of Charm men. He envies all of them finding love. Pushing his non-existent sex life filled with one-nights at clubs aside, he runs through life as an EMT and college student pushing to better himself. Running along the beach and trails become his relief and sanctuary. Until he keeps tripping over the new event coordinator. An incoming hurricane takes aim at Shore Breeze. The town braces for the impact. Plans falter and change. Will life, love, and a wedding follow these changes?

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

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

Summary: A werewolf with a death wish bargains with a hunter for salvation. Justin has spent several lifetimes atoning for the violent nature of his curse. A mindless angry beast several nights a month, he carries a burden of blood for past sins. Tired and lonely, he’s seeking an end to his torment. Vincent bears the curse, though only by half. A hybrid, he hunts those of his brethren who let their monsters take over. And he’s hell bent on destroying them all, until he's forced to deal with one who’s begging for peace. Except deliverance wears many guises. Their desire for redemption erupts in a fiery passion drawing them closer together.

Word Count: Click here to reveal94,010 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Love, served straight up. Malcolm Elliott has been keeping secrets. Helping his mom through a financial crisis has nearly emptied his bank account and his kitchen cupboards, despite his thriving career with Corporate Equality Campaign. Malcolm is also bothered by his inability to tell the most important people in his life that he identifies as gray ace. Stuart Morgan has a secret of his own. Though years have passed since the tattooed chef fled the Mormon church in Utah for New York, he's never truly come to terms with the fetish that ruined that rigid but outwardly perfect life. Experience has also taught Stuart that keeping his love of lacy things under wraps is safer than telling the truth. After Malcom's boss, Carter, hires Stuart's restaurant to cater a gala fundraising event, the strait-laced Malcolm is thrown together with badass biker Stuart. Despite their differences and a couple of false starts, the men discover they work well together and a friendship quickly forms. As Malcolm's feelings for Stuart deepen, his sexuality awakens, but he remains tight-lipped about his problems. And though Stuart grows more and more attached to Malcolm, he remains fearful of confessing his fetish. When both of their secrets are finally exposed, they find themselves at a crossroads in which they must choose between playing it safe or finally coming clean to the person they love.