Books Tagged With where - general - small town

Word Count: Click here to reveal59000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: You can never escape yourself. It has been a year since the death of Brodie ‘Tosh’ Mackintosh’s husband, Harry. Unable to face all the memories of their life together, he moves into the house of his best friend, Darach McNaughton, and is comforted by the local Church of Scotland minister, Sam Carmichael, the middle of the five Carmichael brothers. Sam Carmichael has always been a bit different from his siblings. He’s the only blond in a family of redheads, and the only one with religious beliefs. He also has more than one secret. Can these two men overcome the events of their pasts and find truth and comfort with each other? And, when all their secrets are revealed, will they be forced apart or be able to plan on staying home together?

Word Count: Click here to reveal88000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: When a love triangle breaks, Steven Everett is left alone to grieve over a boyfriend lost to someone else. Surrounded by friends too tied to Aidan's new lover to give advice, Steven turns instead to a broken and beaten man, Aidan's other ex, Michael Rossier, who also knows the pain of having loved and lost Aidan. Steven's and Michael's confessions grow deeper, each confiding in the other until neither can deny an attraction. But being with Michael feels like cheating, and Steven isn't sure what to do. The connection get stronger every day, and Steven realizes he's facing an impossible choice. To make a relationship with Michael work, Steven needs to make peace with Michael's troubled past. Even more terrifying, he'll have to tell Michael the secret he's never told anyone, not even Aidan. With Michael recovering from yet another surgery, Steven leaves to face the ghosts of the past. He has to be certain. This time, Steven knows, the decision means revealing the secrets of his heart and hoping their fragile feelings can survive.

Word Count: Click here to reveal8000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: One weekend away will change everything. At twenty-five, Jeff Wilder is dissatisfied with city life and unsure of his future direction. The only thing he really cares about is his monthly visit to his grandfather in the country. His exact opposite, Danny Amaro is an artist and a free spirit. He believes in taking chances and living life to the full. Over one weekend, Danny gives Jeff a glimpse of what life could be like if he opens himself to change. Can a new friend, shared passion, and marmalade, be the ingredients to set Jeff in a new direction? Note: This is a short story of approximately 8k words and is available free to Nic Starr’s newsletter subscribers. Click here to sign up and receive your FREE copy.

Word Count: Click here to reveal36000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Owen’s bitter heart can’t resist a man with the voice and face of an angel. Owen Ashby thought his life was over the day of his car accident. Coming face to face with death has a way of changing a person. Not that Owen likes change. He doesn’t. He especially doesn’t like his wheelchair. He just wants to be left alone, but his family has other ideas. They think it’s a great idea to make Owen into a farmhand and call that therapy. But the farm has a way of healing a person. When he meets Neil, his world tilts and Owen gets his first taste of what insta-lust must feel like. But was it a passing feeling, or would their attraction turn into something deeper? Trigger Warning: Death of strong secondary character, character with paralysis, character who is neurodivergent.

Word Count: Click here to reveal34,000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Trey has a problem he’s worked hard to manage. It involves not turning into a bumbling mess while around a gorgeous brown-haired man who’s way out of his league. Eight months’ practice from being part of the same LGBTQIA+ adventure group, Outback Boys, means he’s perfected the skill. That’s until an epic stumble makes his head spin and he throws all caution to the wind. But there’s no turning back now, especially since a snow-filled trip means they’re forced to spend even more time together. Mark has no concerns about the changes unfolding between him and Trey, the giant of a man who’s adorably reserved. He’s been crushing on him for so long that he’s eager to explore more. But when their latest adventure is over and they fall back into the real world, balancing work, life, and a relationship proves more challenging than he envisioned. Something has got to give, and neither man knows the best way ahead without upsetting the status quo. Can the two Aussies work their way through their new connection, or will they stumble at the first hurdle in their way?

Word Count: Click here to reveal86000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Face to face with an old grudge. Riley Chase escaped the drama of Five Foxes High School when he went away to pursue his dreams of Broadway. After returning home to help a friend in need, now the only drama Riley can handle comes from his students on stage. But to keep drama club funds, Riley is forced to work with his old nemesis—the guy he’s hated since senior year. Colton Effing Landry. That old grudge is also smoking hot… Since his senior year a decade ago, Colton has tried to make amends for his past mistakes—lying for a homophobic bully first and foremost. He never thought he’d be back at the school with so many bad memories. Still, he needs the job. But Colton’s first day as Five Foxes High’s new girls’ JV coach hits him with bad news. Two of his athletic teams are on the chopping block due to budget cuts. And that’s where he finds Riley Chase. Riley Chase, the guy he had a crush on back during high school. The same Riley Chase whose last words to him during their senior year were I hate you. Not the way to kick off a new job. A stormy past could lead to a nightmare of a fall semester. Now they have to work together to raise the money to save their programs. It’s either that or let their kids down. Can Riley really trust the guy who betrayed him all those years ago? And can Colton prove to Riley he’s not the same dumb kid he was back in high school? Can hate really turn to love? Stupid Love is an enemies-to-lovers, contemporary gay romance novel featuring a nerdy English teacher and a hot jock coach with a little angst, some sensual heat, an HEA, and no cliff-hangers. It can be read as a stand-alone novel. Trigger warning: This book deals with the aftermath of a rape that happened ten years prior. No non-consensual sex happens during the story, and the previous rape is never described in any detail.

Word Count: Click here to reveal40000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: A rockstar with a tainted reputation. A shy, sensitive farmer. A magical ten days on the seas of the South Pacific. Axel Zelman Stepping in to protect my younger brother was a no-brainer. Now I have to pay the consequences and repair my tarnished reputation. That means facing my demons and spending ten days at sea on a cruise ship. At least it’s for a good cause. Kyle Brown Thanks to my interfering family, I’m thrust into a world of extravagance and dazzling spectacle. I’d much rather be at home in the vineyard. That is, until I find an undeniable connection with a gorgeous, brooding passenger. Imagine my surprise when I find out he’s an award-winning performer. Why on earth would he want to spend time with me? It’s only a cruise, a bit of fun, not a life commitment, and as my brother said—we’re not here for a long time, but a good time—so I’m determined to enjoy the limited time we have. I just wish my heart got the message. Sun-Kissed is a sweet and sexy story where two worlds collide in an opposites attract, celebrity/ordinary guy, rockstar romance set amongst the fun and chaos of a Pride Cruise.

Word Count: Click here to reveal65,000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: NEWLY REISSUED, WITH NEW COVER ART! At the shocking end of SINISTER MOTIVES, Noah Sanders was forced to make a decision that would change everything he’d strived for since arriving in the coastal paradise, one that jeopardized not just his relationship with his family, but with his lover. In Cane’s Inlet, located on a barrier peninsula along the Jersey Shore, the lucrative summer season is just two weeks away, with Hatcher’s Resort its most-desired attraction, including the newly opened Medusa Lounge. But drama ensued onboard the restored pirate ship, leaving Noah determined to leave Cane’s Inlet behind. A killer has another idea, and soon Noah knows there is no escape. Living behind enemy lines, Noah realizes he must finally confront Ginette and Emerson Hatcher about the truth he’s been hiding from them all these months. But then the killer strikes again, making Noah’s investigation even more personal. He uncovers a string of secrets that have been lost to the ocean floor for generations. Reaching deep into the past, Noah is in a race against time before the season begins. Needing to repair his relationship with Demetri if he’s ever to find happiness, Noah sets a chilling plan in motion. One which will have devastating consequences, but not before the final, shocking truth is revealed. SUSPICIOUS TRUTHS is the third part in a trilogy that will lay bare stories of the past, and in the end, no one will escape the web of deceit that has defined Cane's Inlet for more than one hundred years. Scandalous, sinister, suspicious, the Cane's Inlet Mystery is a tour-de-force tale of two families, one secret, and, ultimately, one man's discovery of his own true self.

Word Count: Click here to reveal72000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: A family emergency far from home. A list of people gone missing. A long, simmering attraction that finally reaches a boil. When Demetrius flies to Florida to support his parents during his mother’s health scare, Cody is left to manage their Critter Catcher business alone. And feel guilty he didn’t go along to provide support. Finally unable to stay away, Cody heads to Florida with Demetrius’s Aunt Amelia. Demetrius is shocked they came to support him. And Cody is shocked about his powerful romantic feelings for Demetrius. But all that will have to wait as they are tragically yanked into another monster hunt. In the Everglades. During a tropical storm. If they live through this latest challenge, Cody and Demetrius will need to have a long overdue conversation about their future. It will change everything between them, forever.

Word Count: Click here to reveal64000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Dev has pined for his cousin's best friend for years, but no matter how hard he wishes, Clark sees him as nothing but a friend. And it's as a friend that Clark comes to him for help. Clark’s father is on the brink of losing his house and the fastest way to make a quick buck is to win the $10,000 prize in the inaugural Sweet to the Core apple baking contest. Only problem? He's never baked anything that hasn’t come out of a box. But Dev has. As a baker, he’s Clark’s best chance. For the first time, Dev has something Clark wants. Only problem? Dev needs the prize for himself. The only thing he wants—besides Clark—is to buy the local lighthouse where he last spent time with his parents before they died. Working together means opening a lot more than a barrel of apples, though. They may have found the recipe to love. But will Dev have to give up the only connection he has left to his parents in order to have it? Or will Clark let his father down? They can't both have everything. Or can they?

Word Count: Click here to reveal90,000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: CASSIDY MARTIN is a country boy through and through. He loves his horses, his Lord of the Rings tourist business, and his isolated paradise at the foot of New Zealand’s Southern Alps. Not that everyone appreciates the seclusion he craves. Take his ex-wife for example. The sexy-as-hell guy on his latest tour might be whip-smart and push all of Cass’s buttons, but he’s about as country as a pair of Louboutins, and Cass has been there and done that. Broken heart with the T-shirt. STEFAN HAMILTON doesn’t do ‘outdoorsy’, he’s a city boy, born and bred. The closest Stef gets to the country is ‘Cowboy Night’ at his favourite Auckland gay bar even if the music makes Stef want to rip his hair out by the roots. But Stef is also a hardcore Lord of the Rings fanboy. So, when he gets the chance to go on a horse trek to the iconic film locations in the Southern Alps, he sucks up his fear of the gigantic animals and his allergy to camping for the chance to let his nerd flag fly. But when his mate pulls out at the last minute, Stef is left to negotiate the horses, the wrath of mother nature, and an inconvenient crush on the cowboy leading the tour. City meets country and the sparks fly.

Word Count: Information not available

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

Summary: Caleb Devine is the youngest son to the previous Alpha of Asphalt Bay. He’s the pack lawyer and anyone who needs help usually comes to him. However, he has a second responsibility as the best tracker the pack has ever seen. When his brother’s club in Venetian Hills is attacked by a rogue shifter it’s up to him to track the culprit. What he finds throws him for a loop. Lawliet Tremaine is a bounty hunter for the Paranormal Council. He captures fugitives for money. When an assignment goes bad he finds himself hunted by two packs as a rogue shifter. Will he be able to evade capture long enough to save himself or will he end up getting himself killed? Caleb has to find the shifter before the pack does. Law has to hide long enough, for whatever it is that’s happening to him to stop. Will Caleb be able to save Law before the pack gets to him? Can Law hold out until help arrives? Or will Fate turn her back and let things end tragically?

Word Count: Click here to reveal49000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Sometimes the sweetest things come when you let your guard down, even if that means risking a little fire in the process. After ditching the chaos of city life—and a cheating fiancé—I’m more than ready for a fresh start. Collier’s Creek, with its small-town charm and the warmth of my family, seems like the perfect place to regroup. Throw in a job offer as the new office manager for the local fire department, and it feels like everything is falling into place. That is, until I meet Hayes. The confident, cocky, and sinfully sexy firefighter is all smooth moves and effortless charm. Our connection? Instant. Our chemistry? Scorching. But here’s the problem: I’m supposed to be wrangling the firefighters and keeping the department in line, not getting distracted by the hottest man in town—who also happens to be my nephew’s best friend. As the fire department’s Mr. December, Hayes is used to turning heads, but he’s got his sights set on me. And while I’ve sworn off mixing business with pleasure, this guy makes resisting nearly impossible. Every sweet gesture and playful flirtation chips away at my resolve, leaving me wondering if this time around, I should just give in. Because the more time I spend with Hayes, the more I realize he’s not just fire and heat—he’s all heart. But with our undeniable attraction and my unease of our familial connection as well as our age gap, can we handle the sparks flying between us without getting burned?

Word Count: Click here to reveal36000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: A charming serial dater. A serious-minded entrepreneur. A bloody start to their new business venture. All it will ever be is a close friendship. That’s been Demetrius Singleton’s mantra for as long as he’s known his best friend, Cody Bower. It’s helped through the years as he’s watched Cody date practically every girl in town. Now several years out of college, Demetrius manages the business side of their brand new animal control service, Critter Catchers, while Cody acts as the idea man and finesses potential clients. When their first client is brutally murdered by a large unidentified animal, they have to act quickly to save their business reputation and stay out of jail. Demetrius is distracted by a handsome new town reporter, but Cody is wary of this new arrival’s intentions. And, quite possibly, a little bit jealous. But he doesn’t feel that way for Demmy… does he? No matter how they feel about each other, they will need to work together to uncover the truth about the gruesome murders in their small town of Parson’s Hollow before they end up victims of the beast themselves!

Word Count: Click here to reveal62000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Wars are fought on many fronts. A battle is raging across New Colorado Protectorate with both human and demonic players. Todd and Nick Ruger are sentries with an arsenal of talents and training to combat threats from a variety of enemies. Todd and Nick are given a mission to find and stop weapons smugglers by going undercover on the riverboat, Annabelle. These aren't typical arms dealers, they're demons and they're not afraid of a pair of sentries. The Rugers will have to use all their skills and their most powerful weapon, the bond between them, just to stay alive. Stopping the supply of illegal weapons turns to trying, and failing, to thwart an assassination. Todd and Nick have each other, but will they be able to keep their love intact?

Word Count: Information not available

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

Summary: Thawed Out is an opposites attract, second chance romance featuring an established couple on the edge of divorce, a ferocious snow storm, precocious children and a healthy dose of holiday magic. Kiren knows there is a storm coming when he goes to the cabin to deliver divorce papers to his husband Flynn, but he doesn’t plan to stay long. He hates that it’s come to this, but they just can’t seem to do anything without arguing anymore. When he finds Flynn looking so skinny and unhappy, he ends up staying to talk. And maybe to try harder not to break up their family. Flynn knows Kiren is just as tired as he is. They both work hard. They both take care of their two kids. He doesn’t want to give up, but between his long hours and going to school, he always seems to be in trouble when gets home. Before they know it, they’re snowed in with nothing but time on their hands. The two of them decide that they don’t want to be frozen in the worst time of their married life. But can they work together to find the balance they need to start again?

Word Count: Click here to reveal16100 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Information not available

Word Count: Click here to reveal82400 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: In The Bachmann Family Secret, Jaret Bachmann travels with his family to his beloved grandfather’s funeral with a heavy heart and, more troubling, premonitions of something evil lurking at the Bachmann ancestral home. But no one believes that he sees ghosts, and no one else saw his grandfather’s ghost warning him to stay home except his dog, Darth. Grappling with his sexuality, a ghost that wants him out of the way, and the loss of his grandfather, Jaret must protect his family and come to terms with powers hidden deep within himself.

Word Count: Information not available

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

Summary: (This is a short story! It can be read as a standalone but is part of a series) Darius Wilder is a vampire of royal blood. His father is one of the most powerful vampires around. After being ostracized for being gay he’s currently on the run from those that would hunt him. Phantom Creek has become his safe haven. The mortuary; his new home, and the people that work there; his new family. Romance hasn’t come easy for him and with each failed relationship he prays a little harder that fate will give him a mate of his own. Jirga is a demon bounty hunter. He’s the last person you want hunting you down. When Aristotle Wilder hires him to find his son and bring him home Jirga thinks it’ll be a simple snatch and grab. Only, he runs into a little snag when executing the job he was sent to do. Darius longs for his fated mate, not just for the companionship but also so he can gain the full power of his royal blood. Jirga just wants to finish his job and move on but Darius complicates that. Will these two be able to work things out and fight the enemy in front of them or will Darius’ father win? (Warning: Contains sexual content, Man on Man action, and explicit language. Not recommended for those under the age of 18.)

Word Count: Click here to reveal54000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Zeke Hanson hunts things in the night. He learned about hunting from his dad until his murder forced Zeke into foster care. Outgoing & with an easy charm, Zeke keeps his emotions safely hidden--especially his ever-deepening love for his foster brother/bestie, Ian. Ian Clark is a smart, intuitive young man with his own tragic past. He’s adored Zeke since their first night as roommates. Zeke's warmth and kindness made the foster home feel safe. Ian's platonic feelings for Zeke have grown into love and physical yearning. When their foster sister is murdered, Ian abandons his plans to attend community college & instead joins Zeke on his hunting travels. They can't stop human monsters, but they can fight supernatural ones. Hunting together & dealing with dangerous situations deepens their bond. Hiding their true feelings is nearly impossible, but the risk of rejection and abandonment is scarier than any monster. When Zeke’s life is at risk, Ian must make a choice. Will they admit their love or will it---and Zeke---perish?