Books Edited By Lourenza Adlem

Word Count: Click here to reveal37000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Jules Rose leads a quiet life working as a librarian. He’s happy to spend his spare time reading books and talking to his homicidal cat. What more could he wish for? But when his cozy Friday night is shattered by a friend request on his book community app, politeness gives him little choice but to accept. Jules doesn’t want to talk to anyone, but he can’t be rude. Besides, if he had to talk about something, books is the topic he’d pick. Phoenix Ford is dyslexic and avoids everything that has to do with the written word, but when the colleague he’s trying to impress calls him stupid, he decides to convince the other man, he’s mistaken. All he needs is the right book to make him look smart, a perfect balance between intelligent and short. And who better to ask for help than a guy who loves books so much, he labeled one boner-worthy on a book app? When Jules finds out Phoenix never has read a book from start to finish, he’s on a mission. He will find the right book, the book that will make Phoenix fall in love -- with reading. Phoenix’s plan might have been to listen to the book Jules picked for him to impress his colleague, but that was before he got to know him. Talking about books is a sure way to Jules’ heart, but is it enough for him to agree to go on a date?f

Word Count: Click here to reveal19169 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: In eighteenth century London, twenty-year-old Dennis Must, otherwise known as Sheba, is successfully plying his trade in the taverns and molly houses of Covent Garden. His life is turned upside down when a regular customer is murdered, leaving Sheba as the sole witness and prime suspect. He soon becomes hard-pressed to evade the Bow Street constables let alone the killer. Reluctantly, Sheba teams up with intriguing lawyer Valentine Lee, finding him to be a helpful ally and more. Can they track down the culprit before Sheba becomes the next victim? And will Sheba’s growing feelings for Valentine prove to be his downfall or his salvation?

Word Count: Click here to reveal58000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Devin Jace lives in a huge mansion together with six other people, five of them turn furry, and one needs to drink blood to survive. Sometimes, he suspects it's all a dream. Four years ago, he had no idea supernatural beings existed. It wasn’t until he was snatched off the street and forced to live as a blood slave he realized vampires are real and don’t sparkle. Three years ago, Mars O’Ceallaigh was part of the team who saved a badly scarred and severely traumatized Devin. As the only vampire on the team, he got to work undercover. To keep up the facade, he tasted Devin's blood. Not a day has gone by since without him thinking about it, both the taste of the blood and Devin. But he wants Devin to be happy, and since he knows vampires are his worst nightmare, he does his best to keep out of his way. When the team learns Devin's captor has escaped prison, Mars is convinced he will come for Devin. Devin might fear Mars, but there is someone he fears more, so when Mars swears to keep him safe, Devin trusts him. Mars more than enjoys being by Devin's side at all times, but will spending every minute of every day with him be enough to keep him safe?

Word Count: Click here to reveal23376 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Oliver Stoll’s life has gone up in smoke. Literally. Escaping an apartment fire, he’s made it out with little more than the clothes on his back and his best friend and downstairs neighbor, Mia. With few other options, he agrees to stay with David Elliston, Mia’s older brother. David was Oliver’s first crush, first kiss, first everything. That is, until the day they broke up five years before. It hadn’t been pretty. David Elliston is back in town. Offered the chance to oversee the Kellmen Group’s newest magazine acquisition, he isn’t going to let a years old heartbreak stop him. But being thrown together with Oliver is harder than expected. And the flicker of hope he’s long tried to bury becomes even more difficult to contain. Ex-lovers, best friends, and angry parents don’t make the best backdrop for rekindling a romance. But it’s the lies from the past that might just extinguish any chance they have of starting over.

Word Count: Click here to reveal24500 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Club 669 (House of Witches Book 1) Witch's corpse. Witch's ticket. Witch's party. As a counter-boy at a high-end men’s boutique, Charlie Jessup’s life consists of little more than work and sleep. That, and enough flirting to help guarantee his commission on sales will pay his rent. So when a twist of fate, and some behavior unbecoming that of a Ganymede employee, leaves him in possession of a dead man’s pass to a mysterious Club 669, Charlie has no desire to waste it. Every seventeen years, the House of Witches throws a party like no other. It’s invitation-only, and for centuries it has helped ensure peace between the covens. It’s the last place Caspian wants to be, but with the death of Queen Avel, and his own imminent rise to the throne, it’s more important than ever that he attends. The stability of the House depends on it. In four days a new king will be crowned, but when Charlie unintentionally crashes a gathering of the most secretive of all the Great Houses, he sets in motion a series of events that could disrupt the transition of power, and threaten the future of the House of Witches forever.

Word Count: Click here to reveal26060 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Sequel to A Fair Trade Dennis Must, otherwise known as Sheba the Molly in the rough and tumble of Georgian London’s Covent Garden, has recently escaped immediate danger and gained a love interest in lawyer Valentine Lee. But the risks of his profession and threats of another kind of threat lurk as he and Valentine try to unravel the schemes of a dangerous foe. Can Sheba and Valentine avoid becoming the next target of their mysterious and ruthless enemy?

Word Count: Click here to reveal7500 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: With one month to go before the neighborhood bookshop closes, temporary manager Evan is mostly concerned with balancing the needs of owner and customers. He’s delighted to meet novelist Simon, who drops in after finishing a book tour. They instantly connect. As Christmas approaches, Evan and Simon become friends, then lovers. They meet friends and family, beginning to think about a possible future together. New Year’s Eve is the bookshop’s last day. Will the next day be the start of that future?

Word Count: Click here to reveal39,500 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealAromantic, Bisexual, Gay, Pansexual, Polyamorous (Click here to hide)

Summary: If the helicopter had to crash, at least it was during the last shot on the last day of filming. After moving from the hospital to a skilled nursing facility, movie star Jonathan is expecting his on-and-off girlfriend to swing by on her way out of town. The person who opens the door is his former on-set nutritionist Billy. They were never more than friends before. But almost the first thing Jonathan says is, “If I come out as bi, could I take you on a date?” Billy didn’t have much of a plan when he left his pandemic volunteer gig to drive across three states. All he knew was that Jonathan could have been killed in Las Vegas, and Billy wasn’t there. Now Jonathan’s assistant has ditched and he needs help, so Billy steps in. He’s positive that when Jonathan’s discharged, they’ll discuss that date. But recovery takes a detour, and Jonathan’s second near-death experience means they have to put on the brakes. Meanwhile in Los Angeles, two of Jonathan’s past partners are negotiating their own new relationship, and Billy realizes that the best thing for all of them might be…all of them. The only real question is, does Jonathan still want him as part of the deal?

Word Count: Click here to reveal13,223 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Findley Black knows a little something about serial killers. What he doesn’t know is why anyone would want to reenact a series of murders that took place more than ninety years ago, which he’s read a great deal about as part of his annual Halloween ghosts tours. Unless, of course, it’s not a copycat at all and the Reaper of Shivelly Park is back for vengeance. Owen Key never considered himself much for domesticity, but the last two years with his boyfriend Findley have him reevaluating his priorities. His family at The Printer’s Devil is growing, he has a new book on the way, and he wants nothing more than to make Findley an honest man. And what better time to pop the question than on Halloween, the second anniversary of their sort-of first date? But the night has other plans, and Findley and Owen will find themselves with something more pressing than a romantic evening. The ghost of the Shivelly Park Reaper is on the loose. But when no one believes them, they have no choice but to take matters into their own hands. Because, well ... the Reaper might just get away with it if not for Findley, Owen, and the kids. And Bella. You can’t forget the cat.

Word Count: Click here to reveal22252 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Sequel to Dubious Dealings In Georgian London, Sheba, a Covent Garden molly has had a busy spring. He’s witnessed a murder and been chased around the streets of London by the killer. Subsequently, Sheba has become involved with lawyer Valentine Lee, both professionally and personally, as they attempt to seek the mastermind behind the murder and mayhem. Sheba’s summer isn’t looking any easier. As he and Valentine get closer to the culprit, the danger increases, with Sheba forced to flee from his room in Seven Dials back to riverside Deptford to care for his brutish dockworker father after an injury. In Sheba’s absence, will Valentine make the breakthrough to allow him to return home safely and continue their deepening relationship? Or will their joint discoveries put them both in deadly peril?

Word Count: Click here to reveal10,717 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Some things are worth risking the naughty list. Jonah Newfeld is not someone men fall for at a glance. They have to get to know him first. So when he meets the perfect man, he knows he needs to play the long game. Nathan Sharp is the newest guy on the customer service floor. He’s clever, kind, blessedly single, and volunteers weekends at a local animal shelter. Jonah wants to raise babies with him. But when Nathan’s sister starts trying to fix him up with her veterinarian, Jonah’s plan is put into jeopardy. Jonah needs the perfect plan if he wants to win over the man of his dreams. But a terrible plan will have to do, and more than a little help from his friends. If Jonah can pull it off and manage to get the boy, it’ll be more than worth being put on Santa’s naughty list for good.

Word Count: Click here to reveal48000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Hunger is a funny thing. It makes people act in ways they never believed they would. Gareth Cadell always believed he’d be a winner if society ever collapsed. He’s big and strong, and he knows how to handle himself. He never considered the food issue, though. When things get too dangerous in the city, he leaves, but he hadn’t realized how quickly starvation would set in. Which is why, when he comes across Kegan, he can’t allow him to keep all his food for himself. Hunger is a dangerous thing. It turns good people into unpredictable ones. Kegan Ashida never believed he’d live this long after the collapse. He’s nothing special. He’s capable of killing if he has to, but he’s more likely to take care of someone than to harm them. It doesn’t mean he’s willing to surrender. He’s worked hard to build up his pantry, and he won’t allow anyone to steal his food. Gareth doesn’t want to hurt Kegan. It’s not his fault Gareth is hungry, and if he’s being honest, he’d rather kiss him than harm him. Maybe bribing his way into Kegan’s home and heart is the better way?

Word Count: Click here to reveal14800 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: One day, Eason Wickham will push his next-door neighbor down the stairs. Nate Allen might be hot, but he’s the most annoying person Eason has ever met. He has no respect for the people living in the building, and night after night, he has a party. Whenever Eason rings his doorbell and tells him to keep it down, he flirts and tries to get Eason to come inside. Calling the cops does not affect Nate's behavior, and neither do Eason's angry Post-It notes. But when Eason is hit by a car and fractures his leg, Nate sends his friends packing and makes sure Eason is okay. He cooks for him, shops for him, and does his laundry, but he's still the most annoying person Eason has ever met. Right? The cute Post-Its Nate leaves for him to find doesn't mean he's a different person, and while Eason longs for when Nate gets off work every day, it doesn't mean they should be more than friends. Does it?

Word Count: Click here to reveal74,600 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: John Hancock Darrow left his North Carolina hometown after college. The only reason he’s there twenty-eight years later is to deal with estate business when his mother and sister are killed in an automobile crash. The realtor he chooses to list his mother’s B&B can’t make that hurt less, but he can help John forget it for a while. Small-town, self-employed, multiple job holding Daniel Washburn doesn’t expect more than after-dinner sex with the big-city lawyer. When the man turns up at the local ballroom studio a few days later, Daniel’s happy to dance with him. When they start working out an unusual deal for the B&B, they begin to feel like friends. Then during one of their many phone calls, John asks if he can take Daniel to dinner. John and Daniel keep finding reasons to stay in touch. Then to be lovers. Then to get married. It’s a convenience, John says. Daniel knows it’s more. But John’s ten years older, successful, the kind of man who owns a million-dollar New York City condo and can afford to give away a house. If he wants Daniel on any terms, he surely has his reasons. Daniel’s willing to wait for the right moment to put that convenience nonsense to rest. Because he’s got his own reasons, and the truth will set them free.

Word Count: Click here to reveal52986 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Information not available

Summary: The three 17th century novellas in the Lucky John series by Ellie Thomas are compiled together in this box set. In these stories, Owen, a cynical former Royalist soldier, and currently a messenger for the Crown, meets sweet natured John, a luckless tavern boy. Their love affair leads to further adventures, together with meeting and befriending Cuthbert, a cheeky page at the Palace of Whitehall, until, in turn, he finds love with sober gentleman, Lemuel. Contains the stories: Lucky John: In the spring of 1660, Royalist envoy Owen Montgomery has few expectations beyond staying alive and getting paid for fulfilling his mission. But by chance, he meets a lad at a roadside inn, jeeringly nicknamed Lucky John, and Owen's life alters out of recognition. Will Owen’s luck change for good? And can John convince Owen that he’s worthy of love? Lucky in Love: In 1661, Owen Montgomery is summoned to London by his courtier brother, Lewis. Owen attempts to travel alone, reluctant to expose his faithful companion and servant John to the debauchery of the royal court. The pair navigates the mores and inhabitants of Whitehall Palace while Owen protectively watches over John. But in keeping him so close, is Owen stifling the man he loves? A Yuletide Excursion: When Cuthbert, a lively page at the Palace of Whitehall, accompanies his master Sir Lewis from London to Monmouthshire for Christmas in 1661, he doesn’t expect to be attracted to Lemuel, his master’s stern brother-in-law. Might their animosity disguise a mutual attraction? And could that lead to lasting love?

Word Count: Information not available

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

Summary: Zale wanted to see a dragon. He never expected a miracle. Zale Hagan is dying. He doesn't have many days left, but he wants to see a dragon before he leaves the world behind. As a fisherman, he's seen where land ends many times, but he wants to visit the town where the human realm ends and the dragon realm begins. Albus the Abomination is a blacksmith on Dragon Row. As a white dragon, he has no status and does his best to keep out of the way of the other dragons living there. But one day Zale steps into his smithy, and everything inside Albus catches fire. Albus can tell Zale is very ill, but he can't let him die. Dragon mates don't get sick, and they live for a long time. Albus tries his best to get one of the other dragons to mate with Zale, but when no one wants to, Albus is at a loss. He could breathe fire into him, but then Zale would have to live his entire life with a white dragon, and no one wants that, do they? NOTE: Mated to the Fire Dragon takes place on the same street as The Book Dragon’s Lair but can be read as a standalone story.

Word Count: Click here to reveal16733 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Milo Burnbrook has had a setback. After being fired from his assistant manager position at an iconic Hollywood Hotel, he decides to return home to Rockport, Maine, as the new event coordinator for Rocky Cliff Lighthouse. But Milo ran from Rockport six years ago for a reason, and he quickly realizes he will have no choice but to face his past. Milo may not be ready to make amends with his twin sister and all his old friends, but when sparks fly between Milo and Jackson, the man whose rejection sent him running to California in the first place, it looks like facing his past is exactly what he needs to do to finally have everything he has always wanted. That is, until he discovers Jackson was the prime suspect in the death of his previous boyfriend, Jason Reese, who fell from the top of the Rocky Cliff Lighthouse. When Milo’s best friend, Robert, and his new true-crime podcaster girlfriend come to visit from California, suspicions run high, things get complicated, and Milo will come face-to-face with the truth of what happened at Rocky Cliff the night Jason died. It's not a fall. It’s a setback.

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

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

Summary: Celebrate World Naked Gardening Day with five gay romance novellas! The Naked Gardening Day stories are a collaboration between Holly Day, Nell Iris, A.L. Lester, K.L. Noone, and Amy Spector. They comprise five MM romance novellas featuring being naked in a garden somehow, somewhere, to mark World Naked Gardening Day on the first Saturday of May. Contains the stories: Perfect Rows by Holly Day: Everything would've been perfect if Grayson hadn't been forced to share his garden with Cam. Grayson wants to grow vegetables, and he has a plan for how to do it. Cam loves flowers in perfect rows, but Grayson is incapable of growing things in lines. Most days end in conflict, at least until Grayson realizes he can shut Cam up by kissing him. But will they ever be able to agree about the garden? Strike a Pose by Nell Iris: Didrik would do anything for his BFF Filip, including taking naked pictures for a charity calendar of his dad Johan, the stunning man responsible for Didrik’s gay awakening. Now a widower, Johan is ready to move on. As they start the project, the attraction between them grows. Their connection is easy, but not without challenges. Will they get their happily ever after? The Death of Digby Catch by Amy Spector: When August Catch arrives at the Arachne’s Loom estate to collect his late Uncle Digby’s things, he is thrown together with Theo Webb, the heir to the Webb family fortune. The attraction is instant. When Theo begins to suspect Digby may have been murdered, he and August will need to work together to discover the killer, and not let the thing growing between them be a distraction. The Hermit of Aldershill Manor by K.L. Noone: Charlie’s ready to start a new job and life at Aldershill Manor. As a historian, he’s thrilled to dive into the archives. And he can run from a messy break-up. And explore lovely gardens, too. Lionel does not like tourists, conversations, or social niceties. But he loves his job: helping beauty grow. When he finds the new historian caught in a storm, he offers shelter, which might bloom into more. Warning! Deep Water by A.L. Lester: Spring 1947. England has just come through the worst winter in living memory. Peter’s been drifting since he left the army a year ago. George is lonely, despite the busy horticultural nursery he owns. Peter’s decision to take a swim in the irrigation tank presents them both with the chance to reach out and help each other. Can two misfits find a way to fit together with someone after all?

Word Count: Click here to reveal70000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary:

Frode will never forget a face. Once he’s touched the same item you have, you’re forever etched into his memory.    

Three months ago, Nikolai Nesterova moved back to his hometown. He swore he’d never set foot there again after his family kicked him out, but when his fiancé broke up with him, he needed somewhere familiar to land. There was an opening in the homicide department, but Nikolai wasn’t prepared for a serial killer case to be dropped in his lap. 

If Frode Bakke touches an object, he sees all the people who have touched it before him. He can’t control the influx of faces or break the stream once it’s started, and he fears he’s one touch away from frying his brain.  

Frode might not want to touch anything, but when he gets a call from the homicide department asking for his help, he can’t say no. Nikolai doesn’t want a psychic anywhere near his investigation, and when said psychic arrives and turns out to be Frode Bakke, his best friend’s younger brother, Nikolai throws a fit. Frode takes one look at Nikolai and wants to run out of there. Why had no one told him Nikolai Nesterova was back in town?

Word Count: Click here to reveal11200 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: At going-on-fifty, patent filing specialist Santo is the recently divorced single dad to a sixteen-year-old with Broadway ambitions. He’s thrilled to learn his new co-worker Martin is close to his age, also gay, and also a single dad. At the very least, they might turn into good work friends. Before many weeks pass, Santo and Martin are much more than work friends. Their teenagers, who go to the same high school, quickly bond. Having school and workplace in common takes a lot of the juggling out of trying to date in Los Angeles. Meanwhile, Santo’s support helps Martin cope as an adoptive father to a niece still grieving her parents. He’s creating a new version of himself for this role. Will his turbulent entry into parenthood open a door to a future full of love?