Contemporary Romance books

Giovanni Boca was destined to go down in history as an opera legend until a vocal chord injury abruptly ended his career. Now he teaches voice lessons at a prestigious New York City music school. During auditions for his summer opera workshop, he finds his protégé in fourteen-year-old Emma McPhee. Just as intriguing to Gio is Emma's father Mike, a blue-collar guy who runs a business renovating the kitchens and bathrooms of New York's elite to finance his daughter's dream.

Mike’s partner was killed when Emma was a toddler, and Gio mourns the beautiful voice he will never have again, so coping with loss is something they have in common. Their initial physical attraction quickly grows to something more as each hopes to fill the gap that loss and grief has left in his life. Although Mike wonders if he can truly fit into Gio's upperclass world, their bond grows stronger. Then, trouble strikes from outside when the machinations of an unscrupulous stage mother threaten to tear Gio and Mike apart—and ruin Emma's bright future.

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Sequel to Outlast the Night
Lang Downs: Book Four

Thorne Lachlan knows a thing or two about getting himself safely out of a blaze. For years he fought in the world’s hot spots, a Commando with the Australian Army. Now, retired, he fights flames for the Royal Fire Service. When a grassfire brings him to Lang Downs, the next sheep station in danger, Thorne meets Ian Duncan and sparks fly that neither man can put out. But both men have ghosts from the past that stand in the way of moving beyond mutual attraction.

While Thorne longs for the home he could share with Ian at Lang Downs, he fears his own instability might make him a danger to others. And Ian’s always believed that the foster care nightmare he escaped before coming to Lang Downs would make any relationship impossible. Trust doesn’t come easily to Thorne or Ian until the fire’s aftermath forces them to see past the scars keeping them both from healing.

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Sept jours, numéro hors série

La vie d’une personne peut-elle changer en l’espace d’une journée? Pourquoi pas en l’espace de sept jours, dans ce cas ?

Voici le récit de sept jours vitaux dans la vie d’Evan Donaldson. Evan était un fugueur, vivant dans les rues, lorsque le Père Valentin le convainquit d’entrer à l’Académie Saint Bartholomé. Ce jour-là, la vie d’Evan bascula. Ce fut le jour où il rencontra son camarade de chambre, Clay Mueller, mais aussi le jour où il commença à vivre. La vie d’Evan continuera toutefois à changer, allant d’abus à un premier amour, en passant par des ruptures et des chagrins d’amour, jusqu’à fonder sa propre famille. Mais à travers chaque épreuve, à chaque fois qu’une porte se refermait, une fenêtre restait ouverte et cette fenêtre c’était Clay.

Depuis ce premier jour où il trouva la foi et tissa un lien avec Clay, à travers les tours et détours de leur relation, voici un aperçu de sept jours décisifs et de la manière incroyable et cruciale qu’a un seul moment de changer la destinée.

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Jack Christensen hat alles, was er sich nur wünschen kann. Er ist ein aufstrebender US-amerikanischer Diplomat und der jüngste Mann, der je zum amerikanischen Botschafter ernannt wurde. Als Berufsdiplomat, der soeben zu einer aus politischer Sicht interessanten Botschaft in Europa entsandt wurde, hat er die perfekte Frau, spricht fünf Sprachen und verfügt über alle nötigen Qualifikationen. Und trotzdem scheint irgendetwas zu fehlen, auch wenn er nicht genau weiß, was.

Bis sich ihm bei einem Empfang in der Botschaft Lucas Carlton mit seiner amerikanischen Verlobten vorstellt. Vom ersten Händedruck an hinterlässt der Brite bei Jack einen Eindruck, der ihn verwirrt und verunsichert. Lucas‘ Position als Verbindungsbeamter zwischen der amerikanischen und britischen Botschaft zwingt sie zu enger Zusammenarbeit, und bald können sie trotz ihrer Partnerinnen kaum noch abstreiten, wie sehr sie sich voneinander angezogen fühlen.

Als die beiden Frauen einen gemeinsamen Wochenendausflug unternehmen, lassen sich Jack und Lucas auf eine leidenschaftliche Liebesbeziehung ein, die sie auch nach der Rückkehr ihrer Partnerinnen weiterführen. Doch in konservativen Diplomatenkreisen macht die richtige Frau an ihrer Seite einen großen Teil des beruflichen Erfolges aus. Wird es ihnen gelingen, sowohl in ihrem Berufs-, als auch in ihrem Privatleben die richtigen Entscheidungen zu treffen? Oder werden sie eines von beidem für das andere opfern müssen?

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A Senses and Sensations Story

Football player Bro Sumner and genderqueer Lacey Adair are an exclusive item. Though their high school years have been mostly happy, they continually face dangerous opposition—including a bully on Bro’s team and Lacey’s violent alcoholic father—because Lacey won’t live the traditional gender role she was born to. She chooses to wear dresses and makeup and appear female; underneath the wrappings, she’s content with physically being a male in a gay relationship with Bro, and she doesn’t want that to change.

Their differing plans for the future after graduation, however, may create changes they can’t weather. A compromise with the help of relatives and friends means Bro and Lacey can go to school only an hour apart, but they still miss each other. It’s not long before they make new friendships and discover new romantic possibilities. Temptations, jealousies, distance, and expanding horizons could sever their relationship forever unless they can keep their dream of a life together alive in their hearts.

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William Lyon's past forced him to become someone he isn't. Conflicted and unable to maintain the charade, he separates from his wife and takes a job as caretaker at a former mental hospital. Jelley’s Valley State Insane Asylum was the largest mental hospital in California for well over a century, but it now stands empty. William thinks the decrepit institution is the perfect place to finish his dissertation and wait for his divorce to become final. In town, William meets Colby Anderson, who minds the local store and post office. Unlike William, Colby is cute, upbeat, and flamboyantly out. Although initially put off by Colby’s mannerisms, William comes to value their new friendship, and even accepts Colby's offer to ease him into the world of gay sex.

William’s self-image begins to change when he discovers a tin box, hidden in an asylum wall since the 1940s. It contains letters secretly written by Bill, a patient who was sent to the asylum for being homosexual. The letters hit close to home, and William comes to care about Bill and his fate. With Colby’s help, he hopes the words written seventy years ago will give him courage to be his true self.

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A Harmony Ink Press Title

Elpida: Book One

High school senior Michael Sattler leads a charmed life. He’s a star athlete, has great friends, and parents who love him just the way he is. What’s missing from his life is a boyfriend. That’s a problem because he’s out only to his parents and best friend. When Michael accidentally bumps into Christy Castle at school, his life changes in ways he never imagined. Christy is Michael’s dream guy: smart, pretty, and sexy. But nothing could have prepared Michael for what being Christy's boyfriend would entail.

Christy needs to heal after years of abuse and knows he needs help to do it. After the death of his notorious father, he leaves his native Greece and settles in upstate New York. Alone, afraid, and left without a voice, Christy hides the myriad scars of his abuse. He desperately wants to be loved and when he meets Michael, he dares to hope that day has arrived. When one of Michael’s teammates turns enemy, and an abuser from Christy’s past seeks to return him to a life of slavery, only Michael and Christy's combined strength and unwavering determination can save them from the violence that threatens to destroy their future together.

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Dumb Jock: Book Four

Evan Drake needs to be a role model to his younger brother Brandon, and although he’s a star on his high school basketball team, there’s more to him than meets the eye. He’s interested in many things, including drama and singing, and when he joins drama club, he meets Noah Sheridan, and he’s pretty interested in him, too.

Noah is a super smart, cute but nerdy kid who has written a high school play about two gay students who attended Boyne City High twenty years ago, and who, in real life, fell in love with each other. When the drama department elects to use the play for their high school musical, Noah urges Evan to audition for the lead role. Evan ultimately decides he wants to be in the play, but when he shows up to audition, it sends shockwaves throughout the school. His teammates are furious, and so is his best friend Bryan. As Evan and Noah grow closer, Bryan gets more traitorous, and it seems he wants nothing more than to see his former friend broken down.

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Pendant cinq ans, Zach Tyler, le fils d’un des plus riches magnats de l’informatique au monde, a été retenu en otage, torturé et abusé. Quand il est enfin secouru de la jungle Vénézuélienne, il est traumatisé à la fois physiquement et psychologiquement, mais il commence doucement à reconstruire la vie qu’il aurait dû avoir si un baiser innocent ne l’avait pas envoyé en enfer.

Son meilleur ami d’enfance, David, a vécu ces années avec un bouleversant sentiment de culpabilité et de chagrin. Chaque tentative de relation amoureuse a été un fiasco à cause des sentiments qu’il portait à un homme qu’il pensait mort. Quand Zach est retrouvé, David est fou de joie mais ensuite anéanti quand Zach le repousse.

Deux ans plus tard, David retourne dans sa ville natale. Zach et lui doivent faire face aux désaccords entre eux, à ce qu’ils ressentent l’un pour l’autre et au futur qu’ils pourraient avoir. Mais Zach a des secrets, et l’un d’eux pourrait bien détruire leur amour encore fragile.

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Un libro de la saga Probando el Amor

Si Peter Christopoulos ha aprendido algo de sus tres años en silla de ruedas, es que a la gente le cuesta ver más allá del armazón. Cuando le propone a Russ Baker salir con él tras darle un presupuesto de material para un nuevo restaurante griego, acaba decepcionado pero no sorprendido de que se negara.

Russ ha estado excusando a su novio abusivo durante tanto tiempo que ya es casi automático, pero, con algo de ayuda de sus amigos, consigue reunir el coraje para romper con él. Para su sorpresa, Peter todavía está interesado y, pronto, caen prendados el uno del otro con rapidez e intensidad. Pero entonces algo agita su mundo: Peter encuentra una vieja carta que le revela la existencia de una media hermana que nunca ha conocido y el pasado de Russ interfiere entre ellos cuando su ex deja claro que hará todo lo posible para recuperarlo.

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Seguito di Talker
Serie Talker, Libro 2

Per Tate Walker dimenticare il passato è semplicemente troppo doloroso, anche se il ragazzo dei suoi sogni, Brian Cooper, è lì a tenerlo per mano. Brian fa del suo meglio, ma Talker – che è sempre stato bravo a evitare i problemi – non riesce ad affrontare la verità su quello che è realmente accaduto quando si è fidato dell’uomo sbagliato nel momento sbagliato.

Quando la verità torna a galla e fa finire Brian all’ospedale, Talker è costretto a fare una scelta. Può affrontare i demoni che risiedono nel suo cuore fragile e sanguinante o lasciare che Brian affronti da solo la situazione, come ha sempre fatto. Ma perfino Talker sa che questa volta non può lasciare il ragazzo dei suoi sogni da solo e senza difese, non quando lui gli ha appena salvato la vita. Dovrà quindi trovare la forza per prendersi cura di Brian, perché ora Brian ha bisogno di lui.

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Moving to Kansas City could be the best thing Austin Shelbourne has ever done. For a start, he can stop living a lie and finally come out of the closet. And there's a chance, though slim, that he might be able to locate the love of his life, Todd Burton. It had seemed like a good idea when he seduced his friend, but Todd freaked out and vanished. Austin hopes to find Todd, make things right between them, and win his love. But when he meets actor Guy Campbell, things get even more confusing.

The moment Guy sets eyes on Austin, he knows Austin is The One. But Austin makes it clear he feels a responsibility to Todd, and Guy has some dark secrets of his own. He’s found redemption in acting and directing, but worries that if Austin learns the truth, he might not be able bear it. And what if Todd accepts Austin's apology and the love Austin offers? Guy wants Austin desperately, but he also wants him to be happy. In the play of life, with the happiness of good men in the balance, anything could happen.

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Pasha Batalov has lived his whole life doing what a good son is expected to do. He dropped out of school to help run the failing family restaurant, and ever since he’s put up with his difficult business partner, who also happens to be his father. And, of course, he keeps his sexual orientation a secret from his conservative Russian family. After being closeted costs him his first serious relationship, Pasha resigns himself to one-night stands and loneliness.

But after a chance encounter with lost delivery truck driver, Daniel Englewood, Pasha starts to question all of his assumptions about life. Daniel is sweet, funny, smart, drop-dead gorgeous—and for the last six years, he’s been living with HIV. Pasha worries that he won’t be strong enough to help Daniel if HIV turns to AIDS, but he can’t walk away from their deepening attraction. He also doesn’t know if he can be strong enough to face the hardest task that a relationship with Daniel demands: coming out to his family and friends, and risking losing everything else he holds dear.

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Jonathan Mendoza used to live an even crazier life, partying with his tight-knit traveling performance troupe whenever he wasn’t on stage belly dancing. When his sick mother begged him to change his lifestyle, he agreed to try to live sober, but that change is hard. Neither is it easy to stop staring at Dean Winters after he nearly knocks the man over before a performance.

A former recluse, prone to panic attacks after surviving a traumatic accident, Dean isn’t Jonathan’s usual type. Still, Jonathan is irresistibly attracted to him, and decides to cure the itch with a one-night stand. But that night, he’s shaken by Dean’s kindness and consideration—something he’s not used to in a lover or a friend. His best friend, Rachel, who co-owns the troupe with Jonathan, sees Dean as a threat to their friendship and to the troupe—the dream they’ve worked together to build. She reveals a cruel and possessive streak that could do much greater damage on both fronts, and Jonathan realizes he will have to choose between the nomadic life he’s lived and the man who is stealing his heart.

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Toronto Tales: Book Three

Thirty-five-year-old Rick Haviland is a well-respected speech pathologist, but while his friends are all settling into relationships, he refuses to give up his no-strings-attached club boy sex life. For him, relationships are dangerous; he’s got a secret to hide. When he meets Ian O’Donnell, an account manager with a local tabloid, Rick figures his personal rules for relationships should be enough to keep him safe from more than a one-night stand.

When Ian comes out of the closet, tired of anonymous hook-ups and keeping secrets from his large Catholic family, Rick is right there, and he’s just the sort of man Ian might like to get to know better.Their attraction is immediate, electric and mutual. Ian convinces Rick to break more and more of his rules, and his defenses crumble. But someone watches, someone who’d like to see this new relationship fail. When Ian’s job becomes a means to expose Rick’s secret, it could destroy both their careers and their hearts.

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Anderson “Andy” Hartley Jr. lives the life of a playboy with Daddy’s money, but without love. If his father finds out Andy’s gay, the game’s over. So he restricts his sex life to the pool house and seems content until he meets the gorgeous new groundskeeper, who just might turn his life upside-down. Merrick “Maverick” Washington is African-American, an ex-SEAL, and recently released from prison after his false conviction was overturned. Working for a rich white dude who looks down his nose at him is one more blow to his spirit. But any job is a step toward self-sufficiency, and Maverick’s not willing to risk that for a spoiled brat. Then Andy tugs at more than Maverick’s body, and he’s starting to wonder how things would shake out if they both overcame their fears and let their worlds collide.

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Jack Christensen possède tout ce dont il a toujours rêvé. Étoile montante de la diplomatie américaine, il est le plus jeune diplomate à avoir obtenu un poste d’Ambassadeur des États-Unis. En tant qu’homme d’État, il est affecté à l’une des Ambassades d’Europe les plus enrichissantes au niveau politique. Il est marié à une femme parfaite, parle cinq langues et ses qualifications ne montrent aucun défaut. Et pourtant, quelque chose lui manque dans la vie sans qu’il ne sache quoi.

Arrive alors Lucas Carlton lors d’une réception à l’Ambassade, accompagné de sa fiancée américaine. Dès leur première poignée de main, le jeune Britannique fait forte impression à Jack qui se retrouve alors confus et pour la première fois incertain. Lucas est l’agent de liaison entre l’Ambassade britannique et l’Ambassade américaine, ce qui veut dire qu’ils devront travailler en étroite collaboration. Nier leur attirance mutuelle est alors bien plus difficile, malgré le fait qu’ils soient déjà tous deux engagés dans une relation.

Quand leurs femmes décident d’aller en week-end ensemble, Jack et Lucas commencent une liaison passionnée, qui continue après le retour de celles-ci. Mais il est de notoriété publique que le cercle diplomatique est des plus conservateurs, et ils savent tous deux qu’avoir une femme à leur côté est essentiel à leur carrière. Seront-ils capables de faire les bons choix, pour leur vie professionnelle et leur vie privée ? Ou devront-ils sacrifier l’une des deux ?

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Without Borders: Book One

Pediatrician Wes Gordon will do just about anything to escape his grief. When opportunity knocks, he signs on to work at a hospital in a tent camp in Haiti. One night while returning to his quarters, he comes across a gang of kids attempting to set fire to an underage rentboy and intervenes, taking the injured René under his wing. At the hospital, diplomat Anthony Crowley tells Wes that the kids involved in the attack are from prominent families and trying to hold them responsible will cause a firestorm.

In spite of the official position Anthony must take, Wes’s compassion captures his attention. Anthony pursues him, and they grow closer during the stolen moments between Anthony’s assignments, escaping earthquake destruction for glimpses of Caribbean paradise. When Wes realizes the only way to save René is to adopt him, Anthony is supportive, but time is running out: Wes must leave the country, and Anthony is called out on a dangerous secret mission. Now Wes must face adopting a boy from Haiti who has no papers without the support of the one person he’s come to rely on most and may never see again.

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