Contemporary Romance books

Island Classifieds: Book One

His mother. His best friend. The barmaid at the local pub. Everyone is determined to find Nathan Moffatt a boyfriend. It’s the last thing Nathan wants. After spending every day making sure his clients experience nothing but romantic magic, the Granshire Hotel’s wedding organizer just wants to go home, binge-watch crime dramas, and eat pizza in his underwear.

Unfortunately, no one believes him, and he’s stuck with lectures about dying alone. Then inspiration strikes. He needs the people in his life to want him to stay single as much as he does. He needs a bad boyfriend.

There’s only one man for the job.

Flynn Delaney is used to people on the island of Ceremony thinking the worst of him. But he isn’t sure he wants the dubious honor of worst boyfriend on the entire island. On the other hand, if he plays along, he gets to hang out with the gorgeous Nathan and piss off the owners of the Granshire Hotel. It’s a win-win.

There’s only one problem—Flynn’s actually quite a good boyfriend, and now Nathan’s wondering if getting off the sofa occasionally is really the worst thing in the world.

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A Harmony Ink Press Title

There’s a time when life changes, when childhood is left behind and the first fumbling steps are taken into adulthood. One group of friends sets out for a summer of adventure and discovery. Jordan, Brandon, Ethan, and Dominic are ready to grow up and test themselves. But will their friendship buckle under the strain as they face the inevitable misunderstandings and conflicts? If they can hang on to their bond, it will see them through to the ultimate victory….

Finding love.

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Il passato di William Lyon gli ha impedito di essere se stesso. Combattuto e stanco di mantenere le apparenze, si separa dalla moglie e accetta un lavoro come custode di una struttura che è stata il più grande ospedale psichiatrico della California. Il vecchio manicomio, vuoto e abbandonato, gli sembra il luogo adatto in cui rifugiarsi per terminare la tesi di laurea in attesa che il divorzio diventi definitivo. Nella piccola città di Jelley’s Valley, William incontra Colby Anderson, che manda avanti la bottega del paese con annesso ufficio postale. Al contrario di William, Colby è adorabile, ottimista e vistoso, e non si preoccupa di nascondere il proprio orientamento sessuale. Anche se all’inizio il carattere aperto di Colby lo mette a disagio, con il tempo William impara ad apprezzare la loro amicizia e accetta persino la proposta di Colby di introdurlo al mondo del sesso gay.

L’idea che William si è fatto di sé inizia a cambiare quando scopre una scatola di latta nascosta da decenni nelle mura del manicomio. All’interno, sono custodite le lettere scritte in segreto da Bill, un paziente che era stato internato a causa della sua omosessualità. William si rispecchia in quelle pagine e comincia ad appassionarsi alla storia dell’uomo che le ha scritte e al suo destino. Con l’aiuto di Colby, spera che le parole scritte settant’anni prima gli diano il coraggio di essere finalmente se stesso.

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A spur of the moment invitation changes two lives.

Jordan Wolf’s company runs like a well-oiled machine. At least until his PA, Brady Donovan, comes down with the flu and takes sick leave. Then Jordan discovers what a treasure Brady is and who really keeps his business—and Jordan in particular—moving like clockwork. So when Jordan needs a plus-one, Brady seems the obvious choice to accompany him. After a major shopping trip to get Brady looking the part, however…. Wow.

Brady has a whole new wardrobe, and now his boss is whisking him away for a weekend party. Something is going on, something Brady never expected: Jordan is looking at him like he's never seen him before, electrifying Brady's long-hidden desires.

But can the romantic magic last when the weekend is over and it’s back to reality?

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Si un harceleur ne les tue pas, la chaleur qui règne entre eux pourrait bien le faire.

Christopher Vincent a tellement besoin d’un travail qu’il accepte de devenir médium pour divertir les clients dans la discothèque d’une amie. Jackson Whitman, l’autre propriétaire de la discothèque, n’est pas vraiment ravi de ce nouveau numéro. Pour lui, les médiums sont ridicules et un risque. Mais quand ils se retrouvent face à face, leur attirance est immédiate. 

Cependant, quelqu’un observe Jack et Chris dans l’ombre. Ce qui commence comme une série d’événements louches mène à des attaques meurtrières.

Jack et Chris doivent mettre leurs différences de côté et travailler ensemble pour survivre à un harceleur bien décidé à tuer. Mais pourront-ils survivre à leur attirance explosive ?

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Professional basketball player Bri Early needs a physical therapist after an injury, and he’s heard that Obie is the best. Bri takes an immediate liking to the out-and-proud man with the magic touch, and even though Bri isn’t openly gay himself, he’d never let anything stand in the way of something he wants.

Obie can’t deny that the sexy athlete presses all his buttons, but he’s a professional and has no intention of getting involved with a client. While they’re working together, it’s hands off, no matter how great the temptation.

But being a pro athlete isn’t easy. Bri has enemies, and one of them is making his life hell. When his house is set ablaze, Bri can no longer pretend the threatening messages he’s receiving are jokes. He needs a safe place to stay, and Obie can’t turn his back. But the two of them in the same house is a recipe for combustion that could burn them both….

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Potrebbe essere la pesca più importante della loro vita.

Due volte all’anno William Westmoreland fugge dalla sua insoddisfacente vita nel Rhode Island per recarsi in Florida, dove noleggia la barca di Mike Jensen per andare a pescare nel Golfo del Messico. L’acqua cristallina e il paesaggio tropicale non sono gli unici elementi graditi a William, che però non ha mai fatto la prima mossa nei confronti di Mike. Le avventure d’amore durante le vacanze non fanno per lui.

Mike ha avviato il suo servizio di noleggio barche per mantenere la figlia e la madre, mettendo al primo posto il loro benessere rispetto ai bisogni del cuore. Tuttavia, negare l’attrazione per William diventa sempre più difficile. 

L’ultima uscita di William e Mike inizia con una bella giornata, ma un uragano improvviso cambia tutto, impedendo a William di lasciare la città. Mentre fuori infuriano vento e pioggia, la passione a cui i due uomini hanno cercato di resistere per anni alla fine divampa, lasciandoli desiderosi di prolungare quello che hanno scoperto. Purtroppo gli obblighi di William lo richiamano alla vita reale. Riusciranno William e Mike a ridurre la distanza tra loro e a trovare un luogo in cui le loro anime possano incontrarsi? La navigazione non sarà tranquilla, ma per il futuro luminoso che li attende vale la pena affrontare il mare agitato.

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Lexington Lovers

A love built to last.

When Derek Jackson is hired to renovate the LGBT bookstore that’s also Owen Hensley’s home, opposites attract. Derek is a big burly blue-collar guy, about ten years older than slight, sweet, and bookish Owen. As they spend time together, it becomes clear that each handsome outside leads to a beautiful interior. Far from the shy twink he appears, Owen has a rock-solid foundation that helped him put himself through college and start his own business. Behind Derek’s strong façade waits a tender heart that’s been battered by a rough family past—something Owen understands.

After Owen’s runaway nephew lands on his doorstep, it throws a wrench in their plans. Derek can’t ask Owen to choose, but he doesn’t think he can take second place with his lover the way he always has with his family. Can they find a way to keep their romance standing?

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Jeremy Cox hatte keine sehr glückliche Kindheit. Er wuchs in einer Kleinstadt in Kansas auf, wurde in der Schule schikaniert und von seinen Eltern vernachlässigt. Aber er entkam dieser Enge und ging nach Portland, Oregon, wo er jetzt als Park Ranger arbeitet und versucht, Ausreißern und Obdachlosen zu helfen. Er ist mittlerweile schon über vierzig und hat sich mit seinem Leben arrangiert, da steht eines Tages sein ehemaliger Freund Donny, den er vor sechs Jahren an die Alkohol- und Drogensucht verlor, vor der Tür und zieht Jeremy unweigerlich mit in seine Probleme hinein. Und als ob das noch nicht genug wäre, trifft Jeremy einen faszinierenden, rätselhaften Mann, der seinerseits auch sein Bündel zu tragen hat.

Qayin Hill hat den Keller voller Leichen und den Kopf voller Dämonen. Er war früher drogensüchtig und kämpft auch jetzt noch mit Depressionen und Panikanfällen. Qay weiß nicht, ob er Jeremy seine Geheimnisse anvertrauen kann oder wie er darauf reagieren soll, dass Jeremy immer wieder versucht, ihn vor sich selbst zu retten.

Doch obwohl sie beide von ihrer Vergangenheit heimgesucht werden, finden Jeremy und Qay zusammen Leidenschaft, Freundschaft und die Hoffnung auf eine bessere Zukunft. Jetzt müssen sie nur noch entscheiden, ob ihre Liebe wirklich die Macht hat, um – wie ein altes Sprichwort besagt – alles zu überwinden. Oder ob manche Hindernisse so hoch sind, dass selbst die größte Liebe vor ihnen kapituliert.

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A Tucker Springs Novel

Welcome to Tucker Springs, Colorado, where you’ll enjoy beautiful mountain views and the opportunity to study at one of two prestigious universities—if you can afford to live there.

Jason Davis is in pain. Still smarting from a bad breakup, he struggles to pay both halves of an overwhelming mortgage and balance the books at his floundering business. As if the emotional and financial pain weren’t enough, the agony of a years-old shoulder injury keeps him up at night. When he faces a choice between medication and insomnia, he takes a friend’s advice and gives acupuncture a try.

Acupuncturist Michael Whitman is a single dad striving to make ends meet, and his landlord just hiked the rent. When new patient Jason, a referral from a mutual friend, suggests a roommate arrangement could benefit them both, Michael seizes the opportunity.

Getting a roommate might be the best idea Jason’s ever had—if it weren’t for his attraction to Michael, who seems to be allergic to wearing shirts in the house. Still, a little unresolved sexual tension is a small price to pay for pain and financial relief. He’ll keep his hands and feelings to himself since Michael is straight… isn’t he?

Third Edition
First Edition published by Amber Quill Press, LLC, June 2012. Second Edition published by Riptide Publishing, June 2014.

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Sometimes true worth is well hidden.

Ellis Campos is a successful divorce lawyer with little to no time for a personal life. His predictable routine is disrupted when he inherits a coffee farm from an estranged aunt. There’s no room in his life for all the complications that come with managing a farm in another state. But his plans to quickly sell it and go back to the big city fall apart when he’s manipulated into spending a week on the estate.

Adding to the unexpected surprises, he meets Rudá, a native Brazilian who works on the farm, and while teaching him about his aunt’s home and family, also tempts Ellis like no one ever has.

He doesn’t expect his life to change in such a short time, but as he finds value and comfort in the farm’s routine, Ellis quickly realizes that, like the land itself, Rudá has secrets that could send him running back to Rio.

World of Love: Stories of romance that span every corner of the globe.

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A Love You So Story

Can a man’s secret yearnings be revealed in a tank full of fish?

Artie Haynes knows he’s nothing special, with just-your-regular-brown hair, a solid plumber’s job, not much education, and a family that can barely get off the couch. But Artie has quirks—like his love of tropical fish, a landlord who’s a professor of existentialism, a passion for the amazing piano music he hears at a concert hall while he’s fixing the bathrooms—and the fact that he’s never come out as gay and probably never will. But when he’s hired to build a guesthouse for the pianist whose music enchanted him, Artie is swept up into an unimaginable world.

François Desmarais may be famous, rich, and revered as one of the world’s great classical composers and pianists, but he’s soothed and challenged by the inquisitive, stalwart, protective man in his back yard. When François’s terrible fear of crowds turns into a dangerous plot, Artie can stay in the closet or prove just how special he is.

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Empires rivaux du monde de la gastronomie, les noms de Douglas et Walters se disputent la couronne depuis des temps immémoriaux. La presse s’arrache le moindre scoop sur les deux talentueux héritiers de ces magnats de la restauration, les jeunes Beck Douglas et Duncan Walters. Beck, qui anime une émission de cuisine à succès avec son oncle, est réputé pour son charme et sa cuisine traditionnelle. Duncan, quant à lui, n’a pas peur de sortir des sentiers battus et s’est construit une réputation de rebelle en refusant de travailler pour son père.

Lorsqu’un cliché d’eux en train de se disputer violemment commence à circuler, les médias s’enflamment. Afin de contrôler les dommages qu’une rixe entre les deux familles pourrait porter à leur réputation, leurs chargés de communication respectifs orchestrent une réconciliation factice. Au cours de cette mascarade, et malgré les projecteurs et la mise en scène, une étincelle naît secrètement entre les deux jeunes hommes. 

Beck ploie sous la pression continuelle que lui inflige son oncle, et les relations déjà tendues de Duncan avec son père se détériorent encore davantage lorsqu’il commence à soupçonner un rapprochement entre Duncan et Beck. Il faut dire qu’il est difficile d’ignorer l’alchimie qui brûle entre eux à l’écran, lorsque Duncan rejoint Beck sur le plateau de son émission. Une chose est sûre, au travail comme en amour, c’est un parcours semé d’embûches qui les attend, et comme le dit le dicton, on ne fait pas d’omelette sans casser des œufs…

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A Harmony Ink Press Title

When she was a child, Joey Kinkaid, assigned as a boy at birth—wearing Mom’s purple sundress and an imaginary crown—ruled the Baker Street neighborhood with a flair and imagination that kept the other kids captivated. Day after day, she led them on fantastic after-school adventures, but those innocent childhood days are over, and the magic is gone. The princess is alone.

Even Eric Sinclair, the Prince Eric to Joey’s Princess Ariel, has turned his back on his former friend, watching in silence as Joey is tormented at school. Eric isn’t proud of it, but their enchanted youth is over, and they’ve been thrust into a dog-eat-dog world where those who conform survive and those who don’t… well, they don’t. Eric has enough to deal with at home, where his mother has abandoned him to live in isolation and poverty.

But Eric can’t stay on the sidelines forever. When Joey finally accepts her female gender and comes to school wearing lip gloss, leggings, and a silky pink scarf, the bullies readily take the opportunity she hands them, driving Joey to attempt suicide and leaving Eric at a crossroads—one that will influence both their lives in not just the present, but the future.

Is there a chance the two teens can be friends again, and maybe even more?

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Cameron Dunlop has lived in the Lowcountry town of Summer Corners, South Carolina, his whole life. He loves his home, but his little town in the Deep South doesn’t offer much in the way of dating options.

Chef Gray Callahan has enjoyed success in the kitchen, but his last relationship sunk like a bad soufflé. When plans for his sister’s wedding go awry, it provides the perfect excuse to pack up and go home, where he can help out as he decides how to start his life over.

Gray’s path crosses Cameron’s, and he realizes together they might have all the ingredients to save the day—with maybe enough left over for something sweet just for the two of them.

States of Love: Stories of romance that span every corner of the United States.

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La balle au bond, numéro hors série

Rodney Mansfield est un artiste renommé et un homme d’un mètre soixante-sept, ceinture noire de karaté, qui affiche des cheveux roses, six boucles d’oreilles, et cache un désir inavoué pour Hunter Fallon, un pompier local. Cependant, le Nain de jardin, comme on l’appelle, sait que jamais il ne parviendrait à charmer cet homme gay aux allures d’hétéro, alors il rassemble tout son altruisme et aide Jerry, son ami plus viril, à l’attirer. Comme si son cœur brisé ne suffisait pas, il sauve Hunter d’un homophobe de sa caserne, l’humiliant ainsi devant son père !

Hunter vit une vie de rêve – celui de son père, justement. Alors qu’il aimerait enseigner la littérature à la faculté, lire des poèmes sous le soleil ou se trouver un homme fort pour le dominer, il lutte contre les incendies pour faire plaisir à son géniteur. Hunter déteste les hommes extravagants comme Rodney. Pourtant, pourquoi n’arrive-t-il pas à lui résister ? Peut-être est-il temps d’avouer que cette flamme-là, il ne souhaite pas l’éteindre.

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Il pompiere californiano Hayden Hurst inizia a rendersi conto che la vita non è tutta combattere incendi e bere con gli amici. Nella sua casa e nella sua vita c’è posto per qualcuno, ma non ha ancora trovato quella persona speciale. E sebbene abbia dichiarato la propria omosessualità al lavoro, sa che presentarsi a un evento sociale con un uomo al braccio è tutta un’altra cosa. Teme che questo possa essere troppo per i suoi poco tolleranti “amici”.

Jez Bouchet, ballerino di Broadway, non passa per etero fin da quando, all’età di diciassette anni, è stato picchiato perché gay. Dopo aver ricevuto una redditizia offerta di lavoro a Hollywood, abbandona la sua vita a New York e raggiunge Los Angeles in auto. Il fratello gli trova in fretta un posto dove dormire a casa del suo migliore amico, Hayden. 

L’attrazione fra Hayden e Jez è inaspettata ma ardente, e i due vi si abbandonano ancor prima di essere sicuri di piacersi. Tuttavia Jez detesta gli amici omofobi di Hayden e Hayden sa che Jez è troppo esuberante per passare inosservato. Il fratello di Jez rappresenta un’ulteriore complicazione.

Nonostante gli ostacoli, i due si gettano a capofitto in una relazione. Ma Jez ha dei segreti: un minuscolo cane viziato e uno stalker testardo. Se non racconterà tutto a Hayden, rischia di soffocare la loro storia prima che questa riesca a sbocciare.

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A Tucker Springs Novel

Paul Hannon flunked out of vet school. His fiancée left him. He can barely afford his rent, and he hates his house. About the only things he has left are a pantry full of his ex’s kitchen gadgets and a lot of emotional baggage. He could really use a win—and that’s when he meets El.

Pawnbroker El Rozal is a cynic. His own family’s dysfunction has taught him that love and relationships lead to misery. Despite that belief, he keeps making up excuses to see Paul again. Paul, who doesn’t seem to realize that he’s talented and kind and worthy. Paul, who’s not over his ex-fiancée and is probably straight anyway. Paul, who’s so blind to El’s growing attraction, even asking him out on dates doesn’t seem to tip him off.

El may not do relationships, but something has to give. If he wants to keep Paul, he’ll have to convince him he’s worthy of love—and he’ll have to admit that attachment might not be so bad after all.

Second Edition
First Edition published by Riptide Publishing, September 2012.

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