Contemporary Romance books

Snarky yet good-hearted Robbie DeCaro made his first appearance in the pages of Tales from Foster High: End of the Innocence, years after the loss of his first and only love. A New York transplant, Robbie now decides that his work is done in the town of Foster, and the time has come for him to leave Texas. Returning to his childhood home on Long Island, Robbie reunites with his family members. Each using their own unique methods, they try in vain to help Robbie reset to a life he knew before he left it all for the fairy-tale love he found, then tragically lost. He wants to put himself back out there, but the drunks, shallow guys at bars, and fair-weather friends remind him why he left Long Island in the first place.

Can Sebastian convince Robbie he's more than a pretty face and that together, they can rediscover the "after" in "happily ever after"?

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State Trooper Casey Bombaro works too hard to have time for a love life, never mind a family. But when a missing persons case leads him to three scared kids and eventually their uncle—an old friend from Casey’s college days—all that changes.

Bertie Riley hasn’t seen his troubled sister, Jen, or his niece and nephews in years. Now suddenly Jen is gone and Bertie is all the kids have. Worried sick about Jen and overwhelmed by his new responsibilities, Bertie doesn’t know how he’s going to cope. He doesn’t expect Casey to step in and lend a hand, but his attraction to his old friend doesn’t surprise him. Years may have passed, but those feelings have never gone away.

For the first time in his life, Casey wants something to come home to. Bertie and the kids fit into his life like they are meant to be there. He struggles to balance a budding romance and reassuring the kids with investigating a rash of robberies and tracking down Jen. But when evidence suggests Jen might not only be missing but complicit in a number of crimes, will Bertie and the kids forgive Casey for doing his job?

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Vertrauen, Liebe, & Hingabe: Buch zwei

Jim Shea, Polizist bei der Mordkommission in Seattle, nimmt niemals Arbeit mit nach Hause. Bis jetzt. Ein Richter hat den Hammer geschwungen, einen Angeklagten für nicht schuldig befunden und eine Familie ausgelöscht. Die emotionalen Folgen des Prozesses machen Jim verletzlich und er fühlt sich dem sterbenden Vater des Opfers gegenüber verpflichtet.

Es ist die Geschichte dieses Mannes, die der Drehbuchautor Griffin Drake und seine beste Freundin, die Schauspielerin Daisy Baylor, als ihre Eintrittskarte – weg von Action-Blockbustern – in anspruchsvollere Filme sehen. Doch um an die interessanten Details zu gelangen, muss Griffin den stoischen und beschützenden Detective Shea für sich gewinnen. Die beiden Männer fühlen sich sofort zueinander hingezogen und Daisy ermutigt Griffin, das zu ihrem Vorteil zu nutzen. Er soll sich den Mann und dadurch die Story sichern. Keiner der Männer hat bisher viel Glück in Liebesdingen gehabt und als aus ihrer gemeinsamen Nacht ein langes Wochenende mit schnell stärker werdenden Gefühlen wird, werden sowohl Griffins eiserne Loyalität zu Daisy als auch seine eigene Karriere auf die Probe gestellt. 

Je stärker Griffin in ein neues Leben mit Jim hineingezogen wird, desto mehr gerät sein Hollywood-Leben aus den Fugen. Geheimnisse und gebrochenes Vertrauen bedrohen Griffins Beziehungen und er wird sich entscheiden müssen, ob er lieber die Wahrheit erzählen oder ein Hollywood-Ende schreiben will.

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Over a decade ago, Avery Laniston fell in love with his brother Bran’s best friend but walked out on him and married his career instead. He’s regretted it ever since. After twelve years abroad, he returns for Bran’s wedding, hoping to make amends—only to get stranded in an airport with the man he left behind.

When Paul Gladwell finds himself stuck in Dallas with Avery on the way to Bran’s wedding, he decides a one-night stand might be the ticket to closure. Instead it rekindles a spark that threatens to burn him a second time. The romantic atmosphere at the wedding venue doesn’t help, nor does scheming from their friends and family. But the worst culprit is Paul’s heart, which refuses to listen to his head’s warning that Avery hasn’t changed.

Avery knows he hurt Paul before, and he’s determined to make it right. But he doesn’t know where his next job might take him, and Paul is hesitant to trust him again. Can Avery prove he’ll be the partner Paul deserves—that he can balance his career and his personal life? Or will he add one night in Dallas to his years of regrets?

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Ryan Wright’s new hockey team is a dumpster fire. He expects to lose games—not his heart.

Ryan’s laid-back attitude should be an advantage in Indianapolis. Even if he doesn’t accomplish much on the ice, he can help his burned-out teammates off it. And no one needs a friend—or a hug—more than Nico Kirschbaum, the team’s struggling would-be superstar.

Nico doesn’t appreciate that management traded for another openly gay player and told them to make friends. Maybe he doesn’t know what his problem is, but he’ll solve it with hard work, not by bonding with the class clown.

It’s obvious to Ryan that Nico’s lonely, gifted, and cracking under pressure. No amount of physical practice will fix his mental game. But convincing Nico to let Ryan help means getting closer than is wise for Ryan’s heart—especially once he unearths Nico’s sense of humor.

Will Nico and Ryan risk making a pass, or will they keep missing 100 percent of the shots they don’t take?

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Hockey is Gabe Martin's life. Dante Baltierra just wants to have some fun on his way to the Hockey Hall of Fame. Falling for a teammate isn't in either game plan.

But plans change.

When Gabe gets outed, it turns his careful life upside-down. The chaos messes with his game and sends his team headlong into a losing streak. The last person he expects to pull him through it is Dante.

This season isn’t going the way Dante thought it would. Gabe’s sexuality doesn’t faze him, but his own does. Dante’s always been a “what you see is what you get” kind of guy, and having to hide his attraction to Gabe sucks. But so does losing, and his teammate needs him, so he puts in the effort to snap Gabe out of his funk.

He doesn’t mean to fall in love with the guy.

Getting involved with a teammate is a bad idea, but Dante is shameless, funny, and brilliant at hockey. Gabe can’t resist. Unfortunately, he struggles to share part of himself that he’s hidden for years, and Dante chafes at hiding their relationship. Can they find their feet before the ice slips out from under them?

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Kevin Devereaux’ Leben kann gar nicht mehr schlimmer werden. Er steht unter Bewährung und lebt zusammen mit seinem vorbestraften, arbeitslosen Dad in einem heruntergekommenen Trailer im verrufenen Osten der Stadt. Um seine Bewährungshelferin bei Laune zu halten, tritt er einer Theatergruppe für Jugendliche bei und verliebt sich Hals über Kopf in Peter Finn, den Hauptdarsteller der Produktion – und Sohn des reichsten Elternhauses der Stadt. Trotz ihrer Unterschiede erwidert Peter Kevins Gefühle und zum ersten Mal erfährt Kevin, was es bedeutet, verliebt zu sein.

Doch Peters Familie weigert sich, einen schwulen Sohn zu akzeptieren – und schon gar nicht einen Freund aus ärmeren Verhältnissen – und so müssen die beiden in der konservativen Stadt ihre Beziehung geheim halten. Immerhin bleibt ihnen das Theaterstück und sie können sich gegenseitig Halt geben, also schlagen sie sich durch …

Bis ein brutaler Angriff Kevins Leben erschüttert und Peter kurz davor steht, wegen Mordes ins Gefängnis zu müssen.

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Un cygne peut-il faire la paix avec son passé de vilain petit canard ?

Jimmy Zebulon, gars joufflu et geek de première, voit son cœur être brisé le jour où son béguin de lycée, Danny Parker, laisse ses camarades le harceler sans rien faire pour lui venir en aide. Quinze ans plus tard, Jimmy disparaît et de ses cendres naît Graham Swann, le propriétaire d’un cabinet d’avocats à la beauté digne des plus grandes stars du grand écran. Graham croit Jimmy et son passé loin derrière lui, jusqu’à ce qu’un avocat du nom de Dan Parker se présente pour son premier jour de travail.

Se blesser lors d’un match à l’université est la meilleure chose qui soit jamais arrivée à Dan. Cela change le cours de son destin du tout au tout vers un avenir plus favorable à ce qu’il sorte du placard dans lequel il était jusqu’alors enfermé.

Graham aimerait croire que son rêve d’enfance est destiné à s’accomplir, mais s’il ne parvient pas à révéler à Dan la vérité sur son identité, leurs passés risquent bien de ruiner toute chance d’une fin heureuse pour l’un comme pour l’autre…

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Rafe Carrera hasn’t seen his Uncle Mack since he was a kid, so when he inherits his ranch, it throws him like a bucking horse. He’s been on his own for a long time. Now suddenly everyone wants to be his friend… or at least get friendly enough to have a chance in buying the ranch.

Russell Banion’s family may own a mega-ranch in Telluride, but Russell made his own way developing software. He misses his friend Mack, and purchasing the ranch will help him preserve Mack’s legacy—and protect his own interests. It’s a win-win. Besides, spending time with Rafe, trying to soften him up, isn’t exactly a hardship. Soon Russell realizes he’ll be more upset if Rafe does decide to leave.

But Rafe isn’t sure he wants to sell. To others in the valley, his land is worth more than just dollars and cents, and they’ll do anything to get it. With Russell’s support, Rafe will have to decide if some things—like real friendship, neighborliness, and even love—mean more than money. 

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Bien des années auparavant, le jeune Nick n’hésitait pas à embrasser son ami Jared sous les gradins de l’école, mais depuis que le docteur Kumpel est devenu pédiatre à l’hôpital que dirige Nicolas Beckert, ce dernier ne lui prête plus aucune attention. Tout change, cependant, quand tous deux se trouvent bloqués ensemble dans une cabine d’ascenseur. Durant ces cinq heures de confinement, dix années d’éloignement glacé s’effacent et leur ancienne passion se réveille, aussi brûlante et irrépressible qu’autrefois.

Une fois libéré, Jared ne compte pas permettre à Nick de recommencer à l’ignorer. Submergé de travail et de responsabilités, le directeur de Ste Anne a désespérément besoin d’un exutoire et Jared est très impatient de le lui fournir. Le problème est que Jared tient à vivre sa liaison au grand jour alors que Nick préfère rester dans le placard. Si les baisers adolescents volés sont devenus des ébats secrets dans la salle du conseil, les deux amants retrouvent vite les mêmes disputes qu’autrefois. Vont-ils encore une fois se déchirer et se séparer ?

Jared s’y refuse catégoriquement. Cette fois-ci, il ne sera pas aussi intransigeant. Loin d’exiger que Nick fasse son coming out, il se souciera des raisons qui le motivent à y rester. Peut-être trouvera-t-il la prescription qui ouvrira à Nick la voie du bonheur.

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Health issues have kept Scott Calligan in quarantine since the start of the pandemic. But when a wandering dog is nearly hit by a car in front of his house, he can’t help but come to its rescue—even if he’s more of a cat person.

Max’s owner, Brandon Richards, represents everything Scott has kept himself safe from. Once he picks up the runaway, Scott doesn’t expect he’ll see either of them again.

It seems Max has other ideas….

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Struggling business owner George is stuck in the past. Rootless Zephyr lives only in the present. Can they find the courage to build a future together?

At thirty years old, George Harlow is at risk of becoming as fossilized as the prehistoric tourist attraction he inherited—the one that’s headed the way of the dinosaurs. Even if staying afloat didn’t take all his energy, the dating pool in his town is as dry as the desert surrounding it. As for the family trauma from his past? That can stay buried.

Then Zephyr Steiber blows into his life.

Zephyr lives up to his name, drifting wherever Fate takes him, sometimes renting his body in exchange for a ride. With his high heels and lace and bright personality, Zephyr brings a spark of life to George’s dried-up existence.

For a while Zephyr is content to shelter in George’s refuge and to be George’s solace in return. Together they create an oasis. But with Zephyr haunted by the ghosts of bad decisions, and with George’s home and livelihood threatened by a global pandemic, can their tentative dreams for a future together survive reality?

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If Taz Oswald has one more gross date, he’s resigning himself to a life of celibacy with his irritable Chihuahua, Carl. Carl knows how to bite a banana when he sees one! Then Selby Hirsch invites Taz to walk dogs together, and Taz is suddenly back in the game. Selby is adorkable, awkward, and a little weird—and his dog Ginger is a trip—and Taz is transfixed. Is it really possible this sweet guy with the blurty mouth and a heart as big as the Pacific Ocean wandered into Taz’s life by accident? If so, how can Taz convince Selby that he wants to be Selby and Ginger’s forever home?

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Conner MacKay is the last of the TV cowboys, but he’s withdrawn from society—even before a global pandemic forces the world into quarantine. When he meets activist Dante Burke, though, Conner takes a chance. He can’t leave a young Black man on the street in the face of a public health crisis. What kind of cowboy would he be then?

On the surface, Conner and Dante live in opposing realities: midlife versus youth, flush versus flat broke. But their politics, attraction, and close quarters bring them together until the heat between them grows into a burn almost too hot to handle.

Then old dangers breach their safeguards and threaten not their love, but their very lives.

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Inevitable Duets: Book Three

Steadfast drummer Ash Wright and wild-card bassist Dean Phillips have been best friends forever, but Ash finds himself wanting more. A break from touring should give him the space he needs to get his head on straight–except then Dean moves in with him…. 

Ash has been fighting his growing attraction to Dean ever since an ill-fated threesome on the last leg of their tour. All he wants is some time to get over it. But that doesn’t seem to be in the cards, because Dean’s mom has given his room to his niece, and he doesn’t have anywhere else to stay. Ash has a big house all to himself, so why shouldn’t he move in? 

Because they can’t keep their hands off each other, that’s why.  

Dean never saw himself having feelings for another man, but that’s what’s happening. As he and Ash explore their secret new relationship behind closed doors, they also collaborate to help a struggling charity–one Dean feels close to, since it helps underprivileged kids like he used to be learn music. The time off from touring lets them live in their own little world. 

Then the band reunites for a fundraiser concert, and suddenly the real world intrudes. Can Ash and Dean navigate a relationship that leaves them in harmony with the rest of the group?

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Can a single dad with a criminal past find love with the cop who pulled him over?

When single dad Quinton Jackson gets stopped for speeding, he thinks he’s lost both his freedom and his infant son, who’s in the car he’s been chasing down the highway. Amazingly, State Trooper Wyatt Nelson not only believes him, he radios for help and reunites Quinton with baby Callum.

Wyatt should ticket Quinton, but something makes him look past Quinton’s record. Watching him with his child proves he made the right decision. Quinton is a loving, devoted father—and he’s handsome. Wyatt can’t help but take a personal interest.
 
For Quinton, getting temporary custody is a dream come true… or it would be, if working full-time and caring for an infant left time to sleep. As if that weren’t enough, Callum’s mother will do anything to get him back, including ruining Quinton’s life. Fortunately, Quinton has Wyatt for help, support, and as much romance as a single parent can schedule.
 
But when Wyatt’s duties as a cop conflict with Quinton’s quest for permanent custody, their situation becomes precarious. Can they trust each other, and the courts, to deliver justice and a happy ever after?

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Danny Sims est perdu, déchiré entre son amant abusif, Joshua, et Jay Holtsclaw, le barman du bout de la rue, qui lui offre l’unique chose qu’il n’a pas chez lui : la compréhension.

Lorsque Joshua menace de se débarrasser du chien de Danny, celui-ci sait qu’il doit agir et vite. Effrayé par ce que Joshua pourrait faire à son chien et par ce qu’il pourrait lui faire à lui s’il essayait de partir, Danny n’a plus qu’une seule solution.

Fuir.

Mais il n’est pas totalement fou, il a suffisamment de bon sens pour se réfugier dans les bras de l’homme qui se soucie de lui, celui en qui il commence à avoir confiance.

Alors que leur vie ensemble commence à se mettre en place, Danny et Jay vont découvrir à quel point Joshua est rancunier.

Et dangereux.

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Lucas Arrowood is walking to school on his first day of kindergarten when he meets Dalton Churchill—a boy who stops and helps him tie his shoe. He knows from that moment he is going to marry that boy one day. “Boys can’t marry other boys,” his mother explains, but that doesn’t stop Lucas. He knows what he wants.

He and Dalton become best friends. And then, no matter how much he resists, Dalton falls in love with Lucas. Dalton’s very conservative family can’t accept that their boy loves another boy, but finally Dalton stands up for love and for Lucas. Still, he declares he won’t marry Lucas until it is legal everywhere. He hates the “commitment ceremonies” gay men have. They aren’t the real thing. Why bother?

So Lucas waits for his day. The day same-sex marriage finally becomes legal and he can be joined forever with the love of his life. 


Originally published in the anthology A More Perfect Union, Dreamspinner Press, June 2016

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