Contemporary Romance books

There’s an art to love.

Mural artist Ben has come from Tel Aviv to Atlanta to work on a commission. A successful artist, he’s still lonely and isolated after his family’s rejection. Ben is charmed and surprised when local soldier Eli mistakes him for homeless, and brings him a cup of coffee and a biscuit. This gesture opens the door. Eli is lost, trying to make sense of a future without the Army after a combat injury ends his career.

Art gives them a new language and a path forward. But lost men can reach out, desperate to hang on to anyone close. Is what they find together real, and the kind of love that will last?

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

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Geek Life: Book One

When opposite worlds collide, it’s anyone’s game.

Proud geek and comic book artist Morris Proctor wants nothing more than to live in semiseclusion with his devil cat and gamer friends. Despite what his well-meaning family thinks, he’s perfectly content with his status quo. The last thing he needs is to date another nongeek hell-bent on changing him.

Then he meets his adorkable new neighbor, Theo Boarman, who doesn’t know Star Trek from Star Wars, but who tempts him like no other.

Theo has spent the last year recovering from the loss of his parents and trying to play both roles for his teenage brother, while working to keep the family restaurant afloat. Dating is the last thing on the menu, especially with a man who thinks the height of dining is shoving a packaged meal into the microwave.

But if Morris gives him one more shy smile or flaunts that kilt he wears so well, Theo will be forced to convince him that a hot summer fling is just the recipe to let off a little steam.

When that fling gets serious fast, Morris has to decide if he’s willing to give his heart to Theo on the chance that they’re a perfect mix.

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Une deuxième chance pour vivre son premier amour, s’il en a le courage. 

Alex se considère comme un raté. À l’école secondaire, alors qu’il envisageait une carrière professionnelle dans le football, il noua une amitié improbable avec Ricky Lee Jennings, un jeune métis comanche issu des pires quartiers de la ville. Leur goût commun pour les livres aurait pu évoluer vers un sentiment plus fort, mais quand un coéquipier homophobe s’en prend à Ricky Lee, Alex ne peut se résoudre à risquer sa bourse universitaire pour le défendre. Ricky Lee est expulsé et Alex n’entend plus parler de lui pendant plus d’une décennie. 

Les jours de gloire d’Alex sont désormais dans le passé. Blessé, il n’a pu mener à bien ses rêves de gloire dans le football et son mariage a sombré en même temps que ses aspirations à créer une différence dans le lobbysme environnemental. 

Tout pourrait changer quand Ricky Lee se présente à la réunion des anciens élèves de l’école…

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Jamies Leben ist eine einzige finanzielle Katastrophe, was aber nicht seine Schuld ist. Dass er in der Bibliothek einen Wohltäter finden würde, ist das Letzte, womit er gerechnet hätte. Auch wenn er anfangs misstrauisch ist, was Guys Motive betrifft, wird schnell klar, dass sein Retter ein guter Mann ist, der im Leben Glück hatte und das nun weitergeben will. Dass Guy schwul ist, ist kein Problem. Jamie hat ohnehin kein Interesse … glaubt er zumindest.

Die beiden kommen gut miteinander aus und Guy freut sich, dass er Jamie unterstützen kann. Aber als Jamie seiner Neugierde nachgibt, sieht Guy den jungen Mann plötzlich mit anderen Augen. Was als Hilfestellung begann, ist nun etwas völlig anderes …

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A second chance at first love—if he has the courage to take it.

Alex can’t think of himself as anything but a failure. In high school, he was on the fast track to a career in pro football when he forged an unlikely friendship with a half-Comanche boy from the wrong part of town, Ricky Lee Jennings. Their shared love of books could have grown into more—but a homophobic teammate attacked Ricky Lee, and Alex wouldn’t risk his scholarship to defend him. Ricky Lee was kicked out of school, and Alex never heard from him again.

Now Alex’s glory days are nothing but a memory. An injury ended his football aspirations, his marriage fell apart, and his dreams of making a difference as an environmental lobbyist are as dead as his fantasies of sports stardom.

But all that could change in one magical night, when Ricky Lee shows up at their high-school reunion.

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Eddie  Grabers Traum von einem Gnadenhof, einem Zufluchtsort für gerettete Nutztiere, war gerade im Begriff, in Erfüllung zu gehen, als sein Lebensgefährte ihn in letzter Minute im Stich lässt. Jetzt läuft Eddie Gefahr, das zehn Hektar große Gelände in Lancaster County ‒ und alle Hoffnungen, die er daran gesetzt hatte ‒ zu verlieren, bevor das Projekt überhaupt in Gang gekommen ist. Er braucht Hilfe, er braucht Geld, aber was am wichtigsten ist: Er muss den Glauben an dessen höhere Bedeutung wiederfinden, die ihn überhaupt erst hergeführt hatte.

Samuel Miller hat hart gearbeitet, um sich in seine Amish-Gemeinschaft einzufügen, trotz seines Klumpfußes. Aber als sein Vater herausfindet, dass Samuel schwul ist, wird er ausgepeitscht und verstoßen. Mit nur ein paar Hundert Dollar in der Tasche antwortet Samuel auf eine Stellenanzeige für einen Knecht und findet sich als Angestellter eines Stadtmenschen wieder, der ein sanftes Herz hat, aber seltsame Vorstellungen von Tieren und keine Ahnung, wie er seine kleine Farm führen muss. 

Samuel ist nicht die einzige verlorene Seele, die glücklicherweise ihren Weg zur Meadow Lake Farm findet. Da sind Fred und Ginger, zwei Kühe, die in einer Garage gelebt haben, eine Herde Schafe und ein kleines schwarzes Schwein namens Benny, das der Schlüssel zu Leben, Liebe und Geld sein könnte ‒ und vielleicht sogar zum Happy End für zwei Außenseiter.

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Lorsque son adversaire du parti républicain publie une photo qui révèle son homosexualité sur Facebook, le sénateur Samuel Dalton n’a pas beaucoup de solutions. Peu importe que la photo soit complètement innocente. Il doit avouer la vérité… Puis son équipe de campagne propose un rebondissement inattendu.

Oui, cela lui accorderait la sympathie des électeurs, particulièrement celle de la communauté LGBT, mais la solution semble un peu drastique. 

Et puis, il faut convaincre Gary, l’autre homme sur la photo, de jouer le jeu. Cela ne paraît pas difficile de faire croire à toute la Caroline du Nord que Sam et lui sont fiancés.

Pas difficile, sauf qu’ils viennent tout juste de se rencontrer… 

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Can a Navajo trans teen and a nerdy Catholic find the place they belong... and maybe themselves? In the desert, anything is possible…. 

When Wren came out as transgender before his senior year, it cost him most of his friends. His father hopes joining a Boy Scout troop might help Wren meet other young men his age and be accepted for who he is.

Felipe Nieves wants the new guy in the troop to feel comfortable, and he reaches out to Wren. They become fast friends… with something more beneath the surface. Those feelings confuse Felipe, since his religion considers this a sin—and he’s always assumed he was straight—but he can’t help pining for Wren. Asking him out will take courage, and getting together won’t be easy… but through their friendship, both young men might find their identities… and learn to embrace them in a unique coming-of-age story set against the beauty of the American Southwest.

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

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The Mannies

Learning to trust and falling in love.

Sammy Lowell has his hands full juggling his music, college, some pesky health problems, and making the uncles who raised him proud. He needs help fulfilling his after-school duties with his siblings. Nobody can be in two places at once—not even Sammy!

An injury puts Cooper Hoskins in a tough spot—if he can’t work, the foster sister he’s raising can’t eat. But years in the foster system have left Cooper short on trust, and opening up to accept help isn’t easy.

Luckily, family intervenes—Cooper needs a job so he can care for Felicity, and Sammy needs someone who can see past his illness to the wonderful things he has planned for his life. Each heals the damaged places in the other’s heart. But falling in love is a big responsibility for young men deep in family already. Can the two of them get past their fear of the immediate future to see forever with each other?

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A Nick and Ben Story

Having explosive sex is easy for Nick and Ben—getting past their hang-ups and opening up to each other won’t be.

Handsome New York City bartender Nick might’ve left life—and his abusive, homophobic father—in West Virginia far behind, but even though he was a star quarterback in high school, he can’t outrun the effect those years had on him. He’s still not comfortable as a gay man, and he keeps his relationships short… as in a single night.

Hotel reviewer Ben is a hopeless romantic, but he can’t seem to find a guy who feels the same. After being cheated on again, he doesn’t expect to spend forever with Nick, but even their one-nighter doesn’t go off without a hitch. Ben falls asleep on Nick’s couch, and in the morning, they have to face their hookup that wasn’t…and the fact that there’s a connection between them whether they’re looking for one or not.

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A Belladonna Arms Novel

Even with a string of earthquakes jarring the tenants of the Belladonna Arms, rattling nerves and smashing dishes, life still manages to plod along as usual. Love pollen continues to fall, romances continue to flourish, and Arthur, the grand Pooh-bah in residence, continues to plan his upcoming wedding extravaganza.

In the midst of all this drama fall Gideon Chase and Reed Kelly, two redheaded losers at love who find themselves regrouping under the auspices of the most incorrigible matchmaker in heels.

Arthur sees hope for the two right away. He leases them adjoining apartments, then continually tweaks their budding friendship in the hope it will slip into love. Just as Arthur’s plans are coming along nicely, Reed’s past shows up to toss a monkey wrench into his and Gideon’s blossoming romance.

With Arthur’s wedding ceremony nigh, and Reed and Gideon on the verge of heartache yet again, Arthur faces one inescapable conclusion.

It will take more than love pollen to sort this mess out.

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L'amour ne peut pas..., numéro hors série

Petit mais costaud, telle pourrait être la devise de l’inspecteur Nevin Ng. Désormais inspecteur dévoué au commissariat de police de Portland, il n’a pas laissé un mauvais départ dans la vie l’empêcher de protéger ceux qui en ont besoin. Il ne laisse personne lui marcher sur les pieds, il n’a aucune attirance pour les relations. Jusqu’à ce qu’il se rende chez une personne âgée qui s’est fait agresser avec une grande violence et rencontre le propriétaire de la victime, avec son nœud papillon et sa richesse évidente. 

Agent et promoteur immobilier, Colin Westwood a grandi dans tout ce qui a fait défaut à Nevin, comme un tas d’argent et une famille aimante qui le soutient sans condition. Qui le soutient trop, peut-être, parce qu’après une enfance marquée par la maladie, ses parents ont encore du mal à admettre qu’il est désormais un adulte fort et indépendant. Colin veut une relation, mais les siennes ne fonctionnent jamais. Maintenant, il se dit juste qu’il devrait arrêter de suivre le mouvement. Il est peut-être temps de tenter quelque chose de plus excitant. Mais être témoin d’un horrible crime, voire deux, n’était pas vraiment ce qu’il avait en tête. 

Malgré leurs différences, Colin et Nevin découvrent les étincelles qu’ils produisent quand ils sont ensemble. Mais les étincelles sont éphémères, refroidies par l’avènement de crimes brutaux, et Colin et Nevin semblent avoir si peu en commun. La question reste de savoir s’ils ont le désir de construire quelque chose de solide entre eux.

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Serie Secrets, Libro 1

Da sei anni Ellis fa parte delle teste di cuoio della polizia di Londra. Fin dal primo giorno il suo partner è Wayne, che diventa presto anche il suo migliore amico. Quando Wayne nota i suoi sbalzi d’umore e la sua crescente irritabilità, conseguenza dell’insonnia, capisce di dover intervenire prima che sia troppo tardi. Decide così di portare Ellis all’inaugurazione di un nuovo club BDSM di cui è socio, il Secrets. Lo scopo? Dargli un assaggio di quello stile di vita prima di fargli una proposta. Wayne è convinto di poter riavere il suo amico solo se Ellis gli permetterà di prenderlo per mano e assumere il controllo della sua vita.

Ci sono però dei problemi. Intanto Ellis è etero. Poi è testardo. E infine è attraente. Wayne sa che dovrà mettere da parte i sentimenti per essergli d’aiuto. Ma saranno i veri bisogni di Ellis a prenderlo in contropiede.

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California firefighter Hayden Hurst is starting to realize there’s more to life than fighting fires and drinking with his buddies. He has room in his home and his life for someone special, but no one has stood out among his hookups. And while he’s out at work, admitting he’s gay is very different from showing up at social functions with a man. He’s afraid that’ll be too much for his less-than-accepting “friends.”

Broadway dancer Jez Bouchet hasn’t been mistaken for straight since he was gay-bashed at seventeen. After getting a lucrative job offer in Hollywood, he uproots his life in New York and drives to Los Angeles. His brother, who is Hayden’s best friend, arranges for him to crash at Hayden’s place.

The attraction between Hayden and Jez is unexpected but fiery, and they succumb before they’re even sure they like each other. But Jez hates Hayden’s homophobic friends, and Hayden knows Jez is too flamboyant for him to fly under the radar. Then there’s the complication of Jez’s brother.

Despite those hurdles, they fling themselves into a relationship. But Jez has secrets: a tiny spoiled dog and a determined stalker. If he doesn’t come clean, he might torch their burgeoning relationship before it has a chance to bloom.

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Opposites come together for a spicy surprise.

Bradford “Tully” Tolliver has everything—money, a great car, a beautiful condo, and a promising career as one of Portland’s hottest young lawyers. Sure, he puts in long hours and has no social life to speak of, but who needs romance when corporations pay top dollar for his expertise? He hesitates when a colleague asks if her cousin can live with him, but the arrangement will last less than a year, and then the cousin—Sage Filling—will return to his tiny hometown.

But Sage is handsome and intriguing, and his cooking makes Tully swoon. Sage has obligations back home, though, and Tully has offers he might not refuse from a persistent—and very wealthy—ex. Since Tully and Sage each have a full plate, can they make room for a side of love?

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Bonfires: Book Two

Saying “I love you” doesn’t guarantee peace or a happy ending.

High school principal “Larx” Larkin was pretty sure he'd hit the jackpot when Deputy Sheriff Aaron George moved in with him, merging their two families as seamlessly as the chaos around them could possibly allow.

But when Larx’s pregnant daughter comes home unexpectedly and two of Larx’s students are put in danger, their tentative beginning comes crashing down around their ears.

Larx thought he was okay with the dangers of Aaron’s job, and Aaron thought he was okay with Larx's daughter—who is not okay—but when their worst fears are almost realized, it puts their hearts and their lives to the test. Larx and Aaron have never wanted anything as badly as they want a life together. Will they be able to make it work when the world is working hard to keep them apart?

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Serie Carlisle Cops, Libro 1

L’agente Red Markham ha imparato a conoscere le difficoltà della vita da adolescente, quando un incidente d’auto lo ha lasciato sfregiato e orfano di entrambi i genitori. Anche per le strade che pattuglia nella cittadina di Carlisle affronta episodi orribili, come il recente aumento di morti per overdose. Un pomeriggio Red viene mandato in una struttura sportiva per un incidente in piscina e, arrivato sul posto, scopre che il ragazzo coinvolto è stato salvato dal bagnino, Terry Baumgartner. Per Red non è una sorpresa che lo splendido Terry non voglia avere niente a che fare con lui e con il suo brutto muso.

Un commento casuale sulla sua superficialità fa però aprire gli occhi a Terry. Forse non è una persona di buon cuore come ha sempre pensato. La sua amica Julie gli suggerisce allora di aiutare i meno fortunati consegnando pasti agli anziani. Durante il suo giro Terry incontra Margie, una signora molto diretta che dice sempre quello che le passa per la testa e che è anche la zia dell’agente Red Markham. 

I mondi di Red e Terry si scontrano. Red cerca di proteggere Terry da un ex che non accetta un no come risposta, intanto indaga per arrivare alla fonte della droga che sta mietendo vittime in città. Inaspettatamente i due uomini scoprono che per loro potrebbe esistere una possibilità, ma dovranno imparare a vedere oltre la superficie per coglierla.

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David Somers, chef d’orchestre réputé, n’a jamais voulu de la société d’investissement qu’il a héritée de son grand-père autoritaire. Il ne rêve que de composer. Et pourtant, malgré tous ses efforts, David ne parvient pas à coucher sur le papier la musique qui le hante.

Lorsqu’un violoniste invité à l’Orchestre Symphonique de Chicago tombe malade, David rencontre Alex Bishop, son remplaçant. David reste de marbre devant la célébrité et les tatouages du violoniste, mais son talent et sa profondeur le subjuguent.

David a juré de ne plus jamais s’attacher à personne, de peur de faire fuir ceux qu’il aime, ou de les perdre comme il a perdu sa femme et ses parents. Alex est sympathique, sociable, détendu – tout le contraire de David – et il parvient rapidement à ouvrir une brèche dans la muraille qui isole le cœur du chef d’orchestre. Celui-ci commence à rêver d’Alex – des rêves plein de musique. Composer semble redevenir possible.

Mais David, méprisé pendant des années par son grand-père, manque de confiance en lui et a du mal à s’abandonner. Lorsque des failles apparaissent dans son univers rigoureusement ordonné, sa relation naissante avec Alex est la première à en pâtir. Et pourtant, il ne cesse d’entendre la resplendissante mélodie d’Alex. Il voudrait aimer Alex, mais il doit d’abord trouver la force de s’accepter.

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