Contemporary Romance books

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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Unconditional Love: Book Two

Matt Dixon, a young firefighter, is the golden child of his family, and he never dreamed that coming out would challenge more than the way his church sees him.

For years, Matt has led a double life hoping to avoid ridicule. When a self-righteous pastor’s statements provoke him to defend his recently deceased best friend’s honor and subsequently out himself, he suffers the brutal aftermath of his revelation. Everyone in his life, including his family and his new lover, Darian, must deal with the ramifications as Matt struggles to come to terms with guilt, shame, and his very belief in God.

Darian Weston lost his fiancé when Jamie took his life, and his feelings for Matt added guilt to his burden of grief. Confused and lonely, Darian clings to Matt despite his inner strife. But small-town realities keep intruding, and if Matt and Darian hope to make a life together, they must first take a stand for what they believe in, even if they fear the cost.

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An Englishmen Story

Dominic Holland leaves behind in London the shattered remains of a dishonest relationship and sets about rediscovering himself across the pond, exploring New York City and two widely different possible futures. Through a series of increasingly public encounters with a mysterious silver-haired man, Dominic gets a tantalizing taste of a new kind of freedom. But it’s fellow journalist Alex Everton who attracts Dominic, making him yearn for a real and honest love. But Alex is working on a story that is linked to his past, leaving Dominic unsure of whether he will be the one to heal his heart.

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James Richards est un professeur universitaire et mène une vie routinière. Il déménage en Californie du Nord pour fuir la rupture qu’il vient de subir, mais, à part l’adoption d’un Boston terrier, Marlowe, sa nouvelle vie ne lui apporte rien de plus.

Un jour, son élève la plus coriace lui arrange un rendez-vous avec son meilleur ami, Rafael Ochoa. Ce dernier ne semble rien avoir en commun avec James, ils viennent de milieu culturel différent et n’ont pas la même philosophie de vie. Cependant, Rafael est également beau, gentil et fait l’effet d’une piqure d’adrénaline dans le cœur d’homme approchant la quarantaine de James. Ensemble, ils formeront un pont entre les habitudes de la Côte Est de James et l’attitude décontractée de la Côte Ouest de Rafael.

Leur relation basée uniquement sur les sentiments survivra-t-elle au fait que James ne semble plus croire aux happy ends ?

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Dumb Jock: Book Three

At age sixteen, Todd Hoffman is a social outcast. He lives with his mother in a rundown mobile home and doesn’t wear the nice clothes or drive fancy cars like the other students. He has one outlet: he secretly writes fan fiction about a boy falling in love with another boy he’s crushing on, and posts it online.

When Galen Caulfield, Todd’s real life object of affection, notices him and asks him out, Todd feels like he’s living his fantasy. Soon enough he realizes that fantasy and reality are two very different propositions.

Galen is the high school soccer team captain, clearly out of Todd’s league. On top of that, he’s popular, good-looking, and confident, so everyone thinks he’s straight. Now it’s up to Todd to decide whether Galen is the boy of his dreams or just another dumb jock.

2nd Edition
First Edition published by Amazon Digital Services, Aug 24, 2012.

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