Contemporary Romance books

Twenty-two-year-old foster care survivor Luke Kearsey got out of his abusive relationship and then got out of the country. Now he lives in England, where he works at a burger bar. Maybe his life is directionless, but at least he’s safe.

When thirty-six-year-old schoolteacher Paul Blackwell meets Luke at a club, neither man expects anything more than some no-strings-attached sex. Paul is still grieving the death of his partner of five years, and he’s not looking for anything serious. Not when it means he could get hurt again.

But despite all their differences, something clicks between them. Though Luke lacks confidence and finds it difficult to believe he can offer Paul much in a relationship, and though Paul is wary about starting a relationship with someone so different, they begin to explore the possibilities that could help them heal. With the love and support they provide each other, Luke and Paul begin to put their pasts behind them—but then Luke’s past shows up in England, and it wants him back. Is Luke really ready to move on?

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DEA agent Pete Olivera has lived some hard times, so when a local cop is forced to shoot a teenage boy in the Indiana city Pete’s temporarily assigned to, he’s uniquely qualified to understand what Officer Joseph West is going through. Joseph’s actions were justified and saved lives—his own and those of the people around him—but knowing he did the right thing doesn’t ease his guilt.

Pete knows Joe needs to come to terms with the shooting. But neither man realized that the friendship and love growing between them would be the most important step on the journey to peace—for them both.

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The year is 1987. The boys wear pink Izod shirts, the girls wear big hair, everyone has a stash box, and AIDS is just an ugly rumor rumbling like a thunderstorm from the cities. A teenage runaway wanders the side of the road, a heartbeat away from despair, and is rescued by a long-haired angel on a Harley.

But that's just the beginning of their story.

Josiah Daniels wanted peace and quiet and a simple life, and he had it until he rescued Casey from hunger, cold, and exhaustion. Then Joe's life is anything but simple as he and his new charge navigate a world that is changing more rapidly than the people in it. Joe wants to raise Casey to a happy and productive adulthood, and he does. But even as an adult, Casey can't conceive of a happy life without Joe. The trouble is getting Joe to accept that the boy he nurtured is suddenly the man who wants him.

Their relationship can either die or change with the world around them. As they make a home, negotiate the new rules of growing up, and swerve around the pitfalls of modern life, Casey learns that adulthood is more than sex, Joe learns that there is no compromise in happy ever after, and they’re both forced to realize that the one thing a man shouldn’t be is alone.

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Twenty years ago, Eli Calero fell in love with Kevin Murphy, a jock whose mob boss father physically and emotionally abused him. Twenty years ago, Eli Calero got his heart broken, and he’s never gotten over it.

Now, after a career as an investigative reporter, Eli is a true crime author living in Pasadena. He has no interest in attending a reunion back in St. Louis, but he ends up going anyway—and since he’s in the area, Eli decides to settle an old score. He’s determined to gather enough evidence to take down Kevin's father.

But Eli doesn’t have all the facts, and there are a few things he didn’t count on: Kevin’s still in town. He still has feelings for Eli. And he’s about to get caught in the crossfire.

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Per cinque anni, Zach Tyler, figlio di uno dei più ricchi produttori di software del mondo, è stato tenuto in ostaggio, torturato e violentato. Quando finalmente viene soccorso dalle profondità della giungla venezuelana, è fisicamente e psicologicamente distrutto; ma, lentamente, comincia a ricostruire la vita che avrebbe dovuto vivere, prima che un bacio innocente lo spedisse all’inferno.

David, il suo migliore amico, ha vissuto questi ultimi anni nel senso di colpa e nel dolore. Ogni relazione in cui si è imbarcato è andata in pezzi, a causa dei sentimenti che non riesce a smettere di provare per un ragazzo che credeva morto. Quando Zach viene riportato a casa, David è fuori di sé dalla gioia – e poi devastato, quando Zach lo taglia fuori dalla sua vita.

Due anni dopo, David ritorna a casa, e lui e Zach devono fare i conti con il vuoto che si è aperto fra di loro, con ciò che provano l’uno per l’altro, e con quello che il futuro ha in serbo per loro. Ma Zach nasconde dei segreti, e uno di essi potrebbe anche distruggere il loro fragile amore.

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For six years, Rex Payton has focused on two things: keeping his late father’s small-town Kentucky bar afloat and raising his nephew, Tyler. After the tragic loss of his parents and sister, Rex has no interest in romance. He’s respected in his community and regarded as one of Carlisle’s most eligible bachelors, but he’s accepted that his life isn’t conducive to a romantic relationship, especially as a closeted gay man.

Enter Josh Billings, a veterinary student who’s serving an internship in town. Josh’s deepest passion is helping animals. Romance is the furthest thing from his mind… until the night he meets taciturn, handsome Rex Payton. Chance and an after-hours dance conspire to forge an intimate connection neither man looked for—one neither man can ignore after the dance leads to a kiss.

Suddenly romance isn’t so insignificant, but it’s also not without complications. For this relationship to work, Josh has to decide if he can cope with dating a single dad, Rex has to open his heart, and Ty has to learn to share his dad’s affection.

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Serie Talker, Libro 1

Tate "Talker" Walker, il Chiacchierone, ha passato la sua vita cercando di nascondere le sue cicatrici dietro ad una luminosa facciata punk. E finché non si è seduto di fianco a Brian Cooper su un autobus, la cosa aveva funzionato. Ma Brian ha passato la sua intera vita ad essere l'uomo invisibile ed è abituato a guardare oltre le apparenze. Quello che vede in Talker è un essere umano fragile e degno di essere amato.

Brian è apparentemente etero, ma Talker ha un disperato bisogno di essere amato e quando il suo comportamento porta a delle conseguenze dolorose, Brian è costretto a rivelarsi in modo drammatico. Ma lui farebbe qualsiasi cosa per far sì che Talker veda che è il Principe Azzurro che lui ha sempre desiderato.

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An Opposites Attract novel

Fresh from backwoods Minnesota, actuarial student Ben Dutoit is ecstatic to land a job with Sydney Sutherland Family Insurance, one of the few companies that offers life insurance to people in the high-risk category. The fact that he gets to work in Gay Central, aka San Francisco, is just the icing on the rainbow-colored cake. Ben sets himself just three goals: be out and proud enough to participate in the Pride parade; seek out the company of like-minded souls in the clubs; and maybe, if he’s lucky, fall in love.

But the men Ben meets are everything he’s not: suave, confident, sophisticated, and sexy. Unlike redneck Ben, they’re blue bloods from blue states, born with status, wealth, and the responsibility that comes with the package.

Ben’s still wondering if red and blue can mix when he discovers what risk really means. The global economy tanks. The job he looked forward to is in jeopardy, and every dream Ben ever had is threatened, especially love, the biggest dream of all.

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When a Category 4 hurricane hits the Texas Gulf Coast and critically damages a nuclear reactor, the NRC brings in robotics engineer Derek Marshall and professor Sambit Patel to avert a disaster. Unfortunately, putting the men in the same room could be nearly as dangerous as the reactor: Derek’s out and proud, gruff, and occasionally obnoxious; Sambit is closeted, quiet, and reserved. Faced with isolation, ungodly living conditions, and the very real possibility of acute radiation sickness, they race against time to stabilize the reactor. But the attraction growing between them may be beyond their control.

On the surface, Derek and Sambit have nothing in common. They live in separate cities, come from disparate cultures, and have trouble just getting along, never mind navigating a relationship. All they have to hold them together is a few isolated weeks of trying to save the world, or at least the environment. Sambit is convinced the end of the assignment will be the end for them as well—and despite their many differences, he’s beginning to wonder how he’ll survive the fallout once Derek leaves him behind.

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Horizons Series: Book Two

What should have been a brief interlude turns into something deeper when Lil Lampert meets Grier Dilorio at the Taste of Chicago. Lil is in town visiting good friends Jody Williams and Clark Stevens, and he didn’t plan to hook up with a younger man and discover a mutual love for architecture, interior design, and a unique sexual kink that keeps Lil coming back for more.

By all appearances, Grier is the quintessential bad boy who loves speed, tattoos, and leather, but Lil slowly uncovers another side: selfless, responsible, and tender, especially for  Luca, the son he’s had to deny. With Lil’s love and support, Grier will make a decision key to opening the door to a possible future together, one that includes fatherhood, something Lil has dreamed of but has never dared to explore.

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Michael isn’t used to casino blackjack dealers telling him to cash in, but that’s what Daniel Aldaine does, recognizing the group of men waiting to collect what Michael owes them. He even fronts Michael the money he’s short to get the goons off his back. It’s the beginning of the best relationship Michael’s ever known, but a problem he doesn’t even recognize he has could end it all.

A Bittersweet Dreams title: It's an unfortunate truth: love doesn't always conquer all. Regardless of its strength, sometimes fate intervenes, tragedy strikes, or forces conspire against it. These stories of romance do not offer a traditional happy ending, but the strong and enduring love will still touch your heart and maybe move you to tears.

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Volumen 1 de la serie Caballo Oscuro

Dan solo piensa en conducir y dejar atrás todo ese lío. Tiene suficiente dinero. Podría arreglar el envío de sus cosas y de su caballo a dondequiera que vaya. Cuando las cosas se volvían difíciles de soportar, el acostumbraba marcharse y en realidad, siempre le había funcionado muy bien.

Dan Wheeler pensó que había encontrado amor y estabilidad en su vida y con su pareja, Justin Archer. Pero cuando Dan se encuentra otra vez solo, trabajando aún como entrenador de caballos para los padres de Justin, tiene que encontrar el modo de aceptar que su vida perfecta ya no existe.

Luego conoce al billonario Evan Kaminski, quien viene a comprar un caballo para su joven hermana y a Jeff Stevens, el amante de Evan, entrenador de caballos que parece entender algo más que el trabajo de Dan. Luchando para manejar todos los trastornos de su vida, Dan se encuentra atraído hacia ambos, la pasión mercurial de Evan y la tranquila sabiduría de Jeff. ¿Es Dan lo suficientemente fuerte como para aprovechar la oportunidad de un nuevo amor, o sería mejor –más seguro- para él permanecer solo?

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One day, Tate "Talker" Walker sits next to Brian Cooper on a track meet bus—and sees him like nobody else on the planet has ever seen him before.  One day, Brian Cooper looks at Talker's bright punk facade and listens past his constant chatter—and knows him like nobody else on the planet will ever know him again. One day, two boys meet, and even though they fall in love, it’s still a long and bumpy ride.

Tate needs to learn to listen, Brian needs to learn to speak up, and the event that teaches them both exactly what they need from each other almost destroys Tate and leaves Brian no recourse but violence. For their love to survive, Tate and Brian have to overcome the pain of violation and the repercussions of revenge. Even more difficult, they have to hold each other steady while one finds his peace and the other his voice, because a dream boy isn't really a dream boy if he doesn't know his own worth.

Purchase includes access to download the ebook editions of the novellas featured in this anthology.

Talker (September 2010), Talker's Redemption (January 2011), and Talker's Graduation (October 2011) were previously published individually in eBook format by Dreamspinner Press.

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Quando David Carmichael, dopo essere stato colpito da un'emicrania, si rompe una spalla, al suo migliore amico Trace Jackson viene naturale trasferirsi da lui per assisterlo. Il loro rapporto cameratesco comincia a correre rischi quando David scopre in esso un sottofondo di calore e tensione. Pur sapendo che il suo migliore amico è eterosessuale, David si sta innamorando di lui alla svelta.

Trace non ha mai desiderato un altro uomo. È un donnaiolo con una certa reputazione, considerato una preda ambita in città. Ma l’amicizia salda e preziosa con David viene intensificata dalle emozioni e dell'eccitazione, e la tentazione data dall’avere David così vicino è irresistibile. Presto Trace rende noto a David di voler capire se la cosa può funzionare tra loro. Perché Trace è certo che non vorrà più nessun altro – ama già David.

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Talker, tome 1

Tate « Talker »Walker a passé la plus grande partie de sa vie à cacher ses cicatrices sous une façade punk et, jusqu'à ce qu'il s'assoie à côté de Brian dans le bus, cela fonctionnait tout à fait. Pourtant Brian a passé sa vie entière en étant l'homme invisible et il a appris à lire sous la surface des choses. Ce qu'il voit en Talker est un être humain fragile et attachant.

Brian est en apparence hétéro, pourtant Talker est prêt à tout par amour pour lui, et, quand son comportement le conduit à des conséquences douloureuses, Brian est forcé de sortir du placard de manière plutôt dramatique. Il fera tout pour s'assurer que Talker voit en lui le Prince Charmant qu'il a toujours désiré.

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Forty-five-year-old English professor Nathan Qells is very good at making people feel important. What he’s not very good at is sticking around afterward. He’s a nice guy; he just doesn’t feel things the way other people do. So even after all the time he’s spent taking care of Michael, the kid across the hall, he doesn’t realize that Michael’s mob muscle uncle and guardian, Andreo Fiore, has slowly been falling in love with him.

Dreo has bigger problems than getting Nate to see him as a potential partner. He’s raising his nephew, trying to leave his unsavory job, and starting his own business, a process made infinitely more difficult when a series of hits takes out some key underworld players. Still, Dreo is determined to build a life he can be proud of—a life with Nate as a cornerstone. A life that is starting to look like exactly what Nate has been seeking. Unfortunately for Dreo—and for Nate—the last hits were just part of a major reorganization, and Dreo’s obvious love for Nate has made him a target too.

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Quent Jackson has followed Jason Spade's every move in business and in poker since their first day as college freshmen.  Eight years later, when Jace finally decides Quent is the one man he can't live without, he sees no reason for that to change.

But as much as Jace believes that poker is life, no one gave Quent the same playbook. After their first passionate night, the real game of love and trust begins, and Jace has been playing alone too long to make teaching the rules easy.  Jace only speaks two languages: one of them is sex, and the other one is poker. Between the two, he needs to find a way to convince himself to take a chance on love—and Quent to take a chance on him.  It's a lucky thing they’re good at reading the odds, because they’re playing for keeps, and this is one high-stakes relationship that's definitely worth the gamble.

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