The Long Game
Shane and Ilya's story, first seen in Heated Rivalry, continues in this long-awaited hockey romance from USA TODAY bestselling author Rachel Reid.To the world they are rivals, but to each other they are everything.Ten years.That's how long Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov have been seeing each other. How long they've been keeping their relationship a secret. From friends, from family...from the league. If Shane wants to stay at the top of his game, what he and Ilya share has to remain secret. He loves Ilya, but what if going public ruins everything?Ilya is sick of secrets. Shane has gotten so good at hiding his feelings, sometimes Ilya questions if they even exist. The closeness, the intimacy, even the risk that would come with being open about their relationship...Ilya wants it all.It's time for them to decide what's most important--hockey or love.It's time to make a call.Need more Reid? Don't miss The Shots You Take--a sweet and sexy hockey romance about two ex-best friends with benefits who are about to discover whether you can ever really have a second chance. Available now!Game Changers Book 1: Game Changer Book 2: Heated Rivalry Book 3: Tough Guy Book 4: Common Goal Book 5: Role Model Book 6: The Long Game
Becoming Ted
A Man Called Ove meets "Ru Paul's Drag Race" in this vibrant, joyful, universally relatable story about kindness, self-acceptance, and blooming at any age from the acclaimed author of the LibraryReads and Indie Next Pick, The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle. If Ted Ainsworth were to compare himself to one of the ice cream flavors made by his family's company, famous throughout his sleepy Lancashire hometown, it might be vanilla--sweet, inoffensive, and pleasantly predictable. At forty-three, Ted is convinced there's nothing remotely remarkable about him, except perhaps his luck in having landed handsome, charismatic Giles as a husband. Then Giles suddenly leaves him for another man, filling his social media feed with posts about #newlove and adventure. And Ted, who has spent nearly twenty years living with, and often for, another person, must reimagine the future he has happily taken for granted. But perhaps there is another Ted slowly blossoming now that he's no longer in Giles's shadow--funny, sassy, more uninhibited. Someone willing to take chances on new friendships, and even new love. Someone who's been waiting in the wings too long, but who's about to dust off a long-ago secret dream and overturn everyone's expectations of him--especially his own. . .
The Many Mistakes of Zoey Andrews
Zoey Andrews has always wanted what she couldn't have. For years, she's loved a woman who never noticed her-now that woman's fallen for someone she hates.Beth Harden is a musician stuck in a rut. Delivering pizza by day and playing crowded dive bars by night, she's starting to wonder if this is all life has to offer. After returning home from Vancouver several years ago in a cloud of shame is she finally ready to feel something - purpose, redemption, maybe even love?When a chance encounter ignites a spark, both women are forced to confront the lives they've built and the loves they've lost. Can Beth break free from her self-doubt? And can Zoey finally open her heart to someone new-or will she sabotage herself all over again?The Many Mistakes of Zoey Andrews is a raw, and heartfelt exploration of sapphic love, own second chances, regret, and the messy, beautiful struggle to start over.This book follows on from the Many Mistakes of Amy Love, but can be read as a standalone romance.
Unconditional and other stories
A collection of short stories describing poignant moments: A divorced father synchronises dreams with his daughter. A newly divorced father, travelling on business, misses his childrenGrandparents accept their gay grandson and his partner. A sophisticated Venetian lady overcomes her views to play a pivotal role in a same-sex wedding because "our family does not put terms and conditions on love." Other stories feature friends, families, gay families, father-children love, memories, and change.Parents accept a child born with issues.A child finds out what caused his disabilityMemories of challenging daysThe second edition features more stories, including some inspired by real-life events. The collection ends with three short essays on topics significant to the author."Very interesting stories with a lot of poignant moments." M.R.
The Least of These
When survival is the only rule, Grace can still break through!Sam Izbicki entered the world fragile and unwanted, the third child of seven in a family where survival meant silence and fear was the common language. His father-a hardened Marine-ruled with a strap in one hand and a bottle in the other, while his mother, weary and overworked, offered only scraps of comfort. In the shadows of that house, Sam learned early to run, to hide, and to question if he was worth loving at all.As he grew, Sam discovered that the battles inside his home mirror the battles inside his heart. School offered both refuge and torment. Church promised holiness but often delivered betrayal. Yet even in the darkest corners, moments of kindness and loyalty flickered-siblings who shielded him, teachers who noticed, and a God he wasn't sure he could trust.The Least of These is more than a coming-of-age story. It is a haunting portrait of a childhood fractured by violence and shame, and a powerful exploration of identity, family, and faith. Told with piercing honesty and unexpected beauty, Sam's journey asks the questions we all carry: Can the past ever be escaped? Can love truly heal the deepest wounds? And is grace strong enough to reach even the least of these?Readers will be drawn into a story that is both heartbreaking and hopeful-one that lingers long after the final page.
Lost in the '80s
Liam Parry has always been good at hiding. Growing up in a cramped Rochdale terrace in the 1980s, he learns early that survival means keeping your head down-at home, at school, and in a world that doesn't want boys like him to dream too big. When he escapes to Manchester University, the city offers a taste of freedom, but also new dangers: the risk of being found out, of wanting too much, of loving the wrong person.As Liam navigates Thatcher's Britain-family expectations, class divides, the shadow of the miners' strike, and the looming threat of AIDS-his greatest battle is with himself. Haunted by shame and longing, he must decide whether to keep living in the margins or risk everything for a life that's truly his. Every choice is a test: between safety and honesty, between the comfort of invisibility and the terrifying possibility of being seen.But Liam's journey is shaped as much by those around him as by his own fears. His relationships-with his fiercely loyal sister, with friends who challenge and support him, and with the men he dares to love-become both lifeline and crucible. First love brings both joy and heartbreak, and the bonds of family and friendship are tested as Liam learns that to be truly known is both the greatest risk and the greatest reward.TeaserHow do you learn to stop running from yourself? When a letter from the past threatens to unravel the fragile life Liam has built, he's forced to confront the secrets he's kept from his family, his friends, and most of all, from himself. In a world that demands he choose-between love and loyalty, between hiding and hope-Liam must find the cour-age to step out of the shadows and claim his own story.Lost in the '80s is a powerful, intimate coming-of-age novel about shame, resilience, and the quiet revolution of learning to live-and love-out loud. Through Liam's journey, it shines a light on the struggles faced by the LGBT community in the past and the hard-won lessons that still resonate today: the importance of visibility, the cost of silence, and the enduring need for acceptance, pride, and solidarity. In a world where many still face prejudice and fear, Liam's story reminds us that the fight to be seen and loved for who we are is as urgent now as ever.
Coltswood
When academician and artist Belinda Coltswood comes face-to-face with a colleague from her younger years, old feelings and painful memories rise to the surface in uncomfortable and potentially transformative ways.Professor Belinda Coltswood has made a name for herself. As the recent winner of a prestigious art prize and the object of lingering rumors that nearly ended her career, Coltswood walks a fine line between celebrity and outcast. Though seemingly immune to both censure and accolades, Coltswood's capacity for cool indifference dissolves in a riptide of memory when she finds herself face-to-face with a woman from her past. A woman she knew only as Wolf. While the Wolf in her office is hardly the same fierce young AIDS activist Coltswood remembers, this meeting has the potential to alter their lives in radical ways.
Galapagos
"V矇lez stuns with her corporeal descriptions and baroque literary allusions. This is a knockout."--Publishers Weekly (starred review)From NYC-based Colombian writer F獺tima V矇lez comes debut novel Galapagos, following a group of bohemian artists who are dying of AIDS as they embark on a surreal final voyage through the Galapagos Islands, their bodies cloaked in the skins of the dead. Lorenzo is a painter who doesn't paint. He spends his days watching Jeanne Moreau films, luxuriating in his partner Juan B's bed, and swapping letters with his lovers. Then, one day, his nail falls off. Then another nail, then all of them. Thus begins a journey of decomposition that carries him from Colombia to Paris, from Paris to the French countryside, and on a final journey to the Gal獺pagos Archipelago. As they cruise the islands on a custom-made ship, Lorenzo and his friends and lovers drink, swap stories, and feast gluttonously, even as their bodies succumb to an unspeakable disease. In this contemporary plague novel, rife with pathos and humor, ailing bodies are torn between desire and decay, lust and friendship, creativity and destruction. V矇lez revolutionizes the novel form, pushing language to its extreme as she tests the limits of how we understand illness, sexuality, the body, and what it means to make art in the face of our own mortality.
The Long Trail Home
William Garrett has spent half his life on the trail, chasing cattle and forgetting the things a man can't afford to remember. When a new rider, Joseph Reid, joins the drive north, William expects trouble - not the quiet steadiness that begins to break through his guard. Across dust and distance, through storms and long nights under the stars, a fragile friendship deepens into something neither of them dares name.In a world that would never understand, love becomes an act of defiance - a flicker of warmth against an endless horizon. From the stockyards of Texas to the promise of open land beyond, The Long Trail Home is a story of endurance, belonging, and the courage it takes to stop running.
The Best of Times
Londoner Aron Wimpole has been taking a bite out of the Big Apple for the last two years. He's enjoyed the taste but when his beloved grandmother, the formidable Beatrice Wimpole, summons him home to help plan her wedding to Professor Higgs, he quickly jumps on a plane for a two-week stay.The pull of home is strong, making Aron wonder if he's really committed to New York...and then Paul Higgs strolls back into his life. Aron can't avoid him-they're co-wedding planners and everything must run like clockwork. And besides, Aron's determined to show Paul what he missed out on when he walked away from him two years ago. All Aron has to do is to keep control of his feelings.One flaw in this plan is that handsome prizewinning photographer Paul seems more than willing to pick up where they left off. But Paul's bravado masks deeper commitment fears. Ones that threaten to ruin both of their lives.But Aron's got to ignore all that and help deliver the wedding to end all weddings.It's going to be a hectic Christmas.Queens Crescent is an exclusive neighbourhood in London. Each home in the Georgian terrace has it's own tale to tell.Meet Formula One driver, Charles Worthington, influencer and movie star's son, Mercury Morrison and wine merchant, Simon Harrington to name a few. Let's not forget Mrs Wimpole and the professor who rule the little cobbled street.
When Silence Shatters
When Silence Shatters is a lyrical and emotionally charged collection of short stories exploring identity, silence, queerness, and resilience across Egypt and the diaspora. Through vivid, intimate moments, Mahmoud reveals the quiet rebellions of women, men, and LGBTQ individuals navigating love, tradition, and survival in societies that often demand silence.Praised by Readers' Favorite as "a beautiful, careful handling of human feeling and story design," the collection brings forward voices long overlooked-stories of tenderness, defiance, and the small, powerful acts that break generational silence. With "every story singing," as Readers' Favorite notes, Mahmoud's writing illuminates the emotional truth in ordinary moments, delivering "tight writing and a gift for subverting reader expectation."Bold, haunting, and deeply human, When Silence Shatters gives readers a window into lives rarely centered yet universally resonant.
It Takes Three To Tango
Lambda Literary Finalist 2025Dance is the language of life-and love-that brings three wounded hearts togetherRafeBarcelona was supposed to be my honeymoon, but I'm here alone with a heart that's forgotten how to dance. Inexplicably drawn to the dimly lit comfort of a tango bar, its compelling owner Constantin, and a passionate young dancer named Florencio. Two men who awaken something within me I never dreamed possible.ConstantinMy late husband Valery and I dreamed big, and we loved even bigger. This bar was his vision, and every night the memories consume me. Until a stranger with heartbreak in his honeyed eyes sits down at a table, and my need to connect becomes overwhelming. What am I thinking? At 42, my one great love has come and gone.FlorencioMy father likes to forget I exist, but now he has a use for me. I've been sent across the sea to Barcelona to suss out what's in my aging aunt's will. When I catch the strains of Argentine tango drifting out of a bar, I'm pulled into familiar territory. A gleaming dance floor, a singer's rich tones, and a beautiful, bookish man who tempts me to ask him to dance.One tumbledown bar. Three hearts in need of repair. One indomitable woman who knows all they need is the language of dance-and a whisper of silk-to find forever.It Takes Three to Tango is book two in the Dance Lovers Collection, a series of standalone books which can be enjoyed in any order. Contains a bi-awakening, age gap, second-chance, forced proximity romance set against the backdrop of Gaudi's Barcelona.​​​​​​​Ideal wine pairing: a dark, passionate red blend.
The Fifth Target
For Detective Carolyn Hall, the rules are simple: trust your partner, follow the evidence. Partnered with well-regarded Robert White, she works the streets of New Honan investigating its darkest corners. But one blood-soaked alley murder changes everything: the key witness is Rachel Fenimore, an ER nurse who called 911, then fled the scene. White recognizes her-she treated him years ago.Rachel denies involvement, then admits she was there, sleepwalking. As Hall investigates, the case spirals into something far stranger. Rachel claims she's on a list, that a killer is systematically targeting medical professionals. When Rachel makes bail, the danger intensifies-and so does Hall's need to protect her.Caught between her loyalty to her partner and her growing connection to a woman who might be guilty, Hall must sort truth from lies, paranoia from reality. Her search for answers takes her into dangerous territory-White's past, Rachel's present, and the blurred line between her badge and her heart.Hall's investigation will force her to betray someone. The only question is who.
Casanova 20
A novel about art, desire, and mortality, Casanova 20: Or, Hot World follows a young man isolated by his extraordinary beauty and his strange friendship with an older painter Cursed by an extreme and unrelenting beauty, Adrian has drawn the frenzied attention of adoring strangers since childhood. As a twenty-nine-year-old in New York City, he spends his days drifting between affairs with women (and occasionally men) who provide him with everything he needs, from spending money to luxurious vacations to even, once, a mini yacht. With this generosity comes a dangerous possessiveness that often puts him at risk of much worse than heartbreak. But as people begin removing their masks in the spring of 2021, Adrian's aimless sexual availability is interrupted by a shocking discovery: He is no longer beautiful. Across the country, Adrian's best friend and companion, Mark, a world-famous painter, has returned to the family home in rural Northern California. He's faced with his own horrible revelation: He's dying from the same mysterious disease that will soon take his mother and sister. Despite the depth of their platonic romance, neither man reveals his fate to the other. Feeling as if he's disappearing from sight, Adrian searches for answers among his thousands of lovers. In a race against his failing body, Mark becomes obsessed with watching fifty-two VHS tapes of unknown origin, left to him by his sister, before it's too late. "An astounding writer, seemingly unconstrained by taboos and waist-deep down in the maw of life" (Torrey Peters), Davey Davis presents a modern-day Casanova figure grappling with what it means to find true intimacy when his very existence means constant exposure to the world's violent desire.
Ballad of the Wayward Child
Come Over HereIn the opening tale to Keven Renken's novel in stories, BALLAD OF THE WAYWARD CHILD, six-year-old Ike wanders off his grandmother's porch in search of adventure, but steps into something horrible. In each subsequent story, Ike is a year older and more aware of the role fear plays in his young life. Along the way, however, he also finds unexpected moments of bravery, encountering a colorful cast of characters who accompany him on his way toward adulthood. As he grows, Ike's early trauma lurks in the background like a shadow, waiting to make its presence felt time and again. But each time, the boy, now becoming a man, finds a way, through sorrow and joy, through triumphs and failures, to live his life as best he can. He finds a way to live.
Mercury Rising
The son of a famous movie star, Mercury Morrison is used to all eyes being on him. So of course he's grown up to be one of London's premier influencers, with followers across the globe.But when Mercury finds himself on the wrong side of the law after a run-in with a paranoid concept artist at the Tate Modern, it all comes crashing down. The worst bit is, he's innocent! Advised to plead guilty, he dutifully arrives for his first day of community service at a youth project in South London...and walks slap-bang into his new boss, the handsome Nick Campbell.The attraction between them is instant and electric. Romance may be on the cards but this summer is going to shake Mercury's whole view on life to its foundations. Can Mercury take the huge leap of faith needed to make his dreams come true, and, if he dares, will Nick be there to catch him?Queens Crescent is an exclusive neighbourhood in London. Each home in the Georgian terrace has it's own tale to tell.Meet Formula One driver, Charles Worthington, PR guru Nihal Varma and wine merchant, Simon Harrington to name a few. Let's not forget Mrs Wimpole and the professor who rule the little cobbled street.
The Good Neighbour
Josh Winterton is broken after his husband walked out on him six weeks ago. He has lost sight of everything. His fashion design business. His friends. His life.That is until a handsome stranger begs him for help.Hugh is a drag queen who's having a rocky time of it. After humiliation on national television, he's come to lick his wounds whilst housesitting for a friend. Next door.Sparks might fly from the outset, but can Josh overcome his past to grab a future for himself before it's too late?Queens Crescent is an exclusive neighbourhood in London. Each home in the Georgian terrace has it's own tale to tell.Meet Formula One driver, Charles Worthington, influencer and movie star's son, Mercury Morrison and wine merchant, Simon Harrington to name a few. Let's not forget Mrs Wimpole and the professor who rule the little cobbled street.
Shadow of the Father
Yilon is a young fox noble who's just come of age, in the city of Divalia, capital of Tephos. But apart from his best friend and sometime lover Sinch, he doesn't like much about living there. He only met his father, Volle, two years ago, when he left his mother and the city where he grew up. He would give anything to be allowed to leave Divalia. Or so he thinks. When a stranger arrives with a message that the Lord of Dewanne has died and appointed Yilon his heir, the young fox realizes that there are worse places than Divalia. Dewanne is one of the most remote cities in Tephos, where foxes rule, and mice are relegated to menial jobs and a slum outside the main city. Which makes it difficult for Yilon to explain why his companion is a mouse.Ever the schemer, Yilon hatches a plan to get sent home, but soon finds that even in a backwards town, there are complicated politics, ancient blood feuds, and family betrayals, old wounds that his clumsy steps have reopened. There are at least two different groups trying to kill him, and the foxes who might help him are the very ones he's done his best to alienate. Without Sinch, who's run afoul of a band of thieves in the slums and has his own death threats to deal with, Yilon will need all the stubbornness and cleverness he's inherited from his father just to survive to the next sunrise, let alone save his inheritance, his friend, and his own hide.
Prisoner's Release and Other Stories
This collection brings together "The Prisoner's Release," the acclaimed two-part story first published in Heat #1 and #2, , along with three entirely new tales of Argaea. These stories expand upon the lives, loves, and legacies of the characters introduced in Volle, exploring new corners of a realm where desire, duty, and destiny intertwine.Inside the Cage - Jonas, a young cougar trapped in a life of prostitution at the Jackal's Staff brothel. Betrayed and penniless, he seizes a chance to escape with a charming fox merchant, only to find himself drawn into a dangerous web of lies, exploitation, and forbidden desire. When passion turns to violence and survival forces impossible choices, Jonas must rebuild his life, rediscover his worth, and fight for love in a world that profits from his body but underestimates his heart.The Prisoner's Release - Five years after Volle and a year before Pendant of Fortune, the fox spy Volle languishes in prison, accused of stealing war plans. When a young wolf guard named Streak is ordered to break him, an unexpected bond forms instead. As friendship deepens into love, the two risk everything to defy their captors and escape the web of manipulation spun around them.Home Again - After escaping imprisonment in Tephos, Volle and his lover Streak reach the capital of Ferrenis, where old allies and new intrigues await. Summoned before Captain Avery, Volle learns the war plans he risked everything to steal may have been a trap all along. Offered a quiet farm and a chance to leave the world of spies behind, Volle must decide whether peace, and love with Streak, can truly replace the life he once knew.For Love or Family - A few years after Inside the Cage, young wolf Cef, son of the powerful Minister of Defense, is tricked into visiting the Jackal's Staff brothel-where he meets Richy, a charming wolf prostitute who captures his heart. Torn between duty to his noble family and a forbidden love, Cef risks everything to buy Richy's freedom. But when betrayal and blackmail expose their secret, Cef must choose between the life he was born to and the one he truly wants.
Red Devil
When Alexei seeks the help of a ghost to deal with a swaggering bully, he gets the strength and confidence he hopes for. If in the process he hurt his best friend Sol, well, he can make it up to the wolf later. Things get worse when the ghost, an old Siberian soldier, demands that Alexei give up his gay life, which Alexei fled his home country for. The young fox is resolved to send the ghost away - until his sister, left behind with their abusive parents, falls into mortal danger from which only the ghost can save her. Now Alexei must choose between living the life he risked everything to have and rescue his beloved Caterina from death...or worse.
The Case of the Dead Man's Ring
When Proctor Gamble loses everything, the last thing he expects to find is a reason to stay.World-famous swimsuit model Proctor Gamble thought his biggest problem was tan lines-until his shady business manager vanishes with his fortune, leaving him broke and stuck with a handful of failing investments. One of them? A barely functioning private detective agency run by Blair Huntingdon, a smooth-talking, vintage-obsessed investigator with a thing for solving mysteries-and pushing Proctor's buttons.Proctor wants to liquidate. Blair has other ideas-and he's not above using a mix of charm, sass, and a few well-placed slaps (and more) to change his new boss's mind.Just when Proctor thinks he's done with the agency-and maybe Blair too-they stumble onto a corpse, a strange ring, and a trail that leads to a long-lost collection of paintings by a brilliant artist persecuted during World War II for being unapologetically gay.As secrets unravel and danger closes in, Proctor and Blair are forced to rely on each other to survive. But with everything on the line-including the truth, the art, and their lives-will these two wildly different men find a way to protect what matters most?Steamy, sharp, and full of unexpected heart, this queer mystery-romance is a wild ride through lust, lies, and the art of falling in love.
After All
What happens in Vegas might just save their marriage.Maggie and Gwen Pierce aren't divorced, not technically. They're just on pause. Separate bedrooms, strained silences, and young kids who accept vague answers as fact. It's easier than admitting their marriage is over.Except, Maggie hasn't told her best friends.When the group heads to Vegas for Pete and Danica's bachelorette party, their friends are so excited to invite Gwen for the first time, thinking Maggie and Gwen are the happily married couple of the bunch. So, to keep the peace, they decide to fake it. A smile here, a kiss on the cheek there. Just until the weekend is over.Of course, Vegas has its own ideas. Now, Maggie and Gwen have to decide if their story is over or if it is just getting good again.After All is a second-chance sapphic rom-com packed with fake dating, marriage-on-pause angst, and the kind of meddling friends who make sure you never face heartbreak or hope alone.
Let It Breathe
Simon Harrington has two great loves, the first being his son, Luca, and the second, wine. As a premier importer, Simon has built a business that allows him to live on Queens Crescent, one of London's most exclusive addresses. Yet that life is under threat-one of Simon's main clients has gone bust.When Simon's ex-wife nags him to find a man and stop hiding behind their son, Simon feels change is in the air. And when he meets Rodrigo Costa at a party, everything turns upside down. This man is the most gorgeous hunk Simon has ever laid eyes on. Even better, it appears nightclub owner Rodrigo could be the answer to Simon's business woes.The chemistry between them is off the scale from the first moment they meet. However, Simon soon discovers Rodrigo is running from his own demons. Simon will have to let his guard down completely to find the happiness he craves. Is he brave enough to do that?Queens Crescent is an exclusive neighbourhood in London. Each home in the Georgian terrace has it's own tale to tell.Meet Formula One driver, Charles Worthington, influencer and movie star's son, Mercury Morrison and minor royal, Alexander Fitzwilliam to name a few. Let's not forget Mrs Wimpole and the professor who rule the little cobbled street.
Once Upon a Time in December
One disastrous Christmas proposal. One whimsical British violinist. One year that changes everything-including who you thought you were.Whitley Dupont has always followed the plan: build a thriving career in finance, marry the perfect man, and never, ever veer off course. But when her carefully constructed life implodes in front of a hundred horrified party guests at her family's Christmas gala, she's left wondering what-if anything-was ever real.Enter Layla Simmons: a free-spirited violinist with a classical-pop sound, a spark in her eyes, and a talent for making chaos feel like a second chance. Their first meeting is accidental. Their second, serendipitous. And by the third... Whitley starts to feel something she never expected-something that doesn't fit into any plan she's ever made.As late-night phone calls turn into something deeper, and Whitley begins to question more than just her love life, she's forced to confront the truth: love doesn't always look the way you imagined-and neither does who you are.From bustling boardrooms to cosy concert venues, and from awkward family dinners to moments of quiet, vulnerable joy, this is the story of two women finding each other-and themselves-in the most unexpected season of life.A sparkling sapphic romance about second chances, sexual awakening, and the beautiful, messy surprise of falling for the person who sees you most clearly.
Unapologetically Her
'Unapologetically Her is not your typical love story...it is a story of love, tenacity, struggle, conflict, dejection and so much more. Set in current day, small town India it traces the life and love of two very ordinary young women who are very different and yet so much alike and are drawn together in their journey from self-discovery to coming out as lesbians. The journey is filled with pain, rejection, self doubt, religious bias, ridicule and social ostracism.And of course there is society. The "what will people say?" angle that every middle class Indian family and individual is so concerned about and the fear to be who they are and reveal their true self that is part and parcel of this fear. It is this fear coupled with the need to conform and fit in that drives a wedge in their relationship. And then there arises the question of whether each one of them is prepared to go down that journey and be who she truly is...unapologetically her. Don't put this down if you want to find out!
The Road To Pienza
The action-packed sequel to the best-selling thriller, The Road to MontepulcianoOn the night of the ninth of June 1944, four days after the Allied liberation of Rome, four nuns are murdered in a railway carriage at the Vatican City railway station.Sixteen years later, returning to Tuscany after a gruelling book signing tour of Australia, Damson O'Reilly finds his partner, Giancarlo (no longer a detective but now a well-known and successful lawyer) engrossed in a slander case between Italy's screen heartthrob, Mario Celestino, and a high-profile, fascist industrialist, Giovanni Scavola.The case uncovers buried secrets, secrets that bring to light the involvement of both men in the WW2 crime and which lead to kidnapping, torture and murder, culminating in a dramatic, bloody outcome that will rock the Italian nation to its core.
Jesse's Smile
When it comes to love - what is really important?Neurodiverse Jesse loves pop culture and the animals he cares for in the store. Drew is a high school teacher who has written a book on American poetry and loves Shakespeare and has a history of making bad relationship choices.How can their relationship survive when everyone around them constantly reminds them of the differences separating them?When one of Drew's bad choices from the past shows up, it sets in motion a confusing and heartbreaking chain of events that tests their relationship. How can Drew and Jesse prove to their friends and family that what brings them together is stronger than what sets them apart? Can they demonstrate that sometimes, when it comes to love, the most important thing in the world is a smile?Jesse's Smile is a standalone MM romance featuring a slight age gap, hurt/comfort, opposites who attract, and a very sweet young man finding love in a world that doesn't consider him worthy of it.
Reality Royal
The Honourable Alexander Fitzwilliam has made a fool of himself again. His latest 'business venture' has tanked in the most public way possible and his stepmother, Cynthia, takes great pleasure in Alexander failing once more to impress his father, Earl Fitzwilliam.Alexander dusts himself off and finds a new mountain to climb. This time as a reality TV star. Take that, Cynthia.As one of the players in Celebrity Blogger, he's paired with the star of daytime TV soap Highland Fling, Zac Caton. To Alexander's amazement, the self-assured forty-something Zac smashes straight through Alexander's public fa癟ade and finds the sensitive man underneath. Finds and likes.With a new career and a potential new man, Alexander is flying high. But family secrets on both sides threaten to derail him and Zac before they've barely started.If he wants to find a lasting love, Alexander will have to do something he doesn't do easily-trust.Queens Crescent is an exclusive neighbourhood in London. Each home in the Georgian terrace has it's own tale to tell.Meet Formula One driver, Charles Worthington, influencer and movie star's son, Mercury Morrison and wine merchant, Simon Harrington to name a few. Let's not forget Mrs Wimpole and the professor who rule the little cobbled street.
Weight of Witness
The Weight of WitnessBook Two of The Unburdened Seriesby J.R. Gray-HeimIn the haunting aftermath of silence and survival, Van Shelton finds himself standing at the crossroads of faith, identity, and truth. The boy who once carried the burden of other people's beliefs is now a young man learning what it means to carry his own.Set against the same small-town South that hummed with whispered hymns and quiet rebellion, The Weight of Witnessexplores what happens when the cost of honesty collides with the comfort of belonging. As Van steps beyond the shadows of the church that raised him, he must face the echoes of those who still believe they can save him-and the ache of those who love him anyway.Torn between forgiveness and freedom, Van's journey becomes one of reckoning: a tender, defiant exploration of what it means to be seen, to be known, and to be whole. His story unfolds in lyrical prose and unflinching emotional clarity, capturing the beauty and brutality of becoming.With unforgettable characters and a deeply Southern sense of place, The Weight of Witness continues J.R. Gray-Heim's evocative exploration of faith, identity, and the quiet courage it takes to stand in one's truth.Poetic, raw, and profoundly human, this second installment in The Unburdened Series invites readers to confront the sacred and the shameful, the burden and the blessing-and to witness the fragile grace of a soul learning how to breathe again.
Inheritance of the Unburdened
Inheritance of the UnburdenedBook Three of The Unburdened Seriesby J.R. Gray-HeimIn the quiet aftermath of revelation, Van Shelton has learned that truth can be both a weapon and a mercy. But when the echoes of the past refuse to stay buried, he must confront not only the faith that shaped him - but the family that still clings to its ghosts.Set in the deep South where silence has always spoken louder than confession, Inheritance of the Unburdenedunravels the legacies we inherit and the courage it takes to rewrite them. As Van returns home, grief, memory, and forgiveness intertwine, forcing him to face the people and places that once defined him - and to decide which parts of his story are still his to carry.Between church pews still heavy with whispered judgment and the fragile tenderness of new love, Van discovers that healing isn't forgetting - it's remembering differently. What follows is a journey of reclamation and release, where love becomes the rebellion that outlasts shame.With lyrical prose, haunting atmosphere, and unflinching emotional honesty, J.R. Gray-Heim concludes The Unburdened Series with a portrait of survival that is as raw as it is redemptive.Inheritance of the Unburdened is a story of what remains after the hymns fade - a meditation on grace, grief, and the holy work of becoming whole.
Something Like Autumn
For some, a romantic relationship seems like an impossible dream.Growing up as a gay teenager in small-town Missouri, Jace Holden is convinced he'll die single and alone. When he meets Victor-a wild spirit and fellow outsider-his chances of finding love go from hopeless to a very uncertain maybe. Bracing his heart, Jace chases after his desire anyway, all in the hope of making his biggest dream come true.Something Like Autumn reveals the story of Jace's life before the events of Something Like Summer while also revisiting his endearing relationship with Benjamin Bentley.Each Something Like... book follows a different LGBTQ character on their quest for love. Central to the plot is the troubled relationship between Ben and Tim, high school sweethearts who continue to meet at different stages of their lives, their chemistry changing with each encounter. Surrounding them are a wealth of friends and enemies, each with their own story, resulting in an immersive universe filled with optimism and hope, heartbreak and healing. While the series doesn't shy away from sexual content, it also focuses deeply on emotion, resulting in an experience that will stay with you long after the final page is turned.The Something Like... series: 01: Something Like Summer02: Something Like Autumn03: Something Like Winter04: Something Like Spring05: Something Like Lightning06: Something Like Thunder07: Something Like Stories - Volume One08: Something Like Hail09: Something Like Rain10: Something Like Stories - Volume Two11: Something Like Forever12: Something Like Stories - Volume Three
Rumpelstilzchen
Rumpelstilzchen, ruthless enforcer for the Queen and powerful shadow geist, is missing an important part of himself-his Heart.Enslaved by the evil Queen through black magick, Rumpelstilzchen's only shot at freedom is to find his Heart-and claim it. What he doesn't expect is for it to beat inside the beguiling son of a miller.Boy is imprisoned in the palace cells for his family's failure to pay the royal tithe, and unless he can deliver on his father's impossible promise and spin a sack of straw into gold, he will die at sunrise. Awaiting his fate, Boy thought his biggest problem would be the Queen coming after his head, but when her Shadow comes for his heart instead, he finds himself caught in a lethal attraction.Having expected to simply carve his Heart from the prisoner's chest, Rumpelstilzchen's plans are thwarted when his shadow magick wraps protectively around the sun-kissed skin of the beautiful young man.Can Rumpelstilzchen find a way to break free of the black magick, claim his Heart, and keep his precious human alive?
Dayspring
NATIONAL BESTSELLER - WINNER OF THE 2024 DAYNE OGILVIE PRIZE FOR LGBTQ2S+ EMERGING WRITERS - One of Indigo's Top 10 Literary Fiction Books of 2024 and Top 100 Books of 2024 - One of CBC's Best Canadian Fiction of 2024 A singular, stunning debut that transcends and transfigures genre--at once a bold retelling of biblical tales and an unforgettable contemporary coming-of-age story, connected in collapsing time across millennia. There are few love stories in the holy books. Love is what ruins. Love is what costs. Love is a flaming sword at our backs, a garden left to ruin and to wild. In Dayspring, Anthony Oliveira brings to vibrant, glorious life the gospel according to the disciple Christ loved--his companion in the days before the crucifixion, the only instrument that remembers with fidelity his sound. Sacred, profane, and rich with explicit desire and a poetic attention to form, Dayspring weaves electric and heart-wrenching stories of passion, grief, destruction, and survival into a narrative unmoored in space and time, one that re-examines and re-frames great and doomed figures from scripture and history, even as it casts its keen eye on the trials of modern life. Seamlessly blending fiction, memoir, and verse in the exhilarating tradition of Anne Carson and Madeline Miller, Dayspring is an immersive, mesmerizing work, one that wrenches beauty from cataclysm and finds bliss in apocalypse.
Burden Beneath The Hymns
Burdens Beneath the HymnsIn the deep South, where pews creak beneath Sunday best and voices rise in polished harmony, fifteen-year-old Donovan "Van" Shelton struggles to keep his own voice from breaking under the weight of expectation.At church, he's the pastor's friend, the quiet boy in the back row expected to nod, smile, and fit neatly into the role his family and community have chosen for him. On the field, he's pushed toward grit and glory, his father barking from the sidelines, desperate for a son who looks the part of a man. And at home, Van learns that appearances often matter more than happiness.But life begins to shift when Van discovers an unexpected gift: a voice strong enough to carry across rafters and silence a congregation. Choir rehearsals become both an escape and a revelation, even as the spotlight brings new eyes-and new pressures. His best friend, Jeremiah, the pastor's son, is pulled into a whirlwind of expectations and the suffocating orbit of Daphne, the girl the church has already chosen for him.And then there's Colby-loyal, steady, athletic Colby-whose quiet encouragement becomes something Van doesn't yet have words for. Something that feels both dangerous and necessary.Set against hymns, sermons, soccer fields, and whispered gossip in fellowship halls, Burdens Beneath the Hymns is a tender, layered coming-of-age story about faith, family, friendship, and the fragile line between who we're told to be and who we might actually become.
Haunt Me, Then
Caught in a sudden Montana blizzard, Lockwood Linden takes refuge at his cousin Heath's ranch, a decaying house with walls of rot and silence, land that stretches for miles. But safety is an illusion.From the dead orchard, a figure charges toward him-shifting into a monstrous dog before Heath drags Lockwood inside and bolts the door. And upstairs, in a room meant for rest, something begins to knock on the glass: a boy with yellow eyes, staring in from the storm.Now Lockwood must uncover the truth about his cousin's home and the unspeakable secret Heath has unleashed.Can Lockwood escape the secret festering inside Heath's walls, or will the blizzard claim more than just his body?
The Shadow Prince's Ruin
"Give me your shadow, and my body is yours."An elven prince shouldn't be working at Best Burgers Bonanza. Yet here I am, banished to the human realm for a lifetime of toil and misery. I guess that's what I get for being a traitor and the shortest elf at the Nocturne Court, with a shadow no darker than a tea stain.I'm stuck with no scheme up my sleeve when destiny brings me face to face with the answer to all my troubles.Hawk. A dangerous human on the run from prison, so tall my neck hurts when I meet his gaze. His shadow is dark as death and it will be mine if only I can force him to marry me.What I don't expect though is the price for his exquisite power.He wants my body.I've never been an object of anyone's desire, but I will do whatever it takes to make him my Dark Companion.When our illicit deal shatters the ice around my heart, keeping Hawk at arm's length becomes impossible.Our bond is supposed to be one of convenience. He's crude, violent, reckless, and wants to devour me in the filthiest ways. He's everything I shouldn't want.I chose him to be my salvation, but he might just prove to be my downfall.◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆"The Shadow Prince's Ruin" is a standalone, scorching hot, dark M/M fantasy romance filled with dark humor, but also violence, peril, jealousy, and angst.The book is a darkly romantic escape into the shadows where love and destiny collide. Find out if the beast of a human can melt the ice prince's heart.Themes: ugly duckling, marriage of convenience, illicit pact, size difference, dark humor, obsessive hero, isekai, fantasy world, elven prince, family trauma, shadow magic, monsters and fantastical creatures, fish-out-of-water, secrets, portal fantasy, forced proximity, road tripLength: 130,000 words (Standalone)
Yogurt
In 52 short stories, Jan Ranft takes you on an emotional journey through the queer worlds of Germany and the U.S.These tales explore gay men's experiences with love, loss, friendship, and the search for happiness-sometimes tender, sometimes raw, and always deeply human. From moments of humor to heartbreak, erotic passion to quiet romance, each story offers a unique glimpse into the joys and struggles of connection. With unvarnished honesty and relatable depth, his collection captures the many facets of gay men's lives and loves.Look forward to a laid-back bumper car boy, gay werewolves, a desperate mother, a fairy godmother, the crazy king of plush toys, and a seemingly lost future.Jan Ranft lives and works in Saarbr羹cken, Germany. He has published over a hundred short stories so far.
Shattered
What is a legacy?Is it something inherited or something created?Shattered explores legacy in the shadow of racism and homophobia in the American South, genetic illness, and family secrets. Gordan and Charlotte inherit only questions when their father dies.Shattered is their quest for answers and absolution.
The Consort Of Ryl
Corelle's story is not over, but she cannot rest until vengeance is claimed. Before she can do so, other matters threaten to disrupt her plans.Concerned by the effects of her numerous head injuries, Corelle seeks help. She sails to Ort, where she hears rumours of impending danger to some friends. She heads east to Steinlund to warn them, a further distraction in her quest to bring the cycle of revenge to an end.The final link in the chain of the Guild's impact on her life lies far to the north. Someone is owed justice, but a favour is called in, and more bodies lie in her wake before she sets sail. In the vast northern city of Argoya, a chance meeting brings an unexpected involvement with the rulers of a strange land. The fates written for her lead to choices she could never have anticipated and hint at some inner peace at last.Following the events of The Mariner Of Ryl, The Consort Of Ryl, a sapphic fantasy adventure, brings Corelle's journey to an end.Content advisory - Violence, mild sex, surgical procedure, drug use, drug dealing, graphic, horror-like nightmares
Hinterland
Kestrel awakes in the woods without a real name or his memories. Before him are twelve strangers, an altar on fire, and bones hanging from the trees like wind chimes. He's to be initiated into their group so they may fulfill their purpose: head to the mountain of the so-called gods, have a feast, and bring about the end of the world. Kestrel is willing to risk it all to escape, but without any memories, he knows he must play along until he finds a way out. It won't be easy. Winter is on their heels, hunters are searching for them, and the strange rituals they perform will rip his humanity from his flesh. But Kestrel isn't alone. One of the strangers claims to be his friend from before, and there are others willing to join his side and leave the wilderness...if the gods let them.
The Price of Salt (Warbler Classics Annotated Edition)
Patricia Highsmith published The Price of Salt in 1952 under a pseudonym. At a time when love between women was either hidden or portrayed as shameful or doomed, Highsmith dared to imagine another scenario. The Price of Salt-now a major film, Carol, starring Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara-tells the story of Therese, a young woman starting out in New York City, and Carol, a suburban wife facing divorce, whose chance meeting sparks an unexpected and life-changing connection. With extraordinary acuity and burning tenderness, Highsmith depicts the evolution of their relationship in powerfully resonant terms.Highsmith, rightly famous for psychological thrillers including Strangers on a Train and The Talented Mr. Ripley, here focuses her singular powers of observation on the nature of desire, intimacy, and freedom. The Price of Salt, one of the great novels of the twentieth-century, is a deeply moving love story and a gripping work of art that dramatizes an ethical path toward human happiness. This Warbler Classics edition includes a new introduction by pathbreaking literary scholar Catharine R. Stimpson.
Eyes of Water & Stone
Eyes of Water & Stone chronicles the relationship between two black men, a Cuban and a Californian, across a blockade. How will they navigate the cultural and economic gaps that separate them? Where are the borderlines between desire and sensibility, help and exploration? Eyes of Water & Stone is a compelling read for anyone interested in the ongoing dramatic relationship between the United States and Cuba; it is a draw for readers who believe that love need not be confined by national boundaries. It challenges us to consider how love is expressed and interpreted.
The Inverted Pyramid
A hidden masterpiece returns: The Inverted Pyramid grips the heart and the conscience from its very first line. Bertrand W. Sinclair s The Inverted Pyramid is an evocative, character-driven narrative of early 20th-century fiction that slices through the comforts of society to expose a tense moral core. Set against a vividly realized historical backdrop, this social commentary novel follows flawed, unforgettable characters whose choices illuminate timeless themes of ambition, loyalty, and the cost of progress. Sinclair s keen eye for societal detail transforms personal drama into a broader societal critique, making this work as relevant to readers today as when it first appeared. This Alpha Editions release restores a rare work by a significant Canadian author out of print for decades and lovingly republished for today s and future generations. More than a reprint, this edition is a collector s item and a cultural treasure: carefully edited, historically annotated, and presented for modern readers and classic literature collectors alike. Whether you seek a compelling social commentary novel, wish to explore historical fiction with depth, or pursue literary analysis of early 20th-century fiction, this restored volume delivers. Drawn from the Gutenberg Project s archival text and enhanced for readability and preservation, this edition of The Inverted Pyramid invites both casual readers and scholars into a haunting, humane story that rewards reflection. Rediscover Bertrand W. Sinclair where timeless themes meet incisive societal critique.
Rebels & Rainbows
Rebels & Rainbows is a collection of speculative fiction tales which celebrates the amazing and diverse Australasian LGBTIQA+ community. From old ghosts to bartenders to androids, from small outback towns to realms of fantasy to the far future, this anthology has it all!Authors include Eugen Bacon, Rowan Dale, Matthew R. Davis, Aaron Dries, A. Henderson, Frank Lee Howe, C.H. Pearce, Leanbh Pearson, Kell Shaw, J.M. Voss and Kaaron Warren.
