Gay Romance Report April 14, 2023

FEATURED NEW RELEASE, Multiple Retailers

Apidae, by Xenia Melzer

No good deed—or good record of solving crimes—goes unpunished.

Detectives Andi Hayes and George Donovan of the Charleston PD are on vacation. Or at least they are until they are called back for an emergency: find Chief Norris’s missing son.

Fortunately, Andi’s insect spies lead him right to little Tyler Norris, who is safe and sound.

Unfortunately, along with the chief’s son, they find twenty-five corpses, victims of a serial killer who’s gone unnoticed for over a decade.

Chief Norris promptly cancels Andi and George’s vacation and assigns them as lead detectives on the case. Physical evidence leads them to a mental health facility where some of the victims received treatment, but Andi’s gift—his usual secret weapon—fails him. Promising leads and shady suspects all turn out to be dead ends, and they’re running out of time. Because the killer isn’t going to stop at twenty-five victims—and Tyler Norris has just gone missing again….

NEW RELEASE, Kindle Unlimited

Silence of the Moon, by S.A. Pavlik

A werewolf in mourning.

Alec Channing has been through enough trauma to bring any ordinary person to their knees, but recent events might be the final straw that breaks him. Especially when he discovers he’s lost not just the only constant in his life but something far greater. Meanwhile, a sinister plot is brewing that threatens not only him but the entire preternatural world. But he isn’t alone. Can the man he may be ready to love help him pick up the pieces in time?

A homicide detective with more questions than answers.

Detective Damien O’Connor of the Columbus Police Department has seen things his colleagues could only imagine. He’s directly responsible for the loss that sends his werewolf lover hurtling toward the breaking point. While the man he’s come to love is suffering, a new case lands in his lap that leaves him questioning everything and losing more than he’d bargained for. But sometimes moving forward means stepping back and letting others shoulder the burden for a while. Can he and his team solve the case before he finds himself without a home to return to?

Silence of the Moon is Book Two of the Secrets of the Moon trilogy, an 112k-word M/M, paranormal crime/mystery romance, with a solid HFN ending.

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Love You So Sweetly, by Tara Lain

Can he read his future in a glass of sweet tea?

Remy’s a sophisticated LA billionaire.
Harper’s a rural Arkansas, small town boy.
Remy’s rich.
Harper’s poor.
Remy has a girlfriend.
Harper has a boyfriend.
Harper’s gay.
So’s Remy, he just doesn’t know it yet.

In a desperate effort to save Remy’s family business, the two join forces, but before they can forge a future—they have to let go of the past.

LOVE YOU SO SWEETLY is an opposites attract, rich boy/poor boy, small town power, MM romance.

NEW RELEASE – Ebook and Audio, Multiple Retailers

Professor Platonic, by Lucy Lennox

I’ve had a very bad day and could really use a hug. Male ISO male for platonic but affectionate sleepover. No nookie or commitments. I don’t want to talk about it, just hold me all night and tell me it’s going to be okay.

When my grad school application to join the Raintree Arctic Expedition gets unexpectedly denied, I know exactly who to blame. Professor River Henry has always had it out for me. For some reason, he holds me to a higher standard than everyone else in the evolutionary biology department which means he probably failed to recommend me for the research expedition and he’s most likely going to give my final exam a big, fat F.

All I want to do is drown my sorrows in some platonic cuddles and pretend I haven’t hit rock bottom before my scientific career has even had a chance to get off the ground.

But when Professor Henry is the one standing on the other side of the hotel room door in response to my add for comfort, I suddenly realize with breath-stealing horror, just how far I have left to fall.

Professor Platonic first appeared in the Nightingale Charity Anthology.

NEW RELEASE, Kindle Unlimited

Of Love and Shadows, by M.A. Church

Kage: I may be powerful. I may be the darkness. But it turns out I’m not the only monster who lurks in the shadows. The silence has been broken, and a secret from long ago has been unearthed with devastating consequences. The past has come back to haunt me, and everything I thought I knew has been turned on its head.

Danger strikes at everything I hold dear, and death stalks my mate and me.

Austin: Not all monsters have wings, horns, and a tail. And sometimes monsters really are monsters. I know exactly how far someone will go to hide toxic secrets, but even I am shocked by the latest revelations. Pandora’s box has been opened, and now we’re dealing with the aftermath. My monster grieves, and I ache for him.

But blood isn’t thicker than water, and found family is everything.

Chaos reigns as the attacks from the mimic escalate, and the daemon clan of San DeLain goes on high alert. But violence is never far away, and when the past doesn’t stay buried, the answers will lead to even more questions.

Death is coming, and the end is near. But for whom?

NEW AUDIOBOOK, ebook in Kindle Unlimited

The Emperor’s Bone Palace, by Hailey Turner (narrated by Gary Furlong)

Every heart is meant to break.

THE NAMELESS. As a warden, Soren’s duty is to guard against the dead, but he was never trained to guard against his heart. Drawn into a web of Solarian politics, Soren finds himself at the center of a storm of his own making, unwilling to break free if it means losing the man he loves. But even the darkest secrets cannot remain hidden forever, and when lies come to light, the price he pays for his silence may very well be his undoing.

THE EMPEROR. When his claim to the Imperial throne is challenged by a traitorous House, Vanya Sa’Liandel must adhere to the ancient tradition of the Conclave to stay in power. Refusing to face his peers alone, Vanya will stand before the Houses of Solaria with Soren by his side, a decision that risks his heart when an unspeakable betrayal threatens everything he’s fought for.

THE REBEL. With her entire world upended, Caris Dhemlan is on the run, struggling to come to terms with the truth of her heritage. As the Clockwork Brigade is targeted by Daijal, she must fight to save the people she cares about. Every rebellion needs a figurehead, but Caris is determined not to become a martyr.

THE QUEEN. With a crown claimed, Eimarille Rourke sets her sights on Ashion and the continent beyond her country’s borders. Promised a world by a star god, Eimarille sets into motion the gears of war and launches the opening salvo of a battle whose repercussions will ripple across the whole of Maricol.

NEW AUDIOBOOK, ebook in Kindle Unlimited

Show Me Wonders, by Riley Nash (Narrated by Liam DiCosimo and Wyatt Baker)

Wait for me. Never let me go.

I fell in love with Jackson Moreno in hell, the only two survivors trapped in a catastrophic tunnel collapse. But when rescue comes, I discover he has secrets darker than I could have guessed. He disappears from my life as quickly as he came, and I can’t afford to chase after him when I have to raise my daughter alone.

I fell in love with Jackson Moreno six years later, on a bright summer afternoon, cleaning the lobby of a small-town bank. But he’s still running, and I’m struggling to keep my little family afloat.

I fell in love with Jackson Moreno in three feet of snow, surrounded by garbage and filth, after we lost everything. Because sometimes a tatted bad boy and a shy dad who loves knitting are destined to be together, no matter how many years and miles and memories pull us apart. No matter how many times we have to start over.

If we refuse to be broken, I believe someday we’ll find each other for the last time.

An epic, moving story of second chances and love that defies all odds, featuring a double gay for you relationship full of first times, hurt/comfort, a demisexual main character, and mental health representation!

AVAILABLE NOW, Kindle Unlimited

His eliXXir, by L J Harris

Trey Winters had always been a user. So arrogant and self-centered. Being co-owner of eliXXir, one of the highest profile clubs in Hell’s Kitchen meant he never failed to attract the hottest men around and toss them aside after one encounter. Trey had a life most would envy. One he reveled in, until a mystery man crossed his path one Valentine’s Day, complicating matters both in and outside the bedroom.

He didn’t want to want him.
Didn’t want to need him.
But fate, it would seem, had other ideas.

Noah Middleton craved to express himself the only way he knew how. Reach his full potential, chronic illness be damned. Accepting a place at a prestigious New York dance academy might have made his goal so close he could taste it, but after admitting to his best friend he’d been unable to stop thinking about the beautiful stranger he’d met on his last visit, said friend took it upon himself to play Cupid.

The man was irresistible.
A temptation like no other.
And for Noah, that was the scariest part of all.

NEW RELEASE, Kindle Unlimited

Daddy’s Curious Boy, by A.W. Scott

“I’m yours to have…”

Desmond is best known for being a cold and driven businessman. As CEO of McMillan Properties, he has to keep the cool facade to close deals and keep himself focused. There’s nothing about him that’s soft. Nothing that would make him a good fit for anything close to the title of Daddy.

But when a surprise turn of events has him on a date with a man he can’t help but want to take care of, Daddy is the only name he longs to be called.

Ryder only moves back to the city prevent his Gran from selling his childhood home and taking off for a nursing home. From the moment he arrives, he realizes maybe not everything is what it seems. Her bidding on a man at auction to win Ryder a date only furthers his suspicion.

Except the man isn’t all that bad, and the way he says, “good boy” does delicious things to Ryder. Things he can’t help but want to explore.

Daddy’s Curious Boy is a Grumpy/Fake Grumpy romance featuring a billionaire too busy to realize he’s a Daddy at heart, a trust fund baby turned mechanic needing to embrace his inner boy, and the date neither of them signed up for. (I’ll take meddling family members for 500, Alex.) Desmond and Ryder’s story is part of the Daddies for Dollars multi-author series, where every book features a swoon-worthy Daddy, a boy he adores, and a happily ever after helped along by a fundraiser event. Each book stands alone, but with six delicious Daddy pairings to choose from, why not read them all?

99c NEW RELEASE, Kindle Unlimited

Spring Fakers, by Catherine Cloverdale

Theo Ward is the hot, popular jock who’s never once looked my way. Until he asks me to play his fake boyfriend over spring break… and discovers he can’t look away.

Charlie

Studying is what I’m best at; not partying or awkward socializing. So when I finally let my only friend drag me out, of course I manage to spill a drink on a handsome athlete named Theo.

He finds me a week later with the craziest of suggestions. He wants us to fake date. Embarrassing as it is, it’ll give me at least some relationship experience, and for him? He’s tired of his friends trying to hook him up all the time.

A simple enough arrangement… until we go on a spring break road trip where I have to spend every minute with my new boyfriend. I know someone like Theo would never be into a nerd like me. But as we spend every day pretending and every night in the same bed, it’s getting hard to remember that fact.

Theo

I may be a party boy, but I’m not interested in hooking up with everything that moves. My friends don’t seem to get that. So when fate pushes the cute-but-nerdy Charlie into my path, I come up with a wild idea–maybe too wild.

Fake dating seemed simple enough, but I should know even the best laid plans go awry. Our road trip lands us in bed together, and waking up with him in my arms is starting to feel…right. I’m not looking for a relationship, and teaching Charlie how to be in one is as far as I’m willing to go.

We’re too different for anything lasting between us, and Charlie deserves far better than me. Even if the idea of letting him go is getting more painful by the day.

Spring Fakers is a steamy college m/m romance and is the first book in the Summerville University series. Each book can be read as a standalone, but is more fun when read in order. Guaranteed happy ending.

NEW RELEASE, Kindle Unlimited

Dream, by Remi Varlow

Grave Merrik

I’ve Been An Enforcer

For The Reivers For So Long,

That I’m Dead Inside.

Then Dream Come To Town.

A Pink-Haired, Sharp-Tongued Boy

Who Makes Me Come Alive.

I Don’t Care I Never Wanted

Another Man Before.

I Don’t Care Keeping Him Safe

Might Cost Me My Life.

Because As Soon As I Saw Him

I Knew I’D Do Anything

To Hold On To My Dream

This story originally appeared the Prolific Works New Authors 20/21 Giveaway. Plot adjustments, new scenes , and twenty thousand more words have been added.

NEW RELEASE, Kindle Unlimited

Endless, Forever, by E.M. Lindsey

“…that’s the thing. I never had a chance. I was always yours.”

Oliver Sasaki has a comfortable life. Having escaped an oppressive childhood in London, he’s now on the sunny coast of Southern California, working on his graduate degree, and taking care of his younger sibling.

And he has it all worked out:

No dating.

No commitments.

Only fun.

Then he meets Gabriel Bensaïd, the adorable barista who turns his entire world upside down. But just as he’s learning what it means to be loved without conditions- that happiness really can last- everything falls apart.

Oliver knows love isn’t enough to save him from himself, but in the end he has to believe- for his sake and for Gabriel’s- there’s an endless forever to be found.

Endless, Forever is a stand-alone, second chance romance featuring two men who fall in love, fall apart, and fall back together again to find their happily ever after. This book is a re-release with 5k words of additional spicy and emotional content.

NEW RELEASE, Kindle Unlimited

Raiden, by Taylor Rylan

Can a sweet omega wolf tame the beast of a gargoyle? Will he accept all that his mate has to offer and need?

Raiden Mason is the serious twin. He’s gone through life watching and observing, and when his ability is needed by the council, he is only too happy to do his duty. But when he scents something amazing, he and his beast are suddenly focused on making the sweet omega wolf theirs, despite the warnings from his mate’s cousin. But will Alexander feel the same?

Alexander Fabré was orphaned at fifteen, and although his cousin and the new pack alpha took responsibility for him, he often feels stifled by his overbearing cousin. He’s grateful, but he longs for something that he lost at such a young age—a family that understands and accepts him without question. He moved to Timber Valley in hopes of finding both, and when he scents his mate, his hope is finally restored. But does he ask too much of the sexy gargoyle that fate has deemed his?

Meshing their lives together is easy enough, despite the discovery of a truly dirty pack that keeps pulling Raiden away on assignment and Alexander suffering from a difficult pregnancy. Can they survive everything life is throwing at them? Will Alexander finally have the family that he has desired for so long? Will Raiden?

Raiden is Book Seven in the Paranormal Council Enforcers series. Each book in this series will focus on a different couple, but these books are not standalones and should be read in order as there is an ongoing backstory that won’t be resolved quickly. This is a fated mate story in an MPreg world, and there will be babies in this story. You should expect all the normal shenanigans, heats, biting, and remember that sometimes even fated mates need a little help.

NEW RELEASE, Kindle Unlimited

The Magic That Binds, by AJ Sherwood

All Dag Gates wants is a place to call home. (And to practice magic freely.)

All Stefan Bjorne wants is peace in his adoptive country. (And less paperwork.)

All Mikkel Vinters wants is both of them. (No, really, he could do wedding bells.)

So why, pray tell, is half the magical community set on denying them all their wishes?

Tags:

Urban fantasy anyone?, slow burn, Mikkel is dying its so slow, pray for him, age gap, millionaire CEO is loose with no limits, cinnamon roll protection squad assemble!, polyamory at its best, Dag wants to eat all the things, all, magic, healing, childhood trauma, who’s chasing who is the question, Dag’s shy, Stefan’s a little insecure, thankfully Mikkel is neither, there is far too much food in this book, short but mighty, rules are established, Mikkel’s type in men is sexy and dangerous, it hasn’t killed him yet, accidental husband acquisition, magical bindings, shenanigans shall now commence

NEW RELEASE, Kindle Unlimited

Something Unexpected, by Rory Maxwell

DOMINIC LAUDER never thought he’d return to Split Rock Ranch. But after twenty years, he finds himself knocking on his aunt’s door. He just wishes he was there with better news. Nick is used to making difficult calls in the name of family…except those family obligations weren’t supposed to come up against a smoking hot ranch manager, his enticing young husband, and the undeniable attraction that crackles between the three of them. Now Nick has to decide what’s more important: his responsibilities or his heart.

MICAH AVERY has always followed his heart and it’s gotten him everything he’s ever dreamed of. He’s married to his first love, his horse-training business is taking off, and life at the ranch couldn’t be better. But his perfect world is turned upside down with the arrival of Nick Lauder. Micah never expected his heart to lead him in this direction, but it hasn’t steered him wrong yet.

RYAN AVERY is still amazed by the happiness he’s found with Micah. But one thing he’s learned from his husband of three years, is that anything is possible. When Nick’s arrival opens up the opportunity for some no-strings-attached fun, Ryan is on board. Then the three of them click in ways that Ryan couldn’t have anticipated, and he starts to see possibilities he’d never dreamed of. Possibilities that just need to survive Nick’s real reason for being there.

Something Unexpected is an 80k, high-heat, MMM romance with a happily established couple finding their third, absolutely no cheating, and a guaranteed HEA. It’s the second book in the Split Rock Ranch series and is best enjoyed after book one.

NEW AUDIOBOOK, ebook in Kindle Unlimited

StrangeLove, by TL Bradford (Narrated by Corey H. Bennson)

Archer
The year began great for me.

Became the starting quarterback for an NFL team – check.
Secured a multi-million-dollar contract – check.
Moved to LA and lived the glamorous life – check.

What could possibly cause me any issues?
Oh yeah, one more thing. I’m gay.

I was outed a couple of years ago to my former team and my family, but it hasn’t been made public knowledge yet. Well, that is, until now. I’ll be known as the first LGBTQ+ active player in the league’s history. And if I stick to the conditions of my contract, it won’t be a problem. The thing is, I’m not really a guy known for playing by the rules.

Most people think of my personality as the three B’s: bold, brash, and blunt. My mouth has gotten me into more predicaments than I can count. Even my best friends have told me I’m stubborn as a mule and have the delicacy of a bull in a china shop. This presents a big problem for me because I have my eyes set on winning over the guy who stole my heart years ago, only he doesn’t know it yet.

Getting his attention is going to be challenging. It’s a good thing I’m tenacious.
Unfortunately, it’s not great timing and could get me into a whole mess of trouble.
Why does falling for a guy need to be anyone’s business but mine?

Kai
The past couple of years were a whirlwind of activity. My career took off after my guest shot appearance in Americana. I appeared in a few indie features and finally got a shot at my first major motion picture release. The work came as a great distraction from my personal life, which took a further nosedive after I found out the guy I was falling for had already fallen for someone else.

Why should I be surprised? He was another in a string of failed relationship attempts. I swore I wouldn’t get involved with anyone else, choosing to stay focused on my career instead. That is, until the force of nature known as Archer McMillan came storming into my life.

To be the pursued instead of the pursuer was not in the cards. To top it off, he’s everything I’m not. Yet, there’s something to be said for a guy who can make you laugh when it’s the last thing you want to be doing. I’ll admit he’s got a playful and determined spirit. Archer also has one of the biggest hearts of anyone I’ve ever known. Not the mention the cute way he… Hold on. What am I doing? We cannot be a thing. Nope. Not gonna happen. Ever. Right?

***

Follow Kai and Archer as they cross the lines as friends, partners-in-crime, and confidants, to discover a love beyond boundaries that needs no definition.

99c SALE, Kindle Unlimited

The Scars That Bind Us, by Michele Notaro

What kind of mage would be crazy enough to crush on a shifter? Me. Apparently me.

The world is a messed-up place. Especially for those of us who have magic, and I know just how terrible it can be firsthand. Which is one of the reasons I try to stay away from people… humans and shifters especially.

Unfortunately, the NHSO forces magi to work alongside shifters to help protect the humans from taragorians—scary beasts from another realm. Which means I’m thrown onto a new team and forced to work with Cosmo Ono-Nai, a lion shifter.

And for some reason, I can’t keep my eyes off him.

The Scars That Bind Us is a 115K word novel and the first book in the MM urban fantasy series, The Magi Accounts.

NEW RELEASE, Kindle Unlimited

A Vampire Called Leander, by Michelle Frost

Can an uptight vampire and a free-spirited human find some common ground?

Merrick’s family name is one of the oldest and most influential in Solston, but maintaining an empire has never interested him. He prefers his books, the company of his cat, and to his surprise, his new prickly vampire mate.

Leander refuses to take part in the Council’s arranged matings until the most alluring scent catches his nose. Once their mating is finalized though, he finds he has no idea how to meld their two lives together.

A Vampire Called Leander is the third and final book in this fast-paced novella series where the paranormals are all deliciously protective of their humans…no matter what type of trouble they get into. Series is best read in order.

DISCOUNTED PREORDER, Releasing May 15

To Hunt A Moonborn Beast, by CJ Ravenna

This world isn’t kind to werewolves. Especially wolves without a pack.

It’s a lesson that human-werewolf hybrid Max Gallagher learns when he’s abducted by the Moonborn cult. Scared and on the run, Max has learned that the only one he can trust is himself.

Until Agent Gabe Reyes rescues him, and Max finds sanctuary with the wolves of the Lycanthrope Protection Agency. The moment Max catches Gabe’s scent, Max’s wolf knows he’s found his fated mate.

But there’s no room for love in the fight to come. When the cult arrives on the agency’s doorstep, Max and Gabe find themselves in the battle for their lives. The Moonborn will kill to get their hands on Max, and Max fears he may lose Gabe and his found family for good.

Unless Max is willing to make the ultimate sacrifice.

To Hunt a Moonborn Beast is the first in The Lycanthrope Protection Agency series, featuring friends to lovers, slow burn romance, lots of hurt/comfort, and a rowdy found family. There is knotting kink, but no Mpreg or A/B/O dynamics. Concludes with a HFN and more to come for Gabe and Max.