Showing results by author "Karen Stivali" in All Categories

When Phoebe Stevens’ life implodes in a spectacularly public fashion, she’s desperate to escape Manhattan. So the offer of a job setting up a new Vermont gastropub couldn’t come at a better time. Driving a U-Haul on winding mountain roads is Phoebe’s personal version of hell. But when the caretaker of her guesthouse answers the door tousled, shirtless, and baking cinnamon rolls, her first impression of Vermont dramatically improves.

Outside Collin Fitzpatrick's dorm room is a dangerous place. Beyond his door the students of his small, conservative college think he's straight, as does his Catholic family who'd disown him if they learned the truth. Inside, he's safe with his incredibly sexy roommate Tanner D'Amico. Their room makes a perfect place to hide away and fall in love. The moment they cross the line from roommates to lovers, Collin becomes caught between their heavenly passionate encounters and the hellish reality.

Bryan Dane's been living the dream - photography student by day, up-and-coming rocker by night. His summer goals are to earn his last few credits, graduate from NYU, spend as much time in the recording studio as possible, and survive the next few months without sex so he can complete his yearlong goal of self-imposed celibacy. Everything is on track, until he meets Oliver Newcastle.

Growing up, Jason Stern led a charmed life complete with devoted sisters, a father who was one of Brooklyn's most respected rabbis, and a mother who made the world's best babka. He headed to NYU ready for anything - except falling for the wrong guy, coming out, and getting disowned by his once-loving family. In spite of that, Jason managed to graduate with honors. He's got friends who treat him like family, and he's proudly running the largest LGBTQ teen shelter in Manhattan. Life is good, but he's still falling for the wrong men.

Spending the summer together on Fire Island brought Collin and Tanner closer than ever, but back in their conservative college town, challenges confront them at every turn. As they search for their new normal in their old environment, Collin's brother Sean surprises them with help when they need it most. But when word about their relationship gets out, trouble erupts with friends and family.

Collin expected to spend another summer fixing cars and working at the college pizzeria. Instead, he's living in a beach house on Fire Island, waiting tables at a hip seaside restaurant and for the first time since he and Tanner got together, they can publicly be known as boyfriends. Being "out" takes some getting used to, but with the help of new and old friends, Collin is happier than he ever imagined. And more in love. But newfound freedom brings unexpected challenges, and when friends get flirty, old insecurities arise.

Reeling from personal tragedies, travel photographer Kay Turner retreats to her newly inherited beach house to clear her mind. Everything is exactly as she remembers it—the sound of the waves, the scent of her grandmother's perfume, and the irresistibly sexy James Margolis, the man she pined for every summer of her youth. James always thought of Kay as a "nice kid," but she's all grown up now. When Kay agrees to divulge her grandmother's family recipes for him to use in his new restaurant, they find themselves sharing more than culinary secrets.

British musician Tim Wentworth trades his London flat for an apartment in NYC so he can record with a promising American band, but he arrives in Manhattan to learn the gig has been canceled. With no job and a two-month stay in the States, he wonders if the trip has been a waste of time, until he meets charming and talented jewelry designer Jenna Bradford. Jenna couldn't be less impressed by his music credentials. But when Tim rescues Jenna from an obnoxious drunk, she bends her rules and they embark on a courtship where the nights are passionate and their feelings impossible to ignore.