Category Archives: Contemporary

Himawari House by Harmony Becker

When Nao returns to Tokyo to reconnect with her Japanese heritage, she books a yearlong stay at the Himawari sharehouse. There she meets Hyejung and Tina, two other girls who came to Japan to freely forge their own paths. The trio live together, share meals, and even attend the same Japanese-language school, which results in them becoming fast friends. But will they be able to hold one another up as life tests them with new loves, old heartbreaks, and the everyday challenges of being fish out of water?

Goodreads

Trigger and Content Warnings

  • Racism
  • Parental abandonment & estrangement
  • Infidelity
  • Anxiety
  • Alcohol consumption

Wrong Way Home by K.A. Merikan

Colin. Rule-follower. Future doctor. Witness to murder. Captive. Taron. Survivalist. Mute. Murderer. Captor. Like every other weekend, Colin is on his way home from university, but he’s taunted by the notion that he never takes risks in life and always follows the beaten path. On impulse, he decides to take a different route. Just this one time. What he doesn’t realize is that it’s the last time he has a choice. He ends up taking a detour into the darkest pit of horror, abducted by a silent, imposing man with a blood-stained axe. But what seems like his worst nightmare might just prove to be a path to the kind of freedom Colin never… Read more.

Goodreads

Trigger and Content Warnings

  • Mutism (protagonist)
  • Murder
  • Kidnapping
  • Animal death (cat)

We Met in Death by K.A. Merikan

After years of working for a loan shark, Robert is done with blood and violence. All he has to show for it is a bag of money and a lifetime of regrets. There’s no other way out of his line of work than in a body bag. So Robert decides to die. But on the night he chooses to seal his own fate, destiny offers him a chance at redemption. When Robert saves a handsome young escort from a terrible death, he has no idea he is setting in motion much more than one last attempt at proving that inside the hardened shell, he is a decent human being. Charming, quick-witted, and full of… Read more.

Goodreads

Trigger and Content Warnings

  • Homophobia
  • Suicidal ideation
  • Torture

Homicidal Instinct by K.A. Merikan

All Seth wants is to live free with the man he loves. But escaping death at the hands of the mafia is just the beginning of an uphill struggle. When Domenico wakes up from his impromptu surgery and doesn’t even remember Seth’s name, Seth’s world falls apart. Suddenly it’s him who has to plan an escape from New York City and navigate their way to Mexico. All that without even knowing if the man of his life will ever love him again. Domenico doesn’t know who to trust and what to believe. The man who introduces himself as his brother seems to hide dark secrets behind… Read more.

Goodreads

Trigger and Content Warnings

  • Homophobia & misogyny
  • Rape mentioned
  • Child sexual abuse & grooming mentioned
  • Torture
  • Animal death (pig, chicken)

He Is Mine by K.A. Merikan

A wedding should be a joyful affair, but it is far from that for Seth Villani. Thrust into an arranged marriage, back under the same roof with serpents and wolves who are his family, Seth has to watch his back if he is to survive until the despised event. Though with his love affair with Domenico Acerbi slipping out of his grasp, and his father forcing blood on his hands, sometimes Seth wishes the dark waves of the sea nearby could swallow him whole. Coming back home to Italy is full of bitterness and regret for Domenico. He knows he will have to see Seth, the first man who’s… Read more.

Goodreads

Trigger and Content Warnings

  • Homophobia
  • Rape & sexual assault of a teenager
  • Torture mentioned

He Is Poison by K.A. Merikan

Domenico Acerbi. The Villani Family’s best assassin. Ruthless. Vicious. With no patience for weakness. Seth Villani. The Don’s son. Clueless. Stubborn. In dire need of someone to keep him in line. Domenico Acerbi grew up ready to give his life for the Family. Ready to follow orders and exceed expectations. A proud man of honor. The last thing he wants to deal with is training the Don’s son for his future role within the organization. Lazy, annoying, spoiled, and as hot as a Sicilian summer, Seth Villani is no mafia material. But a man who could never become a threat might just be what Domenico needs. Seth Villani wants… Read more.

Goodreads

Trigger and Content Warnings

  • Transphobia & misogyny

Bitter Sweet Heart by H. Hunting

From the outside looking in, I live a charmed life: hockey legend for a father, my own promising future in the league, a great family, awesome friends. It’s not untrue, but it’s not quite that simple either. My dad’s advice has always been to make hockey my number-one priority—at least until I make it to the pros. So, going into my senior year of college, I have a plan. I’ll put in the effort required to pass my classes, play hockey like my life depends on it, and avoid relationships. All I have to do is stay focused on the end game, and I’ll walk away with a degree and into a career in the NHL. It… Read more.

Goodreads

Trigger and Content Warnings

  • Sexual harassment
  • Emotionally abusive relationship & gaslighting
  • Anxiety & panic attacks
  • Kidnapping mentioned

Scoring Chance by Teagan Hunter

Scoring on the ice? Piece of cake. Scoring off it? Well, there’s a reason I’m still a virgin. I’m not entirely clueless with women, though I do tend to put my foot in my mouth around them far too often. Like I did with Scout, the donut maker I stupidly introduced myself to despite visiting her truck for years. Maybe my teammates have a reason to call me the dumb one, but I’m determined to prove them all wrong—Scout included. I want to be her friend. What I’m not expecting is to like her so much when we start spending time together…or want to kiss her so badly. On paper, we make no sense together. But maybe I have a scoring chance with her after all.

Goodreads

Trigger and Content Warnings

  • Death of a parent

A Slice of Love by Teagan Hunter

Jonas Schwartz isn’t just good at playing football. He’s also good at playing hearts, and four years ago, he played mine like it was the easiest game of his life. Brokenhearted, I ran off to art school, swearing to forget about my one-off secret weekend with the star quarterback. I’d heard whispers about his injury, but I never expected Jonas to return to our hometown to rehab his knee, and I certainly never thought he’d show up on the other side of my door with a pizza in hand. He looks good. Better than before. Whatever—I’m over him. I’ve completely moved on. I just wish my heart would get the memo…

Goodreads

Trigger and Content Warnings

  • Homophobia
  • Cancer

Doughn’t Let Me Go by Teagan Hunter

It was just supposed to be one night. No kissing. No feelings. A wham-bam-thank-you-ma’am tangle in the sheets and we go our own ways. Only it’s a small town, and I was bound to run into the irresistible Porter Jones again. I just didn’t expect it to be at my job interview…which he’s conducting. Now the live-in nanny to his adorable seven-year-old daughter, I’m doing my best to avoid falling for his charms. Except it’s much harder than either of us anticipated. What’s a few romps between friends? No kissing. No feelings. Just fun. Sounds simple, right? Right…

Goodreads

Trigger and Content Warnings

  • Divorce