The Boys of Bellamy Series by Ruthie Luhnow

"What's the protocol for falling in love with your best friend?" Max Hartmann only cares about two things: his university rowing team and his best friend Finn—the one person Max can always count on, the one person who believes in him the most. But now it's senior year and something about Finn is different. Max can't figure out why Finn is pulling away, leaving Max adrift without him. But when a drunken hookup takes them both by surprise, everything changes... more"What's the protocol for falling in love with your best friend?" Max Hartmann only cares about two things: his university rowing team and his best friend Finn—the one person Max can always count on, the one person who believes in him the most. But now it's senior year and something about Finn is different. Max can't figure out why Finn is pulling away, leaving Max adrift without him. But when a drunken hookup takes them both by surprise, everything changes. Max is straight, right? So why can’t he stop thinking about Finn's lips on him? "I fell for my straight best friend. What a cliché." Finn Stevenson feels like a failure. It took him 22 years to figure out that he was gay, and he returns to campus dead-set on ignoring his true feelings for Max. But it’s impossible to deny he’s fallen in love with his best friend. How could he not? Max lights up every room and makes Finn feel like the most special person in the world. But after throwing himself at Max one night at a party, Finn knows he might have just jeopardized the most important friendship in his life. "You think I'm gonna change my mind, don't you?" How can Finn trust that Max's feelings for him are real if Max won't even come out? And as Finn struggles with the pressures of competitive rowing, Max fears losing the person who means the most to him. As the rowing season heats up and graduation looms, the future has never been so uncertain. Will their relationship drown under the pressure or can they find a way to stay afloat? Still Water is an m/m contemporary romance with out-for-you and hurt/comfort themes, plenty of heat, and a happy ending. less

"I can't keep pretending I don't want you." "You never did a very good job of that." Bennett Marlowe is doing just fine. Sure, he's divorced with no romantic prospects, and yeah, he can't sleep without being woken up by nightmares, but he's an award-winning journalist about to get tenure at a prestigious university—he must be doing something right. But then Jamie comes careening into Bennett's life and nothing is the same... more"I can't keep pretending I don't want you." "You never did a very good job of that." Bennett Marlowe is doing just fine. Sure, he's divorced with no romantic prospects, and yeah, he can't sleep without being woken up by nightmares, but he's an award-winning journalist about to get tenure at a prestigious university—he must be doing something right. But then Jamie comes careening into Bennett's life and nothing is the same. Handsome, energetic, and almost half Bennett's age, Bennett can't deny the spark between them. The only problem? Jamie is Bennett's teaching assistant. "Jamie Larsson: charming and lovely and completely off limits." Hopelessly romantic and relentlessly optimistic, Jamie Larsson is thrilled when he meets a new man at a bar who's hot, enigmatic, and most improbably, into Jamie. It's just his luck, then, when Jamie discovers Bennett is the professor he's supposed to be working with all semester. Jamie can't resist trying to unravel the mysteries of Bennett, who's brilliant and damaged and sending Jamie very mixed signals. Bennett claims he's not interested—but then what was that kiss in his office all about? "Why can't you just let yourself have something good?" When a freak snowstorm traps Bennett and Jamie together, they can’t deny their feelings any longer. Bennett wants Jamie more than he's wanted anyone, but he fears Jamie will be scared off by the scars and trauma of Bennett's past. Jamie finds it hard to trust that someone as successful and cultured as Bennett will ever see him as an equal. Is one night of passion enough make them risk a relationship that could ruin Bennett's career if it's discovered? They say it's always darkest before the dawn. Can Bennett and Jamie find light in the darkness... together? Daybreak is an m/m contemporary romance with May/December and hurt/comfort themes, plenty of heat, and a happy ending. less

"I kissed you because I thought I'd never see you again." It took shy dreamer Rory Fisher the entire school year to work up the courage to kiss Milo and only a minute to completely embarrass himself. But nearly ten years later, when Rory runs into Milo—handsome and mysterious and devastatingly sexy—sitting alone at a bar, Rory is determined to not run away this time... more"I kissed you because I thought I'd never see you again." It took shy dreamer Rory Fisher the entire school year to work up the courage to kiss Milo and only a minute to completely embarrass himself. But nearly ten years later, when Rory runs into Milo—handsome and mysterious and devastatingly sexy—sitting alone at a bar, Rory is determined to not run away this time. As one night together turns into two, then three, then more, Rory finds himself falling hard and fast for the wounded man he sees behind Milo's dark, brooding artist facade. Too bad Milo's made it clear he's not looking for anything serious. "I don’t let guys stay the night. And I definitely don't let guys stay the night three weekends in a row." Still reeling from a bad breakup, Milo Ventura vows he won't let himself fall in love again. But there's something about Rory's frat boy exterior and his shy, sweet interior that has Milo breaking all his own rules. And when Milo finds himself pretending to be Rory's boyfriend at a wedding—and enjoying it—he knows he's in big trouble. Rory wants to be with Milo, but what will happen when Rory discovers just how broken Milo really is? "I want to love him. I just don't know if he'll let me." Milo cares more deeply for Rory than for anyone he's ever known. But he also knows he's damaged, skittish—and how can he trust that Rory won't hurt him like everyone else has? When Rory gets a job in California, he's not sure he dares to ask Milo to come with him. He loves Milo—but is he asking for more than Milo can give? Will their love wither on the vine, or are they brave enough to give it the chance to bloom? less

"The weirdest part about kissing my best friend is that it isn't weird at all." Drew Riordan is excellent at compartmentalization. It's the only way he's managed to survive three years at Bellamy university—and on the crew team—and how he's made peace with staying in the closet for the foreseeable future. But when he and his supposedly straight teammate start hooking up in secret, Drew quickly falls for the more vulnerable side of Andy he sees... more"The weirdest part about kissing my best friend is that it isn't weird at all." Drew Riordan is excellent at compartmentalization. It's the only way he's managed to survive three years at Bellamy university—and on the crew team—and how he's made peace with staying in the closet for the foreseeable future. But when he and his supposedly straight teammate start hooking up in secret, Drew quickly falls for the more vulnerable side of Andy he sees. But Andy can get any girl he wants—why would he settle for someone as quiet and reserved as Drew? "I made a mistake. I shouldn't have let things get this far." Spontaneous and sometimes reckless, Andy Craig has always been a bit of a mess. Whether he's starting an essay the morning it's due or finding a girl to take home for the night, he still somehow manages to land on his feet. But when a kiss that started as a joke turns into something very real, Andy finds himself getting swept off his feet by Drew, who's stoic, steady, and seems to have no idea what kind of effect he has on Andy. "It's a huge risk, and I'm terrified. But you're worth it." Their relationship in college failed, both of them too afraid to admit how they really felt. But Andy and Drew are given a second chance when they reconnect at a wedding several years later. Though they're both ready to be open and honest about their feelings, there's just one problem—now they live hundreds of miles apart and lead completely separate lives. Drew loves his career, but he's terrified to ask Andy to uproot his entire life to move to be with him. Andy would do anything to make things work this time, but he doesn't want to come on too strong. Will they be brave enough to ask for what they want before it's too late? Riptide is an m/m contemporary romance with second chance, out-for-you, and friends-to-lovers themes, plenty of heat, and a happy ending. less