It’s time for #WhatToReadWednesday and I was out of ideas, like completely out. I thought maybe I should do a list of my favourite autumn books or something like that, but I draw a blank, and when I draw a blank, I google holidays. It’s easy if you have a holiday of some sort to recommend books for. Only the holidays for today are Make a Hat Day, Felt Hat Day, and Yom Kippur and none of those helped me. 

Then I saw that on the fourth Friday in September it’s Native American Day. I’m in Sweden, and we have our own indigenous people here that we’ve treated like shit through history. We’ve done what we can to erase their culture and language, and we still discriminate every chance we get – not that anyone would admit it. 

Still, I like to think we’ve done better than they have over in the US and Canada. Though, if you ask the Sámi people, they may not agree.  

Since it’s Native American Day, I thought I’d have a look at what books I’ve read and liked with a Native American main character. I cheated and checked a Goodreads list. I’m sure – I hope – I’ve read more than these and that I just don’t remember. I know I’ve read several M/F books, but I normally don’t include them on these lists.  

So here are my gay romance books with an indigenous main character: 

A Casual Weekend Thing (Least Likely Partnership 1) by A.J. Thomas 

This was the first book I thought of when I considered doing a list. I don’t know why, but it was the cover flashing before my eyes. A one-night stand never meant to be more leads to a paedophile investigation.

Doug Heavy Runner left the life of an openly gay Miami police officer and returned to his home on the Salish-Kootenai Indian Reservation when his mother got sick. In the two years since she passed, he’s carved out an empty life as a small-town deputy, relying on out-of-town one-night stands to keep him sane. Then he meets Detective Christopher Hayes, and they share a wild night so incredible Doug breaks his own rule and allows a one-night stand to grow into a weekend of amazing sex.

When Christopher travels from San Diego to Montana to deal with his abusive brother’s suicide, he doesn’t expect to find the man he spent the weekend with to be handling his brother’s case. He certainly doesn’t mind spending more time with Doug—but then an arsonist destroys the house Christopher inherited from his brother, and Christopher and Doug discover they are the primary suspects.

As they investigate, they discover Christopher’s dead brother has set them on the trail of a psychotic pedophile who will stop at nothing to silence his last victim. However, the search for the victim goes horribly wrong, leaving Doug hospitalized and Christopher at the mercy of the killer….

https://books2read.com/ACasualWeekend

Let It Go by Mercy Celeste  

This was the second title popping up in my head. This is not a story for the fainthearted, heed the trigger warnings. I was sickened at times, and yet I needed to know that Creed would be okay, so I kept on reading, and then I read it one more time. 

When alcohol and fierce tempers land two cowboys from the rodeo circuit under house arrest, it may be time to Let It Go. Can hidden secrets and a common enemy hold the key to happiness or… will they destroy them both?

Creed was the main focus of Eli’s fierce temper. For ten years the two men left a trail of destruction in their wake, with rodeo, beer, and fists all they had in common. Until a judge had enough and sentenced them to house arrest—in the same house. They’d either learn to get along or they’d kill each other.

Trapped on Eli’s rundown Florida ranch, Creed discovers Eli’s secret, one that he shares. But he didn’t count on Eli learning all of his secrets, especially the one that would shatter their newfound truce.

Scarred to his bones, Eli avoided relationships like the plague. Yet something about the quiet Creed had always pushed his buttons. Falling in love with him was never part of Eli’s plan. When it happens he’s unprepared and out of his league.

When a shared enemy comes calling Eli can only think of keeping Creed safe. He never dreamed that their lives were linked or that Creed’s former life could destroy them both. Will love be enough to save them?

Story of abuse, mental, physical, as well as sexual. Scenes of extreme violence.

https://books2read.com/LetItGo

Hunter of Demons (SPECTR 1) by Jordan L. Hawk  

No list is complete without some Jordan L. Hawk. I really need to continue this series! I love Gray! 

What happens when an exorcist falls in love with a demon he’s sworn to destroy?

Caleb Jansen’s life is going from bad to worse. First he’s possessed by an opinionated vampire spirit who drinks the blood of demons, then pursued by a fundamentalist group who want him dead.

His only hope is hotshot federal exorcist John Starkweather…the last man Caleb should be falling for, and the only one he wants in his bed.

https://books2read.com/HunterOfDemonsJLH

Be The Air For You by T.A. Chase  

A rockstar with an addiction. It’s been a long time since I read this one, but I remember it as a nice friends to lovers story. 

When his best friend needs him, Rod will be there for the man he loves.

Rod Hannah is on top of his game, performing all over the world to sold-out arenas. Yet loneliness is a battle he fights along with his long-time addiction to drugs and alcohol. He beat those demons three years ago because of his best friend, Hawk McLeod.

Hawk is the person Rod calls in the middle of the night, no matter where he’s been, and Hawk’s always there for him. Yet when Hawk needs help dealing with a situation he can’t win, Rod’s there for him.

He’s been in love with Hawk for years, but the timing had never been right for turning their friendship into something deeper and more serious. Now when Hawk needs him the most, Rod will be there for the man he loves, showing him how perfect they are for each other.

https://books2read.com/BeTheAirForYou

Faewolf by D.M. Atkins

Shifters! This is… I like shifter stories, but I remember being pissed off at the ‘alpha’s need to dominate’ in this one. Maybe I’d react differently if I read it today, I don’t know. There’s also a sex scene that’s a bit… I think this should come with trigger warnings – and I just realised that it does 😀

Faewolves, like werewolves, can walk among men. What happens when Kiya White Cloud, a young gay college student in Santa Cruz, wants one of these men enough to risk his heart–and his life? A paranormal m/m erotic romance from Circlet Press, Inc.

[Warning: explicit sex, dubious consent, and rough scenes.]

Chasing Seth (True Mates 1) by J.R. Loveless  

Another shifter story. This is not my favourite, but since this won’t be a very long list, I thought I’d include it anyway. You might love it! 

Can Seth let himself believe in true mates after his past left him scarred physically and emotionally?

Wolf shifter Seth moved to a small town looking for a peaceful life, but his peace is short-lived after he meets local sheriff Kasey. The handsome sheriff, who doesn’t know Seth is a wolf shifter, takes an immediate dislike to him. The animosity leaves Seth wondering if he will ever find a place he can call home.

When Kasey discovers Seth is a wolf, his actions put Seth at risk. He then finds that Seth is a Rho and his fated mate, which frightens Seth into running. Seth’s past experience has shown him mates aren’t all they’re cracked up to be and he can’t trust Kasey’s change of heart. But Kasey doesn’t give up and his persistence weakens Seth’s resolve. Can Seth open his heart to another again?

Chasing Seth is the first in the True Mates series. Features slow burn MM romance with wolf shifters, rejected true mates, a determined mate who won’t give up easily, and a HEA. Also please note, this is a re-release and was previously published by a publishing house.

https://books2read.com/ChasingSeth

Breathe (Breathe 1) by Sloan Parker  

The last book I have is one I picked off the list on Goodreads. I don’t remember one of the characters being Native American, but since it was on the list, I’m assuming that’s correct. Here is a lot of grief and anger. 

We shouldn’t be friends. We definitely shouldn’t be lovers. He’s the one man I should hate more than anyone else in the whole world. But I don’t hate him. I want him. Desperately. Passionately. More than I’ve ever wanted anyone. He’s also the last person I should love. But I do love him. And I’m not letting him walk away. No matter what his reasons. No matter what anyone else will think of the two of us being together. Since the moment I met him, he’s the only person who truly understands me and what I’ve been through. He’s the most compassionate man I’ve ever met, and I won’t stand by and watch these threats against him continue. I will not let anyone hurt him. Especially my own family.

Length: 101,781 words. This book contains explicit sexual content and graphic language. This is a re-release of a previously published work. It combines the original novel BREATHE with the separately released epilogue WHAT YOU DO TO ME.

https://books2read.com/BreatheParker

I have read more books than this, but they’re not many and I haven’t loved them ☕️📚

It’s time for another wrap-up Wednesday post. I’ve been in a reading slump or maybe calling it a slump is wrong. I haven’t felt like reading. I haven’t had the peace of mind to sit down and focus on a story. These last few days it’s changed, though. I’ve sneaked in a little reading time here and there, and it’s the most unlikely book that has yanked me out of my slump 😄 

Out of Time by Clare London  

I started reading this because it was short. Yes, that’s where I’ve been this month. I’ve actively searched for short stories because I can’t face a longer book. If you’ve followed me for a while, you know I hardly ever read blurbs, and for some reason, I thought this was a sci-fi story. It’s not. It’s a paranormal little tale about two vampires.  

Is immortality a dream or a curse?

Ambrus travels in space and time, a mature and confident vampire, not looking for any permanent companion.

Then in the bloody trenches of WWI, he meets Edward, a beautiful young soldier turned vampire against his will and fighting his fate with bitter anger and resentment. Ambrus is irresistibly drawn to him but Edward rejects him at first.

What then follows is an anguished and erotic courtship throughout the century, as Ambrus seeks to help Edward find his own way to peace as an immortal, and Edward learns what real love – and a real lover – is.

https://books2read.com/Out-Of-Time-London

The Two Princes – Gimlet Media 

After Out of Time, I listened to The Two Princes which is on Spotify. I saw someone share it on Facebook a while back, and I saved it on my Spotify thinking I’d get to it at some point. I did now. It’s a scripted fantasy action adventure podcast, pretty cool. 

When Prince Rupert sets out to break the mysterious curse that’s destroying his kingdom, he’s ready to face whatever dastardly villain or vile monster stands in his way. What he isn’t prepared for are the bewildering new emotions he feels when he meets the handsome Amir, a rival prince on a quest to save his own realm. Forced to team up, the two princes soon discover that the only thing more difficult than saving their kingdoms is following their hearts.

The Two Princes stars Noah Galvin (Booksmart, Dear Evan Hansen), Ari’el Stachel (The Band’s Visit), Christine Baranski (The Good Wife, The Good Fight), Shohreh Aghdashloo (House of Sand and Fog), Matthew Rhys (The Americans), Samira Wiley (Orange Is the New Black, The Handmaid’s Tale). The Two Princes was written by Kevin Christopher Snipes and directed by Mimi O’Donnell.

https://gimletmedia.com/shows/the-two-princes/episodes

Cards on the Table by Josh Lanyon 

Since nothing held my attention, I thought, a mystery might be in order. I stumbled upon Cards on the Table by Josh Lanyon, it’s an old one, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen it before. I enjoyed it, but I was still not really feeling like reading. 

Fifty years ago a glamorous Hollywood party ended in murder — the only clue a bloody Tarot card. Timothy North is trying to find out what happened that long ago summer’s night, but when a Tarot card turns up pinned to his front door, the only person Tim can turn to for help is his ex-lover, Detective Jack Brady.

Originally published in the “Partners in Crime” anthology.

https://books2read.com/CardsontheTable

Forsaken Fae: Book One (Forsaken Fae 1) by R.A. Steffan  

I have no idea why or how, but I ended up looking at Forsaken Fae by R.A. Steffan. I haven’t read anything by her before and I do my best to avoid the fae. It was the first line of the blurb that hooked me. I read: There’s an unconscious Fae drooling on Len’s couch. That’s not even the weirdest thing to happen to him this week.  

I thought why not, I can give it a try, so I did. When I’d read a little bit and realised the MC was into bondage, I cursed myself for not reading the rest of the blurb. I seldom read BDSM stories, and when I do, it’s because I haven’t read the blurb LOL. Anyway, I read on, thinking a little bondage has never hurt anyone.  

I enjoyed this far more than I ever thought I would, and now I want myself a grumpy fae. I also think I need to have more necromancers in my stories LOL 

There’s an unconscious Fae drooling on Len’s couch.
That’s not even the weirdest thing to happen to him this week.

Len’s been told that not all Fae are scheming, manipulative pricks. A moot point, since this one definitely is—he knows that much from bitter experience.

So, when his vampire ex-coworker dumps Albigard of the Unseelie on Len’s doorstep, he gives her two hours to find a better hiding place for the Fae fugitive before tossing him straight to the curb with the rest of the garbage.

He should have known better, of course. Because if there’s one thing Len’s learned since being thrown into the deep end of the seedy paranormal underworld, it’s that nothing is ever so simple.

Now he’s on the run from a cataclysmic primal force trying to tear its way into the human realm, stuck with a charismatic bastard who already knows way too much about the inside of Len’s messed-up head. The first time he met Albigard, Len punched the Fae in his too-perfect face. This time, they’ll have to learn to work together—or risk having their souls torn apart and consigned to the void, with the rest of humanity facing the same fate soon after.

The Wild Hunt has slipped its chains.
Darkness is coming for the world.

https://books2read.com/ForsakenFae