When the quiet audio tech meets the magnetic new drag queen, their fling feels inevitable. But far more than their hearts could break. Considering he never expected to make it to adulthood, the life Lee Jones has cobbled together is surprisingly fine. His audio tech job at a gay bar is steady, and his chosen family—Tara, Sunny, and Blanche—is ride-or-die. Deep down, he wishes anyone wanted him for more than a casual fling, but he'll take what he can get. Picking up the pieces of his old life after giving up on chasing fame in New York, Antonio Flores settles for performing drag at Confession for the sake of stability. Fresh out of rehab is a terrible time to be crushing on anyone, but the charming beefcake in the booth is irresistible! But the delicate equilibrium of Lee's family crumbles as their emotional rock falls for Antonio. The tough but fragile Tara falters when Lee's newfound happiness doesn't include her. Without Lee to rein in her impulses, Sunny pushes the soft-hearted Blanche into a clandestine relationship that threatens their friendship. Lee helps keep his demons at bay, but Antonio's bad habits could yet-again sabotage the best part of his life. As his family falls apart and the fairytale stops being easy, Lee sees the end of their relationship in every minor conflict. Is their relationship worth jeopardizing everything good in their lives?

When newfound confidence coincides with an attractive new frenemy, Sunny's heart is torn between happiness and family obligations. After recovering from an uncomfortable breakup, Sunny Boonmee sets out to find love. Or at least get laid before her mother pushes her to start a family. Fortunately, the emotionally unavailable Richard Carter—whose red flags are no match for his blue eyes—is willing to help with the latter. He's perfect for a secret fling: a boring snob in the streets, bossy and adventurous in the sheets. No feelings, only orgasms. The quiet and reclusive Richard is overwhelmed by this argumentative and intelligent woman who understands him better than anyone, including himself. Refusing to ruin another relationship, he endeavors to woo her properly, but Sunny brushes off every romantic gesture he's been taught. His attempts to show that he likes her go unnoticed by everyone except Sunny's ex, Blanche. When Sunny and Richard discover that Lee and Antonio are conspiring to get them together, they double down on the secrecy by hatching a counterplot: pretending to hate each other. For Richard, their plan is mere amusement until Sunny is ready to go public with their relationship. But for Sunny—oblivious that Richard thinks they're already dating—the act is a desperate ploy for more time before their situationship fizzles out. Even if she accidentally caught feelings, Richard doesn't fit into her mother's plans for her future, and family comes first.

With a former fling now a cherished friendship, Tara secretly longs for more. But is desire enough to bridge two damaged souls? Tara Sanderson is determined to be a good friend when Lee and Antonio's upcoming wedding means countless hours in close company with Gabe Cooper, the best man and her secret ex-flame. Armed with her many rules and meager emotional resilience, she hides her feelings to protect herself. Friendship is more than enough; the man who unknowingly broke her heart has become a beloved friend. After years of therapy and seclusion to recover from a string of abusive relationships, Gabe feels whole enough to love again. His obsessive infatuation with the stranger who stole his shattered heart has healed into manageable yearning for the Tara he's come to know. Instead of pining after yet another person who will never love him back—or worse, pursuing her and losing their friendship—he reluctantly agrees to the blind dates his mom sets up for him. Tara's self-control slips after learning he's looking for love with anyone but her, revealing she's not as content to be "e;just friends"e; as she pretends. Ever the hopeless romantic, Gabe tries to show Tara how good they could be together. Tara must break all her rules to accept the happiness she longs for, but her habit of running from her feelings may be more than Gabe's still-fragile heart can bear.

After a lifetime of surviving, Blanche finally has the means to thrive. But how does one live after so much loss?Blanche Van Horne is tired. They finally have a place to rest but no clue how to make a house feel like home and no one to share it with. With their chosen family settled, Blanche is truly alone for the first time in years, haunted by memories more bitter than sweet. Desperate for companionship, they invite Lee's sister to move in while she finishes college.Jazz Jones jumps at the chance, thrilled to be free of her dad's control and live her life openly—except around her parents. No more sneaking out to parties with her "e;friends"e; (her polycule), hiding her septum ring, or lying about her major. Only her lingering teenage crush on Blanche stays hidden; her overprotective brother would make that everyone's problem.As their roommate and friend, Jazz leans on Blanche's guidance to unlearn the lessons of her strict upbringing. And, with her encouragement to live for themself instead of ghosts, Blanche's dreams turn to the future, dreams which increasingly include Jazz.But Jazz should be out having fun with her girlfriends, not playing house with a chaotic mess fifteen years her senior. Despite Blanche's good intentions, Jazz no longer accepts what other people decide is best for her. Especially when she learns her crush may not be as one-sided as she thought.

Blake desperately needs a fake date for their ex's wedding. To their dismay, their frenemy Eris is the sole volunteer.Two years after moving to the city, Blake is struggling. Friends are hard to make as an adult, especially for an introverted law student whose childhood sweetheart quickly moved on with their only friend. When the inevitable wedding invitation arrives, Blake turns to their brunch meetup of queer misfits for a fake partner. Someone to help prove that they've moved on, that they're happy too (and because they lied to their ex about seeing someone).Only the abrasive, rude, and heavily tattooed Eris volunteers—not exactly the date Blake pictured as evidence for thriving. Eris acknowledges that ze may be an asshole, but for one weekend, ze'll be Blake's asshole. With no other options, Blake hatches a plan to fool everyone back in their small hometown. A plan that, unfortunately, requires getting to know Eris.As long-swallowed conflicts erupt at the wedding, Eris helps Blake stay grounded, and the sparks between them ignite. But opening their heart to new possibilities means revealing parts of themself Blake would rather keep hidden. This plan to find closure never accounted for real feelings—especially not their ex's.

A bridesmate who never remembers a face. A groomsthem who is unfortunately forgettable. A wedding night they'll cherish forever.Ananas Jackson has been dreading xir sister's wedding from the moment Martina met her wonderful, charming fiancé, Mel. Martina deserves the utmost happiness, but this wedding means yet another major life change that Ananas isn't ready for. The only thing keeping xir from drowning is xir sister's support, the uptight mail carrier, and daily body-doubling livestreams; this wedding threatens any stability Ananas has. To make matters worse, xe's paired to walk down the aisle with Mel's college roommate—some stick-in-the-mud jerk xe's never met before, who won't look xir in the eye.However, Kai insists they have met before. Many times, actually. While Kai is likely correct, Ananas doesn't exactly disclose xir prosopagnosia diagnosis to strangers, especially not pedantic nerds xe's forced to sit next to at the reception. Maybe if Kai was more interesting, Ananas would remember meeting them.Little does Ananas know, Kai is as persistent as they are persnickety, and they accept Ananas's challenge. The night is young, neither of them brought a plus-one, and romance is in the air. Maybe this time, Kai will leave a lasting impression.

Lucy makes the most of death by studying the afterlife, only to face the bitter truth: she never truly lived.For Dr. Lucy Monae, theorizing about the afterlife has always been preferable to living her real one. She would love to be friends (ideally, more than friends) with her bubbly coworker Esther, the only other philosophy professor under sixty. Thanks to Lucy's loner tendencies, they've barely spoken outside of her dreams—until the morning she awakens in Esther's bed.Except Esther can't see or hear her. In all her studies, Lucy never found concrete evidence that ghosts were real. However, death by boxed wine is admittedly on-brand, and the evidence is undeniable: she's dead, haunting her unfairly attractive colleague.Initially curious about ghosthood, Lucy grows bitter as the consequences of her death unfold. Just as lonely as Lucy was, Esther is the first to notice her absence, and the only one who cares. As Esther's relentless optimism falters under the burden of Lucy's death, Lucy must find a way to keep her dream girl from sharing her fate or risk losing her—and herself—forever.This introspective, heart-wrenching "e;slice-of-death"e; novel blends paranormal romance with speculative fiction, along with dark academia vibes, sapphic yearning on a metaphysical dimension, and way too many poetry references. While this is a closed-door romance, the heavy themes make this novel intended for adult readers.

When the quiet audio tech meets the magnetic new drag queen, their fling feels inevitable. But far more than their hearts could break. Considering he never expected to make it to adulthood, the life Lee Jones has cobbled together is surprisingly fine. His audio tech job at a gay bar is steady, and his chosen family—Tara, Sunny, and Blanche—is ride-or-die. Deep down, he wishes anyone wanted him for more than a casual fling, but he'll take what he can get. Picking up the pieces of his old life after giving up on chasing fame in New York, Antonio Flores settles for performing drag at Confession for the sake of stability. Fresh out of rehab is a terrible time to be crushing on anyone, but the charming beefcake in the booth is irresistible! But the delicate equilibrium of Lee's family crumbles as their emotional rock falls for Antonio. The tough but fragile Tara falters when Lee's newfound happiness doesn't include her. Without Lee to rein in her impulses, Sunny pushes the soft-hearted Blanche into a clandestine relationship that threatens their friendship. Lee helps keep his demons at bay, but Antonio's bad habits could yet-again sabotage the best part of his life. As his family falls apart and the fairytale stops being easy, Lee sees the end of their relationship in every minor conflict. Is their relationship worth jeopardizing everything good in their lives?

When newfound confidence coincides with an attractive new frenemy, Sunny's heart is torn between happiness and family obligations. After recovering from an uncomfortable breakup, Sunny Boonmee sets out to find love. Or at least get laid before her mother pushes her to start a family. Fortunately, the emotionally unavailable Richard Carter—whose red flags are no match for his blue eyes—is willing to help with the latter. He's perfect for a secret fling: a boring snob in the streets, bossy and adventurous in the sheets. No feelings, only orgasms. The quiet and reclusive Richard is overwhelmed by this argumentative and intelligent woman who understands him better than anyone, including himself. Refusing to ruin another relationship, he endeavors to woo her properly, but Sunny brushes off every romantic gesture he's been taught. His attempts to show that he likes her go unnoticed by everyone except Sunny's ex, Blanche. When Sunny and Richard discover that Lee and Antonio are conspiring to get them together, they double down on the secrecy by hatching a counterplot: pretending to hate each other. For Richard, their plan is mere amusement until Sunny is ready to go public with their relationship. But for Sunny—oblivious that Richard thinks they're already dating—the act is a desperate ploy for more time before their situationship fizzles out. Even if she accidentally caught feelings, Richard doesn't fit into her mother's plans for her future, and family comes first.

With a former fling now a cherished friendship, Tara secretly longs for more. But is desire enough to bridge two damaged souls? Tara Sanderson is determined to be a good friend when Lee and Antonio's upcoming wedding means countless hours in close company with Gabe Cooper, the best man and her secret ex-flame. Armed with her many rules and meager emotional resilience, she hides her feelings to protect herself. Friendship is more than enough; the man who unknowingly broke her heart has become a beloved friend. After years of therapy and seclusion to recover from a string of abusive relationships, Gabe feels whole enough to love again. His obsessive infatuation with the stranger who stole his shattered heart has healed into manageable yearning for the Tara he's come to know. Instead of pining after yet another person who will never love him back—or worse, pursuing her and losing their friendship—he reluctantly agrees to the blind dates his mom sets up for him. Tara's self-control slips after learning he's looking for love with anyone but her, revealing she's not as content to be "e;just friends"e; as she pretends. Ever the hopeless romantic, Gabe tries to show Tara how good they could be together. Tara must break all her rules to accept the happiness she longs for, but her habit of running from her feelings may be more than Gabe's still-fragile heart can bear.

After a lifetime of surviving, Blanche finally has the means to thrive. But how does one live after so much loss?Blanche Van Horne is tired. They finally have a place to rest but no clue how to make a house feel like home and no one to share it with. With their chosen family settled, Blanche is truly alone for the first time in years, haunted by memories more bitter than sweet. Desperate for companionship, they invite Lee's sister to move in while she finishes college.Jazz Jones jumps at the chance, thrilled to be free of her dad's control and live her life openly—except around her parents. No more sneaking out to parties with her "e;friends"e; (her polycule), hiding her septum ring, or lying about her major. Only her lingering teenage crush on Blanche stays hidden; her overprotective brother would make that everyone's problem.As their roommate and friend, Jazz leans on Blanche's guidance to unlearn the lessons of her strict upbringing. And, with her encouragement to live for themself instead of ghosts, Blanche's dreams turn to the future, dreams which increasingly include Jazz.But Jazz should be out having fun with her girlfriends, not playing house with a chaotic mess fifteen years her senior. Despite Blanche's good intentions, Jazz no longer accepts what other people decide is best for her. Especially when she learns her crush may not be as one-sided as she thought.

Blake desperately needs a fake date for their ex's wedding. To their dismay, their frenemy Eris is the sole volunteer.Two years after moving to the city, Blake is struggling. Friends are hard to make as an adult, especially for an introverted law student whose childhood sweetheart quickly moved on with their only friend. When the inevitable wedding invitation arrives, Blake turns to their brunch meetup of queer misfits for a fake partner. Someone to help prove that they've moved on, that they're happy too (and because they lied to their ex about seeing someone).Only the abrasive, rude, and heavily tattooed Eris volunteers—not exactly the date Blake pictured as evidence for thriving. Eris acknowledges that ze may be an asshole, but for one weekend, ze'll be Blake's asshole. With no other options, Blake hatches a plan to fool everyone back in their small hometown. A plan that, unfortunately, requires getting to know Eris.As long-swallowed conflicts erupt at the wedding, Eris helps Blake stay grounded, and the sparks between them ignite. But opening their heart to new possibilities means revealing parts of themself Blake would rather keep hidden. This plan to find closure never accounted for real feelings—especially not their ex's.

A bridesmate who never remembers a face. A groomsthem who is unfortunately forgettable. A wedding night they'll cherish forever.Ananas Jackson has been dreading xir sister's wedding from the moment Martina met her wonderful, charming fiancé, Mel. Martina deserves the utmost happiness, but this wedding means yet another major life change that Ananas isn't ready for. The only thing keeping xir from drowning is xir sister's support, the uptight mail carrier, and daily body-doubling livestreams; this wedding threatens any stability Ananas has. To make matters worse, xe's paired to walk down the aisle with Mel's college roommate—some stick-in-the-mud jerk xe's never met before, who won't look xir in the eye.However, Kai insists they have met before. Many times, actually. While Kai is likely correct, Ananas doesn't exactly disclose xir prosopagnosia diagnosis to strangers, especially not pedantic nerds xe's forced to sit next to at the reception. Maybe if Kai was more interesting, Ananas would remember meeting them.Little does Ananas know, Kai is as persistent as they are persnickety, and they accept Ananas's challenge. The night is young, neither of them brought a plus-one, and romance is in the air. Maybe this time, Kai will leave a lasting impression.

Lucy makes the most of death by studying the afterlife, only to face the bitter truth: she never truly lived.For Dr. Lucy Monae, theorizing about the afterlife has always been preferable to living her real one. She would love to be friends (ideally, more than friends) with her bubbly coworker Esther, the only other philosophy professor under sixty. Thanks to Lucy's loner tendencies, they've barely spoken outside of her dreams—until the morning she awakens in Esther's bed.Except Esther can't see or hear her. In all her studies, Lucy never found concrete evidence that ghosts were real. However, death by boxed wine is admittedly on-brand, and the evidence is undeniable: she's dead, haunting her unfairly attractive colleague.Initially curious about ghosthood, Lucy grows bitter as the consequences of her death unfold. Just as lonely as Lucy was, Esther is the first to notice her absence, and the only one who cares. As Esther's relentless optimism falters under the burden of Lucy's death, Lucy must find a way to keep her dream girl from sharing her fate or risk losing her—and herself—forever.This introspective, heart-wrenching "e;slice-of-death"e; novel blends paranormal romance with speculative fiction, along with dark academia vibes, sapphic yearning on a metaphysical dimension, and way too many poetry references. While this is a closed-door romance, the heavy themes make this novel intended for adult readers.