Welcome to Big Bend—my nightmare and my home, all in one. I don't fit in here. I don't fit in anywhere. I've made so many mistakes. Over and over. Two of those mistakes haunt me. One, being responsible for a friend losing his job and reputation in this town. And two, well, that one is even worse. I ruined so many lives with one stupid decision I barely even remember. And now, I'm going to pay for it.

When I left Birchbark angry and heartbroken, I vowed never to return. Fate had other plans. The father I hate had a stroke, so now I'm back in the Upper Peninsula to take care of him. The locals treat Dad like royalty, while Dad vacillates between open anger and flat-out ignoring me. Throw in my messy relationship with my brothers, and being in Birchbark becomes unbearable.

What’s a straight guy to do when he accidentally goes on a date with his brand new gym-bro? Offer to be the best wingman ever, of course! It’s foolproof. Joey needs a man? I’ll find him one. He wants someone who looks, well, kind of like me? No problem! Not into watersports? I’ve got him covered. The issue is, going on all these dates with Joey makes me realize I want more of his time to be spent with me. I like the guy. And his smile. And the way he makes me feel like anything is possible.

I'm trapped in the middle of nowhere with the sexiest man I've ever seen... what could possibly go wrong? My family sent me here thinking it would help lift my mood. When I think about it now, I realise I didn’t give nearly enough thought to what it would be like, or what I’d be doing on a farm. If anything, I had a vague, nebulous notion that it would be like some sort of retreat. Boy, was I wrong. Far from relaxing, I now find myself tending to actual sheep. If you knew me at all, you’d know how preposterous that is.

Being invited to my cousin’s wedding really shouldn’t be a big deal except, oh yeah, I haven't seen my family for a decade. My parents turned their backs on me, and I’ve done everything since to become successful and show them what they've lost. Only it’s kinda hard to be a success when you’re a walking trainwreck.

Forget the jelly doughnuts. Hanukkah's about to get spicy.... Benji Roth couldn't be happier. His bakery in the small town of Serenity, Pennsylvania is thriving, and he doesn’t even mind being the only Jewish person in town. Except when his cousin, Issac, comes to visit, of course. Everyone is friendly—well, almost everyone. Gorgeous Gil Navarro, the owner of the spice shop across the street, comes in every morning for a muffin but barely looks at him and never says a word.

I’ve never been attracted to guys. I definitely would never be attracted to a privileged, cocky bastard like Brad Henning. Even though I’ve only been at St. Lawrence University for a few weeks, this prick and his friends are on a mission to mess with me—a scholarship kid who I guess they don’t think belongs at a prestigious school intended for the nation’s elite.

My life hasn't turned out the way I wanted it to. Because of one stupid stunt by a kid I used to care about, I'm now slinging cocktails in a Miami club instead of getting my degree. In a split second, Everest Hill ruined my future, and I'm too jaded to ever move past it. Only Elton—my best friend and his brother—connects us, but thankfully, Everest has made himself irrelevant in the last four years. Until now. When Elton heads off on a summer European adventure, I'm forced to babysit his little brother through his first semester in college, but I'd rather eat shattered glass.

Sometimes I want to punch that smirk off Atlas McCallister's pretty face. He's cocky. A troublemaker. A pain. And, unfortunately, my stepbrother. We've been fire and kerosene since our parents got together, and to keep from exploding into fistfights, we've used challenges, dares, and bets to battle out our differences. Our past bets have been a little inappropriate—scandalous, even—but Atlas's latest bet has gone too far. Do I really believe if he loses, my straight stepbrother is gonna mess around with a guy? And not just any guy: me, his rival and nemesis?

Sometimes you meet someone and you just know they're going to mean something to you. That's what happened with Col Langdon. Sure, he's a cranky, uptight New Yorker who seems strangely immune to my serenading, but he's been living rent-free in my head since the night we met. I'm the king of casual. But with Col . . . it's different.

Just the sight of Nico ‘Stix’ Jamieson makes me want to hurt something. Between his stupid smiles on that annoyingly handsome face and the constant drumming of anything that makes a sound with those drumsticks of his, I want to throttle him. No one is that happy. I don’t trust it. Even when my hate for him is clear, he throws it back in my face with a smile and wave. And how he loves to push my buttons when he’s feeling especially obnoxious. If I hate him, then why am I obsessed with him?

I'm the starting quarterback for the Portland Pirates, and I have a thing for my son's teacher. Except I didn't know the cute blond on the beach with the giant dog was my kid's teacher until two months later at Open House. Christian took my breath away during my vacation and introduced me to things I never knew could feel so good and be so right. I think he just might be the one who inspires me to tell the world that this NFL quarterback is bisexual and in love with a man.

Waking up to his one-night stand trying to flee the scene, Reid sits back to enjoy the show. This blond boy is all snark and quick-wit, but there's an awkward side to him that intrigues Reid enough to want to con him into a second date. After numerous failed attempts, Atticus reluctantly agrees to an on-the-spot date, and things get quirky from there. A philosophy major and a wayward son, these two work through their differences, battling red flags and a slew of Tuesdays that have them bonding in ways they never saw coming.

Being a lifelong Chicago Thunder fan, I know that Blaine Olsen is trouble. Because all hockey players are. He's a notorious playboy, and I refuse to be another notch on his bedpost. But when he shows me the part of himself he keeps hidden, it gets harder to resist him.

I was overlooked most of my life. Quiet, nerdy, and someone people didn't notice. But he saw me. Adrian Kennedy was kind whereas others were indifferent. He laughed, not at me, but because of me. Because he believed I was the funniest person he knew. I was myself with him—stripped bare, exposed. Raw and open in a way I've never known since. I was his, and he was mine. But I was a secret. Perhaps an experiment. Pushed aside when things got too scary. Too real. His kindness turned into cruelty, not because of words he said, but because he was unaware of what his rejection felt like.

Wings. That was the nickname they gave me in the lead-up to the Winter Olympics. I was ready to take home the gold for figure skating, ready to make all my dreams come true . . . all but one . . . the dream of finding love. That dream ended the night I lost the only man I ever wanted. It was a moment that led to my downfall on the ice rink. And so I fled my hometown of Mulligan's Mill, determined never to return. That is until I get the call from Doc Morgan, letting me know that my sister's hoarding habit is getting out of control.

I was drowning in debt and my sister needed help, so I made a terrible choice. I borrowed money from the infamous Marchesi family, knowing I had no way to pay them back. Did I think I could evade them? Did I think I’d win the lottery? No, I didn’t think at all. I just acted. Now, a killer is at my door, a man known for his ruthlessness, his persistence, and the way he can bring a man to his knees–for business or pleasure. I’ve got to find a way to pay him back, and the only thing I own free and clear is my body.

Welcome to Big Bend—my nightmare and my home, all in one. I don't fit in here. I don't fit in anywhere. I've made so many mistakes. Over and over. Two of those mistakes haunt me. One, being responsible for a friend losing his job and reputation in this town. And two, well, that one is even worse. I ruined so many lives with one stupid decision I barely even remember. And now, I'm going to pay for it.

Asher Logan is a bartender and a pretty wicked guitar player, when he isn’t wrecking his hands fighting in a cage. With a past he keeps hoping to outrun, Asher’s been on a downward spiral for longer than he can remember. When his sister-in-law leaves Rory, his eight-year-old nephew, in his care, Asher is forced into two things he’s never been good at: sobriety and responsibility. As he struggles to care for Rory, his own life begins to unravel.

Mason keeps to himself. His best friend, JJ, is the only one he chooses to be close to, plus his job keeps him busy. Excitement isn't something he needs or wants in his life. One night, that all changes when he's cornered, and his life is threatened. His saviors? Well, they turn out to be just as dangerous, and the mysteries surrounding them soon flip Mason's world upside down. Gabe and his brothers spend their lives making sure those who deserve death get what's coming to them. The one person they never see coming is Mason.

A rugged, bearded mechanic becomes my knight in shining armor. Traveling three hours to make my twin daughter's Christmas come true. I never expected him. We are the complete opposites and he infuriates me like no one else. Love was never on the cards for me. A blizzard holds up my plans and I end up staying the night with him. Everything I never thought I wanted. I thought being stranded at Christmas was the only surprise I was in for. How wrong was I?

What’s a straight guy to do when he accidentally goes on a date with his brand new gym-bro? Offer to be the best wingman ever, of course! It’s foolproof. Joey needs a man? I’ll find him one. He wants someone who looks, well, kind of like me? No problem! Not into watersports? I’ve got him covered. The issue is, going on all these dates with Joey makes me realize I want more of his time to be spent with me. I like the guy. And his smile. And the way he makes me feel like anything is possible.

When I left Birchbark angry and heartbroken, I vowed never to return. Fate had other plans. The father I hate had a stroke, so now I'm back in the Upper Peninsula to take care of him. The locals treat Dad like royalty, while Dad vacillates between open anger and flat-out ignoring me. Throw in my messy relationship with my brothers, and being in Birchbark becomes unbearable.

A part-time professor and photojournalist, Hayden immerses himself in work, finding it easier to face the world from behind his camera lens. When his one-night fling walks into his classroom four days later, his carefully constructed walls begin to crumble. Carefree frat boy Tyler Statler loves a good time. He's eager to take advantage of everything college life offers before embarking on his dream job as a music journalist. But when the bright-eyed stranger from a few nights before turns out to be his new professor, his world changes.

Reed Ellis is absolutely gorgeous but a total newbie to camming, a virtual nobody in my world. I should have just deleted his message request for a steamy on-camera collaboration. Not everyone is cut out to be a camboy. But there's just something about him I couldn't resist. He's timid and inexperienced, quiet and closed off, but his fumbling first times play out scorching hot for the cameras, and our videos together are an instant success. I know I should just ride this out, sit back and watch the money roll in, and then move on.

There are several principles of landscaping, but my favorite has always been simplicity. I'm a go-with-the-flow and keep-it-simple kind of guy. Always have been. Always will be. It's how I do my job and how I live my life. Of course, as luck would have it, it only takes one job and one indescribably hot stranger to change everything for me. Because one thing Dutton Collins is not... simple.

I'm trapped in the middle of nowhere with the sexiest man I've ever seen... what could possibly go wrong? My family sent me here thinking it would help lift my mood. When I think about it now, I realise I didn’t give nearly enough thought to what it would be like, or what I’d be doing on a farm. If anything, I had a vague, nebulous notion that it would be like some sort of retreat. Boy, was I wrong. Far from relaxing, I now find myself tending to actual sheep. If you knew me at all, you’d know how preposterous that is.

Hockey was everything, but now I’m questioning if I’ll ever make it to the NHL. I need to find a life. In comes a stunning guy in designer jeans and hair so dark and silky, I struggle to keep my fingers to myself. We connect at an animal rescue, where I accidentally soak him with a hose. I give him my team shirt to make amends. The vision of him in my clothes stirs a primal urge in me. When he mentions he’s queer, my heart skips a beat. But he’s only interested in a hookup.

I have a plan. A goal. It never occurred to me how sheltered I was until I played—and failed—a game of Never Have I Ever. Now, I have a list of firsts I want to experience. And there's only one person who can help me with it. Grayson is the complete opposite of me. Tattoos, dark hair, piercings. You name it, he's probably done it. And now I'm on the way to ask him to take my virginity and to show me his world, how he lives, how I can be like him.

Just the sight of Nico ‘Stix’ Jamieson makes me want to hurt something. Between his stupid smiles on that annoyingly handsome face and the constant drumming of anything that makes a sound with those drumsticks of his, I want to throttle him. No one is that happy. I don’t trust it. Even when my hate for him is clear, he throws it back in my face with a smile and wave. And how he loves to push my buttons when he’s feeling especially obnoxious. If I hate him, then why am I obsessed with him?