WATTYS 2023 SHORTLIST | WATTYS 2023 FANS CHOICE AWARDS NOMINEE Initially looking for nothing more than a feelings-free summer fling before college, reckless Harris McCammon and anxious Seb Krause might have stumbled into more than they bargained for. --------------------------------- When a graduation party takes a risky turn, Harrison McCammon finds himself in the passenger seat of Sebastian Krause's truck. When the two virtual strangers agree to begin a friends with benefits kind of situation, neither expect anything more than maybe a fun situationship before they leave for college. But as their casual entanglement turns into something slightly more, the two of them are forced to push down their real thoughts on this non-relationship. Add in sketchy ex-boyfriends, concerned parents, and a small dash of existential dread, there's no such thing as no strings attached. TW: underaged substance abuse; mentions of/attempted SA; (fade to black/non-explicit) sex; homophobic figures/abandonment; hospitalisation ^that sounds like a lot, wow, i'm sorry, it's ... it's mainly fluff ---ONC Ambassadors Round 2 Pick, 2023---

Twenty-one-year-old Flynn is homeless, technically, but he still has a roof over his head and food in his belly, so it's fine. This whole thing wasn't even his fault. Really! He just witnessed something awful, called the cops, and then his landlord-or whatever that tattooed man he paid rent to was-kicked him out. Cam and Justin are twenty-five and have known each other for nearly their entire lives. They share a beautiful home and run a successful antiquing business, but beneath the surface, they've been struggling ever since their years of caring for Justin's terminally ill sister came to its natural end. They've always had the most fun when they brought in a third, and when they meet Flynn, they're instantly smitten-charmed by this sweet, bumbling boy who so clearly needs a helping hand. But Flynn isn't looking for a one-night stand. He's looking for a home. Is bringing him into their lives really a good idea?

(mxm) Jude Graham's never had the best of luck, though lately it's been spiraling out of control. And, for some reason, the universe has decided that his favorite target is a guy with dark eyes and a terrifyingly cold face. What starts as a mortifying first impression quickly turns into a relentless streak of bad luck. No matter where Jude goes, he keeps crashing headfirst into the same guy in the most disastrous ways imaginable. Jude just wants to get his art degree and graduate with a shred of dignity intact. Considering his luck... well.... things don't quite go to plan.

After Theo comes out as gay to his best friend, his life becomes a living hell. Ruthlessly bullied, Theo falls deep into his depression, and is ready to give up on life. But then an unlikely ally steps in... ***** Book 1 After coming out as gay and confessing his feelings to his best friend, Beau, Theo becomes the most hated person in existence. His unstable brother is even worse than the bullies and teachers at school, and his drunken father doesn't care about what's going on under his roof. But no one is as cruel to Theo as he is to himself. His life turned into a painful hell, he is on the verge of ending his misery once and for all, but then an unlikely ally emerges. Deon, the school's notorious troublemaker, has a deal for him: he will keep the bullies at bay as long as Theo acts as his sidekick, keeping watch as he's breaking the rules, fetching his coffee, and carrying his bag. Fearfully, Theo accepts his new meaning as the hotheaded Deon's servant, considering it as just another cruel prank, but when Deon surprisingly keeps his end of the bargain, Theo's life starts to look a little brighter again... ...especially when his deepest wish seems to come true. || Gay || BxB || MxM || LGBT || Romance ||

Eden Woods has spent his entire life searching for something. He spends his days working at a cafe in France, taking photos to pass the time, then going out on weekends, losing himself in the nights. Only, despite all the soul searching, he can never quite shake the feeling that he's missing something. Then, after a drunken, almost definitely accidental tattoo, Eden meets Avery. The one who did it. He's a tempest. Blustering and bold. Fiery and flirtatious. Avery Romano is a mystery in a bottle, and all Eden wants is to figure him out. Slowly, Eden starts to think that maybe Avery is exactly what he's been searching for. When Avery begins to frequent Eden's cafe, the two begin to forge a bond, and slowly but surely, their paths begin to grow together like intertwining vines climbing up the same wall. For a while, life goes on. Then obviously, things get complicated.

[BOOK FOUR] Leo Morelli has a reputation. He's a heartbreaker. It's chronic. Felix Finley had a reputation. A less fun one. He left it behind. He wants it to stay buried forever. Only when he joins the national volleyball team, old secrets get a little difficult to keep. Felix and Leo have met before. They have history. It's complicated. There's something brewing between them. There has been for a while. Tension. It's palpable. Unavoidable. However, neither of them do feelings. One thinks they're a waste of time, and the other thinks feelings ruin everything. The problem is, feelings don't care about what anyone wants. They happen anyway, and when they do, things get messy.

Ian has always had one goal and one goal only-to get drafted for the National Hockey League. Nothing has ever thrown him off course from this, except for one boy from his past that knows things about him that rarely sees the light anymore. Finn has never liked hockey. The only reason he joined the team was to look at cute guys, start some fights on the ice (because it looked fun), and to obviously, get a cute hockey butt like all the other guys on the team. When Ian gets tasked with training Finn so that they can actually be a decent team and get to nationals this year, their bond grows strangely close. The only problem is, Ian promised himself he'd never fall in love again, and ends up breaking the one rule he set for himself. Finn on the other hand, doesn't have much interest in dating. He likes having fun, flirting with people without any strings. When Finn finds himself slipping into feelings for Ian, it leaves him questioning everything he thought he knew about himself, dragging Ian down with him in the process. And through all that, they somehow still need to win nationals. ***