My Top Five Picks for Dipping Your Toes Into M/M

Until around March of this year, I didn’t even know m/m books existed. I had read the Black Dagger Brotherhood series by J.R. Ward and discovered a wonderful male couple, Qhuinn and Blay (or as their fans call them, Qhuay). Suddenly they were my favourite angst-ridden couple that I wanted to see overcome all obstacles and finally get it on. This led me to begin what has been a fantastic and sometimes bumpy ride, basking in all that is wonderful about the m/m genre. I've been discovering which books and authors I enjoy, and which I don't.

After the jump are five books or series I have discovered to date. They are a great place to start if you are curious about m/m. They have certainly rocked my world this year.

1.     Cut and Run Series

          by Abigail Roux and Madeleine Urban

The Cut and Run series is my number-one recommendation for the virgin m/m reader. The books are easy to read and not too long. Full of action, both the FBI kind and the sexytime kind. Many of my book club friends have managed to be “converted” to the glory that is Ty Grady and Zane Garrett, a couple of hot alpha males who sizzle on the page. Both are FBI agents who at first glance can’t stand each other. Garrett is holed up tackling cyber criminals. While he is great with numbers, he is bored out of his mind. He is also very polished and classic suit and tie. Grady is ex Marine Recon and loves his job, which lets him work undercover and on the edge. Imagine someone a bit rough around the edges. I enjoy a good love/hate relationship, and this series certainly dishes up the goods in the first book, Cut and Run.

Each book has a mystery to be solved that requires Grady and Garrett putting life and limb on the line. There isn’t a single book where at least one of them doesn’t get injured — for some reason, it always seems to me to be Grady. Don’t let that stop you from checking out these books, though. They are all action, suspense and a ton of love making. Just wait until you are hooked and reading the third book Fish and Chips!! If you don’t need to change your panties at least twice in that book, be sure to let me know and I will go search out something more tantalising for you.

To date, six books are published and the seventh is in the works, due out some time in 2013. Abi Roux is now writing the books solo and doing a fabulous job. She regularly interacts with her readers to keep Ty and Zane front and centre between books.

Books in order:

1. Cut & Run
2. Sticks & Stones
3. Fish & Chips
4. Divide & Conquer
5. Armed & Dangerous
6. Stars & Stripes
7. Touch & Geaux (expected release 2013)

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5199022-cut-run

2.    Faith and Fidelity

          by Tere Michaels

Faith and Fidelity is the first in a series of three books, but can also be read as a standalone. The book is based around Evan, a cop who is grieving for his deceased wife, and Matt, an ex-cop who specialises in one-night stands. When they meet, a chain of events begins that neither of them can stop. Their interaction starts over weekly drinking sessions, where Evan mourns for his wife and Matt mourns for his lost career. Over time Matt realises that his feelings for Evan are not strictly related to "just friends". Suddenly each is faced with the issue of being attracted to another man for the first time and figuring out what he is going to do about it. Matt is the kind of person who does everything at a million miles an hour. Once he makes a decision, he jumps in one hundred percent and he doesn't really seem to think twice. I love this aspect of his personality. Yes, he does question his attraction to Evan. However, once he has made the choice, it is up to Evan to decide whether the relationship will progress. Evan is more cautious. He was married to his childhood sweetheart and has four children to consider.

I love a romance with a bit of angst thrown in. There was one point where I might have wanted one character to pull his head in. Theirs is a somewhat bumpy ride to happiness, but the book balances out reality and attraction just right. I hope you will love Evan and Matt as much as I do.

Books in order:

1. Faith and Fidelity
2. Love and Loyalty
3. Duty and Devotion
4. Cherish (not yet published)

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4801582-faith-fidelity

3.    Tigers and Devils

          by Sean Kennedy

Tigers and Devils is the funniest book I have read in a long time. I was shocked that I enjoyed it so much, because there is no explicate sex. All sex occurs off page, so you need to use your imagination. Trust me: (1) I have a great imagination, and (2) The book didn’t need it.

The story centres on Devlin and Simon. Devlin is a very hot, high-profile AFL player. (Australian Rules, for all you northerners. Just imagine guys in tight shorts and tops running around a field kicking and throwing a ball.) And Simon is a film-festival organiser. It is a classic case of opposites attract. Devlin is still in the closet, so the book centres on coming out in the open and how the couple deal with the media and fan pressure on their relationship.

One highlight of this book is that Sean Kennedy has created wonderful secondary characters in Simon’s best mates, Fran and Roger. I was often in stitches reading the dialogue between the three of them. Their interaction, which is the heart and soul of the novel, made me want to keep reading. The delightful characters just make you want everything to turn out okay for them. From Simon and Roger acting like "toddlers" when they have a disagreement, to attending AFL games together even though they support different teams, you can just feel the camaraderie leaping off the page. I was tickled pink during every scene that Simon, Fran and Roger had.

If you want a good giggle and a great, fast read, then this is the book for you. I read it in one sitting. Fran and Roger are the best mates a guy (or gal) could have.

Books in order:

1. Tigers and Devils
2. Tigerland

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6430659-tigers-and-devils

4.    Promises

          by Marie Sexton

I loved Promises. This book is the first in of a series of five books, but can be read as a standalone. It is by far my favourite book in the series, yet I was a bit reluctant to try it. I’m finding that, as with any genre, there are some m/m themes I like and some I don’t, and this book is a contemporary m/m. I am not normally a big fan of contemporary novels myself, coming from a fantasy and paranormal background, so I hesitated to pick this one up. Don't laugh now, as I can see that, yes, all my m/m picks I'm recommending to you here are contemporary.

The two main characters are Matt and Jared. Matt is a cop though, and that probably convinced me to pick up the book in the first place. Told from the first person, I very quickly fell in love with Jared and the world as he viewed it. I enjoyed seeing what made Jared’s mind work and how he started to have feelings for Matt. Matt has a hard time dealing with his feelings for Jared and fights them as hard as he can. Marie makes this aspect totally believable in her book, as we can tell that it is an inner struggle for Matt to go from being straight to being with Jared. BAM, the bolt from Cupid strikes, and Matt can fight the attraction for only so long. Yes, there is angst along the way, but all good romances like to inject a little angst to keep their readers on their toes.

Books in order:

1. Promises
2. A to Z
3. The Letter Z
4. Strawberries for Dessert
5. Paris A to Z

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7493186-promises

5.    Caught Running

          by Abigail Roux and Madeleine Urban

I know I shouldn't recommend the same author twice, but I adored Caught Running. It is a standalone book that is a lot of fun to read. (From my original review on Goodreads: “I love, love, love this book. Is that too strong?” ) The two protagonists are Brandon and Jake. From the first couple of chapters I wanted them together, and it was nice to read a book that was just heart warming and fun for a change, rather than action packed. Did it help that the main characters were two very hot teachers/coaches who looked smouldering in their baseball kits? Sure it did! There was also enough whimpering, sexytime and murmurs of “Baby” to keep me enthralled. Because let me tell you, one alpha calling another alpha "Baby" just makes me melt into a pool of goo. There is a lot of humour, which is also an aspect of the Roux and Urban books that I love; anything that makes me giggle gets a big thumbs up in my book. "Go Thundercats."

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2536103.Caught_Running

Honourable mentions

I can’t get by without a couple of honourable mentions. If any of these books tickle your fancy, then check out Hot Head by Damon Suede (fire-fighters) and the Psycop series (cops, of course) by Jordan Castillo Price. These feature great writing and riveting stories that will keep you begging for more.

Generally speaking, if you can find it in the mainstream romance section, you can find it in m/m. From regency, to contemporary, to fantasy, the world of m/m is just waiting to be explored.

I love a great m/m story that includes law enforcement or sports; however, I am willing to branch out and sort the good from the bad (and there is some bad out there, trust me).

Let me know below, do you agree with my recommendations? Are there any other books you would recommend for a first-time reader of m/m? If you are new to m/m, what books or series have you enjoyed reading to date? Is there a common theme you like?


**Special thanks to Amanda Garrett-Grady for providing great insight and ideas for this post.