Aster Glenn Gray

Everything was fine till Jack fell in love with his former lover’s wife. Shy Civil War veteran Jack never expected to be involved in an affair du coeur. It seemed like a minor miracle when he and his comrade-in-arms Everett became lovers - and a painful return to reality when Everett married his sweetheart, Sophie. And the situation is only more complicated now that Jack has fallen in love with Sophie, too. When Everett found himself in love with Sophie, the proper thing for him to do was to end his dalliance with Jack and marry her. But even though everyone says it’s impossible to be in love with two people at once, Everett has never really gotten over Jack. Sophie’s unconventional family has shown her that love is not always simple. But she’s still startled to find herself responding to Jack’s very obvious crush - and to realize that Everett, too, still has feelings for Jack. How can they navigate nineteenth century romantic conventions and still find a satisfying arrangement?

An m/m World War II-era retelling of Beauty and the Beast. During a chance summer shower, an English country parson takes refuge in a country house. The house seems deserted, yet the table is laid with a sumptuous banquet such as the parson has not seen since before war rationing. Unnerved by the uncanny house, he flees, but stops to pluck a single perfect rose from the garden for his daughter - only for the master of the house to appear, breathing fire with rage. Literally. At first, the parson can't stand this dragon-man. But slowly, he begins to feel the injustice of the curse that holds the dragon captive. What can break this vengeful curse?

At the height of the Cold War, a Soviet and an American agent fall in love.Soviet agent Gennady Matskevich is thrilled when he's assigned to work with American FBI agent Daniel Hawthorne. There’s just one Gennady’s abusive boss wants him to honeytrap his American partner. Gennady doesn't want to seduce his new American friend for blackmail purposes… but nonetheless, he can’t stop thinking about kissing Daniel.FBI agent Daniel Hawthorne is delighted to get to know an agent from the mysterious Soviet Union… and determined not to repeat his past mistake of becoming romantically involved with a coworker. But soon, Daniel finds himself falling for Gennady. Can their love survive their countries’ enmity?Content sexual harassment and assault by a secondary character, period-typical homophobia (probably less homophobia than is strictly historically accurate, but this is a romance novel, not Giovanni's Room), implied/referenced suicide, messy polyamory.

Handcuffed together. Only one bed. Which will win: Megan and Sarah's sizzling sexual attraction, or their compulsion to correct each other’s atrocious fandom opinions? Shy library science student by day, fanfic writer by night, Megan is thrilled when she discovers her new crush Sarah shares her favorite fandom. Smart, gorgeous, and brashly confident in her thoughts on fandom, Sarah is Megan’s dream girl… until Megan realizes that Sarah is also her Tumblr nemesis, who called Megan’s popular ongoing fic “the cancer that is killing fandom.” Clearly, they must never speak again. But when a writing club exercise leaves them handcuffed together, they have no choice but to duke out their differences, until they reach an agreement on the most important question of all: is hatesex as insanely hot in real life as it is in fic? (Yes. Yes, it is, at least in this steamy f/f novelette.)

After a century-long sleep, a Union soldier wakes up in 1965. Cavalry lieutenant Russell Krause is all at sea in this strange new century of electric lights and automobiles. But he soon acquires a Caleb O’Connor, a kind-hearted, history-loving college student with secrets he’s desperate to hide. Caleb is gay, and he’s completely smitten with this lively, warm-hearted soldier, who has swiftly become his best friend. But Russell’s nineteenth century understanding of friendship is far more affectionate than any 1960s friendship is allowed to be. In between telling Russell about escalators, record players, and the Civil Rights movement, Caleb has to explain that men in 1965 are no longer allowed to hold hands or share beds or kiss… which is tough, because Caleb would love to be kissing Russell. Despite these chilling changes in social customs, Caleb and Russell’s loving friendship grows ever closer. But the cultural divide may prove wider than even love can bridge. Content period-typical attitudes in general, but especially toward homosexuality.

A World War II mmf retelling of Gawain and the Green Knight Gawain Orkney, an impetuous flight lieutenant in the RAF, can’t say no to a bet. That’s how he finds himself spending his precious Christmas leave searching for a mysterious Green Chapel, where he’s supposed to finish the shooting contest that was interrupted when Gawain shot his opponent in the face. (His opponent, an uncanny man clad all in green, was not noticeably discommoded by the injury.) And when Gawain puts up for the night at a peculiar old tower, well, he can hardly refuse when the bluff, hearty lord of the manor suggests a wager. He’ll give Gawain all he catches on his hunting in the next three days, if Gawain will give him in return anything he is given in the tower. The wager seems simple enough until Gawain receives his first gift: a kiss from his host’s flirtatious redheaded wife…

The Great War cost Robert his left leg and his first love. A shattering breakup leaves Robert convinced that he is a destructive force in romantic relationships. When he finds himself falling in love with David, an old friend from boarding school, he's sure that he shouldn’t confess his feelings. But as their meandering conversations drift from books and poetry to more intimate topics, Robert’s love deepens - and so do his fears of hurting David. Since he was wounded, David has been batted from hospital to hospital like a shuttlecock, leaving him adrift and anxious. His renewed friendship with Robert gives him a much-needed sense of peace and stability. Slowly, David opens up to Robert about the nervous fears that plague him, and when Robert responds with sympathy and support, David finds himself feeling much more than friendship. But he’s afraid that he’s already a burden on Robert, and that asking for more will only strain their developing bond. Can these two wounded soldiers heal each other? Content warning: period-typical homophobia and ableism (probably less than is strictly period typical, but this is a romance novel, not a historical essay), implied/referenced suicide

Christmas Eve, 1991. The Soviet Union is on the rocks, and so is George Douglass's career in espionage. Nonetheless, the American agent is wading through a blizzard on one last mission. But when George emerges from the snow at a supposedly abandoned chateau, it's lit up like a Christmas tree. And among the oblivious revelers, his Soviet counterpart Nikolai Meleshenko is sipping eggnog by the blazing Yule log. For twenty years, George and Nikolai have played cat and mouse, both in bed and out. But now the professional enmity that shaped their lives is dissolving. What can they build in its place? A short holiday spy romance full of Christmas cheer!

“We’re in this together, share and share alike, you said, and you got to let me share the bad too.” Bold, streetwise James has been riding the rails in the midst of the Great Depression ever since he ran away from his uncle’s house two years ago. When he pauses to catch his breath with a stint in the Civilian Conservation Corps, he meets Timothy, who has never spent a day on the road but sure would like to give it a try. James figures sweet angel-faced Timothy will last a few weeks at most. They’ll jump a train or two, see some of the country, maybe fool around a little: on the road no one minds much about two boys canoodling. Then Timothy will get tired of slumming it, and head on home. In the meantime, Timothy’s just as much fun as James hoped and then some, and tougher than he looks, too. Soon James and Timothy share everything, splitting whatever food and money and good times they can scrounge, and leaning on each other when they run into trouble. But summer fades into autumn, and James knows that Timothy ought to go home before the deadly winter arrives. James can’t stand to keep Timothy in danger, but can he bear to lose him? Content notes for days. Police brutality, general fisticuffs, rampant petty thievery, pervasive low-key peril, transactional sex, sexual menace, references to child abuse, references to sexual assault, period-typical attitudes in general but especially toward homosexuality (by which I mean not only homophobia but “Which parties in this sexual interaction are actually considered queer?”). One of my beta-readers said she read half the book peeking through her fingers because it was so emotionally intense. Make of that what you will.