Bru Baker

When the kids are away, the monsters will play. School's out for summer, and these dads are ready to ship their kids off to camp. Not just because their kids are monsters--whose aren't?--but because they're ready for some alone time to let their hair down and their fangs out. You see, not only are the kids monsters--their dads are too. Even the most dangerous of creatures has a soft spot. These bad, dangerous dads love their kids to death, but they need romance. Every year, for a few short weeks, these hot men with a little extra in their blood get to be who they truly are. And this year, life has a surprise for them. Whether they be mage, shifter, vampire, or changeling, these heartbreakingly handsome dads might be looking to tear up the town... but they'll end up falling in love. All it takes is the right man to bring them to their knees.

Special Illustrated Edition White-collar dad Hugh Whitby dotes on his adopted daughter, but she’s away at camp. Now it's time let the vampiric urges he so tightly controls run wild and take advantage of his monster hall pass to feed on criminals. But when fae prince Rykoff of Harlow interrupts Hugh feeding, he catches Hugh’s daughter’s scent and vows to avenge the fae youngling he believes Hugh has captured. Hugh had no idea his daughter wasn’t human, and it rocks the foundation of his world. He must convince Rykoff that the fae youngling in question is safe with her vampire dad and can prosper in the mortal realm—or risk losing her forever. Previously released as part of the anthology Bad, Dad, and Dangerous by Dreamspinner Press, October 2020

Over a decade ago, Avery Laniston fell in love with his brother Bran’s best friend but walked out on him and married his career instead. He’s regretted it ever since. After twelve years abroad, he returns for Bran’s wedding, hoping to make amends—only to get stranded in an airport with the man he left behind. When Paul Gladwell finds himself stuck in Dallas with Avery on the way to Bran’s wedding, he decides a one-night stand might be the ticket to closure. Instead it rekindles a spark that threatens to burn him a second time. The romantic atmosphere at the wedding venue doesn’t help, nor does scheming from their friends and family. But the worst culprit is Paul’s heart, which refuses to listen to his head’s warning that Avery hasn’t changed. Avery knows he hurt Paul before, and he’s determined to make it right. But he doesn’t know where his next job might take him, and Paul is hesitant to trust him again. Can Avery prove he’ll be the partner Paul deserves—that he can balance his career and his personal life? Or will he add one night in Dallas to his years of regrets?

Les Couples de la Lune existent, mais ils sont rares... Adrian Rothschild n'ayant jamais atteint le stade de sa puberté de loup, il se croit humain, en quelque sorte. Ce n'est pas le cas et le voilà prêt à subir sa Transition avec huit ans de retard dans un état étranger, loin de sa meute, seul et terrorisé. Le Dr Tate Lewis a vécu une Transition catastrophique sous la houlette de son père, fanatique partisan de la libération totale de l'animalité du loup. Désormais autonome, Tate travaille au camp H. U. R. L., un centre dont le but est de faciliter la Transition des jeunes loups. Tate ne s'attendait pas à avoir un adulte parmi ses patients ni à se découvrir une très forte connexion avec Adrian. En vérité, Tate n'était même pas certain de croire à cette légende des Compagnons de Lune. Après tout, son père, qui pratiquait la polygamie, avait revendiqué cinq partenaires. Il n'en reste pas moins évident qu'Adrian a besoin de lui. Si Tate accepte de baisser sa garde, peut-être découvrira-t-il que lui aussi a besoin d'Adrian. Un loup n'est complet qu'avec son alter-ego. Et Tate a déjà perdu tant de morceaux essentiels de son être ! Mais Adrian saura-t-il affronter le défi qu'il représente ?

Traverser la frontière de l'amourDécisions hâtives sur idées malencontreuses rapprochent le Portugais Mateus Fontes et l'homme d'affaires Crawford Hargrave au poste de frontière canadien. Mateus se retrouve dans une impasse. Avec un permis de tourisme qui expire sous peu, son entrée au Canada lui est refusée et on rejette sa demande pour repasser la frontière des états-Unis. En inventant de toute pièce leurs prétendues fiançailles, Crawford pense avoir réglé le problème, et cela fonctionne, jusqu'à ce qu'ils apprennent qu'ils doivent réellement se marier avant de pouvoir rentrer aux états-Unis. Mais Crawford s'est déjà fait avoir une fois par le mariage et il est déterminé à ne pas reproduire la même erreur. Aucun dsur le point d'arriver. Ils devront apprendre à être honnêtes l'un envers l'autre s'ils espèrent que cela fonctionne entre eux, chose particulièrement difficile lorsque leur mariage entier est basé sur des mensonges.

Love sneaks up like a thief in the night. Danny’s parents raised him to believe his wolf was a curse. He’s part of the wealthy and powerful Connoll Pack, but only nominally. He abandoned that world to volunteer with supernatural kids, and he isn’t looking for a mate…. Max is a shifter who is also a detective. He’s working a case that could make or break his career. Danny’s caught up in the case he’s on, and he’s also irresistible. They’re a bad match—Max, an Alpha having trouble with his new powers, and Danny, who trusts Alphas as far as he could throw one. But they can’t get enough of each other, and they might bond before they even see it coming. They could be amazing together, but they have to get past a few obstacles—especially since someone close to Danny might be involved in the thefts Max is investigating.

Die aufstrebenden Kochtalente Beck Douglas und Duncan Walters befinden sich seit Jahren auf dem Radar der Gourmetpaparazzi, da ihr Status als Erben der beiden grö ten Kochimperien weit und breit sie zu Kochkönigen macht. Beck ist durch seinen Charme und seine klassischen Gerichte als Co-Moderator in der beliebten Fernseh-Kochshow seines Onkels bekannt geworden. Duncan dagegen hat sich durch seine Weigerung, im Restaurant seines Vaters zu arbeiten, und seine avantgardistischen Methoden einen Ruf als Bad Boy in der Kochszene erworben. Au erdem haben sie eine Kochrivalität geerbt, die die berühmte Familienfehde der Hatfields und McCoys harmlos erscheinen lässt. Als sie mitten in einer hitzigen Diskussion fotografiert werden, überschlägt sich die Presse mit wilden Spekulationen. Zur Schadensbegrenzung fädeln Freunde aus dem PR-Bereich eine Scheinfreundschaft ein. Schnell wünschen sich beide aber insgeheim mehr. Die Gängelungen seines Onkels reiben Beck auf und Duncans Verhältnis zu seinem homophoben Vater spitzt sich noch mehr zu, als sich Beck und Duncan näherkommen. Als Duncan in Becks Kochshow einsteigt, fällt es ihnen schwer, im überregionalen Fernsehen die Chemie zwischen ihnen zu verbergen. Ganz ohne Scherben wird sich ihre Beziehung - oder ihre Karriere - jedoch nicht auf die nächste Stufe heben lassen.

Empires rivaux du monde de la gastronomie, les noms de Douglas et Walters se disputent la couronne depuis des temps immémoriaux. La presse s'arrache le moindre scoop sur les deux talentueux héritiers de ces magnats de la restauration, les jeunes Beck Douglas et Duncan Walters. Beck, qui anime une émission de cuisine à succès avec son oncle, est réputé pour son charme et sa cuisine traditionnelle. Duncan, quant à lui, n'a pas peur de sortir des sentiers battus et s'est construit une réputation de rebelle en refusant de travailler pour son père. Lorsqu'un cliché d'eux en train de se disputer violemment commence à circuler, les médias s'enflamment. Afin de contrôler les dommages qu'une rixe entre les deux familles pourrait porter à leur réputation, leurs chargés de communication respectifs orchestrent une réconciliation factice. Au cours de cette mascarade, et malgré les projecteurs et la mise en scène, une étincelle naît secrètement entre les deux jeunes hommes. Beck ploie sous la pression continuelle que lui inflige son oncle, et les relations déjà tendues de Duncan avec son père se détériorent encore davantage lorsqu'il commence à soupçonner un rapprochement entre Duncan et Beck. Il faut dire qu'il est difficile d'ignorer l'alchimie qui brûle entre eux à l'écran, lorsque Duncan rejoint Beck sur le plateau de son émission. Une chose est sûre, au travail comme en amour, c'est un parcours semé d'embûches qui les attend, et comme le dit le dicton, on ne fait pas d'omelette sans casser des oeufs...

A Camp H. O. W. L. NovelHappily ever after is right under their noses. Harris has been keeping a big secret for years—his unrequited mate bond with his best friend, Jackson. He's convinced himself that having Jackson in his life is enough. That, and his work at Camp H. O. W. L., keeps him going. Things get complicated when Jackson applies for a high-ranking Tribunal job in New York City—far from Camp H. O. W. L. The position requires he relinquish all Pack bonds… and that's when his wolf decides to choose a mate. Suddenly Jackson sees his best friend in a sizzling new light. Their chemistry is through the roof, but they're setting themselves up for broken hearts—and broken bonds—if Jackson can't figure out a way to balance his career and the love that's just been waiting for him to take notice.

A Camp H. O. W. L. NovelOnce in a blue moon, opposites find they're a perfect match. Nick Perry is tired of helping people with their marriages, so when a spot opens up to work with teens at Camp H. O. W. L., he jumps at it. He doesn't expect to fall in lust with the dreamy new camp doctor, Drew Welch. But Drew is human, and Nick has seen secrets ruin too many relationships to think that a human/werewolf romance can go anywhere. Happy-go-lucky Drew may not sprout claws, but he's been part of the Were community all his life. He has no trouble fitting in at the camp—except for Nick's stubborn refusal to acknowledge the growing attraction between them and his ridiculous stance on dating humans. Fate intervenes when one of his private practice patients threatens Drew's life. Will the close call help Nick to see a connection like theirs isn't something to let go of?

Crossing the border into love. Snap decisions and misguided ideas bring Portuguese national Mateus Fontes and businessman Crawford Hargrave together at the Canadian border crossing. Mateus is caught in a catch-22. With his almost-expired tourist visa, entrance to Canada is denied, but the US won't let him back in either. Crawford thinks he's solved things when he tells the border agent they're engaged, and it works--except now they have to actually get married before either of them can get back into the United States. But Crawford has been burned by marriage once, and he's determined not to make that mistake again. Neither of them expects real feelings to bloom out of their fake marriage, but they do. And the two of them have to learn how to be honest with each other to make things work, which is especially hard when their entire marriage is based on lies.

Everyone wishes they were dead when wandering the purgatory of a home furnishings store, but these guys actually are. Benji Goss is the quintessential good guy. When his boyfriend dumps him and moves out, Benji obligingly keeps the cat—even though he's allergic—because his ex's new place doesn't accept pets. He's always joked the cat would be the death of him, but not in a way he expects when a feline mishap crushes him under a DEL TORO bookcase. Snarky loner Patrick Bryant is in such a rut he barely remembers the life he used to lead. The last thing he recalls is being decapitated by a DEL TORO bookcase in a freak accident. As a spiritual CASA resident, he haunts the aisles of affordable Italian furniture, assisting fellow spirits in moving on to their final destinations. When Benji appears in the CASA café, Patrick considers the naïve spirit just the man to cure his boredom. Benji's relentless optimism chips away at Patrick's sarcasm, making him question if there's something beyond what he can see. But the heart is like CASA furniture—there's always some assembly required.

Rising kitchen talents Beck Douglas and Duncan Walters have been on the foodie paparazzi radar for years, since their status as heirs to two of the biggest celebrity chef empires around makes them culinary royalty. Beck is known for his charm and traditional food as cohost of his uncle's popular TV cooking show, while Duncan earned himself a reputation as a culinary bad boy, both for his refusal to work in his father's restaurants and his avant-garde approach to cooking. They're also heirs to a food rivalry that could put the Hatfields and McCoys to shame, and when they're photographed in the middle of a heated argument, the press goes wild with speculation. Damage control ensues, with a fake friendship engineered by PR cronies that leaves both of them secretly pining for more. Beck chafes under his uncle's micromanagement, and Duncan's relationship with his homophobic father becomes even more tenuous when Beck and Duncan start getting closer. It's hard to hide their chemistry on national television when Duncan joins Beck's cooking show, but they won't be able to take their relationship—or their careers—to the next level without breaking a few eggs.

Dropping Anchor: Book Three College sweethearts Frank and Warner have been together for sixteen years, married for eleven. Having grown up in a freewheeling hippie environment, Frank thinks their structured life is great, although lately he and Warner have fallen into a rut. Frank isn't concerned; it's what happens to old marrieds. Frank's blindsided, though, when he finds Warner looking into adopting, and Frank realizes just how not okay things really are. Frank doesn't want kids. They bring chaos and unpredictability. He had enough of that growing up. Trying to salvage their relationship, Frank and Warner reach out for help. In the process of marriage counseling and working through their differences, Frank discovers his rigid adherence to schedules, anxiety attacks, and host of personality quirks are actually markers for Asperger Syndrome. With the help of a psychologist, Frank's life gets easier, and he realizes a future with children isn't as unfathomable as he once thought. Through it all, Frank is stunned by how much making a family with Warner has boosted the intimacy between them. It's taken thirty-five years, but he's finally got a handle on life, and the future looks even better.

Dropping Anchor: Book Two When an inheritance fell in Ian Mackay's lap, he fled the high-pressure banking industry and didn't look back. Since then, he's spent four years living carefree on the island of Tortola, his life a series of hookups and hanging out with friends. After his best friend moves to Seattle and gets married, Ian finds himself lost. His unapologetic existence doesn't hold the same appeal, and he wonders if he's throwing his life away. After visiting Niall in Seattle, Ian decides to stay, but that means taking his life off hold and finding a real job. Meeting Luke Keys, who is about as far from a player as possible, isn't the plan but might be just what Ian needs. Luke and his values intrigue Ian, and he pursues Luke ruthlessly until Luke agrees to a date. Their courtship sweeps Ian off his feet, and when the relationship gets complicated, Ian has the chance to cut and run. Habits born from years of being on his own are hard to shake, and self-proclaimed playboy Ian must decide if love is worth fighting for.

Dropping Anchor: Book One Unable to move on after the death of his lover, British expat Niall Ahern clings to Nolan's dream of living in the Caribbean by moving to Tortola. Once there, he finds that not even the beauty of the island can fill the hole in his heart. Broke and spent in nearly every way imaginable, Niall wants out of the lonely, miserable, guilt-ridden life he's carved out for himself. When Ethan Bettencourt, a wealthy tech guru, shows up in British Virgin Islands looking to purchase a second home, he gives Niall hope that he can move on. Both men fall hard and fast, but Niall finds piloting his yacht in the midst of a hurricane is nothing compared to weathering life's simple misunderstandings. As their troubles come between them, Niall is left to wonder if he and Ethan are over before they've begun.