A few weeks ago I recommended a book to Josephine Myles that I had read 18 months ago which still resonated with me – it was an unforgettable story about a homeless man who found love. It was a really difficult book to read and review as I cried a few times while reading it. I LOVED A Note In The Margin and the hell of it was that this book was angst filled, something I do not normally care for. Josephine emailed me this week and she said something that got me thinking:
I’ve been meaning to write and say thank you for recommending I read A Note in the Margin – I really loved it – it’s pretty rare for books to bring me to tears, but this one did so several times. The final scene where Dave has moved his clothes into the drawer was just so touching. I do hope the author writes something else soon.
I know that there are many “Josephines” out there who have only recently started reading M/M romances and therefore are not aware of books that moved or thrilled readers over the years as we escaped into the world of male/male romance. I recently started to review a few of my “old favourites” and I’m hoping that some of the other guest reviewers on the site will do so too, to bring to your attention books that might have slipped through the cracks. Today, and hopefully on a somewhat irregular regular basis, 🙂 I’ll list a few titles that I can personally recommend you buy. This is separate from the books on the Readers’ Recommended Gay Books which is currently being updated – although that list does include some of my favourites. I’ll try to give you a few stories with a paragraph about each of them to help you decide whether you want to give them a whirl.
A Note in the Margin by Isabelle Rowan. Here’s what I said about this book in my review:
“If you read nothing else this year, read A Note In The Margin. This story is like no other M/M romance I have ever read and is about one man’s descent into the hell of mental illness and homelessness, how he survived years of living on the streets after a perfectly normal life as a husband and father, and the love and care it took to bring him back into the world we call normal.”
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My Fair Captain by J.L. Langley is the first book in her Sci Regency series and here’s part of the blurb
A storm of political intrigue, murderous mayhem and sexual hungers is brewing on planet Regelence.
Swarthy Intergalactic Navy Captain Nathaniel Hawkins ran from a past he had no intention of ever reliving. But when his Admiral asks him to use his peerage, as an earl and the heir to a dukedom, to investigate a missing weapons stash, he’s forced to do just that. As if being undercover on a Regency planet where the young men are supposed to remain pure until marriage isn’t bad enough, Nate finds himself attracted to the king’s unmarried son.
and a paragraph from the review
This fast paced story has everything – a riveting plot, a great setting, terrific dialogue, humour, political intrigue, mayhem and murder, as well as action and adventure in a futuristic but Regency era on a far away planet . The patriarchal society created by the author is authentic in terms of the story as well as charming. The major difference in Regelence society is that being gay is the norm rather than the exception. The characters are so well drawn that they could step off the pages of the book and into everyday life without anyone turning a hair………
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Phoenix Rising: Strongman by Denise Rossetti is book 3 in the Phoenix Rising series. The first two books are het but Strongman is M/M all the way. Here’s part of the blurb
A hard-bitten mercenary who’s had a gutful of mud and blood and death, Fortitude McLaren joins the Ten Nations Fair as a roustabout. Tough, cold and competent, he’s shocked and angered by his hunger for Griff, a circus acrobat. Brought up in the bigoted society of the Straight Church, Fort regards manlove with casual contempt. Not for him. Never for him.
and the review
Athletic, cocky and single-minded about what he wants, Griff sets about getting it. Fort fights with everything in him, but Griff affects him like no one else. It’s not just his strong, supple body. Fort is irresistibly drawn by the openhearted friendship the other man offers so freely.
“This book has hot men and even hotter sex, a terrific story, fantasy creatures – some good (those wonderful Aetherii men with wings and a tail), some horrible like the Hssrda, great adventure and, even better, rough sex that becomes tender when you least expect it.”
There is an epilogue to the story that is available free on the author’s website as well as a vignette called Celebration. Here’s the link.
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I read a book 4 years ago but knew I would not do it justice in a review because it was an angst fest, 🙂 so I sent the book to Jenre a few months ago and asked her to write the review. It was one of the best suggestions I had ever made to her because she did a wonderful job. That book is A Red Tainted Silence by Carolyn Gray. When I ‘recommended’ to Jen that she review the book I had no idea she was nervous but I found out in the review when she opened it with this paragraph:
“I have to admit I was nervous as I sat down to read this book. Wave had ‘announced’ I was reading and reviewing it and after that lots of people let me know that it was either one of their favourite m/m books or how much they had liked it. After that, I began to worry what would happen if I didn’t like the book or had a lukewarm response to it. Fortunately all my worries were unfounded as I loved the book. Loved it.”
Here’s how she summarized the book:
The breadth of emotion, the complexity of the characters and the sheer intensity of the book, all combine to make A Red-Tainted Silence a wonderful book which I would highly recommend.
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Also high on my list of recommendations is Zero at the Bone by Jane Seville, another book reviewed by Jenre. She said this about the story: 
“Those of you who, like me, love watching thrilling action films will find this book exactly to your taste. In fact, I spent the majority of time whilst reading Zero at the Bone thinking what a great film it would make. It’s got all the right elements: A taciturn, reluctant, tortured hero; an honourable, personable, hero who appears helpless but has an inner strength; several different bad guys; shady government officials; action set pieces involving explosions, gun fights and car chases; betrayals; murders and underpinning the whole thing is a great love story between two seemingly opposite men.”
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This list would not be complete without that well-known, angst filled M/M romance starring detectives Sean O’Brien and Nick Valenti. Of course I’m talking about The Assignment, Evangeline Anderson’s signature M/M book that introduced a lot of 
readers to this sub genre. The Assignment was probably the first Gay For You book written and this is some of what I said when I reviewed it:
“Their undercover assignment brings out feelings in Nick and Sean that they have kept buried and they can no longer hide their love for each other. Since they are both straight, this is a quandary that neither has any idea how to resolve and there is the added dimension of their job where being gay detectives is not something that is acceptable. The tension and the drama of the final take-down plays out very publicly and Nick and Sean are left to deal with the outcome and emotions they never anticipated having for each other. “
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Dangerous Ground , a wonderful adventure, is by one of the best writers in the genre and definitely one of my favourite authors – Josh Lanyon. Here’s the blurb:
Special Agents for the Department of Diplomatic Security, Taylor MacAllister and Will Brandt have been partners and best friends for three years, but everything changed the night Taylor admitted the truth about his feelings for Will. And when Taylor was shot a few hours later, Will felt his reluctance to get involved was vindicated. For Will, the team
and the friendship have to come first — despite the fact that he hasn’t failed to notice just how…hot Taylor is”.
I couldn’t get over how very hot Taylor was 🙂 and that hottub scene WOW:
While on the run our heroes seem bent on stirring the emotional waters in more ways than one and a hot tub played a key role in their attempt to make up, taking the meaning of water sports to a whole new level as “they grappled amiably, hands slipping on slick bodies, tussling and twisting in the steaming water”. Okay!
There is a sequel to Dangerous Ground called Old Poison which is just as good. Their creator recently informed me that Will and Taylor will be starring in a new series – Blood Heat is scheduled to be released in a couple of months.
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I have one more recommendation today – the first book in Lynn Lorenz’s erotic historical series In The 
Company of Men called The Mercenary’s Tale. Here’s part of the blurb:
Lord Drake is a mercenary. When he meets Ansel for the first time he is immediately attracted to him and waives his usual rule of not training young men to become mercenaries because so many have died in battle while under his care.
Part of my review went like this
When Ansel loses his life at Foray the setting, as expected, is poignant, moving and sad as Drake searches for him on the battlefield among the bodies of men and horses. He eventually finds Ansel as he lay dying next to his horse; when it is all over Drake cannot leave him and holds his lover in his arms for hours afterwards. This scene was really heartrending.
But it wasn’t all sad
The Mercenary’s Tale can actually be viewed as two stories covering the evolution of Lord Drake, and it is one of the most delightful books that I have read in a while. The language and dress are true to the era, and the author Lynn Lorenz should be commended for making the book as historically accurate as possible, within the confines of a work of fiction.
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I’ll do similar posts of books I can personally recommend a few more times to get you started, if you’re a recent fan of male/male romances. I hope you find at least a couple of titles in this post that you want to try – I think these books are excellent examples of the wonderful writing and variety to be found in this sub genre. You may have some recommendations of your own that I or other readers haven’t heard of, but don’t list them all today as there will be ample opportunities in future weeks. 🙂 We all look forward to reading about a few of your personal favourites. Till next time.
Great list Wave. I’ve read and loved many of these, but my favorite on your list is A Note in The Margin. It also stuck with me for a long while after reading it.
In recent memory, Take My Picture by Giselle Ellis had a similar effect one me. It had such wonderful characters that for weeks afterwards, I was thinking about Jake and Aaron, so much so that I’ve reread this book several times. Coincidently, this is also the only book that she’s written.
Now I must try to get to some of the others on your list that I haven’t read yet!
Hi TJ
I tried to give a cross section of books considering the varied tastes of M/M readers. There is adventure, sci fi, fantasy, contemporary, even an erotic historical. I hope that at least one of the recommendations on the list will appeal. If you haven’t read Zero at the Bone and Strongman I think these might be books that you could consider buying.
I read Take My Picture which, like you, I also enjoyed but to date neither Giselle Ellis, Isabelle Rowan nor Jane Seville has produced another book, which is a great pity.
I keep reading everyone’s great comments about Zero At The Bone, but then I get distracted by other books. I am definitely going to read it and I’ll check out Strongman as well. Thanks Wave.
And yes, a real shame that none of these talented authors has written another book. Maybe they’re just very slow writers? I’m a fan of a mainstream author who has long stretches between his books. So there is hope!
TJ
I heard sometime ago that Jane Seville was writing a sequel to Zero but I think she took ill. However she’s better now so I’ll write her to find out the status.
As far as I know neither of the other writers has anything else in the works but I must check with DSP on Isabelle Rowan.
You’ve listed four of my all-time favorites… A Note In the Margin, A Red-Tainted Silence, Zero at the Bone and My Fair Captain. I’ve had Lynn’s series for ages but somehow I keep passing it over. I’ve got to read it soon.
Great list! 🙂
Hi Lily
You and I have been reading these books for a long time. I know that there are many new M/M readers because of many emails asking me for recs. of older books, so I thought I would do this. I think that any of the books on the list would be wonderful to start, depending on personal taste.
Hi Wave,
Zero at the Bones, A Red Tainted Silence and the wonderful Note in the Margin are among my all-time favourites, too. Particularly the latter is, to my opinion, more than “just” m/m, I think it’s a piece of literature full of wisdom and wonderfully written. Even those who aren’t interested in m/m, or not even in romance in general, could enjoy this story of starting anew and finding his way in life against all odds.
Strongman was the only one on the list I haven’t read yet, and it sounds very interesting. Thanks for the rec.
This post is a great idea, by the way. Browsing DSP and fictionwise I marveled lately at the number of new books released every week. Some of the earlier ones threat to get forgotten among the sheer number of new releases, and that really is a shame sometimes, I don’t say new books can’t be good, but it’s like with every field of literature: there are the “classics” nobody should miss if he or she wants to enjoy the full range of possibilities this particular genre provides.
I’m curious if your and my taste match further in that matter. 😉
Hi Feliz
Like you I’m constantly amazed at the number of new releases every. That’s great but we shouldn’t forget the wonderful books that came before which many readers remember even several years after they were written – a feat many of the newer books can’t hope to accomplish.
I hope you do get Strongman – I love this book because the characters were so different and the alien environment was amazing. Even the het books in this series , which I read many years ago, were great reads.
I’m still thinking which books to profile next time so we’ll see then if our tastes are similar. 🙂
Great list, Wave! The only one in that list that I’ve read is ARed-Tainted Silence and I absolutely loved it. My to-read list is getting huge!
Hi L.C.
It’s hard to recommend any one book on this list before the other because they are all wonderful reads. I can only say, let your personal taste be your guide since not every book will appeal..
Glad to be of service. 🙂
THERE`S A SEQUEL TO STRONGMAN???
OMG!! Wave you`re the best! You saved my day,my weekend,my………..*H*U*G*S*………..
…see you later….
s.
Hi Sims
Not only is there an epilogue but it’s free on the author’s website, together with another vignette called Celebration which is also free. Anything I can do to help. LOL.
I have Zero at the Bone, Strongman AND Dangerous Ground (along with ALL of Josh’s other books, I haven’t had the chance to start any of his yet) in my TBR pile… I have read all of the others on your list (just this week read A Red Tainted Silence…OMG! What an amazing book, I feel as if I cheated myself cause it was in my TBR pile since before Jenre’s review in January 🙁 ).
So, other than buying any new recs (including A Note in the Margin) I am going to dig into what I have in my files. THANKS Wave!
Elaine
You’re very welcome. 🙂 You don’t need to buy many books since you just have to find the time to go through your TBR pile and prioritize the books you already have. However I can’t recommend A Note in the Margin highly enough but I warn you, it will make you cry (I hate it when that happens). Zero – awesome as well as Strongman and Dangerous Ground. I’m reading the epilogue to Strongman tonight as well as Celebration – can’t wait to get back to that world.
What a really good idea! Some great recommended reads here, Wave, and you’re far too nice about me :).
My Fair Captain was my first ever m/m book and I still go back and re-read it when I have time, as I also do with The Assignment. The only two I haven’t read from this list is Strongman and A Mercenary’s Tale and I shall make sure these are added to my TBR pile very soon.
Jen
These are all wonderful books which I re-read all the time. I definitely recommend that you get Strongman as well as A Mercenary’s Tale. Even though A Mercenary’s Tale is listed as historical I’m not sure about the period – maybe Loose Id’s historicals are like DSP’s 🙂
Jen, my first m/m book was a J.L. Langley too, Without reservation 🙂
There are indeed some treasures in this post Wave. Some of those I even have in paper!
Hi Ingrid
Would you believe that I, too, have most of these books in paper? Even though I decided not to buy too many paper backs recently I still get my faves in paper.
Some of these books are real treasures.
Hey Ingrid, what a coincidence! That was actually my first “real” m/m, too!
I loved it back then, but have come across better in the meantime by now. Still, a “nostalgic” treasure. How about you?
Wave, I was affected by A note in the margin too. This is one of the books that I will never forget no matter how many gay/m/m romances I will read. And of course I loved Zero at the Bone.
I have to confess though, I do not get the appeal of the Assignment and I know many readers love it. While I find characters very likeable, I find the plot to be quite silly, unfortunately I cannot explain why without spoilers here in case there are readers who have not read it yet.
Dangerous ground was such a delight, almost everything that Josh Lanyon writes is a delight for me :).
It was a wonderful list, thank you.
And OMG Mercenary’s tale sounds sooo good, will definitely get it, thank you.
Hi Sirius
If you can relate to most of the books that’s all I ask . Not every book will appeal since every reader has different tastes. The Assignment has its fans and its detractors. I liked it because it was the first GFY romance that I read and I love the characters. Can’t win em all. 🙂
When I read A Note in the Margin I had to write the author because I was so moved. As far as I can tell she hasn’t written anything in the M/M sub genre again, which is a pity. I keep looking for her name online but no luck. Maybe she’s writing under another pseud.
I hope you get A Mercenary’s Tale – there are other books in the series which I love but this one is my favourite.
Like you, everything that Josh writes I love – what can I say? I’m a fan.
OH definitely Wave, I can relate to most of the books you listed. Yes, I am so hoping that Isabelle Rowan will write another novel soon. So far I only read short story by her and it was lovely but so not enough to satisfy my craving for more of her work. Have you read it? It was included in the “Curious” anthology I believe.
And I think I will get Strongman as well.
Thanks Sirius
I hadn’t thought to check out the Curious anthology for new books by Isabelle. The anthology is on my reading list (so many books, so little time) 🙂 Jen also mentioned that Isabelle had written a summer Daily Dose which I will buy immediately.
One of the best things about writing this post is that I’m updating my own TBB list. 🙂
Isabelle Rowan has written a short for the DSP Curious anthology and 2009 summer daily dose but it does mean buying the whole anthology just for one story :).
You can get her daily dose story separately here: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?cPath=63_74&products_id=1377.
Jen
Thanks for the info. I will definitely check this out.
My wish is that Isabelle will write something else as profound as A Note in the Margin but I know that’s too much to expect.
Talking about a book that resonate, I think my love to M/M stories actually starts with a Young Adult book entitled “Leave Myself Behind” by Bart Yates. It’s not a romance but for me it opened my eyes on how M/M romance coud be. Here’s what I wrote about the book in Goodreads:
“It is rather unfortunate that this book is categorized as “Gay Fiction” because for those who are not into gay stories will lose the chance to discover one of the most entertaining teenager characters since Holden Caulfield in “The Catcher in the Rye” as well as one of the most endearing relationships ever portrayed in a book. “Leave Myself Behind” is a truly profound and unforgettable coming-out story of Noah York, who discovered his first love with J.D. Curtis, the boy down the street. I guess the gem of this book lies on the character of Noah. He’s intelligent, brutally honest, sarcastic, hilarious, and thoroughly lovable. The way he descibes loneliness, his relationship with his Mom, and his thoughts of other small things in daily life is engaging. Then of course, the development of his relationship with J.D. will make you believe in love and hope and happy ending future. That one scene where Noah sits in his porch and sees J.D. walking towards him – the description of the reactions of what happened when the lovers’ eyes met, is just breathtaking. Simply one of the best and most entertaining novels I have ever read – gay or not
After that I discover the wonderful world of M/M books.
Hi Amie
Thank you so much for recommending Leave Myself Behind. I have never heard about this book and I will definitely check it out because this site reviews YA books as well. I love to read “sweet” romances too and I have a post that should be uploading next week about the different types of M/M romances that readers buy.
Zero at the Bone – check. Note in the Margin – check. 🙂
And if we are talking about books that left their footprint: Tigers and Devils by Sean Kennedy. For me, it was a milestone, sudden knowledge M/M doesn’t have to be all about “M meeting M, they have sex, they have more sex, there’s a problem, they don’t have sex for two pages, then reconciliation and then they have sex and they have more sex”. T&D brought wonderful main AND secondary characters, some serious social issues and it was fun. 🙂
Hello Matthew
Thank you for dropping by.
Glad you like some of the recs. You’re ahead of me as T & D is on my next list of recommendations. This book was reviewed by Kris when it was first released and it still resonates for a lot of readers. I LOVED that book and just about everything else that Sean Kennedy has written to date.
Wave, I’m so happy that my email inspired you to start this series. I look to you for honest reviews that will help me to make choices out of the bewildering array of titles out there. So far I haven’t been disappointed by any of the books I’ve bought on the strength of your reviews.
I’m definitely adding some of these to my “to read” list. Zero at the Bone is already on there, but Strongman and Dangerous Ground sound like stories I’d really enjoy. I tend to be wary of books that sound too angsty, so I’m not overly tempted by some of the others. Still, if they’re really good examples of angsty romance, I’ll think about them if I’m ever in the mood for that!
Oh yes, and I absolutely loved Tigers and Devils, along with the Adrien English and Psycops series. Truly great reads.
Hi Josephine
Thank you for that inspiration. 🙂 I keep forgetting that there are so many new M/M fans who might not be aware of books that have been around for years, so your email was a wake up call.
I’m always happy to help you spend your money on books and if you come across a good book that hasn’t been reviewed here please let me know.
Thanks again Josephine and have a great weekend.
I’m right with you on A Red Tainted Silence, and I’m a huge fan of the Adrien English series and the Psycop novels. A futurist fantasy that I found haunting was J.M. Synder’s Scarred. It’s one of the first m/m books I read and it made a lasting impression.
Achilles Other Heel, by Tulsa Brown, dealing with a young man’s struggle with drug addiction, was another unforgettable tale for me.
There are many, many more I could name, but those are the ones that immediately came to mind upon reading this post. As usual, you’ve given us something to think about, as well as added to our TBR piles.
Hello Eden
Thank you so much for your recs, especially J.M. Snyder’s Scarred. She’s usually not an author whose books I read so I missed this one – I’ll definitely check it out.
I’ll also check out Achilles Other Heel – another book I hadn’t heard about. This is the best thing about posts like this – we all come away with something.
As for Josh’s and Jordan’s books – they have been reviewed and mentioned so many times on this site I was initially going to focus on lesser known books.
Thanks for dropping by. 🙂
JL is still one of my fav writers. She keeps writing solid books (content and length wise). It takes a while between books but it is worth the wait. I like her Regency series best. Mostly because I always loved Regency novels
Ingrid
She has a new release in November – no, not from her Sci Regency series but her With and Without series – With Abandon (Matt and Aubrey’s story). She’ll be here to talk about her works in progress.
I know and I can’t wait.
This list of recs of “older” recs was a great idea! There are so many new M/M releases these days that it’s easy to get lost, so when it comes to books released several years ago… yeah, it would be easy to miss those great reads if you’re a new fan. I’m sure you won’t be surprised that I agree with most of your recs :). Most of them I bought on your recommendation and didn’t regret it. A Note in the Margin and Zero at the Bone are two I would never have given a try to for various reason if it wasn’t for your enthusiastic and well-thought praise. I have yet to read Red-Tainted Silence, Mercenary’s tale and My Fair Captain – again, mostly because they’re long PDFs – but I’ve started reading M/M again these last weeks so I should be getting to one of them shortly. And you included The Assignment!!! 😀 I don’t think there can ever be another book that will have such an impact on me as this one did. Even knowing its flaws can’t stop me from loving this novel to death *seriously considers digging book out of the pile to stroke its cover lovingly* I’m looking forward to reading more of these “old recs” posts; I know that some of my other favorites will be there, such as Caught Running, 911 and the Adrien English books, and I always love to hear about the. It makes me want to re-read tem every time. Lol.