The Confession Series
Blending queer romance with ensemble adult Coming-of-Age stories, the Confession series is a sweet and spicy slice-of-life saga about a queer found family. Perfect for fans with large, diverse casts, queer stories that aren't about coming out or dying, and heavy subjects approached with humor and healing. Expect heartfelt and steamy romances, friendships that run deeper than family, and chosen families learning to thrive instead of surviving.
Bellamy—a fictional city straddling the Mississippi River across Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin—is transforming from a dying industrial town into a fintech magnet. Segregation, an opioid crisis, and displaced people are at odds with the luxury condos, booming nightlife, and investors moving into the city. Four queer folks from Eastside—the rapidly gentrifying “bad” part of Bellamy—have found a home in each other. They’ve made it through the darkest times together, only to find themselves stuck as their lives finally stabilized.
Lee Jones: an agreeable but anxious sweetheart whose life fell apart when his parents kicked him out at fifteen.
Tara Sanderson: a scrappy former street kid torn between her desires and needs.
Sunny Boonmee: a socially awkward trans woman struggling against her mother’s expectations.
Blanche Van Horne: a jaded dominatrix with a tragic past and a big heart struggling to live beyond survival mode.
Book One: Loving Lee
When the quiet audio tech meets the magnetic new drag queen, their fling feels inevitable. But far more than their hearts could break.
Considering he never expected to make it to adulthood, the life Lee Jones has cobbled together is surprisingly fine. His audio tech job at a gay bar is steady, and his chosen family—Tara, Sunny, and Blanche—is ride-or-die. Deep down, he wishes anyone wanted him for more than a casual fling, but he’ll take what he can get.
Picking up the pieces of his old life after giving up on chasing fame in New York, Antonio Flores settles for performing drag at Confession for the sake of stability. Fresh out of rehab is a terrible time to be crushing on anyone, but the charming beefcake in the booth is irresistible!
But the delicate equilibrium of Lee’s family crumbles as their emotional rock falls for Antonio. The tough but fragile Tara falters when Lee’s newfound happiness doesn't include her. Without Lee to rein in her impulses, Sunny pushes the soft-hearted Blanche into a clandestine relationship that threatens their friendship.
Lee helps keep his demons at bay, but Antonio’s bad habits could yet-again sabotage the best part of his life. As his family falls apart and the fairytale stops being easy, Lee sees the end of their relationship in every minor conflict. Is their relationship worth jeopardizing everything good in their lives?
Tropes
Workplace Romance: Gay Bar Edition
Found Family
Instalove with an aromantic-spectrum twist!
Drag Queen LI
Cinnamon Roll MC
M/M (with M/F, F/F, and F/X side plots)
Building on Lee's story, Love on the Sunny Side takes the reins as Lee figures out how to bring his moody and fragile chosen family into his new life with Antonio. But, "moody and fragile" is just as fitting for Antonio and his chosen family. Lee and Antonio force their friends into a cohesive queer Brady Bunch.
Antonio Flores: a charismatic drag queen who captured Lee's heart, still learning to trust his new and improved (and sober) self.
Richard Carter: an observant and loyal high-achiever working to escape from under his father's thumb and become his own man.
Phineas Watkins: a "work-hard, play-harder" hotshot lawyer torn between his family legacy and a heart no one seems to want.
Gabriel Cooper: the glue holding them together, a lost soul searching for himself after a decade of hurt.
Book Two: Love on the Sunny Side
When newfound confidence coincides with an attractive new frenemy, Sunny's heart is torn between happiness and family obligations.
After recovering from an uncomfortable breakup, Sunny Boonmee sets out to find love. Or at least get laid before her mother pushes her to start a family. Fortunately, the emotionally unavailable Richard Carter—whose red flags are no match for his blue eyes—is willing to help with the latter. He's perfect for a secret fling: a boring snob in the streets, bossy and adventurous in the sheets. No feelings, only orgasms.
The quiet and reclusive Richard is overwhelmed by this argumentative and intelligent woman who understands him better than anyone, including himself. Refusing to ruin another relationship, he endeavors to woo her properly, but Sunny brushes off every romantic gesture he’s been taught. His attempts to show that he likes her go unnoticed by everyone except Sunny’s ex, Blanche.
When Sunny and Richard discover that Lee and Antonio are conspiring to get them together, they double down on the secrecy by hatching a counterplot: pretending to hate each other. For Richard, their plan is mere amusement until Sunny is ready to go public with their relationship. But for Sunny—oblivious that Richard thinks they're already dating—the act is a desperate ploy for more time before their situationship fizzles out. Even if she accidentally caught feelings, Richard doesn't fit into her mother's plans for her future, and family comes first.
Tropes
Frenemies-to-Lovers in a Secret Relationship (aka Fake Hating)
Subverted Cinderella Story
Forced Found Family
Miscommunication but Funny
Millionaire Love Interest
Intelligent Airhead MC
T4T MF (with cis MF and MM side pairings)
After a long nine months since the conclusion of Love on the Sunny Side, Lee and Antonio's chosen families have merged into a supportive group of friends, who absolutely do not meddle (not that much, at least) in the mutual pining between Tara and Gabe.
Book Three: Tempting Tara
With a former fling now a cherished friendship, Tara secretly longs for more. But is desire enough to bridge two damaged souls?
Tara Sanderson is determined to be a good friend when Lee and Antonio's upcoming wedding means countless hours in close company with Gabe Cooper, the best man and her secret ex-flame. Armed with her many rules and meager emotional resilience, she hides her feelings to protect herself. Friendship is more than enough; the man who unknowingly broke her heart has become a beloved friend.
After years of therapy and seclusion to recover from a string of abusive relationships, Gabe feels whole enough to love again. His obsessive infatuation with the stranger who stole his shattered heart has healed into manageable yearning for the Tara he’s come to know. Instead of pining after yet another person who will never love him back—or worse, pursuing her and losing their friendship—he reluctantly agrees to the blind dates his mom sets up for him.
Tara’s self-control slips after learning he’s looking for love with anyone but her, revealing she's not as content to be “just friends” as she pretends. Ever the hopeless romantic, Gabe tries to show Tara how good they could be together. Tara must break all her rules to accept the happiness she longs for, but her habit of running from her feelings may be more than Gabe’s still-fragile heart can bear.
Tropes
Second Chance Romance
Found Family
Friends to Lovers
Angsty Himbo LI
Chaos Grump MC
M/F (with M/M, Trans M/F, and M/X side plots)
Confession: Book Four
Announcements coming after the release of Tempting Tara