Heather Bay Series by Charlie Novak

What if taking a chance photo led to love?Bastian Roche is lonely and drifting. While he adores his photography job, he still hasn’t found a place to call home. Until he takes a chance photo of the elusive fantasy author Anders Flynn and makes a life changing connection.Anders is grumpy, reclusive, and convinced he's better off alone. But that doesn’t stop him from replying to Bastian’s emails... moreWhat if taking a chance photo led to love?Bastian Roche is lonely and drifting. While he adores his photography job, he still hasn’t found a place to call home. Until he takes a chance photo of the elusive fantasy author Anders Flynn and makes a life changing connection.Anders is grumpy, reclusive, and convinced he's better off alone. But that doesn’t stop him from replying to Bastian’s emails. When Anders suggests Bastian scouts out his hometown of Heather Bay as a shoot location, Anders realises he’s falling fast for the man who brings sunshine into his life.As Heather Bay pulls them together, both men must make a choice. Can a chance meeting give them the life they’ve always pictured?Like I Pictured is a contemporary MM novella and is a prequel to the Heather Bay series but can be read as a standalone. It’s got a sweetness, steam, a small, British seaside town, and some grumpy cats. less

Falling for my childhood sweetheart wasn’t part of the plan.Moving back to Heather Bay wasn’t on Oliver’s agenda for the summer, but after inheriting a cottage in dire need of renovation he doesn’t have much choice. Supervising the builders should be easy… except the man in charge is Oliver’s childhood best friend and ex-boyfriend... moreFalling for my childhood sweetheart wasn’t part of the plan.Moving back to Heather Bay wasn’t on Oliver’s agenda for the summer, but after inheriting a cottage in dire need of renovation he doesn’t have much choice. Supervising the builders should be easy… except the man in charge is Oliver’s childhood best friend and ex-boyfriend.Lane’s spent nine years desperately trying to forget his first love, but that doesn’t stop him from fantasising about Oliver in every spare moment once he discovers Oliver’s back in town. Falling into bed together isn’t supposed to mean anything, even if Lane’s emotions feel too big to be ignored. Being drawn to each other is one thing, but being stuck together after disaster strikes the renovations is another. The pull of the past is strong but Oliver and Lane have been down this road before. This time they’ll need to learn from their mistakes so they can finally keep their promises.Like I Promised is a steamy second-chance contemporary MM romance featuring former childhood sweethearts, interfering friends, questionable barbecues, a very lazy collie, cosy coffee shops, and secret beaches. less

Dreaming about my best friend’s brother is one thing, him actually falling for me is another. Baking cupcakes for the science department bake-off shouldn’t strike fear into the heart of chemistry teacher Noah, but his previous record hasn’t exactly been glowing. In an attempt to stave off another year in last place, Noah turns to the one man who might be able to help him: his best friend’s older brother, Spencer... moreDreaming about my best friend’s brother is one thing, him actually falling for me is another. Baking cupcakes for the science department bake-off shouldn’t strike fear into the heart of chemistry teacher Noah, but his previous record hasn’t exactly been glowing. In an attempt to stave off another year in last place, Noah turns to the one man who might be able to help him: his best friend’s older brother, Spencer. Noah’s had a crush on the vibrant and sporty footballer turned baker for years, but the chances of anything happening between them are slim to none. Spencer is caring, funny, gorgeous… and totally straight. Spencer has never thought about dating men before, but after watching Noah lick buttercream off a whisk he’s suddenly realising he’s not as straight as previously thought. Revelations about his sexuality are one thing, but his footballing past being dragged into the present is another and Spencer isn’t sure which is more stressful. But he’s sure about one thing: he wants Noah in his life. Now all they have to do is figure out how to make their wishes come true. Like I Wished is a hot and heart-warming best friend’s brother contemporary MM romance featuring adorable ghost cupcakes, a bisexual awakening over biscuits, gate-crashed first dates, gym-bro besties, and lots of hot chocolate. It is book two in the Heather Bay series and while it can be read as a standalone, it’s best enjoyed as part of the series. less

One night isn’t supposed to lead to love.Jamie Stone is rich, beautiful, and bored out of his skull. The past few years have been an endless round of parties, and the decadence has lost its lustre. When a late night decision to get away lands him in the small seaside town of Heather Bay, Jamie's convinced he's made a mistake.Heather Bay is no Ibiza, but it does have Will.Will is stressed, stretched, and doesn't have time for anything but work... moreOne night isn’t supposed to lead to love.Jamie Stone is rich, beautiful, and bored out of his skull. The past few years have been an endless round of parties, and the decadence has lost its lustre. When a late night decision to get away lands him in the small seaside town of Heather Bay, Jamie's convinced he's made a mistake.Heather Bay is no Ibiza, but it does have Will.Will is stressed, stretched, and doesn't have time for anything but work. He's too busy trying to keep his head above water to focus on the London party boy who keeps ending up in his bed. Jamie is nothing but a distraction, but Will can't resist coming back for more, especially with the harsh realities of farming nipping at his heels.With the clock ticking on Jamie’s stay and the chaos of lambing season fast approaching, both men will have to look beyond themselves and let go of their fears. If they can, they might find the one thing they’ve always needed.Like I Needed is a steamy and sweet hook-ups to lovers contemporary MM romance featuring a city boy with a hedonistic reputation, a gruff farmer in need of a break, endless amounts of snow, friends with no boundaries, terrible scrambled eggs, and the breathtaking beauty of the Yorkshire moors.It is book three in the Heather Bay series and while it can be read as a standalone, it’s best enjoyed as part of the series. less

Pretending to be in love never felt so real. Henry Lu hates being a superstar. Action movies have left a sour taste in his mouth and filming a queer period drama on the Yorkshire coast sounds like the perfect antidote. Meeting grumpy coffee shop owner, Alex, is the cherry on top.Alex isn't impressed with the appearance of Hollywood royalty in his life, especially because Henry refuses to accept that Alex doesn't like him... morePretending to be in love never felt so real. Henry Lu hates being a superstar. Action movies have left a sour taste in his mouth and filming a queer period drama on the Yorkshire coast sounds like the perfect antidote. Meeting grumpy coffee shop owner, Alex, is the cherry on top.Alex isn't impressed with the appearance of Hollywood royalty in his life, especially because Henry refuses to accept that Alex doesn't like him. But when rumours about the production draw the attention of stuffy streaming service bigwigs and the ire of Henry’s superhero franchise, Henry and Alex must put on a show and fake a relationship to smooth things over.Alex doesn’t want a relationship, and Henry isn’t good at them, but their arrangement is only supposed to be for a few months, then they'll both be free to go back to their lives. The only problem is that pretending to be in love never felt so real.Like I Pretended is a slow burn contemporary MM romance featuring a sunshine Hollywood superstar whose never been told no, a grumpy coffee shop owner who wants to be left alone, bad attempts at flirting, terrible catering, and finding home.It is book four in the Heather Bay series and while it can be read as a standalone, it’s best enjoyed as part of the series. less

Roommates. Best friends. Boyfriends? Theo and Laurie have been best friends for six years but despite doing everything together, they’ve never been anything more than best friends and roommates. Then someone calls them boyfriends and upends their neat little world. As the pair struggle to put a lid on their feelings, a random email from Theo’s brother throws him even further off balance and all Laurie can do is offer a niche form of stress relief... moreRoommates. Best friends. Boyfriends? Theo and Laurie have been best friends for six years but despite doing everything together, they’ve never been anything more than best friends and roommates. Then someone calls them boyfriends and upends their neat little world. As the pair struggle to put a lid on their feelings, a random email from Theo’s brother throws him even further off balance and all Laurie can do is offer a niche form of stress relief. But Laurie’s support doesn’t stop at rope garters. Once the two of them fall into bed, it’s clear things will never be the same between them. Now, Theo and Laurie must finally address the feelings they’ve tried to hide from and figure out if they really are just friends, or if there’s always been something more between them. Can they give each other everything they ever wanted? Like I Wanted is a steamy best friends to lovers contemporary MM romance featuring a femme boy who loves zombie horror and weird taxidermy, a goth with a secret love of shibari, interfering adult entertainers, a vicar who takes no shit, and a quest for guinea pigs. It is the fifth and final novel in the Heather Bay series and is best enjoyed as part of the series. Please note that one of the MCs is involved in adult entertainment and chooses to remain working in the industry, with the full consent of his partner, once they’re in a relationship. For more information, please see the internal Author’s Note. less