The Vers Podcast Series by Riley Hart – Read Books Online Free Ebooks good best novels to read

The Vers Podcast Series by Riley Hart – Read Books Online Free Ebooks good best novels to read http://www.ilovenovels.com Thu, 14 Sep 2023 21:22:26 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0 http://www.ilovenovels.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/favicon.png The Vers Podcast Series by Riley Hart – Read Books Online Free Ebooks good best novels to read http://www.ilovenovels.com 32 32 The Charmer (The Vers Podcast #4) Read Online Riley Hart http://www.ilovenovels.com/the-charmer-the-vers-podcast-4-read-online-riley-hart Thu, 14 Sep 2023 21:22:26 +0000 http://www.booksnovels.com/the-charmer-the-vers-podcast-4-read-online-riley-hart Genre: Contemporary, M-M Romance Authors: Riley Hart Series: The Vers Podcast Series by Riley Hart
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Total pages in book: 83
Estimated words: 79308 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 397(@200wpm)___ 317(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)

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If you listen to The Vers, a queer podcast I host with my three best friends, you know me as The Charmer. I’m always happy, flirting, and trying to win everyone over. I think most people would be surprised to learn I have a lot more going on beneath the surface.

But ever since all my friends have fallen in love, it’s getting more difficult not to feel left out…

Cue my fascination with Spencer, my neighbor who hates me. There’s something addicting about getting under his skin, and I blame the combination of my confusing emotions and too many drinks for spilling my guts to him about all my insecurities…and about how much I love cuddling.

Turns out, Spencer doesn’t hate me, and my word vomit is the catalyst that makes us decide to be cuddle buddies. When I need affection, I go to him, and he just…holds me. Along the way we become friends, and when I fall for him, it’s surprising that he feels the same. Spencer’s easy to talk to, fun to be around, and did I mention he’s hot? I love how confident he is in his full figure, and there’s nothing like being in his beefy arms.

Spencer has me wanting more for the first time in my life, and he’s determined to help with my disordered eating, but if I want a healthy future with him, I need to work toward being healthy for myself too.

The Charmer deals with disordered eating, low self-esteem, and negative talk about weight. While the story is uplifting and none of these are heavy-handed, please see content warning for a full list.

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

PROLOGUE

Spencer

Eighteen years old

“I like your shirt.”

I looked up at the soft voice breaking through the loud beach party going on around us. It was a guy I’d never met before, with dark hair and unique blue eyes. They almost looked icy, if that made sense. Or like a blue flame I had a feeling held all sorts of secrets.

He was gorgeous—a little softer than some of the guys, but I wouldn’t call him chubby like me. He had full lips and a contagious smile that set butterflies loose in my belly.

He frowned, which reminded me he’d said something to me, and there I was, grinning at him like a dopey idiot. I couldn’t imagine why this guy was talking to me, but then I glanced at my old T-shirt and remembered what he’d said. “You like Power Rangers?”

“I’m gay. It’s in the handbook,” he replied, making me chuckle.

“Me too, but I didn’t get a handbook. I feel left out.”

The guy shrugged. “I’ll have to let you borrow mine.”

Was he flirting with me? Jesus Christ, if I was sleeping, I didn’t want to wake up. “Can I get you a beer?”

“Sure,” he replied, then followed me over to the keg. I grabbed a Solo cup, filled it and handed it to him, then got one for myself. I had no idea whose party this even was, but word had gotten around the Cal State LA campus that there was a private beach and it was going to be lit.

Someone turned the music up, people dancing and cheering all around us. “Wanna go down the beach where it’s quieter?” I said to him.

“Huh?”

“Down the beach!” I pointed, and the pretty guy nodded.

We walked together while I wondered if I had fallen and hit my head. Maybe I’d gotten drunk, had an accident, and was currently bleeding to death while dreaming about the boy with the most beautiful eyes I’d ever seen.

“You from around here?” I asked, the beach quieting the farther we got from everyone.

“Santa Monica born and raised. You?”

“The Temecula area.” We found a spot and sat on the sand, silhouettes of the party in the distance. “I’m a freshman. You?”

“Same.”

“Bet it’s nice to be so close to home base. You probably still have a lot of friends around.” I did too, but they were more in Riverside County. A lot of them ended up going to school in San Diego.

“My three close friends—Marcus, Declan, and Parker—don’t go to Cal State. I’ve known them since middle school.” He looked down, circling his finger along the rim of the cup, the mood suddenly heavier.

“But they’re close still?”

“Yeah. We’re just all at different schools, and…never mind. It’s dumb. I’ve met a few cool people here, though.”

I felt the sadness of the moment, could tell he was lonely and missed his friends. I couldn’t pretend that didn’t seem a little silly to me since they were close, but college was tough on all of us for different reasons.

“What do you do for fun?” I asked.

“I like to work out. I’ve lost a shit ton of weight and still losing.” Was that why he wasn’t drinking his beer? Too many calories? “What about you?”

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The Realist (The Vers Podcast #3) Read Online Riley Hart http://www.ilovenovels.com/the-realist-the-vers-podcast-3-read-online-riley-hart Thu, 01 Jun 2023 11:54:14 +0000 http://www.booksnovels.com/the-realist-the-vers-podcast-3-read-online-riley-hart Genre: Contemporary, M-M Romance Authors: Riley Hart Series: The Vers Podcast Series by Riley Hart
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Total pages in book: 78
Estimated words: 75496 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 377(@200wpm)___ 302(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)

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Marcus

To listeners of The Vers, a queer podcast I host with my three best friends, I’m known as The Realist—I accept life the way it is, believe in honesty over sugarcoating, and okay, I can maybe be a little bossy.

If you asked The Vers guys, they’d tell you I’m a caretaker who’s always thinking of others, but they also give over-the-top hugs and don’t believe me when I say feelings are the worst.

It’s why I have no business offering Kai Lewis a place to stay when he’s in need. He’s a flirt who makes no secret about wanting in my bed…somewhere I’d like to have him if he wasn’t the employee of one of my closest friends. But, he’s too trusting and leaps before he thinks, so at least he won’t get taken advantage of if he’s with me.

Now he’s always around, wearing shorts that leave nothing to the imagination and saying he wants to take care of me because I’m always doing it for others. It’s not long before I can’t resist him—a man who likes listening in the bedroom but is stubborn in other situations.

Kai is sweet and funny. He gets me to open up to him. Maybe this whole relationship thing wouldn’t be so bad…if he wasn’t nine years younger…and leaving Southern California soon…or if I had any idea what I was doing.

The Realist is an age-gap, forced proximity romance with a bossy realist and a sunshiny flirt who has Marcus wrapped around his finger.

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

Chapter One

Marcus

“What are we going to do today?” asked Corbin, one of my three best friends. He’d shown up at my house a little while ago. I needed to edit and master the latest episode of The Vers, the queer podcast we hosted with Parker and Declan, the other two from our group of four.

“Nothing. I’m going for a jog on the beach, and then I’ll clean up and do some work.”

The argument was coming, they always did, so I wasn’t surprised when he said, “You’ve already conquered the residential and commercial real estate markets in Los Angeles County. I think you can take an afternoon off to give me attention.”

I chuckled. “So it’s all about you, huh?”

Corbin’s brows pinched together as if he was confused. “Isn’t it always?”

I rolled my eyes before wrapping an arm around his shoulders and kissing his temple. “You’re a fuckin’ mess, kid,” I teased.

He was, but he also wasn’t. People who didn’t know Corbin well thought his comments came from a place of conceit, but they didn’t. Corbin was always looking for something to make him feel better about himself, even when he didn’t realize it.

“I have time for lunch before I get back to work,” I told Corbin. “What do you want?” I opened the fridge.

“Nah, I’m good. I’m not hungry.” When I turned and cocked a brow at him, he sighed. “Ugh. You’re so fucking bossy. How about something small, like a smoothie?”

“Perfect. I love chicken Caesar wraps. That was a great idea.”

He sat on a barstool at the kitchen counter while I started making our lunch, but he didn’t argue.

For most of our lives, it had been me, Corb, Parker, and Declan all here together, but the previous year Dec had fallen in love with Sebastian Cole, a fucking movie star, of all things. For someone labeled The Loner on our podcast, that had come as a shock to most of us. And now Sebastian had just gotten back from promoting his last movie, so they were spending time together, just the two of them.

Then Parker had married and fallen in love with Elliott—in that order. They were planning a second ceremony for next summer.

The point being, they were around a little less, and while Corb would never say it, he was struggling with it.

“No date tonight?” I asked, sliding his plate over to him. Date probably wasn’t the best word for it. Corb liked sex and hooking up as often as he could.

“Nah, don’t think so. I’d much rather bug you.” He immediately bit into his wrap. I knew he was hungry.

“You’re good at it.”

“I know. Just like I know you love it more than you’re willing to admit. I bet you end every night with a silent prayer thanking the universe for having me in your life, like…Gay gods…whoever you are. Thank you for Corbin. He’s funny and charming and, really, the best of our group of friends. Do you think I could be more like him?”

I laughed because how could I not? “You’re a fool.”

“You’re a fool,” he taunted.

I really did have shit to do, and I was supposed to have dinner with my folks tonight, but I could tell that Corbin didn’t want to be alone, so when we finished eating, I said, “Come on. You can help me get the episode finished. I had a busy-ass week, and it should have been done days ago.”

“You know you’re not the only one of us who can do this. You don’t have to take it on yourself every week.”

“Do you know me at all?”

“You’re a workaholic who loves control. Why do you think I call you Daddy Marcus?”

“Because you like to annoy the shit out of me, remember?”

“Well, that too.”

We worked together on getting the episode ready to go live. Our studio was in my house, and while the other guys could help, the studio being here was one of the reasons it made it easier for me to take care of it all… But yeah, I probably wouldn’t give up control regardless. Life was a whole lot easier when you took care of shit yourself and didn’t depend on others.

Just as we finished, my cell rang. As soon as I saw Mom on the screen, I knew what it was about. I was in my midthirties. At my age, this shit wasn’t new. I also knew better than to let it get to me. This was life, so why spend time wishing it were something else?

Corbin watched me from across the table as I answered. “Hey, you,” I said to my mom.

“Hey, baby. Listen, I know we were supposed to have dinner tonight, but something came up at work. Your dad and I have to put together a proposal for a potential client that could be huge for us.” You’re already the top architectural firm in the state. You have people working for you who can do the proposal. But then, if it were me, I wouldn’t trust anyone else to do it either.

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The Romantic (The Vers Podcast #2) Read Online Riley Hart http://www.ilovenovels.com/the-romantic-the-vers-podcast-2-read-online-riley-hart Thu, 30 Mar 2023 14:03:33 +0000 http://www.booksnovels.com/the-romantic-the-vers-podcast-2-read-online-riley-hart Genre: Contemporary, M-M Romance Authors: Riley Hart Series: The Vers Podcast Series by Riley Hart
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Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 87015 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 435(@200wpm)___ 348(@250wpm)___ 290(@300wpm)

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Parker
When it comes to The Vers, the queer podcast I host with my best friends, I’m The Romantic. The one who’s looking for love in all the wrong places. If there’s a jerk close by, I’ll find him. I’m beginning to think my Mr. Right doesn’t exist.
It’s definitely not Elliott Delgado Weaver, the shameless flirt who keeps asking me out. We’re not supposed to run into each other in Vegas or get drunk together. We definitely aren’t supposed to wake up married…only, we do.
Before we can figure out what to do, Elliott’s family finds out. He doesn’t want to let them down by telling them it was a drunken mistake. My parents had the perfect marriage until my mom passed, and since I’d hate for my father to discover what I did, Elliott and I decide to pretend we’re in love and stay married for six months. Better to amicably divorce later than own up to our screwup, right?
All I’ve ever wanted is my happily ever after, and now I live with a serial hookup artist who never planned on settling down.
But then, why is Elliott so good to me? He takes me on dates, makes me laugh, and touches me like I’m someone to cherish. He’s shown me I’m a sucker for praise, and lucky for me, he loves giving it to me. Our marriage is playing tricks on my heart because suddenly I’m wishing my happy ending can be with the husband who doesn’t think love is for him.

The Romantic is a wake-up-married, opposites-attract romance with tons of praise, an unforgettable massage, found family, and sweet moments on the pier.

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

PROLOGUE

Parker

All I’ve ever wanted was to find the perfect man.

Not the perfect man in general. My rose-tinted glasses weren’t that pink. Perfection didn’t exist. I did want to find the perfect man for me, but for whatever reason, that motherfucker seemed to be doing everything he could to dodge me, and I ended up with bad date after bad date. Asshole after asshole. I’ve noticed that guys who just wanted my hole or my dick weren’t too discriminatory in that department. The point was, they didn’t want me. Not the real me. Not for longer than a date or a week or a few fucks—which yes, I was excellent at, but that was irrelevant.

What mattered was that I sucked at dating. This was proven again tonight, as I was currently sitting in a quiet bar in West Hollywood for a first date…and I’d been stood up.

Again.

Fuck my life.

To make matters worse, my ex-boyfriend showed up, saw me sitting at the bar, and was now trying to hit on me. The same boyfriend who knew I was looking for something permanent and had dumped me because he wasn’t. He also thought my laugh was annoying. Who the fuck said that to someone? But Jim was known for saying the quiet parts out loud.

“We should get out of here together. I miss you,” Jim said, giving me the smile I used to find sexy but now realized was smarmy and gross. I had horrible first-date vision; hindsight was, in fact, twenty/twenty.

“No. Why the hell would I want to leave with you? And you don’t miss me. You just want to have sex with me. There’s a difference.”

Ugh. And he was really good in bed. Why were all the assholes really good in bed?

“Because I know you’re sitting here waiting for someone who didn’t show up,” Jim replied, making my heart drop. How the fuck did he know? Did I wear a sign on my back that said desperate and unlovable? Or maybe one that said take advantage of me? “Might as well still enjoy the night,” he added.

“Fuck off, and no, I’m not waiting for someone. I just felt like getting a drink.” In a bar. Alone. He cocked a brow, obviously not believing me. “I have a boyfriend. He doesn’t work far from here. I’m waiting for him to get off work.”

I hated lying and liars, but desperate times called for desperate measures. And the last thing I wanted him to know was that I was a sad, lonely man with no life outside of my business and my friends. Which really should be enough. I wasn’t an idiot. I knew I was capable on my own and that I shouldn’t settle for someone who wasn’t worthy of my time. I did know that. Hence the reason I was still single. But I wanted something more. I wanted to find my person, the way my parents had. They’d been each other’s whole world, and then I had been too. I wanted that kind of love. Clearly, the universe didn’t get the memo because it wasn’t happening for me.

“You have a boyfriend, huh?”

“Yes.” Jesus, why was he acting like it was so hard to believe? I was a fucking catch, and while I didn’t want to sound cocky and I wasn’t a conceited guy, I also happened to know I was easy on the eyes. Apparently, my personality just sucked or I had the worst luck ever in the history of the world.

“I can’t wait to meet him.” Jim winked.

Fuck my life. He was going to sit there and wait to meet my fictitious boyfriend. And if I left, he would know I was lying. How ridiculous would I look then? Why was he such a dick? I couldn’t figure out what I’d ever seen in him.

“Whatever you want.” I shrugged and took a drink of my Sprite. I wasn’t drinking because I was supposed to be meeting the man of my dreams and I hadn’t wanted to be inebriated.

“Hey, babe. Sorry I’m late.” I froze at the sound of the voice I didn’t recognize and the hand at my back.

“Oh,” Jim said as I turned to take in what was, quite literally, the most gorgeous man I had ever seen. He slid onto the stool beside me. His hair was a mocha color, just a couple of inches long and slightly messy, like it had a mind of its own and the guy was too hot to care. He had a bit more length on the top than on the sides. His eyes were a similar color, the perfect shade of brown that made them seem comforting.

His face was stubbled, but neatly so. I could tell he kept up on it, probably liking the fact that it was the ideal length to feel incredible against another man’s skin. Mister Sex on Legs had a bow-shaped mouth, perfect for kissing, and mischief danced in his gaze.

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The Loner (The Vers Podcast #1) Read Online Riley Hart http://www.ilovenovels.com/the-loner-the-vers-podcast-1-read-online-riley-hart Sun, 29 Jan 2023 00:17:49 +0000 http://www.booksnovels.com/the-loner-the-vers-podcast-1-read-online-riley-hart Genre: M-M Romance, Romance Authors: Riley Hart Series: The Vers Podcast Series by Riley Hart
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Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 80635 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 403(@200wpm)___ 323(@250wpm)___ 269(@300wpm)

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Declan
As a founding member of The Vers, a queer podcast I host with my three best friends, I’m The Loner—quieter than the others, and except for them, I don’t let myself get too close to people. Most of them just let you down anyway, or maybe it’s just that something about me chases people away.

Infrequent, no-strings-attached hookups have always worked for me. Who knew my favorite one would become such a popular movie star? But Sebastian Cole and I made it work, meeting up whenever he was in Santa Monica and in the mood—until he called it off when he got a serious boyfriend. A boyfriend he later found in bed with another man.

Now Sebastian is back in California, taking a break from acting. He needs a friend, and for whatever reason, he decides that should be me. We’ve known each other intimately for years, and yet we’ve never spent much time together with our clothes on. When he starts taking me places, it feels suspiciously like dates…and surprisingly, I like it.

The Loner is an opposites attract romance about a movie star rethinking his career and a bar owner/podcast host who isn’t fond of most people. Expect Southern California sun, swoon, found family and once-in-a-lifetime friendships.

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

PROLOGUE

Declan

Ten Years Ago

It had been a long-ass night. For the last two hours, the bar had been slow as hell. It was a Monday, but there was still no reason it should be this dead.

A guy lingered about ten feet away from me, finishing his beer while I arranged things behind the bar. A few people sat at the tables along the far wall. The biggest crowd was a group of four the other bartender had been speaking to for thirty minutes. Not that it mattered because again, it was slow as shit and we didn’t have much to do, which was why I’d taken to organizing the liquor before wiping down the counter that didn’t really need it.

Jesus, what I could do with a place like this if it was my own…

That was a stupid thing to think because I lived in a beach town in Southern California. I’d never be able to own a business of my own, but if I did, I sure as shit would do it better than my boss now. Despite being in Santa Monica, we were a low-revenue bar, and he had other businesses that pulled in more cash. He was the kind of guy who didn’t have loyalty to any one thing—just did whatever he could to fill his pockets, with the least amount of work. And since this place took effort, he didn’t give a fuck.

“Can I get another?” the guy who’d been nursing his beer asked.

“Yep.” I’d gotten the job here when I’d turned twenty-one and had spent the last two years falling in love with bartending. I couldn’t say why really. I was known as a bit of a loner. If it wasn’t for my three best friends, Parker, Marcus, and Corbin, I wouldn’t have real connections with anyone. I didn’t like most people, so a career in customer service wasn’t a wise decision, but for whatever reason, it worked for me.

I filled his mug, handed it over, and took his payment just as I heard the squeal of the door that needed work. I looked up to see familiar, chocolate-brown hair, which I wouldn’t quite call curly, but it looked a little more than wavy to me. It wasn’t messy the way my mop always was, but like each of his hairs always did exactly what he wanted them to. I knew his eyes were a light brown, like watered-down whiskey, only prettier than that. His lashes were thick and long, giving his stare a hooded appearance. Obviously, I kept looking at him because he was sexy as hell. I didn’t know who he was, but he’d come in four Mondays in a row now. He sat at the far end of the counter and smiled when he looked up and his gaze met mine. His cheeks immediately flushed a bright pink.

Jesus, this fucking guy. He almost made me grin too. Almost. I schooled my features. It wasn’t often that I was swayed by a pretty face, but something about him grabbed my attention.

I was fairly certain the guy was closeted. He’d never hit on me, but the desire in his eyes was hot enough to singe the hairs on my arms. I felt him watching me every time he came in. When I’d talk to him, he’d blush and stammer, but he was always polite, the shy, perfect boy next door.

If he was looking to hook up, it didn’t make much sense for him to come here because this was a straight bar. On the other hand, I didn’t hide the fact that I was gay, so maybe he’d randomly stumbled in here the first night and kept coming because he knew I was safe, that he could look his fill and I wouldn’t say a word.

“Rum and Coke?” It was what he drank every time, and one or two, never more.

“Yep.”

I picked up a glass, tossed it in the air, watched as it flipped over and over and over, then caught it, set it down, and poured the rum. I twisted the bottle, then set it down, knowing he was watching.

It was fucking stupid to feel like I had to show off for this guy. I didn’t know what came over me other than the fact that I really didn’t hook up that often—just a random guy here and there from an app, someone who wanted to fuck and move on without talking much—and he had the prettiest mouth with the fullest lips that I couldn’t stop imagining around my cock.

I could also tell how much he wanted me, and I couldn’t lie, that felt damn good. I wondered if he’d noticed it was mutual, that I craved spending a night with him too—and that was slightly more nerve-racking. I slid the glass over to him. “This is four in a row.” I leaned over, arms resting against the bar top. What the fuck was I doing? I didn’t flirt, but I was with him.

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