Jay Bell has 16 audiobooks on Listento.it, narrated by 3 narrators, with an average listener rating of 4.7★ across 127 ratings. The most-rated is Something Like Summer.
Something Like Summer
Summary
The sexy and sweet coming-of-age romance novel that inspired a movie! The hot Texas nights were lonely for Ben before his heart began beating to the rhythm of two words; Tim Wyman. By all appearances, Tim had the perfect body and ideal life, but when a not-so-accidental collision brings them together, Ben discovers that the truth is rarely so simple. If winning Tim's heart was an impossible quest, keeping it would prove even harder as family, society, and emotion threaten to tear them apart. Something Like Summer is a love story spanning a decade and beyond as two boys discover what it means to be friends, lovers, and sometimes even enemies. Each Something Like... book follows a different gay character on their quest for love. Central to the plot is the troubled relationship between Ben and Tim, high school sweethearts who continue to meet at different stages of their lives, their chemistry changing with each encounter. Surrounding them are a wealth of friends and enemies, each with their own story, resulting in an immersive universe filled with optimism and hope, heartbreak, and healing. While the series doesn't shy away from sexual content, it also focuses deeply on emotion, promising an experience that will stay with you long after the final chapter. The Something Like... series: Something Like Summer Something Like Autumn Something Like Winter Something Like Spring Something Like Lightning Something Like Thunder Something Like Stories - Volume One Something Like Hail Something Like Rain Something Like Stories - Volume Two Something Like Forever Something Like Stories - Volume Three
©2011 Jay Bell (P)2013 Jay Bell
Straight Boy
Summary
I love him. And I’m pretty sure he loves me back...even though he’s straight. When I first met Carter King, I knew he was something special. I imagined us being together, and we are, but only as friends. Best friends! I’m trying to be cool with that, even though I know he has secrets, and there have definitely been mixed signals. I don’t want a crush to ruin what we already have. Then again, if there’s any chance that we can be together, it’s worth the risk, because Carter could be the love of my life. Or he might be the boy who breaks my heart. Straight Boy is Jay Bell’s emotional successor to his critically acclaimed Something Like... series. This full-length novel tells a story of friendship and love while skating the blurry line that often divides the two.
©2018 Jay Bell (P)2019 Jay Bell
Something Like Winter
Summary
There are two sides to every story. When you're Tim Wyman, sometimes there are three. Tim hoped moving to Texas would mean a new beginning, but he soon finds himself falling into the same tired patterns. Until he meets recklessly brave Benjamin Bentley, who introduces Tim to a world of love, sex, and warmth. Certain that society won't understand what he and Ben have together, Tim struggles to protect their relationship, even if it means twisting the truth. Buried beneath his own deceptions, Tim must claw his way to the surface in the hopes of learning to fly. Something Like Winter, the companion novel to Something Like Summer, tells the story from Tim Wyman's perspective, revealing new private moments and personal journeys.
©October 23rd, 2012 Jay Bell (P)2014 Jay Bell
Something Like Autumn
Summary
Love can appear unexpectedly: a chance meeting at a friend's wedding, the arrival of a handsome new co-worker...or while being robbed at a convenience store. For some, love seems an impossible dream. Growing up gay in small-town Missouri, Jace Holden thought his chance would never come. When he meets Victor - a wild soul and fellow outsider - his chances of finding love go from bleak to a very uncertain, maybe. Bracing his heart, Jace chases after his desire, hoping for a warm hand to hold his tight. Something Like Autumn tells the story of Jace's life before the events of Something Like Summer, while also revisiting his time with Benjamin Bentley. The Seasons Series: Book 1: Something like Summer, Book 2: Something like Winter, Book 3: Something like Autumn, Book 4: Something like Spring.
©2013 Jay Bell (P)2014 Jay Bell
Something Like Spring
Summary
Nothing in this world is permanent. Friends, lovers, even family can all disappear in the blink of an eye. Without these anchors, it's all too easy to find oneself drifting. Jason Grant doesn't have much, aside from a beat-up old guitar and knack for getting kicked out of foster homes. His latest placement is set to be just another in a long line of failures. Then he meets Caesar Hubbard, a handsome guy who lives down the hall. For the first time in his life, Jason wants to stay, which means learning to be part of a family, and not letting his feelings - or his actions - ruin his first real chance of falling in love. Something Like Spring introduces a new character to the Seasons story, one with a troubled past and an equally turbulent future. Jason must traverse a winding road fraught with emotional conflicts and tough decisions - a road that might just lead to a certain couple in Austin.
©2014 Jay Bell (P)2015 Jay Bell
Something Like Forever
Summary
Love, like everything in the universe, cannot be destroyed. But over time it can change. The hot Texas nights were lonely for Ben before he met Tim Wyman, the man he would one day marry. Now, 20 years later, everything is perfect. Isn't it? As Ben struggles with guiding his adopted son toward happiness, he begins to question his own path in life. Tim is little help, pulled away by artistic success and faced with temptation, but true love should be able to overcome such obstacles...if only their struggles ended there. Something Like Forever is a love story spanning a lifetime and beyond, as two men discover what it means to be friends, lovers, and so much more. The Something Like... series: 1. Something Like Summer 2. Something Like Autumn 3. Something Like Winter 4. Something Like Spring 5. Something Like Lightning 6. Something Like Thunder 7. Something Like Stories - Volume One 8. Something Like Hail 9. Something Like Rain 10. Something Like Stories - Volume Two 11. Something Like Forever
©2017 Jay Bell (P)2018 Jay Bell
Something Like Lightning
Summary
Never stop running. No matter how often life trips you up or how many times your enemies knock you down, just get up and keep on moving until you find where you belong. Kelly Phillips has been out and proud since he was a young teenager, and thanks to the gay youth group he frequents, he's never been short on friends or lovers. But when you have almost everything, it's hard not to focus on what's just out of reach: a best friend who would be Mr. Right if he wasn't already Mr. Straight. Or that handsome athlete at school who would be easier to wrangle if not for his angel wings. And then there's the guy who might be a perfect fit, maybe even a soul mate...if only he wasn't convinced he didn't need anyone. Kelly has always been good at running. Now he must learn to chase, which will test not only his endurance but the durability of his heart as well. Something Like Lightning is a new beginning in the Something Like... saga, shifting the focus to a different set of characters while also revisiting a familiar face or two. The Something Like... series: Something Like Summer Something Like Winter Something Like Autumn Something Like Spring Something Like Lightning Something Like Thunder
©2014 Jay Bell (P)2015 Jay Bell
Something Like Thunder
Summary
This isn't a coming out story. Nor is it the tale of a lonely heart-seeking companionship. This is about how I learned to fight. My name is Nathaniel Courtney, and I m a survivor. I didn't let the cruelty of others wear me down, and I've weathered the more subtle hardships of the heart. Love is a Trojan horse, slipping past your guard and leaving you ransacked and vulnerable. I emerged from that war not unscathed but as a new man. The only mistake I ever made was letting the right guy get away. Now I've got one more chance. This is the final battle, because if I fail now...I won't. You'll see. Just listen to my story, Kelly Phillips, and when I'm done, please don t walk away. Take this weary soldier into your arms so we can find peace together. Something Like Thunder is the sixth book in the ongoing Something Like... series, shedding light on past events while leading the listener toward an exciting new future. The Something Like... series: 1. Something Like Summer 2. Something Like Winter 3. Something Like Autumn 4. Something Like Spring 5. Something Like Lightning 6. Something Like Thunder
©2015 Jay Bell (P)2015 Jay Bell
Something Like Hail
Summary
When life closes each door and the world has taken away every opportunity, sometimes, it's up to us to make our own luck - and to give ourselves a second chance. Noah Westwood is tired of life on the streets, so he turns to Marcello Maltese, a man who owns a small media empire...and a few covert businesses, such as an escort service. Noah volunteers for this, but he's playing a dangerous game. A secret from his past could turn his new friends into enemies, and he isn't sure he can perform the duties he signed up for, especially when he's more interested in falling in love than hopping into the beds of his clients. This is complicated further when his hunky coworker, Harold Franklin, seems to be interested. Or is he? Noah is off the streets, but he'll have to travel down many roads on his quest to find his happily ever after. Something Like Hail introduces a new character to the Something Like... series, one whose life is intertwined with the previous stories in unexpected ways.
©2017 Jay Bell (P)2018 Jay Bell
Something Like Stories
Summary
Benjamin Bentley and many other beloved characters from the Something Like...series make their triumphant return in this collection of short stories and bonus material. "Something Like Yesterday" travels to the past where Eric Conroy attempts to find love against a backdrop of intolerance and political upheaval. In "Something Like Fall", Ben meets Jace's family and tries to cope with many changes in the years that follow. Allison Cross finally gets her dues in "Something Like Tonight", examining the relationships in her life during a girls' night out. "Something Like Eternity" takes the series where it has never gone before as Victor Hemingway seeks out his ultimate destiny. Also included is a character guide and a timeline of key events thus far. Laughter and tears await you in this very special anthology!
©2015 Jay Bell (P)2016 Jay Bell
Something Like Rain
Summary
Nice guys finish last, but that doesn't mean they give up the fight. Sometimes it's necessary to keep trudging through the rain in the hopes of finding a break in the clouds. William Townson is a good person. He's kind, considerate, and the last thing he ever wanted was to hurt anyone. Accidents happen though, and when they do, all that can be done is to pick up the pieces. For William, this means trying to hold together a stagnant relationship while resisting the temptation of Jason Grant, a young man with eyes just as intense as his love. Only the future can promise redemption for mistakes of the past, forcing William to choose between the Coast Guard and the needs of his heart. Can he find his way through the downpour to somewhere warm and dry?
©2016 Jay Bell (P)2016 Jay Bell
Something Like Stories
Summary
The Something Like series is drawing to a close! Before it ends, reunite with favorite characters and meet others for the first time in this special collection of fourteen stories. Highlights include Something Like Champagne, in which Marcello searches for the truth behind a drunken vision. In Something Like Bunnies, a young Jace Holden struggles with his first crush. Ben and Tim return in Something Like Memories as they debate when exactly they should celebrate their anniversary, and Jason finally makes an important decision about his future with William in Something Like Sun. Joyful reunions and tearful goodbyes await you, as do many affirmations of love, in this second volume of short stories.
©2017 Jay Bell (P)2017 Jay Bell
Kamikaze Boys
Summary
An unforgettable gay love story from the author of Something Like Summer and Straight Boy.... Everyone at school thinks that Connor Williams is a dangerous psychopath, but when he rescues David Henry from the clutches of a bully, the two outsiders form an alliance of the heart. The world isn’t done messing with them, though. David and Connor will have to fight to keep their love safe if they ever want to find their happily-ever-after. Kamikaze Boys, a Lambda Literary award-winning novel, is the emotional story of two young men who walk a perilous path in the hopes of saving each other.
©2010 James Bell (P)2020 James Bell
Like and Subscribe
Summary
Remember that hunky guy on YouTube who caught your eye? The one with the awesome pecs and killer smile? I bet you couldn't stop watching his videos. Just imagine if you had a chance to meet him and all your fantasies started coming true. There's only one catch: Between you and your dream guy is his less-than-pleased boyfriend. They say that love conquers all, but can love conquer love? "Like and Subscribe" is a new short story by Jay Bell, the author of Something Like Summer.
©2013 James Bell (P)2014 James Bell
The Boy at the Bottom of the Fountain
Summary
From the award-winning author of Something Like Summer and Straight Boy.... Sometimes dreams come true, whether you’re ready for them or not. Shane was only 14 when found a photo of a boy his age and became obsessed with it. Now, 13 years later, he has a chance encounter with a man who bears a striking resemblance. Already in a happy relationship, Shane must keep his fantasies in check while attempting to solve the mystery, but little does he realize just how many connections they share. The Boy at the Bottom of the Fountain is a heartwarming short story about love in its many forms, be they real or imagined.
©2019 Jay Bell (P)2020 Jay Bell
Something Like Stories: Volume Three
Summary
Embark on a final trip through the Something Like... universe with this special collection of stories that promises heartwarming reunions and gut-wrenching closure. "Something Like Stars" playfully explores what would happen if someone made a movie about Ben, Tim, and Jace. Harold attempts to befriend Noah and Felix in "Something like Us", unrequited feelings challenging their relationship. Marcello prepares for the inevitable while revealing secrets from his past in "Something like Goodbye". And in "Something like Heaven", Ben must decide once and for all who his heart - and his future - belongs to. Eighteen stories await you, some short and sweet, others lengthy and dramatic, all of them emotional. Say farewell to old friends in this ultimate epilogue to the Something Like... series! Each Something Like... book follows a different gay character on their quest for love. Central to the plot is the troubled relationship between Ben and Tim, high school sweethearts who continue to meet at different stages of their lives, their chemistry changing with each encounter. Surrounding them are a wealth of friends and enemies, each with their own story, resulting in an immersive universe filled with optimism and hope, heartbreak and healing. While the series doesn't shy away from sexual content, it also focuses deeply on emotion, promising an experience that will stay with you long after the final minute. Background information from the author: I intended truly did intend for Something like Forever to be the final book in the series. This third volume of short stories began by accident. The artist of the graphic-novel version was drawing bonus illustrations for our supporters on Patreon, when I decided it would be fine to accompany each drawing with a very short piece of writing. That’s why the early stories in this collection are particularly short. Soon I found myself wanting.
©2020 James Bell (P)2020 James Bell