Straight Up Trouble

A single father. A young teacher. A straight up romance.


George Smith just wants his simple life to go back to being simple. After narrowly saving his family’s dive bar in tiny Beauclaire, North Carolina from demise, things are finally starting to simmer down—until his troubled son comes to live with him.


Clay Johnson, Beauclaire High School’s new music teacher, can’t wait to educate young minds. But when he meets George during a parent-teacher conference, he realizes just how far he’s willing to go to make parents happy.


It isn’t bad enough that George has been forced into the role of father when he least expected it. Things between he and Clay heat up quickly while they spend extracurricular time together—and George can’t help wondering if Clay sees him as a different type of daddy.


Though Clay can’t deny his connection with George, he also can’t ignore the fact that George is a student’s parent—and as straight as the one road leading out of Beauclaire. Still, the more time George spends with Clay, and the steamier things get between them, he can’t shake the feeling that his life isn’t nearly as simple—nor as straight—as he once thought.

Can they resist their desires, or will a relationship lead them to straight up trouble?


Straight Up Trouble is third in the Southern Comforts series of small town, southern romances. Though each can be read and enjoyed alone, they fit together like bacon and eggs when read as part of the series. If you like your romances with healthy sides of schmoop sweeter than syrup, pairings queerer than a two-dollar bill, and daddy issues so dirty you’ll need to be baptized after reading them, you’ll love this latest book from Garett Groves!