Bred here, born here, blood in the soil here.

On the surface, Monroe is like any other city, with proud traditions, old money, and a list of Who's Who. Some attend CloverLeaf University, and that's all they see. Beneath the facade lies a rich past and a secret; those bred there, born there, and blood in the soil there would die to protect.

Each year, a crop of students attends the university, and among them are the Sons of the Blood, who've returned home to make a brilliant match. They have the right name and the right bloodlines. For some, Monroe touches them in unexpected ways. For others, it's a strange place with strange traditions, and they can't wait to leave.

Author Mallory Hampton has a name Monroe would be proud of but doesn't see the draw. The blood that called him home doesn't tempt him as much as the unattainable Aspen Bennett. He'll have him any way he can- even if it's only in his romance novels.
ClairMont Bowman returns to Monroe when he's twenty-four and is just trying to find his place in the world. Being gay is hard, and he's been in the closet until now. Then, he reads Mallory Hampton's book and uses it as a guide to finding a boyfriend.
He also has to adjust to a new town with old ideas. Monroe confuses him. It's full of traditions he can't wrap his head around. He finds the whole place weird until he meets Aspen Bennett, and the connection is instant. One small interaction, and he knows Aspen is his. All he has to do is accept him and Monroe's Touch. Then he discovers Aspen is who Mallory patterned one of the MCs after, and believes the story.
Aspen Bennett was bred there, born there, blood in the soil there. All he wants is to run his coffeehouse and put his life back together after Mallory destroys it. Aspen must mate by the time he's twenty-five, and now he's cutting it close. Will he have to live his life alone and leave Monroe, or will ClairMont accept him, knowing what Mallory has done?