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Where the Desert Glows
Not yet published
Expected 28 Feb 26
A raw, intimate MM romance set beneath wide desert skies, Where the Desert Glows is a story about loneliness, quiet devotion, and choosing each other when the world keeps asking you to disappear.
SkyeI’m good at taking up space. I stay loud, keep moving. Working at a veterinary clinic keeps me busy enough to avoid stillness. Stillness is dangerous, and the quiet lets things catch up to me.
Then a favor for my brother pulls me into the Mojave with his fellow mechanic and my good friend Darren, a quiet former Army medic who sees straight through my nerves.
We’re supposed to pick up custom-requested paint from a desert artist and head home. Instead, we stumble onto a sketchy shipment falsely tied to Phoenix Cycles, no cell signal, and a situation that spirals fast.
No matter what the desert throws at us, Darren doesn’t try to fix me or tell me I’m wrong. He just stays, solid and steady. Falling for him means stopping long enough to believe I'm not actually broken, and that realization might be the scariest thing of all.
Darren
I’ve spent my life holding broken things together. My love life. My professional life. Bodies. Motorcycles. Other people’s pain. I trust what’s solid, what can be carried, what can be endured without complaint.
Skye has been my good friend for a while now. Too nervous, too brazenly honest, too easy to care about if I let myself think about him too long. I’ve always told myself it was safer to keep a little distance between us. That's when a routine trip into the Mojave goes wrong.
The desert strips everything down to survival, and suddenly the things I’ve been avoiding matter less than the man standing beside me.
SkyeI’m good at taking up space. I stay loud, keep moving. Working at a veterinary clinic keeps me busy enough to avoid stillness. Stillness is dangerous, and the quiet lets things catch up to me.
Then a favor for my brother pulls me into the Mojave with his fellow mechanic and my good friend Darren, a quiet former Army medic who sees straight through my nerves.
We’re supposed to pick up custom-requested paint from a desert artist and head home. Instead, we stumble onto a sketchy shipment falsely tied to Phoenix Cycles, no cell signal, and a situation that spirals fast.
No matter what the desert throws at us, Darren doesn’t try to fix me or tell me I’m wrong. He just stays, solid and steady. Falling for him means stopping long enough to believe I'm not actually broken, and that realization might be the scariest thing of all.
Darren
I’ve spent my life holding broken things together. My love life. My professional life. Bodies. Motorcycles. Other people’s pain. I trust what’s solid, what can be carried, what can be endured without complaint.
Skye has been my good friend for a while now. Too nervous, too brazenly honest, too easy to care about if I let myself think about him too long. I’ve always told myself it was safer to keep a little distance between us. That's when a routine trip into the Mojave goes wrong.
The desert strips everything down to survival, and suddenly the things I’ve been avoiding matter less than the man standing beside me.
436 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication February 28, 2026
2 people are currently reading
52 people want to read
About the author
M. Anderson
11 books75 followersM. Anderson is an independent author and illustrator of emotional, character-driven queer romance. Known for blending heartfelt storytelling with a touch of humor and spice, her books explore themes of self-acceptance, second chances, and the quiet chaos of everyday life in Los Angeles.
Her collections follow interconnected friend groups, each book offering a new point of view and a standalone reading experience, while rewarding readers who love to follow character arcs across multiple stories. With a background in art and a love for nostalgic, slice-of-life narratives, M. Anderson’s work invites readers into soft, intimate worlds where love feels personal.
When she’s not writing or drawing, she can be found at her 9-5, digging around in her garden, and spending quiet days at home with her husband and their dog, Charlie.
Website: https://authormanderson.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/author.m.an...
Wattpad: https://www.wattpad.com/user/m20anderson
Email: authormanderson@gmail.com
Her collections follow interconnected friend groups, each book offering a new point of view and a standalone reading experience, while rewarding readers who love to follow character arcs across multiple stories. With a background in art and a love for nostalgic, slice-of-life narratives, M. Anderson’s work invites readers into soft, intimate worlds where love feels personal.
When she’s not writing or drawing, she can be found at her 9-5, digging around in her garden, and spending quiet days at home with her husband and their dog, Charlie.
Website: https://authormanderson.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/author.m.an...
Wattpad: https://www.wattpad.com/user/m20anderson
Email: authormanderson@gmail.com
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Author
✨ARC review✨
this. book. is. BEAUTIFUL.
this is the first book I’ve read by M. Anderson and i can tell you, it won’t be my last. I’ll be going back and reading the other books in this series for sure!
so, let’s talk.
the first thing that caught my eye with this book was the ART. im such an art girly and not only is the cover stunning, but the other few drawings of Darren and Skye in the book were so gooooood.
the majority of this book is set in the desert with the MCs doing a job for a motorcycle company that goes wrong. i felt like i was actually placed there, thanks to the amount of details the author gives throughout the book. speaking of details- ive never read a book where the intimate scenes were so.. just, breathtaking. it wasn’t all, “hey come here and lets bang.” you could FEEL the love between the MCs.
Darren and Skye’s story really pulled on my heartstrings. they both have dealt with some HEAVY stuff in life but the character growth (especially with Skye) is phenomenal. the portrayal of anxiety and PTSD in this book really had me in teaaars, not only because i can relate, but because the author really shows you how it effects life but also that it doesn’t have to be awful forever. there IS hope. 🤍 the interludes in the story really give good background to what the characters experienced before meeting each other and explains a bit of why they are the way they are.
if you’re into the following, Where the Desert Glows might be for you:
🏜️ hurt/comfort
🏜️ forced proximity
🏜️ slow burn
🏜️ friends to lovers
🏜️ hilarious idioms that are definitely wrong (ex. ‘don’t count your chickens before you’re strapped’)
🏜️ EDM music MC x country music MC
🏜️ RAVENS 🐦⬛
please check the content warnings before reading!!
this. book. is. BEAUTIFUL.
this is the first book I’ve read by M. Anderson and i can tell you, it won’t be my last. I’ll be going back and reading the other books in this series for sure!
so, let’s talk.
the first thing that caught my eye with this book was the ART. im such an art girly and not only is the cover stunning, but the other few drawings of Darren and Skye in the book were so gooooood.
the majority of this book is set in the desert with the MCs doing a job for a motorcycle company that goes wrong. i felt like i was actually placed there, thanks to the amount of details the author gives throughout the book. speaking of details- ive never read a book where the intimate scenes were so.. just, breathtaking. it wasn’t all, “hey come here and lets bang.” you could FEEL the love between the MCs.
Darren and Skye’s story really pulled on my heartstrings. they both have dealt with some HEAVY stuff in life but the character growth (especially with Skye) is phenomenal. the portrayal of anxiety and PTSD in this book really had me in teaaars, not only because i can relate, but because the author really shows you how it effects life but also that it doesn’t have to be awful forever. there IS hope. 🤍 the interludes in the story really give good background to what the characters experienced before meeting each other and explains a bit of why they are the way they are.
if you’re into the following, Where the Desert Glows might be for you:
🏜️ hurt/comfort
🏜️ forced proximity
🏜️ slow burn
🏜️ friends to lovers
🏜️ hilarious idioms that are definitely wrong (ex. ‘don’t count your chickens before you’re strapped’)
🏜️ EDM music MC x country music MC
🏜️ RAVENS 🐦⬛
please check the content warnings before reading!!
February 7, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️.75
Where the Desert Glows – M. Anderson (ARC Review)
This is my first book by this author. If you’re after complex characters, hurt/comfort, forced proximity, a neurodivergent MMC, and a delicious slow burn, then this book is for you.
Set against the beautiful yet unforgiving backdrop of the Mojave Desert, Darren and Skye’s story sizzles and burns brightly before building to an action-packed crescendo.
The book tackles some heavy themes, including domestic abuse, parental abandonment, PTSD, and near-death experiences, making it a pretty raw and emotional read at times.
It’s a fast-paced story with a lot of internal monologue, but I genuinely loved Darren and Skye’s connection. Their relationship development felt natural, heartfelt, and deeply satisfying.
Overall, an intense, emotional, and engaging read.
Where the Desert Glows – M. Anderson (ARC Review)
This is my first book by this author. If you’re after complex characters, hurt/comfort, forced proximity, a neurodivergent MMC, and a delicious slow burn, then this book is for you.
Set against the beautiful yet unforgiving backdrop of the Mojave Desert, Darren and Skye’s story sizzles and burns brightly before building to an action-packed crescendo.
The book tackles some heavy themes, including domestic abuse, parental abandonment, PTSD, and near-death experiences, making it a pretty raw and emotional read at times.
It’s a fast-paced story with a lot of internal monologue, but I genuinely loved Darren and Skye’s connection. Their relationship development felt natural, heartfelt, and deeply satisfying.
Overall, an intense, emotional, and engaging read.
Review of advance copy received from Author
The story kept me on the edge of my seat, from start to finish.
The desert setting added such a great sense of danger and isolation, which made their journey feel really intense. And although with them having to escape and run the pacing was beautifully balanced so their relationship felt organic while it grew.
I think I would have loved to know more about what happened after they got home. Both men clearly face their inner demons while being stuck together and I crave to see, how they recovered and settled into life together, but the ending still worked and didn’t leave me frustrated.
Overall, it’s a thrilling, heartfelt MM romance that I’d definitely recommend if you like your love stories with a side of suspense.
Tropes
🐦⬛ suspense
🏜️ hurt x comfort
🐦⬛ opposites attract
🏜️ slow burn
🐦⬛ survival
🏜️ mental health rep (ptsd)
The desert setting added such a great sense of danger and isolation, which made their journey feel really intense. And although with them having to escape and run the pacing was beautifully balanced so their relationship felt organic while it grew.
I think I would have loved to know more about what happened after they got home. Both men clearly face their inner demons while being stuck together and I crave to see, how they recovered and settled into life together, but the ending still worked and didn’t leave me frustrated.
Overall, it’s a thrilling, heartfelt MM romance that I’d definitely recommend if you like your love stories with a side of suspense.
Tropes
🐦⬛ suspense
🏜️ hurt x comfort
🐦⬛ opposites attract
🏜️ slow burn
🐦⬛ survival
🏜️ mental health rep (ptsd)
February 14, 2026
ARC review
3.75⭐️
This was my first book from M. Anderson, and I have to say, it was a bit of a slow start for me. But once the characters got stranded in the desert and found themselves in a dangerous situation, I was completely hooked. The slow burn romance is done so well, with lots of internal monologue and the writing is just so beautiful, painting the desert and the tension in such vivid, emotional detail.
Although, I did wish there was a bit more about what happened when they returned home and their life after.
🌵hurt/comfort
☀️slow burn
🌵desert survival
☀️friends to lovers
🌵mutual pining
☀️found family
3.75⭐️
This was my first book from M. Anderson, and I have to say, it was a bit of a slow start for me. But once the characters got stranded in the desert and found themselves in a dangerous situation, I was completely hooked. The slow burn romance is done so well, with lots of internal monologue and the writing is just so beautiful, painting the desert and the tension in such vivid, emotional detail.
Although, I did wish there was a bit more about what happened when they returned home and their life after.
🌵hurt/comfort
☀️slow burn
🌵desert survival
☀️friends to lovers
🌵mutual pining
☀️found family
Review of advance copy received from Author
Darren and skye's journey to wholeness is a raw and vivid one, layered expertly within a suspenseful and thrilling plot line. The tension throughout was tangible.
What a magnificent healing journey between two broken and flawed people.
The way this author uses prose to make the words come alive off the page is tremendous.
I highly recommend this book. I haven't read anything by this author I would not recommend
What a magnificent healing journey between two broken and flawed people.
The way this author uses prose to make the words come alive off the page is tremendous.
I highly recommend this book. I haven't read anything by this author I would not recommend
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews