Defying Expectations - D.C. Emerson

Well, Aspen had done it. With their best friend Noah by their side, they came out as nonbinary, weathered the resulting divorce, and got their first drastic haircut. They're ready to start their new life... there's just one problem. They want Noah to be a big part of that life, and not just as a friend.

Noah survived growing up under his parents suffocating expectations, came out in college and moved far away to start a new life, but there are some things he can't run away from. When Aspen admits they have feelings for Noah, he has to come face to face with a truth he's been avoiding for a long time: he's not sure romantic relationships, the kind everyone seems to expect from him, are actually what he wants.

So, he has a proposition. A six month trial relationship in which Aspen gets to explore nonheteronormative, polyamorous relationships, and all they entail, while Noah tries to figure out exactly what he's doing with his life.

Follow Aspen and Noah as they meet Rachel, a recently out bi woman also trying to figure out her life, and Charlie, the harried owner of a failing dog shelter.

Defying Expectations is a LGBTQ+ polyamorous contemporary romance with several pairings including MX/MXF/MXM with trans masc and nonbinary rep.