Book picks similar to
Take Me Back by Summer Brooks


contemporary
brother-sister-friends
second-chance
pregnancy

Chasing Butterflies


Jennifer Labelle - 2016
     Eight years ago my sister and I decided to leave our home and drug addict parents behind to build a new life somewhere else. Now that I’ve found my passion in art and tattooing I’m convinced that we’re finally happy…until tragedy changes everything. Deciding that going back to my roots is the best option for me, I return to the Hill Country of Texas, opening my own tattoo shop as a way to start over once again. One thing I didn’t count on…running into a blast from my past. Jagger is more attractive than I remember. He’s all grown up, filling those jeans and cowboy boots with raw muscle and a whole lot of sexy. The problem is, I’ve been forced to guard my heart for so long I don’t know how to let someone in. But Jagger makes it perfectly clear that he always gets what he wants. And what he wants…is me.

Between You, Me, and the Bedpost (Between the Sheets Book 5)


Serenity Woods - 2021
    As much as he loves her, he knows if he doesn’t do something drastic, he’s still going to be working in his bar, waiting for her, in twenty years’ time. So he’s applied for a new job in another town, and when their divorce comes through after Christmas, it’ll be time for him to move on. Caught up in a cycle of pain and grief, Josie’s retreated into her shell, cutting herself off from her family and friends, and refusing to talk about the event that broke up her marriage. As a psychologist, she knows she’s locked in a destructive behavioral pattern, but it’s impossible to break it. Despair threatens to overwhelm her—and then, on the evening of her friend’s bachelorette party, Beck does something that finally opens the floodgates, and she begins to talk. For the first time, the pain of the past lifts, and the ice around her heart starts to thaw. At the wedding, she dances with Beck, and after a few drinks, it’s all too easy to have a kiss – and maybe more – for old times' sake. Suddenly, the future’s looking much brighter. But can they both overcome the problems of their past enough to give their love a second chance?

Faking it with my Brother's Best Friend


Melissa Schroeder - 2021
    Any Order. Individual Love.I’ve been in love with Milo Darling for as long as I can remember. He’s my brother’s best friend and would never be interested in a curvy girl like me. I’ve seen the women he’s dated in the past, and let’s just say they don’t look like me. I’ve come to terms with it…mainly.When I hear my ex is going to be at a charity ball I have to attend, the natural thing is to ask Milo. He’s safe, and he’s a gentleman, and well, who wouldn’t want to spend the night with the most beautiful man ever created.Only, he’s not looking at me like I’m just a friend, and when he kisses me on the dance floor, I lose every thought I have ever had in my life. And, yeah, maybe, I’m going to be okay with a one-night fling with the man of my dreams. Who can blame a girl for taking him up on his offer?And that night? I will just say that it blows my world apart.But I know as soon as the sun rises, this girl will have to put on her big girl pants and get on with my life. Because there is one thing I understand and that’s that girls like me don’t get happily ever afters with guys like him.

The Cowboy's Heir


Mary Sue Jackson - 2019
    So when Chelsea gets offered a teaching position in an “alternative” elementary school in Texas she sees it as fate’s design and goes all in. Even hooking up with a cowboy on her preparation trip to find a place to live. After a childhood spent basically screwing-up everything he cared about, Parker Trent is now a careful man. He’s inherited a sizeable dairy farm from his father and prides himself on the purity of his milk and the purity of his dating record: he only dates tourists. But when his dairy farm’s accounts are called into question and his hot hookup from the summer turns up—pregnant—as the alternative school’s new kindergarten teacher, not only is his dating record broken, but his world is turned upside down. Chelsea is perfectly happy raising the baby on her own, but Parker refuses to fail at fatherhood. The more time they spend together, the more Parker is determined to show he can be the father their child needs. Recruiting himself to help with the school’s adaptive animal program—the program Chelsea happens to run—seems like a chance to show Chelsea that he means business when it comes to parenting and to get him back into her good graces after his less than excited reaction to their bundle of joy. But spending time with Chelsea has Parker longing to be more than just a father...for the first time in his life he’s wondering what it would be like to be a husband too. This novel contains sexual content, profanity, and scenes with referenced violence and substance abuse.

Sworn to Protect


Kimberly Readnour - 2021
    Bromberg’s Everyday Heroes Worlds project.One promise.One duty.One secret. Decorated, Ranger Regiment surgeon, Nate Dixon, has one wife—his country. With zero plans on retiring, the life mapped out before him gets altered when his best friend dies in his arms and asks him to look after his family.Mackenzie Gillman dreamed of moving away and making something of herself. But at age twenty-eight, she finds herself widowed with two kids and jobless. Moving back to her hometown, Sunnyville, California, she’s determined to start over by finishing her nursing degree. Kids, work, and school are her only priorities. But she didn’t expect to meet the mysterious stranger in town that stirs an array of emotions, none of which a new widow should feel.When Nate’s covert assignment turns complicated and lines begin to blur, the lies and deception become too much to bear. A good soldier never abandons his mission, but a great surgeon knows when to cut ties. And when Mackenzie finds herself at her darkest moment, will the trust she built with Nate be shattered?

Stranded with the Ex-Boyfriend (Snowbound Billionaires Book 2)


Sophie Brooks - 2020
    I don’t even want to see his stupid, handsome face, let alone pretend to be a couple. Too bad there’s a blizzard raging, and the innkeeper won’t rent us the last room until Aaron convinces her it’s our honeymoon. Like I’d ever marry him! Sharing close quarters should be a nightmare after everything he’s done, but with him pretending to be a loving husband, I start to remember the good times. How it feels to curl up next to him. The way his strong hands rub my shoulders when I’m tense. He’s charming when he wants to be, keeping me from going stir crazy and holding me tight when the power goes out. When I see how great he is with the kids at the inn, it reminds me of the future I thought we’d have together. Is it possible I was wrong about him? He claims he wants a second chance, but that might be even more dangerous than the storm outside. **Stranded with the Ex-Boyfriend is a romance novel with steamy scenes, no cheating, and a happy ending. It can be read as a standalone.**

Midnight Kisses


Alexa Rivers - 2019
    She’s the smitten small-town sweetheart. After years of waiting, it’s finally her time to make a move.Emily Parker has loved Justin Simons from afar for as long as she can remember. Even his being engaged to her high school nemesis didn’t stop her from yearning for him. But everything is different now. The other woman is out of the picture, and she’s finally ready to make a move on the only man she’s ever wanted. Surely she can convince the sexy, stubborn grouch to open up his wounded heart once more, right?The last thing Justin wants is love. He’s been down that road before and has the emotional scars to prove it. The invite to his ex’s wedding? Salt in the wound. But thankfully Emily is willing to be his plus one and help him prove that he’s finally over his broken engagement. Now all he’ll have to do is ignore his overwhelming attraction to the gorgeous woman who seems so determined to bring sunshine and joy into his life.Can Emily convince broody Justin that love is worth the risk? Or will he let happiness—and Emily—slip through his fingers?

This Is It: A Second Chance Romance: San Diego Social Scene Novella


Tess Summers - 2020
    Thinking back to the prior evening’s events, I decided it was definitely the naughty one. There had to be a mistake —I was always on the nice list. But the gorgeous, naked man snuggled next to me seemed to suggest I had a lump of… something waiting for me. Maybe the nice list was overrated. Or maybe naughty girls really did end up with coal in their stockings.GrantI was now on the ‘every-other-weekend and alternating holiday schedule' with my kids —one more thing about divorce that I detested. Attending my law partner’s Christmas Eve party seemed like a better alternative to drinking alone in my boring beige condo, staring at my new pipe-cleaner tree with its new, shiny ornaments. The last thing I expected was to be propositioned by a former PTA President. Or to wake up Christmas morning not wanting to leave her bed. But you don’t get to be our age without plenty of baggage. The question was, did ours match?This sexy, feel-good second chance romance will have you cheering for Paige and Grant to finally find their happily ever after together. But not before they discover that dating —at any age —isn’t so easy.

All I Want


J.H. Croix - 2017
    Five years later. Audrey… the hottest woman I’ve ever known and my sister’s best friend. I was half in love with her for years. I moved on, and so did she. The universe rolled the dice. A dark, snowy night—no joke. I find her walking through the darkness. Christmas is right around the corner. She’s so d*mn tempting, I can hardly think. Maybe rules are meant to be broken. Maybe second chances are real. Audrey I’ve only fantasized about Dallas for, oh, too d*mn long. One wild kiss. Five years ago. I’ve never forgotten it. He’s tall, dark and dangerous…for real. FBI Agent, sexy man extraordinaire. He couldn’t be bothered with me. Maybe because he thought I was too young. I’m not anymore. *This is a steamy, full-length standalone romance with a guaranteed happily-ever-after. No cliffhangers. Nothing but steamy romance & HEA!

Dial A for Addison


Piper Davenport - 2016
     Despite their economic and social differences, Addison Allen and Dylan James have been inseparable since sixth grade. But when Dylan is arrested for the murder of her ex-boss, prison bars threaten to be the one thing that finally comes between them. The body left on Dylan’s doorstep proves to be too problematic for even Addison’s enormous bank account, forcing the duo to roll up their sleeves and search for the murderer themselves. Working to prove Dylan’s innocence brings out an unexpected passion for investigating a knack for uncovering the buried truth. However, their freshly-acquired skills propel them into a dangerous new world full of lies, secrets, and quite possibly… romance. Will they be able to keep Dylan out of jail? Or will they lose their hearts, and maybe even their lives, in the process?

Jared


Taylor Lee - 2016
    The Justice Brothers are dedicated to stamping out injustice in whatever form it appears. The four powerful men are as well known for heating up the sheets as they are for keeping the peace makes for some very interesting reading... On her first mission, Officer Hailey Michels confronts the leader of a dangerous Cartel. Her chance to become a hero evaporates when the powerful Cartel member turns out to an undercover agent. It was bad enough to blow his cover but when she discovers who he really is, her budding career, along with her heart, takes a decided nose dive. The rookie cop learns the hard way that when tangling with the Justice Brothers, justice—like love—isn’t always fair or easy...

Her SEAL


Tara Wylde - 2017
    But since I left the SEALs, I've been drifting. So when some record exec offers me a hundred grand to protect some innocent pop star? I say f*ck yeah! The catch? I've gotta pretend to be her boyfriend. Xander was the only boy I've ever loved. But I blinked and he was gone. Now I've made it to the top. I'm going on a breakout record tour. So StarPower Records tells me I need close protection. And then they go hire the boy I loved. The boy I saved myself for. But he's not a boy any more. He's a man. They're saying I need to keep him close. To pretend to be in love. He's offering to stay close, all right. But it's not his protection he's got me begging for. Her SEAL is a hot, fast standalone romance with extra steamy bonus content included! Holly Hart always gives you a Happy Ever After, she hates cheating with a passion, and cliffhangers just as much as you do! And Tara Wylde couldn't agree more...!

The Cowboy's Last Song


Deborah Garland - 2021
    I fell for him seven years ago. I won’t be charmed by him again. Then I met his daughter...Jamie: I chased fame my entire life and it’s been a brutal journey from rising star to damaged goods seven years later. I’ve cleaned up my act since getting custody of my daughter, but balancing being a single dad and music god hasn’t been easy. I’ve lost another contract and have only one more chance in Music City. Now my success rests in the hands of a woman who probably hates me.Harper: I make stars shine and dreams come true. As the Nashville Hitmaker for a small record label, I’m facing my biggest songwriting challenge yet: a hit for Jamie Miller, country music’s bad boy. Blue Rock Records may have overlooked his tattered reputation to boost profits. But all I see is the man who broke my heart seven years ago.I’m determined not to fall under Jamie's spell again. I’m vying to be Blue Rock’s next CEO, that means keeping my relationship with Jamie professional. But when he uses his most irresistible quality to make me melt: his daughter, my resolve crashes harder than his last album.If I give in to some forbidden sexy time with a man I’ve wanted for seven years, will I survive falling for him again when he leaves to go on tour?And will the pain of losing both Jamie and his daughter be the hit I never saw coming?The Cowboy’s Last Song is part of the Wild Texas Heart Cowboy Series but can be read as a standalone. No cheating. No cliffhanger. HEA Guaranteed.

Top Dog: A Mafia Romance


Rye Hart - 2018
    When I was forced to leave I took my secret with me.Now I'm back. And I'm not alone.This forbidden love affair is about to start a war.RomeoThey call me a thug. Vengeful. Fierce.And I don't give a f*ck.I'm here to make things right with Julia.The only woman I've ever wanted.And the only one I could never have.Her ruthless uncle wants to take me down.And he'll use Julia to get his way.Let the b*astard try. This time nothing comes between us - or my son.The world will finally accept our love - even if I have to bring them h*ll to take what's mine.**Top Dog is a 70,000+ word full-length standalone novel with no cheating or cliff-hangers. Additional exclusive mafia romance novel and bonus content included for your reading pleasure! - Rye Hart (USA Today Bestselling Author)**

Up to Snow Good


Kelly Collins - 2020
    Lauren must ask for help. Unfortunately, the only person who might be able to save her is a childhood sweetheart. How can she trust the man on the wrong side of the blood feud to secure her family’s legacy, when she couldn't trust him with her heart?Torn between Lauren and his father, Max walked away from an impossible choice. Misunderstandings and duplicity have kept him away. The safest thing for Lauren was to leave her alone. But with his father out to crush the last remaining Matthews and a centuries-old feud about to boil over, Max will move heaven and earth to help her, even if it means choosing love over family. With all the harm Max’s family has caused, can Lauren box up and bury the past to have a dream Christmas with Max? Or, will she need a Christmas miracle? Up to Snow Good is not your typical small-town, holiday romance. Angst and treachery hide in every corner. It’s a holiday Romeo and Juliet with a happy ending.