Book picks similar to
Raise Your Game by Cassia Leo
romance
contemporary-romance
contemporary
fake-relationship
Maneuver
Chelle Bliss - 2018
Between my rugged good-looks, rock-hard body, and panty-melting smile, I was used to getting my way.…But then she walked into my club.DELILAH MILESI may have grown up with the finer things in life, but that doesn’t mean I take crap from anyone. I’m tough as nails, fiercely independent, and am never afraid to speak my mind.…But then then he stormed into my life.
Secret Words
Miranda P. Charles - 2013
But Jasmine had a secret she wasn't at all comfortable sharing with anyone, least of all, the hunky guy who was literally sweeping her off her feet.Kane Summers was a sucker for damsels in distress. When he found himself wanting to protect Jasmine Allen in more ways than one, the instant chemistry they had for each other hit him squarely in the chest. But Kane's life was complicated, and he wasn't totally free to act on the fascination he felt for her.Kane and Jasmine were fighting a losing battle to stay away from each other. But circumstances--and certain people--beyond their control were very much intent on keeping them apart.How could they find their way past secrets and malicious intents to nurture a love that, if given the chance, could last a lifetime?This is a stand-alone novel that would give you enjoyment on its own. However, to enhance your of the Secret Dreams Series, the author recommends reading them in order.Secret Dreams SeriesBook 1: Secret Words (Jasmine Allen and Kane Summers)Book 2: Secret Designs (Ari Mitchell and Dylan Summers)Book 3: Secret Moves (Kristen McCann and Trey Andrews)Book 4: Secret Tastes (Samantha Lane and Adam Craig)
One Sweet Summer
Cali MacKay - 2013
So imagine her surprise when, twelve years later, he shows up at the unique and quirky inn she manages on Mermaid Isle, off the coast of Maine. The sweet, gangly teen has matured into a sexy and handsome man, leaving her heart desperate to pick up where they left off.It’s impossible for her to ignore the way her body instantly reacts to his touch and he's just the distraction she needs when she finds out the owners of the Siren Song Inn are selling it to Holt Enterprises. Holt only has eyes on the bottom line and Riley knows they’ll strip the inn of everything that makes it special, ruining not only the Siren, but devastating the island economy.While fighting to save her beloved inn, Riley falls in love with Thorsen all over again. But when she’s faced with the real reason Thorsen’s on the island and his unbearable betrayal, will she be able to save the inn and her chance at true happiness?
Something Great
M. Clarke - 2013
He was everything Jeanella didn’t need in her life. Only Maxwell didn’t see it that way. His pursuit was relentless, making her even more determined to push him away.Fresh out of college, life was simple and plain for Jeanella Mefferd. Every part of her life was smooth sailing; her friends, her job, and even the guy she’d started dating. Then one night, while at dinner, she spotted someone who made her feel things she’d never felt before—dangerous, heart pounding and breathless heat. Thinking she would never see him again, she brushed it off, but when she started to run into him unexpectedly, all she could think of was how he made her feel with his sweet flirtations. Everything about Maxwell Knight screamed trouble, especially when she found out he was her new boss’s son. Now, heading to a New York fashion show, would she be able to focus on her career instead of Maxwell, who had been scheduled to attend with her? As much as she tried to forget their encounters, his good looks, smooth words and determination to win her over gravitated her toward him. The next thing she knew, her mind was utterly consumed by him. Would she be willing to ignore all the dangerous signs and jump into his arms? Or would she miss out on the chance of finding something great?
After the Night
Sandra Marie - 2018
Only problem? He was wearing a mask, and she hasn’t a clue who he is—only that he can rock a Dread Pirate Roberts costume. With only a few men in the office, she makes it her mission to find the man who swept her off her feet, only to be met with date after date of disappointment. And with a growing attraction to her boss, she’s not sure she can find her prince before she falls for someone else.
Rush
Megan Matthews - 2016
San Francisco is a brand new city. I have an amazing apartment, a new job, family, and friends to keep me occupied. Life in the city will be easy.Keep my head down, don’t break any of the ridiculous rules in my lease agreement, get my best friend through her nasty relationship drama, and stick to my five year plan. I’ve got this. Or at least I would if I could figure out why my heart skips a beat every time I see my hot neighbor. Handsome, funny, and always around right when I need him, Finnegan McRyan is my own personal knight in shining armor. The tousled hair and sexy glasses don’t hurt his appeal either. Finn acts like the perfect man, but there’s something about him that has me questioning if it’s too good to be true. Can I count on him when it really matters or is Finn using his good guy image to hide the truth?
Lost and Found
Elle Casey - 2014
Sometimes engagement rings can get lost and then found. Sometimes people can too. All it takes is a heavy-duty dose of karma and the magic of Manhattan to make it all come together.Leah is a financially destitute new age hippy. James is a wealthy surgeon with a trust fund. She's awkward, he's poised. She's completely crazy, he's way too sane. People might say they have nothing in common, but they'd be wrong. They both live in Manhattan, they both have no idea how to change a baby diaper, and they're both lost … until they find one another.
LOVE IN NEW YORK SERIES READING ORDER
Love in New York: Book 1 (Lost and Found)Love in New York: Book 2 (Cabin Fever)Love in New York: Book 3 (Mister Fixit)About this series: I’d never been to New York City before, but I knew I would love it and wanted to write a story that was set in the most exciting city in the world. So I hopped on a plane with my friend Susan and spent 5 whirlwind days there, soaking up the culture, seeing the sights and nailing down the scenes that would eventually end up in this series. Those of you familiar with New York City know what I’m talking about when I say you just can’t beat Russ and Daughters’ bagels, Central Park, Times Square, Brooklyn, and Yonnah Schimmels’ knishes.
Perfect Pitch
Mindy Klasky - 2014
All she has to do is follow the pageant's rules - no smoking, drinking, or "cavorting" in public.That's fine, until D.J. Thomas - God's gift to baseball - throws her a wild pitch. He slams her in an interview, and the video goes viral. Sam's no shrinking violet. She parlays D.J.'s apology into a national T.V. appearance - and a very unexpected, very public kiss.Soon, paparazzi catch the couple in a steamy make-out session, and Sam's music program is on the block. The blazing hot relationship is threatened even more when D.J.'s son begs to trade in Little League for music class.Can Sam and D.J. sizzle past the sour notes and find their perfect pitch?
The Substitute
Denise Grover Swank - 2014
Megan Vandemeer meant to tell her parents about her broken engagement, but a month and a half later she finds herself boarding a plane home to her wedding. Having stretched avoidance to its limits, it's time to come clean--a terrifying prospect since her mother is sure to blame her rather than her cheating, emotionally frigid ex. A couple of drinks and two Dramamine later, Megan finds herself spilling her sob story to the tall, dark, and handsome stranger in the seat next to her. With only one week left to save his business, Josh McMillan boards a plane to Kansas City in a last-ditch effort, leaving the details to chance. An unexpected answer is delivered in the form of the beautiful brunette beside him. Though she’s completely loopy, her honesty, openness, and humor charm him. So when she passes out before landing, he helps her off the plane--a good deed that leads to a colossal misunderstanding. Her parents assume he’s her fiancé. In a twist of fate, the mix-up might help Josh save his business, so he plays along, figuring he can help Megan too. All he has to do is stage a public break up convincing enough to appease her mother. Josh is only supposed to be a substitute groom, but the more time he and Megan spend together, the more their pretend engagement starts to feel real…and the less they want to break it off. Can a relationship that began as a farce turn into happily ever after?
Rescue
Kemmie Michaels - 2014
The emptiness in her gaze he understands to his core, and he's instantly compelled to help this brown-haired beauty fight the source of her pain. Determined and intense, he needs to use his strength to help her find her own. Cam Foster, in that instant, becomes the dove he wants to free from her cage. From the first night, he needs her.Cruelly, the past refuses to let her go. The lingering manipulation holds her in that cage as the control she lived under continues to crush the woman she wants to become. Even though Ledger offers her heated passion and a safe haven, she can't find her way out.Desire and danger fight to pull her life in two directions…but those forces may crumble as Ledger fights harder than any barrier he and his dove face.
Decidedly Off Limits
Stina Lindenblatt - 2016
Oops.
Trent Salway is one of San Francisco’s hot up-and-coming-under-thirty bachelors. A highly successful mutual fund portfolio manager, a workaholic, and a ladies’ man, he’s got everything he could possibly want… except one thing. Physical therapist Kelsey Quaid dumped her ex-fiancé six months ago because she was tired of not even being a distant second to his career. Which is why despite secretly crushing on her big brother’s best friend for as long as she can remember, there’s no way Kelsey can go there. One workaholic in her life is more than enough, thank you very much. Before Kelsey’s brother leaves on his Navy SEAL mission, he asks Trent one simple request: make sure Kelsey isn’t dating any assholes while he’s away. As Trent does his best to do just this, he and Kelsey spend more and more time together. Sparks fly, as do a few items of clothing, and the next thing they know things are getting physical between them. Now, Trent has to decide what to do about the woman he’s falling for — the one whose brother would take him down faster than he takes down the enemy. And Kelsey will have to decide if Trent is just another workaholic or if he’s decidedly off limits. Warning: Contains naughty uses for silk ties, forbidden sex, and enough profanities to make a sailor proud.
Montana Reunion
Soraya M. Lane - 2012
When Maddison returns home after years away, Jack is all grown up and ready to make up for lost time. And so is Maddison… the only trouble is, Jack needs more than a friend. So when she suggests that a marriage of convenience could help Jack save his ranch, it seems like everything is falling into place. Until Jack finds out that Maddison wants a baby.Their friendship is too important to ruin, but after a night of unexpected passion, everything changes. Because Maddison is pregnant and Jack’s made it clear that their marriage will be one of convenience only. And he never wants to be a dad.
Her Summer with the Marine
Susan Meier - 2014
Now ex-military, tattooed, and still sexy as hell, Finn is a complication Ellie doesn’t need—she needs to concentrate on saving her family business.Finn’s entire life, Ellie was there, going head-to-head with him in every class, bee, and test. So it’s no surprise she’d show up just as he was about to take over her father's struggling business. It is a surprise, though, that his attraction to her is even more explosive than it had been. Acting on their attraction is one thing, but Finn has to turn a profit to save his own family, and nothing—not even love—will get in his way.
Love Handles
Gretchen Galway - 2011
She hates the gym, is nice to everybody, and shops at Ross Dress for Less. When she's not teaching preschool, she's wearing yoga pants... to nap in. So when she inherits her estranged grandfather's fitnesswear company in San Francisco, nobody expects her to keep it. Fite Fitness needs a heartless suit to save it from bankruptcy, not a thirty-year-old woman who cries when her students leave for kindergarten.Someone like Liam Johnson. A former Olympic swimmer, Liam is Fite's executive vice president. Unlike Bev, he's devoted his life to Fite's success. Managing one little preschool teacher — and his attraction to her — shouldn't be an issue. Right?But Bev's tired of being underpaid and underrated, and refuses to step aside as an obedient figurehead. To everyone's shock and horror, she moves up to San Francisco, sets up an office, and dives into the business. Nothing — not mockery, not exercise, not sabotage, not a disastrously hot night with her aggravating VP — is going to scare her away.As Liam realizes she's tougher than she looks, he discovers that losing Fite might not be nearly as bad as losing her...A story about the pursuit of love, happiness, and the perfect yoga pants, Love Handles will speak to anyone who's ever had to face the thing that scares her most.Warning: contains at least two loves scenes and a happy ending.
Losing Faith
Jeremy Asher - 2013
After climbing the music charts and making his dreams come true, his life took a turn that he’d never expected, causing him to lose it all. But Seth is determined to do whatever it takes to get it all back, even if that includes doing the one thing he swore he’d never do.After turning his back on his career, music, and the life he had worked so hard to build, Seth embarks on a journey to make things right and get his life back.Along the way, Seth encounters a storm that threatens his chances at getting back the one thing that could fix his broken life: his daughter, Faith. Forced to travel with strangers, Seth discovers that his success and failure are not just at the hands of fate, but that they also rest within his traveling companions.This is a story about how far a man will go when he has nothing to lose and only one chance at getting it all back to honor a promise he made to his little girl. The road to picking up the pieces of his broken life places him face-to-face with his demons, leading him to realize that nothing is worse than Losing Faith.