Book picks similar to
The Guy Next Door by D.L. White


romance
black-love
contemporary-romance
romcom

Forgive Me Father for I Have Loved


Tiana Laveen - 2013
    He was the person everyone called on during a crisis or emotional devastation — Dane was everyone’s rock. However, all that came into question after the death of a dear friend. Dane begins to look at his life and do some soul searching, revisiting situations and monsters from the past that continue to rear their heads in his time of need and spiritual upheaval. He seeks relief in unconventional things, his flesh forcing him to make choices that he knows are not healthy. Trying to get back on track, he goes to a local park, one of his all-time favorites, and sits and simply thinks, day after day, trying to heal a broken heart.As he continues to visit the park for peace of mind and solace, he can’t help but notice a beautiful Bohemian woman. She more than catches his eye, arousing feelings in him he’d suppressed since he entered the priesthood. He can’t get her out of his mind, and though he can’t put his finger on it, she appears familiar to him. She is practically his polar opposite, yet the two forge a friendship built on humor, respect and admiration. However, the struggle soon ensues once Dane realizes he likes her to be more than just a friend, and he has to make serious choices that could affect so many people who love and depend on him.He is at a crossroads — does he give up the priesthood to be with her, or forge ahead, forgetting about Lotus, the angelic songbird that floated right into his heart...______________________Please Note: Though this book is not classified as erotica, it does involve the following subject matters/topics/ideals, which may be offensive to some audiences: religion – particularly the Catholic faith as it pertains to priesthood. It also includes detailed sexual and intimate depictions of a consenting couple and a host of situations that are adult in nature. This book is not intended to encourage or discourage those in the Catholic faith. It is a love story that deals with the human experience in its totality.

Letters to My Wife


Terry Dean - 2010
    It’s funny and sad, but so very poignant… telling a family’s story. You’re immediately drawn into Kevin Clarke’s life, how he fell in love and how he made relationships work. This novel - this story - is simply magnificent with its many twists and turns. As Kevin “talks” to his wife via a blog, the world starts noticing. It’s life in a tumultuous nutshell. Quite frankly, it’s a story that will stay with you for years to come. Book synopsis: Kevin Clarke is telling his story, his way. He’s writing love letters to the only woman he’s ever loved - his wife. He posts the stories on a blog, hoping she might read them. Little does he know, the neighbors across the street are reading the letters, as is the cop who took him into custody one night. In fact, most of the world is reading the private stories Kevin is telling through his letters to his wife. But while the blog is anonymous, Kevin slips up and the world discovers him. What happens after that is a love story for the ages.

Snowed In at the Castle (Snowed In for Christmas #1)


Lucy McConnell - 2020
    She took a dream European vacation to push a restart button on her life, only to end up stranded in the airport. Her tour group is directed to temporary lodging in the castle--every girl's dream come true. When she meets a royal advisor with brooding eyes and broad shoulders, she's tempted to tear up her return ticket.Prince Matteo de Luca must announce his engagement at the Christmas Eve ball. There are several problems.1. The women his parents want him to marry is a troll.2. He doesn't want to get married at all.3. He's met an adorable American who makes him believe in things like love at first argument and the joy of Christmas.4. She doesn't know he's a prince.Pulled apart by centuries of tradition and loyalty to God and king, it's going to take more than a royal rebellion for these two to be together.Find out if Christmas truly is a season for miracles in this new holiday romance today!

Royal Tease


Nana Malone - 2018
    It should have been the easiest assignment of my life. But Jessa is uncooperative. She's feisty, mouthy, and stubborn. Oh, and she hates me. Ever since I threw her over my shoulder and carried her out of a bar fight, I've been persona non grata.But the stakes are too high to mess this up. The monarchy is at risk. Jessa…I can’t stand Roone Ainsley. There I said it. Shoot me. We go together like lightning and water. His annoying, steady obstinance is going to cost me my job. A job I have worked very hard to keep. No one is messing this up for me. I’ve had enough crazy in my life. But even if I wanted him - which I don’t, but if I did - I can’t ever have him.My life is not my own. I’ve known that since birth.

We Are the Ghosts


Vicky Skinner - 2019
    Now, the only people who seem to understand what she's going through are Luke's best friend and his ex-girlfriend, who she bonds with over their desire to figure out where Luke went when he walked out of their lives. As she gets closer to them, and closer to Cade, a boy who seems determined to get to know her better, she realizes that she’s not the only one with reasons to be angry at Luke. And when Ellie makes a discovery that changes everything, she and her new friends hit the road, hoping that following Luke's trail will bring them answers about the life Luke was living away from them.

Heartbeat Braves


Pamela Sanderson - 2016
    Rayanne Larson knows firsthand the struggles of native people. Working at Crooked Rock gives her the chance to do good work for Indians living in the city. She has high hopes for the Center’s progress until its new leader hands her special project over to his underachieving—and distractingly sexy—nephew. Henry Grant’s life is going just fine. Though he knows rez life, he’s always been an urban Indian. He has no interest in the Indian Center job his uncle pushes on him. That is, until he meets Rayanne. She’s attractive and smart, and like no woman he has ever met. Rayanne is determined to keep her distance but when the Center faces a crisis, the two of them are forced to work together and she can no longer ignore the sparks between them.This is book #1 in the Crooked Rock Urban Indian Center series. It's not a true cliffhanger but there are unresolved story elements that continue in the next book.

Cards of Love: Temperance


Cassia Leo - 2018
    Leah Grayson is fantasizing about a patient she’s never seen.Leah has been counseling high-profile addicts for almost a decade, so she’s accustomed to the need for discretion. But her latest client, who goes by the name Mr. C, demands total anonymity. She’s never seen his face, but his deep, rich voice occupies her naughtiest dreams and fantasies.Mr. C’s sex addiction is threatening to take over his life. The only thing keeping it from consuming him is his twice-weekly one-hour video chat session with Dr. Grayson. Though his webcam is pointed at a nondescript area of his study, her webcam is always pointed at those succulent lips and her long, lithe legs, which he can’t stop fantasizing about. He must have her.Will Leah and Mr. C submit to their forbidden passion? Or will they practice temperance when a dinner party they both attend presents them with the ultimate temptation?

Roasted


Susannah Shannon - 2016
    She has secretly longed for a man who enjoys her company, respects her intellect, thinks she is beautiful, and is prepared to spank her bottom scarlet when he thinks she needs it. All that has gotten her is heartbreak. When learning of her ex-fiancé's plans to use her money to take his new love to Paris, Cass has had enough. An invitation from an online fan has her deciding that it is about time to pull her big- girl panties up and step outside her comfort zone. Stunning photos of the Alaskan wilderness promise her an adventure; the prospect of meeting the considerate and strong Killian Nelson, owner of Slick Trench Outfitters, offers her far more. All Cass needs to do is overcome a few obstacles... such as reclaiming her livelihood from her carbophobic ex-fiancé who has hijacked her food blog, convince herself that Killian's gorgeous ex-girlfriend isn't competition, find a missing elderly friend—and, as if that's not enough, she also needs to stay away from the bears and wolves that call Alaska home. Only after Cass begins to recognize her own worth is she able to build the life she has dreamed of. Oh, but remember those big-girl panties she's pulled up? What will her reaction be when she learns that naughty girls find their panties pulled down when going over an Alaskan's lap? Roasted is a witty, sexy story of self-discovery. It features excerpts from the fictional CassCooks by Cass Harper and some non-fictional recipes that you are going to want to try.

Bayou My Love


Lauren Faulkenberry - 2016
    For Enza, Bayou Sabine means pain and heartache: a mother who left her and a father whose lies have caught up with him. Her only fondness for the bayou comes from the summers she spent there with her grandmother, Vergie. Now that Vergie’s gone, Enza wants to flip the house and put her past to rest—but this small town is full of big secrets—and it has one more surprise for her.When Enza finds her grandmother’s house occupied by sexy firefighter Jack Mayronne, she wants to kick him out. But Jack turns on the charm and convinces her to let him stay in exchange for helping her flip the house. Sparks fly as they share the same roof, and as their fling intensifies, Enza learns that Jack has dangerous secrets of his own. When the truth about her mother’s disappearance begins to surface, Enza must decide: how much is she willing to sacrifice to start over—and can she trust Jack with her heart?  Note: This book was previously published with the title Bayou My Love.“Faulkenberry creates a world of magic, suspense, and desire. An engrossing romance with just the right amount of heat!” -Julie C. Gardner, author of Letters for Scarlet

Candidly Yours


Reese Ryan - 2020
    She doesn't do flings. But neither of them can deny the sizzling attraction between them. Layla St. John has the talent, creativity, and drive to start her own clothing line. What the big-hearted entrepreneur lacks is the capital. So when a celebrity photographer offers to connect her with investors if she’ll let him feature her in his photography series about Caribbean carnival culture, it’s a deal she can’t refuse. But Layla can’t help being attracted to the brilliant artist. Too bad he’s her little brother’s former best friend and way too young for her. Quincy Johnston has spent the past ten years making a name for himself as a photographer and avoiding complicated relationships. But when an impromptu trip to his small hometown, Pleasure Cove, leads to a chance encounter with the woman he's been crushing on since he was a kid, Quincy gets a taste of the deep connections he's been missing. Can Layla and Quincy move past their relationship fears and take a chance on turning their short-term, secret fling into a shot at forever?

A Passionate Night


Candace Shaw - 2016
     Harper Bennett’s motto is work hard, play hard. Lately, she’s forgotten the latter and has focused her time as part-owner, along with her brothers, of the hottest nightclub in Atlanta. When an intriguing client enters, Harper forgoes her promise to never date a man that doesn’t live in the same city and she finds herself playing hard to get with Hunter Arrington. The passion that has ignited between them can’t be extinguished, and she dreads the day he has to leave. Hunter travels the world because of his career and has no intentions of settling down until his eyes land on Harper Bennett. There’s something about the petite, sassy woman that he adores and makes him feel at home for the first time in years. Now he’s faced with a life-changing decision and the thought of being without Harper isn’t an option. Be sure to check out the other novellas in this series. (The novellas can be read in any order) A Passionate Kiss by Sharon C. Cooper A Passionate Love by Delaney Diamond

Again for the First Time


Raven St. Pierre - 2015
    Then again, Lissette never dreamed she’d actually say “yes”. But she did… The odds are against them from the start of their less than conventional marriage, but the couple quickly realizes that their newfound love is absolutely worth the risk.

Save the Date


C.J. Morrow - 2021
    What’s wrong with that?Absolutely nothing. After ten, fun filled years in London, Zoe Tydeman has returned to the sleepy Wiltshire village of her childhood. She’s bought a house, got herself a lovely new job in a craft shop, and she’s finally growing up and moving on. She’s put behind her the mistakes of the past and life is now sunshine and smiles.Until a pink envelope lands on her doormat. ‘Save the Date’ has never hurt so much. Her best friends are getting married. A love she hoped would fizzle out has become permanent, very permanent. Where exactly does that leave Zoe? A singleton at the kids’ table, that’s where.Will Zoe get over her unrequited love? Can she forgive her friends? Is it time to stop wasting time and get over herself?Join Zoe on her quest to get a life – of her own.A romantic comedy for all those who feel let down by love.

Things We Do Not Tell The People We Love


Huma Qureshi - 2021
    It exposes the silences in families and the parts of ourselves we rarely reveal. A daughter asks her mother to shut up, only to shut her up for good; an exhausted wife walks away from the husband who doesn’t understand her; on holiday, lovers no longer understand each other away from home. The underlying themes of loneliness, secrets, family and displacement and also the desire to belong to someone, to some place; a yearning for love, intertwine these stories. The collection includes The Jam Maker, which has just been awarded the Harper’s Bazaar Short Story Prize 2020.