Book picks similar to
The Best Man Wins by Adora Crooks


romance
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One S'more Summer


Beth Merlin - 2017
    She knows it’s wrong and it has to stop, but she hasn’t been able to let go ever since they all met on the bus to summer camp back when they were 7 years old. The same week that her best friends finally announce their wedding date, Gigi loses her high-profile design job. With all of her dreams unravelling, she runs to the last place she remembers being happy.Taking the Head Counselor position at Camp Chinooka, Gigi hopes to reclaim the joy she felt as a camper, but the job isn’t all campfire songs and toasting marshmallows. Gigi’s girls are determined to make her look bad in front of the boys’ Head Counselor—the sexy but infuriating Perry—and every scrap of the campground is laced with memories.When Gigi finally realizes she can’t escape the present by returning to her past, she’s forced to reexamine her life and find the true meaning of love. But will she be able to mend fences and forgive herself before she loses her one real shot at happiness?The Campfire Series1. One S’more Summer—Releases May 30, 2017!2. S'more to Lose—Coming December 2017!

Marriage Vacation


Pauline Turner Brooks - 2018
    Knowing the book will cause a sensation, they decide they must publish it. Now you can read what the hype is about.To find herself…she might lose everything.By all appearances, Kate Carmichael had the perfect life: two adorable daughters, a pre-war town house on the Upper East Side, and a husband who ran one of the most successful publishing companies in New York. But when Kate attends the wedding of two of her oldest friends and reconnects with successful classmates from graduate school, she suddenly sees her life in a different light: the career she didn’t pursue, the dreams she’s locked away, the empty veneer of her privilege.When the wedding weekend ends, instead of heading home to her husband and family, Kate gets on a plane and flies halfway around the world. She claims it’s just going to be for a week—two max—so she can clear her head, make headway with her writing, and shake free of the feeling that time is passing her by.But just like Kate’s life, the adventure doesn’t go quite as planned. When it’s time to return, she finds herself trapped between wanting to be a good mother and partner and needing to find herself again.This provocative and gripping novel asks: is a wife and mother allowed to have a midlife crisis? And, if she does, can she ever be forgiven? Marriage Vacation is for anyone who has ever fantasized about what it would be like to run away from it all.

Bossy


Kim Linwood - 2015
    No promises, no regrets. He was rich, ripped, inked up, and gone in the morning. I didn't even know his name. Not until I read it off the door on my first day at work.See, I don't do bad boys, I don't do troublemakers and I sure as heck didn't graduate college with a 3.9 GPA by screwing around.I was never supposed to see him again, but now he's my new boss, as sexy in a suit as he was between my sheets.And my new stepbrother.Having him was a slice of Heaven. Working for him could mean selling my soul. But if the devil looks like Declan Riordan, Hell might be worth the burn.

My First: Jason & Katie


Melanie Shawn - 2013
    With his easygoing charm, whiskey-colored brown eyes, and sinfully sexy half smile, women just seem to fall all over themselves when he’s around.Well... most women, anyway. Katie Lawson’s the one woman who isn't putty in his hands, and she's the only one he’s ever wanted in his arms.Katie Lawson left Harper's Crossing in the middle of the night ten years ago, immediately after her high school boyfriend Nick's funeral. She left behind all memories of Nick, and she left behind her life-long best friend, Jason Sloan.Now she's on the fast track to junior partner at one of San Francisco's top law firms. She's made a life for herself that's all about maintaining order and sticking to the rules. Rule #1 is keeping herself WAY too busy to think about all that she ran away from. If she can do that, after all, she can keep everything under control.But that rule is about to be broken. She’s headed back home to be the maid of honor in Nick’s little sister’s wedding. It's time to face the truth she's been avoiding all these years, the same one that sent her running ten years ago - that maybe she didn't lose her first love the summer after high school. Maybe her first love has been waiting for her all this time, at home in Harper's Crossing.

Stone Cold


Cheryl Douglas - 2013
    He’s everything a girl from the wrong side of the tracks would be foolish to hope for, but Drake helps her realize she can have a life worth fighting for… until she makes a mistake that could cost her everything.Anyone stupid enough to betray Drake is destined to pay the price, especially when the culprit is wearing his engagement ring. He thought he could trust Cassidy, but when she proves him wrong he vows to make her pay.Revenge is sweet, but redemption is sweeter.

Entangled Past: Family Ties


Palmer Jones - 2021
    Two years of being on her own means two years of avoiding any further disappointment from her failed marriage.Two years of only relying on herself.The reading of her estranged husband's Will is the final closure she needs to move on.Until the day finally arrives.Coming home to find her house burglarized and trashed was terrible enough. Suddenly having her husband's former bodyguard show up on her doorstep makes it worse.The bossy Englishman either doesn't understand her desire to be alone...or doesn't care. Even with muscles galore and an accent that definitely ramps her attraction up another notch, admiring him from a distance is where it ends.It's not that she doesn't want help. She just doesn't want his help.Until the bad guys return...or her.The first of Family Ties Series, Entangled Past is a romantic suspense story full of sarcastic humor and, of course, romance.

Before CE"O": Includes the Complete CE"O" Trilogy


M.T. Stone - 2017
    The first twenty one years of my existence consisted of one single minded obsession, to be an NFL quarterback. It was about to come true when I was blindsided in the most important game of my life. In an instant, the entire world as I knew it crumbled. When my therapist asked about my other talents or interests, the only thing that popped to mind was... women. I've always been good with women, but it's not like you can make a living with that skill set. Well, as it turns out you can make a damn good living in what they refer to as the world's oldest profession. I've definitely got the equipment for it. Maybe I'll give it a try. At this point, I feel as if I have nothing to lose. After all, what can go wrong when you're trying to keep a bunch of spoiled rich girls happy? * Before CE"O" is a 47,000 word prequel to CE"O" and CE"O" Baby. For a limited time this Trilogy edition includes all three stories. If you enjoy steamy stories with a healthy dose of humor and drama, you will enjoy the journey of Rex Hastings.

Harvest Wishes


Jessica Anne Renwick - 2021
    No job. A looming court date to face her abusive ex-husband. Worst of all, she’s had to move back in with her parents. But just when Madison Talbot thinks things can’t get any worse, she bumps into her high school sweetheart—literally. Romance is the last thing Madison needs, especially with the man who once left her high and dry—so she keeps telling herself.Dylan Stewart returned to Cedar Lake to be with his family after an unimaginable tragedy and is set on staying for good. When Madison moves back to town, he’s got one more reason to make his work-from-home arrangement stick. As the guy who broke her heart first, can he help her see him in a new light?After reconnecting over festival planning at the Starlight Inn, old feelings between them spark to a flame. But between family meddling and the wounds from Madison’s traumatic past, the ties between them soon begin to unravel.Can these two learn to face the world together, or are they doomed to repeat their past mistakes?

Vivian's List


Haleigh Lovell - 2013
    A list. A love story.After ending a horrible, scarring relationship, Vivian embraces her freedom by making a sexual bucket list. When her brother's best friend, Liam, finds it, sparks fly and hearts open.Can Vivian heal one steamy encounter at a time?** This is book 1 in a two-part series

Kash


Susie McIver - 2022
    Risk taking is his specialty. But now that he’s survived yet another dangerous mission in Afghanistan, he’s exhausted and looks forward to rest and relaxation. The fewer problems, the better as far as he’s concerned.Emily Jones knows how to handle anything that comes her way. It’s what she’s done since her parents were killed in a freak accident. She took on the role of parent to her brothers and sister and wouldn’t have it any other way.What begins as a pleasant siesta from the horrors of the world soon transforms into the last thing Kash needs—a noisy tenant in his rental property next door. The biggest surprise is the lone adult of the bunch. She is definitely something to look at from the back, but the noise coming out of that backyard is more than he can handle.As Emily settles into life in the new house, she looks forward to a life with her younger siblings, but someone is determined to make sure she never feels safe. She doesn’t know why, but she’s sure someone is following her. Now the only question is… should she enlist the help of her handsome yet grouchy landlord or can she tackle this problem on her own?

Magnificent Bastard


Lili Valente - 2016
    Sometimes, you need a Magnificent Bastard.Face it, ladies: love sucks and then you cry...while your ex rides off into the sunset banging your best friend. But why let a break-up end in tears when it can end with sweet revenge? Enter Magnificent Bastard Consulting and me, chief executive bastard. I've got it all--looks, brains, a heart of gold, and the killer instinct guaran-damn-teed to make your ex regret the day he said goodbye.With the help of my virtual assistant, I've built an empire giving broken-hearted women the vengeance they deserve, while keeping myself far from the front lines of the heart. Life is a bowl of cherries, until my virtual assistant shows upon my real doorstep for the first time, begging for a Magnificent Bastard intervention of her own.  Damn... She's a bona fide sex kitten. I pride myself on being a true pro, but pretending to be her lover soon leads to giving it to her good, hard, fast, and up against the wall. And somewhere between getting balls deep in my sweet and sexy assistant and watching her ex beg for a second chance, I break every last one of my damn rules--professional and personal.So what's my next move? Fight for the girl who makes me want to get up on a white horse and ride to her rescue, or stay a Magnificent Bastard to the end? Warning: MAGNIFICENT BASTARD is a stand-alone erotic romance told from the hero's point of view. No cliffhanger. Lots of dirty talk. A Sexy Flirty Dirty Standalone Romance

Foundation: A Grouchy Geek Romance


Lainey Davis - 2020
    They're brilliant, brooding and barreling into relationships whether they like it or not.Zack Brady doesn’t do relationships. He does calculations.When his family engineering firm sends him to investigate a sinkhole at a client’s house, Zack feels a tremor in the foundation of his carefully calculated world.Her name is Nicole Kennedy. She’s loud and crass, and has no time for nonsense. She certainly doesn’t have time for a mysterious trench swallowing her yard. To make matters worse, the grouchy engineer who shows up to fix it is the same jerk she’s forced to run beside during the corporate relay race her boss insisted she run.Somewhere between jogging and poring over geotechnical engineering plans, Nicole and Zack feel the earth move. Can they overcome their past to build something meaningful?Foundation is book one of the Brady Family series. If you love messy family dynamics, unforgettable characters and sizzling chemistry, you’ll devour this new series by Lainey Davis, creator of the Stag Brothers series.

Get Bunny Love


Kathleen Long - 2005
    Beatrice Love has a problem. When her apartment building turns condo, she’s forced to land a “real” job to secure financing – and fast. Accustomed to freelancing as a graphic designer, she has a propensity for creative distraction. From fuzzy bunny slippers to feng shui, she believes in surrounding herself with whatever it takes to increase positive energy flow.Yang... Nate McNulty craves order. When his Aunt Martha, owner of McNulty Events, announces she’s selling, he’ll do whatever it takes to save the family firm. Her first demand is to successfully produce the prestigious Worthington Cup, a regional kennel club show. One event coordinator short, Nate hires Bunny, and the two agree to a mentor/apprentice relationship. Zing... GET BUNNY LOVE is a story of opposites attract. For Bunny, the only thing grayer than the walls of McNulty Events is Nate’s stifled personality. To Nate, Bunny is a distractingly mop-topped creative menace. Will she be able to see past his lackluster exterior to the sizzling man inside? Will he be able to admit her creative chaos has brought him back to life?

His Wicked Games


Ember Casey - 2013
    Can she beat him at his own game?Lily Frazer would do anything to save the Frazer Center for the Arts--even take on the infamous billionaire Calder Cunningham. When Lily breaks onto the Cunningham estate, she only wants to find and reason with Calder. (All right, all right, she wants to punch him in the face, too, but that's Plan B.) As it turns out, the arrogant billionaire is willing to give her the money he promised, but there's a catch: she must win it from him.Lily isn't about to give up the money without a fight (or let some haughty bastard seduce her), but she quickly discovers that there might be more to the brooding Calder than she initially perceived. As their games of cat and mouse become increasingly intense, she suddenly finds herself confused by her own emotions. Can she deny her attraction long enough to win the money she needs?

Diving into Love


Kat Bellemore - 2020
    She didn’t need another.When Bree Garrett’s former college roommate invites Bree to move to Starlight Ridge, a small tourist town on the Californian coast, she is all too happy to leave the deserts of New Mexico and the memories of her former life. She only has three conditions:One- No one can find out about her fear of water—totally embarrassing when you live next to the ocean.Two- No seafood. She can't stomach it. Yeah, she sees the irony of points number one and two.Three- No blind dates. The last thing she needs is a relationship. Her ex-fiancé would agree.Easier said than done when the only job available is at a surf shop and the owner, Caleb, is under the impression that Bree has applied to be a scuba instructor, and not a cashier, as she had intended.Bree tries to clear up the misunderstanding, but it’s hard when she seems to lose her voice—and her breath—every time Caleb is near. How could she not when he happens to be attractive, single and, as it turns out, also doesn't like seafood?Bree and Caleb struggle against the pull of the tide that seems determined to bring them together. But, despite their differences, maybe this is one battle that is okay to lose.