Book picks similar to
One Date Deal by Lucy McConnell


contemporary
ku
romance
friends-turned-lovers

One Last Summer


Jo Noelle - 2017
    She doesn’t believe in marriage, and she’s learned to only count on herself. At her Uncle Walter’s insistence, and a little emotional blackmail, she returns to Misty Harbor Cottages to help him for one last summer in a place that's really the only home she’s ever known. Cole Zamora has worked at Misty Harbor for more than half of his twenty-three years, and imagined someday owning the place. He met Jenna when they were ten-years-old, and his young heart fell hard for her, relishing every summer she came back. That is, until two years ago, when she broke his heart and never returned. Uncle Walter proposes a challenge between the two, with the winner becoming the new owner of Misty Harbor. Now, there’s a real chance Cole could lose his heart and his home. Jenna isn’t sure which worries her more—a summer of rivalry or romance? One Last Summer is a 100-page novella in the clean & wholesome romance category.

Royal Quest


Rachel Branton - 2022
    Kat has no idea of Amelia’s existence, and her recent marriage to Nico, the new King of Monterra, puts her further out of Amelia’s reach. Even if Amelia finds Kat, there’s no guarantee the queen will believe her—or that she wants a sister. To complicate matters, Amelia meets Davide Ciano, who steals her breath away and makes her knees weak. She’s never believed in the kind of fairy tale that her sister found, but then she’s never known anyone like Davide. Maybe, if their secrets don’t keep them apart, she might begin to believe. Royal Quest is the story of how two sisters find each other, and about love—true love. Because in Monterra, fairy tales do come true.

Christmas in Echo Creek: A Sweet Small-Town Holiday Romance


Kacey Linden - 2017
    But the locals can’t seem to stop trying to help her, and their obsession with Christmas cheer makes her want things she never thought she’d have. Home. A family. Maybe even a chance at love with a certain handsome sheriff’s deputy…Deputy Cale Matthews was planning to skip Christmas, until a quiet newcomer makes him rethink everything. Willow is clearly hiding something, but she’s also beautiful, courageous, and in desperate need of hope. It doesn’t take long for Cale to decide he wants more than just friendship, but Willow’s been hurt too often to trust easily.With the help of a meddling matchmaker and a little mistletoe, will Cale be able to convince Willow to take a chance on love, or will the shadows of her past tear them apart forever?

Always You


Lucinda Whitney - 2019
    He wishes he could tell her it’s him. Can they come to the truth before it’s too late? Simon Ackerley arrives in Lisbon for his temporary job as a consultant, not expecting to find his secret penpal easily. After all, he doesn’t know what she looks like or what her real name is. But when a biking accident reveals that Simon’s prickly co-worker Isabel is the elusive Amélie, he has to win her trust before he can confess his true identity. Isabel Antunes is content with her life as director of the English Academy in Lisbon, until the chairman hires a consultant without her knowledge. Despite Simon Ackerley’s repeated assurances to the contrary, Isabel believes he’s after her position, and she won’t hand it over without a fight. As if dealing with him at work isn’t enough, he shows up at her book club as well. Her only solace is writing to the penpal she knows simply as Elliot. As they work together, Isabel realizes Simon is nothing like her first impression and a tentative friendship grows between them. But how can she explore the possibilities when her heart belongs to Elliot? Always You is a sweet secret relationship romance and it can be read as a standalone. *Part of this story was previously published as One Small Chance. It has been rewritten and expanded to include new content and a swoony epilogue.* Falling For You Romance series: Book 1— Always You Book 2— Truly You Book 3— Only You A companion series to the Romano Family series.

My Very Own Hitman: a sweet suspense novel


Elizabeth Watson - 2017
    She is certain her bucket list full of wishes- like learning to ice skate and kissing under the mistletoe- will never come true. When she tries to run for it, the boss sends a hitman after her. But when the hitman shows up looking more uncertain than murderous, she proposes a deal. If he'll give her two weeks to complete her bucket list, she'll let him take her out without a fight. It turns out a lot can happen in two weeks. Especially when kissing is on your bucket list and your hitman happens to be a handsome billionaire... This new romantic comedy by Izi Miller will sweep you off your feet with action, adventure, suspense and romance. Hands-down the best clean romance you’ll find this year. Miller has crafted a novella perfect for summer beach reading, and equally well-suited for cozying up by the fire at Christmas. Fans of movies like Holiday in Handcuffs, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, and Knight and Day will love the hilarious situations the characters find themselves in! Both the paperback and Kindle editions include access to a PDF with easy book club ideas and simple recipes to match the romantic dinner in the book!

Heart Thief


Taylor Dean - 2019
    I should've listened. But I didn't. Of course, I also thought Ryker Martel was about to propose.He didn't.I was ready to say yes.He was ready to wait a little longer.Now he's out of the country on an extended business trip and I'm staying in his penthouse apartment with seeds of disillusionment taking over my soul.Ryker reminded me that his estranged brother might show up out of the blue at his penthouse. He told me to let him know right away if he did. He'd take care of it.His brother is bad news. The rebel, the black sheep of the family."Don't trust him," Ryker said. "Stay as far away from him as possible. He's a thief, a snake."Warning duly noted.And ignored.I considered myself equipped to handle whatever was thrown my way. I was wrong.Nothing prepared me for Zane and the havoc he would wreak in my life--and in my heart. He turned me upside down and knocked me sideways.Falling for the other brother is never a good idea. Keeping it a secret, even worse.Especially when he proves to be the thief he was purported to be.My heart will never be mine again and I want it back.But it has been stolen and I'll never be the same.Never.Formerly part of the series, Love Under Wraps. Three standalone novels by three different authors about secret love stories.Book One: Heart Thief by Taylor Dean.Book Two: Rules are Made to be Broken by Mylissa Demeyere (Now book one of the Rules series.)Book Three: A Wrinkle in Forever by Charissa Stastny

Trouble in Paradise


Karen Tuft - 2015
    So when the opportunity arises to shake off the dust of his hometown and move to the tropical paradise of Hawaii, he grabs it. But he never imagined that apiece of his past would follow him to his new life . . .Kimberly Briggs has lived her life on the fringes of the crowd, timid and afraid since the death of her brother, but when she learns that Andy, her lifelong crush, is moving to Hawaii, she's finally ready to step out of the shadows and take a risk.Kimberly is the last person Andy expected or wanted to see in Hawaii. But when fate incessantly throws the pair together, there's little to be done but make the best of the situation. As the awkwardness fades and Kimberly begins to emerge from her shell, Andy realizes there's much more to her than he realized. But even as they revel in the adventures of island life, drawn together by a growing attraction, an unforeseen peril threatens Kimberly's life. Can the once-timid young woman now draw upon the inner strength Andy has helped her discover so the two of them can build a life together? Will Andy grasp that love knows no geographical bounds?

More Than a Tiara


Valerie Comer - 2016
    Her family farm is now part of a CSA program teaching gardening and cooking to single moms, but when the coordinator begs her to represent the program in the Miss Snowflake Pageant, Marisa balks.Jase Mackie has long regretted the hot accusations he'd flung at Marisa over two years before. God has forgiven him but hasn't answered his prayer to bring Marisa back into his life… until Jase finds himself out West as the official photographer for a beauty pageant, face to face with the woman he's never forgotten.Can Jase make amends for past mistakes and offer Marisa not only a tiara, but a partner in her crusade to help needy children and families?More Than a Tiara was available as part of Snowflake Tiara in 2014 and Home For Christmas multi-author box set in 2015. This is its first solo release.

Tea with Emma


Diane Moody - 2011
    But an airport mishap with a cranky Englishman gets her off on the wrong foot (quite literally), especially when he moves into the university guest house across the street. Can Maddie find a love for her unapproachable new neighbor, or has she finally met her match?

Secrets of the Heart


Lee Tobin McClain - 2017
    But when his interfering siblings hire Molly Abbott, a successful food entrepreneur and his high-school sweetheart, he’s livid. The way their relationship ended wasn’t pretty. And although Molly never married, she’s the single mom of an eleven-year-old daughter conceived right about the time of the breakup. Molly’s ideas about farm-to-table, health-conscious Mexican food conflict with Javier’s strong sense of tradition, even as her joyous faith convicts him about his own lapse from the church of his youth. Can a reunion romance bring happiness to two lonely souls who never forgot each other… or will their relationship be derailed by the secrets they both carry in their hearts? Secrets of the Heart is Book Four of the Arcadia Valley Romance series. These inspirational Christian romances all take place in the same Idaho town, with characters you'll come to love and a farm-fresh, sustainable foods focus. Look for a new book each month, including more books about the Quintana Family and El Corazon.

The Isaac Project


Sarah Monzon - 2015
    Not only does she catch her boyfriend, the man she hoped to marry, lip-locked with another woman, she also receives the gut-wrenching news that her grandfather, the man who raised her, is dying. His last wish? To see her happily married. Heartbroken, Becky seeks inspiration in the pages of the Holy Scriptures. And finds it in the story of Isaac and Rebekah. If love couldn't keep his parents together, Luke Masterson wonders what will make a marriage last. He decides to steer clear of all women—especially crazy ones like Becky Sawyer, who employs a friend to find her a husband. But when he feels the dogged promptings of the Holy Spirit to move across the country and marry a complete stranger, it seems love has little to do with it anyway. With commitment their only foundation, and love constantly thwarted, can an arranged marriage find happiness in the twenty-first century?

Love on the Air


Sierra Donovan - 2004
    After a few years of working a grueling desk job and attending night classes, Christie is finally ready to embark on her new on-air career. When she quits her job and gets hired as an overnight disc jockey, her life seems to be on the right track, but falling for her boss was not something she planned on.Rick Fox has been working in radio for ten years. In fact, it was his voice that got Christie through many college study sessions. With an established career, the last thing he wants—or expects—is to be attracted to the overnight jock. Especially when it is strictly against company policy; an affair would put both their careers in jeopardy.But when the two of them are thrown together in the studio it becomes clear that the static between them is more than just professional chemistry. Will Christie’s career be destroyed before it even begins, or will Rick find a way to salvage both their jobs and put their love on the air?

Hope for Christmas


Rachelle J. Christensen - 2016
    Christensen is part of the Christmas Kisses: Echo Ridge Anthology. Read the bonus sneak peek of the newest Echo Ridge addition included! Anika Fletcher hates Christmas--its promises of good tidings and hope for the future are as tinseled as the ornaments on Kenworth's Hope Tree. Despite her feelings, Anika wants to maintain her daughter's faith in the magic of the season and gladly accepts a second job working with the handsome Carlos Rodriguez to restore Kenworth's old fashioned soda fountain. Carlos is no stranger to hard times and slowly shares his life of light and joy with Anika as they work together. Just as her fragile soul begins to feel hope again, an ill-timed act of charity changes everything. Anika isn't sure who she can trust or if hope is worth nurturing--especially at Christmas when it's easy to enjoy a kiss and believe love can last longer than the season.

More Than My Billionaire Boss


Danae Little - 2018
     Ambitious and responsible, Abigail Johnson always puts aside her own needs to fulfill her boss’s. Playing the role of his fake girlfriend, however, is one task that pushed her to her limits. Pretending to be a billionaire’s girlfriend during his family’s white sand Christmas reveals a side of her boss that intrigues her. Their first staged kiss, awakens Abigail to the realization that this invented relationship might actually have become real. When someone leaks her identity to the media, she has to make a decision that will change the rest of her life, and that of her Billionaire Boss.

Love of a Lifetime


Sally Bayless - 2019
    If she can just avoid questions from that cute guy at the newspaper, no one ever needs to find out about her past.Will Hamlin, editor of the local paper, has some serious questions about the mayor’s new secretary. She’s clearly hiding something—something that could be the big story the newspaper desperately needs to stay afloat. But after Will’s initial queries find nothing, he grows less interested in Cara’s past and more interested in winning her heart with slices of pie and stolen kisses.When a crime is uncovered at city hall just as Will unearths Cara’s secret, the repercussions shatter their romance. Can Cara ever escape her past? Can Will finally find a way to save the paper? And can they learn to place their trust in God and open their hearts to the love of a lifetime?