Book picks similar to
Makin' Bacon by Mellanie Szereto


romance
friends-first
research-r-w
chick-lit

Walk Me Home


Liza Kendall - 2020
    She's never gotten over abandoning Jake--and he hasn't, either.Then Charlie returns to Silverlake to stand as a bridesmaid opposite Jake in her cousin's wedding. The event sparks awkwardness, laughter, and heartbreak as they dance to the tune of the craziest bride in the west...and repair broken family bonds.Can their long-lost love find a second chance?

Text 2 Lovers


K. Webster - 2017
    I fired off a storm of raunchy text messages…to the wrong number. And he replied. Him: Show me a picture. Him: Tell me your name. Why does the lure of anonymity have me craving to indulge a stranger? It’s the start of everything right. I received a slew of text messages…when everything in my life was wrong. And she made me laugh again. Her: You’re probably a creeper. Her: Possibly a stalker. Why do I have the overwhelming need to find this stranger who saved me and make her mine? Him: Take a chance with me. Her: This is crazy. Him: I need to see you. Her: What are we doing? Him: We’re about to find out. Her: PHOTO ATTACHED Him: PHOTO ATTACHED

The List


Joanna Bolouri - 2013
    It's been a year since she found her boyfriend Alex in bed with another woman, and multiple cases of wine and extensive relationship analysis with best friend Lucy have done nothing to help. Faced with a new year but no new love, Phoebe concocts a different kind of resolution. The List: ten things she's always wanted to do in bed but has never had the chance (or the courage!) to try. A bucket list for between the sheets. One year of pleasure, no strings attached. Simple, right? Factor in meddlesome colleagues, friends with benefits, getting frisky al fresco and maybe, possibly, true love and Phoebe's got her work cut out for her.[*Novel contains adult material*]

Cure for the Common Breakup


Beth Kendrick - 2014
    Flight attendant Summer Benson lives by two rules: Don’t stay with the same man for too long and never stay in one place. She’s about to break rule number one by considering accepting her boyfriend’s proposal—then disaster strikes and her world is shattered in an instant. Summer heads to Black Dog Bay, where the locals welcome her. Even Hattie Huntington, the town’s oldest, richest, and meanest resident, likes her enough to give her a job. Then there’s Dutch Jansen, the rugged, stoic mayor, who’s the opposite of her type. She probably shouldn't be kissing him. She definitely shouldn't be falling in love. After a lifetime of globe-trotting, Summer has finally found a home. But Hattie has old scores to settle and a hidden agenda for her newest employee. Summer finds herself faced with an impossible choice: Leave Black Dog Bay behind forever, or stay with the ones she loves and cost them everything...

Stupid Cupid


Sharon Karaa - 2015
    For three years, she'd worshipped the sexy but aloof Nicholas Nattrass from afar, wistfully dreaming of a time when he'd love her back, or at the very least notice she existed. All that was about to change, however, when she starts seeing things that she shouldn't, things that couldn't possibly exist, like the Grim Reaper and the Tooth Fairy, for example. The last straw comes when she spots Cupid, about to shoot his arrow at her beloved, and in a desperate bid to save her dream, she wallops him one with her handbag. Dealing Cupid an almost fatal blow means someone has to take his place, and that someone is her! Will she complete her mission and save Cupid's life? And will she manage to win the love of Nicholas Nattrass, or would the esteemed "Doctor Love" have her committed to an insane asylum?

Roping His Heart


Jaclyn Hardy - 2018
    No one has lived there for years, and she dreams of owning it herself someday. So when she finds a handsome city guy walking around inside who claims to own the home, her world turns upside down. Patrick's career is just taking off in the city, and he couldn't be happier. The news of his father's passing brings a silver lining when he finds that he's left with a large mansion in a small ranching town—the perfect place to expand his business. But when Patrick meets the beautiful and fiery Rachel at the mansion, he begins to wonder if he made the right choice. Now he must decide if his business is worth going home to, or if he's willing to leave his city life for the woman who has roped his heart. Part of the Destined for Love Mansions series: - Kiss Me in the Rain by Lindzee Armstrong - Roping His Heart by Jaclyn Hardy - The Princess and The Pizza Man by Cassie Mae - Mending Faces by Lorin Grace - Love Me at Sunset by Lucinda Whitney - Saving Her Plantation by Cami Checketts

Running from a Rock Star


Jami Albright - 2017
    He’s a bad boy rock god. What could possibly go wrong? Scarlett Kelly is the poster child for responsible living. Growing up as the daughter of the town floozy, she’s made it her mission to be the exact opposite of her mother. So when she wakes up naked and hung over in bed with a bad-boy rock star, she bolts immediately. There’s just one problem: Scarlett’s bedmate is her new husband.Gavin needs to repair his image or his music career will go down the tubes. He’s also just learned he has a son he never knew existed. He needs to settle down, and bribing his new wife to stay married may just fit everything into place.Scarlett agrees to the ruse to help her family’s financial troubles even though she can hardly control herself around the rock star. As they search for Gavin’s son, will their unlikely matrimony give them exactly what they’ve been missing or send them packing?

Alaska Heat


Layla Valentine - 2020
    He’s the Alaskan cowboy with bone-meltingly good looks,She’s just some city slicker who doesn’t know a horse from a hay bale.But one thing she does know?This Alaskan winter is going to get HEATED!DUSTIN:My daughter means everything to me, but she can be a handful at times.I needed a tutor, someone to help channel that energy while I watch over my ranch.Fresh in from Las Vegas and ready to make a new start, Jess seemed like the ideal candidate,But then I saw her face – her body – and everything got a whole lot more complicatedI may seem cold on the outside, but I have white-hot blood running through my veins,And I can’t let her get too close, no matter how much I want her.Anyone who gets close to me is in danger,Because from my former life? I can run, but I can’t hide.

A Spot of Trouble


Teri Wilson - 2021
    Sam knows that’s impossible—for one thing, his dog Cinder is a well-trained fire safety dog who never steps out of line. Violet’s dog Sprinkles, on the other hand, has never met a command that she didn’t ignore completely, much like her bubbly owner. So when Sprinkles and Cinder accidentally switch places during the annual police vs. fire department softball tournament, Violet is thrilled by her dog’s sudden perfect behavior, while stubborn-yet-charming Sam is horrified to find that his dog no longer listens.But when the dogs are eventually switched back, Sam and Violet are shocked to find that not everything is as simple as it seems. And a little puppy love might be just the thing they’ve been missing...

An Affair to Dismember


Elise Sax - 2013
    That’s why Gladie is more than a little skeptical when her Grandma Zelda — who is more than a little psychic — recruits her into the family’s matchmaking business in the quaint small town of Cannes, California. What’s more, Gladie is also highly unqualified, having a terrible track record with romance. Still, Zelda is convinced that her granddaughter has her clairvoyant “gift.” But when the going gets tough, Gladie wonders if this gift has a return policy. When Zelda’s neighbor drops dead in his kitchen, Gladie is swept into his bizarre family’s drama. Despite warnings from the (distractingly gorgeous) chief of police to steer clear of his investigation, Gladie is out to prove that her neighbor’s death was murder. It’s not too long before she’s in way over her head — with the hunky police chief, a dysfunctional family full of possible killers, and yet another mysterious and handsome man, whose attentions she’s unable to ignore. Gladie is clearly being pursued — either by true love or by a murderer. Who will catch her first?

Stargaze Island, Part 1


Coral Harper - 2021
    Once upon a time she promised herself she would never leave this charming little town, but a relationship led her to the big city and life got away. She’s back and it’s time for life to slow down…or so she thinks.Jennifer’s world is turned upside down when a new love interest, Peter, shows up at her beachside cafe. Jennifer knows she’s not ready for love, but Peter is a charmer and one date seems harmless. Little did she know that this date would change her for the better and worse…Peter plans a date to Stargaze Island, a small island off the coast that hosts the best stargazing in North America. The sun sets and the two are off ready for a romantic evening together. Jennifer and Peter arrive at the island and the blanket barely hits the ground before something doesn’t feel right on the island. What they discover will lead them on an unforgettable journey. The journey is one of adventure, love, friendship, and second chances at life. Stargaze Island is a touching feel-good beach novel that will keep you on the edge of your seat and fill your heart with warmth and love.

Steeped in Love (Make Me a Match, #1)


Julie Evelyn Joyce - 2018
    Frustrated with her lack of success in romance, Addie turns to another gift her great-aunt passed on to her—the art of reading tea leaves—to aid her in her search for the ideal mate. Novelist Ethan Holtz is having a hard time sinking his teeth into his next project, but he finds Addie fascinating. Mainly for her ability to make her dates disappear in fifteen minutes or less. He can’t help but eavesdrop on her dates in the local coffee shop, his writing haven, and soon finds himself taking pointers on what not to do from her failed suitors. Though her methods seem nothing short of mad, he falls fast and hard for the pixie-haired pie-pusher. She thinks they’re all wrong for each other, but Ethan teams up with the tea leaves to prove they’re so right.

10 Dates


Emily James - 2017
    However, when her engagement starts to look more stalemate than soulmate, her best friend stages an intervention sure to make even the most hardened, serial daters wince: 10 Dates in 10 Days. Statistically, if you kiss a lot of frogs there's bound to be at least one that's not a complete toad, isn't there? With nothing to lose, Joanie embarks on a crazy rollercoaster of blind dates. After all, what can possibly go wrong in the search for Mr. Right? 10 Dates is a standalone, sexy, laugh out loud romantic comedy with a happy ending. It is not for the feint hearted and is best suited for readers over the age of eighteen due to sexual themes and mature content.

Stay With Me


Kelly Elliott - 2016
    Only people who have never lost anyone they loved with all their heart can blindly believe those words. What if I didn’t want to move on? What if I wanted to wake up every morning with that familiar ache in my chest, knowing I’d never see her again? But, life can change in a moment.I knew that better than anyone … So, when I couldn’t get those mesmerizing green eyes out of my head, I decided to do something about it. Would one night with her be enough, or would my heart decide it was finally time to move on from the past?

Million Dollar Date


Susan Hatler - 2019
    Unfortunately, the follow-the-rules cop doesn’t care that she’s late, let alone that she’s heartbroken because her favorite dog rescue is in danger of being closed. Now she has to meet her date with mud drying on her heels, dog hair covering her dress, and the smell of a barn perfuming her hair. When she arrives, however, Abigail learns her handsome blind date is none other than the cop who pulled her over. Abigail has no intention of staying until she learns Cooper Hill is heading a committee for the city that will award a six-figure donation to a charity of their choice. So, what’s a girl to do? Abigail decides a second date is the perfect way to convince Cooper to vote for the dog rescue. Soon, however, Abigail is less interested in Cooper’s vote than she is in his deep voice, kind heart, and tender touch. Will this follow-the-rules cop and this follows-her-heart animal lover learn that despite poor first impressions, second chances can lead to love?