Book picks similar to
Chicago Code Blue by Diane Portman-Ray
dnf
romance
contemporary-romance
1
Punishing Penelope
Nicolina Martin - 2021
Peter can never forget the girl he once loved. Literally. Still fierce, and obnoxiously sexy, she has become a hotshot journalist who harasses him and the rest of the police force at every turn, and he’s had enough.“Peter Hale is the enemy. He was my first love, but as a cop he stands for everything I hate.”A crime reporter for L.A. Times, Penelope is determined to hold the law enforcement accountable for every misstep. Until she makes a mistake and is caught red-handed by the boy she has never forgotten.Once sweet and devoted, now frighteningly rough, he’s intent on making her pay.___This is a new first book in the series, exploring how it all began, focusing on Penelope and Peter and their HEA.Each book can be read as a standalone and comes with a HEA. The West Coast Doms series contains heavy elements of power exchange and rough scenes. If such material offends you, please don't buy this book.
Beautifully Broken (Beautiful, #1)
Tara Lee - 2020
For years, I tried I really did. When I finally broke free of my demons, she planted me firmly in the friend-zone.I'll fight to win her back no matter the cost. With the chemistry we have, I'm not holding back. I'll even play dirty if I have to. My past proves to be more difficult to keep away than I thought. I need to fight the addiction, need to stay focused, because Luna is what matters most.My purpose on this Earth is loving Luna unconditionally and wholeheartedly.My past wasn't full of sunshine and rainbows. It was a living hell. Runaway mother, abusive father, dead brother—yeah my life’s a damn dream. It made me dark and angry. Made me into someone I hated, but Luna made everything better. She made me want to be better. But sometimes, no matter how hard we try, we can't change who we are. My past isn't everything I thought it was. I uncover something which changes everything. Can I make Luna fall in love with me all over again, or is it too late? I may be broken, but together we are beautifully broken.Luna:Ethan Knight, the boy I fell in love with at twelve, is back. His addiction was what tore us apart. He promised he'd change, but he never did. Until now.He somehow got hotter, and even his charms are more dangerous. Putting him in the friend-zone was the right thing to do. I know it won’t last, but a girl needs to try, right?Ethan's life is a mess. Can he really be a different person, be the guy I fell head over heels in love with? Us together was never a good idea, but the spark between us hasn't burned out yet. In fact, it feels stronger, and my heart can only take so much! Daddy always warned me to stay away from Ethan, and it may have been for good reason. Ethan's past is more corrupt than even he thought. Can we really overcome everything? Or will we come crashing down into the beautifully broken mess that awaits us?
Adam
Anna Castor - 2021
And the former snowboard star has his eyes set on her.As an Olympic gold medalist on the half-pipe, Adam Mills has seen and done it all before. He's finally ready to give his heart to a woman and settle down. But can Adam win over Caitlin's heart? All Winter Peaks books can be enjoyed as stand-alone novels or as part of the larger series.Although the heroine, Caitlin, comes from the Lucky Irish series, it's not required to read those books first.
Close
Fen Wilde - 2017
Oozing confidence and sex appeal, he leaves women scattered in his wake. Clara is determined to resist him.But one gut-melting kiss and her resolve falters. And soon she's falling for him, despite her reservations. But she's not the only one keeping secrets. And secrets are hard to keep when you get close to someone...A gripping, sizzling stand-alone full of twists and turns that will keep you hooked til the last page.*NB this book explores complex themes around mental health. It is written by a mental health clinician and has been described as “beautifully nuanced” with “the observation of the human psyche…written flawlessly in this dark yet twisted romance.”
Broken Hearts (Broken Rebel Brotherhood Next Generation, #1)
Andi Rhodes - 2020
Not when the pull of serving our country is my competition. With no other choice, I rebuild myself and focus my attention on the clients of the Broken Rebel Brotherhood, the people who need the club’s help. I even date other guys in an effort to circumvent the heartache. It works for a while but eventually, the past comes back in the form of muscles, tats and so much baggage.Isaiah is no longer the boy I loved. He’s a man that oozes sin and pain. His eyes tell a story that I’m not sure I’m up to hearing. Why then is it so hard to turn my back on him? And why in the hell is he the only person my soul calls out to when I’m in trouble?Isaiah…Leaving my family and Tillie was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. But duty called and I had to answer. Especially if I want to be the president of the Broken Rebel Brotherhood and fill my dad’s very large shoes. When a bombing sends me back to the only place I’ve ever called home, I mistakenly think that everything will magically be the same. Not only has everything changed, but Tillie has moved on. She’s become a woman I don’t recognize, a woman who spends her days proving she doesn’t need me. But I know her better than she knows herself. And danger lurks in the shadows, threatening her existence, whether she wants to admit it or not. I will stop at nothing to protect her, to show her that we still belong together. Fighting for my country was my duty. Fighting for Tillie is everything.
On the Rocks
Isabel Lucero - 2019
taken. She's in a relationship with a guy that I'm pretty sure doesn't deserve her. Respecting that is the only thing stopping me from figuring out the things I really want to know. Things like, what her body feels like against mine, or how she tastes on my tongue. But one evening, everything changes. London comes in and tells me that they broke up. One drink leads to two, and she finally confesses that this attraction isn't one sided. Our slow burn is about to get blazing hot.I wasn't just looking for a one-night stand, not with a girl like her. But next thing you know, the ex is back. He's in my bar, sitting next to her. We try to act like there isn’t a connection between us. Like our bodies weren’t made for each other and we didn’t set each other aflame with a single kiss. Every time I look at her, I see the flash in her eyes that tell me she’s remembering it too. Re-living every delicious second of our time spent together on top of this very bar. The problem is now that I know what she tastes like, I want more.On the rocks. It’s how London prefers her drinks, and the current state of her relationship. And I'm about to shake things up, because I’ll be damned if I let her get away.
Revival of a King
G.N. Wright - 2020
I was taken from my home, my family, my friends. I came back to Black Hallows for one reason and one reason only, Revenge.I just have to remember that everytime I lock eyes with Marcus Riviera. My name is Elle King and it's time the Elite of this town paid for their crimes and make no mistake they will pay in blood.MarcusThree years ago I lost everything, my home, my father, my best friend.I went from a North Side Prince to a South Side King.I changed my world to get revenge for my father but then the girl I hate walks back into this town like she never left.Elle King is the reason my father is dead. But there's a fine line between hate and love and I don’t remember which side I fall on anymore.We can’t be the Elle and Marcus we once were, everythings changed.The town of Black Hallows is painted in blood and tainted in secrets.The North Side and South Side are about to be at war and it’s time to pick a side.
Closer
Mary Elizabeth - 2016
Teller Reddy is wrecked. Misery loves company, and that’s exactly what Ella gets the afternoon her path crosses with Teller’s: the misunderstood premed student who instantly becomes her lifeline when she moves to Los Angeles, an attempt at escaping her heartbreaking past. In the beginning, Lonely and Defensive complete each other. But in the end, their relationship is like broken glass—cutthroat and jagged. Calling it off before they kill each other, Ella and Teller decide to “just be friends” despite the intensity that binds them together. It’s a delicate foundation rocked by tragedy, effectively destroying the illusion they’ve so carefully built. Unable to deny what’s between them any longer, this is what happens when wrecked and damaged collide and close is still not close enough.
Wesley
Stacy Eaton - 2019
When she sees a man touching her daughter at the park, she reacts without listening. It’s only later when her daughter is rushed to the hospital that she realizes how wrong she had been. Doctor Wesley Young only wanted to help the tender-aged girl he witnessed fall, but when her mother attacks him at the park, he’s left stunned. When the little girl arrives later in the emergency department, he comes face to face with the mother makes more of an impression on him than the cut she left on his face. Things heat up quick when Marisol is no longer his patient, but when things from the past are revealed, Wes isn’t sure that Charlotte is the woman for him. Can Charlotte find a way to explain it all so that Wes will accept both her and her daughter before it’s too late? The Loving a Young Series will include six books: Wesley Henley, (Jan 2020) More Young's coming soon! Bradley - Riley - Huntley - Kayley
Run
Allison LaFleur - 2019
Sleepless, I studied my surroundings—the aged family photos, the antique dresser, the stenciled ladder-back rocking chair—and found the sense of permanence they offered somewhat comforting. Knowing one of the matriarch’s of his family had sewn each green and blue patch by hand made the quilt feel like an embrace, and I held it tight like a security blanket. I didn’t know Josh. We’d barely spoken since I’d opened my eyes. He didn’t know me either. I didn’t even know me. Still, the faint sound of his breathing in the next room reminded me I wasn’t alone, that my protector was nearby. I guess when you desperately need a hero, you’ll attach that title to anyone who’ll wear it. He hadn’t turned me away or betrayed me when I begged him not to call the sheriff even though I couldn’t give him a reason why. In my desperate state, that made him my champion. Even so, I was panicked and fighting to remain still while every part of me wanted to run. It’s okay. You’re okay. He’s right in the next room. He’ll hear you if you scream. He won’t let anyone hurt you. I repeated those words in my head over and over, but while they kept me from bolting out the door, they did nothing to bring me peace. The night seemed endless. If not for the sound of his breathing and the tick-tick-tick of the clock, I would have thought time itself stood still... Grab your copy and read *FREE* in Kindle Unlimited today!
The Beast of Moscow
Bethany-Kris - 2021
Reclusive. Paranoid. Violent. His trek to the top has been a bloody game—with a deadly end for anyone who loses. And it’s not over yet. Vera Avdonin stumbled into the life of Vaslav Pashkov entirely by accident, and it should have stopped there, too. Just a broken ballerina who helped a beautifully tortured stranger. But she’ll soon learn that like the mafiya he controls, once he brings you in, there is no way out. They don’t call him The Beast of Moscow for nothing. *The Beast of Moscow is a slow burn, contemporary romance saga told over the course of several parts and encompassing more than one generation from start to finish. Only part of this is a love story; everything else hurts. TBOM—taking readers from Moscow to Paris while peeling back the beginning layers of Vaslav Pashkov—is part one.
Twisted Fate
K.L. Bryce - 2020
I fell for her crooked smile and ocean blue eyes the first time I met her in the fifth grade. In high school, no one understood me the way she did. Paige is the only girl I've ever trusted enough to let into my world.But I buried those feelings the day she chose my brother nine years ago.Fate seems to have a sick sense of humor because my newest client decided to sponsor her vlog. I advised them to cut her loose.It’s not personal, it’s business.And besides, I have another proposition that could give us something we both want.But my plan to stay cool, calm, and in control vanishes the moment her lips touch mine.She should run fast in the other direction.My soul is damaged goods.I could never give her the love she deserves.Luke Mason. My gorgeous, loner friend from high school. The boy I almost fell for…until Fate led me into the arms of his twin brother, and eventually, a broken heart.If it wasn’t for the business proposition Luke makes—and one I desperately need—I’d run fast in the other direction.What wasn’t a part of our deal? The oh-so-hot kiss we shared during one of my infamous moments of spontaneity. A mistake neither one of us plans to make again.But when our stares get way more intense, his eyes linger too long on my mouth, and his touch ignites something deep inside I haven’t allowed myself to feel in years, our promise of “strictly platonic” goes up in flames.No matter what happens, I can’t let myself fall for him.But I’m scared I already have.A love story spanning over twelve years, TWISTED FATE is a deep, forbidden love romance with LOL moments, passion and angst, and all the feels. Can be read as a standalone.
Rushing Into Love: A small-town sports romance
Kara Kendrick - 2021
Work. Football. That’s my life summed up in three words.Sure, I used to be a pro NFL baller, but now I’m perfectly content with a quiet life in my small hometown of Peachtree Grove, Georgia.That is until Bree, a beautiful blonde dating expert, gets tackled at my Pee Wee football practice, knocking me off my game.I swore I’d never get involved again after my messy divorce left me reeling, but one date with Bree and I’m dropping all my hesitations—along with my jersey. Now she has me rethinking my plays.But will the tabloids, my ex, and Bree’s complicated past keep us in the friendzone?
Four Bloody Kisses
A.J. Wyatt - 2021
That note is my hit list. I will find out who killed my father.And I will have revenge.Each of these men is rich, powerful, and gorgeous.Magnus may be a giant Viking, but he has the sensitive heart of an artist.Tattoo covered, Bratva leader Yuri bleeds danger.Chess master Talon is the polar opposite of his wild twin, Vice.They make me burn with desire, but any one of them could have killed my father. How can I give in to temptation when I don't know the truth?I'm not the only one hunting. When bullets start flying, it's up to me to keep my men safe. Until I have my answers, these men are mine and mine alone.And if anyone's going to kill them, it will be me.Author’s Note: This book contains four swoon-worthy alpha males, one kick ass heroine, cursing, steamy sex, plenty of action and dark suspense and lots of sass. If you like books where the heroine never has to choose just one, then this is for you.
The Best Years
Elena Monroe - 2019
My one chance to escape. And I ran as far and fast as I could. Straight into the arms of something more dangerous.Oliver. He thinks I’m a good girl. But he doesn’t know what I’m running from. He thinks I should stay away from him. But I can’t. I like his cruel words. And his intoxicating smile. He’s a temptation I can’t resist.Am I a sinner or saint?SINNERCollege. Second year. There are bad decisions at every turn. Including the new freshman, Layla.Temptations I can’t fight. Shackles I can’t escape. I’m only comfortable with the cruelty that slips from my lips.Her innocent charm isn’t going to polish away my bad reputation.This wasn’t going to end well. We all have secrets. What’s your sin?