Book picks similar to
Motive by Kennedy Layne


contemporary-romance
romance
mystery
arc

Sugar Daddy


Sawyer Bennett - 2016
    Sela Halstead lost her innocence in a way that no sixteen-year-old should ever have to endure. She’s spent years trying to forget that night even while wondering about the identities of the monsters who brutalized her—until a telltale tattoo flashes across Sela’s TV screen. The incriminating ink belongs to Jonathon Townsend, the millionaire founder of The Sugar Bowl, a website that matches rich older men with impressionable young women. Obsessed with revenge, Sela infiltrates Townsend’s world, only to come face-to-face with a tantalizing complication: Beckett North, his charismatic business partner. The tech mastermind behind The Sugar Bowl, Beck always gets what he wants, in business and in bed. And yet, for a man who’s done every dirty thing imaginable, there’s something about the naïve, fresh-faced Sela that sparks his hottest fantasies. Because with her, it’s not just about sex. Beck opens up to her in ways he never has with other girls. So why does he get the feeling that she’s hiding something? In a world of pleasure and power, the shocking truth could turn them against each other—or bind them forever. Note: Sugar Daddy ends on a cliffhanger. Sela and Beck’s story continues in Sugar Rush and Sugar Free!

Black Lies


Alessandra Torre - 2014
    Has been in a relationship with me for 3 years. Has proposed 4 times. Been rejected 4 times.Lee:Cuts grass when he's not banging housewives. Good with his hands, his mouth, and his body. Has been pursued relentlessly by me for almost 2 years, whether he knows it or not. Go ahead. Judge me. You have no idea what my love entails.If you think you've heard this story before, trust me - you haven't.**This is a STANDALONE full-length novel. It is not part of a series, and does not contain a cliffhanger.**

Under His Ink


Maya Hughes - 2018
    Now, I’m back because she’s the only person I can trust. And I couldn’t stay away for another day.Being near me means danger for the both of us because no one leaves the mob unscathed. She’s inking over my past one day at a time and it's strictly business for her, but the flames licking at our heels aren’t just from the heat between us.But the only thing harder than leaving the mob is leaving her. I’ll show her that what we have is forever as long as I’m still breathing…Under His Ink is a 55,000 word second chance mob romance.

If You Stay


Courtney Cole - 1999
    Seriously. He’s a tattooed, rock-hard bad-boy with a bad attitude to match. But he’s got his reasons. His mother died when Pax was seven, leaving a hole in his heart filled with guilt although he doesn’t understand why. What he does know is that he and his dad are left alone and with more issues than they can count. As Pax grew up, he tried to be the kid his father always wanted; the perfect golden boy, but it didn’t work. His dad couldn’t overcome his grief long enough to notice and Pax couldn’t keep up the impossible perfect façade. So he slipped far, far from it. Now, he uses drugs and women to cope with the ugliness, the black void that he doesn’t want to deal with. If he pretends that the emptiness isn’t there, then it isn’t, right? Wrong. And it’s never more apparent than when he meets Mila. Sweet, beautiful Mila Hill is the fresh air to his hardened frown, the beauty to his ugly heart. He doesn’t know how to not hurt her, but he quickly realizes that he’s got to figure it out because he needs her to breathe.When memories of his mother’s death resurface from where he’s repressed them for so long, Mila is there to catch him when the guilt starts making sense. Mila is the one…the one who can save him from his broken troubled heart; from his issues, from the emptiness. But only if he can stop being an asshole long enough to allow it. He knows that. And he’s working on it. But is that enough to make her stay?

What If


Rebecca Donovan - 2014
    After all, no one has seen or heard from her since they graduated over a year ago.Except this girl isn't Nicole.She looks exactly like Cal's shy childhood crush, but her name is Nyelle Preston and she has no idea who he is. This girl is impulsive and daring, her passion for life infectious. The complete opposite of Nicole. Cal finds himself utterly fascinated-and falling hard. But Nyelle is also extremely secretive. And the closer he comes to finding out what she's hiding, the less he wants to know.When the secrets from the past and present collide, one thing becomes clear: Nothing is what it seems.

Slip of the Tongue


Jessica Hawkins - 2016
    Nathan Hunt has her coffee waiting every morning. He holds her hand until the last second. He worships the Manhattan sidewalk she walks on. Until one day, he just…stops. And Sadie finds herself in the last place she ever expected to be. Lonely in her marriage.When rugged and sexy Finn Cohen moves into the apartment across the hall, he and Sadie share an immediate spark. Finn reveals dreams for a different life. Sadie wants to save her marriage. Their secrets should keep them apart, not ignite a blistering affair. But while Sadie’s marriage runs colder by the day, she and Finn burn hotter.Her husband doesn’t want her anymore.The man next door would give up everything to have her.Slip of the Tongue is a standalone contemporary romance. The second book in the series, The First Taste, is a standalone about a different couple.

Upside Down


Lia Riley - 2014
    For the next six months, she'll act like a carefree exchange student, not a girl sinking under the weight of painful memories. Everything is going according to plan until she meets a brooding surfer with hypnotic green eyes and the troubling ability to see straight through her act.Bran Lockhart is having the worst year on record. After the girl of his dreams turned into a nightmare, he moved back home to Melbourne to piece his life together. Yet no amount of disappointment could blind him to the pretty California girl who gets past all his defenses. He's never wanted anyone the way he wants Talia. But when Bran gets a stark reminder of why he stopped believing in love, he and Talia must decide if what they have is once in a lifetime . . . or if they were meant to live a world apart.Book #1 in the OFF THE MAP series

Devil


Ker Dukey - 2017
    Yes, that’s really my name.The irony is not lost on me.I was created from two evil souls and have the name to prove it. Devil worshipers, perverts, murderer. Is all terms used to describe the parents I refuse to remember. My mind won’t allow me to. And why would I want to? One born of dirty blood running through her veins can never truly be clean from its murky hue. No matter what they try to tell me happened in my past, my mind denies me access, therefore how can I know it’s true? How can I believe that’s what I’m born from?Glimpses of my past haunt me, the screams of terror echo in the silent darkness of my memories, trying to remind me that my Mother went from room to room butchering our family. I’ve learned from scars that I suffered abuse and that my Father and siblings weren’t my Mother’s only victims. Hearing what they tell me.Reading the words printed in the papers. None of it can prepare me for what’s to come. My biggest lesson is learning that some memories we suppress for a reason.

Control


Suzanne Halliday - 2018
    Good, old-fashioned, heart-thumping, panty melting, lady boner smut. There’s a fancy box on my desk filled with letters from readers, eager to share their sinful escapades like the character in my first book! Each of the naughty writings in my fancy box is a tale worth telling, so I started weaving stories around the titillating confessions. Even though names have been changed to protect the innocent, these are the stories as presented to me along with some wicked embellishments. CONTROL is the sexy, dirty love story of Adam and Emily. For this hot couple, a mutual attraction led to her awakening and the fulfillment of all his alpha dreams.

Reckless Memories


Catherine Cowles - 2020
    From skinned knees to first dates and everything in between. But he was never mine to love. I settled for friendship, even though I always wanted more. That was before. Before he ripped my world apart and didn’t bother sticking around to help me pick up the pieces. I knit every last shred back together all on my own. And I’ve all but forgotten his name. Now, he’s back, and everything is torn apart once more. But he’s not the only one doing the tearing this time. And there might be no stopping the person who has it out for us both.

Solving for Ex


LeighAnn Kopans - 2013
     Ashley Price doesn’t have much in life after being bullied so hard she had to leave her old school to live with her aunt and uncle in Pittsburgh. But the camera she borrowed from her best friend and secret crush Brendan, and her off the charts math abilities, make things a lot more bearable. Plus, since Brendan is the captain, making the school Mathletes team should be easy. But when gorgeous new girl Sofia rolls in and steals Brendan, Ashley's place on the team, and her fragile foothold on the Mansfield Park Prep social totem pole, it’s on. Sofia is everything Ashley left her old school to escape. The only thing Ashley didn’t count on is Sofia’s sexy twin brother Vincent. Vincent is not only the hottest boy in school, he’s charming, sweet, and he’s got his eye on Ashley. He’s also not taking no for an answer. There's no real reason Ashley shouldn't like Vincent, but with the battle lines being drawn between her and Sofia, Ashley’s not sure which side he’s on. Or which side she wants him to be on. She does know Sofia is trouble with a capital T, and she’s determined to make Brendan see it. SOLVING FOR EX is a YA contemporary romance that remixes Mansfield Park as Clueless meets Mean Girls in a crazy mix of high school society, mathletic competition, and teenage romance.

Body Talk


Ashlee Price - 2017
    She’s un-touched and my assistant. I’m Dagger Braun though. I’m used to getting what I want. Even if it means risking it all to make her mine. Who would have thought an ex-SEAL like me would open a yoga studio? Before I can offer classes, I need a talented instructor who can follow my lead. No attachments. Just someone who is professional. That was until Whitney walked into my studio... She was smart, funny and gorgeous – a combination that will tempt any man. The throbbing in my pants proves I'm no exception to that temptation. Those innocent eyes and plump lips could be my undoing. Each time I see her, all I want is for her to submit to me…mind, body, and soul. You know what, maybe she's the one? The one I don't want to share and ever let go of. But a dangerous, unsettled score from my past could ruin our only chance at real love. Despite all odds, I am determined to make her mine! ***Body Talk is a full length, stand-alone romance with a guaranteed HEA. No cheating and no cliffhangers.***

Wicked Beautiful


J.T. Geissinger - 2015
    What she doesn’t have—and doesn’t want—is a husband. Fifteen years ago her high school flame broke her heart so badly she swore she’d never love again. Drop-dead sexy restauranteur and infamous playboy Parker Maxwell has only three rules for the women he dates: no questions about his past, no expectations for the future, and no spending the night. When he meets Victoria, however, he’s willing to break his own rules if it means sating the explosive desire she arouses in him. What he doesn’t know is that the alluring Victoria Price used to be the mousy Isabel Diaz, the girl he deflowered and dumped long ago. Presented with a perfect opportunity for revenge, Victoria decides the game is on. But when her connection with Parker proves more than just skin deep, she has to make a choice: continue with her plan for payback, or risk her career, her reputation, and her heart by taking a second chance on love?

Between The Lines (Irons #4)


Drew Sera - 2018
    I write happy-ever-after romance novels, and after writing ten romance novels you’d think I’d know a thing or two about love. But I’ve been chasing my own happy-ever-after for a long time. I seem to have no problem starting my fairytale, but the ending never comes to be. My love life isn’t the best-seller that I’ve written, so I decided to change things up and write a dark romance.While finding my way around and reading books in that genre, I discovered something unexpected. I found a sexy, romantic man who happens to have a soft spot for romances. He’s an alpha male, and that type would never have appealed to me before…but it’s amazing what you see when you look between the lines.

Surrender Your Love


J.C. Reed - 2013
    Dangerous. Better left untouched. And better forgotten. But lightning always strikes twice.Brooke Stewart, a realtor in New York, doesn’t do relationships. When she’s sent to a remote estate to finalize a real estate deal, she discovers her new boss is no other than the guy she left naked in bed.Sexy, dangerously handsome, and arrogant Jett Mayfield attracts trouble, and women, like a lightning rod. But the night he meets Brooke he gets more than he bargained for. The green-eyed millionaire playboy isn’t used to taking no for an answer, and he isn’t about to start now.When he proposes two months of no strings sex, Brooke is intrigued and accepts his proposal. Little does she know Jett’s determined to claim the one woman he can’t have, pulling her deeper into his dangerous world.A man who doesn't take 'no' for an answer.A woman afraid to surrender to love.Two lives that are about to cross...and secrets laid bare.