Book picks similar to
Desert Desperate by Dana Mentink


christian-non-fiction
christian-fiction
4-5-stars
contemporary-romance

Dear Summer


Santana Blair - 2017
    Trouble at home, trouble at school… pretty much trouble in general. On top of everything else wrong in his life, he’s sent away to the small town of Concord where he knows no one and is set to have a nonexistent social life. Just when he thought his life couldn’t get any worse, he met her. The girl next door is about to teach Parker that sometimes a summer can change your life.

Closing the Gap


Patty Slack - 2014
    Danielle wishes it was true. When Danielle left Tipples Gap years ago, she vowed she’d never return. But now, with the decades-old underground coal fire threatening to destroy her hometown, Danielle must go home to accomplish the impossible. Her mother, a hoarder who cannot bear to leave her precious belongings behind, has to move before her house burns down. Danielle is the only one who can make her do it. She has steeled herself to face the emotions returning to her childhood home will surface, but is surprised by the feelings that arise when she runs into her high school flame, Isaac, the only law enforcer left in the dying town.

Burning Justice


Helena Smrcek - 2015
    Nora’s future hangs in the balance of his past.Pacifist Mennonite social worker Nora Martin is on the verge of opening a residential facility for first-time offenders. After years of planning, she’ll finally be able to rescue young men from the violence of prison…or what has been their only other option, the violence of the military.But then a stranger in camouflage and combat boots marches through her front door and claims to own her house. And he’s not interested in letting Nora change it.Who is Petty Officer Jacob Schwartz, and why does no one in the close-knit town of French Lick, Indiana want to acknowledge that he exists? What are they hiding? What had seemed like a safe community is now full of secrets and old heartaches, and Nora is caught in the dangerous middle. Her only ally is her best friend, FBI agent Alicia Yu (who readers first met in Glitter and Sorrow), but even Alicia can’t protect her from the way Nora’s heart races every time Jacob’s in the room.Can she trust a man in uniform?Nora and Jacob’s choices have taken them down different paths, but God may still show them a safe way back.

Second Harmony


Barbara Bretton - 1987
    . . But will love tear them apart?He was the bad boy with the raging heartShe was the good girl with the big dreamsNow he is a master stone cutter with a broken marriage and a son he would move heaven and earth to keep safe from harm, while she is a success at everything she touches . . . everything except loveAnd then, seven years after they said goodbye forever, fate finally found a way to bring them back together and give them one last chance to get it right.

Ring of Truth


Jaclyn Weist - 2015
    After six years of late nights and mind-numbing assignments as a marketing executive with the billion-dollar Silver Script Ad Agency, she finally landed the coveted Smithson Jewelers account, which means her love life will have to wait a little longer. ˃˃˃ She Gets The Leading Role, And An Engagement Ring To Go With It When the actress at the first commercial shoot upsets the director, Erin finds herself cast as the leading lady alongside Jake, a handsome up-and-coming actor, who rescued her cat from the streets and stole her heart. Flustered, she walks away from the shoot wearing the diamond ring, leading her mom to believe she's truly engaged to Jake. Both are desperate enough to get their parents off their backs, that they run with the lie. ˃˃˃ Now Jake and Erin have to figure out how to admit their story is false without hurting their parents or destroying the friendship they've gained with each other. ˃˃˃ You will love this charming, delightfully clean romance! Scroll Up And Grab Your Copy Today!

May the Best Man Win


Mira Lyn Kelly - 2016
    He's been paired with the she-devil herself for his best friend's wedding: Emily Klein of the miles-long legs and killer smile. She may be sin in a bridesmaid dress, but there's no way he's falling for her again.They can barely stand each other, but given how many of their friends are getting married, they'll just have to play nice-at least when they're in company. Once they're alone, more than just gloves come off as Jase and Emily discover their chemistry is combustible, and there may be something to this enemies to lovers thing after all...More praise for Mira Lyn Kelly: "Incredible tension, a great cast of characters...and some really gooey emotional conflict."-Molly O'Keefe, USA Today bestselling author for Truth or Dare"Sexy and with a truly fresh voice."-Tina Leonard, New York Times bestselling author for Touch and Go"Mira Lyn Kelly's writing always sparkles."-Lauren Layne, USA Today bestselling author for Touch and Go

Claire's Not-So-Gothic Romance


Bonnie Blythe - 2008
    (Christian romance)

The Other Side of Someday


Carey Heywood - 2014
    This time around she’s doing things differently. She hasn’t sworn off men for good, just isn’t interested in settling. Trusting someone with her heart again? Someday, but not today.Falling in love? Sorry, Clay Bradshaw is not the guy for you.He’s never been in love and he doesn’t see it happening. Hooking up can be fun, but more often than not, women are a distraction he doesn’t need. He’s a busy man, and doesn’t have time to date, let alone fall in love. Will someone ever change that? There’s always a chance, someday.Life doesn’t always go as planned, and love may find them both on the other side of someday.

The Rules of Regret


Megan Squires - 2013
    Her boyfriend of six years just left for a high-powered summer internship, though in reality he’s been absent for much longer than that. This newfound freedom wasn’t a part of Darby’s plans, but as she’s come to discover, plans only exist on paper, not in reality.And guys like Torin Westbrook aren’t supposed to exist in reality, either. But he does, with his disheveled curly hair, irresistible dimples, and endearingly quirky habit of reciting quotes from classic movies and ancient thinkers. When Darby meets Torin as a fellow counselor at the survival camp she impulsively applies to, she’s certain his main goal is to turn her world upside-down. But Darby’s not sure she can adapt to Torin’s ways of viewing his past and the tragedies he's faced. Because she’s had her own share of heartache, too, and as much as she wants to believe that it’s all been for a purpose, her grief hasn’t allowed her to get to that point. Yet the more Darby is around Torin, the more she craves the freedom to break out of her carefully constructed routine and mindset and fall into something new. She’s just not sure that she should be falling for Torin along the way.(The Rules of Regret is a non-explicit, young/new adult romance.)

A Noble Affair


Jennie Goutet - 2018
     As much as she would prefer him to keep his distance, it seems there is no avoiding each other. With the ongoing pressure of a repentant ex-boyfriend, a nefarious drug dealer, and an art heist that spans the decades, Chastity and the viscount are thrown together by circumstances she would soon rather forget. As the intimacy between Charles and Chastity deepens, they must decide if their love is enough to bridge the gap between their disparate worlds, and if happily ever after can exist outside of fairy tales.

Kissing Under the Spotlight


Joanne Dannon - 2015
    A physical therapist. She’s there to do her job, not fall in love. Besides, what would he see in an everyday gal like her?Violet McKenzie is in serious trouble. Her BFF often joked that if the police found her mobile phone they’d either think she was married to Alex Jackson or she was his personal stalker. So when said superstar offers her a contract to be his personal physical therapist she struggles not to kiss him right there and then.But Violet is too sensible for that. She knows an international superstar like Alex isn’t going to fall for a track-pants-wearing everyday gal like her. Right?KISSING UNDER THE SPOTLIGHT is the first story in Joanne Dannon’s Kissing Down Under series. If you love romances with sigh-worthy endings, you’ll love this series with real men and women who find love when they least expect it.“A sexy superstar hero who has it all except the love of the right woman and an ordinary working girl whose job propels her into the heart of the hero's glamorous life.” – Rachael Thomas, Harlequin Presents author.

Dating Games


T.K. Leigh - 2019
    No kissing. No fooling around. No falling in love. What can possibly go wrong? Note to self: When your boyfriend dumps you on your thirtieth birthday, it's probably not the smartest idea to drink so much that you wake up in the same bed as the mysterious hottie wearing the gorgeous suit who you noticed sitting across the bar.The only silver lining in my obvious lack of judgment is the promise of never seeing Mr. Suit again, not in a city the size of New York.Or so I thought, until a story I'm working on about the country's most sought-after and elusive escort lands me in the same café as Mr. Suit. So I do what any self-respecting woman of my age would do in my shoes... Try to ignore him. But he won't let me. Instead he makes a proposition that leaves me questioning whether I need to have my ears checked. Be his fake girlfriend for a summer of wealth and excess in the Hamptons. In return, he'll help me win back my boyfriend's heart.Juvenile? You bet.Effective? Could be.Bad idea? Most likely.But what do I have to lose?Apparently, a lot more than I originally bargained for. Let the games begin... Dating Games is a standalone modern retelling of Cinderella meeting her billionaire Prince Charming. If you like a sassy heroine, a sinful hero, and a whole lot of laughs, then you'll love this fake relationship romance.

Sweet Sinful Nights


Lauren Blakely - 2015
    It’s his greatest regret, especially since she’s all but disappeared. But when the gorgeous and captivating woman walks into his life unexpectedly, he’s determined to win her back. Whatever it takes, he won’t make the same mistake twice. Easier said than done… Shannon Paige has hardened her heart to the man she was once engaged to be married to. After the way he left, and after the hell she’s been through with her checkered family, there’s no way she’s letting him into her life again. The problem is, the second she sees him, he’s more handsome and charming than before. And she’s torn between wanting to fight with him and wanting to sleep with him -- Maybe both. Soon they fall into each other’s arms, consumed with a desire that burns through the years. But if these two fiery lovers are going to have a real second chance at this kind of intense, passionate, bone-deep love, he’ll have to give her his whole heart, and she’ll have to give up all the secrets from her messy past. And that messy past is about to spill over into her carefully constructed present… SWEET SINFUL NIGHTS is book one in SINFUL NIGHTS, a four-book series. Each book will follow a new couple.

Sticky Notes, Part 1


Sherri Schoenborn Murray - 2014
    This lighthearted Christian romance is set in the rolling hills of the Palouse, in the university town of Moscow, Idaho. An unusual friendship forms between a young history professor and the grandmother of one of his loveliest students.

The Lost One


Liz Lovelock - 2014
    Then one day, my dream was torn to shreds, by my sister’s evil boyfriend, Jacob. It’s been three years since she was ripped from my life. She wasn’t just any sister; no, she was my twin, my best friend.Deciding to follow our childhood dream of moving to New York, I head for a life of adventure and fun. A night on the town and I find myself wrapped in the arms of one gorgeous, drop-dead-sexy man, Corban. He has literally swept me off my feet, taken my breath away with a single kiss and left me wanting more, a feeling completely alien to me.Corban Andrews, CEO of Case Construction, rich, sexy and ravishing is set to make my world come undone. I allow myself to put my trust in him, but will his rules and my trust issues let us explore what we could have together? It’s either that or am I at risk of staying lost and alone.When a blast from my past reappears, I know I may be pushed so far down the rabbit hole, Corban and I just may not survive. It all comes down to survival and choices. I have no idea which I will choose.