Book picks similar to
Worth a Shot by Gail Haris


romance
contemporary
forbidden-relations
contemporary-romance

The Summer Tour


Mandy Melanson - 2020
    It’s impossible to tell one face from the next when I’m up there. The mixture of fog, lights, flashing lasers, my astigmatism, and whatever else they put into the air to keep the crowd happy… It’s all just a mix for a big bunch of blurry fuzzy whatnots. She was not a whatnot. She stood out in her ripped black jeans and that adorable neon yellow thing holding her hair up out of her face. I don’t even know what it’s called, but it was perfect. She was perfect. The bright pink tank top that hugged her in all the right places. Those bright yellow heels that made her back curve in just the right way. Those were definitely factors that caught my eye, but it's not why I can't get her out of my head. Her dark brown eyes and that smile—her smile. That’s it. That smile had me hooked from the second I ran on stage. I even stopped short of my mark and totally threw off the spotlight tracker. Why?Because I was too busy watching her and how she just fell into the rhythm of the music. It’s a good thing Chuck didn’t plan any pyro for tonight, or I might have been screwed.I’m not even entirely sure I sang the right lyrics to the first couple of songs. It was more a series of barely audible grunts, caveman style. Nash probably turned his mic up to help with the background vocals. They’ve all gotten really good at covering my ass over the years. I’m grateful the crowd didn’t seem to notice. All I could think about was trying to figure out a way to find out who she is. I still have nothing. So I’m sitting here like a lost, lonely little puppy just hoping to catch another glimpse. What if she leaves and doesn’t come through the line? I can see both Exit doors from here. I’m watching those two doors like a pitbull watches the gate at a junkyard. Maybe I am a lost, lonely little puppy. No.I am a pitbull puppy. And just like that pitbull, I will jump this table and bulldoze whoever gets in the way if I have to.

The Runaway


Jordan Ford - 2020
    She’s trapped in a nightmare she can’t escape. Can love help them make a break for freedom?Michael:The money was supposed to save me...until it got me shot. You don’t steal from Marlo Sloan.But it led me to her.Annie’s kind. She’s fierce. She’s making me want to be the man my grandpa believed I could be. A Barrett - strong, dependable. A hero. Danger is coming. It’s inevitable. I should split before it catches up with me.But how can I leave Annie and her little brother with their psycho father?I want to steal her away from this nightmare. Take her to the ranch where I know she’d be safe. But I’m a runaway thief, and the ranch is no doubt a desolate wreck. She deserves better than that. I have to tell her the truth. Which means she’ll never look at me the same again. I could lose her over this, when all I want to do is keep her safe. Grandpa always said, “Barrett boys do the right thing. They don’t cut and run. They stand. They fight to protect the ones they love.”I was raised to be a Barrett boy.It’s time I start acting like one. The Runaway is the first book in a thrilling YA romance series. If you like fast-paced action, redeemable bad boys and romance that will steal your heart, then you’ll love Jordan Ford’s compelling novel.Buy The Runaway for a dramatic escape to freedom today!

Primal Howl


Piper Davenport - 2019
    My father founded the Primal Howlers and he expects me to wear his patch one day. The problem is, I don’t know if that’s what I want. Lately, I couldn’t give two sh*ts about anything. Until her. RaquelI moved to Monument, Colorado to write my thesis and get some much-needed distance from my overbearing family. What I didn’t expect was to find is myself hung up on a biker who appears to have nothing to lose. I, however, have everything to lose and I’m worried Orion just might be my downfall.

Torrid


Jayne Blue - 2015
    The perfect family. The perfect life. In one horrible year, it went away. I can never have it back but I can hurt the man responsible for taking what was left. I know how to steal something even more important from him. He doesn’t see how she looks at me instead of him. I can make her burn for me, make her addicted to me before I send her back.And it will be so easy.Tora - I’ll cross any line to get to the truth, no matter who I have to hurt. I don’t have a choice. I’m not afraid to use sex to get what I want. I know you think that makes me a whore. But until you understand what’s at stake, you can’t know.Don’t judge me until you do.Sometimes, you have to take what you want no matter what it costs.This is part one in a sizzling new erotic romance series by Jayne Blue. It contains strong sexual content and is intended for mature readers.Book Categories

Tamed by Her Cowboy


Shanna Handel - 2020
    

Detour


A. Marie - 2020
    Angela Head down, eyes peeled for any opportunity to get off the dead-end course my mother carelessly paved for me years ago.My plan takes a sharp turn landing me directly across the hall from Creekwood’s resident bad boys. The three streetbike riding misfits are as stubborn as they are sexy. And they. Are. Sexy. Especially the one with the mocha swirl eyes watching my every move.But even the six-foot hallway separating us can’t keep the overbearing trio from constantly getting in my way.When my past threatens to catch up with me, I quickly learn not every detour promises an easier route, no matter how tempting my new neighbors might make it look. Coty Head up, eyes locked on anything threatening to throw me off the carefully constructed path I have mapped out.I live my life the same way I ride my bike, never once regretting the roads I’ve chosen.Lately though, after years of the same scenery, everything’s starting to blur together. It’s only when our elusive neighbor girl comes out of nowhere that I realize what’s been missing.And now that I have, I don’t think I can let her pass by so quickly. At least not without proving the lengths I’ll go for her first.

Entangled Past: Family Ties


Palmer Jones - 2021
    Two years of being on her own means two years of avoiding any further disappointment from her failed marriage.Two years of only relying on herself.The reading of her estranged husband's Will is the final closure she needs to move on.Until the day finally arrives.Coming home to find her house burglarized and trashed was terrible enough. Suddenly having her husband's former bodyguard show up on her doorstep makes it worse.The bossy Englishman either doesn't understand her desire to be alone...or doesn't care. Even with muscles galore and an accent that definitely ramps her attraction up another notch, admiring him from a distance is where it ends.It's not that she doesn't want help. She just doesn't want his help.Until the bad guys return...or her.The first of Family Ties Series, Entangled Past is a romantic suspense story full of sarcastic humor and, of course, romance.

For the Fight


Leah Ashton - 2018
    He’s a SWAT team operator who broke her heart.The gunman holding them hostage? He’s got no idea who he’s dealing with...Luella Brayshaw doesn’t think when she sees Nate Rivers, twelve years since he walked away. She just feels – all the hurt, and all the heat – and she runs. But by the time her brain clicks into gear she’s on a random train, with Nate – and that’s when it all goes very, very wrong.Driven and dedicated, Elite SWAT tactical operator Nate Rivers knows he made the right decision all those years ago. Although it’s hard to remember why with Lou right in front of him, all strong, gorgeous and justifiably furious with him.But then a gunman takes their carriage hostage… and suddenly the past doesn’t matter. Now it’s up to Nate and Lou – unarmed - to save everyone on that train.When their past and present collide, passion ignites – as hot and as powerful as a decade before. But can the mistakes of the past be forgiven? Or will they destroy any chance of a future together?** For the Fight is the first book in the Elite SWAT series. Each book is a stand-alone, with no cliff-hanger endings. For the Fight was previously published as Undaunted (WASP Team #1).

Carter


Adrienne Bell - 2015
     Ally Weaver is used to following the story, but she’s never had a lead blow up on her before…literally. Now one of her confidential sources has been murdered, and she’s determined to find out why. But Ally can’t risk drawing anyone else into this violent mess…no matter how skilled--or gorgeous--he may be. But a girl can’t always get what she wants. And when the pair find themselves thrust into the crosshairs of a corrupt politician who would do anything to stay in power, they must work together to expose a deadly conspiracy before they become the next victims. But while both Ally and Carter are willing to put their lives on the line to discover the truth, neither is prepared for the danger the other poses to their heart. *** Part romantic comedy, part thriller, and filled with plenty of intrigue, CARTER is the first novel in the Sinner Saints contemporary romance series. ***

Right Where I Want You


Jessica Hawkins - 2018
    . . and it cuts right through the middle of their office. Bad boys? They run right over good girls like Georgina Keller. But after a confidence-shattering breakup, she’s determined not to let anyone at her new workplace push her around—least of all the brooding creative director, a “bad boy of publishing” who’s made it clear she’s enemy #1.Sebastian Quinn's taste for fast cars, late nights, and beautiful women may have gotten him to the top of a leading New York magazine, but the reputation that made him is suddenly threatening to end his career.Georgina can help Modern Man shed its bad reputation, but in order to do that, she’ll have to start at the top—and no amount of rakish charm or inconvenient attraction will distract her.Because if Sebastian gets her right where he wants her, it means she’s going down.

The Cowboy's Last Song


Deborah Garland - 2021
    I fell for him seven years ago. I won’t be charmed by him again. Then I met his daughter...Jamie: I chased fame my entire life and it’s been a brutal journey from rising star to damaged goods seven years later. I’ve cleaned up my act since getting custody of my daughter, but balancing being a single dad and music god hasn’t been easy. I’ve lost another contract and have only one more chance in Music City. Now my success rests in the hands of a woman who probably hates me.Harper: I make stars shine and dreams come true. As the Nashville Hitmaker for a small record label, I’m facing my biggest songwriting challenge yet: a hit for Jamie Miller, country music’s bad boy. Blue Rock Records may have overlooked his tattered reputation to boost profits. But all I see is the man who broke my heart seven years ago.I’m determined not to fall under Jamie's spell again. I’m vying to be Blue Rock’s next CEO, that means keeping my relationship with Jamie professional. But when he uses his most irresistible quality to make me melt: his daughter, my resolve crashes harder than his last album.If I give in to some forbidden sexy time with a man I’ve wanted for seven years, will I survive falling for him again when he leaves to go on tour?And will the pain of losing both Jamie and his daughter be the hit I never saw coming?The Cowboy’s Last Song is part of the Wild Texas Heart Cowboy Series but can be read as a standalone. No cheating. No cliffhanger. HEA Guaranteed.

Royal Catch


Kylie Gilmore - 2019
    I expected a quiet arrangement through royal channels, instead I got a palace full of women vying for my hand. And how do they “win” this barbaric game set up by my crafty mother? By figuring out how to save the kingdom’s faltering economy through a series of challenges. This undignified circus is beneath a man of my stature! Proof being that a saucy, ill-mannered woman wearing body-hugging clothes is in the lead. I could never love someone like that, let alone marry her. Anna The plan sounded simple. I pose as my friend, pick up her inheritance, and return with the cash to keep her out of jail. (Apparently, being a princess in hiding is no excuse for identity theft.) So, yeah, I’m not exactly royal. I’m an orphan, a self-made woman, and proud of it. Suddenly I’m in a battle royale with a bunch of crazy competitive women for “riches beyond our dreams.” I’m in a time crunch, which means I need to win this competition fast. Only, that means winning over the judge; the smoldering hot grim-faced Gabriel. And now I find myself wanting to compete for more than just the money. But could a royal prince ever fall for a commoner like me? The Rourkes Series Royal Catch (Book 1) Royal Hottie (Book 2) Royal Darling (Book 3) Royal Charmer (Book 4) Royal Player (Book 5) Royal Shark (Book 6)

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.

My Unexpected Serenity


Harlow James - 2021
    But in my defense, it was gourmet cheese… you know, the expensive stuff.How did I, Wesley Morgan, hotel billionaire and recovering alcoholic, end up sending a woman a basket of cheese?Well, it was only one of two morsels of information I knew about Shayla Mitchel that I thought would get her attention.The bartender across the dimly lit club took me by surprise the moment I saw her, but then I ran into her twice more upon my return to Santa Barbara, California, and that’s when I knew I didn’t stand a chance.You see, I never expected Shayla. I was on a mission to correct my mistakes and make amends for the choices I made over six years ago, and then we crossed paths and turned down a road we both never saw coming.And of course, I couldn’t fall head-over-heels for an easy woman.No.I had to be drawn to the sass and poise of a girl who doesn’t believe in love, at least the kind that comes from a man like me.Now she’s all I can think about. All I never knew I needed. But she’s putting up a fight and testing us both.Can I convince her to let me in? Can I convince myself that we both deserve happiness?But most importantly, can I convince her that sometimes good people can cause irreparable harm before they can cultivate good?

Fight Like A Girl


Harley Reid - 2021
    In real life Prince Charming is the bad guy."From debuting English author Harley Reid comes an opposites attract romance about love, loss, finding yourself, and getting lost in the right person.ETHANWidower.Single father.Notorious womaniser.Ethan Brooks is one of the most violent men I have ever laid eyes on.When I accepted the job to look after his daughter, the last thing I expected was to fall in love with everything I despise.My heart belongs to the hottest guy in MMA and that can only mean one thing...I'm going to get my heart broken (again).MIATimid.Niaive.Hopeless Romantic.Mia Cooper is kind, caring and everything that I am not.When I invited her into my home, I didn't realise that she would be the best thing to happen to this family since my wife.I can't get her out of my head and I'd do anything to protect her.But as much as it kills me, there is no way we can ever be together.Fight Like A Girl is a standalone, contemporary romance novel suitable for readers 18+.