Book picks similar to
Worth a Shot by Gail Haris


contemporary
romance
netgalley
forbidden-relations

Weekend Wife


Erin McCarthy - 2020
    Easy. Wear designer clothing and sip champagne? Don’t mind if I do. Flirting with Grant? It’s so delicious I should be paying him. Nothing can go wrong as long as I can keep my hands off of him. But that’s the hard part. And I do mean hard. Because Grant is sexy. And bossy. And surprisingly sweet, a real rarity in his pretentious family. Oops. I’m not as good at faking it as I thought. Or maybe they call this method acting. Because it’s getting harder to figure out where my character ends and I begin… It just might be the role of a lifetime. Weekend Wife is a standalone romantic comedy with a sexy billionaire, a sassy heroine, and a Happily Ever After.

Trusting in You


Jess Mastorakos - 2021
    The moment Lucy James walks into my office, I know beyond a reasonable doubt that I’m in big trouble.Exhibit A: The way my heart kicks up a notch every time she looks at me.Exhibit B: The fierce need I have to help her and her neurodivergent teen brother, even though I’m already swamped and shouldn’t take on another case.Exhibit C: The fact that I can’t seem to get her off my mind long after she leaves.Once we sign on the dotted line, a relationship between us could get me disbarred. So even though she appears to be everything I’ve ever wanted in a woman, I know I need to stay far, far away.But helping Lucy means spending time in each other’s worlds. And now I have a feeling mine will never be the same. Trusting in You is a sweet contemporary romance set in the world of the San Diego Marines. Watch as the fan favorite lawyer from Back to You, Eric, finally gets his happily ever after!

A Fighting Chance


Kat Savage - 2021
    Since then, she's been avoiding certain things at all costs—like small-town setbacks, her family’s farm, and suffocating under too many expectations. Oh, and love, of course—but that's one thing eluding her. Aside from that, things are wonderful for her in Boston—the big city she chose to run to. That is, until her heartbroken little sister beckons her back to the very place she ran from: Whitney Farms. Lyla braces herself to be there again—but only temporarily. Only through her sister's impending divorce. What she doesn't expect is the newest—and hottest—resident at the farm. Newly single and free to do as he pleases, Gentry Bodine meets Lyla and at once, she rises to the very top of that list. His craving for her is demanding, undeniable. With an attraction so palpable, even the inexperienced and gun-shy Lyla can't resist—especially when lured with poetic, seductive notes from the unexpected southern charmer.But when they fall into temptation—of what appears as fleeting summer fun—both must decide: Will they give love a fighting chance?

Mr. Mistake: A Fake Marriage Romance (Mr. Mistake Series Book 1)


Karice Bolton - 2019
    Wrong?Those were the words that shaped Tessa Berry's entire dating life the moment she vowed with her best friends in high school to never date a bad boy. Each of them took a pledge to never date a Mr. Wrong...and Morgan McKenzie was Tessa's wrong.But when her best friends bring up the pact and come up with a challenge to go after their Mr. Wrongs before they turn thirty, Tessa realizes they're all in over their heads and Tessa must teach her friends a lesson.But when Tessa's Mr. Wrong becomes her fake fiancé, she wonders if she made the biggest mistake of her life.After all, love isn't a fake emotion, even if the relationship is, right?

Accidentally Matched


Cathryn Brown - 2020
    She needs a ride. There’s just one catch ... Rachel has a mission: get to her brother in small town Alaska and bring him home. She has a job to return to as soon as possible. Even a handsome pilot can’t distract her, and romance isn’t on her schedule.Noah flies for work and play. Ready for a vacation, he accidentally ends up in an adventure with Rachel. His mother’s been busy matchmaking, but Noah and Rachel may have a way to get her to stop. If they can keep their hearts out of it.If you enjoy Hallmark movies, Alaska, and sweet romance with a dash of fun, Accidentally Matched and the Alaska Matchmakers series may be right for you. Pre-order today to get your copy of Accidentally Matched. You may have met Jonah’s brother, Adam, in Crazy About Alaska. Adam has four brothers and each will find love in the Alaska Matchmakers Romances.This is a standalone book which is part of a series. It’s clean and wholesome with no sex or swearing. The author is from Alaska, so she knows the real Alaska.

My First, My Last


Lacey Silks - 2014
     Their roads never crossed and the stars failed to align, until now. Matured, more experienced, pierced, tattooed and hot as hell, Adrian steps back into Mia's life to reclaim his first love. And the moment she sees him she can't remember her own name. Adrian Reed had always remained in Mia's heart. After all, he was her first in every way possible, but that was twenty years ago. His sudden appearance at a bar, on a girls night out, has Mia acting like a fifteen year old girl again. But life now is not as simple as it was twenty years ago. With two kids, a hopeful ex-husband and new insecurities, Mia finds opening up to a new relationship challenging.Will she give her first love another chance, or will she push him away, this time for good?Join Mia and Adrian on their journey to finding their first love for the second time in My First, My Last.Note: This is a standalone contemporary romance second-chance novel intended for mature audience.

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.

Hooked on You


Lea Coll - 2020
    Attorney was the last person I needed in my business... or my bar. The way she walked in wearing a tight suit and red power heels, flashing that badge should be illegal.Asking her for help was a mistake. Wanting her was a complication, one that I couldn't afford. We were from two different worlds.Taylor was spoiled, privileged and in way over her head. I was just the bad boy that girls like her were attracted to, a passing phase. An itch to scratch.I was no good for her and never would be.Hooked on You was previously titled Easy Moves, and is the prequel to the Annapolis Harbor Series.

Fighter: A Bad Boy College Romance


Anna Ray - 2021
    

House Rules


Lyssa Cole - 2017
    Follow the House Rules, Emma.Growing up, that's all my mother would say.In order to find love and happiness, follow the rules...I believed those rules. I followed them, lived by them, loved by them.But at the end of the day, I'm still not happy. Alone.Always trying to help everyone else find their happiness as I fall further down into a deep, dark hole.Until, the day Knox broke those rules and set me free.KnoxLove is pure... love is happiness... love is life.That's what I was told.But I've learned the hard way. Love will break your heart.It'll leave you cold and hurt. Scrambling and lost. Shattered.I'll never allow myself to fall again.Until Emma.Emma...in my life without warning.Her entire being calls to me, filling me with hope.I'm lost without her. My mind screams at me to run and never look back.But I can't. A relentless, unyielding force keeps me in place.I spend my life helping others. Isn't it time I help myself?**Steamy, explicit sex. 18+ recommended.Cover Design by Amanda Walker Designs

A Hero for Hailey


D.E. Haggerty - 2020
    When I run into a teensy weensy bit of trouble, who should show up but Aiden – my high school nemesis. Unfortunately, Aiden doesn’t realize he’s my high school nemesis. Nope. He doesn’t even remember who I am. Gee, thanks. Suddenly Aiden is everywhere, claiming he’ll protect me. Do I look like I need protecting? But when Aiden speaks to me in that deep, sultry savior voice, my knees wobble and I forget my name. I better get to solving this trouble I’m in, so Aiden will move right on out of my life. Only he says he doesn’t want to move on. He wants to stick by my side forever. Not happening. But like my pops always says Love will OUT. A Hero for Hailey is book 1 of the romantic comedy series Love will OUT but can be read as a standalone.

Dean (Morgan Brothers #1)


Margaret McHeyzer - 2021
    She’s tortured by her history. Will their timid bond flourish into a lifelong love? Dean Morgan is an everyday hero. A well-respected firefighter in a small community, he believes everyone deserves compassion. So when he daringly rescues an unconscious teen from a burning building, the boy’s troubled mother immediately sets his heart ablaze. Joanne Hamilton fears she’ll never escape her imprisoned husband’s abuse. But when the handsome ladder-man plucks her son from the jaws of death, she’s surprised when his presence stirs more than gratitude. And when she witnesses the gorgeous guy’s kind soul in action, she feels her shattered spirit might just have a chance to mend. As Dean forms a fatherly connection with the boy, his protective instincts naturally pull them all closer. But when Joanne’s toxic baggage rears its ugly head, she’s terrified her budding attraction isn’t the only thing in danger. Can they survive a dark past and fan the flames of happiness? Dean is the touching first tale in The Morgan Brothers contemporary romance series. If you like healing hearts, tender embraces, and relearning trust, then you’ll adore Margaret McHeyzer’s uplifting story.

My Bestie's Ex


Piper Rayne - 2020
    He’s not a sweater or a skirt. He’s not even her favorite dress—the lucky one she wears on first dates. The one she probably wore on her first date with him. In my defense, I didn’t know who he was. To me, he was a cool, calm, confident stranger. He was perfection for the entire hour and a half train ride while the concrete jungle turned into a rolling green landscape. To an outsider, we probably appeared more friends than hopeful lovers. But my blush came quickly, and his dimples indented with every smile. We definitely shared a spark of what could be. Too bad I didn’t know who he was before I fell for him, because he can’t be mine.

Second Time Around: Small Town Second Chance Romance


Alandra Knight - 2019
    He’s lived them. Four years earlier, he and his brother lost their wives. Since then, they’ve been left to raise their children all alone.His world is everything mine can never be.It doesn’t matter that our chemistry is off the charts. It doesn’t matter that Jaxson’s arms are the only ones I feel safe in.He and I are like oil and water – and while opposites clearly attract, I can’t believe there’d ever be a place for a girl like me in Jaxson’s world of foam dart battles and bedtime stories.Or, at least, that’s what I thought until we both dared open our hearts – and began wondering if, just maybe, we deserved a shot at love the second time around.Second Time Around is the first in Alandra Knight's Finding Our Forever series - emotionally intense tales of true love, featuring beautifully crafted characters overcoming the darkest odds to earn their happily-ever-after.

Happy Trail


Daisy Prescott - 2019
    Never quite fitting in with either side of his family, he prefers the company of birds and trees to people.Yeah, he’d most definitely prefer a bird—any bird, any bird at all, take a vulture for instance—to the human-tornado hybrid that just blew onto his peaceful stretch of the Appalachian Trail.The path of true love never has run smooth for Olive Perry. After getting dumped and promptly abandoned in the middle of her multi-month hike, Olive swears off men. Determined to finish the long trek by herself, she doesn’t need a prince—or broody and taciturn ranger—to save her.Yet, when an early snowstorm threatens the mountains, and Ranger Daniels is charged with getting hikers to safety, that includes hot-tempered Olive Perry. Snowed in and forced to share an abandoned cabin, can Olive’s heated intensity melt Jay’s cool reserve?And if so, will this happy trail lead to true love? Or will their time together be just another bump in the road?‘Happy Trail’ is a full-length contemporary romantic comedy, can be read as a standalone, and is book #1 in the Park Ranger series, Green Valley World, Penny Reid Book Universe.