Book picks similar to
When the Chips are Down by Beth Rinyu
romance
contemporary-romance
favorites
beth-rinyu
Healed By Love
Melissa Foster - 2015
Nate Braden has loved his best friend's younger sister Jewel for as long as he can remember, but between their age difference and his respect for Rick, he's always kept his feelings at bay. Now he's back in Peaceful Harbor, and Jewel is no longer sixteen years old--but there's an even bigger obstacle standing in his way. Nate and Rick joined the military together eight years earlier. Nate came home a hero, but Rick didn't make it out alive. . All Braden novels may be enjoyed as stand-alone books or enjoyed as part of the series. THE BRADENS (Peaceful Harbor, MD) Healed by Love (Nate) Surrender My Love (Cole) River of Love (Sam) Crushing on Love (Shannon) Whisper of Love (Tempest) Thrill of Love (Ty)
Hooked on the Game
C.M. Owens - 2014
a bulldozer. Sterling Shore was supposed to be a new start for eighteen-year-old Raya Capperton. Everything was working out perfectly until her two roommates were expelled for a prank, leaving Raya with the house she couldn't afford on her own. Fate intervenes before she has the chance to find a new home, but she struggles to decide if it's divine luck or the devil's cruel sense of humour. Twenty-one-year-old Kade Colton has his life planned out, and everything he does is an elaborate game to aid him with his future endeavors. Coming from money has made Kade's life easy, but he wants to build his own name - his own future. The thing he doesn't realize... when you only put forth superficial effort, you only acquire superficial friends. Raya is torn between being amused or disturbed by Kade and his philosophy, but the drive behind his determination isn't what Raya expected. Little by little, her hatred fades and is replaced by emotions she never would have believed she could have for the rich jerk she desperately doesn't want to care about. Too bad you can't force yourself not to care. The problem is... Kade's shiny name can't be tarnished, and Raya has a jaded tie she can't cut loose. Nothing about them can work, nothing about them makes sense, but nothing can seem to stop them from trying.
Starting Over
Evan Grace - 2014
And if it weren’t for her brother’s imminent deployment, she wouldn’t even have considered coming back home. But she did. And now she needs to do everything she can to avoid the reason she left in the first place. Luke Carter. The man who turned his back on her when she needed him most. There’s just one problem…Luke seems to have other plans. He’s determined to set things right, making it impossible for Bellamy to ignore the connection they still share after all these years. But Bellamy has a secret. And it’s the kind of secret that has the potential to destroy every last bit of hope she has for a second chance at happiness. The question is, will the truth bring them closer together…or will it tear them apart for good?
Fatalism
L.K. Collins - 2013
She protects her heart by controlling everything around her and living her life according to a strict set of rules. For years, she has lived behind a wall, not allowing anyone into her heart. That is, until she meets Vincent, a man she can't get out of her head no matter what she tells herself. On the outside, Vincent Mileski appears to be a confident, no nonsense attorney. A prodigy in the field of law, he has just won the biggest case of his career. Needing out of the spotlight, Vincent moves back to his home state of Colorado to get some time alone to heal from a previous betrayal. He hasn’t had a woman turn his head in years, that is, until he meets Alexa. After only knowing her name and the sweet taste of her kiss, she is torn from his arms. Will fate bring these two back together, or will they spend an eternity searching?
Boomerangers
Heather M. Orgeron - 2017
Spencer I love sex. I love the power, the intimacy, the euphoria it brings. Too bad I’m not having any . . . You’d think as New Orleans’ most renowned sex therapist that I’d be swimming in single men. In a way, I am . . . except for the fact that one is in diapers and the other two are drowning in preteen hormones. As a single mother of three, my days are devoted to my clients and my kids, and my nights are spent with Fabio, my trusty vibrator. When my world begins to unravel, I have no choice but to move back home. And when my high school sweetheart comes waltzing back into my life, comedy and chaos ensue. What can I say? I never said I could pick ’em, but you can bet your ass I know how to fix ’em. Cooper As soon as the ink dried on my divorce papers, I made myself a solemn vow: I was done with relationships. Moving home to take over my father’s firm was the plan, until Spencer decided to return, along with three souvenirs from the life she’s lived without me. I’ve been in love with the girl next door for nearly all of my life; the rest was spent trying to forget her. I’d give almost anything for a second chance with her, but I have no time for distractions—especially the kind that involve diapers, bottles, and eighteen-year commitments. The problem is, she’s already got me by the balls . . . and I’m beginning to feel the noose tightening around my heart. *Intended for readers 18+
Down on Me
J. Kenner - 2018
Vibrant Ink.Meet Mr. January. Winter’s never looked so hot…Certified bachelor Reece Walker wants two things — to save the local bar he manages and to get Jenna Montgomery into his bed. He has a few ideas for the bar. But Jenna... well, he’s going to have to rely on cold showers, because she’s been his best friend for years, and that’s a line he just can’t cross.Until one wild kiss on a dark night changes everything. Now Reece is certain Jenna’s meant to be his. And with long nights in bed, sensual caresses, and deep, lingering kisses, he sets out to thoroughly convince her that friends can be lovers, too.
Juked
M.E. Carter - 2016
/jook-t/A slang soccer term meaning: faked out, deceived, confused your opponentSee examples Daniel Zavaro and Quincy Watson:As the rising star in Houston, Daniel has found fame as Captain of his Pro soccer team and the city’s most eligible bachelor. Daniel has everything – except someone special – and that suits him just fine. He doesn’t want, or need, complications.Quincy has baggage, and lots of it. After a tragic accident spins her world on its axis, she finds herself as a single mother, raising a newborn nephew she never knew she had. Between parenthood, her full-time job, and dealing with the suffocating grief of losing her sister, every day is a struggle. When they begin to cross paths unexpectedly and often, an unlikely friendship starts to evolve. Feelings change. Lines get crossed. What happens next surprises them both...Before they know it-- they’ve been Juked.
Word Play
Amalie Silver - 2014
And he planned to keep it that way.Until he met her.Monica Singer, an infamous blogger, is keen to discover the truth of his secret identity.During a chance meeting at a book convention, Michael and Monica form an instant connection. And soon, an industry rivalry becomes something else entirely.But as Michael starts to let his guard down, he doesn’t realize that the person he's learning to trust may be hiding secrets of her own.Secrets that could ultimately destroy everything.
30 Days
K. Larsen - 2013
Dealing with the loss of her only sister. A suicide attempt that doesn’t end in death and a husband who wants her inheritance. Elle’s life is a catastrophe. But she has a list and thirty things she’s determined to accomplish. Love isn't on that list but it comes crashing unexpectedly into her life. Boxing coach and personal trainer at the gym he co-owns, Colin’s content with his life. Until a chance meeting with a woman eating alone at a restaurant sets his heart in motion. As secrets unveil themselves his only goal becomes holding on to what he’s found.
Doing It for Love
Cassie Mae - 2015
Elizabeth Fanning’s life looks pretty perfect, judging by the diamond ring on her finger. Her fiancé, Landon, is sweet, handsome, and hilarious. The trouble is, before they’ve even tied the knot, their sex life has gone from mind-blowing to “meh”—and Liz isn’t ready to be part of an old married couple. After a cathartic call to her best friend, Liz comes up with a brilliant idea. She and Landon may never be able to re-create the magic of their first time, but how amazing would their wedding night be if everything below the neck was off-limits until then? Liz thinks it’ll bring them closer together. Landon’s convinced she’ll cave first. So they raise the stakes: Whoever lasts longer gets to pick their honeymoon destination. With her heart set on the Bahamas and Landon fighting for snowbound Utah, Liz simply has to win. But pretty soon, her body is screaming for attention, and Landon’s never seemed so far away. Has Liz’s experiment backfired? Losing their little competition would be frustrating—but the one thing she can’t afford to lose is him.
Shelter by the Sea
Elena Aitken - 2016
She’s committed to a new and better future. But a guarded heart and an inability to trust may be too much to overcome, even in paradise.Sometimes leaving your life behind to start over where nobody knows you is the only solution. That’s exactly what Archer Wolfe is trying to do, and the pretty little blond in the tight tank top just might be the person to help. Working together to run a charter business on her sailboat seems like the perfect solution for both of them, at least it would be if he could convince her to give in to the growing heat between them that’s only getting harder to ignore and quickly becoming more than just physical. Much more. Cass Cutler’s life is full—of nothing. Unless you count a dead end job and a pathetic excuse for a relationship with her boss—and she doesn’t. So when she gets word that her estranged father is presumed dead, and she’s the new owner of his yacht located in Panama, she jumps at the chance for change. And what better place for a new start than the picture perfect beaches and crystal clear water of the San Blas Islands, especially when they come complete with an unreasonably gorgeous man who’s become the star of her very naughty dreams. Now all Cass needs to do is a figure out a way to keep their increasing attraction from distracting her as she attempts to save her inheritance—and her heart—before she loses everything?
Gentry Boys
Cora Brent - 2015
A set of fraternal triplets born to a depraved family, they were rough, sexy and wild as wolves..." DRAW They called us ‘those white trash Gentry boys’ until we believed that’s what we were. Our people squatted at the edge of a hellhole prison town for generations. The childhood we endured was the stuff of nightmares. I’d learned early on that my brothers, Chase and Creed, were the only people on earth worth my time. They all told us we were bad, that we’d always be bad. The horrors of the past have scarred my soul. But now I need to be better. For her. RISK Violence had always found us Gentrys but this time I’d put the price on my own head. It was my cross to bear. No flinching allowed. There was only room for me, my brothers, and the resolve to survive. That’s all there ever had been. There was certainly no reason for more than than a quick and dirty time with any female, no matter how much this sassy southern girl with a killer body turned my head around. I shouldn’t hold on to Truly Lee for more than a few hours. I shouldn’t even think about it. This thing could finish us both. It doesn’t matter. She’s all I want. GAME Gentry men aren’t supposed to be very bright. We’re big. We’re brutal. Women can’t wait to invite us inside. I know I can have any one of them I want any time I want. It seems unlikely that some bad-tempered chick and her snotty attitude would keep my interest but here it is. Stephanie has no idea what she does to me. I want that girl in more ways than I can even talk about. It should have been enough to have her and be done with it. But no matter how volatile we are together, it’s never enough. To hell with anyone who objects. I’m not letting her go. FALL How many women have I ruined? Hell if there’s any point in counting. Only once did I ever do something unforgivable and the consequence crushed my soul. Maybe that’s why I remain here, in the barren desert wasteland occupied by the worst of my degenerate family. This is a prison I’ve inflicted on myself. Into my purgatory walks Jenny; feisty, beautiful, not much more than a girl herself. No one decent should want a thing to do with me. I told her that. She didn’t listen. **Also includes an excerpt from HOLD, Book #5 in the Gentry Boys series. This series is intended for mature audiences. It contains explicit language, sexual situations, and violence that may be upsetting to some.
Three of Hearts
W. Ferraro - 2012
She's fortunate enough to find a great opportunity to live in an exterior apartment of a beautiful lake house in a small town in Vermont. When she realizes the apartment and scenery are not the only gorgeous appeal but the home owner, Seth Finn, is as well, she puts it all on the line for the chance at love. When she becomes comfortable and confident in her own skin and sexuality, Mae realizes that this place and this man is exactly what she came looking for. Knowing Seth and his three children are as special as they come, Mae bets the house, and prays she and her gamble are enough.
Raising Landry
Andee Michelle - 2015
Determined to start over and finally pursue her own dreams for once, Carson spends years working towards her goals. When a car accident takes her best friend LuAnne, Carson finds herself the guardian of LuAnne's five-year old little girl, Landry. Between mourning the loss of her dearest friend, raising Landry, and trying to get justice for Lu, her life becomes a whirlwind of drama. Kyler Richards grew up with a silver spoon in his mouth, although he worked hard to accomplish his own goals. He meets Carson during a brief encounter but can't shake the pull he feels to her. The friendship between the two quickly becomes the potential for more but when Carson’s life is turned upside down by the accident, both their worlds are torn apart. Can their relationship survive everything that’s thrown at them? **Author’s Note** Due to strong language and sexual content, this book is not intended for readers under the age of 18.
Henry
Andria Large - 2013
He expected HR to hire someone older, more experienced, maybe even with gray hair. Who he got instead was the beautiful, young, single mother - Claire Russell. A woman who he is having a hard time keeping his eyes off of...Claire never expected her new boss to be the most gorgeous man she's ever laid eyes on. She also never expected him to be sweet to her two year old son, Ethan. But Henry is her boss and there is no future with him. Or so Claire thinks...Will Henry and Claire be able to fight the obvious attraction between them? Will Henry's overbearing mother come between them? Or will a freak accident change their perspectives on life and what's most important.