Book picks similar to
Closing the Gap by Colleen Charles


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Made for Me


Kathryn R. Biel - 2016
    While her meddling family questions how she can end up in this predicament, at the age of 29, and single to boot, Michele doesn't want to admit the truth. All she wants to do is sew. Faced with the prospect of moving back into her parents' house, Michele throws a Hail Mary pass and applies for a TV design contest, Made for Me. In order to win the contest, Michele will have to compete with nine other contestants to design the new wardrobe for Duchess Maryn Medrovovich, who's about to marry Prince Stephan of the United Republic of Montabago. While in the seclusion of the show, Michele starts to realize where her focus in life should be, and what's truly important to her. However, a dashing competitor might just cause her to lose her focus once and for all. Can Michele keep her eye on the prize while being true to herself?

Hooking


Kristine Allen - 2020
    Hooking was my penalty. It’s never something I set out to do, but it happens. After all, it’s hockey.Hockey is life. Getting traded was a kick to the nuts, but at least I was still playing. It was all that mattered.Until Sydney.Our relationship was forbidden, but I didn’t care—I hadn’t run from a fight yet.I had her right where I wanted her, until everything crashed around me. My past came back to bite me in the ass and I was faced with getting kicked off the team. Now, I’m trying to pick up the goddamn pieces.I’m not going to choose between her or hockey. I want it all. Because despite everything, she’s the best thing I’ve ever hooked.

Exes and Goals


Heather C. Myers - 2017
    She has one.Harper Crawford is a big fan of the Newport Beach Seagulls, despite their abysmal previous season. It's been a year since Ken Brown's murder and Seraphina Hanson, Ken's youngest granddaughter, just survived her first year as the new owner and manager of the national hockey team. Barely. The last year was dismal to the point where Seraphina is making drastic changes. Like hiring Harper as their official blogger. Harper gets to travel with the team, write character pieces, critiques, game summaries, and the like. It's her dream job.Another change? Putting together practically a new team, including Zachary Ryan, first line center. At six foot four and two hundred and twenty pounds, he is tall, dark blond, and solid muscle. He's arrogant and direct and the minute he sees Harper at Taboo nightclub during a team bonding session dressed in a plaid shirt and converse sneakers, he has to get to know her better.Except there's a problem from her past that won't go away. Harper has an ex that won't stay in her past - where he belongs. He starts showing up at her place, reminding her of all the wrong choices she made, bringing up things she wants nothing more than to forget. When Zachary gets involved, things get heated and his notorious temper flares.Harper doesn't want to get involved with a hockey player - especially with an overzealous ex who won't leave her alone - but Zachary plans to change her mind. No matter what the cost.

Hooked


K.C. Falls - 2013
    He lets women believe what they think they see. It’s easier that way. No woman would want the truth he’s never shared. Lara Lamb is sailing away from what she thought she wanted. Because she wanted the wrong things and always for the wrong reason. Lara sees Morgan for what he is: a rich, shallow Peter Pan who happens to have a cute monkey. Trouble is she’s only right about the monkey. She’s everything Morgan never wanted. She makes the easy way look like the coward’s way. Ready to take the chance, Morgan struggles with how to let Lara closer than anyone’s ever been. Will his unspeakable wounds be too deep for her to bear?

Rocky Mountain Hook Up


Kate Fargo - 2015
    Isabel Chapel is scared spitless. She’s losing clients faster than broncos toss cowboys at the Calgary Stampede. Tuition is due for her daughters, the advance for her second book is already spent… she can’t afford to lose her practice. Reluctantly, she agrees to some ‘field study’… just to observe… One buff psych student … Tray Taylor is a studious and buff farmer who just returned to university after working the farm during his father’s illness. Despite his killer looks and winning charm, he doesn’t have much confidence with women and he’s determined to find a teacher – his own personal Mrs. Robinson… One Hookup is all they need … When Isabel arrives at The Shore – a club with a certain reputation for older women and younger men – she’s not sure she can go through with it. But when she meets Tray, sparks fly, tempers flare, and she finds herself way outside her comfort zone … She needs to get more in touch with her sexual side. He needs to learn more about pleasuring women. In one night, they both get what they need. But will one night be enough for them to get what they want? Warning: Hot dancing, public seduction, and no holds barred horizontal mambo. Ready to get hooked up?

Give Me Love


Paige P. Horne - 2015
     Abandoned by her mother at only eight years old, Kathrine Harrison was taught that relying on yourself is the only way. She grew up in chaos, getting abused by her stepdad who reminded her daily that she wasn’t worth loving. Bryce Grant was used to his dad’s drinking but couldn't understand why the man was obsessed with a woman who constantly chose drugs over her family. Bryce cared for only one person and did everything he could to keep his brother, Jace, from witnessing just how bad their parents were. Tragedy changes the boys’ lives and sets them on a path they have never envisioned for themselves. Meeting by chance, Kat and Bryce have no idea how much they have in common and love is not a choice. Can it change how they see things, or will it destroy the life they've worked so hard to maintain?

Voyage In His Arms (A Spicy Romance)


Ann Walker - 2014
    Things are going according to planned until one day she gets the shock of her life. Jamie decides to confront her worst nightmare head on and live in the moment. A few weeks later Jamie finds herself aboard a luxury cruise ship deep on the Pacific Ocean. While on the journey Jamie discovers herself giving in to her inhibitions, as she longs to live, love and laugh again.

Serendipity Falls


Patrice Wilton - 2013
    There's a wedding a month and divorces are non existent. Out-of-towners are flocking in on weekends to visit, and perhaps find love, speculating on whether it's the natural spring water or something in the air. Whatever it is, they hope to find it. Tara Reynolds is a new pastry chef for the mountain resort, and love is the last thing on her mind when she arrives for the winter, but the handsome Olympian skier who owns a local bar has become quite irresistible. Can the mysterious forces in the town unite this couple who are fighting it every step of the way?

Runaway Summer


Ruth Saberton - 2015
    It’s only when a volatile relationship threatens to destroy all she holds dear that Summer finds herself returning to the place she knows so well.Jake Tremaine has travelled the world but reluctantly finds himself drawn back to Polwenna Bay to run the family marina and take care of his unruly siblings. While Jake knows his attention should be on the rescuing the business, determined Ella, daughter of a wealthy hotelier, is set on working her way into his affections and beneath his sheets. The last thing Ella will tolerate is the reappearance of a rival…As the holiday season approaches and seaside life gathers pace, Jake suspects that Summer is keeping a huge secret from him. But Summer is not the only person in the village with something to hide. Is she just an echo of Jake’s past or are there far more important matters at stake?

Unauthorized Series: The Complete Collection


Lisa Ladew - 2015
    All romantic suspense. Jen, the heroine of the first book, is Jerry's sister from the Edge of the Heat Series. Unauthorized Affair - Twenty-six year old Jen Mansko finds out the hard way that she's too trusting. Her apartment ransacked, her bank account emptied, and her heart broken, Jen has had enough and high-tails it to the only place she can think of where she will be welcomed – her brother's house. Anxious for a fresh start, Jen does something completely out of character and decides to become a cop. Soon, the athletic beauty with the striking-pink locks captures the attention of ex-navy seal Police Sergeant Hunter Foley. When she is vetted for an undercover assignment, Jen dares another feat and quickly wins the approval of the powers that be. Once embedded in the covert operation, yet another unlikely suitor is drawn to her. With two men on opposite sides of the law vying for her attention, Jen is forced to make a choice or risk having all she's worked so hard for ripped away from her. Unauthorized Deception - When blackmailing leads to leaving it all behind, Ivy is desperate for the truth. The man she'd come to love suddenly disappears, leaving a note on her bedside table, Ivy's world is shaken to the core. The man she knew wanted nothing more than to be a cop. He wouldn't have thrown it all away. It will be up to Ivy to find the answers, but the journey she embarks on is full of twists and turns. This sadistic game of cat and mouse will lead to a very unlikely source and familial bonds will be tested. After working so hard to learn to love and trust, Ivy must gather her resolve and push past the deception. Will Ryker still be the same man once the web of lies is destroyed? Unauthorized Obsession - Officer Kara Price has recovered from her injury and is back doing what she loves best, patrolling the streets of Westwood Harbor, praying that she never hears from her stalker again. But when her neighbor sees a man lurking outside her home, her partner finally forces her to take the case to the detectives. Her attention is distracted by a confident, cocky, gorgeous business owner who sets his sights on her and won't take no for an answer. Within days, her stalker turns from slight annoyance, to imminently dangerous, pulling her attention back to her current crisis. When the investigating officer suspects her new boyfriend is her stalker, Kara balks immediately. But when what they uncover in the investigation lands him in jail, Kara is torn between her heart and her safety. As her life spins out of control she holds tight to the hope that both of them will make it out of this alive and out from under suspicion. Unauthorized Return - Coleton, our handsome and rich poet from book 1 returns, battered, bruised, and a little more bitter than before. But when the Sgt. Aria Gale, the police officer assigned to protect him is the twin sister of the most recent woman to crush his heart, he wonders if standing and fighting is even worth it. When Coleton's car blows up, he has no more choice. He and Aria go on the run. But how will she react when she finds out about Coleton's involvement with her sister? Especially once he finds himself falling in love with her.

Fighting for Foster


Bex Dane - 2020
    She's forbidden. Unattainable. Out of my league.All these years, I've struggled to deny the relentless desire to make her mine.But not anymore.Her dysfunctional crime family is destroying her and breaking her soul.I can't let that happen.So I'm infiltrating her secret world to save her.But can I earn her trust and convince her to leave before we both get killed?If you like possessive alpha-males and edge-of-your-seat action, you'll love Fighting for Foster.

Wild Ride


Octavia Wildwood - 2014
    Sheltered. Curious.Small town girl Maggie is bored...that is, until she meets Angel. His tattoos intrigue her, as does his life story. He's in a notorious biker gang, but his bark is far worse than his bite. Though Maggie and Angel come from very different worlds, it feels like they've known each other forever. Is this what love feels like? Maybe Prince Charming rides a Harley Davidson... Criminal. Corrupt. Broken.Angel lives on the edge, but he doesn't give a shit. He doesn't have anything to live for anyway...that is, until he meets Maggie. She's too good for him. He knows it, but he wants her. Taking Maggie on the road with the biker gang is dangerous, but Angel vows to keep her safe...even if it kills him.*This is a full-length, standalone romance novel that contains explicit adult situations.

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.

The Monsoon Series: Two Book Bundle


Anya Wylde - 2020
    She decides that the best way to deal with such a situation is to pack her bags and move to a new country. Luck is on her side, and she quickly gets a job as a runner on a documentary being filmed in India. Thus, begins her roller-coaster ride filled with mad decisions and forbidden romance.

Cop of the Year


Kathryn Shay - 1998
    Her specialty is troubled teenagers. A teacher in a public school for years, she knows kids and the men and women who teach them!"In COP OF THE YEAR master storyteller Kathryn Shay pens an emotionally powerful tale that leaves you breathless. Woven into this riveting plot are wonderfully written characters that grab your heart and don't let go. Bravo Ms. Shay!" RT Book Reviews***Winner of Best Superromance of the Year, the Golden Leaf Award and the Desert Quill Award as well as numerous 5 star ratings from reviewers.***The last thing by-the-book Captain Mitch Lansing wants to do is work in a high school classroom to improve relationships between at risk kids and the police department. Mostly, he doesn’t want to deal with teenagers. But when he meets unorthodox teacher, Cassie Smith, his world goes off kilter. So does Cassie’s. She's totally against all he stands for, so why is it she finds herself attracted to him? The further they go into the year, the more they’re drawn to each other. And the more the kids also come to care about Mitch. However, because of his past in Vietnam, he tries to distance himself from everybody. He can’t, and he must learn to accept Cassie and her kids into his life. With several highly emotional scenes and deeply moving situations, this story will go straight to your heart.Praise for COP OF THE YEAR:“Kathryn Shay writes from the heart! Her stories are about real people with real lives. You will laugh and cry with her characters. COP OF THE YEAR is sure to be one of the best books to hit the shelves this year!” The Literary Times“Prepare yourself for a fabulous emotional ride that will have you reaching for the tissues and leave you with a renewed sense of hope.” Genie Romex Reviews“Kathryn Shay has penned a most unusual novel. The teacher/cop relationship feels natural enough, and the dialogue is a standout. But oddly enough, though I found the romance to be satisfying, it's the secondary characters of the kids I remember most from the story. The teenage pregnancies, the gang involvement, the drug usage all are a part of today's high school scene, but Shay makes this a story of hope, not despair. The ending almost brought me to tears. Three cheers!” The Romance Reader“Ms. Shay writes a strong and compelling dissertation on a very real and complicated social issue of our time, weaving in an unforgettable, touching love story.” Old Book Barn GazetteIf you like books about cop romances, teacher romances and teacher student relationships, be sure to read the rest of this high powered series, BECAUSE IT’S CHRISTMAS, COUNT ON ME, BETWEEN TWO WORLDS and IF YOU WERE MINE.