Book picks similar to
Play With Fire by Sheridan Anne


insta-love
single-parent
contemporary
low-angst

Show Me the Way


A.L. Jackson - 2017
    Jackson . . . Rex Gunner. As bitter as he is beautiful. The owner of the largest construction company in Gingham Lakes has been burned one too many times.His wife leaving him to raise their daughter was the last blow this single dad could take.The only woman he'll let into his heart is his little girl. Rynna Dayne. As vulnerable as she is tempting.She ran from Gingham Lakes when she was seventeen. She swore to herself she would never return.Then her grandmother passed away and left her the deed to the diner that she once loved.When Rex meets his new neighbor, he knows he's in trouble.She's gorgeous and sweet and everything he can't trust.Until she becomes the one thing he can't resist. One kiss sends them tumbling toward ecstasy.But in a town this size, pasts are bound to collide.Caught in a web of lies, betrayal, and disloyalty, Rex must make a choice. Will he hide behind his walls or will he take the chance . . .

Well Played


Vi Keeland - 2021
    The other half now belonged to Levi Miller, the famous quarterback who had other ideas about what we should do with the property.We won’t mention that I accidentally injured him during our first meeting, causing him to get eight stitches.You could say we got off on the wrong foot. We bickered a lot as we both moved into the property while we figured things out. He wanted to unload the rundown place which, admittedly, needed a lot of work. I wanted to restore The Palm Inn to its original beauty and re-open it as a bed and breakfast. We couldn’t agree on anything. So Levi made me a proposal. One he thought I would surely lose. If I could sell out the place by the time he had to leave for training at the end of summer, he would back off and let me run it.But in the weeks that followed, we got more than we bargained for while we were living under the same roof.Levi and I got closer, and before I knew it, my nightly fantasies about the brawny Adonis became a reality. Not to mention, he was so great with my son.We were in over our heads in more ways than one. Because not only was he the last man on Earth I should be falling for because of our deal, but Levi was also my ex’s older brother.And now the inn was the least of my problems.

The Exception to the Rule


Beth Rinyu - 2012
    Following a bitter breakup with her unfaithful boyfriend, she decides to throw herself into her work without any distractions from a man. That’s until she encounters Dr. Julian Kiron, a handsome, career driven pediatric oncologist. Even though she tries to fight it, Kat finds herself falling deeply for him; until she painfully realizes that they both want totally different things from life. Not willing to compromise for the other, they sadly say goodbye, cutting all ties.Five years later, Kat’s happy world is turned upside down when she is given devastating news. She must now confront her past and the secret she’s harbored for years. But will saving the one she loves most also rekindle the love she let slip away?

Never Really Over


Jennifer Van Wyk - 2021
    however you want to say it.He was used to life not going as planned, but this little detour changed his life forever and completely terrified him. But he didn’t have time to dwell on the fact he was now this toddler’s one and only parent.His little niece Poppy needed him and he was determined not to fail her.But life continued to throw curve balls. While trying to learn his new normal, Layla, his first and only love, breezed back into his life. That might have excited him, but he hadn’t counted on the fact that she’d changed over the years.Gone was the girl he fell in love with, replaced with someone he could barely stand to be around.Colt didn’t have time to deal with a snobby, bitter grump when he had a farm to run and a toddler to raise.She may still be the most gorgeous woman he’d ever laid eyes on, but to him, beauty was about more than what was on the surface. The problem was, he was starting to wonder if the new Layla wasn’t really who she was.He tried to resist her but sometimes love is never really over.Never Really Over is a complete standalone. This farm boy romance is sure to make you swoon, laugh, and tear up a few times.

Fool Me Once


Nikki Ash - 2020
    I wasn’t looking for romance, but his two-dimpled charm made my heart go haywire.We both had one thing in common: we were here to escape our realities. One week. Just the two of us. Not a care in the world. I didn’t know it at the time, but that week would forever change my life.Four years later, and as fate would have it, Keegan and I are brought together again. It’s as if the universe is telling us this is our second chance. The more I get to know him, the harder I fall.Falling hopelessly in love is inevitable with a man like him. Only the joke’s on me, because the guy I’m falling for isn’t the man I thought he was. You know how the saying goes: Fool me once...I’ll be damned if I’m fooled again.

Surprise Daddy : A Billionaire Doctor Accidental Pregnancy Romance


Hunter Rose - 2021
    Continents apart. One unforgettable night.And an unexpected miracle, created amid war and chaos.If looks could kill, Roman Wheeler would be guilty as sin.A navy surgeon and a man dedicated to saving lives.Seems perfect right?Too bad his personality is one of nightmares.Arrogant, condescending, and overly full of himself.Doctor Wheeler is not exactly relationship material.But after a traumatic and tragic day.We came together. We became friends.And on his last night in this war-torn country.He broke down my walls, and we shared a night I could never forget.I never imagined one night would forever change the course of my life.Nor did I imagine that years would go by beforefate would bring him back into our lives…One world. Three lives. Continents apart.A friendship created amid tragedy.A miracle in the midst of war.And a reunion that would change the lives of three.“Roman, I need to tell you something. Could we meet over coffee...?"

Bodyguard


Flora Ferrari - 2017
     Then she shows up. Nobody told me it was going to be the President’s daughter…the secret one he doesn’t want anyone to know about. And nobody told him I’m the one in charge of protecting her. Remember me, Mister President? I’m the guy you personally kicked off your Secret Service security detail for an infraction that I didn’t commit. If I decline the job now I’ll never be able to work again. But if I agree, I have to protect her...the girl who fell hard for me four years ago. I thought of her as a bratty little sister back then. She thought of me as her personal protector who she could cuddle up to whenever she wanted...no matter how inappropriate. But she’s not an eighteen-year-old kid anymore. She’s twenty-two now, and she’s grown up in more ways than one. I’m only supposed to keep an eye on her, but I can’t stop staring. She’s beyond beautiful and this bodyguard’s got it bad for her. I’m supposed to be protecting her, but who’s going to protect me...from myself? And when the bad guys do come a-knockin’, I have to make the biggest choice of all. Do I follow my sworn oath to the country and protect the President of the United States, or the daughter he doesn’t even want…but I do more than anything else in the world? I’m dangerously close to losing my job, my reputation, and even my life. But a life without her is no life at all. I’ll lay it all on the line to show the woman of my dreams that I’m a man who knows what he wants and that’s only one thing…her. *Bodyguard is an insta-everything standalone romance with an HEA, no cheating, and no cliffhanger.

The Secrets of Life


K.L. Humphreys - 2017
    For Jessica Hughes, this is her reality.At 21, she’s single-handedly supporting her 2 younger brothers and her 4-year-old daughter while paying off her deadbeat mother's gambling debts.Her life may seem like crap to others, but Jess knows it could be worse.Then, Hunter O'Shea walks back into her life and drops a bombshell - a secret that could destroy everything they once had.Once again, Jess finds herself picking up the pieces of her broken heart.Will Hunter find the courage to claim the family he never knew he needed?Or will Jess move on before he gets the chance?

Cupcakes & the Cowboy


Scarlett Woods - 2021
    Come find out how hot and sweet the nights can get today!CheyenneI pride myself on being a hard worker and I never let myself get distracted from my dreams. My next goal is to own and operate a bakery. But first I need to pay off my student debt.In the meantime, I’m one step closer to my dreams when a local restaurant hires me as a seasonal temporary pastry chef.When my best friend’s older brother visits me at work, I give him a tasty treat.Jordan is sexy, smooth, and works hard on me.But can I let him veer me toward love over my career?JordanAfter years of busy life in the city, I lost who I am and I’m done with the chaos. I couldn’t be happier to move back to my small hometown and take a job as a ranch foreman. But most of my old friends moved away and the holidays are a little lonelier than I imagined.Luckily, everyone at work is extremely welcoming and I’m sure I’ll find friends fast.When my sister’s best friend stands behind the counter, I’m sweet on her.Cheyenne is kind, curvy, and I want to butter her bread.But can I prove to her she’s the one and not just the next one?

Cowgirl Bikers MC #4


Esther E. Schmidt - 2022
    

Committed Cowboy


Kaci Rose - 2021
    She's been his since high school only she doesn't know it. But she's about to find out with a little help from a small town and a good friend. I have a secret no one knows. I'm in love with my best friend.We dated in high school then she went away to school and I took over my parent's ranch.We stayed best friends and to keep her I may have done something stupid...Like sabotaging all her dates and relationships kind of stupid.This time I think I went too far. When she shows up pissed and pounding down my door I don't think either of us is ready for what happened next...

Sex on Fire (Naughty Neighbor Book 1)


Ashley Bostock - 2021
    Turner is my sexy as hell neighbor.I have it dialed in, when he pulls into his driveway and when he leaves for work.I watch all of the other women in our neighborhood clamor over him like dogs in heat.Funny thing is: Turner ignores them all.He doesn't give any of them the time of day.When he confesses that I'm the one for him...it's too hard to believe.How can I be the woman he needs?Especially when I accidentally set his fence on fire.

Investing in Love (Zaftig Dating Agency #87)


Jane Fox - 2022
    But as soon as I meet Lara, I'm willing to do whatever it takes to keep her in my life.Lara: It would be incredibly unprofessional to get involved with my new client, no matter how badly I want to. But will I be able to keep my hands—and my feelings—to myself?Sometimes fate needs a little help. Welcome to the files of the Zaftig Dating Agency, where alpha men find the curvy women of their dreams!Each book in the series is a complete, standalone story.This is a sweet but sexy short story romance, complete with insta-love and a guaranteed happily-ever-after. If you’re looking for an escape from everyday life with an alpha older man and the curvy BBW younger woman that he loves, this is the book for you!

Bad Cruz


L.J. Shen - 2021
    Cruz Costello is my archenemy.But that would require acknowledging one another, which we haven’t done in over a decade.He’s the town’s golden child. The beloved quarterback-turned-physician.I’m the girl who got knocked up at sixteen and now works at a diner.He is Fairhope royalty.I get my monarch dose from tabloid gossip.He’s well-off.I’m…well, off.When our siblings get engaged, Cruz’s parents invite both families to a pre-wedding cruise.Except Cruz and I find ourselves stuck on a different ship from everyone else.Cue ten horrible, insufferable days at sea with a man I cannot stand.(My fault, of course.)But when the alcohol pours in, the secrets spill out, and I’m left with one question:Can I take another chance on love?

One Percent of You


Michelle Gross - 2019
    I know what I look like to others. Young, government-aided, pregnant mom. They see Lucy on my hip, and they see a mistake. I mean, why else would someone have a child so young, right? They couldn’t be more wrong. I’m too busy most days between parenting, work, and finishing up my last year of nursing school to let their judging gaze tear me down until he moves in the vacant house next to the apartments I live in. His cold, blunt observation of us doesn’t differ from any other stranger. He doesn’t know me, but he’s already painting a picture of who he thinks I am in his mind. He judges my very round belly, Lucy’s inability to leave him alone, the bags under my eyes, and the fact that I could not care less what I look like anymore. He’s a rude guy. Stays that way for months too. Then something happens, I’m not even sure what. Judgmental Guy decides Lucy and me — as well as baby Eli — are worth his friendship. Turns out, Judgmental Guy isn’t too mean — okay, he kind of still is. But he graduates to Elijah. I build an unlikely friendship with him which deems it necessary for him to start smiling around me and my kids. I’m wrong again. Elijah isn’t rude. He’s terrifying. His strange acts of kindness are unraveling me. Elijah is only my friend. Right? Oh, fudge. I think I’m wrong. Again.