Book picks similar to
Cherry Bomb by Madelynne Ellis
romance
contemporary
freebie
free
Fakers
Meg Collett - 2014
Her bubbling personality and fresh beauty capture her audience each week, but they don't know the truth-she's just faking it. Beneath the surface of light-hearted smiles is a simmering darkness threatening to pull Kyra under. When Kyra moves to Canaan Island and buys her deceased mother's childhood home, she hopes to confront the lurking shadows haunting her every step. But when she meets her grumpy contractor, even her best-laid plans start to unravel. Hale Cooper is as brutally honest as he is intriguing. He hates fakers, and isn't afraid to call Kyra on her false personality. Yet, she is drawn to him, and the unexpected attraction to a man who challenges her to be her true self lands her in unchartered waters. But if she lowers her guard and allows herself to be honest with Hale, will the darkness creep in too?*This book is recommended for mature readers due to some sexual content and language. Cutting is represented in this book, and scenes may be considered triggering to some.*
Dare to Surrender
Carly Phillips - 2014
Being rescued by the most unlikely person possible, Gabriel Dare, makes it all worthwhile. After all, she's yearned for the sexy man for years—yet now is her chance to finally take the plunge and dare to become the independent woman she's always wanted to be. But can she be in control of her life if she surrenders to a man like him?The DARE TO LOVE books consist of Miami siblings/halfsiblings and NY cousins (hotter books) and the books ran in consecutiveorder. It makes more sense for the books to be divided by family and so I have split up the series as follows - The Dare to Love Series (Miamisiblings) and the NY Dares (NY cousins). Please note ALL BOOKS CAN BEREAD ALONE but if you enjoy your stories in order, below is the newseries order. I hope you enjoy!
Dirty Little Lies
Clare James - 2014
(Yeah, she knows it’s stupid name, so don’t start.) But most importantly, Stevie’s lost herself. As she shuffles through her days in worn-out Hello Kitty PJs—eating ice cream, sipping wine, and contemplating her next move—a magazine article catches her attention. Blaring black letters read: "How to Get Your Sexy Back in Six Easy Steps."Stevie studies the article in the trashy magazine like the good student she is and immediately knows what she has to do. With the magazine article in hand, and a bottle of red in her bag, Stevie embarks on a journey to reclaim her life and win back her ex. Until she meets Gabe Shannon. Gorgeous, single, and on a quest of his own, Gabe introduces Stevie to a lifestyle that is sure to help get her sexy back and then some. If she doesn’t chicken out … (Oh, you know where this is going.)What follows is a story of self-discovery, romantic gestures, erotic encounters, and following one's heart--even if it leads in unexpected directions.Portions originally published online as The Club e-series, Dirty Little Lies now has 70% more content, chapters from Gabe's point of view, and a sizzling conclusion to this steamy tale.
Troubles
K.C. Enders - 2022
One taste. One distraction.AIDAN KEARNEY is desperate to escape—just for a little while. He never thought he’d be burying his older brother, but after that, slinging drinks for an old friend in a small pub is just what he needs. With a little luck, he might just find a bit of happiness far from Dublin.LISBETH RITTENHOUSE has been fighting her whole life: her parents, her sister, and now her boyfriend. Make that ex-boyfriend. Her nursing degree is her chance to get her feet on solid ground. To find even just a hint of happiness. But the blessings she’s looking for are nowhere to be found. Until she stumbles into the arms of the new bartender. The accent. The intensity. The secrets.May your troubles be less, and your blessings be more, and nothing but happiness come through your door.
Different With You
E.H. Lyon - 2022
I’m slowly putting the mess of my soon-to-be divorce behind me. Not to mention figuring out how to juggle being a single dad. But when I accidentally nearly kill my parents’ dog, the dog isn’t the only one with a whole new dilemma, because I come face to face with the woman I once kissed during my hormonal teenage years.It just so happens that veterinarian Dr. Abby Call is also riding the post-divorce train. What started off years ago, as a teenage crush, could easily become something much less innocent between two newly single adults. Now we just need to find out if we’re nothing more than each other’s rebounds or if this is our second chance at love.Throw in my four-year-old son, my meddling mother, and an overprotective Labrador, and our budding romance is only about to get more complicated.
Different With You is the first sweet and sexy standalone novel from the Matchbox series. Readers who love small town, single parent, and friends to lovers romance may just fall for Lucas! This story is low on angst and a feel-good romance ideal for your beach read list.
One Dom to Love
Shayla Black - 2012
Determined to make the man notice that she’s a grown woman with desires and needs, she pours out her heart and offers her body to him—only to be crushingly rejected. But when his friend, very single, very sexy Liam O’Neill watches the other Dom refuse to act on his obvious feelings for Raine, he resolves to step in and do whatever it takes to help Hammer find happiness again, even rousing his friend’s possessive instincts by making the girl a proposition too tempting to refuse. But he never imagines that he’ll end up falling for her himself.Hammer has buried his lust for Raine for years. After rescuing the budding runaway from an alley behind his exclusive BDSM Dungeon, he has come to covet the pretty submissive. But tragedy has taught him that he can never be what she needs. So he watches over her while struggling to keep his distance. Liam’s crafty plan blindsides Hammer, especially when he sees how determined his friend is to possess Raine for his own. Hammer isn’t ready to give the lovely submissive over to any other Dom, but can he heal from his past and fight for her? Or will he lose Raine if she truly gives herself—heart, body, and soul—to Liam?
Score on Me
Melody Heck Gatto - 2014
She didn't believe in Prince Charming, or happily ever afters. Well, actually, she just didn't believe they would ever happen to her. Kat was not built for love. She always felt like the fat girl that no one really saw. Being bullied as a child led to a lifetime of self-doubt. She feared that she would always see that little fat girl staring back at her in the mirror. Even as an adult, she's still dealing with it. Hockey was her escape. She loved the game and she loved the players. One player in particular. He was dreamy. Even swoon-worthy. His dark eyes were mesmerizing. His smile devilishly sexy. His signature flowing locks always looked effortlessly perfect. He was flawless in every way... Too bad she would never get a guy like him. Well, at least that's what she thought. Kris Lafleur was the star defenseman for the Pittsburgh Renegades. Hockey was his life. Well, it was easy to be so dedicated to the game when he hadn't had much luck in the romance department. His hockey star status attracted puck bunnies and gold diggers. Neither was the kind of girl you wanted to bring home to mom; actually neither were the kind of girl that Kris even wanted to associate with. Deep down he was a hopeless romantic. He was looking for someone who was as devoted to him as he was to her, and not so interested in his bank account. Then he saw her... Was it her smile? Was it her laugh? He didn't know what it was, but she already had his heart.
Secret Acquisitions
Raleigh Davis - 2019
Fast.When I stumble onto a tech giant's plot to spy on everyone's phones, I know my security company is only one who can stop them. But my little start up needs money. Lots of it.Enter Mark Taylor, the hottest venture capitalist in Silicon Valley. And the only billionaire I know on a personal level. And the guy I reluctantly turned down in college.I'm in his office and ready to beg... but he's not the forgive and forget type.Mark: I never hear the word no. Not since I remade myself from a skinny nerd into the deal making playboy of Bastard Capital.January was the last woman to tell me no--and the one woman I can't forget. She's as enticing as ever, so I offer her a deal: I say yes to her in the boardroom and she says yes to me in the bedroom. A quick, scorching affair is exactly what I need to get her out of my system.But when a shadowy conspiracy threatens her company--and the privacy of everybody--all my protective instincts flare to life. And this quick affair is suddenly much deeper than we'd ever expected...
Enter the world of Bastard Capital: Unrivaled men. Unimaginable wealth. Unlimited power.
Books in the Bastard Capital SeriesSecret Acquisitions (Book One, Mark's story)Unfinished Seductions (Book Two, Logan's story)Competitive Instincts (Book Three, Finn's story)Intimate Mergers (Book Four, Paul's story)Hostile Attractions (Book Five, Elliot's story)Private Disclosures (Book Six, Dev's story)
The Color of Heaven
Julianne MacLean - 2011
When it seems nothing else could possibly go wrong, her car skids off an icy road and plunges into a frozen lake. There, in the cold, dark depths of the water, Sophie experiences something profound and extraordinary--something that unlocks the secrets from her past, and teaches her what it means to truly live"--Publisher description.
Drive Me Crazy
Marquita Valentine - 2013
Only three things stand in her way: juggling all of her odd jobs, keeping her daddy from gambling away all of their money and getting Carter to see her as a woman. NASCAR racer, Carter Ambrose, has finally decided to take his doctor’s advice and find a new occupation before another wreck on the track kills him. Only his doctor hadn’t counted on his little sister’s best friend, Melanie Ann Smith, crashing his weeks of solitude with her short skirts and platform heels. And that’s not the least of his problems. His mother has decided that she wants grandchildren and the only woman that's good enough for the job-his ex-fiance. Soon Melanie and Carter agree to a temporary relationship. One with benefits that is mutually satisfying in every way, or so each believes. And just when they are ready admit their feelings, family secrets are exposed, threatening Melanie and Carter's fragile relationship. Will Carter risk it all for love, or will Melanie be left holding the trophy for second place?
Burns So Bad
Anne Marsh - 2013
The jump team’s bad boy, Rio Donovan is one hundred percent pure, sensual trouble. He never backs down from a fire or a dare and he loves putting it all on the line when he parachutes into the heart of the fire. When the fire camp gets a much-needed new player, however, Rio lands in uncharted territory. The jump team’s newest member is sexy, strong—and female. She’s supposed to be just one of the boys, but Rio burns to claim her one heated kiss at a time. This jump, Rio Donovan’s putting it all on the line. Body and heart. INTO THE FIRE… AND INTO LOVE Kissing a fellow smoke jumper would be career suicide and Gia Jackson has worked too hard and too long to earn her spot on Strong’s jump team to jeopardize it all now for a man. The love-em-and-leave-em boys of summer aren’t her type and she’s hiding a few secrets of her own, but, when her chute tangles with Rio’s on a jump, he’s thrown into her arms. Literally. She’s held firm on the fireline for years—but can she hold the line now against Rio’s seductive charm?
Romance Down Under: New Zealand Romance Starter Set
Tracey Alvarez - 2016
A second chance. Everything on the line…Ryan "West" Westlake belongs on the island. It's in his blood and who he is. Nobody can deny that. When Piper Harland walked out of his life years ago, West let her go. He'd never stand in the way of a woman and her dreams. But now that she's back, their past smacks him right in the face. With tempers flared and desires heightened, West just might realize what he lost so long ago.Hide Your Heart (Far North, #1)Lauren Taylor has returned to her rural New Zealand hometown, having cut all ties with her past as a former model. Nate Fraser, a burned-out photojournalist, plans to fix up the property next door and sell it as a celebrity retreat. As passion ignites, Lauren must trust Nate not only with her secrets, but with her heart—before her safe haven is exposed and she can no longer hide in the shadows.Fall in love with these authentic heroes and heroines trying to find their special someone—then read the other standalone books to discover the friends and family who stumble into a once-in-a-lifetime love themselves.
The Cowboy Inherits a Bride
Cora Seton - 2015
Luckily her Aunt Cecily has provided her with the perfect combination living and restaurant space to start over. Even though the building is located in small town Chance Creek, Montana, Sunshine is certain it’s only a matter of time before she’s back to take the big city by storm. When she arrives in Chance Creek, however, she gets a surprise. Her restaurant space—and apartment—are occupied by a rival to her inheritance: the incredibly sexy, incredibly wrong for her, Cole Linden. Cole’s been struggling to save his family’s holdings for far too long. The indoor rifle range he inherited from his father barely pays its rent, but it’s all that’s keeping his other concerns—two apartment houses—afloat. If he was smart, he’d walk away from all of it and start over, but if he does, several dozen of Chance Creek’s inhabitants will find themselves without a home. He thought Cecily meant to leave him the range building in her will. Instead she’s set him up in a four-month-long competition with her big-city niece to see who will win the place. A niece whose knockout looks are making it damn hard for him to concentrate on the job at hand. Sunshine can’t believe she’ll have to open a vegan restaurant in a rifle-range waiting room, and she can’t believe she’ll have to share her apartment with Cole, either. Cole can’t believe his friends are falling over themselves to help Sunshine succeed—and get a date with her. Now the competition is getting hot, but the sparks flying between them are even hotter. Can Cole and Sunshine find a way they both can win?
Shore Lights
Barbara Bretton - 2003
Maddy Bainbridge left her Jersey Shore home town right after high school, determined to put as many miles as possible between herself and her many meddling relatives.Now she's back in Paradise Point -- an unemployed single mother whose only option is to accept her mother Rose's offer of a job and a place to live.But it doesn't take Maddy long to discover that the things about your mother that made you crazy at 17 make you even crazier at 32. Rose's critical comments bring out Maddy's inner teenager and by the beginning of December, the end is in sight. Maddy would stay there at the Candlelight Inn, her mother's popular B&B, through Christmas for her daughter Hannah's sake, but once the New Year rolled around… And then fate, in the form of an online auction battle over a Russian samovar that looks like Aladdin's lamp, brings home-town hero Aidan O'Malley into her life and suddenly Maddy begins to believe anything is possible.A child's dreams, an old woman's memories, the joys and heartaches that come with being part of a family, the thrill of new love and the deep comfort of love that stood the test of time -- it all comes together that one special holiday season when even the most battered hearts open just wide enough to let a miracle or two slip through.USA Today bestselling author Barbara Bretton has been hailed as a "monumental talent" (Affaire de Coeur) and now she delves deeply into the mysteries of family and shows us that even the most independent woman is still a daughter at heart.Home: it's where your story starts.(Previously published by Berkley Books)
Surrender
Melody Anne - 2013
Arianna (Ari) Lynn Harlow has led a charmed life until tragedy strikes her family. He’s looking for a no-emotions attached mistress, she’s looking for redemption.They are not a pair that should ever work, but undeniable attraction and devastating tragedies bring them together in the city by the bay where he fights to keep their relationship nothing more than an enjoyable way to meet his needs, and she battles to not lose herself in him. Spending time with Ari starts cracking the hard shell that Rafe has built around his heart, but he denies the affect she has on him until it’s too late to stop the inevitable conclusion that their relationship is headed for.Rafe once believed in happily ever after, coming from a large Italian family. He’s got the Midas touch, since every endeavor he tries turns to gold. That all ends when his wife walks out the door and leaves him blindsided. His devastation quickly turns to steel when he decides no woman will fool him again. From that point on he treats relationships as nothing more than business transactions where both party’s come out mutually benefited.Just when Ari has sunk to the lowest she’s ever been she finds an ad in the paper announcing a job that’s too good to be true. It turns out she’s right. She makes it through the intense rounds of interviews only to find out the job is for a mistress to the powerful Rafe Palazzo, owner of Palazzo Enterprises. Rafe gives her a day to think about whether she wants the position or not, and she’s sent on her way, only to find out her mother’s near-terminal position has taken a turn for the worse. Her mom’s only in the hospital because Ari messed up, and her mother’s the one who paid the price. Is Rafe her savior, or will he take her with him straight to the depths of hell?