Book picks similar to
The Runaway & The Russian by Helen Bright


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Forever Innocent


Deanna Roy - 2013
    On what should have been one of the happiest nights of her life, she and her boyfriend Gavin watched a nurse disconnect the ventilator from their seven-day-old baby. During the funeral two days later, Gavin walked out and never returned.Since then, her life has been a spiral of disasters. The only thing that has helped is her ability to black out whenever the pain gets too hard to bear, a habit that has become an addiction.When Gavin shows up in her astronomy class four years later, he is hell-bent on getting her back, insisting she forgive him. Corabelle knows she can’t resist the touch that fills the empty ache that has haunted her since he left. But if he learns what she has done, if he follows the trail back through her past, her secrets will destroy their love completely. And once again, she’ll lose the only person who always believed she was innocent.New Adult Contemporary Romance

Ray of Light


E.L. Todd - 2017
    He won the lottery and invested all of his money in a run-down bowling alley. Since he’s barely making it, he moved in with me. Great. Having him around the house isn’t the worst thing in the world, but he does make a mess like nobody’s business. My friends Zeke, Jessie, and Kayden keep me sane but there’s only so much they can do. And it’s definitely not the worst thing in the world when his old friend, Ryker, moves to town. The second I lay eyes on him, I’m hot under the collar. He makes my body burn in longing and freeze in desperation at the exact same time. When he talks, I don’t listen to anything he says because I’m staring at that hard jaw and those kissable lips like I already own them. But he’s a bed hopper. A playboy. A heartbreaker. I’m all down for some hot, sweaty, yummy sex even if it doesn’t have a fairy tale ending. I’ve been down that road before. I know the drill. But with Ryker, it’s different. Because I know I’ll fall in love with him. For now, I’ll steer clear of him and keep my hands to myself. It can’t be that hard, right? Or can it?

Kitchen Affairs


Brooke Cumberland - 2013
    Studying to be a chef she begins interning at Chicago's 5 Star Riverside Restaurant where she meets witty and charming, Drake Stagliano. Molly hasn't allowed herself to fall for a man in 4 years so when she becomes smitten with her manager she's reluctant to fall for him. Finally giving into her desires, Molly is found torn as another man enters the picture. Who will stand by her when humiliation & crisis bring Molly to a panic attack in the realization that she's ready to move on from her late fiance...Fall in love, cry, and laugh as you embark on Molly's new journey! **Contains Mature Adult Content**

Witness


Piper Davenport - 2014
     Bailey Harper thought she was heading to a graduation party, only to find herself kidnapped, beaten, and left for dead. When a handsome and charismatic FBI agent comes to her rescue and offers his protection, she finds herself falling hard and fast for him. When a deeply guarded, dark secret is revealed, will the truth drive them apart or will it strengthen the bonds of their newly found love?

Revenge


Dana Delamar - 2012
    And I want Kate Andretti with a fire that burns me to ash.Carlo Andretti wants Kate too… and my fortune, my estate, my empire. Most of all, he wants my death. Just as I want his.The vendetta between our families is old and deep. Only one of us can win, and only one of us can have Kate. Carlo believes that he can take what’s mine, that he can break me and make me crawl.But I’m Enrico Lucchesi.And a Lucchesi always gets what he wants.KATE ANDRETTIMy mother always said my impulsiveness would get me into trouble. She was right. Marrying a man I barely knew, letting him take me to Italy… not my best decisions.Especially when I now know what the “family business” really is.I want out of this life, and I want out of Italy. But the only person willing to help me escape the Andrettis is Enrico Lucchesi. And he wants me to stay in this world that I can’t bear to be part of.The vows these men take talk about “blood and honor.”But I know what this life is: it’s blood and danger. It’s blood and death.And I’m not ready to be a Mafia don’s wife.

Inky


J.B. Hartnett - 2013
    While working as a bartender to pay her bills, she meets Cole, a sexy divorcee. She denies their mutual attraction and tries to put him out of her mind.When an abusive person from her childhood makes an unexpected visit, Inky’s world is turned upside down. Secrets are revealed and truths are exposed leaving Inky devastated and questioning what she thought was love. As she picks up the pieces and tries to move on, she finds her path crosses with Cole once again and this time, she cannot deny the passion between them.Once she opens her heart again, will she be able to move forward or will her past find a way to stop her?

Wake


Cilla Raven - 2021
    They don’t ride in on a white horse, reaching a gloved hand down so they can whisk you away into the sunset.They drive up on Harleys, hand you a helmet, tell you to hold on tight, and f*ck your world up in the best way possible.Too bad I had to go through a certified villain before I learned this… before I finally woke up to reality.AUTHOR'S NOTE & TRIGGER WARNINGWake is a contemporary romance novel set in Topsail Island, North Carolina.It has some dark themes including abuse, drug references, foul language, violence, sexual situations, and content that could be triggering for some people. It is only intended for readers 18 years and older.

The Perfect Distraction


Melissa Rolka - 2013
    She pushes away the ghosts of her past, determined to start her college life single, carefree and distracted. Throughout high school Kate was reserved and shy, with little experience. Now, on her own, with little holding her back, Kate is ready to branch out. She bonds with a tight knit group of friends and even starts casually dating. What starts out as innocent flirting on the tennis courts slowly turns into a friendship and eventually something more complex. Reed comes into her life giving her the distraction she craves more than anything; but is she ready to give her heart away so easily?Things get complicated when Kate’s ex-boyfriend and first love continues to pursue her. Kyle deeply regrets breaking her heart when he left for college the year before and is now on a mission to reclaim her. Kyle’s persistence and relentlessness is nothing short of obsessive. He will stop at nothing to win her back and prove his love.Kate finds herself torn between her past and the unknown of the future. Her determination to stay distracted may just be her downfall or the beginning of something new and wonderful. ***For Mature Readers 18+***

Entice


S. Layne - 2015
    When the most difficult decision of Laurie Baker’s life needed to be made, she took off for a weekend alone to weigh her pros and cons and consider all her options.What she didn’t expect was to run face first into one more complication her life didn’t need.Distracting, sexy, and British, Liam Parker offered Laurie exactly what she needed when she was desperate for attention.One night of pleasure.She wanted it.She craved it.She took it.And when the sunlight dawned and the lusty haze of one night of passion disappeared and reality revealed itself…Laurie returned home knowing that everything she had once believed, everything she had once loved and desired, was about to be tossed upside down and shaken in a way she could never imagine.

Hooked: A Christmas Romance: The Doyles, Boston Irish Mafia Romance


Sophie Austin - 2019
     Sia Fitzgerald is obsessed with Christmas. So she's decided to use her event planning skills to turn Martha's Vineyard into a winter wonderland. Which is about the last thing I want. Since leaving the Coast Guard, I own a fish shack. And once the season's over, everyone leaves. It's amazing. But now, Little Miss Christmas is screwing all of that up. Problem is, Sia also looks more delicious than any cookie she bakes up. And I want to trim her tree. I know she thinks I'm the Grinch, And I'll be one, if I can steal her heart. Hooked is a fast-paced, opposites attract romance full of sexy Christmas sweater contests, stolen moments under the mistletoe, and just the package you hope to find waiting when you're snowed in for the holidays. No cheating, no cliffhangers, and a heartwarming, sizzling hot HEA.

Conflicted


M.M. Koenig - 2013
    Her life was everything she wanted it to be; until one fateful night changed everything – leaving her broken and without direction. Nearly a year later, she still has little faith in anyone or anything. Desperate to reclaim her life’s ambition, she takes an unexpected offer that promises to solve all her problems. But as Mia moves forward, she’s faced with obstacles she couldn’t have foreseen. The biggest of them lies within the mystery of Ethan Fitzgerald; a man who affects her like no other, but who she should avoid pursuing, at all costs. On a mission himself, Ethan Fitzgerald didn’t care who he pissed off on his road to fulfill his mother’s dying wish. He relied on himself, and was closed off to the world around him – until Mia Ryan walked through his door. Normally one to avoid messy emotions, Ethan’s world is turned upside down by Mia, and he can’t seem to get enough of her. There are lines you can cross that will change the course of your life forever …

Avalanche


Cambria Hebert - 2018
     Through a bullet hole in a wall, I watch a man bleed to death. Those responsible think their crime died with the victim, until I identify them. What’s a girl to do when she’s being hunted by murderers witness protection can’t even stop? Run. My only refuge is a place I vowed to never go again. When it’s do or die, an eight-year-old heartache suddenly seems trivial. Besides, he won’t be there anyway. But he is. Turns out my old pain feels brand new the second his eyes meet mine. I can’t leave. I can’t stay. This snowy town that’s supposed to be my shelter suddenly exposes me more than before. With no one else to lean on, Liam becomes my lifeline. Now we’re both running for our lives, trying not to get swept away.

The One You Love


Paul Pilkington - 2011
    Her fiancé vanishes, leaving the battered and bloodied body of his brother in their London apartment. Someone is stalking her, watching her every move. And her family are hiding a horrifying secret; a secret that threatens all those she loves. In a desperate race against time, Emma must uncover the truth if she ever wants to see her fiancé alive again. The One You Love is a fast-paced suspense mystery, full of twists and turns, following in the tradition of writers such as Nicci French and Sophie Hannah.

Perfect Storm


Cheryl Douglas - 2017
    Dangerous. Messed up. Yeah, I may be all of those things, but with her I’m not. She taught me how to love, how to be a one woman man. Except now my woman wants to leave me, ‘cause I can’t promise her forever. I know I’d never want anyone else but she wants the ring to prove it. Not to mention the baby. But if she knew about my past she’d run far and fast. Then I’d have no choice but to chase her, ‘cause I can’t let her get away. Cory I hate him. I love him. I want him. I need him. I hate myself for being weak and caving every time he touches me. But I can’t help myself. He’s just that good. I can’t get over him if I’m always under him, but he’s not letting me go without a fight and you’d have to have an iron will to resist this man. The Exes are Hotline novellas, a ‘line’ that promises a HEA and NO Cheating with a few caveats: short standalone page turners with dirty words, naughty scenes, and possessive Alpha heroes told from the first person POV. If you like it hot, this is the series for you.

Annihilate Me Vol. 1


Christina Ross - 2013
    If she doesn't find work soon, she'll need to return to her native Maine, where the job situation is even more bleak. And where her abusive parents lie in wait.But when an unorthodox arrangement is proposed, Jennifer decides to take it. She agrees to be the "girlfriend" of Alexander Wenn, the reluctant, billionaire CEO of Wenn Enterprises, who is so devastatingly good looking, he needs a beautiful woman like Jennifer on his arm to "keep the wolves at bay." In this case, the wolves are other women, all of whom vie for his attention so aggressively, they keep him from focusing on business at the exclusive events he must attend. It's there that deals are cut. What they want is his money and his power. Damaged by a past event, the only thing Alex wants to do is focus on work. And to forget the past.But can Jennifer deny their white-hot chemistry? As she's swept into this glittering otherworld of society and big business, she finds herself struggling to keep from falling for Alex, an almost impossible feat she nevertheless must meet.Armed with her MBA, Jennifer Kent knows about business. But what she doesn't know is what could destroy her--the business of protecting her own heart. And maybe her own life.This story unfolds over multiple volumes approximately 50,000 words each.