Book picks similar to
Summer Girl by Linda Watkins
romance
coming-of-age
literary-fiction
abuse
Diving into Love
Kat Bellemore - 2020
She didn’t need another.When Bree Garrett’s former college roommate invites Bree to move to Starlight Ridge, a small tourist town on the Californian coast, she is all too happy to leave the deserts of New Mexico and the memories of her former life. She only has three conditions:One- No one can find out about her fear of water—totally embarrassing when you live next to the ocean.Two- No seafood. She can't stomach it. Yeah, she sees the irony of points number one and two.Three- No blind dates. The last thing she needs is a relationship. Her ex-fiancé would agree.Easier said than done when the only job available is at a surf shop and the owner, Caleb, is under the impression that Bree has applied to be a scuba instructor, and not a cashier, as she had intended.Bree tries to clear up the misunderstanding, but it’s hard when she seems to lose her voice—and her breath—every time Caleb is near. How could she not when he happens to be attractive, single and, as it turns out, also doesn't like seafood?Bree and Caleb struggle against the pull of the tide that seems determined to bring them together. But, despite their differences, maybe this is one battle that is okay to lose.
He Can Take It
Melissa Devenport - 2020
I’ll teach him a lesson.He will pay for what he said about me.My car breaking down is annoying enough.An arrogant mechanic doesn’t help.Jay is the cocky kind of bastard I despise.He really thinks he’s God’s gift to women.Even worse; he might be right.He’s mouthwatering attractive.The sweat and grime just intensify it.I’m angry and he’s flirting with me.His smile is infectious and his charm...Wake up Laya! Remember; I hate him.Maybe my revenge is too evil?But I really want him to feel my anger.I’m normally a good person. Nice even.I don’t care. He can take it.So why all the butterflies inside?***The Bad Boys With Benefits series (originally published as Dirty Mechanic) revolves around the car repair shop where they all work. Some say it’s the hottest garage in town.He Can Take It (originally published as Forbidden Soulmates) is a steamy hot Enemies to Lovers Romance that will keep you up at night. Full length, standalone, no cheating, no cliffhangers and a Happily Ever After.
Somebody Like You
Melissa Storm - 2010
Might they also be mistaken about the sparks flying between them?
With dreams of making it big on the country music scene, Lolly Winston leaves everything behind to meet with a country music agent in Anchorage. If the agent likes her song, it just might be her big break. The problem is she only has the summer to find success or she’ll be forced to settle for the stable job she doesn’t want and put her dreams aside forever. Local veterinarian Oscar Rockwell would rather stay home with his dog than go out on yet another blind date set up by his mother. Except this time the girl waiting at the tavern seems to have stepped straight from his dreams. She says she’s not in town for long, but he still wants the chance to convince her to stay. Will Lolly be forced to choose between love and the spotlight? Or could Oscar find a way to make both of their dreams come true? Don't miss your chance to find out what happens next in this sweet contemporary romance, perfect for music and animal lovers alike! "There's no way Melissa Storm could go wrong combining her gift of writing with nature, dogs, and a chance at finding love." ★★★★★ from E. Eblin "I loved this story it was a quick read but a very enjoyable one. Looking forward to reading more books in this series." ★★★★★ from tiggz "Melissa's stories never fail to engage my emotions. I feel like I could easily relate to the people she creates-- they are often like people I know." ★★★★★ from R.J. Sorrento ABOUT THE SERIES: The Alaska Sunrise Romances are quick, light-hearted romances that will put a smile on your face and a song in your heart. It's time to indulge in a sweet Alaskan get-away! • Book 1: Must Love Music • Book 2: Must Love Military • Book 3: Must Love Mistletoe • Book 4: Must Love Mutts • Book 5: Must Love Mommy • Book 6: Must Love Moo • Book 7: Must Love Mustangs • Book 8: Must Love Miracles • Book 9: Must Love Mermaids • Book 10: Must Love Movie Star ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Melissa Storm is a mother first, and everything else second. Writing is her way of showing her daughter just how beautiful life can be, when you pay attention to the everyday wonders that surround us. So, of course, her USA Today bestselling fiction is highly personal and often based on true stories. Melissa loves books so much, she married fellow author Falcon Storm. When she's not reading, writing, or child-rearing, she spends time relaxing at home in the company of her six dogs, cockatiel, and a rescue cat named Schrödinger. She never misses an episode of The Bachelor, because priorities.
The Angel Between Them (Huron Cove Series Book 1)
Rob Shumaker - 2019
He’s not taking her back. But will a little angel show him love deserves a second chance? Out-of-work actress Olivia Daniels returns home to Michigan to find her parents’ B&B on the verge of sale and realizes her only hope to keep it in the family is to hire Ethan Stone, the man she once left behind, to turn the business around. Cash-strapped and the emergency guardian to eight-year-old orphan, Emma Lynn Grayson, Ethan is forced to swallow his pride and take the job to make ends meet. But that doesn’t mean he’s willing to forgive Olivia and fall in love again. Or does it? Hoping for a mother and father and a place to call home, Emma is determined to bring Ethan and Olivia back together—whatever it takes. From nudging Ethan back to church and then going missing at the Fourth of July celebration, Emma’s plan to reunite Ethan and Olivia shows promise. But Olivia’s celebrity status and the pull of Hollywood causes Ethan to think twice about falling for her again. Whether Ethan opens his heart to Olivia depends on whether the angel between them can help rekindle the flame and show them love deserves a second chance. The Angel Between Them is the first book in the Huron Cove Christian romance series. If you like stories with unforgettable characters, small-town charm, and happily ever after, then you’ll love Rob Shumaker’s brand new Christian romance. Buy The Angel Between Them to begin this exciting new series today.
Dragonfly
Leigh Talbert Moore - 2013
Pulling Anna into their extravagant lifestyle on the Gulf Coast, Lucy pushed her outside her comfort zone and Jack showed her feelings she's never experienced... Until he mysteriously withdrew.Anna turned to her internship at the city paper and to her old attraction for Julian, a handsome local artist and rising star, for distraction. But both led to her discovery of a decades-old secret closely guarded by the twins' distant, single father.It's a secret that could cost her the boy she loves and permanently change all their lives.
Summer at 23 The Strand
Linda Mitchelmore - 2018
It’s a small act of kindness that starts a magical tradition all summer long…A delightfully uplifting holiday read, perfect for fans of Lilly Bartlett, Tilly Tennant and Eve Devon.
Hannah's Holiday Wish
Sophie Mays - 2019
♥ When Hannah Wyatt returns home to her family's Colorado ranch for the holiday season, she thinks the biggest surprise is the early inheritance of land parcels that her parents are gifting her and her four siblings. Little does she know that her pen-pal from the UK is about to add to the exciting homecoming! Especially when she realizes that the British friend she thought she knew, is ready to unveil a surprising twist…one that has the ability to throw an additional wrench into Hannah’s new life equation... ~From sweeping scenery to trusting-your-heart life decisions to magical snowstorms~ Join Hannah and her family as they navigate the long holiday season: A fun and bumpy ride starting with a heartwarming Thanksgiving, snowshoeing through a perfect Rocky Mountain Christmas, and into what just may be a very, merry New Year!
Healthy Scratch
Robyn M. Ryan - 2021
The only kind she’s willing to consider are friends-with-benefits and even a red-hot and sexy hockey player like Dave Martin isn’t going to change that. Right?When those chocolate brown eyes threaten to melt her defenses she has to remind herself that demons from her past could rise up at any moment. Which is going to be pretty hard to do, since she loses herself every time they touch.Dave used to love the benefits that came easily to professional athletes; especially when they were in the form of puck bunnies who only wanted one night. But when he meets the pint-sized girl with bewitching green eyes and sun-streaked auburn hair his outlook suddenly changes. He wants forever with Lauren. Now he just has to convince her.Can Lauren risk everything for the man she’s secretly been falling for? Or will her past stop her from taking a chance on love?Healthy Scratch—book #1 of the Tampa Suns Hockey Series—is a standalone romance whose main characters’ lives are intertwined with those introduced in The Clearing the Ice Trilogy. You don’t need to read the trilogy to enjoy Healthy Scratch. The book stands on its own, promises HEA, and no cliffhangers! To heighten your enjoyment of the Tampa Suns Hockey Series, you may wish to read The Clearing the Ice Trilogy.
Ratham Creek
Marie F. Martin - 2014
Arianne Hollis figures tossing a rose in her husband's grave is the worst of all endings. Then reality sets in when she is forced to sell their home and use all her savings to clear his debts. To escape and come to terms with her future, she moves into an isolated cabin along Ratham Creek. In the quiet Montana setting and with a new job in the nearby small town, Arianne begins to recover. She meets Ross Ferrell, a handsome lonely member of the clannish mountain people. He slowly wins her love, but a deadly family feud erupts among rival groups living along the creek. Arianne can’t understand the violence that runs deep in Ross and his family. He cannot abandon them. Then Arianne becomes a target. Can she avoid the same vengeance that’s corrupting the clan? Can she save him and their relationship?
Summer of Deception
Elva Cobb Martin - 2017
She finds she is ill prepared to deal with the plantation’s new owner who is overflowing with bitterness and distrust. Widowed and wounded, former Marine Corps Special Forces operative, Luke Barrett, has enough to handle with his little girl and an historic property to upkeep. The last thing he needs is a feisty, stubborn woman with whom to contend. Yet, Rachel’s determined spirit awakens something in Luke that he thought died a long time ago. Luke begins to capture Rachel’s heart until the night she uncovers evidence he may be keeping his plantation solvent by allowing cocaine to be smuggled along his coastline. Devastated by the possibility, Rachel must decide whether to confront him, even while she conceals secrets of her own. Can love survive a summer of deception?
Sinful Pleasures
Kristi Jun - 2018
Giles, she cursed the day she let a man dictate her life...Amelia Knight was given the chance to start anew in Scotland to live with her wealthy grandmother but not without a price. She must never reveal her past to anyone and must marry for a title to have access to her very large inheritance. To secure a husband, she heads to the glamourous Regency London with a plan to ensure her independence and risks everything she vowed never to do: fall in love.Born to privilege, he is forced back to London to remedy the family debt and shame and to fulfill a deathbed promise to his beloved brother...Emotionally scarred and devastatingly handsome, Richard, the Earl Blackthorn, saw the horrors of a broken marriage first-hand. He has no plan to marry or remain in London. When an heiress devises a plan that will ensure their freedom from marriage in two years and pay off his inherited debt, he agrees to marry. Until an unknown threat forces him to face the one question he isn’t willing to consider and open his heart to new possibilities.
The Boy Next Door
Natasha L. Black - 2020
What in the world did I do deserve this?The boy next door doesn’t let me sleep.And not just because he's loud...Jayson is a rockstar.He’s as skilled as he is hot.I never thought I’d be attracted to an alpha jerk like him.But Jayson is all I ever think about.I mean, what choice do I have, really?We're next door neighbors for goodness sake.He’s always on my mind (and in my ears).And now…I’m carrying a piece of him.I’m carrying his baby.No, he can’t find out.And no, I’m not saying a word about it to him.Jayson and I are poles apart.Our lives couldn’t be more different.He should be on the road, leaving me behind.Leaving my secret behind.And me?I should start preparing to mend my heart.To raise a baby that will forever remind me of him.