Book picks similar to
If You Never Come Back by Sarah Smith


romance
second-chance
contemporary
second-chance-romance

The Brightest Star in Paris


Diana Biller - 2021
    James, prima ballerina of the Paris Opera Ballet and the people's saint, has spent seven years pretending. In the devastating aftermath of the Siege of Paris, she made a decision to protect her sister: she became the bland, sweet, pious “St. Amie” the ballet needed to restore its scandalous reputation. But when her first love reappears, and the ghosts of her past come back to haunt her, all her hard-fought safety is threatened.Dr. Benedict Moore has never forgotten the girl who helped him embrace life again after he almost lost his. Now, he's back in Paris after twelve years for a conference. His goals are to recruit promising new scientists, and, maybe, to see Amelie again. When he discovers she's in trouble, he's desperate to help her—after all, he owes her.When she finally agrees to let him help, they disguise their time together with a fake courtship. But reigniting old feelings is dangerous, especially when their lives are an ocean apart. Will they be able to make it out with their hearts intact?

Power Play


C.J. Cartwright - 2022
    But does time truly heal all wounds?Levi Fawkes knows hockey, and not much else. As the captain of the Astoria Bay Thunder, his eyes are always locked on the goal. He’s perpetually unlucky in love and he’s been burned more times than he cares to count, but he’s determined to find his successes on the ice… not off it.Recently divorced and looking for a new kind of freedom, Brynn Mackintosh is ready for a fresh start in a new city. For too many years, her dreams have been sidelined to suit someone else’s goals. But not anymore! Making a life for herself as a photographer is a chance to carve out her own path, and she won’t let anything stand in her way.On a whim, Brynn calls into a local radio show and wins a ticket to a home game for the Astoria Bay Thunder. She’s not a big hockey fan, but a new life means taking chances. What she doesn’t know is that she’s about to hit her past…. square in the balls.With chemistry that melts the ice and a second-chance to do things right, will Levi and Brynn find the happiness they crave in each other or will the wounds of the past be too much to overcome?Power Play is a full-length, contemporary hockey romance novel and book one in the Astoria Bay Thunder series by CJ Cartwright. Scorching chemistry, exquisite care, and all the feels will make you fall in love with Levi and Brynn and the boys of the Astoria Bay Thunder.

Ain't He Precious?


Juliette Poe - 2017
    It has one stoplight, one bar, and the one-and-only Trixie Mancinkus.Eleven years ago, Trixie graduated Harvard Law, turned down a job offer from one of the most prestigious law firms in Boston, and headed home to Whynot to open her own firm. Not only did she leave behind the big city, but she also left her boyfriend of three years. And just so we’re clear… that would be me.So what am I doing in Whynot at this very moment? It seems Trixie needs help with a legal case and for some insane reason, she called on me for assistance. I’ve been in town for five minutes, and I’m every bit as out of place as I feel. Trixie is all sweet, southern curves to my tailored suits and high-priced haircuts. It’s a culture clash of north versus south and about the only thing we have in common is our physical attraction to each other.But I have a new motto since coming to Whynot: When life hands you lemons, all you need is a little sex and sweet tea to make things better.

Charming Cinderella


Lana Love - 2021
    Little do I expect the curvy beauty I find in the copy room, humming a song that is familiar but obscure.Abby looks at me with daggers in her eyes, but when I find out who she is, I know I have to make things right (even if it's years too late).Every year, I take one of my assistants to the ball as my date. This year, I'm taking Abby. She seems to think I'm pulling a prank on her, but that's the last thing I'd do. I have a plan to win her over, but she might also slap me and walk out on me.But it's a gamble I have to make. I'm famously single and have never had a reason to change....but I do now. Abby's the one and I need her in my life forever.

From This Day Forward


Lauren Layne - 2016
    So when one of the Belles asks Leah to fill in at the former First Daughter's wedding, Leah is overjoyed to say yes–until she finds out who she’ll be working with.Jason Rhodes is the one man who was able to capture Leah’s heart and, once he had it, promptly stepped all over it and left her broken. Now he’s working side-by-side with her at the biggest wedding of the season and Leah is determined to give him the cold shoulder. Despite his persistence, she is not going to fall for his charming, impish ways again. Not even if he still has that killer, irresistible smile...

Her Second Chance Cowboy


Makenna Lee - 2020
    After his mother died in childbirth, and witnessing his father’s destruction at the loss of true love, James sticks to casual affairs. Marriage and children are risks he won’t take.Reese Turner visits Cypress Creek, Texas, to complete a photo assignment for National Geographic and buy back her grandparents’ cottage. After disastrous romances, she’s sworn off men to focus on her career. Marriage and the babies she longs for can wait. When she runs into an old flame, she decides she can live out a fantasy, then leave town to pursue her dreams.But love doesn’t play by the rules...

Talk Bookish to Me


Kate Bromley - 2021
    Kara Sullivan’s life is full of love—albeit fictional. As a bestselling romance novelist and influential bookstagrammer, she’s fine with getting her happily-ever-after fix between the covers of a book. But right now? Not only is Kara’s best friend getting married next week—which means big wedding stress—but the deadline for her next novel is looming, and she hasn’t written a single word. The last thing she needs is for her infuriating first love, Ryan Thompson, to suddenly appear in the wedding party. But Ryan’s unexpected arrival sparks a creative awakening in Kara that inspires the steamy historical romance she desperately needs to deliver. With her wedding duties intensifying, her deadline getting closer by the second and her bills not paying themselves, Kara knows there’s only one way for her to finish her book and to give her characters the ever-after they deserve. But can she embrace the unlikely, ruggedly handsome muse—who pushes every one of her buttons—to save the wedding, her career and, just maybe, write her own happy ending?"A fun and sexy romp, with chemistry that gave me all the feels!" —Jennifer Probst, New York Times bestselling author of Our Italian Summer"Add this book to your TBR list immediately!" —Sarah Smith, author of Faker

It's a Wonderful Tangled Christmas Carol


Emma Chase - 2015
    There, three lovely holiday spirits magically visit him to teach him that every moment is precious and that he should never take his family for granted. But when he wakes up, will he just write it off as a dream? Originally published in the sizzling anthology Baby, It’s Cold Outside, this irresistible novella is the perfect holiday treat! And as special bonus material after the novella, Emma Chase has included a scene showing Drew’s marriage proposal to Kate!

Between You, Me, and the Bedpost (Between the Sheets Book 5)


Serenity Woods - 2021
    As much as he loves her, he knows if he doesn’t do something drastic, he’s still going to be working in his bar, waiting for her, in twenty years’ time. So he’s applied for a new job in another town, and when their divorce comes through after Christmas, it’ll be time for him to move on. Caught up in a cycle of pain and grief, Josie’s retreated into her shell, cutting herself off from her family and friends, and refusing to talk about the event that broke up her marriage. As a psychologist, she knows she’s locked in a destructive behavioral pattern, but it’s impossible to break it. Despair threatens to overwhelm her—and then, on the evening of her friend’s bachelorette party, Beck does something that finally opens the floodgates, and she begins to talk. For the first time, the pain of the past lifts, and the ice around her heart starts to thaw. At the wedding, she dances with Beck, and after a few drinks, it’s all too easy to have a kiss – and maybe more – for old times' sake. Suddenly, the future’s looking much brighter. But can they both overcome the problems of their past enough to give their love a second chance?

Scandalous


Ella Steele - 2012
    Your muse is back. The thing that gave you passion, tormented you, and haunted you is back. You're reeling in ecstasy and dread. It's something you want, but can't ever have. And the one that brings the pain is pure, white as snow... and standing in front of you."One kiss could have changed Abby's life, but when it didn't happen, she ran. Jack was everything to her and when he didn't respond, Abby couldn't bear it. Everything about that night--leaning in close to his face, feeling the night breeze teasing her hair, the way his scent filled her head--was burned vividly into her mind, including the moment when Jack pulled away. There was no kiss. Abby was wrong. She was wrong about him, wrong about them. Maybe she didn't have to go to college two thousand miles away, but she did. She had to forget about him. Abby threw herself off the grid, disappearing completely from the life she knew. After completing her undergraduate degree, she enrolled in seminary. All contact with her old life was severed and she never looked back, until she was forced to.When Abby puts idealism into practice, her congregation throws her out. If she can survive a year on her own, they'll take her back, and continue to pay off her student loans--but if she fails, Abby is on her own with enough debt to fund a small town. Seminary wasn't cheap. With no place left to go, Abby returns to New York and her best friend takes her in. Desperate to make it on her own and prove she was right, Abby follows a job lead to an art studio on Long Island. It isn't until she hears Jack's voice that she freezes. The hairs on the back of her neck prickle as she turns to see Jack, ten years later, looking even more tempting than before.Fate is cruel. Abby left this life behind, but she's thrown back into it, head first. It's like someone hit rewind on her life and its ten years earlier. She's the cotton-mouthed girl that she always was around Jack, and now her future relies on the man who rejected her.SCANDALOUS 2 WILL BE RELEASED SPRING 2013

Billionaire Matchmaker


Summer Cooper - 2018
    Which Billionaire is your best match?Power, money, good looks—they have it all!Or so it seems.They have no problems making big bucks.They have no problems getting hot dates.But what they all need is more than that, they need a partner in life!Lucky for them, there’s someone who knows just how to find them the perfect match...

Royal Baby


Avery Wilde - 2016
    ANDREWKeira’s a perfect ten...and now she has ten little fingers and ten little toes growing inside her.If you follow the British royal family, you’ll know who I am—Prince Andrew Arlington, heir apparent to the throne. I’ve got a bit of a reputation, but the public loves me anyway, and women literally mob me in the streets for a chance to drop their panties for me. I can’t exactly complain about that…But now I've met Keira Valencia. She’s not like the rest. She’s beautiful, smart and ambitious, with curves for days and a sexy American accent that makes me weak at the knees. She’s also a brand new maid at the Palace, which makes her totally off-limits. My family would never approve of me going near her, but she’s too much of a temptation to resist. It’ll just have to be our little secret. But now she’s got another little secret growing inside her…and little secrets always grow up to be huge scandals…KEIRAOne night, one prince, one unexpected pregnancy…now I’m royally screwed.The night I met Drew Ellis, I thought I’d finally found the one. Sexy? Check. Smart? Check. Cute English accent? Check. Royal prince? Check….wait a minute. He didn’t tell me that part!So now I know the truth. Drew Ellis is really Andrew Arlington, Prince of Wales and heir to the British throne. He’s also an arrogant sleaze and a total player. I should’ve known better. I should’ve stayed away. But I didn’t, and now I’m having his baby…***Royal Baby is a steamy standalone romance. No cheating, and a guaranteed happy ending! Bonus book included - Bad Boy Brit.***

Watching the Sky Cry


J.B. Hartnett
    We’d seen our share of ups and downs, but I could honestly say they were mostly up. That’s the thing about happiness though. It lulls you into a false sense of security. I’m sure neither one of us thought we’d ever be touched by crippling loss or immeasurable grief. But not all stories have a happy ending and I knew better than anyone that sometimes, one of you won’t make it till the end. One of you has to go first. And one of you…Will be left behind to pick up the pieces. And that’s me. But starting over isn’t at all what I thought it would be. I needed escape from the memories that plagued me, reminded me. So I went back to where it all began. To the town where I was born. To the place whose beauty could pierce my pain. Where I experienced my first kiss, where I fell in love, where a man was my earth. And I…Was his sky.

Dirty Girl


Meghan March - 2016
    Because when I drink, my friend and I do stupid things. Like take a page out of my older brother Creighton’s playbook and post something completely asinine on the Internet. Waking up with a giant hangover to find my humiliating personal ad has gone viral is not my finest moment.Cue my look of shock when one of the movie industry's hottest new bad boys, Cavanaugh Westman, comes knocking at my door proving he has all the criteria I asked for in my ad. What I really need from him is an explanation for why he disappeared from my life without a word three years ago. What do I do now that he’s claiming he wants me again?

Hot Mess Christmas Express


Claire Hastings - 2021
    Sienna is a hot mess. But after just one night together, a mix-up causes this delightfully dreamy doctor to freeze out the reluctant pharmaceutical sales rep.For two years, Caleb has given Sienna the silent treatment until a holiday wedding at the Seven Swans Inn forces him to acknowledge her existence again. And despite their chilly past, the forecast for Christmas quickly becomes hot and steamy.'Tis the season for mistletoe kisses, but when the magic wears off will this second chance be nothing more than a second heartbreak?