Book picks similar to
The Matchmaker by N.G. Simsion


romance
1st-in-series
young-or-new-adult
purchased-books

Blue Harmony (My Day Book 1)


Mary Kelly Reed - 2018
     MY DAY IS A SERIES - HOWEVER EACH BOOK CAN BE READ AS A STANDALONE NOVEL Amy is tired of sabotaging all of her relationships because of Ethan. He broke her heart years ago, and she let him get away unscathed. It’s time for her to confront him and rewrite the past. Determined to set things right, she flies away with her friends for the blue skies of Santorini to carry out her plan; a plan that begins to collapse as soon as she crosses Ethan’s gaze. Surprise guests and an idyllic romantic setting will further complicate her designs. Is she right to insist, or will stirring up the past prove to be a dangerous game? EXCERPT “Good morning, Zoe, Allison ... Amy.” Why does a shiver go through me when he utters my name? It’s like he … “You look like you didn’t sleep well. I hope it wasn’t because of me.” “I don’t see why it would be because of you. Your kiss didn’t perturb me to the point of staying awake all night.” “I just wanted to make sure our walk didn’t get you too worked up to sleep, but I see the answer is quite different.” I try to picture him as a Greek statue, made of stone and unable to speak, and in my distraction I miss something Zoe asks me. “Excuse me?” “Ethan just offered to show us around the island. He knows it better than we do, and I think it’s a good idea. What do you say?” “I don’t think so,” I reply dryly.

Choices of the Heart


Kelsey MacBride - 2014
    Each story highlights a sister’s hopes, her struggles, and her achievements as she trusts God to bring her the perfect soul mate. (This novella is approximately 90 pages) Lauren Bradley wants to find true love and goes about experimenting with online dating and attending church singles groups to find the perfect Godly man. But her efforts are met with disaster and her frustration grows as she becomes impatient waiting for God to bring the right man into her life. She decides to become an entrepreneur and purchase Emilia’s, an Italian restaurant. But her goals of buying the restaurant are thwarted by Andrew, a handsome man who also wants the restaurant for himself. Lauren is attracted to Andrew, but becomes involved with her boss, knowing he may not be the man God intended for her. Andrew has had a passion for cooking since childhood, spending lots of time in the kitchen with his mother. Now he wants to switch from being a teacher, to fulfilling his lifelong dream of owning a restaurant. But there’s one problem, he’s attracted to Lauren and has to fight her for Emilia’s. Will he fulfill his lifelong dream at the expense of driving Lauren away? Or will he sacrifice his dream and compete with her boss for the chance at true love? Other titles in the Christian romance series by Kelsey MacBride: -Desires of the Heart: Megan's story (Available now!) -Passions of the Heart: Tiffany's story (June 30, 2014) -Redemption of the Heart: Katie's story (July 2014) Don't miss out on these inspirational love stories of faith, family and romance.

Burning Justice


Helena Smrcek - 2015
    Nora’s future hangs in the balance of his past.Pacifist Mennonite social worker Nora Martin is on the verge of opening a residential facility for first-time offenders. After years of planning, she’ll finally be able to rescue young men from the violence of prison…or what has been their only other option, the violence of the military.But then a stranger in camouflage and combat boots marches through her front door and claims to own her house. And he’s not interested in letting Nora change it.Who is Petty Officer Jacob Schwartz, and why does no one in the close-knit town of French Lick, Indiana want to acknowledge that he exists? What are they hiding? What had seemed like a safe community is now full of secrets and old heartaches, and Nora is caught in the dangerous middle. Her only ally is her best friend, FBI agent Alicia Yu (who readers first met in Glitter and Sorrow), but even Alicia can’t protect her from the way Nora’s heart races every time Jacob’s in the room.Can she trust a man in uniform?Nora and Jacob’s choices have taken them down different paths, but God may still show them a safe way back.

Waffles & Weddings


Ashley Lauren - 2016
    The locals gossip that at Cupid’s Café love is on the menu… and they would be right! Katy Cupid has put more than just her heart and soul into her 50’s style diner; she’s also added a bit of her magical touch into spicing up the love lives of her patrons. Katy’s always had a ‘gift’ for knowing who would be perfect together, and she just can’t help doing a little matchmaking. From obvious introductions to sly schemes, Katy is always looking to put two hearts together so that they find a sweet romance that blossoms into true love. In Waffles and Weddings, Sophie Rivera was supposed to be married and on her honeymoon but her fiancé had other plans, ones that didn’t include her. The jilted bride finds herself in Cupid’s Café eating a waffle and explaining her plight to Katy Cupid. Katy has the perfect plan to get Sophie back on her feet. First is to find Sophie a place to stay and Katy knows just who to call, the handsome Chase Peters. Chase owns several furnished apartments, and after he takes one look at Sophie, he’s determined to have her in his life, but Sophie is a bit wary of men. Can Chase change her mind with a sweet courtship? Each novella in the Cupid's Café series is a complete story and can be read in any order. This is a clean and wholesome romance.

Deserving Love (Nick & Lexi #1)


Kay Brody - 2015
    As the owner of a candy shop in historic Biltmore Village and a well respected member of the Preservation Society, she was happy with her place in the world. Until a friend of a friend comments on one of her Facebook posts and they begin to talk. Nick charms her in a way that throws her off guard. Though the two have never met, they rely on their own form of companionship to get through the stresses of their day. For Alexis, part of this stress involves a jerk named Evan Monroe — an out of state guy trying to build a shopping center in her precious historic village. Something she will fight to see stopped. Evan is a dealmaker. He has helped develop real estate projects all over the country. But none has ever been as difficult as the one he’s trying to get off the ground in Asheville, NC. Who would have imagined that a young woman who owns a candy shop would be his biggest obstacle yet? There’s no doubt about the fact that Alexis is tough and sometimes Evan feels like battling her is going to do him in. Thankfully he has found companionship in a fun and friendly lady named Lexi. Sure, their relationship hasn’t extended beyond chatting online but, even so, there’s something about her that just calms him and helps him to feel a little less lonely. As the battle between Evan and Alexis rages on, they discover that they have more in common than the land over which they are fighting. What will happen when they realize that friend and foe are actually one and the same? Will the battle to win a piece of land destroy the bond between two lonely hearts? And, in the process, obliterate the chances for a happy future together?

True Cover


Ruth Kyser - 2012
    Now a madman is hunting her down to kill her, and the only ones stopping him are the FBI Agents who have pledged to keep her safe. But in the process of protecting her, these FBI Agents touch Sarah's life in a way she never expected as they cause her to question her relationship with God and His plan for her future.Sam Morgan is the FBI Agent tasked with the job of keeping Sarah safe. He and his team fight to keep Sarah alive - and in the process, all of their lives are changed in ways they never expected.

To Love Again


Lillianna Blake - 2015
    Her children recognize the defeat and sadness in her eyes and she knows that her kids deserve to see their mother happy. When Nicole follows the suggestion of a friend to go on a spa getaway during a time that her children are away with their father, she does so believing that it might lead to the self-discovery she is seeking. What she ends up finding at the Cielo Spa & Resort is much more than what she bargains for. What she ends up finding at the Cielo Spa & Resort is Gavin Bell. Gavin Bell is a successful businessman who only cares about his clients and getting the job done—it’s how he’s always defined his life and it’s also the thing that led to the downfall of his marriage. But he hasn’t found a good reason to change his ways—it helps him to ignore any hints of loneliness or regret about his past mistakes. When Gavin’s boss and best friend sends him away to a spa in the mountains for a break from work, Gavin is anything but pleased about it. He decides that he’ll spend the time in his room on his computer working, but while checking in, he meets a woman that he can’t get out of his mind. Both deceived about the Cielo Spa & Resort by well-meaning friends, Nicole and Gavin find themselves amongst individuals looking for love—a fact that neither of them is pleased about. They’ll make the best of a night—or two, if a shared meal convinces them that an initial spark just might be turning into something more. *** The Forty and Free series features women finding themselves and love again. Many of these women will overcome the obstacles, fears and pain brought on by past heartbreak. Others will undergo a shift within themselves as they make room for unexpected love in their lives. Forty and Free series: Book 1: To Love Again Book 2: To Trust Again Book 3: To Hope Again Book 4: To Try Again Book 5: To Thrill Again Book 6: To Dream Again Book 7: To Feel Again Book 8: To Live Again

The Prince and I: Book 1 in the 4-part series (A Scandalous Royal Love Story)


Marilyn Cruise - 2018
     That was before my parents died in a car accident where my younger sister lost her legs. Where am I today? Well, life's pretty sucky. Ok, extremely sucky. I just started a job as an escort so I can support my sister and save up for her prosthetic legs. And my dream of a happily ever after? Ha! There's no time for that s#it. I'm stuck here being responsible, doing the adult thing. That's until I meet Erik, the Prince of Norway, and he reminds me of what it's like to feel again, to dare to dream again, and to believe in the fairytale I have shoved so deep down I thought it was gone. Yet... One touch from him is a jolt to my heart, and suddenly I'm feeling things I really shouldn't feel. Because let's face it, fairytales don't come true...do they? This is Book 1 in the ongoing series: A Scandalous Royal Fairytale A HIGHLY addictive series. Read at your own risk.... There will be cliffhangers.

Flowers for Mama (Lakeside #1)


Serafina Lyndon - 2015
    Working for low pay as an aide in a special needs classroom, she is flattered when the handsome guardian of a student asks her out on a date. The chemistry between them is intense. But she can’t be fully honest with Chalton, scared that he’ll back off fast once he knows how out of control her brother is becoming. And what she doesn’t know is that Chalton isn’t being fully honest with her either . . . and the truth is worse than anything she could imagine.

Beautifully Tainted


A.M. Guilliams - 2014
    Perfectly boring. Which is how I preferred it to be. Trust didn't come easy and for good reason.When I ran into the new detective in town, I knew the second our eyes locked, he'd be my downfall. He had too many questions. Pressed too hard for me to let him in. And they were both the dangerous combination neither of us could afford.

Healing Hearts


Mary Jane Morgan - 2018
    After a disastrous marriage, Angie Jamison has no interest in giving her heart to another man. Angie now devotes her life to training and placing therapy dogs. When her German shepherd pup bonds instantly with a friend’s brother, Angie offers to loan him the shepherd on one condition: he socialize the pup and teach her basic obedience under Angie’s instruction. Ryan figures he has nothing to lose by giving the pup a temporary home. The dog’s companionship might even help him cope with the all-consuming guilt that has plagued him since the night his best friend died in his arms. Can the love of a therapy dog help heal Ryan and Angie’s damaged hearts and give them the courage to trust in love?

Love at Sunset Lake


Sally Bayless - 2018
    An artist who's withdrawn from the world. A property battle that just might heal them both.When struggling caterer Tess Palmer inherits her great-aunt's home at Sunset Lake, Missouri, she thinks she's found the way to save her business. Selling the property can provide just the infusion of capital she needs to pay off her debts and move to a larger commercial kitchen.Wildlife painter Jack Hamlin, who lives across Sunset Lake, wants the area kept exactly as it is--a place where waterfowl can thrive and where he can find peace and solitude to ease his troubled heart. Although he's drawn to Tess's honesty and beauty, he's appalled to learn she would welcome a deal with a developer, and he vows to stop her.As Tess discovers the reasons why Jack is so passionate about protecting the lake, she finds him more and more attractive. She takes a tentative step past her own emotional pain to risk her heart again. But there seems to be no solution to the impasse over the property. As a sale becomes imminent, can Jack and Tess trust God--and each other--and finally find a love that will last?

Dreaming of Forever


Cate Callison - 2015
    It was a short stopover to save money for her move to Paris – until she unexpectedly inherited the local pottery painting studio. In two years she's built the business into a soaring success. Unfortunately, her love life hasn't achieved the same stellar results. So when a break-up with her two-timing boyfriend comes on the heels of an offer to buy her shop, Emily decides it's finally time to make good on the move she's only dreamed about.Ben Nichols, a head-turningly handsome outdoor adventure guide, hasn't taken his eyes off Emily since the day she started work at the shop next to his apartment. But a disastrous date two years ago plunged him deep into the friend zone. Now that Emily is single again, Ben vows to use his second chance to win her over – but then her plan to move to Paris shifts into high gear. Can he charm his way into Emily's heart before she packs her bags?Dreaming of Forever is a standalone story in the Gold Creek series. If you like sweet, small town romances that feature strong, independent women and the ruggedly handsome men who love them, this series is perfect for you.Each book can be enjoyed on its own, but if you prefer to read the series in order:Book 1: Dreaming of Forever (Emily & Ben's story)Book 2: Flirting with Forever (Megan & Blake's story)Book 3: Promise Me Forever (Grace & Zach's story)Treat yourself to a visit to Gold Creek today!

Making Lemonade


Kate Langdon - 2007
    Before she can come to terms with being unemployed (yet again), she finds herself up the duff, father unknown. Is it her charming, arrogant and married ex-boss? Or is it the man-child she met one drunken night at the Irish pub. If only she could remember his name… Sally is married to Vincent, a self-absorbed televangelist, obsessed with his TV show and beauty treatments. She spends her days working, ferrying her three children around and listening to her husband preach. How could her hopes and dreams have been so unimportant she waved them goodbye without a second thought? Kat has the perfect life all mapped out: the perfect job, the perfect husband, the perfectly renovated home and the soon-to-come perfect children. But when her suspicions that her husband is having an affair are proved to be correct, she suddenly finds herself single with a handbag full of broken dreams. Can they find their way back to the dreams of their youth – or is it time to accept life’s lemons and start making lemonade?

Heat


Jade C. Jamison - 2017
      One thing leads to another and she experiences her first “happy ending” massage.  She’s horrified and embarrassed, and her only salvation is that he’s not her usual masseuse.  She decides she won’t go back to the spa until her regular guy returns.  Except the next day at work, Rachel’s last appointment of the morning is a new client, Sergio Romano…a guy whose career name happens to be Spike Steel.   And the temperature has only just begun to rise…