Book picks similar to
Cricket by Tess Oliver


romance
short-story
bz
not-interested

Lie to Me


Natasha Preston - 2018
    At nineteen, Savannah Dean escaped her family, leaving behind a note and the people who caused her so much pain.Now, she lives on her own and keeps to herself.At nineteen, Kent Lawson’s girlfriend betrayed him, leaving him behind with a broken heart and a whole lot of mistrust in women.Now, he lives on his own and shares himself with nearly every pretty thing that walks by but only for one night.When Savannah and Kent meet, they can’t stand each other.Kent knows she’s hiding something, and he despises liars.And Savannah has nothing but secrets.

Elizabeth's Bondage


Nikki Sex - 2012
    But their celebrations quickly take an unexpected turn when Elizabeth wakes up naked and tied to a bed with no recollection of what happened. Where is she? Where is her husband? And who is the strangely seductive captor of hers? And so begins Elizabeth's and Mark's journey of sexual discovery through bondage, submission and domination.

Their Kidnapped Bride


Vanessa Vale - 2015
    Money, social standing and the protection of her step-brother. Or so she thought. When she discovers his dark secrets, he turns on her and sells her to a western brothel to keep her quiet. There, she's forced to work or participate in an auction. A virgin auction...and she's the prize.One look at Emma James and Whitmore Kane and Ian Stewart know she would belong to them. Marriage was the only way to truly claim her...so they bid and bid well. As their bride, they return to the Bridgewater Ranch and teach her the ways to please not one husband, but two. But danger has tracked Ian around the world and threatens their newfound relationship. Together, can they fight the demons of the past while forging a future?>This is the first book in the Bridgewater Ménage Series, where you'll meet all of the men in Kane and Ian's army regiment and discover their unusual beliefs on marriage. Read the entire series to follow along as the men, two or three at a time, claim their brides. Bridgewater: Where ménage meets marriage.

Ten Days of Perfect


Andrea Randall - 2012
    She favors practicality over spontaneity and rules over a broken heart.An encounter with a musician at a local pub forces Ember into making a decision to let go or hold on for dear life as passions are unlocked and deceptions revealed.

Cruel Promise


S.R. Jones - 2021
    Whispered names … dangerous names.I’m a man who always gets what he wants. She is no exception.Amelia Marshall, the daughter of Charles Marshall, an old family friend. Book smart, but life stupid. She’s sin wrapped in innocence. A rare temptation amongst the dull hallways of her father’s rambling estate.I visit them to make a deal with the old man, but she proves to be a welcome distraction.I want to take her apart, break her open, and see what makes her tick. I want to make her mine.When her father places my family in danger by reneging on his word, he gives me the perfect excuse. I make Charles a promise of my own.Amelia will be my payment for his sins.It’s a cruel promise, but one I intend to keep. No matter the cost.Please note this is an introductory prequel novella to the Twisted Trilogy, This is a dark romance and trigger warnings most definitely do apply.

Shifting Fates


Aubrey Rose - 2014
    His job is simple: protect the surviving civilians in the wreckage of Manhattan and put down the dangerous shifter mutants prowling the streets. Bitter with revenge, he can’t wait for a chance to get even with the monsters who killed his brother. Half-wolf, half-human Bindi is one of Cage’s monsters. She lives underground, hiding away from military patrols and protecting the ragtag pack of shifter children who have come to depend on her. She’d do anything to get out of the city and get her pack to safety, but nobody gets in - or out - of this city. On Christmas Eve, Cage catches Bindi - in human form - stealing extra rations for her pack. In a moment of pity he lets her go, but not without being struck by a sense that there’s something special about her. Something… different. When he finally discovers her secret, Cage must decide what’s more important to him - finally avenging his brother, or saving the woman he’s come to love?

Half in Shadow


Gemma Liviero - 2022
    In German-occupied Belgium, a tragic loss forces Josephine Descharmes to navigate dangerous new territory. By day it’s compliance, serving German officers at the Hotel Métropole. By night it’s resistance, working with her brothers underground to help Allied soldiers and civilians cross the border into Holland. Both paths put her and her family at great risk.As Josephine struggles to keep her family safe, Arthur, a grief-stricken English soldier trapped behind enemy lines, finds purpose and hope with Josephine and her work. Meanwhile, Franz, a German officer remorseful for the casualties of war, offers her protection and opportunity. These two men from opposing sides will open her heart and test her loyalties.Amid the sorrows of war and threats of mortal danger and betrayal, Josephine must steer her own fate. In a country deprived of freedom, she will make an impossible choice—one that will forever impact the family she cherishes and the man she loves.

Ensnared


Rita Stradling - 2017
    He’s a genius and an inventor. When he’s hired to create the robot Rose, Alainn knows taking the money is a mistake. Rose acts like a human. She looks exactly like Alainn. But, something in her comes out wrong.To save her father from a five year prison sentence, Alainn takes Rose’s place. She says goodbye to the sun and goes to live in a tower no human is allowed to enter. She becomes the prisoner of a man no human is allowed to see. Believing that a life of servitude lies ahead, Alainn finds a very different fate awaits her in the company of the strange, scarred recluse.[This novel contains adult situations and is only suitable for readers who are 18+]

Edith


M.B. Forester-Smythe - 2010
    Instead of hanging around town, Edith flies to where the wedding will be hoping for an escape and peace of mind. She meets Jake Beckhand, her old friend Mac's co-manager, and he's her date to the wedding. She likes him but is ten days too soon to really fall in love?

A Selfie as Big as the Ritz


Lara Williams - 2016
    Roller dexter of eligible friends rattling thin. Thirties breathing down her neck like an inappropriate uncle. She jogs. Looks good in turquoise. Finds herself punctuating gas “better out than in!” patting her stomach like a department store Santa. This is who I am, she thinks.The women in Lara Williams’ debut story collection, A Selfie as Big as the Ritz, navigate the tumultuous interval between early twenties and middle age. In the title story, a relationship implodes against the romantic backdrop of Paris. In “One of Those Life Things,” a young woman struggles to say the right thing at her best friend’s abortion. In “Penguins,” a girlfriend tries to accept her boyfriend’s bizarre sexual fantasy. In “Treats,” a single woman comes to terms with her loneliness. As Williams’ characters attempt to lean in, fall in love, hold together a family, fend off loneliness, and build a meaningful life, we see them alternating between expectation and resignation, giddiness and melancholy, the rollercoaster we all find ourselves on.

Worship


Jack Harbon - 2021
    It felt like she outgrew the small community. Now that she’s back, he can finally fill the void he’s spent years trying to fit other women into.The truth is, it’s always been Spencer.It’s been her in all his fantasies.Her on his mind when he finishes.She’s the one that he’s pined after for over a decade. And she’s back. All he has to do is make her his.Worship is a steamy reunited friends-to-lovers romance about the ex-popular girl whose life is now in shambles and the ex-nerd who still pines after the woman he crushed on all throughout his adolescence. This novella is intended for readers 18 years and older.

Stripped Down


Erin McCarthy - 2018
    Her younger brother’s annoying sidekick. And one forbidden kiss in high school… It was complicated back then. It’s even more so now. Because former mean girl Sloane rolls back in town to find Rick stripping at a charity event like he was born with biceps. And single dad Rick is her landlord. And her brother will murder him if he has sex with her. But sometimes you have to strip it all down to see what was there all along...

Cruising Speed


Donna McDonald - 2014
    The big bike in her garage hasn’t been ridden for a couple years now. It is no more than a symbol of her loss and reminds her of her own lack of usefulness.When the very large, very excited Mikkel Gunnarsen arrives to buy it, his pleasure in the bike makes the decision to sell to the younger man much easier than she imagined it would be. The same is also true for the decision that ends with Mikkel spending the night in her bed.Kia knows the blissful moments with Mikkel are only momentary relief, but being with the younger man is certainly inspiring.

One Good Cowboy


Delores Fossen - 2017
    Cry, maybe. Curse, probably. Kiss him senseless? Nope…didn't predict that. Now that Evie's offering what he secretly craves, there's only one question: Just how bad should a good cowboy be?Evie's nowhere near as heartbroken over her unreliable ex as everyone in Wrangler's Creek expects. Especially once it's clear that her long-simmering crush on Carson is mutual. Carson's not the casual type, and inviting him into her bed means inviting him into her heart. But once he's there, she may never want him to leave…

The Dinner Party and Other Stories


Joshua Ferris - 2017
    Eleven stories by Joshua Ferris, many of which were first published in The New Yorker, on topics such as the modern tribulations of marriage, ambition, and the fear of missing out.The dinner party --The valetudinarian --The pilot --A night out --The breeze --Ghost town choir --More abandon (or whatever happened to Joe Pope?) --Fragments --The stepchild --Life in the heart of the dead --A fair price