Book picks similar to
Blue Bayou by JoAnn Ross


romance
contemporary-romance
contemporary
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Her Best Match


Tamie Dearen - 2013
    Billionaire Steven Gherring is one of New York's Most Eligible Bachelors, and he has every intention of staying that way. But Gram has other ideas. She's on a not-so-secret campaign to find a wife for her grandson. As fearless as she is clumsy, Anne tackles every challenge (including her new boss) enthusiastically, with two lone exceptions... public speaking and recognizing her own feelings. Passions rise along with hemlines as Gram joins forces with Anne, a veteran matchmaker, to find the perfect match for Steven.“If you like Hallmark movies, you’ll love The Best Girls!”

Speak No Evil


Allison Brennan - 2007
    . . . Just scream.The murder of eighteen-year-old Angie Vance was exceptionally vile–her mouth was sealed with glue, an obscenity was scrawled across her skin, and she was suffocated in a garbage bag. The killing seems personal, so police detective Carina Kincaid focuses her efforts on the victim’s much older ex-boyfriend, Steve Thomas. But without physical evidence, Carina can’t make a collar or a case. She also can’t stop Sheriff Nick Thomas, the prime suspect’s brother, from conducting his own unwelcome investigation. Though Nick is still scarred and unsteady from a recent confrontation with a serial killer, he’s determined to prove his brother’s innocence. But his confidence is shaken when he learns of Steve’s dark side, and when a friend of the murdered girl meets a similarly gruesome fate. With no time to lose, Carina and Nick work together to trap a psychopath, before another unlucky woman faces an unspeakable end.

Sweet Tea and Sympathy


Molly Harper - 2017
    No request is too extravagant for her to execute with trademark perfection. That is, until an unfortunate incident involving a shrimp tower, live flamingos, and a shellfish allergy puts her on the black list of the rich and social and out of a job. With the lights about to be shut off in the trendy condo she can no longer afford, and her savings account dwindling, Margot’s situation is near to desperate.In steps her birth father’s side of the family (who she’s never met), the McCreadys…the McCreadys of the McCready Family Funeral Home and Bait Shop in small town Georgia—and as luck would have it, they’re looking for an event planner and don’t care about her reputation among the A-list crowd. As Margot tackles small town life—where everyone knows everything about everyone—and builds a relationship with a father who she’d never known, she discovers the comforts that community, a rather large extended family, and a rugged, unpretentious country man can offer...

An Engagement in Seattle: An Anthology


Debbie Macomber - 2011
    on a visa that is about to expire. Marriage will allow him to staymarriage to Julia Conrad. If Julia's going to save her Seattle-based company, she needs him as much as he needs her. There's a Groom Wanted in Julia's life. And not just any groom! A billboard on the side of a Seattle road is common enoughbut one advertising for a bride? It's Chase Goodwin's solution to the problem of finding a wife quickly, a wife to bring home to Alaska. Lesley Campbell has her own reasons for respondingand in no time she's the Bride Wanted in Chase's life! "

Fly with Me


Chanel Cleeton - 2016
    Air Force fighter pilot Noah Miller—call sign Burn—loves nothing more than flying hard and fast. When he meets a gorgeous and sassy woman while partying in Las Vegas, he immediately locks on to her.Jordan Callahan owns a thriving clothing boutique, but her love life is far less successful. Her luck changes when six feet, two inches of sexy swagger asks her to dance and turns her world upside down. One scorching weekend becomes an undeniable chemistry that they can’t leave in Vegas. But the long distance relationship and their different lives threaten to ground their romance. And when the dangers of Noah’s job become all too real, Jordan learns being with a fighter pilot means risking it all for a shot at love…

The Burning Point


Mary Jo Putney - 2000
    It is now being rereleased under its original title The Burning Point.The first contemporary novel by New York Times bestselling author, The Burning Point is a riveting story of the ties that bind two people together—and the incendiary forces that can tear them apart.Kate Corsi always dreamed of working for her family’s world famous explosive demolition business— a wish her old-fashioned father denied until the day he died. According to his will, Kate will receive a fortune while her ex-husband, Donovan, will inherit the family business. But only if they agree to live under the same roof for a year.Forced into a reluctant alliance, Kate and Donovan must discover the truth about her father’s death—and confront the past that almost destroyed them both. And as they face their shattered dreams, their wrenching secrets and bitter resentments, they find themselves sliding perilously toward the burning point where passion catches fire once more…The Burning Point was listed as one of the five best romances of the year by Library Journal.The Circle of Friends series:#1: The Burning Point#2: The Spiral Path#3: An Imperfect Process#4: A Holiday Fling (A Circle of Friends Novella)Praise for The Burning Point:“Powerhouse novelist Mary Jo Putney explodes on the contemporary scene with an emotionally wrenching and dramatically intense story. She tackles a very difficult subject with insight, and compassion. Exceptionally powerful reading!” —Romantic Times Magazine“This passionate love story [unfolds] gradually, in trademark Putney style. The author has created a realistic, well-crafted story, laced with elements of suspense and mystery and featuring sympathetic protagonists whose biggest mistake was marrying too young.”—Publishers Weekly“Kate and Patrick are both complex people, and answers do not come easily for the unresolved issues in their past. Set against the backdrop of demolition work and a question of sabotage, this gripping story sizzles with passion and danger, but is ultimately about healing and forgiveness—not only for others, but for ourselves as well. Mary Jo Putney will no doubt gain new fans with this book.” —The Old Book Barn Gazette“Ms. Putney is one of the very best authors who excel at historical romances—now she's crafted her first contemporary and fans of both genres will be delighted to learn that her incredible talent for compelling characterization and original premises comes through on every page. She takes a taboo issue not normally found in a romance and with touching sensitivity, creates a poignant tale about forgiveness and the awesome power of love to heal all wounds… I could not put it down.” —Rendezvous About the Author A New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USAToday bestselling author, Mary Jo Putney's novels are known for psychological depth and intensity and include historical and contemporary romance, fantasy, and young adult fantasy.

Summer at Willow Lake


Susan Wiggs - 2006
    Tempted by the hazy, nostalgic memories of summers past - childhood innocence and the romance and rivalries of her teens - it's the perfect place to flee after her broken engagement. But what began as an escape may just be a new beginning...As Olivia uncovers secrets buried thick with dust, one by one her family return, their lives as frayed at the edges as the resort.

Doing It Over


Catherine Bybee - 2016
    The down-on-her-luck single mom wants a complete do-over—is that too much to ask? With her family long gone from River Bend, strong, independent Mel is as surprised as anyone to end up in the quaint small town she once called home. But with her friends, Jo and Zoe, by her side, and a comfortable room at Miss Gina’s quirky bed-and-breakfast, she just might have turned the corner on a new life.Wyatt Gibson never liked the big city. River Bend suits the ruggedly handsome builder just fine. Wyatt knows he’s home, even if that means being charmed by the appearance of Melanie and her spunky, adorable daughter. Is Wyatt’s calm devotion—even amid a coming storm—enough to convince Mel she may have found a home to call her own, a family that never leaves, and a true love to last a lifetime?

Adam


Jennifer Ashley - 2015
    He settles in to heal at his family's ranch, where his four brothers, famous trick riders, train horses.Adam is stunned to find Bailey Farrell working there—she was the shy girl who'd helped Adam graduate high school so he could run off to Hollywood. Except the budding Bailey, with whom Adam had a brief but intense affair, has blossomed into a beautiful woman. Now the sparks that had once ignited between them threaten to explode.Adam is beaten-up, broken-down, and has lost his nerve—the stunt that injured him also killed his best friend. The only one he can turn to is Bailey, but will Bailey, who has come back to Riverbend to lick her wounds after a painful divorce, be willing to help him again?Book 1 of Riding Hard. A 230-page (approx) novel—20 chapters, plus bonus sneak peek at Grant's book and a recipe for Mrs. Ward's Harvest Pie.

Aftershock


Jill Sorenson - 2012
    Until an earthquake strikes, trapping her beneath the freeway with a group of strangers--including Iraq war veteran Garrett Wright... ...BETWEEN PERIL AND PASSIONHandsome and take-charge Garrett aids Lauren in her rescue efforts, even as the steely look in his eyes seems to hide dark secrets. When a gang of escaped convicts goes on the attack, Garrett's bravery makes him more than a courageous bystander to Lauren. If they can save the others before time runs out, maybe, just maybe, they can explore the fire igniting between them--if the truth about who he really is doesn't pull them apart forever....

Promise Cove


Vickie McKeehan - 2011
    Alone and desperate in backwater Pelican Pointe, she faces an uphill battle against a judgmental and hostile town as she tries to rebuild her life. But when a mysterious and handsome stranger with a tragic secret appears, her fragile new world threatens to come crashing down around her. A heartbreaking story of love and romance, Promise Cove will hold you breathless until the very last page.

A Charmed Place


Antoinette Stockenberg - 1998
    She settled down and raised a family; he roamed the planet as a war correspondent. But a near death experience brings Dan in search of the only woman he has ever loved. His plan to win Maddie is simple: take up residence in a lighthouse just a stone's throw from her family's summer home, and then make her fall back in love with him. He knows her family will object and suspects that her daughter might; but he refuses to believe that Maddie herself -- the woman who has haunted his dreams for two decades -- can be any less in love with him than he is with her. It's not that simple for Maddie. She has a jealous ex-husband to deal with ... a feisty, resentful teenager ... a widowed mother unable to emerge from mourning ... and the ongoing heartbreak of her father's unsolved murder. Is it possible to throw all of that aside for the chance to be happy?

Baby, Drive South


Stephanie Bond - 2011
    They've got the means, they've got the manpower…what they need are women! So they place an ad in a northern newspaper and wait for the ladies to answer their call…. Porter, the youngest Armstrong, is all for importing women. Still, he's so blown away by the sheer numbers, he falls off the water tower. Luckily there's a doctor among the newcomers—sweet and sexy Dr. Nikki Salinger. And Porter has every intention of checking out her bedside manner….

The Hero


Donna Grant - 2016
    But there’s one thing he hasn’t been able to forget – his high school sweetheart, Natalie. After over a decade away, Owen is returned home to the ranch in Texas for a dangerous new mission that puts him face-to-face with Natalie and an outside menace that threatens everything he holds dear. He’ll risk it all to keep Natalie safe – and win her heart. . . .Natalie Dixon has had a lifetime of heartache since Owen was deployed. Fourteen years and one bad marriage later, she finds herself mixed up with the Loughman’s again. With her life on the line against an enemy she can’t fight alone, it’s Owen’s strong shoulders, smoldering eyes, and sensuous smile that she turns to. When danger closes in, she holds close to the only man she’s ever loved…

Going Dark


Monica McCarty - 2017
    Not knowing whom they can trust, and with war hanging in the balance, the survivors must go dark and scatter around the globe.Marine ecologist Annie Henderson joins her new boyfriend on a trip to the Western Isles of Scotland to protest a hazardous offshore drilling venture. When she realizes that she may be swept up in something far more dangerous than she'd intended, there is only one man she can turn to. . . . She and the mysterious but sexy dive boat captain haven't exactly gotten off to the best start, but something about his quiet confidence makes her think that he's the kind of man she can depend on. Because he's gruff and guarded, she can tell Dan Warren has secrets. But she could never imagine how high the stakes are for him to keep his cover, even as he risks everything to protect her. . . .