Book picks similar to
Marbella Sunsets by Laura Conway


age-gap
lesbian
falling-for-the-boss
romance

Come Back To Me


Maria Jackson - 2017
    A chance encounter with her older sister's best friend leaves her speechless. Back in high school, Callie was a million times cooler than Robyn could ever hope to be. So why does she suddenly want to hang out with Robyn? Callie's left behind her guitar-playing days, and the lifestyle that went along with them. These days, she spends all her free time with her energetic puppy. When she runs into Robyn, she's instantly drawn to her changed, confident new self. And although Callie always thought she was straight, Robyn is... hot? As the two women spend time together, Robyn's years-old crush intensifies - and Callie's certainty about her orientation falters. But if they admit their feelings for each other, will the present be able to overshadow their past?

Driven


Suzanne Falter - 2019
    should be in the library of ever LGBTQ person ..." -- US Review of Books Who says you can’t find the love of your life while you’re getting your tire fixed? Even IF your boss is actively trying to close her garage? Driven is the oldest woman-owned garage in Oakland – and the pride of the lesbian community. At least, it is until the uber-competitive former race car driver Mindy Rose shows up and opens her own garage, complete with chair massages and a sushi bar. Mindy’s out to destroy Driven, a fact that galls her good-hearted, and very ethical Irish assistant Kate. This is just reinforced when Kate has an emergency blow out, and is forced to go into Driven for a repair. Instantly, she finds herself drawn to the tall, tantalizing co-owner Lizzy. That’s when things get … well … complicated. Especially because Kate is an undocumented worker who seriously needs her job. Soon Kate finds herself hatching a secret scheme to save Driven, while falling hard for Lizzy. Yet, Lizzy has no idea she’s part of Mindy’s nasty operation. Or even that Mindy is out to get her. Can sweet Kate and passionate Lizzy finally find the love they’ve been looking for forever? Or will Mindy find out and bring them and Driven down – and get Kate deported in the process? And when is Kate going to tell Lizzy who she actually is? It’s just the beginning of the wild ride that is the Oaktown Girls series.

Wicked Sweet


Chelsea M. Cameron - 2018
    At twenty, she already knows exactly who she is and who she’s going to be: queen of her own media empire. She’s just started her junior year of undergrad to get her business degree, and everything is going according to her meticulous plan. That is until Seven Sutter careens back into her life. Seven Sutter, the girl who had it all in high school. Now here she is at the same college as Dove, in two of the same classes no less. Seven Sutter, who Dove has been paired with for a semester-long partnership. Oh, and Seven is now living down the hall from Dove. Because of course. Dove braces herself for disaster, but what she doesn’t expect is to find Seven off-the-charts sexy. And interesting. And not the evil monster she always made her out to be. She’s just as driven as Dove, determined to have a goth café, filled with skull cookies and drinks named after dead people. Dove’s opinions of Seven start to change. Those opinions turn into something else: a crush. A big life-altering one. Can Dove let their history go and give herself permission to fall for the girl with the killer brown eyes who makes the best chocolate chip cookies in the world?

Behind the Green Curtain


Riley Lashea - 2013
    As vicious as she is beautiful, Amelia threatens Caton’s position and her sense of decorum.As the attraction between the two women spirals into a torrid affair, Caton is drawn deeper into Jack and Amelia’s world of privilege and prestige, where everything is at stake and nothing is what it seems.

Duct Tape and a Tarp: A Dubious Adventure


Kelli Jae Baeli - 2018
    Sometimes it’s a sprinkle, and sometimes it’s a deluge. This is the wetter one.Drew Keen is not a people-person. No surprise, she’s lived in the Northwoods for the last decade, living simply and working freelance photography jobs for National Geographic. Finally, the loneliness persuades her to attend her college reunion, intent on reconnecting with the one that got away.Amber Richards has gone to every class reunion, hoping to see Drew, who fell off the grid after their graduation led to an inevitable breakup. She didn't expect Drew to be there this year either.She also didn't expect to spend her reunion time with an old flame, running away from her in the Northwoods.

Breakthrough


Terri Cutshall - 2020
    The undeniable attraction between Alex and Madison is immediate and a budding romance is there for the taking, but only if both women are willing to let go of their fears and trust in it.While Alex navigates her heart and desires, outside forces threaten breakthroughs in her research, creating an entirely different kind of fear in her world. Will Alex be able to protect the women she has dedicated her life to helping and be brave enough to let love in?

Eagle Ridge


Brooklyn Graham - 2018
    For one of these adventurers, the trip will hold consequences that may well shape the rest of her life. Allison Stern, an executive with a New York financial firm, finds her world turned upside down, when her manager puts her in charge of a character-building adventure, and things go terribly wrong. Cynthia Brooks, a ranger with the forestry service finds herself thrown in with Allison, as she attempts a rescue. Allison is floundering in a loveless marriage and Cynthia wants nothing to do with any sort of relationship, having left her heart on a mountainside in Colorado, years before. Can a city girl with an affinity for nature, find love with a devout mountain girl with a broken heart? Read Eagle Ridge, and find out if opposites really do attract.(Author's note: 2nd Edition of this book contains various corrections of grammatical and ease of reading problems that had been brought to my attention following the publication of the original manuscript.)

Echo Point


Virginia Hale - 2017
    Wracked with guilt over her sister Libby’s death, she’s spent three months trying to handle her grief while taking care of Libby’s young daughter, Annie.Libby’s best friend Ally never had a chance to say good-bye to her dear friend. When she finally returns home, Ally finds Libby’s family open and welcoming…everyone, that is, except Libby’s sister Bron.For her part, Bron can’t fathom why her family is so enamored with Ally—even offering her a job and a place to live—but grudgingly admires the way Ally and Annie get along.While Bron contemplates moving Annie to Boston and away from the only home the little girl has ever known, bushfires begin to rage in the nearby mountains, and Bron begins to see that she’s sorely underestimated her sister’s friend.Soon Ally’s past and Bron’s future collide—with a heat and wonder that neither of them expected.Words: 58,940

Six Feet


Michele M. Reynolds - 2021
    Six Feet is a contemporary, pandemic romance with the emphasis on romance.Henley Stones Smith, 42, is a psychologist with three foster daughters: Paloma, Jackie and Manhattan.Nicki Zabelle, 28, is a professional video gamer who sleeps in late and always orders take-out.The Covid pandemic hits and Nicki abruptly moves from Boston to Western Massachusetts where Henley is juggling working from home, remote school, and single parenthood.Little Jackie's early morning mishap brings Henley and Nicki together.Henley sees Nicki as an incredibly young neighbor who is kind enough to share her pool.Nicki sees Henley as an incredibly hot neighbor who she hopes is kind enough to share her bed.

Beautiful Accidents


Erin Zak - 2019
    Now twenty-eight and a star in the Chicago improv scene, Stevie puts career first. No one’s going to get in the way of her New York City dreams. When her friends beg her to tag along to go see Constance Russo, a deaf psychic, Stevie begrudgingly agrees, as long as no one makes her get a reading. American Sign Language interpreter Bernadette Thompson has two priorities: caring for her mother and working with her best friend, Constance Russo. But when the headstrong Stevie Adams accidentally stumbles into her life, Bernadette feels an instant connection that’s so intense it frightens her. They can’t seem to stop bumping into each other, or deny their attraction. When Stevie’s goal of starring in New York becomes more than a pipe dream, will competing desires prove their love to be everlasting or a fleeting act?Cover Artist: Jeanine HenningGenres: Contemporary / Romance Tags: Children / Families, Big City, Age Gap, CelebrityWords: 86,000

Playing the Spy


Maggie Brown - 2018
    What better place to recuperate after a particularly gruelling round of interviews than a picture-perfect exclusive island resort in the Great Barrier Reef? Political reporter Sophie Marsh is used to digging up dirt. When her editor underhandedly snags her the position as Eleanor’s housekeeper for two months, she reluctantly agrees to spy on the star. After all, her hard-won position at the paper is on the line. Against the background of the breathtaking island, passions run high. As secrets are revealed, the assignment becomes Sophie’s worst nightmare― write the article or lose her job. She knows that succumbing to temptation can't be an option. But tell that to her heart…Genre: RomanceEditor: Cath WalkerCover Designer: Judith Fellows

For Money or Love


Heather Blackmore - 2016
    But her life of privilege comes at a high personal cost, requiring her to keep aspects of herself under wraps.Magnate’s new intern, TJ Blake, leads by example. The sole guardian of her teenage sister, TJ juggles work, graduate school, and debt, never taking “something for nothing.”As TJ discovers there’s more to Jess than she lets on, her pride and notions about wealth run headlong against her growing feelings for Jess. Jess starts falling for TJ but doubts she’s principled enough for her. When Jess uncovers a dark secret, will she do the right thing, even if it means losing everything—including any chance at love?

Lilac Time


Kate Sweeney - 2017
    Teenage Ben, aka The Hoover, has the sensitive old soul of Robert Frost, and Matilde, a twelve-year-old, is the personification of Jack Sparrow. Jessica desperately needs the job she finds in the college newspaper, even if it is just for the summer. She knows she stands on the verge of starting over, keeping her family safe and happy. Dr. Marion Clifford desperately needs someone with organizational skills for her current project with her former employer, the FBI. She’s on a deadline, which is fine—it keeps her from thinking of the past and the emptiness of her life as it is. Two desperate women find each other, and with the help of one loving teenager and his mischievous sister, Jessica and Cliff find out life might not be as desperate as it appears.

Popcorn Love


K.L. Hughes - 2015
    Her love life, however, is lacking, as those closest to her keep pointing out.At the persistent urging of her closest friend, Elena reluctantly agrees to a string of blind dates if she can find a suitable babysitter for Lucas.Enter Allison Sawyer, a free-spirited senior at New York University.Elena is intrigued by Allison’s ability to push her out of her element, and the young woman’s instant and easy connection with a normally shy Lucas quickly earns Allison the job.After each blind date, Elena returns home to complain to Allison about her lacking suitors. As they bond, Elena begins to realize that the person possessing all the qualities she most desires might just be the woman who has been in front of her the entire time.The vast difference between the two women’s social statuses, however, may be an obstacle not easily overcome.Length: approx. 160,000 wordsThemes: humor · Lesbian · romantic comedy

The Music and the Mirror


Lola Keeley - 2018
    Her first class with her mysterious idol, Victoria, almost ruins her career before it starts. When she shows she might be a potential star, Victoria chooses Anna to launch a new season around.Now Anna must face down jealousy, sabotage and injury, not to mention navigate the circus of friends and lovers within the company. The pressure builds as she knows she must pour everything she has into opening night and prove to her rivals and herself that Victoria’s faith in her is not misplaced.In the process, Anna discovers that she and the daring, beautiful Victoria have a lot more than a talent for ballet in common, and that not every thrilling dance can be found on stage.Themes: elite ballet company · romance120,000 words