Book picks similar to
Nothing Serious by Barbara Morgenroth


contemporary
contemporary-romance
chick-lit
romance

Solitude Interrupted


L.J. Scar - 2013
    You guard your past, you don't give everyone your life story. Sounds easy enough especially since I just graduated college, moved to the wilds of West Virginia with my dog, and signed a contract for an eighteen month nursing job. The problem is my landlord, Cole. He doesn't get that I need to keep my distance. He jokes that I am on the run. Maybe I am. But this remoteness is what I need to put what happened in perspective, to put myself back together. I'm not running for the hills despite Cole's pursuit. I may just end up running into his arms.Cole - When you co-own an outfitter that specializes in guiding white water rafters everyday is an adventure. The elusive, blond beauty who rented my neighboring, riverside cabin was not what I expected. My brother and friend gave her two nights before she couldn't take living out in the woods alone next to a relentless flirt who hadn't shaved in six months just to win a bet. She said she came here to figure her life out without any distractions, at least not the romantic kind. But I love a challenge, I'm a thrill seeker. She needs a little excitement and I'm more than determined to be the one who interrupts her solitude. Funny, thoughtful, and heart wrenching - "Solitude Interrupted" is the unforgettable love story of a courageous girl who overcame so much and the reckless adventurer who couldn't turn away from her. *Content contains profanity and adult situations

Island Passage


Sherry Hartzler - 2010
    Devastated by her husband’s infidelity, Francine Durret flees her upscale suburban home with her angry fifteen-year-old daughter, returning to the island house, where she'd spent childhood summers with her best friend, Claudia Angelo. Francine hopes to heal a broken heart, re-connect with her daughter, and attempt to rediscover the simple, uncomplicated love she had known as a child.When Claudia arrives unannounced on the doorstep of the island house, the past comes to life. Claudia is rich, brash and stunningly beautiful, but unlike Francine, her childhood memories recall nothing but lies, poverty and neglect. For Claudia, the subject of her past is a dead issue. She comes to the island to repay a long-standing debt, rooted in deception. Alan Bromsley grew up on the island, a free-spirited boy who'd lived a charmed life. He now operates a small island flight service. No stranger to grief, Alan is a loner, a man at war with himself. In this tender-hearted story, Alan is confronted by the two women he once loved and lost twenty years ago. Island Passage unites three estranged friends, torn apart by unforeseen circumstances, and then brought together in a tragedy that inadvertently unravels an old secret—a secret that could ultimately destroy them all.

Carved In Stone


Donna McDonald - 2011
    He admires Jessica for her courageous art and for how she has dealt with her life. As far as Will can tell, the only part of Jessica damaged by her past is her heart. Jessica assures Will she is incapable of lasting love, but Will refuses to believe it's true. Yes, it is a problem that the baggage from Jessica's past makes her see dating as merely recreational and men as interchangeable, but when she offers him temporary sexual fidelity, Will decides to take what he can get until he can find a way to convince Jessica she is still capable of love.Jessica Daniels is mostly happy with her life. Her daughter is graduating college. She is a few years away from retirement. Life is good even though lately she has stopped being interested in both her art and men. Since Jessica has never been the kind of woman looking for that one special man to settle down with, she normally dates and enjoys all the men she wants. What's the harm with doing so suits her? Will is certainly good-looking and charming, but she's not sure he's worth the trouble of an exclusive relationship. She likes riding his motorcycle, seriously admires his art, and thinks he's mostly a great guy. But after thirty years of being single, Jessica knows that most relationships just don't work out for a woman with a past like hers. When Will keeps insisting on sleeping with her, she finally gives in, but Jessica knows in her heart it will never last.

Christmas on Maplewood Mountain


Elizabeth Bromke - 2018
    Her business has been steadily dwindling. Her relationship prospects, too. But, her sister, Anna, has an idea that just might change Mary’s luck. Unfortunately, their own sisterhood might be working against them. Worst of all, it’s all coming to a head during the holidays, making Mary feel lonelier than ever.Meanwhile, Kurt Cutler is living the high life in the tech world. Fresh on the heels of wild success in the uncharted world of cryptocurrency, he looks for a way to ensure his young company doesn’t lose its grip. When his right-hand woman suggests a get-away at her sister’s snowy mountain retreat, he jumps on the opportunity to unplug and unwind.If Mary’s sister, Anna, can back off, Mary has every chance of enjoying the magic of the holidays. But when Mary and Kurt have to choose between love and their own priorities, what will win?Find out if a wintry weekend can become more for people from two opposite worlds in Elizabeth Bromke’s cozy romance, Christmas on Maplewood Mountain.

Alaska Dream Romances Box Set


Shannon L. Brown - 2017
    Does have: Sweet romances with characters you’ll love, both serious and light moments—all against a spectacular Alaskan backdrop. The author is from Alaska so she brings it to life! Enjoy all three novels in the Alaska Dream Romance series. Jemma meets her neighbor Nathaniel and love is the furthest thing from her mind. Bree needs a ride to far north gold fields and Michael’s going that way. Holly takes on real estate client Adam to help support her twin girls, but he’s a college professor she never wanted to see again. If you like wild destinations, real struggles and fun stories then you'll love Shannon L. Brown's heartwarming series. Buy the box set and begin your journey now! FALLING FOR ALASKA They’re neighbors. But not happy about it. Can loathing turn to love? Jemma inherits a house and moves to small-town Palmer, Alaska. As she begins her business of flipping furniture, her gorgeous but unpleasant neighbor gets in her way. Sure, she’s making some noise. A little sawing. A bit of drilling. Her dream’s at stake. And she’s not sure about living in Alaska. Nathaniel loves Alaska and moved here for peace and quiet. He’s terrible with relationships, but when a stray puppy enters his life, his heart begins to heal. Could Jemma and Nathaniel have a happily ever after? LOVING ALASKA A missing grandmother. A trek across rugged Alaska. A woman who’d rather be anywhere else. Bree loves cities and dislikes wilderness. When her mother sets up a handsome driver for the long trip to find her grandmother, she agrees just to get the job done. After she finds her, Bree will be on the next plane out of here. She won’t fall in love before she leaves. Michael enjoys coming home to Alaska, even for a visit. As he drives north to the family’s gold claims with Bree, he’s soon caught up in her search. Michael must guard against a romance with her. But his conflicted heart keeps pulling him closer to her and home to Alaska. Can these two find a way to make love work? CRAZY ABOUT ALASKA Two men are interested. She picked the wrong man once. Will she choose the right one now? As a single mother and a real estate agent, Holly works hard. Climb a roof? Check. Work with her former, difficult professor? Maybe. She wants a husband who can love her and her twin girls. When other men run because she has kids, they become her secret. College professor Adam enjoys his work, his dog . . . and his secret life. After his home burns, he needs to find a house in a hurry. Oh-so-appealing former student Holly is perfect for the job—and his heart. Adam has to win her before the other man does. When secrets are revealed, will love grow or die? Buy the box set to begin the series today!

Back to Your Love


Kianna Alexander - 2017
    As a hardworking businessman, mentor to troubled teens, and aspiring politician in his Southern hometown, the daily demands never let up. A weekend at the beach for his best friend's wedding is exactly what he needs. What he doesn't need is to run into the woman who broke his heart ten years ago.Imani Grant is more beautiful, confident and intelligent than ever, and their connection is still sizzling. But Imani harbors a secret that could destroy both their blossoming careers. She knows she has to keep her distance, but Xavier is determined to win back her heart--consequences be damned."A page-turner." --RT Book Reviews for This Tender Melody

Clear Skies


Suzanne Cass - 2021
    Secrets may tear them apart.Daisy’s in trouble. Her car is stalled in the middle of a flooded creek, with the water rising quickly.Dale is in no mood to rescue the woman about to be swept away by a raging tropical storm, who’s clearly a city girl, unfamiliar with the country roads, and driving a completely unsuitable car. He has half a mind to leave her right where she is.Stranded on the wrong side of the creek, Daisy has no other option than to accept Dale’s offer to spend the night at the luxury resort, Stormcloud Station.All of Daisy’s plans to leave the station as soon as she can are thrown into chaos when a girl is discovered drowned in the creek and everyone become suspects in a murder investigation.Daisy has discovered that far north Queensland is a wholly inhospitable country, but it also has a man with mesmerizing dimples, whose kiss has captured her soul. But she hides a secret that would tear them apart.On a night full of chaos, Dale and Daisy uncover the truth about the killer. But how can Dale safeguard this willful, determined woman who owns his heart, when Daisy puts herself squarely in harm’s way?

The Misadventures of Catie Bloom


Brooke Stanton - 2016
    He's a player ready to settle down. Can they fake it till they make it into each other's arms? Catie Bloom dreads being found out as a hot mess. So when the high-profile domestic goddess’s supposedly perfect life is scheduled for a TV special, she’s desperate to hide the slovenly reality while she scrambles to learn to cook and find a studly pretend hubby. And with her future on the line, she reluctantly accepts the office playboy’s lifeline to help her cover up the cracks and look the part… Sportswriter Sam Harding buries authenticity behind his breezy charm. And though he knows Catie’s less-than-tidy secret, he’s frustrated when his lady’s man reputation gets in the way of intriguing the one woman who holds his heart. So when he discovers her goose could be cooked, he jumps at the chance to stand in as her handsome prince. As Catie struggles with burned offerings, her growing attraction to Sam is a grease fire waiting to happen. While Sam worries if he keeps his desires hidden for much longer, he’ll lose his opportunity to move from bogus husband to the real deal. Is their passion about to be roasted, or can they whip up a gourmet romance?The Misadventures of Catie Bloom is the hilarious first book in the Bloom Sisters romantic comedy series. It’s a dash of Sophie Kinsella’s Can You Keep a Secret, with a helping of Christmas in Connecticut, and a recipe all its own, mixed into a delicious and romantic romp. Buy The Misadventures of Catie Bloom to set a table for two today!

Halfway to Nowhere


Steena Holmes - 2013
     Nikki Landon walked away from her small town, Halfway, Montana, ten years ago, with no intentions of setting foot there again. But, when her mother dies unexpectedly, Nikki has no choice but to return, and this time with the child she was trying to hide—ten year old, Ryan. Becky Jennings is living her happily-ever-after. She’s married to the man of her dreams and even though that means being the wife of a Christmas tree farmer, she’s happy. There’s only one thing missing from her fairy-tale life: a child to hold in her arms. After countless miscarriages, she’s struggling to accept that might be one dream that will never come true. As teenagers, Nikki would have done anything to protect her best friend, Becky from heartache, which is why she left. But ten years later, there’s nowhere to hide in a small town where everyone can see the truth of the secret she can no longer keep. Could Nikki’s son be the child Becky has always longed for? And if he is, can the already fragile bond between the two friends, withstand the heartache? Visit their websites: www.steenaholmes.com www.elenaaitken.com

Sunset at Catoctin Creek


Natalie Keller Reinert - 2020
    It’s home to farmers and shopkeepers, dreamers and schemers. And it’s the perfect place to fall in love.Rosemary Brunner’s life might look small to some, but she has things arranged just the way she likes them. She’s turned her family farm into a sanctuary for troubled horses. She has dinner once a week with her elderly neighbors. And if she needs a little company and gossip, her best friend Nikki can swing by with dinner from the Blue Plate Diner and plenty to say. For a country girl with a heaping helping of social anxiety, she has things figured out just fine.Then Stephen walks into her life, and her careful little world falls apart.Stephen Beckett can’t understand why his father retired to sleepy Catoctin Creek. The days are too quiet, the nights are too dark, and everything moves too slowly for his high-octane lifestyle. The sooner Stephen can get his life back in order and head back home to Manhattan, the better.Then Stephen meets Rosemary, and a bolt of lightning seems to set the dark country night aglow.With opposite intentions, their chances at a happy ending don’t look great. But Stephen and Rosemary might not be able to help falling for each other…if Stephen’s ambitions and Rosemary’s traditions aren’t too much for this budding romance to bear.

This Is Not How It Ends


Rochelle B. Weinstein - 2020
    Weinstein comes a moving novel of hearts lost and found, and of one woman torn between two love stories. When Charlotte and Philip meet, the pair form a deep and instant connection. Soon they’re settled in the Florida Keys with plans to marry. But just as they should be getting closer, Charlotte feels Philip slipping away.Second-guessing their love is something Charlotte never imagined, but with Philip’s excessive absences, she finds herself yearning for more. When she meets Ben, she ignores the pull, but the supportive single dad is there for her in ways she never knew she desired. Soon Charlotte finds herself torn between the love she thought she wanted and the one she knows she needs.As a hurricane passes through Islamorada, stunning revelations challenge Charlotte’s loyalties and upend her life. Forced to reexamine the choices she’s made, and has yet to make, Charlotte embarks on an emotional journey of friendship, love, and sacrifice—knowing that forgiveness is a gift, and the best-laid plans can change in a heartbeat.This Is Not How It Ends is a tender, moving story of heartbreak and healing that asks the question: Which takes more courage—holding on or letting go?

Princess


Holly J. Martin - 2017
    She had a gang of brothers who positively adored her. She led an affluent life at her family’s home in Maine. She even had an ongoing flirtation with the charming Jared Ross.He would prove to be her doom. After her father catches her with Jared, he virtually disowns her. Jack is forced to live in a halfway house for wayward teens run by sadistic guards. There, she experiences an assault that changes her life forever.When Jack escapes, she takes to the streets in search of a place to belong. She finds friendship in Sam, a former special forces POW determined to help anyone in need, and Noah, a young gay model with dreams of stardom. As Jack begins creating a new life with Sam and Noah, she still faces the unbelievable pain of her family’s betrayal. Jack doesn’t know the whole story. As she follows her dream of owning a recording studio, her brothers and Jared are all desperately searching for her. Their reunion will be more difficult than any of them expect. Jack has found a new family. Is there room in her heart for anyone else?

Rakes Always Kiss First


Catherine Mayfair - 2020
    The man is boastful, rude and devilishly handsome. Worst of all, he has stolen a kiss that causes Mary to desire more.Lord Anthony Greyson knows the rumors concerning him and his rakish ways and cares not. He has spirited many women to his bed, and his eye is now on Mary. Wooing the innocent woman with a kiss, he has no doubt he will soon add her to his list of conquests, and he is certain she will not have the strength to resist.Upon learning of several unsavory rumors, Mary is tasked to spy on Anthony, and she readily agrees. Doing so will prove she is more than a pretty thing for others to admire. More importantly, she will be able to prove to herself she can resist the rake’s charms.Anthony soon becomes enchanted with the secretive woman and desires to know more about her and what she is hiding…And for Mary, she begins to wonder if Anthony is the cruel man about whom the ton whispers. Or is he the gentleman she secretly wishes him to be?

Love, Redefined: A Romantic Comedy


Brynn North - 2020
    What’s worse is when your new coworker is your old high school crush-slash-frenemy.I can’t believe it. Instead of proposing, Shane dumped me. After ten years together, committed to one another and our lives, he has a change of heart - he wants a baby. And he knows I can’t do that for him. But know what I can do?Show Shane what he’s missing out on.But in the meantime, I’m stuck as a guest columnist at a local magazine, where they want me to write about how to move on after a broken heart - ha! I know exactly zero about that. What could be worse, you ask? Oh, just that my old high school frenemy, Boston, is assigned to help me out. Does the universe hate me or what? Especially since it’s impossible to notice how he turned more sexy than annoying in the years since I’ve seen him…Huh. Maybe this little gig won’t be so bad after all...Wait, what? Shane said he made a mistake?Now what?♥ Love, Redefined is a closed-door romance, perfect for readers who love lots of sizzle and sass but no explicit content. ♥

Cottage at the Beach


Lee Tobin McClain - 2020
    And he’ll do anything to make that happen—even volunteer in a small waterfront community, just to please his boss. But no one ever said Trey had to enjoy it…Since the surgery that destroyed her dreams of having children, schoolteacher Erica Rowe has grown even more dedicated to her work with at-risk teens. So she doesn't need some cop with a chip on his shoulder putting the program's future in jeopardy. But when Trey finally connects with the students, Erica's heart melts. And when, in a tender moment, he admits he longs to have children, her heart breaks. She's convinced he'd be better off with someone who can give him everything, but she can't seem to shake the hope that maybe love is enough…