Book picks similar to
Dear Summer by Santana Blair
young-adult
romance
ya
contemporary-romance
Bluestone Homecoming
M.J. Fredrick - 2012
Leo doesn’t know how to be a single parent since the death of his wife, and he certainly has no desire to return to Bluestone. But he needs a place for his son, a place where he’ll be with family, while Leo does his job. He’ll stay long enough to get Max settled, then go back to work.School counselor Trinity Madison watches Leo struggle with his son, trying to overcome the mental barricade she’s erected against the man who sent his son away when he’s perfectly capable of caring for the child. The situation brings about her own unsettled feelings about giving her child up for adoption when she was young. But as she observes Leo’s difficulties, his sacrifices, she softens toward the man.While he’s in town, he ends up working with some old friends and Trinity on a committee to revitalize Bluestone. The former resort town is struggling and looking for ways to bring tourists back. Leo finds himself charmed, then smitten with the feisty counselor, but will he still love her when he learns her secret?
Mr. January
Jasmine Garner - 2020
It’s why he’s a great firefighter. It’s also why he can’t get over the morbid scene he just witnessed during his last shift. And then he meets Tisha, who understands the emotional turmoil he’s going through. She ends up saving his life in the most embarrassing way possible, and he can’t get her out of his head.Tisha can’t think of the last time she’s laughed, yet she’s content with her life. When you’ve experienced indescribable trauma, sometimes good enough is, well, good enough.She meets Seth and suddenly wants more. But with both of them healing from the darkness in their pasts, a healthy relationship may not be possible. And she’s perfectly fine with rejecting his advances, until she learns that he is Mr. January in a smoking hot firefighter calendar. Suddenly, saying no isn’t as clear-cut as she thought it would be. Seth’s personal commitments and darkness prove to be too overwhelming to fully give himself to Tisha, although he’s trying his best. But his best may not be good enough. The logical part of her mind and the broken part of her heart say no, but they’re no match for the fire he kindles within her body.This BWWM romance is book one in the Hot Boys firefighter series. Each book can be read as a standalone and in any order. No cheating and a guaranteed happily ever after.Are you ready to step into the fire?
Untouchable
Danielle Hill - 2020
Scratch that: she didn’t even like the guy.Maddox ‘Reno’ Renner, the resident King of Claremont High. Dark, brooding, arrogant… you get it. He’s the kind of gorgeous no girl is immune to, including Riley. She shouldn’t feel anything for him—falling for a guy like Reno would be stupid and reckless—but when he sets his sights on her, Riley’s forced to admit just how far she’s already fallen.With expert precision, Reno manages to break down every one of her defenses, but just when Riley starts to think it might be safe to lower her guard, tragedy strikes in a way neither one of them could have predicted, tearing them apart.When Reno needs her most, Riley will have to fight to reach the boy who’s always held her heart, but this might be one fight she can’t win.Because Reno’s heart has always been untouchable.**Note: "Untouchable" is an edgy, emotional, standalone in a series on interconnected books. Each book can be read alone, but it is advisable to read them in order. Due to offensive language and mature themes, this series is intended for readers 17+.
Inevitable
Tamara Hart Heiner - 2013
But when she witnesses a murder, Jayne finds herself caught up in a dangerous world of intrigue and suspense.As it turns out, she is not the only one doing the stalking. The killer is on to her, and all of her visions of the dying don't reveal how her life will end. Somehow, she must stop the murderer before he arranges Jayne's own inevitable death.
The Sheriff's Baby Bargain
Susan Lute - 2020
Marshal-turned-Sheriff Taylor James can trace her family back to the original thirteen Marshals appointed by George Washington. She’s good at her job, but once they find out she’s the local law, she can’t get even one of her dates to stay past the appetizers. Her plan? Convince good friend and hot neighbor Dr. Gabriel Adams to give her dating lessons since his dance card is always full.A survivor of childhood leukemia with no guarantee his remission will last, Gabe lives by two rules: Don’t get emotionally involved and don’t let his well organized life spiral out of control. When he’s given a baby, with his name on her birth certificate, he needs Taylor’s help. But dangling dating lessons in exchange? If that will get the dedicated sheriff to lend a helping hand, could it be a bargain worth making?
Intricate Obsessions (Intricate, #3)
Jennifer Rayes - 2019
Dominique has lost his mother, his crew, and his purpose, and is trying not to lose his sister, while playing a dangerous game with the Governor. Salim has confessed his treason and has threatened to eradicate Kayamato with the release of a deadly disease, unless he's given reigning power. Beneath it all, Antione's obsession simmers as he moves his final pieces into place. Will the players be able to fight their individual threats by coming together, or will they be picked off, one at a time, one after the other?
Stone Lake
Phil M. Williams - 2015
He toils to keep their construction company afloat while the exes in his life enjoy their honeymoon. Jon meets Morgan when a flock of turkeys and a curvy mountain road aligns with one-in-a-million timing. Despite their attraction, her engagement, and the ire of her family, the pair embarks on a platonic friendship. As their relationship strengthens, they share secrets, but Morgan holds her most important secret tight to her chest, where it beats like a ticking time bomb. It’s not a matter of if, but when. Adult language and content. Beware of spoilers in the reviews.
Excuse Me, First Love (College Daze 1)
Danielle Burton - 2016
How could she tell her best friend that he'd stolen her heart? Especially when their friendship was coming to an end. Three years ago Jayson Adams lost his best friend. She moved half way across the country, shattering his world. He spent months in a deep depression, cursing the universe for ripping her away from him so cruelly. When their worlds collide again, old wounds are torn open. Gabrielle fights against a one sided love, forced to watch the man she desires in the arms of another.Jayson, on the other hand, is determined to hold onto his friend this time, even if it means denying his heart what it truly wants.
Acute Care: Doctor 911 Series Book 9 (Emergency )
Bobby Hutchinson - 2019
She also loves her mentally challenged sister, Juliet. But a demanding career and Juliet's escalating needs leave little time for romance. Besides, Portia has a secret that most men wouldn't begin to understand. Millionaire Nelson Gregory also has a secret. It's what drives him to race cars, ride motorcycles, sky dive. He's constantly flirting with death, and when he's admitted to St. Joe's after a life threatening crash, it's not death that scares him. It's the possibility of living the rest of his life paralyzed. Portia assures him his spine is uninjured, but how can she know for sure? Nelson won't chance a long time relationship, but mysterious Portia fascinates him, and he pursues her. Secrets lose their power when they're shared. Slowly, Portia and Nelson confide in each other, and in the process they fall in love. But love without trust can't survive. It takes a medical crisis and the death of a dear patient and friend for Nelson to understand that the two go hand in hand. Is it too late to salvage the love of his life? Acute Care, a complicated love story about the many ways life teaches growth.
Welcome Home, Abby (Those Hawthorne Men, #1)
Jan Gallagher Dunn - 2019
He has a bad track record with romance. Abby fell in love with Jackson when she was 19, not realizing he was from the wealthy Hawthorne family. His father sent her away to protect the family money. She returns five years later, escaping a nasty fiancé – determined not to fall in love anytime soon. She needs protection and Jackson needs a mother for his daughter. Abby agrees to a one-year deal, touched by the idea of a motherless child. Jackson admits Abby is the only woman he’s ever loved, but he married the wrong woman after she left. His deceased wife’s family is trying to stake a claim to his daughter. He proposed a platonic marriage. He can handle the fact she’s more beautiful. Too late he discovers she smells just as sweet as he remembered. Abby is wonderful with his daughter. He’s a man who can run any business, why can’t he keep her arm’s length? What happens when both of them want a more permanent relationship, but both are afraid to admit it? Trigger Warning: Heroine discusses past miscarriage
Strength
Carrie Butler - 2013
Wallace Blake is everything she's ever wanted in a man—except he can't touch her. His uncontrollable strength, a so-called gift from his bloodline, makes every interaction dangerous. And with a secret, supernatural war brewing among his kind, there's no time to work it out. To keep Wallace in her life, Rena will have to risk a whole lot more than her heart.
The Accidental Hero
Angel Vane - 2019
Ex-Navy SEAL Julian Montgomery thinks rescuing the alluring conservator will be simple … until he recognizes the gunman as the missing woman he’s been looking for—Ella Sapphire.Finding Ella could be Julian’s one chance to make up for the mistakes of his past, mistakes that led to the destruction of his SEAL Team. Dodging a blaze of bullets, Julian rescues Mena and Ella’s newborn son as Ella escapes into the night.Days later, Ella’s corpse is found on a secluded beach. Struggling to fight the sizzling attraction brewing between them, Julian and Mena search for answers to the gruesome murder. But a killer lurks, willing to stop at nothing to keep Julian and Mena from discovering the twisted truth.
Forever Friend Zoned
C. Morgan - 2021
I took all of that crap from the past and turned it into a goldmine. My body, namely. And there’s one girl I want that rejected me over and over. Lucky for me, the beauty is on the heels of a terrible breakup. Yes. I mean, aww… Her parents are pushing her to go to the gym to lose some weight. Boy, do I know how that feels. And guess who’s waiting for her when she gets there?That’s right. Me. The forever friend-zoned guy. But I have no ill will toward my curvy first love. I only want what’s best for her. Namely, me. *wink*So the game begins, and I’m lucky to be in the coach’s shoes this time. She has no clue who I am, but sparks fly high. No way in hell I’m telling her I’m the guy she remembered rejecting. ‘Cause I’m not out for revenge. I just want what I’ve always wanted… Her.
Strangers Like Us
Mary Campisi - 2017
Readers who loved Mary Campisi
Hot Summer
Judy Powell - 2011
But then she ends up working for the man. Her quick temper and sharp tongue keep landing her in hot water with him but no matter how hard she tries she can't deny her growing attraction for him. Then they go on a business trip to Jamaica - and her world is turned upside down.Lance is intrigued by the feisty woman who practically tells him off the first time they meet. When they begin working together he realizes how much he enjoys the challenge of taming the little tigress. But, before he knows it, he's the one caught in the snare of passion. The tables are turned - the tigress has tamed the lion.If you love the sizzle of a romance between two strong-willed individuals, follow Summer and Lance from Chicago to Jamaica and be swept away in the thrill of their hot summer.