Book picks similar to
Love Realized by Melanie Codina


romance
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contemporary-romance
new-adult

Harley & Rose


Carmen Jenner - 2016
    So what if this isn’t her actual wedding day, and that she’s only here because Harley was left at the altar just a few hours earlier? Trading San Francisco for paradise and swapping her bridesmaid’s bouquet for a Blue Hawaii, Rose hopes she can finally escape the friend zone. Once upon a time they had been more than friends, but life got in the way. She’s spent every day since wishing Harley would get a clue. She’s always been his best friend. He’s always been hers. She’s in love with him. He’s … not in love with her. He’s … marrying someone else. He’s … hiding something. He’s … well—it’s complicated.

Bait


M. Mabie - 2014
     She was the best kind of trouble. The kind that was so wrong, it felt right. I’ve tried and failed to stay away from him. I’ve done everything in my power to make her mine and keep her. He’s almost impossible to say no to. She never tells me yes. We’re always fighting. When we’re not fighting, we’re… well… making up. He makes me laugh so hard. I miss her laugh the most. I'm a liar. She knows the truth, but won’t admit it. Sometimes, I wish I'd never met him. I wish we could meet all over again. I'd do better. His girlfriend knows. The guy she’s with is a fool. I’ll never love anyone like I love him. She doesn’t love me enough to choose us. It was the wrong place. It was the wrong time. It should have been him. It will always be her. This book contains adult situations and is recommended for adult readers.

Running on Empty


L.B. Simmons - 2013
     Beautiful and loving husband.Three gorgeous little girls. Successful career. The only thing missing was the white picket fence. I really wanted that fence. Three years ago, I lost that life. I lost my husband. And I lost myself. But, eventually, I found my way through the darkness. I’ve made peace with my new life. I have my girls, and that’s all that matters. They are my world. I have no illusions of ever falling in love again or getting whisked away on a white horse. But then he came back into my life. On a freakin’ motorcycle.There’s no way I’ll let him turn my life completely upside down. Absolutely no way. The question is…How long can I keep pretending that I’m happy with my life being right-side up?

Mid-Life Love


Whitney G. - 2013
    Her career as a marketing director is on the brink of being legendary, and her marriage to her high school sweetheart has never been stronger. No, wait. It has. It used to be amazing and fulfilling, but one day Claire realizes that she's been living a lie and her best friend and husband have committed the ultimate betrayal. Broken and depressed, Claire is in need of something new—new city, new job, new friends. When she happens to attract the interest of the sexiest man she's ever met, a man significantly younger than her, she immediately turns him down—only to later discover that this man is Jonathan Statham, self-made billionaire and CEO of Statham Industries. Her boss.Jonathan Statham is unlike any man she's met before. He's used to getting whatever he wants—whenever he wants, and he isn't about to take no for an answer. Sexy, unpredictable, and charmingly clever, Mid Life Love is a story that will captivate you, entertain you, and force you to fall deeply in love with the characters.

Arouse


Nina Lane - 2012
    An innocent student. An intense love that could save or destroy them both.❤️They promised each other a sweet, hot forever. But a promise isn't enough.After escaping the demons of her past, college student Olivia Winter finds shelter in the arms of handsome, captivating professor Dean West. Though Dean is struggling with his own family battles, he wants nothing more than to claim the shy, sweet Liv as his own.As he draws her into lessons about desire, trust, and love, the spark between them ignites into a firestorm. And their desperate need for each other grows into an unbreakable bond.Then one simple question provokes an alarming chain of events that threatens to rip them apart forever.Liv and Dean would never lie to each other...until they do.They would never betray a trust...until they do.They would never be apart...until they are.★★★★★Welcome to the Spiral of Bliss. Liv and Dean's everlasting romance will melt your heart and enchant you with the power of a love that is more than love.The first three books in the Spiral of Bliss series can be read as a complete trilogy!AROUSEALLUREAWAKENYou can also enjoy the full story of Liv, Dean, and their Mirror Lake friends and family in the following order:AROUSEALLUREAWAKENARRIVEBREAK THE SKYADOREALWAYS ★★★★★"This series is brilliant." -Vilma's Book Blog"This book right here is why I love to read...and did I mention the super-hot alpha who calls his woman 'Beauty'?" -Sugar and Spice Book Reviews.

Now and Then


Brenda Rothert - 2013
    But then – in the years before she went to art school in Paris – she was a shy, awkward teenager with frizzy hair, a flat chest and a massive crush on the boy across the street, Cole Marlowe. Too bad her incredibly hot neighbor only had eyes for Layla.Cole is now a confident, laid-back attorney who’s even hotter than he used to be. He’s planning to stay single while working his way up the corporate ladder – until he’s knocked off course by a chance run-in with Emma.Everything is different between Cole and Emma now. He finally sees her in a way she only dreamed of, and their hot chemistry is fueled by a growing friendship. But Emma’s deception of her sister – who wants Cole for herself – and the secret Cole’s been keeping for more than a decade threaten to tear apart what’s only just begun. Because sometimes the only thing standing in the way of now is then.

Love, in English


Karina Halle - 2014
    I’m twenty-three.He speaks Spanish. I speak English.He lives in Spain. I live in Canada.He dresses in thousand-dollar suits. I’m covered in tattoos.He’s married and has a five-year old daughter.I’m single and can’t commit to anyone or anything.Until now. Because when they say you can’t choose who you fall in love with, boy ain’t that the f*#king truth.***To a restless dreamer like Vera Miles, it sounded like the experience of a lifetime. Instead of spending her summer interning for her astronomy major, she would fly to Spain where she’d spend a few weeks teaching conversational English to businessmen and women, all while enjoying free room and board at an isolated resort. But while Vera expected to get a tan, meet new people and stuff herself with wine and paella, she never expected to fall in love.Mateo Casalles is unlike anyone Vera has ever known, let alone anyone she’s usually attracted to. While Vera is a pierced and tatted free spirit with a love for music and freedom, Mateo is a successful businessman from Madrid, all sharp suits and cocky Latino charm. Yet, as the weeks go on, the two grow increasingly close and their relationship changes from purely platonic to something…more.Something that makes Vera feel alive for the first time.Something that can never, ever be.Or so she thinks.

Cherry Girl


Raine Miller - 2013
    Spin-off, yet can be read standalone. Book 1.Elaina Morrison has loved Neil McManus her whole life. She doesn’t remember a time when she didn’t love him. Through heartbreaking tragedy and years of separation, her love holds true…until life stomps all over her heart, shattering her perfect dream, teaching her how hard it is to let go.Real life doesn’t have anything on romantic dreams though, as these two have learned repeatedly. It sucks big time, leaving painful scars in its wake. But Neil isn’t giving up. He’s endured years of longing and sacrifice to wait for her. Always a soldier, he knows his way around a battlefield, and winning Elaina is no different. So that’s precisely what Neil is going to do. He'll go in fighting, and make Elaina see what he already knows.That she will forever be his Cherry Girl…

Take This Regret


A.L. Jackson - 2011
    For Christian, it was the day he betrayed Elizabeth. Christian Davison has a plan for his life. He is determined to become an attorney and to one day take his place as partner in his father’s law firm. Nothing will stand in his way, not even Elizabeth Ayers and their unborn child. After Christian cuts her from his life, Elizabeth spends the next five years struggling to provide for her daughter and willing to sacrifice anything to give her child a safe, comfortable life. For five years, Christian has regretted the day he walked away from his family and will do anything to win them back just as Elizabeth will do anything to protect her daughter from the certain heartache she believes Christian will bring upon them. When Christian wrestles his way into their lives, Elizabeth is faced with asking herself if it is possible to forgive someone when they’ve committed the unforgivable and if it is possible to find a love after it has been buried in years of hate. Or are there some wounds that go so deep they can never heal? They say everyone deserves a second chance.Lost to You and Take This Regret can be read as Stand-Alone Novels. Recommended reading order: Lost to You, Take This Regret, If Forever Comes

Finding Eden


Mia Sheridan - 2014
    It is about believing in your destiny and following the path that leads to peace.THIS IS THE SECOND PART, AND CONCLUSION, IN A TWO-PART SIGN OF LOVE SERIES INSPIRED BY AQUARIUS (BECOMING CALDER SHOULD BE READ FIRST). New Adult Contemporary Romance: Due to strong language and graphic sexual content, this book is not intended for readers under the age of 18.

Lost and Found


Lori L. Otto - 2010
    I was so taken by Nate and Emi’s love for each other. It’s the kind of love that few have and many desire but never get to experience.” - Megan, Reading Books Like a Boss Independent and sensitive, idealistic and hopeful, Emi Hennigan lives her life with optimism and an open mind. Between sharing a tiny Manhattan apartment with her fun-loving roommate and spending most of her free time with her heart-breaker friend, Emi’s seen enough failed relationships to know what to avoid in her quest to find her true love. Not only that, but a single moment from her past lingers in her mind, setting high expectations for every man she dates. Emi’s best friend, artist and hopeless romantic Nate Wilson, has been her closest companion all of their adult lives. After swearing off love with Emi in a silly high school pact, Nate has been seeing other women in hopes of finding one that evokes stronger feelings than the ones he’s been harboring for Emi since he was a teen. Over the span of a year, boundaries are crossed, feelings are confessed, and their unique friendship begins to blossom into something more. Through Nate’s eyes, an atypical romance unfolds, disrupting the comfortable safe haven their friendship has provided. With a promising future ahead of them both, fate intervenes to bring two soul mates together. Photography and cover design by Christi Allen Curtis, assisted by Katrina Boone

Take Care, Sara


Lindy Zart - 2013
    Sara Walker knows firsthand what it feels like to have your reality ripped away, scrambled, and shoved back at you in an undone puzzle where pieces are missing and nothing fits. She's lost so much and is struggling to live and to find the strength to forgive herself for being human. With the help of Lincoln, her husband's brother, Sara realizes it's not about finding who she used to be, but about finding who she is now.You breathe in, you breathe out, and everything you know isn't gone, but reborn.

On the Rocks


Sawyer Bennett - 2014
    Now he’s returned home to the sand and salty breeze of the North Carolina Outer Banks so he can open The Last Call, a beach bar nestled among the dunes of the Atlantic.Five years ago, Gabby Ward drunkenly threw herself at her best friend’s brother, only to have her young heart crushed. Hunter is back but Gabby is content to stay far away from him and his dangerously charming ways. Gabby’s well-schemed plans to ignore Hunter go up in flames when he presents her an offer she simply can’t refuse. Working together day in and day out proves problematic for two reasons—Gabby realizes her feelings for Hunter are still very much alive, while Hunter struggles to break through to Gabby’s cold heart. What starts out as a mutual business arrangement soon turns into a passion that neither can deny.But when the pro surfing tour comes knocking and Hunter has a chance to reclaim his former glory, hard choices lie ahead for both of them.Choices that could destroy what they have built or take them further than they could ever dare to hope in their second chance at romance.

So Much More


Kim Holden - 2016
    It comes out of nowhere. There’s no logic to it. It’s not methodical. It’s not scientific. It’s pure emotion and passion. And emotion and passion can be dangerous because they fuel love…and hate.I’m now a reluctant connoisseur of both—an expert through immersion. I know them intimately.When I fell in love with Miranda, it was swift and blind. She was the person I’d elevated to mythical status in my head, in my dreams.Here’s the thing about dreams, they’re smoke.They’re spun as thoughts until they become something we think we want. Something we think we need.That was Miranda. She was smoke.I thought I wanted her. I thought I needed her.Over time reality crept in and slowly dissected and disemboweled my dreams like a predator, leaving behind a rotting carcass.Reality can be a fierce bitch.So can Miranda.And I can be a fool...who believes in dreams.And people.And love.Note from the author: Due to strong language and sexual content, this book is recommended for mature audiences only.

Lily's Mistake


Pamela Ann - 2013
    One fated night during one of their family vacations, Lily gave her virginity to Drake. After that magical night, Drake and Lily avoided each other successfully for eight years. Upon their parent’s meddling, the two suddenly had to face each other—working side by side. Sparks fly, eyes devouring each other. The sudden impact of being in each other’s orbit was electrifying. Drake wanted to consume Lily almost immediately. But to what extent? Will Lily surrender again to the man who once broke her heart?