Book picks similar to
Dashing by Sophie Brooks


romance
contemporary-romance
adult
contemporary

Crown Jewels


Ella James - 2016
    Not that I keep track of Prince Liam. Definitely don't stalk him online like my friends do.I'm out of that scene now. My family's reality show might still be running, but I've been off-screen for a while. When people pass me on the sidewalk, they might squint, but most of them don't scream "Lucy Rhodes" and ask about my love of Lucky Charms or how my broken toe healed.Prince Liam--my stalking his Instagram--it's my dirty little secret. Trust me, I'm the only woman in the world who doesn't actually want him. Except I'm back in the Hamptons for the first time in two years. I'm at a party, and Prince Manwhore is here as well. I tell myself that smile has no effect on me. That his ridiculous charisma is a parlor trick I see right through.After our one night together, no one knows that I succumbed.It doesn't matter. It meant nothing.Not until I see those two pink lines.

The Christmas Promise


Nikki Larson - 2020
    But now that her dear husband has died and her money is running out, she reluctantly returns home to the small town of Crystalline Falls.Hunter Flynn is restless. Expected to work on his dad’s Christmas tree farm with his older brothers, he dreams instead of traveling and settling in some tropical location where he can enjoy the sun and the surf and keep his troubles at bay.Sabrina Townsend knows what she wants, and nothing will stop her from getting it. And this year, she’s decided, she wants Hunter Flynn back. If only Elise Silverstein would get out of the way.When Hunter runs into Elise, who broke his heart several years ago when she married Wesley, he is reeled in once again by her captivating personality. They were so young the last time they fell in love, and foolish. Now he is tempted to let himself become all wrapped up in her again. But wouldn’t that be a colossal mistake? An enchanting story about the joy of Christmas, the importance of family, and falling in love in the most magical holiday season of the year. This is a Sweet Contemporary Clean Romance with Christian themes, perfect for holiday reading.

Flooded (Beautiful but Strange, #1)


J.J. Sorel - 2020
    I chained myself to his pole.A STEAMY HEA ROMANTIC COMEDY FREE ON KINDLE UNLIMITEDI'm talking about the ancient oak tree his firm was going to chop down. Get your mind out of the gutter.That's how I met Sam Chalmer, the gorgeous only son of tycoon Carrington Chalmer. His company had plans to fell this beautiful old tree on behalf of a silent partner, and I wasn't about to let it happen without a fight.Even though it was tempting to just give in. I was thoroughly enjoying the idea of being at Sam's mercy while he figured out just what to do with me--until the area started to flood and I realized I had lost the key to unlock myself.This may have started as an environmental statement, but it's clear we're both in over our heads...SamThere I was, avoiding my father's typical patriarchal machinations and minding my own business, when I found out that Juniper Berry, an aptly-named daughter of genuine hippies, had chained herself to a tree my company was going to cut down.I had plenty of ideas how to turn Juni's playful taunting to my advantage, seeing as she was literally chained to a tree in front of me, her body on full display. None of them involved nearly drowning or a boat rescue.Now things are even more complicated: I'm falling for a literal tree-hugger when I'm supposed to be heiress hunting and managing a big business deal--and it's all because I made a promise to save that damn oak tree.I'm never underestimating foliage again.AUTHOR'S NOTE: There are a few steamy sex scenes in this enemy-to-lovers romantic comedy. For those who have read Thornhill Trilogy and are curious about the Thornhills four years later, they make an appearance in this story when Sam moves from San Francisco to Malibu and they become neighbors. THIS SERIES ENDS WITH A DEFINITE HEA ENDING.

The Cinderella Pact


Sarah Strohmeyer - 2006
    Nola Devlin has a secret identity. By day she is an overweight, frumpy, and overlooked editor at Sass! (the "celebrity magazine with an edge!"), but by night she slips behind her keyboard and into her alter-ego: Belinda Apple. Belinda is thin, gorgeous, British and the author of a trendy advice column- she is, in effect, the latest Carrie Bradshaw. Not even Nola's two best friends or her self-absorbed sister (who worships Belinda as the "sister she never had") know her secret.When "Belinda" jots off a column about how easy it is to lose weight, Nola is shocked when her best friends take her own lies to heart and urge her to follow Belinda's weight loss program. Since Nola can't reveal herself as the real Belinda Apple, she bites the bullet and joins her friends in making the "Cinderella Pact"- a last ditch attempt to lose weight (again!) and transform their lives for good.But as the pounds come off, things don't turn out the way the three friends expect. Their journey of self-discovery leads to the return of an old love and the unmasking of new problems. Meanwhile, Nola finds herself torn between two different men as she stomps out fires caused by her deception as Belinda Apple and falls in love with the man who just might be her prince - or the rat in coachman's clothing.

Turn the Paige


Roseanne Beck - 2018
    Paige Ellis has worked hard to make her dreams come true. But somewhere along the way, she lost something important--herself.Luckily, her dead grandmother is still looking out for her.When Paige returns home to fulfill her Nana's last request, she comes face-to-face with an annoying blast from her past. Not only does Nick Collins know just which buttons to push to make Paige crazy, but he also might be the one thing Paige has convinced herself she doesn't need.Can Nana and Nick persuade an overachieving workaholic that love might be the best medicine after all?If you enjoy enemies-to-lovers RomComs, you'll fall for TURN THE PAIGE. Because love hurts. But it's kind of funny.

Royal Date


Sariah Wilson - 2015
    Everything is going according to plan until she finds herself careening out of control down a mountainside and being rescued by a guy who looks like Superman’s hotter Italian cousin. HRH Prince Nico is intrigued by the woman he saved on the slopes and her refusal to date him. He offers Kat a deal—let him show her his country and he’ll pay her to write articles that will help Monterra’s tourism industry. Kat agrees, but given her past and lingering distrust of men, she has one condition—absolutely no kissing.Thanks to the claims of a jealous British noblewoman and the schemes of a meddling paparazzo, Kat’s rule doesn’t seem to be a problem at first. But the more Kat gets to know Nico and the people around him, the harder it is to remember her keep-your-distance plan. Should she stick to it or risk everything for a chance at happily ever after?

Royal Catch


Kylie Gilmore - 2019
    I expected a quiet arrangement through royal channels, instead I got a palace full of women vying for my hand. And how do they “win” this barbaric game set up by my crafty mother? By figuring out how to save the kingdom’s faltering economy through a series of challenges. This undignified circus is beneath a man of my stature! Proof being that a saucy, ill-mannered woman wearing body-hugging clothes is in the lead. I could never love someone like that, let alone marry her. Anna The plan sounded simple. I pose as my friend, pick up her inheritance, and return with the cash to keep her out of jail. (Apparently, being a princess in hiding is no excuse for identity theft.) So, yeah, I’m not exactly royal. I’m an orphan, a self-made woman, and proud of it. Suddenly I’m in a battle royale with a bunch of crazy competitive women for “riches beyond our dreams.” I’m in a time crunch, which means I need to win this competition fast. Only, that means winning over the judge; the smoldering hot grim-faced Gabriel. And now I find myself wanting to compete for more than just the money. But could a royal prince ever fall for a commoner like me? The Rourkes Series Royal Catch (Book 1) Royal Hottie (Book 2) Royal Darling (Book 3) Royal Charmer (Book 4) Royal Player (Book 5) Royal Shark (Book 6)

Beneath Him


Komal Kant - 2014
    When Sky Hudson first has a run-in with tall, dark, and handsome Nicholas Ruggarson, she wants nothing more than to throw her coffee at him. He is rude and arrogant, and she is glad she never has to set eyes on him ever again. Or so she thinks. It turns out, not only does she have to see Nick again, she also has to live with him. Hired as the new nanny to work for Nick’s affluent family, she can’t seem to get away from the womanizing jerk. With a hot and cold relationship, and an undeniable attraction between them, Sky might finally be the woman to break through Nick’s arrogance and discover that there is more to him than she ever imagined. If she doesn’t kill him first. *Recommended for readers aged 18+ due to language and sexual content. **This novel is a standalone.

Small Town Secrets


Alys Murray - 2021
    One year’s room and board provided.”I should have known it was too good to be true when I first saw the ad. It turns out that Fortune Springs, Colorado isn’t just a one-horse town, it’s a two-woman one, and this is their attempt to keep the community alive. I want to say the scheme is ridiculous, totally outdated, but I’m carrying everything I own in my canvas backpack and the greyhound I stepped off this morning is long gone. If this is my chance at a fresh start, I’d better grab it with both hands.I know I should feel guilty about pretending to be a lonely heart willing to help repopulate this rural logging town, but all I feel is relief at having escaped the apartment in Savannah. And after all, what’s one more secret to add to the pile? I only hope I’ve hidden my tracks well enough, and that the kind Fortune Springs locals who’ve opened their doors to me will never find out what made me run away in the first place…An emotional, gripping story full of family drama. Fans of Carolyn Brown, Robyn Carr and Debbie Macomber will be hooked.

His Curvy Dream


Erin Havoc - 2020
    There are no cliffhangers and no cheating! If you’re into instalove, hot scenes and happily-ever-afters, this one is for you!

Falling in Fate


Melanie Shawn - 2021
    When she woke up, she expected to walk down the aisle and say, “I do.” Instead, she ended up at a diner commiserating with her sisters as she inhaled a carb heavy breakfast and ate her feelings. With her entire future in limbo, Ava was plotting her next move when she overheard a deep, sexy, blast-from-the-past voice ask for a table for two. She tried to place where she'd heard the baritone vibrato before but it was sort of hard to concentrate with the tiny hairs on the back of her neck standing up, goosebumps lifting on her bare skin, and her lady parts throwing a rave.After nearly twenty years on the force Asher Ford thought he could handle anything, but becoming a single dad to a rebellious teenage girl overnight was proving to be more difficult than he’d expected. In a hail Mary move, he decided to quit his job as a homicide detective in New York City and move his daughter across the country to a simpler life in a small town. Things were going as planned until his fresh start was threatened after running into a breathtakingly beautiful woman whose smile made him feel like a teenager again and he also happened to share a complicated history with.Sometimes it's best to leave the past in the past...spoiler alert: this isn't one of those times.

Your Love Is Mine


Bella Andre - 2019
    Until his dark past comes crashing back when he learns his long-lost sister has passed away--and he has a six-month-old niece named Ruby. Flynn vows to give the little girl who now means everything to him a better childhood than he or his sister ever had. So when he finds out that Ruby's nanny is trying to sell their story to the press, he takes his niece as far from Hollywood as he can.One of seven siblings in Bar Harbor, Cassie Sullivan has always been grateful for the love and support of her tight-knit family. Because of them, she had the courage to create a successful candy confection business. So when a friend of her cousin needs a place to stay with his baby for a few weeks, she's happy to offer him her cabin in the woods. But from the first moment she meets Flynn and Ruby, her heart is lost to the gorgeous man and his adorable little girl.Flynn has never met anyone as cheerful and open as Cassie. Instantly drawn to her, he finds himself telling her things about his past that he's never spoken of to anyone--things that make him certain he could never be worthy of her. Only, Cassie isn't about to let the pair who have stolen her heart go without a fight--using all the light, love, and laughter she can give them. Will the nightmares from Flynn's past continue to haunt him and and steal away the joy of a future with Cassie? Or will Cassie's love, and the support of her big family, be powerful enough to help him face his long-buried demons and conquer them at last?YOUR LOVE IS MINE is part of Bella Andre's New York Times and USA Today #1 bestselling series about The Sullivans. While it can easily be read as a stand-alone story, you'll likely enjoy reading the other books, too.

Good Wood


L.G. Pace III - 2014
    It takes heart to use a twisted bit of scrap and make something from it as if it were good wood.”Somehow Joe survived the unlivable, and now he's just going through the motions. An endless string of one night stands does little to dull the ache from all he's lost. Even though he distracts himself daily with back-breaking work, his violent rage still simmers just under the surface.Then along comes Molly, the feisty baby sister of his two best friends. Joe hasn’t seen her in years, and he's unprepared for his reaction to her when she falls out of the food truck and into his arms. Molly is still as mouthy as ever, and now she's as delicious as the food she's serving up. It's totally against "The Bro Code", but he just can't seem to keep his hands off of her.Molly has come back home to Austin to mend fences and feed a whole new crowd. Dealing with Joe's demons doesn't figure into her business model. Something is very different about him and she craves the ‘Old Joe’ she used to have a crush on.Still, the broody carpenter's swagger is damn near irresistible. And all work and no play makes Molly a cranky girl.

Suddenly in Love


Julia London - 2016
    While renovating an old mansion overlooking stunning Lake Haven, she encounters a scruffy but attractive man named Brennan—the owner’s son. She doesn’t realize this sexy recluse is actually Everett Alden, the world-famous rock star in hiding who’s nursing his own artistic and personal crises.As their personalities clash, tension simmers between the struggling artist and jaded musician, and their time spent alone together in the gorgeous old house only serves to turn up the heat. Soon, Mia and Brennan’s creative passions boil over to inspire passions of another kind…But reality comes crashing in when Mia’s celeb-obsessed cousin discovers Brennan’s true identity—and reveals it to the world. As paparazzi and industry execs swarm the mansion, Brennan is thrust back into his rock star lifestyle. Will Mia lose her soul mate just when she’s finally found him? Can their love survive the glaring spotlight?

Forever with You


Jennifer Labelle - 2019
    To have so much pain you can barely breathe. My entire life got burned down in flames, and now I’m nothing. My escape? Friends, booze, and willing women. They make me feel numb. Better yet, they keep me distracted from the memories that plague me. When a curvy brunette walks into my tattoo shop I immediately recognize the sad look in her eyes. Pain. Regret. Grief. But I’m drawn to her, wanting to be near her all the time. Maybe it’s because we have something in common. A broken heart. Harlow has just about as many walls around her as I do. We’re both ruined, but despite being shattered into a million pieces, the more time we spend together the more she’s beginning to show me what hope looks like. It’s terrifying. If I keep on pursuing her, there are only two ways this could end. We’ll either help each other mend, or we’ll destroy the last bit of humanity we have left.