Book picks similar to
Tough Love by Max Henry


romance
dnf
second-chance
standalone

Unplugged


L.K. Collins - 2016
    That spark, that instant connection, became my sole purpose for breathing. Her laugh would take over a room.Her smile brought me to my knees. And her body was…pure perfection. When I met Quinn, she was fresh off a nasty breakup and had ruled out all men. She wanted to spend the week in the Rocky Mountains unplugged from the world, unwinding and focusing on herself. So I decided to let it go. But my mind wouldn’t. Every thought suddenly became consumed with Quinn, and I knew I had to have her. So when she finally agreed to a week of just sex, no strings attached, I took the deal and ran. It would give me time to fuck my Quinn obsession out of my head. But, man, was I wrong. A week wasn’t enough. A lifetime wouldn’t be enough. The problem…Quinn was hiding a secret—a secret that would ruin my life. And ruin it she did.

There's Only Been You


Donna Marie Rogers - 2008
    Two weeks after he accused her of cheating and disappeared from her life, Sara discovered she was something she never expected to be--an unwed pregnant teenager.But with the love and support of her annoyingly alpha-male family, she's managed to make a good life for herself and her young son. She even owns her own business, Sara's Bakery, which she's built into a thriving success. Sure, she works too hard and her social life is nonexistent, but for the most part, she's content.Until the day Detective Mike Andrews walks into her bakery and back into her life...

Second


Chantal Fernando - 2016
    The second was in love--with him. It wasn't meant to happen. But he was there for me. A bad boy I had nothing in common with. He was trouble. And he saved me. But as secrets have their way of unravelling, truth came to light. It always does.

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.

A Life Less Broken


Margaret McHeyzer - 2014
    Broken and damaged, Allyn seeks help from someone that fate brought her.Dr. Dominic Shriver is a psychiatrist who’s drawn to difficult cases. He must push past his own personal battles to help Allyn fight her monsters and nightmares.Is Dr. Shriver the answer to her healing?Can Allyn overcome the broken?Contains distressing content. Only suitable for 18+. Standalone.

Bent Not Broken


Julia Goda - 2015
    Out of survival she has created walls around her to keep anyone from getting too close. Though she lives in her dream house in the Rocky Mountains and loves being the owner of the town's quirky little bookstore Serendipity, her life is narrow and governed by strict rules that she never deviates from…until Cal Bennett enters her life. For the past nine years Calvin “Cal” Bennett has stayed away from Ivey, thinking she deserved better than to be saddled with a single dad who has never been good at relationships. Until a few chance encounters show him what he’s been missing and he can’t stay away any longer. Little does he know he’s got a fight on his hands that he might not be equipped to win. Shadows from Ivey's past lurk in the dark, ready to strike and bring her low once and for all. But Cal swears he will do whatever it takes to break through that wall of steel to win Ivey’s heart and keep her safe.

Deep Down


Brenda Rothert - 2015
    My closest companions now are shame and loss. But a sliver of hope lies in the only person I have left in this world – the one who’s growing inside me.Survival becomes living again because of my child, and the town where I begin anew. That’s where I meet the man who starts to melt the ice inside my heart.As we get closer, reminders of my past become sharper. Clearer. To confront the pain, I have to discover what’s deep down inside me. Is there enough left there to become whole again, or am I too wounded to heal? A portion of sales from this book will benefit the Keith Milano Memorial Fund at AFSP

From the Wreckage


Melissa Collins - 2015
    I lived because he was a hero. And then he was gone. Uprooted by the fire that destroyed our home, my family moved away and I never saw David Andrews again. Then, he found me. Eighteen years later, he rescued me again - in much simpler terms, of course. By loving me, by giving me the fairy tale I’d always hoped for, he provided me with the perfect life. Now, he needs to be saved. It’s my turn to be strong, to be brave, to be valiant. When flames threaten to turn us to ashes, it’s up to me to pull us From the Wreckage.

Lies & Lullabies


Sarina Bowen - 2020
    We shared a lot during our short time together. But he skipped a few crucial details.I didn’t know he was a rock star.I didn’t know his real name.Neither of us knew I’d get pregnant.And I sure never expected to see him again.Five years later, his tour bus pulls up in Nest Lake, Maine. My little world is about to be shattered by loud music and the pounding of my own foolish heart.

Best Laid Plans


L.K. Farlow - 2018
    In a big way. Too bad that the next morning he had no memory of our night together, leaving me heartbroken, and as I later discovered...pregnant.For the last four years, I've been rocking the single mom thing, making sure my daughter comes first. In fact, everything is going fine--until Alden storms back into my life, as my new boss.His reappearance wasn't something I planned for. Add my nosy, meddlesome three-year-old and an overprotective brother, and I'm obviously in way over my head.My only hope now is that I can sway Alden to see things my way...but you know what they say about the best laid plans...

The Roommate "dis"Agreement


Leddy Harper - 2017
     Item Two: Single mother needs apartment. Jade Robertson is desperate, and her best friend's couch just isn't going to cut it anymore. Item Three: No surprises. Romance. Work. Pasts. Agreements aren't promises...

Be My December


Rachel Brookes - 2014
    December 16th, a cold winter’s night, four years ago. The night my innocence was stolen, the night I made the mistake of saying no—a mistake I’d never make again. The dream of a ‘happily ever after' was now a locked away myth. I promised myself that I’d never return to the place of my worst nightmare, that I’d never let anyone get close, but then again, I never thought I’d meet someone like him. The intense, confident and beautiful Ky Crawford.I had no plans to become someone’s Prince Charming. I couldn’t be. I refused to be. My plan was simple—do whatever it takes to correct my biggest mistake, my one regret that now controlled my life. I was on track. I had plans, but then everything changed when I saw her—the girl in the red jacket, the girl who I was told couldn’t say no. The reserved yet stunning Eden Rivers.A girl who can’t say no.A guy who craves redemption.A chance encounter? It all comes down to this.One question.One month.Be My December?

Finding Parker


Scott Hildreth - 2014
    From a mother, father, friend or maybe a complete stranger. “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is." But what if it wasn’t? Parker Bale finds himself in this exact predicament. A gentlemen with a very unique past, Parker completed college and is on the hunt for a job. Almost immediately he is offered the career of a lifetime. His new assignment? Find a woman to love. His boss? Kenton Ward - a self-made millionaire with a strange desire to witness a love he never had an opportunity to experience. One small catch...Parker must sign a contract with Kenton, binding him to conditions of the search for a woman. Eagerly, he signs the document without reading the legal language. Victoria Fisker doesn’t trust people, has no faith in the male species and lives a quiet life keeping to herself and caring for her narcotic addicted mother. Can they look beyond their sordid pasts? Can Parker fall in love under the scrutiny of an employment contract? Can Victoria learn to trust? The love depicted in Finding Parker is not simply read, it is experienced. After reading this novel, you will without a doubt view love differently…and question the life you have been living. “I wanted to resist, allowing the night to go on forever. As we walked along the beach, I pressed my feet into the sand firmly, leaving an impression deep enough to last a lifetime. And I did not look back...”

A Harmless Little Game


Meli Raine - 2016
    Of course it would. A Senator’s daughter on camera? Wouldn’t you click “share”? Besides, that’s what three of the four guys in the video did.Share.They shared me.But that fourth guy? The nondescript one in the background in the upper left corner of the screen, just sitting on the couch? The only one who did nothing?Not one single thing.That was my boyfriend, Drew.And that was the last time I saw him.Until today, when my father—now on a path to the White House—hired him as head of security for my new team as I return home after four years of “recovering” in an undisclosed location that involved white lab coats, needles, pills and damage control.You see, the other three guys never went to jail. Never had charges pressed.Never faced consequences.Until today.Game on.* * *A Harmless Little Game is the first in this political thriller/romantic suspense trilogy by USA Today bestselling author Meli Raine.

Finding Home


K.L. Humphreys - 2019
    It's easier than letting people in and telling them about that night.I live my life in the shadows because happiness is something that I can't have.I keep my pain where it belongs, in the past. I keep my secrets buried deep down.Now my past is colliding with my future, and I'm not sure how I'm going to survive.But in the midst of the darkness is a shining light: Trent.Sometimes you find home in the place you least expect it.