Book picks similar to
An Unexpected Valentine by Linda Goodnight


romance
contemporary
short-story
contemporary-romance

The Big One


Katherine Hastings - 2019
    It’s the discovery of the late-night message she sent to the boy she loved ten years ago. The one she hasn’t seen since their week-long whirlwind summer romance in Door County. The boy she gave her heart to and forgot to take it back.You know... "The Big One". After they reconnect online, the years apart haven’t diminished their chemistry one bit. Desperate to find out if he’s really her one true love, she lets her meddling wingmen convince her to do the craziest thing she’s ever done in her well-planned life—she hops on a plane to surprise him in Italy. When Ellie waltzes back into his life and the sparks still fly between them, Liam is determined not to let her slip away again. He’s spent ten years trying to forget her, and now he’ll do anything to convince her to stay.As Ellie and Liam reconnect and try to bridge the ocean between them, they soon find more than just distance can tear them apart.

Billionaire for Christmas


Laurie Baxter - 2021
    A crush she can’t shake. A Christmas she’ll never forget.Ivy Steadman is not in love with her boss. Because first of all, technically speaking, she’s an independent contractor, so he’s not her boss. And second of all, she’s way too professional to fall for someone she works with. Someone it’s her job to sell to the public. Someone who only thinks of her as a colleague, or, at best, a friend. Only a fool would fall for their own marketing like that.Alec Ames is completely in love with his PR Specialist. He’s tried to keep it professional, but there’s no denying the chemistry between him and Ivy. He thinks she just might feel the same way. There’s really only one way to find out.His plan? Sweep her off her feet at the big holiday party he’s throwing for all the employees. He’s got the perfect night planned, from the lush and elegant Christmas decor to the string quartet ready with her favorite holiday song. What could possibly go wrong?

Trading Christmas


Debbie Macomber - 2011
    He figures a prison town should be nice and quiet over the holidays — except he’s thinking of the wrong Leavenworth!Through an internet site, Charles and Emily arrange to swap houses for the holiday. So Emily goes to Boston—and discovers that her daughter has gone to Florida. And Charles arrives in Leavenworth to discover that it’s not the prison town — it’s Santa’s village! The place is full of Christmas trees, Christmas music and...elves.Meanwhile, Emily’s friend Faith Kerrigan travels to Leavenworth to visit her and instead finds Charles the grinch. Then Charles’s brother, Ray, shows up at his home in Boston to discover that he isn’t there — but Emily is.Through all the mix-ups and misunderstandings, amid the chaos and confusion, romance begins to emerge in unexpected ways. Because everything changes at Christmas!

Hank


Jan Scarbrough - 2017
    Ashleigh, Chaz’s daughter, is new to ranch life. Can she survive the results of her bad judgement and make a home with her father’s new in-laws?On Christmas Eve, Hank accepts the job of ranch foreman over the mountains in the Gallatin Canyon, Montana. But something dark is happening at the Ghost Mountain Ranch, where the past is reaching out in dangerous ways to haunt the living.Hank’s story launches the Ghost Mountain Ranch series by Jan Scarbrough.

Take a Chance on Me


Becky Wade - 2020
     Penelope has one iron-clad dating rule—she does not date airmen. Months ago, she relaxed her rule with Eli and immediately lived to regret it. After a long deployment, he’s now back in Misty River and, to her dismay, she finds him just as tempting as always. Eli’s spent months thinking about funny, feisty, creative Penelope. He once leveraged his focus and drive to become a pilot, his childhood dream. Now he's set on leveraging that same focus and drive in order to convince Penelope to give him one more chance. This romantic prequel novella introduces readers to the quaint mountain town of Misty River and a brand-new series from Christy-winning author Becky Wade!

10 Blind Dates


Ashley Elston - 2019
    So when they decide to spend Christmas in South Louisiana with her very pregnant older sister, Sophie is looking forward to some much needed private (read: make-out) time with her long-term boyfriend, Griffin. Except it turns out that Griffin wants a little freedom from their relationship. Cue devastation.Heartbroken, Sophie flees to her grandparents' house, where the rest of her boisterous extended family is gathered for the holiday. That's when her nonna devises a (not so) brilliant plan: Over the next ten days, Sophie will be set up on ten different blind dates by different family members. Like her sweet cousin Sara, who sets her up with a hot guy at an exclusive underground party. Or her crazy aunt Patrice, who signs Sophie up for a lead role in a living nativity. With a boy who barely reaches her shoulder. And a screaming baby.When Griffin turns up unexpectedly and begs for a second chance, Sophie feels more confused than ever. Because maybe, just maybe, she's started to have feelings for someone else . . . Someone who is definitely not available.This is going to be the worst Christmas break ever... or is it?

The Sandover Beach Billionaire


Emma St. Clair - 2019
     So why can’t Jenna escape Jackson Wells’ smirking--and frustratingly attractive--face? When she returns home to Sandover Island after her mother’s death, Jenna is at rock bottom. If there were a level lower than rock bottom, that’s where she is. Hope doesn’t exist down there. Neither does love. To make things worse, Jenna keeps running into Jackson, a man she’s known--and avoided--since high school. She doesn’t know why he’s pulling the nice-guy act, but she isn’t buying. Unless it isn’t an act at all. Then she might really be in trouble. The one woman billionaire Jackson Wells has loved for half his life comes home… ….and still sees him as the idiot kid he was in high school. He just wants a chance to show her that he has changed. But every kindness he tosses her way, she lobs back like a grenade. Jackson can see how high she’s built her walls to keep out the pain. Good thing he’s prepared to scale them. No matter how long it takes.But on a small beach island like Sandover, you can’t ever escape your past. Can Jackson and Jenna forge a new future together? You’ll love this enemies to lovers clean romance! Grab your copy today! This is book five in the Billionaire Surprise Series. Look for the other books in the series!THE BILLIONAIRE SURPRISE SERIES The Billionaire Love Match The Billionaire Land Baron The Billionaire Benefactor The Billionaire's Masquerade Ball The Billionaire's Surprise Heir The Sandover Beach Billionaire The Billionaire Surprise Box Set (books 1-4) *previously published as Sandover Beach Memories with significant updates!*

Blue Christmas


Diane Moody - 2011
    When a last-minute customer brimming with holiday spirit invites her to a candlelight service and a late-night family dinner, Hannah reluctantly accepts. She has no idea this kindhearted woman is the mother of Jason McKenzie - leader singer of Out of the Blue, the hottest band in the country - and Hannah's childhood idol. The evening ends with an innocent kiss (sans mistletoe) as Hannah is swept away by Jason's unpretentious manner.Over the holidays Hannah and Jason's relationship grows, but when turmoil and tragedy strike at the very heart of his famous band, their newfound love is put to the test in the glare of the paparazzi spotlight. Throughout her rollercoaster of experiences with Jason and his friends, Hannah comes face to face with her own beliefs. Who knew she could learn more about prayer and faith by hanging out with a bunch of rock stars than she ever learned in church?The author first wrote Blue Christmas as a gift for her then-teenage daughter in honor of her affection for a wildly popular band in the late 90s. The short story grew into a full-length novel, eventually surfacing on one of the band's fan fiction websites where it became quite a phenomenon. More than 80,000 readers stopped by to read the story, with over 1000 of them sending personal emails to the author who still enjoys reading them today. Though the story's details have been changed, its band and all characters now fictional, the story line remains the same. Author Diane Moody has dedicated Blue Christmas to her now-grown daughter, Hannah Moody Schmitt.

Blazing Trouble


Jenna St. James - 2019
    James.When Trinity Falls' Most Eligible Bachelor, fireman Caleb Travers, strikes a bargain with reporter Katherine "Kat" O'Malley, neither one is prepared for the sparks that fly. Now if only they could convince their grandmothers--long-time rivals--to butt out of their fake relationship. Between two black eyes, a gang shootout with real weapons, and a jealous ex-girlfriend, Katherine O'Malley sets out to prove she's badass enough to nab Trinity Falls' Most Eligible Bachelor. Not like he's going to need much convincing...pact or no pact. But when Kat is faced with having to risk her heart and go all-in with Caleb, will she be able to take that leap of faith? Or will she decide, instead, to walk away and let her heart crash and burn?

Soldier Under the Mistletoe


Lacy Williams - 2018
    Right over her fancy party dress. She looked like a little kid playing dress up. He blinked, and it was a woman who looked back at him with soft eyes. Cash was gonna kill him if he didn't un-screw this up. One night. Make it count. Mallory Trudeau can manage a five hundred acre ranch. She just can't seem to break out of the Friend Zone with Sam "Maverick" Dunlop. She knows he thinks of her as Cash's little sister, but that's going to change tonight. It's just one night. Evade and retreat. The Cattlemen's Christmas Ball is one in a long string of reminders that Maverick doesn't belong in Mallory's world. He's got thirty-six hours to report back to his military base. He can make it that long without giving in to the forbidden attraction he feels for Mallory. He just wasn't counting on the mistletoe... Three couples. One unforgettable Christmas. The Snowbound in Sawyer Creek series includes these books: *Soldier Under the Mistletoe *The Nanny’s Christmas Wish *The Rancher’s Unexpected Gift

Christmas Kismet


Jemma Grey - 2013
    Until this year. This year, Christmas represents an aching reminder of all that Kate is supposed to have and all that she has lost. Her fiance ran off with her twin sister and Kate would rather hide and wallow in her misery than spend Christmas with her family. This will be the first Christmas that she has ever spent alone. Kate rents a secluded cabin for the holidays and hopes to find herself again as she picks up the pieces of her shattered heart. Instead, Kate finds Henri Archer, a sexy architect who owns the vacation cabin that she rented. Henri is undeniably handsome and although Kate knows that it is entirely too soon for her heart to embark on a new relationship, her attraction to Henri is impossible to ignore. Since the death of his wife three years ago, Henri has struggled to get through Christmas. Spending an unexpectedly romantic holiday secluded in a winter wonderland with Kate has Henri wondering if Christmas wishes really do come true. Together, Henri and Kate rekindle the joys of the Christmas season - each contemplating bearing the scars of their pasts for a second chance at love. Kate fears that by opening her heart to Henri she risks re-opening herself to the heart ache that threatened to destroy her. Henri hopes that two broken hearts can come together and mend each other - a true Christmas miracle. **Christmas Kistmet is a sweet and steamy holiday romantic tale about love, fate and the redemption of second chances**

The Christmas Blanket


Kandi Steiner - 2020
    I haven't been home in four years, not since I left this town with my eyes set on adventure.And my heart set on forgetting the only man I’ve ever loved.River Jensen -- my ex-husband.I don't plan on seeing him during my visit. I definitely don't plan on him saving me when my little rental car slides off the icy road. And the last thing I could have ever prepared for is being stuck in a tiny cabin with him, waiting out the storm.Four years have passed since I've seen him -- the boy I loved, now a man I don't know at all. But being stuck inside with him leaves us nothing but time together.Everything about him has changed, and yet, he still has the same forest green eyes that have haunted me since I left. Back then, we were at an impasse. Back then, there was nothing left to talk about, nothing left to fix. Back then, the only choice I had was to leave and start anew.But the more I re-discover the man I left behind, the more I question why I ever left at all.And if I’m too late to find my way back home. The Christmas Blanket is a stand-alone holiday novella set in a snowy small town in Vermont.

Yours By Christmas


Jennifer Youngblood - 2018
     Beckett Bradshaw knows what it’s like to be on top of the world and then to come crashing down to the lowest form of human existence, living on the streets. It has taken a huge amount of hard work and self control to get where he is today. He’s content with his job as a firefighter and so incredibly grateful for the miraculous recovery of his young daughter. When a mysterious old lady shows up at the fire station and makes a prophecy that Beckett will find love by Christmas, he doesn’t believe it. Beckett doesn’t dare pray for the desires of his heart for fear that he’s used up all of his miracles. Then, Beckett meets the beautiful and vivacious Ava Lawrence and starts to hope that maybe he really can find love. Beckett is hesitant to tell Ava about his checkered past for fear that she won’t want him. However, Ava has a few secrets of her own that could destroy everything Beckett has built. Will a Christmas miracle be enough to bind two lonely hearts together or will the scars of the past prevent Beckett and Ava from finding the lasting love they most desire?

Christmas at Tiffany's


Karen Swan - 2011
    Three seasons. One chance to find the life that fits.Cassie settled down too young, marrying her first serious boyfriend. Now, ten years later, she is betrayed and broken. With her marriage in tatters and no career or home of her own, she needs to work out where she belongs in the world and who she really is.So begins a year-long trial as Cassie leaves her sheltered life in rural Scotland to stay with each of her best friends in the most glamorous cities in the world: New York, Paris and London. Exchanging grouse moor and mousy hair for low-carb diets and high-end highlights, Cassie tries on each city for size as she attempts to track down the life she was supposed to have been leading, and with it, the man who was supposed to love her all along.

Finding Hope


Elizabeth Diaz - 2015
    Then life took an unexpected turn. Can Olivia find hope in the midst of her darkest hour? When Olivia Martinelli, a naive nineteen-year-old, moved out on her own, she never could have imagined what direction her life would take. A life-changing decision, a betrayal of trust, and a painful consequence leave her devastated. Will Olivia find the strength she needs for the journey ahead?