Book picks similar to
Wicked Game by Michelle St. James
dark
romance
freebie
100-200pg
Elegant Retribution
Tee Smith - 2017
She thought he had loved her. Little had she known, it was all part of his sick little game. Toying with the business card in her hand, could she call on a perfect stranger and ask for help? What did she expect from him? Rescue? Protection? Escape? Denim Gargliano, is a powerful, well respected businessman. Everyone wants to be his friend or be a part of his success. Everyone wants to be him When a dark haired girl sweeps into his life unexpectedly, his world is turned upside-down. He knows he must be careful. Allowing someone into his world leaves them both vulnerable. However, nothing and no one will stand in his way when it comes to protecting the ones he loves.
Love in the Rockies: Sweet romance on an unforgettable train journey (True Love Travels)
Poppy Pennington-Smith - 2020
But she’s stuck in sleepy Oxford. Every day is the same. Nothing ever changes.Until, completely out of the blue, Beth gets the chance of a lifetime.She’s sent to Canada to compete in an infamous travel writing competition. Winning would propel her to stardom and make all her dreams come true. It would change everything…The problem is, she’s up against swoon-worthy Canadian, Blake O’Brien. And Blake is not the kind of guy who gives up without a fight.As finalists, Beth and Blake are forced to travel together through the Rocky Mountains and across Canada. And slowly, as Beth’s self-belief soars, she begins to see Blake in a different light. Perhaps he’s not the brash, arrogant, sarcastic guy she thought he was? Perhaps he’s exactly what she needs…But as the competition comes to a head, and loyalties are tested, will Beth and Blake realise they simply have to be together? Or will their rivalry, and their very different lives, get in the way?
'Love in the Rockies' is a sweet, clean, romance novel with no cliff hangers and a HEA. It is the first in the True Love Travels series by Poppy Pennington-Smith.
The Broken Road
K.S. Ruff - 2014
When I kiss you for the first time, you’re going to want that kiss more than your next breath.” Montana girl Kristine Stone was strong enough to break out of an abusive marriage, but is she strong enough for the road that lies ahead? For the first time in her life, Kristine finds she has some control over her life. Haunted by her ex-husband and a newly acquired stalker, she leaves Montana to work in the U.S. Senate. Kristine issues a moratorium on dating. This hardly deters Kadyn Rand, the Air Force Captain who threatens to tear down every wall she’s ever built. Still, someone from her dark past refuses to be ignored, and Kristine finds herself in yet another fight for her life. Tall, dark, and determined are the words that best describe Kadyn Rand. He is too stoic to be swept away by much of anything, but a vulnerable woman from Montana manages to do just that when she finds herself alone and in danger in DC. Kadyn is intelligent, resourceful, and a fiercely devoted friend. His sense of humor runs on the sarcastic side. He’s also the kind of guy who likes to keep people guessing about what’s going on inside his head, which is why he makes a conscious effort not to smile. That is until he meets Kristine Stone. Her missteps regularly get a smile out of him. Her moratorium on dating intrigues him, while her vulnerability calls to his protective side. Kadyn tries to earn Kristine’s love and her trust but soon learns it will take much more than that to save her from her past.
Ember
Emma Slate - 2018
I am weak. Naked. Vulnerable.A lamb among wolves.My life is no longer enchanted. My life is no longer a dream.My life is a nightmare, and my only hope is a man who’s determined to fight my demons like they’re his own.Only, in the quiet of the night, I worry he isn’t my savior.He is my destruction.
Single & Seeking: Complete Four-Book Boxed Set
Desiree Douglas - 2018
Each story connects a group of friends living in the Paradise Palms condos, a place to heal and find love. In Book 1, Single & Seeking Fabio, Shelley runs from a relationship after discovering she's "the other woman" and settles for fictional love between the pages of romance novels. Until she meets Duke! Book 2, Single & Seeking a Touch of Love, features Rachel and Liam, two painfully shy people who find love, along with an orphan in search of the perfect parents. Book 3, Single & Seeking Mr. July, tells the story of Jillian, the single mother of three boys, and Quinn, the fireman who falls for all four of them. Book 4, Single & Seeking Second Chances, completes the series with Kayden's story. She was forced to give up her daughter for adoption 14 years ago and, like a Christmas miracle, gets another chance to be a mother and reconnect with Tripp, the love of her life. Real-life characters and real-life situations, this collection is a must-read if you enjoy laughter through tears and satisfying happily-ever-afters!
Helios Security: Box Set (Helios Security, #1-5)
Camilla Blake - 2020
Unless you’re Dr. Rhea Blumetti – who accidentally caused an international incident in South America. As though it’s not bad enough being the baby of a family in the bodyguard business, now Finn Mabrey has been assigned as her permanent solo detail. Her crush for oh, forever, now stuck protecting her ass from herself and the bad guys she ticked off.In the five year since they met, and their uh, interesting first meeting, Finn has tried to keep his distance from Rhea. Too many years, too many scars. But Rhea is keeping secrets about what happened in Columbia and Finn is determined to sort them out. She’s in over her head, he knows that much. He almost lost her once and that will never happen again. Except neither of them expected to enjoy all the time they’re getting to spend one-on-one. And how that might be more complicated than international criminals coming after them.MILOMilo “King” Kingsolver knows that Cassia Cafaro cannot keep a secret to save her life. Not that he minds; he’ll listen to her babble any day. But the beautiful, bubbly baker in a family of hard-asses has been off-limits from day one. But when Cassia asks him for one, itty-bitty favor – to be her bodyguard for a long weekend – Milo discovers no good deed goes unpunished. Especially when that deed involves the Cafaro sisters breaking the One Cafaro Family Rule while big brother Roman is away. No, not breaking. Already completely broken. Smashed to pieces. For the first time, Milo wishes he was wrong. Turns out Cassia can keep a secret. In fact, she’s been keeping a lot of them…EZRABodyguards probably shouldn’t bake or have existential crises. Ezra Blumetti used to like being the exception to the rule. Now he’d like the rulebook back. That is, until his next job crash lands onto his lap. Erin Miyaki. Brilliant, beautiful, on-top-of-the-world, Erin. His old nemesis, always ready to call him on said BS. Not only is she in danger – she might be more of a mess than he is. Stuck together, too, alone, he gets to call all the shots as her bodyguard. Which means payback. Erin should hate him all the more. Instead, they’re getting along. A little too well. As though Ezra’s existence wasn’t upside down enough, though, a family secret shows up on his doorstep, needing his help. A secret kept from Ezra. One Erin helped uncover.Once it was a game of who hated who more. Now the rules have changed and neither of them will ever be the same.WYLIEAntonia “Toni” Cafaro has everyone figured out. With one glaring exception. Wylie.Ever since the mountain man started working at Helios a decade ago – Wylie has provoked her. His unknowable, unfindable first name, his refusal to admit he has a past, and the lack of even one accidental physical touch between them. Then, after a small yet seismic shift between them – Wylie has the gall to vanish – promising Toni will never find him. She proves him wrong and it almost costs him his life. Now, as the clock runs out and they search for answers to keep the past from unraveling their future – Toni has to keep Wylie safe as they try to outwit a tangle of enemies – and each other. But it might be too late.ROMANWho fires the woman who saved your life? Roman Cafaro.Harlow has had the gamut of crappy bosses and pretentious men. But she never knew bone-deep, satisfying, and real hatred until him. Only Harlow can’t help herself from helping him. And it lands her in more danger than she realizes. Right in the line of fire of the man who paid for the match to be lit, who has been waiting for a chance to take down the Cafaro’s. Now Roman might end up paying Harlow back sooner than either of them expected. It will be a miracle if they both survive this, since they might kill each other first. Or fall in love. Hard to say which is more dangerous.
Falling For Her Best Friend: A Sweet & Clean Small Town Romance (Love in Holiday Junction Book 1)
Tami Franklin - 2019
When she runs into an old flame, Liam, and sparks reignite, Vi is convinced the man of her dreams is the one she left behind—and now she has a chance to win him back.Kade Rivera has carried a torch for Violet since high school, but putting the “boy” in front of “friend” was never an option. Best friends since childhood, they lost touch over the years, but Kade’s never forgotten the girl who stole his heart. And when he sees her again, her bright eyes and sunny smile still make him weak in the knees.Now that Vi is back in town, it could be Kade’s big chance to prove he’s more than the boy next door. The only problem is Vi’s determination to reunite with her first love. When Kade and Vi are roped in to planning the big Sweetheart Ball, can Kade make her see that the one who got away, is the one who was there all along?
FALLING FOR HER BEST FRIEND is the first book in the LOVE IN HOLIDAY JUNCTION series of standalone romances. Each fun and flirty story is set in the small town of Holiday Junction, WA and can be read on its own, but you’ll probably enjoy reading them in order more. If you love small town romances with strong heroines, swoony heroes, and a quirky cast of characters, download today!
*Previously published as Violet's Valentine
Broken Hearts (Broken Rebel Brotherhood Next Generation, #1)
Andi Rhodes - 2020
Not when the pull of serving our country is my competition. With no other choice, I rebuild myself and focus my attention on the clients of the Broken Rebel Brotherhood, the people who need the club’s help. I even date other guys in an effort to circumvent the heartache. It works for a while but eventually, the past comes back in the form of muscles, tats and so much baggage.Isaiah is no longer the boy I loved. He’s a man that oozes sin and pain. His eyes tell a story that I’m not sure I’m up to hearing. Why then is it so hard to turn my back on him? And why in the hell is he the only person my soul calls out to when I’m in trouble?Isaiah…Leaving my family and Tillie was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. But duty called and I had to answer. Especially if I want to be the president of the Broken Rebel Brotherhood and fill my dad’s very large shoes. When a bombing sends me back to the only place I’ve ever called home, I mistakenly think that everything will magically be the same. Not only has everything changed, but Tillie has moved on. She’s become a woman I don’t recognize, a woman who spends her days proving she doesn’t need me. But I know her better than she knows herself. And danger lurks in the shadows, threatening her existence, whether she wants to admit it or not. I will stop at nothing to protect her, to show her that we still belong together. Fighting for my country was my duty. Fighting for Tillie is everything.
Deposition and a Dare
Evelyn Adams - 2018
Naked is my super power, and I work it like a boss. In New Orleans, pleasure is a public service and I’m happy to do my part. I know what women crave, and I help their men learn to give it to them-- with plenty of kinky window-dressing and an air of delicious command. It’s just a game men and women play, one that leaves everybody satisfied. Until the day I’m dragged into court on a ridiculous charge. Now I’m playing the game with Erik Jensen, Esq., the man who looks more like a sexy pirate than an attorney. Suddenly, the stakes are higher than I could ever have imagined. Because Erik isn’t the man I thought he was, and neither is the game. If I win, I keep it all: my business, my reputation, and my formerly invulnerable heart. If I lose…well, I won’t let that happen. But it’s getting harder to tell which one of us is being mastered and before long, a safe word is the only thing standing between happily ever after and a pair of broken hearts.
Give Me Love
Paige P. Horne - 2015
Abandoned by her mother at only eight years old, Kathrine Harrison was taught that relying on yourself is the only way. She grew up in chaos, getting abused by her stepdad who reminded her daily that she wasn’t worth loving. Bryce Grant was used to his dad’s drinking but couldn't understand why the man was obsessed with a woman who constantly chose drugs over her family. Bryce cared for only one person and did everything he could to keep his brother, Jace, from witnessing just how bad their parents were. Tragedy changes the boys’ lives and sets them on a path they have never envisioned for themselves. Meeting by chance, Kat and Bryce have no idea how much they have in common and love is not a choice. Can it change how they see things, or will it destroy the life they've worked so hard to maintain?
Unmasked: The Complete Series
Cassia Leo - 2014
She's never been touched... until now. From New York Times bestselling author Cassia Leo comes a deliciously dark and mind-bending erotic thriller series. I was born into this world unwanted. I spent the first hours of my life unloved. I spent the first eighteen years of my life with the parents who tried to shelter me from the harsh reality of my existence. But you can’t un-write a sad story if the ending is literally written all over your face. So I moved out and now I hide. I have a night job that pays the bills. Every night, I put on my mask and walk to work. Then one night, I hear and see something that will change my purpose in life... forever: a murder that will bring him to me. He says he wants to protect me. And, through a series of events I can’t fully make sense of, I find myself believing him. But our nightly visits are always cloaked in darkness. I don’t know his face and he will never know mine. I was born into this world unwanted. I will leave this world unmasked. **WARNING: This series is not intended for readers under the age of eighteen due to dark and erotic content.**
Harbor Falls Romance Box Set: Two-Book Series Starter
Maddie James - 2020
She will run the inn, write her cookbooks, and pick up an occasional catering job with her cousin, who owns the local bakery. Her life in Harbor Falls is predictable--a welcome change from the chaos of recent months (when her sister ran off with her fiancé)--and that's the way she likes it. Until chaos rides his bad ass Harley up to her bed and breakfast doorstep--and her perfect, predictable, and well-planned world starts crumbling like yesterday's blueberry muffins.Brad Matthews has other ideas. When Suzie worked as his sous chef in Asheville months earlier, he had no intention of falling in love with the sassy chef--no room in his life for romance. But when she disappeared and took Brad's heart with her, his good intentions shattered. Even though Brad's plan to win Suzie back involves making the people of Harbor Falls a bit angry (Suzie included), it is part of his bigger plan to get his life and career on track, and to win Suzie Hart back into his arms--permanently.But can Suzie let go of their muddled past, and her well-planned future, in order to find happiness with hunky Chef Brad? Can Brad alter his own plan, in order to win Suzie back? Take My Heart - When Shelley Hart ran off and married her sister, Suzie's, fiancé, the whole town of Harbor Falls was in a twitter. A few years later, her husband deceased and with two little girls in tow, her only recourse is to go home for the holidays. Will Suzie, forgive her? What about that boy she left behind?Harbor Falls Police Officer Matt Branson values being alone. Dubbed the town hermit, he prefers the solitude of his mountain cabin to socializing with friends--friends who say he still pines after the woman who got away. But the snowy day he pulls over an older model sedan speeding into Harbor Falls, things change. His gut slams against his backbone as a tearful woman rolls down the car window. His heart melts when she looks up into his eyes.Shelley Hart is back in town--the woman who sent him into his cave in the first place.
Devil's Lake
Aaron Paul Lazar - 2014
Like the rest of her family, Boone has never given up hope that Portia would return. But when she turns up battered, skinny as a twelve-year-old boy, afraid of everything and unable to talk about what happened, he does the only thing he can—try to help her heal. He summons the town doctor and Portia’s parents, and sets out to put this beautiful, broken woman back together again. Through her family's love and Boone's gentle affection, Portia gradually comes back to herself, and starts to fall for her old friend in a whole new way. But one thing threatens her fragile hope for recovery: The man who took her promised that if she ever escaped, he'd kill her. Slowly. And someone is definitely watching her...waiting to make his next deadly move.
Undercover Seduction
Gemma Hart - 2016
That was Marco Desmond. Hot, lethal, and the world’s best hit man for the dangerous Desmond Mafia. And it was my job to go undercover and seduce him so that I could find out the crucial information needed for possibly the biggest sting operation by the FBI. Easy, right? Oh god. As if that wasn’t hard enough, I was going undercover into the heart of the Desmond Mafia. One false move or wrong word and my life would end before I knew it. But I was determined to make this work. I would prove once and for all that I was an FBI agent worth her salt, even if it meant seducing the devil. Halle Margot. Did that gorgeous little fool know what she had gotten herself into? No one walks into the Desmond Mafia and expects to get out alive. You walk in on two legs but you go out on your back. I had enough on my plate and enough secrets to fill several closets but from the moment I see that curvy angel, I can’t seem to focus on anything but her. With her naive clumsiness getting her deeper and deeper into the heart of the Desmond Mafia, I know I have to save her. But can I do it before we both burn in this hell?