Book picks similar to
Love Hurts by Brenda Grate


ebook
chick-lit
stand-alone
contemporary-fiction

Unbreakable


Abby Reynolds - 2014
     This is a stand alone novel. It is not a cliffhanger. And it is the first novel in the Forehead Kisses Series. Can there be too many pieces to piece back together? This is a question Keira faces every day. It’s impossible for her to go anywhere unaccompanied by her cousin, the only person who knows what happened on that horrific night a year ago. The guilt and pain weigh her down every day. Unwilling to open up to anyone and give someone a chance, she lives in solitude. For her, that’s the only way to live. Liam struggles with his own demons. After losing someone who means the world to him, he combats his anger and pain on a daily basis. He dives into violence and sex, losing himself more and more. But as soon as he meets Keira, he recognizes the same pain he suffers every day. And he pursues her, wanting to connect to someone who understands. Keira can’t put herself back together, and neither can Liam. But can they do it together?

A Weekend Temptation


Krista Caley - 2012
    But he can't escape the memory of the unforgettable kiss he shared with his sexy coworker, Ava Carson. When she leaves his company, he shows up on her doorstep, determined to burn her out of his memory with a week of scorching passion.Ava can't resist the temptation of hot sex with Joel, on a private island. After the temporary affair, she hopes to be free of her obsession so she can find love, but she's in for the shock of a lifetime when she finds she's pregnant.Will Ava find a way to heal Joel and unlock his heart, or will Joel lose his second chance at love and family?

Taste for Trouble


Susan Sey - 2013
    Off the field? He’s pure trouble. When his fondness for fast women and bar brawls lands him a suspension from the game, he’s prepared to take his punishment like a man. But since when does a suspension come with a live-in nanny?TV baking maven Belinda West is the epitome of home-made hospitality, on-screen and off. The personal is the professional when you’re selling the good life, after all. But when her wedding day implodes in front of a live studio audience, Bel’s career goes into a death spiral. She’ll do anything to save it, even take charge of soccer’s most famous bad boy. To hell with the morals clause in his contract; James isn’t about to shape up for some knock-off Mary Poppins. But since when does Mary Poppins laugh like a naughty angel and smell like sugar cookies? He’s not looking for love but that kiss of hers is practically perfect in every way. And James has a powerful taste for trouble.

A Date with Fate


Tracy Ellen - 2012
    She’s twenty eight, owns a bookstore, and is one determined, control freak of a woman. She’s decided to take the entire weekend off to have some fun. Except Anabel’s unapologetically single and perfectly uncomplicated life is suddenly upside down with problems! The cheating love of her life is back in town. Her family is meddling in her personal business. An adulterous wife of a good friend has gone missing. She’s been targeted for death by a homicidal serial rapist. An evil aunt has gone fanatic. Her sociopathic cousin has stolen her gun. The macho police chief is driving her nuts. And one not-too-tall, deliciously dark, and definitely not handsome stranger is enticing her to break all her ironclad rules on dating in the most intriguing of ways. Strange things are happening in Northfield, Minnesota. But Anabel’s never met the challenge she won’t stare in the eye while daintily spitting sideways in the dirt. Will Anabel begin to believe that life is never simple, some rules are meant to be broken, and a certain mesmerizing complication may be worth the trouble--even if it kills her? (Adult Content)

The Obituary Society


Jessica L. Randall - 2014
    Lila is charmed by the people of Auburn, from the blue-eyed lawyer with the southern drawl to the little old lady who unceasingly tries to set Lila up with her grandson. But when strange things begin to happen, Lila realizes some of her new friends are guarding a secret like it's a precious family heirloom. It's a dangerous secret, and it has come back to haunt them. Lila is caught in the middle, and her life may depend on uncovering it. But even if she can, can she stay in Auburn when not everyone is what they seem, and even the house wants her gone?

Twelve Days


Teresa Hill - 2000
    But there's a catch: Rachel's family is falling apart. Rachel and her husband, Sam, have dreamed of a house filled with children -- a dream that has led them to repeated heartbreak. Sam McRae has finally decided the only thing left to do is leave his wife. Reluctantly, Rachel and Sam take the children in, but just until after Christmas. They will do their best not to fall in love with them, not to get their hopes up that this time a miracle will happen. That these children will stay, and that their marriage can still be saved. AWARDS: RITA Finalist

Deconstructed


Liz Talley - 2022
    Her plan: hire an investigator; find an attorney; enlist the help of her new assistant, Ruby; and make her husband pay.Ruby knows how quickly everything changes. After a dicey past, she’s determined to forge a new future by working for Cricket and reinventing herself as a designer, deconstructing vintage haute couture. If anybody can help mend a few tears in Cricket’s life, she can.But turns out Cricket’s life isn’t just a little torn. It’s wrinkled, stained, and falling apart at the seams. With Ruby and her ragtag relatives—a soused PI and a hunky tow truck driver—Cricket is sleuthing her way to the truth, no matter how dangerous it gets.Sure, Cricket’s life isn’t what she imagined. But she’s embracing change and figuring out what she really wants. And that’s kind of fabulous.

Next to You


Daisy Prescott - 2016
    I’d never let you go.” I added Sage to my rugby club’s annual list of women who are off limits thinking I could protect her from the gorillas I play with. Aspen's a small town in the off season when the dating pool shrinks to the size of a melted snowflake. Never did I think I’d be the one to break the code and date her. Even if it’s all for show. A wager between friends. An excuse to hang out with her more. Nothing more than that. Right? *** Who agrees to date their best friend over a green smoothie? Apparently this girl right here. Now the man-bun-sporting South African rugby god next door is my fake boyfriend. I need to rebuild my confidence after some poor dating decisions. Who could be better to fluff my ego than Aspen’s hottest bachelor? This situation is a win-win. Right?Next to You is a standalone Romantic Comedy/sports romance about a rugby player and an heiress in Aspen. Next to You is book one in the Love with Altitude series of standalone romances set in the small town of Aspen.Stan and his man bun first appeared in the Modern Love Story Short, Take for Granted. This is a full-length novel told in dual POVs.

The School Gates


Nicola May - 2012
    For a special few, the friendships forged at the school gates will see them through lives filled with drama, secrets and sorrows.When Yummy Mummy Alana reveals the identity of her love-child’s father, she doesn’t expect the consequences to be quite so extreme. Ex Czech au pair Earth Mummy Dana finds happiness in her secret side-line, but really all she longs for is another child. Slummy Mummy Brenda’s wife-beating husband leads her down a path she never thought possible, and Super Mummy Joan has to cope when life deals her a devastating blow. And what of Gay Daddy Gordon? Will he be able to juggle parenthood and cope with his broken heart at the same time? Four very different mothers. One adorable dad. And the intertwining trials and tribulations that a year at the primary school gates brings.

Corporate Husband


Beverly Farr - 2013
    Justin Reilly seems like the ideal candidate, until he starts changing the rules. Corporate Husband is book one in the Love and Chocolate Series. Each book is a stand-alone sweet romance without cliff-hangers.

Married by Mistake


Abby Gaines - 2007
    That really was Casey Greenebeing jilted by her fiancé on live TV! And that really was Memphis's most eligible bachelor who stepped in to marry her instead. Millionaire businessman Adam Carmichael wanted only to help Casey save face. He isn't prepared for the news that their "fake" wedding is legal and binding. While they secretly wait for an annulment, media and family scrutiny forces them to put on their best loving-couple act. Except by now, neither one is quite sure who's acting....

Finding Pride


Jill Sanders - 2012
    Now she can finally start a new life and figure out just who she really is. When her brother Matt dies suddenly, she takes a big risk and moves cross country to live in his house and take over his new business. This could be the chance she’s needed. There’s only one problem now. She can’t seem to escape the irresistible charm of her departed brother’s best friend. Todd Jordan just lost his best friend and business partner. Watching Matt’s sister move into town, his attraction to her is instant. Can he prove to her that all men are not the same, and resist his own desires as she learns to trust again? Overcoming the odds is just part of their journey. The two must first survive a fateful visit from Megan’s ex to have any chance at happiness.

Fanny Bower Puts Herself Out There


Julia Ariss - 2013
    She leads a quiet existence - keeping to the sidelines, avoiding high jinks, living in her head and waiting for something momentous to happen. A few weeks into a new job, at the urging of her socially savvy colleague, she decides to begin afresh to conquer her fears and release her inner dynamo – whatever that is.Her inaugural foray at an office cocktail reception goes horribly awry when she finds herself caught up in mayhem and thrust into the spotlight, placing her at odds with her handsome and uber-powerful employer who takes a dim view of her shenanigans. Determined to fix her crippling social anxiety, stay employed, and discover her life’s purpose, she puts herself out there. Her new “butterfly wings” are tested as they flutter incessantly between mystifying small talk and mortifying gaffes in a bid to unleash a charm offensive – whatever that means.At the very height of her confusion, she is spurred to action by the plight of a friend. She plunges headlong into a situation fraught with uncertainty and risks everything, including the alienation of the one person she’s managed to captivate in the process. Fans of quirky romantic satire will find Fanny’s journey irresistible.

Living by Ear: A Contemporary Mom’s Endeavor to Balance Family, Art, and Love


Mary Rowen - 2013
    fresh, poignant and funny." ~ Kirkus ReviewsSinger-songwriter Christine Daley hit the streets of Boston and became a minor celebrity—with a local radio hit—in the 90s, but a "brief" career break to marry and start a family changed all that. Now, sixteen years later, she's a frustrated suburban housewife, struggling to reestablish her sense of identity.After filing for divorce, forty-six-year-old Chris quickly learns that the challenges she faces are even greater than anticipated. Her two teenage children suddenly seem to need their mom more than ever, and neither of them is thrilled about her getting back on the music scene. Meanwhile, her soon-to-be-ex-husband is throwing every possible obstacle in her way.Adding to the stress is technological progress, which has radically changed both the music industry and the dating world. Is there room in this new mix for Chris?"Mary Rowen has written one of the truest novels ever about Boston's indie rock world. Full of sharp details and vivid characters... It beautifully explores the question of what drives an artist and how that can or can't be reconciled with the straight world." ~ Brett Milano, Boston Rock JournalistEVOLVED PUBLISHING PRESENTS a newly revised and edited second edition of a critically-acclaimed literary/women's fiction piece sure to capture your imagination. [DRM-Free] Books by Mary Rowen: Leaving the Beach Living by Ear It Doesn’t Have To Be That Way (Coming Spring 2020) More Great Women’s Fiction from Evolved Publishing: Participant by Carmen Kemp All the Tomorrows by Nillu Nasser The “Borderline” Series by Taya DeVere Yours to Keep or Throw Aside by E.D. Martin White Chalk by P.K. Tyler Cassia by Lanette Kauten

Emma's Dream


M. Lee Prescott - 2015
    Doctor's orders, he's home to heal, but the sooner he can get back to Santa Barbara, the better. Then he runs into Maggie Williams on Main Street, prompting vivid memories of a magical night, and Ben's ailing heart skips a beat. Father of her beloved five year old daughter, the eldest of the Morgan sons is the last person Maggie expects to have crash into her car and back into her life. For years, she has struggled to forget him and to make a life for herself and her daughter, Emma, the mirror image of a father, who is unaware of her existence. Now, here he is, looking more gorgeous than the day he ran out of town. Maggie swears Ben Morgan will never break her heart again.