Book picks similar to
The Groom Wager by Lori Wilde


romance
contemporary-romance
contemporary
free

By Mistake


Sigal Ehrlich - 2021
    Teaching countless hours at the studio and nurturing the three major relationships of her life – her group of tight-knit friends, all while attempting to not screw up this whole adulthood thing leaves very little time to waste on yet another dating app. At this point, a relationship is off the menu. Being “self-partnered” is more than enough.A serious relationship has been crossed off Liam Brody’s list of goals, at least for the foreseeable future. Completing his residency and becoming a trauma surgeon is his only priority. Casual relationships, his friends, and books are the only things he’s willing to lose his precious free time to. When an accidental email starts a deep online connection, both Liam and Anna dive in with zero concern . . . because there’s really no harm in getting close to someone who you’ll never meet in real life, right?Wrong.When a turn of events brings their “safe” virtual connection to an unexpected face-to-face, Anna and Liam learn their online chemistry pales in comparison to the real deal. A realization that brings along the bazillion-dollar question – what do you do when you meet The One at the most impossibly wrong time?by Mist@ke is book 1 in a standalone series with connected characters, but independent storylines.

Scandal: The Complete Series


Alison Foster - 2016
    She did not know that one big mistake would pull her into the heart of a sleazy world of publicity where truths are worse than lies and a murderer is on the loose.When Ella gives into temptation and sleeps with her stepsister Madison's ex, her world flips upside down. It doesn't matter that Madison is dead or that Jaxson Cole wasn't, in fact, her boyfriend but a publicist's stunt to link two of the hottest catwalk models romantically in order to feed tabloid curiosity. The damage is done and with deadly consequences.Even worse, Jax definitely knows things he won't say. Falling for his epic hotness could mean one good screw will screw Ella for a lifetime.

Wait for Me


Samantha Chase - 2013
    Tired of waiting for the time to be right, she takes advantage of her boss’s generous offer for a little weekend getaway to thank her for helping out with a difficult business deal.Former NFL superstar Lucas Montgomery is still suffering from a career-ending injury. His self-imposed exile from life is exactly what he wants; a sanctuary where there’s no chance for disappointment or distractions and that’s exactly the way he likes it. While his family has been patiently waiting for Lucas to come around and embrace life once again, they don’t realize that it wasn’t just his career that was lost, but his sense of identity.Lucas thought everything was fine until sweet, sexy and completely off-limits Emma Taylor comes crashing into his carefully constructed world one snowy weekend and turns his entire life upside down.Montgomery Brothers Series: Wait for Me (Book 1) Trust in Me (Book 2) Stay with Me (Book 3) Return to You (Book 4) Meant for You (Book 5)

All the Lies


Charlotte Byrd - 2020
    It's probably a joke but given what just happened in my personal life, it's an excuse to get away.The last person I expect to see there is him, the dashing and mysterious stranger who was the only man who knew the truth that night.He invites me inside under one condition: everything he says is off the record. He'll answer my questions but I can't write about him.Then things get even more complicated.Something happens between us. His touch ignites a spark. His eyes make me weak at the knees. We can't do this. But then he looks at me in a way that no one has ever looked at me and I can't say no...

Just One Fake Date


Deborah Cooke - 2016
    Ten years later, their exclusive fitness club, Flatiron Five Fitness, is the hottest destination in Manhattan. People flock to F5F to get fit, to get lucky, and even, to fall in love. The founding partners have been immune to F5F’s romantic spell—at least, so far…Tyler McKay has a plan…And it doesn’t include a serious relationship anytime soon. Between his day job and being a partner at Flatiron 5 Fitness, he’s busy investing in the future. But Ty knows that going stag to his sister’s wedding will encourage the family matchmakers: he needs a fake date, fast, in self-defense. When the one woman who hates him walks into F5F, Ty knows he’s found the perfect candidate—that Shannyn doesn’t play by anyone’s rules just leaves Ty wanting more…Shannyn Hawke is done with plans and dreams…She had her whole life mapped out, but it all went wrong. Now, she’s taking care of number one and living in the moment, with no concern for the future. If her college crush wants to trade a fake wedding date for physical satisfaction, Shannyn is in. But just one night proves that Tyler is everything she believes a guy should be, plus he takes it as a challenge to change her mind about him. Shannyn never wants to have her heart broken again, but she’s falling hard and fast. Can she remember that it’s just for show? Or will Tyler convince Shannyn to take a chance on forever again?

You Don't Know Me


Faleena Hopkins - 2015
    Can their rockstar best friend Alec stand up for her... or will he be the spy they want him to be. And what will Rue Calliwell do with all that cash?

Say When


Tara West - 2013
    Not intended for young adult readers.*** He told me to say when, but I can’t. Not with Andrés. It’s so hard to say anything when he’s trailing feather soft kisses down my neck, or when his touch sends hot currents of lust rippling across my skin. Then there’s the way he smiles and offers soft words of encouragement when I’m creating art, almost like he believes I have talent. He’s not like any guy I’ve ever met. Not like my ex-fiancé. Not like my father. He’s got me thinking that maybe we can have something more. More than just lust, degradation, and abuse. And now I’m scared, because that means I’ll have to trust him with more than just my body, but with my heart, too. Christina Duval This is the first book in the Something More Series. Also available are books two, Say Yes, and the third installment, Say Forever. Say Please, book 3.5, is out now.

Hidden Heart


Ellie Pond - 2020
    Unless he can convince her she belongs to him and not his alpha brother…Aurora Berry loves her shifter best friend like a brother. But she’s completely caught off-guard when he pressures her to fulfill the mating pact they made sixteen years ago. Though she’s willing to do it to stabilize his leadership, she hates giving up her own quest for her one and only.Duncan Larsen has long envied the close relationship his sibling and Aurora share. And he’s devastated to learn she plans to go through with their childhood pledge. But after sensing Aurora might have cold feet, he holds out hope he may yet have a chance.With the trio crammed into tight quarters on a cruise, Aurora struggles to decide whether to follow her duty or her heart. And when Duncan attempts to spend time with her, he invokes the fury of his alpha brother.Can Aurora and Duncan avoid the wrong fate and create their own happily-ever-after?Hidden Heart is the first book in the engrossing Dark Wing paranormal romance series. If you like fated mates, magnetic attractions, and smoldering love triangles, then you’ll adore Ellie Pond’s electric story.

Stray


Natasha Stories - 2014
    But when devastating news of her ex follows her there, she begins to think she has made a terrible mistake. Tall, stunning-looking Jon Miles had only one goal: to save the mountain canyon where Sunshine is located from businessmen who want to exploit it. But how can he do that when he is already an outcast? There was nothing to suggest they’d ever meet, much less strike a spark of red-hot romance. Except that Erin can never turn away a stray. . .

A Royal Shade of Blue


Aven Ellis - 2018
    He has a royal secret. Will the truth help them find their fairy tale?When art history student Clementine receives a social media message complimenting her latest project, her response leads to the mysterious CP Chadwick, a British man studying history at Cambridge. An online friendship quickly blooms. When she confides her medical past to CP, he doesn’t treat her as fragile like her parents do, and their friendship turns to something more in Clementine’s heart.Clementine has no idea that CP is actually Prince Christian of Wales, who has never had a “normal” life. Christian is at a crossroad. His destiny is to be a working royal, but he is desperate to fill that role in his own way. Wary of others, he’s kept himself closed off from the world—until he lets Clementine in. A royal romance is never a fairy tale, but Clementine and Christian are determined to write their own version. Can they overcome their own fears—as well as the constraints of a royal life—to reach their own happily ever after?A Royal Shade of Blue is the first standalone book in the feel-good Modern Royals romantic comedy series. If you like smart heroines, swoon-worthy princes, and laugh-out-loud humor, then you’ll love Aven Ellis’s heartwarming novel.

Then There Was You


Alexa Rivers - 2020
    Now a stranger wants to take away the only thing she has left.When Kat Hopa lost her husband, her B&B in Haven Bay became her sanctuary. With every room she renovated, she put a piece of herself back together too. So when Sterling Knight knocks on her door with an offer to buy her property, she isn’t interested–no matter how intriguing she finds the shadows behind his icy blue eyes.Sterling is determined to prove himself at work, and that means ensuring that his company’s next project–on Kat’s land–is a success. Now all he has to do is convince the stubborn (and distractingly beautiful) owner to sell. Ignoring his intense attraction to her is impossible, and before long, Kat–and the tight knit bay community–are inching their way into his heart. Kat never imagined she’d get a second chance at true love, and especially not with someone who’s as much in need of fixing as she is. Sterling never expected to meet a woman who’d make him consider giving up everything he’s worked so hard for. Can Kat and Sterling overcome their painful pasts to take a chance on happily ever after?

Small Town Southern Romance Series Starters


Kait Nolan - 2021
    Determined, she's falling hard for the charms of town--and the man. But even if they send the suits packing, can she really give up her corner office for a corner booth a the local diner? MAKE YOU FEEL MY LOVE: Wishing For a HeroWill danger catapult these lifelong friends to lovers?Autumn has loved Judd all her life. Years ago, her dreams of more ended in blood and a nightmare that nearly cost them both their lives. Now she’s ready to take the leap and profess all to the friend who’s stood by her through thick and thin. But before she can make her confession, their nightmare returns and secrets are revealed that threaten the very fabric of their lifelong friendship.WHEN YOU GOT A GOOD THING: The Misfit InnShe thought she could never go home again. Kennedy Reynolds has spent the past decade traveling the world as a free spirit. She never looks back at the past, the place, or the love she left behind—until her mother’s unexpected death forces her home to Eden’s Ridge, TN. Will Kennedy be able to bury the past, or will the secret that sent her running destroy her second chance?

Lucky Charm


Carly Phillips - 2008
    Now, divorced and broke, all he has left is his teenage daughter and a healthy respect for ancient sorcery. But then Gabrielle returns, determined to defeat the curse and rekindle their passion. But will her stubborn streak and her unwavering love be the lucky charm Derek so desperately needs?

In with the Tide


Charlee James - 2018
    When car trouble leaves her stranded on the side of the road, ex-Marine Damien Trent rides to the rescue on his motorbike. Once upon a time, they’d been friends and briefly, they'd been something more...until he enlisted and left her behind. As Lindsey and Damien reconnect, the attraction is still as strong as ever. But Lindsey’s knows Damien's not the staying kind. Damien would rather do anything than come home to deal with his father’s estate. After years of abuse, he was more than ready to leave town the moment he graduated. With Lindsey back in his life, everything is complicated. He’s used to being a lone wolf - until Lindsey and her newborn baby give him a glimpse of the kind of family and future he’s always dreamed of. Can he be brave enough to reach out and grab it?

Her Billionaire Rancher Boss


Genevieve Turner - 2015
    The secretarial job Benedict Merrill gave her five years ago has allowed her to support her younger brother and she’s indebted to the wealthy rancher. But soon her brother will be on his own and she’ll leave the tempting Benedict—and her powerful attraction to him—behind forever. When she hands in her resignation, Benedict reveals plans of his own—ones that involve Pilar in his bed. She can handle a three month affair, no sweat. But when she starts to fall for Benedict, will she be able to handle loving him for always?