Book picks similar to
Small-Town Secrets by Margaret Watson


romance
contemporary-romance
chick-lit
contemporary

Amazed by You


Cheyenne McCray - 2017
    Before he can come to terms with city folk leaving gates open and disrupting his operation, he meets Celine, the woman who runs the show. Damned if she doesn’t piss him off then impress him five minutes later. Celine Northland is a fashion designer with a dynamic new line of clothing—she needs this launch to save her company. She has involved investors, crowd funding, and every other trick up the sleeve she can come up with. She’ll have what she needs to launch if she doesn’t continue to be bled dry by one thing after another. Celine meets Jayson McBride and her whole world tips—she falls for the cowboy hard and fast. However, Jayson harbors a secret that could rip their relationship apart before it even starts. Jayson saves Celine’s life when her car is swept up in a dangerous flood. However, in the end it turns out the sexy, strong-headed woman just might have saved his.

The Romance Dance


Allie Burton - 2016
    He’s pieced his life back together becoming a landlord and remodel construction specialist, but shies away from a social life.Ex-ballerina Quinn Petrov moved to Castle Ridge and invested her money to start a dance studio with plans to put down roots. She wants to get involved in the community to promote her business and make real friends, not the acquaintances she’d made in New York. When she meets her secretive and sexy landlord, she’s intrigued but he always seems to be hiding behind a mask. Reed can’t stop the attraction he feels toward his new tenant, but she’s beautiful and outgoing, while he is not. When his younger brother begs him to help impress Quinn, Reed can’t say no. Using the musical language of love, he woos Quinn for his brother, but when his own mask slips will he reveal his secrets?In this modern take of Cyrano de Bergerac meets Beauty and the Beast, Quinn and Reed dance their way into each other’s hearts. Other books in the series: The Christmas Match and The Flirtation Game.

When We Left


Elena Aitken
    He needs her to see how he’s changed. Can time really heal everything and make a second chance at love possible? Reeling from a painful divorce, and with a teenager in town, Cam’s returned to her hometown to heal. Not only is Timber Creek the only place that’s ever felt like home, her best friends are there...and the first boy she ever really loved. Evan has only ever loved one woman. Sixteen years ago he knew he wasn’t good enough for her, but now she’s back, and time has a way of changing things.Cam’s got her hands full trying to come to grips with her new life. The last thing she needs is to get involved with Evan again. But their attraction is impossible to ignore, and the connection that existed between them so many years ago is still very much alive.This could be the second chance they’ve always wanted, but there are years of hurt and misunderstandings between them. Never mind the truth of the past and the reality of the present that could once again threaten to pull them apart. This time for good.

Clear Skies


Suzanne Cass - 2021
    Secrets may tear them apart.Daisy’s in trouble. Her car is stalled in the middle of a flooded creek, with the water rising quickly.Dale is in no mood to rescue the woman about to be swept away by a raging tropical storm, who’s clearly a city girl, unfamiliar with the country roads, and driving a completely unsuitable car. He has half a mind to leave her right where she is.Stranded on the wrong side of the creek, Daisy has no other option than to accept Dale’s offer to spend the night at the luxury resort, Stormcloud Station.All of Daisy’s plans to leave the station as soon as she can are thrown into chaos when a girl is discovered drowned in the creek and everyone become suspects in a murder investigation.Daisy has discovered that far north Queensland is a wholly inhospitable country, but it also has a man with mesmerizing dimples, whose kiss has captured her soul. But she hides a secret that would tear them apart.On a night full of chaos, Dale and Daisy uncover the truth about the killer. But how can Dale safeguard this willful, determined woman who owns his heart, when Daisy puts herself squarely in harm’s way?

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)

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.

The Billionaire's Marriage Bargain (Clean Billionaire Fake Marriage Romance Series, #1)


Melody Archer - 2019
    Massive fears of another person he loves dying, has kept love strictly out of bounds. With his heart firmly caged in and with no intention of being tied down longer than a year, Adam proposes a marriage in name only to the girl-next-door, Elle Jennings. Elle is desperate to save her dad's ranch from foreclosure. She has 3 weeks to do it. All alone in the world, except for a stepmother and stepsister who dislike her, Elle wants to hold onto the one thing that brings her a sense of belonging... her father's ranch. When Adam asks her to be his fake wife, she agrees... with certain conditions. They agree to strict guidelines: 1) keep this a business arrangement 2) do not fall in love. It's only for one year. What could possibly go wrong with a marriage bargain? If you like strong but wounded heroes and feisty but scarred heroines, you'll love this marriage-of-convenience sweet romance! Buy your copy today or Read for FREE in Kindle Unlimited!

In Too Deep


Tracey Alvarez - 2013
    He broke her heart to save his own.As an elite police diver tormented by her father's fatal drowning accident, Piper Harland is forced back to the one place she'd sworn never to return. Her tiny hometown on New Zealand’s isolated Stewart Island hasn’t much changed in the nine years she’s been gone. But she soon comes face to face with everything she ran from — grief, regret, and the scalding pain of a love lost.The one place Ryan "West" Westlake belongs is a hundred feet below Stewart Island’s dangerous waters with one breath of air and only a line to guide him to the surface. Down deep he can forget his mentor’s death. Down deep he can forget the one woman who seared his heart when she left. Only now she’s back, and as it turns out, he hasn’t forgotten a thing.Desire and tempers flare when West and Piper cross paths again. Can they face their past and be together? Two hearts. A second chance. Everything on the line...IN TOO DEEP is the first story in Tracey Alvarez's best-selling Stewart Island books set against the stunning backdrop of Aotearoa, New Zealand. If you like heartwarming, sexy and sweet small town romances with a touch of comedy, you'll love sharing the journey with these authentic men and women struggling to find their special someone.Intended for mature 18+ aged readers who enjoy their feel good romance on the steamier side.

Belle of the Ball


Pam McCutcheon - 2003
    But a wish at a magical rock formation is about to change all that, in a most a-MUSE-ing way. . . . The three Sullivan sisters, named for the Three Graces of Greek legend who embody beauty, charm and grace, don’t live up to their names. Belle is no beauty. Charisma lacks charm. And Grace is somewhat less than graceful. But this doesn't deter their ambitious mother from bribing three bachelors to escort them to Colorado Springs’ beautiful Garden of the Gods. When the girls overhear their escorts mocking how little they resemble their names, each girl makes a wish at the magical Three Graces rock formation. Belle wishes aloud for beauty, but only so she can use it as a weapon to punish the cads who hurt her sisters. Her true wish is for revenge. Handsome viscount Kit Stanhope regrets his rude remarks and apologizes to Belle. He’s surprised when she tells him that's not enough. If he truly regrets his behavior, he has to make her beautiful in time for the Founders’ Day Ball. Kit isn’t sure he’s up to the task. But, intrigued by the spirited Belle, he agrees to assist her transformation from an ugly duckling into a swan with the help of a mysterious Greek dressmaker with muse-like qualities. Unfortunately, Belle makes a rather awkward swan. Still, after a few embarrassing escapades, she masters the flirtatious language of the fan and takes the town known as Little London by storm. Belle soon finds herself falling for the viscount and his sinful mouth. It seems he returns her regard, but she can’t renege on her promise to humiliate him . . . can she? Will her secret muse grant the wish she voiced . . . or the one she holds in her heart? Note to readers: This title was originally published in 2003 by Zebra Ballad.

Royally Matched


Mckenna James - 2020
    I have little dealings with women in general, so I hire a matchmaker to vet some candidates.Then one evening, in a room filled with suitable future queens, I discover her.Lisabet Olinescu.The haunting notes emanating from her cello, that gorgeous mane flowing wildly down her back, those deeply expressive eyes—they awaken something in my soul.She brings colors to my world I’ve never seen before, and I know I must have her.The fact that she’s not interested in becoming a queen is but a minor detail.I’ll stop at nothing to make her mine.And who knows? Maybe she is fiery enough to melt my stone cold heart.

A Gift of Ghosts


Sarah Wynde - 2011
    And ghosts.All the logic and reason in the world can’t protect her from the truth—she can see and communicate with spirits. But Akira is sure that her ability is just a genetic quirk and the ghosts she encounters simply leftover electromagnetic energy. Dangerous electromagnetic energy.Zane Latimer believes in telepathy, precognition, auras, and that playing Halo with your employees is an excellent management technique. He also thinks that maybe, just maybe, Akira Malone can help his family get in touch with their lost loved ones.But will Akira ever be able to face her fears and accept her gift? Or will Zane’s relatives be trapped between life and death forever?

Center Stage


Denise Grover Swank - 2016
    Ten years ago, Magnolia Steele fled Franklin, Tennessee after an incident that left her with hazy memories and a horror of the place where she had been born and bred. Though her abrupt departure destroyed most of her treasured relationships, she vowed never to return . . . until she has no choice. When Magnolia’s breakout acting role in a Broadway musical ends in disgrace, there’s only one place she can go. She finds herself on her momma’s porch, suitcase in hand. Drama follows Magnolia around like a long lost friend. She reluctantly agrees to help her momma’s catering company at a party for a country music star, only to find herself face-to-face with a sleazy music agent from her past. After a very public spat, Magnolia not only finds him dead but herself center stage in the police’s investigation. Now she must scramble to prove her innocence, relying on the help of acquaintances old and new. But the longer Magnolia stays in Franklin, the more she remembers about the big bad incident that chased her away. The past might not be finished with her yet, and what she doesn’t remember could be her biggest danger.

Romance Reset


Kay Lyons - 2020
    That’s why she’s researching sperm banks and procedures. It’s also why her best friend hires a matchmaker for her. She insists Amelia deserves—needs—a romance reset before she embarks on single parenthood.Widower Lincoln Hayes is about to be an empty nester with his twins going off to college. He’s ready to have some fun, but he doesn’t want to do it alone. Dating, though.... Staying offline and hiring a matchmaker who vets his dates makes sense.Imagine Lincoln’s surprise when his first date in twenty years is actually his first love, the one who broke his heart and got away. Amelia is shocked to see Lincoln, and the chemistry between them is as strong as ever. Amelia can easily imagine having Lincoln’s baby— but is her biological clock and desire for a child more than Lincoln can handle?

Billionaire for Hire


Cat Johnson - 2018
    Or that it could cost me my life.I'm Brent Hearst, for God's sake. A member of the one percent. As in old family money. Yet somehow I'm standing here, smiling while there’s a gun strapped to my leg ruining the line of my Italian suit.But my real issue isn’t with that gun. Oh, no. It’s my other weapon I can’t control when I’m around the sexy-as-sin brunette who might or might not be a spy. It seems I don’t care which while I’ve got her against the wall with my hand fisted in her hair.Oh, and while I figure out if I’ve been sleeping with the enemy, I’ve also got to keep us both from being killed by a couple of gun-toting Russians.No problem.Billionaire for Hire is a full-length standalone contemporary romance in the For Hire series, a loose spinoff from Cat Johnson's Hot SEALs with cameo appearances from favorite characters.

Good Cop


Liz Kelly - 2013
    Yum!At the same time, she’s coaching the town’s notorious ‘Great Seducer’ on how to appreciate women outside the bedroom. Hmmm.And the two of them are best friends.What could possibly go wrong?