Book picks similar to
Forbidden by Faith by Negeen Papehn


romance
contemporary-romance
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Surrender


Jennifer Burrows - 2014
    She came from an influential family, had a successful career as a food critic, and was about to marry the man of her dreams. Her life suddenly takes a change for the worse when she finds her fiancé in the arms of another woman. Her dream wedding now cancelled, she tries to find herself in Italy, on a trip she was supposed to be taking with her new husband. Massimo "Tony" Bertalucci has had his life destroyed by a cartel known to be trafficking black market olive oil out of Italy and around the world. While the cartel thought the entire Bertalucci family was dead and buried, Tony remains very much alive and determined to find a way to get his life back. When Tony and Katherine’s worlds collide, she becomes Tony’s only hope of escaping Italy alive. What Katherine doesn’t realize is that this charming, unassuming Italian man is using her to save his own life. Will she be able to get back to the states safely, or will she be subjected to the same fate as Tony's family? Will Tony find a way to stop running? Or will he have to surrender his life to the cartel?

The Bullies Who Loved Me


Mia Belle - 2019
    Now he’s dead and his brother Eric and his friends Ryder and Caden, the Kings of Leighton High, are determined to make my life a living hell. They torment me in the halls, treat me like dirt. They turn the whole school against me, forcing me to be an outcast. I won’t let them break me. I’ll fight back with every ounce I’ve got. But then the truth comes out. Suddenly, the Kings are on my side, protecting me from the other students. I soon learn they’re not the jerks I thought they were. They’re actually…kind, and they want me in their crew. But can I trust them?

If I Break: The Complete Series


Portia Moore - 2015
    Includes If I Break, Before I Break, Almost Broken and Beautifully Broken. This is not your typical happily ever after... Lauren Brooks wants to do three things: Escape the small town she grew up in, get accepted to her dream school in Chicago, and graduate without drowning in debt. Now she’s working her ass off to do just that. With a full course load and a waitressing job at one of the hottest night clubs in Chicago, she does not have time for distractions;namely ones who only want to get into her pants. She’s been burned before. Only a fool goes for a second round... With just two semesters left until graduation, everything’s on track. Until she meets Cal. Enter distraction. At six-foot-two, with ebony hair, deep grey eyes, and a smile that could only hide an agenda, she knows he’s trouble. And for the first time in her life, a little trouble might be just what she needs. No. What she wants. It isn't like she’d ever marry the guy. Until she does. What she thinks will be her happily ever after, is only the beginning. Cal has a secret. One that makes loving him come with a price, and being his wife cost more than she bargained for.

A Little Like Romeo: A Sweet Enemies to Lovers Romance


Emily Childs - 2020
    It doesn't hurt that Jonas is funny...and sweet...and really easy on the eyes.But when he kisses me, he's not just a secret friend anymore--he's the guy I'm falling head-first in love with.If our families find out, this feud will turn into an all out war!Welcome to the one-of-a-kind sweet, swoony ride following small-town Scandinavian bakers and the ones who hold their hearts. A toe-curling happily ever after, guaranteed.

Freefall


Cassidy London - 2019
    But can true love overcome the roadblocks between them?Ex-military Irish paratrooper Conor Murphy, is the kind of man to stay away from. A hardened, rugged exterior hides demons that are too big to tame. Demons that can only be kept at bay by the adrenaline rush of the free fall. When he finds himself having to jump tandem with a tantalizing little spitfire, staying professional all of a sudden becomes the one reserve he didn’t pack. A post-grad summer of European fun, is what free-spirited Ava Jackson is hoping will make her forget. Forget the pain of loss and betrayal that have followed her all her life. Seeing the sights and partying with her girlfriends are the only things this fiery redhead has in mind. That is, until she’s tied to the lap of a very imposing and insanely attractive skydiving instructor at 14, ooo feet in the air. When fate intervenes and Conor saves Ava from a desperate situation, it only serves to fuel his burning desire for the young woman. But her time in Ireland is temporary and his unsavory past lurks just beneath the surface. Will Conor and Ava succumb to the magnetic force of forbidden love or will outside forces keep them apart?Freefall is an angst-filled, forbidden love romance that will have you searching for your very own adrenaline junkie hero. If you like burning hot insta-lust, a possessive love-struck hero and sizzling age gap romance then you will love Freefall -Book 1 of Cassidy London’s International Love series.

After They Go


J. Mercer - 2018
    The second stunted by her sister's shadow. The youngest propelled by desperation. Gwen is the oldest of four children in the Aaldenberg family, and the one who seems to have it all. She's also most desperate to escape. Betta, having nursed their dying grandpa for the past three years, is anxious for Gwen to go, so she can finally have reins to the family business. And Esmerelda, viciously determined to follow in Gwen's footsteps, vies for popularity as a freshman in high school, only to learn she must sell her soul, reputation, and most prized possession for acceptance. When Gwen's fiancé moves to town, Gwen does her best to resign herself to a local life, while Betta struggles for meaning without the store. In order to carve out a place for herself, Betta must decide to what lengths she'll go in order to become her own person, and Gwen must decide what's more important: her sister or her future. Can this family pull through their disappointment, jealousy, and regret? Or will they cling so tightly to their desires that it ruins them?

Without Warning


Dee Lagasse - 2018
    A pint-sized spitfire with a take-no-crap attitude, her focus had always been soccer, music, family, and friends. Chase Merrimack loved football more than anything. With dreams of playing professionally, there was only enough room in his heart for his momma and his little brother. That is, until Hollis quite literally stumbled into his life, changing both of them forever. From the very beginning, Hollis and Chase, along with their friends and family, knew their connection was the kind that only came around once in a lifetime. “Soul mates,” they said. But no matter how strong the pull was, Hollis and Chase avoided their feelings. And they for sure never spoke of them...until the day they did. Without Warning is the story of Hollis Capparelli and Chase Merrimack, their friendship and the universal pull that kept bringing them back together.

Jackson


LaQuette - 2021
    But her big heart's bound to get her in trouble if she's not careful—someone wants her gone, and they'll do whatever it takes to drive her away from the land that's her lifeblood. Whether she's willing to admit it or not, she needs help.She needs a man like Ranger Jackson Dean.Jackson doesn't trust love. He once made the mistake of following his heart and all he'd gotten was pain in return. But when city-slicking do-gooder Aja Everett asks for his help, he can't stay away…and as attraction sizzles and protective instincts flare, she may be the only woman able to restore the heart of this Texas Ranger. Get out your fans for this steamy contemporary romance which features a hunky Texas Ranger with trust issues and a confident, sexy, full-figured heroine who believes in the best in people. Sometimes oil and water are meant to mix.

Never Say No


Elizabeth Neep - 2020
    Yes, I’ll be your friend. Yes, I’ll be your girlfriend. Yes, I’ll move in with you. Yes, yes, yes. I can’t just change my mind now. Can I?Hailey has always been told she can have it all. And saying yes to every opportunity that comes her way seems like the obvious way to make sure she gets it.When she finds an engagement ring hidden in her boyfriend Dom’s closet, she knows she’ll say yes.Her best friend Sophie suggests they run a marathon together and although Hailey hasn’t done more than sprint for a bus in years, she says yes.And every time her new boss, the infamous Vivian Jones, asks her to stay late (again) at her dream job, the answer is always yes.But somewhere between saying ‘yes’ to Vivian’s latest demands and still trying to make it home on time for boxsets and burritos on the sofa with Dom, Hailey has lost sight of what she really wanted in the first place.Far from winning at life, Hailey feels like she is fighting to juggle two very different worlds. When those worlds finally collide, could having it all actually mean losing everything?Fans of Mhairi McFarlane, Holly Bourne and The Devil Wears Prada will adore this funny, heart-felt and honest look at navigating those moments in life where you reach a crossroads and have to decide who and what it is you want to be.

Cards of Love: Temperance


Cassia Leo - 2018
    Leah Grayson is fantasizing about a patient she’s never seen.Leah has been counseling high-profile addicts for almost a decade, so she’s accustomed to the need for discretion. But her latest client, who goes by the name Mr. C, demands total anonymity. She’s never seen his face, but his deep, rich voice occupies her naughtiest dreams and fantasies.Mr. C’s sex addiction is threatening to take over his life. The only thing keeping it from consuming him is his twice-weekly one-hour video chat session with Dr. Grayson. Though his webcam is pointed at a nondescript area of his study, her webcam is always pointed at those succulent lips and her long, lithe legs, which he can’t stop fantasizing about. He must have her.Will Leah and Mr. C submit to their forbidden passion? Or will they practice temperance when a dinner party they both attend presents them with the ultimate temptation?

The Sexpert


J.A. Huss - 2018
    And sexy men. And social media. So starting an anonymous video channel called The Sexpert as a side hustle to make up for my low-paying marketing job at Le Man Magazine seemed like a perfectly sensible career decision. Until we went viral, my boss accused my anonymous personality of stealing his idea, and now my super sexy new boyfriend, Andrew, is out to get me.Her. Me. Whatever.ANDREWI don't want it to be her. I do not want this... sweet, delicious, shy social media nerd working at my best friend's magazine to be the face behind those perky cupcakes on the Sexpert channel. I don't want it to be her... because I like her. A lot. She's funny, and quirky, and smart, and creative... and... I really, really like her. It just can't be her.But it is.And now I have to choose.My best friend?Or... The Sexpert?

The Story of Killian & Liri


Glenna Maynard - 2019
    The harder he fights his pull to her the harder he falls. She’s too good for him and he knows it, but he can’t stay away. He’s a bad boy who likes his women as fast as the car he races, but Liri Hart is under his skin and in his veins. No matter how hard he tries to push her away, she keeps coming back for more, hoping she can be the one to change him. They say you never get over your first love. One thing is for sure. Neither of them will ever be the same again. This is the story of Killian & Liri.

Love Hard


B.B. Hamel - 2018
     Get all the bad you need, right here in one collection! Step Bride I’m the mobster’s forbidden bride. I don’t know why he wanted to get married, but I couldn’t stop saying yes over and over again. And it gets worse. My crazy mother eloped with his mafia father. We’re one big happy family, right? I need to divorce him. I need to stop wanting him. I need to get out of this situation before both our families are torn to pieces. Bastard's Baby I had that bastard’s baby and now I need his help. The Russians are at war with the Italians, but I know Vince is my only chance. When I run away from home and ask him for help, I’m risking my life to save my son. If the cocky jerk Vince Mori can’t learn what it means to be a father, I might be totally screwed. Kissing the Killer The killer took me, but I won’t be his.  He came in the night, killed my abusive father, and carried me away. Now we’re on the run. If the mafia finds out what he did, we’ll both be finished. He destroys everything in his path. I know if I let him, he’ll ruin me too.  But I have to give myself over to him, or we both might end up dead. Packing Heat They want to kill me, but he wants to knock me up. Either way I’m screwed. Rafa says getting me pregnant will stop the mafia from coming after me. He says it’s the only way to protect me, but I’m worried he just wants to take my body again and again. I can’t say no. If I do, the mafia will kill me, and he’s the only one trying to protect me. But worst of all, part of me wants him to do it . . . Bow Down I want to take on the world, but that arrogant bastard just wants to take me. Young, tall, and handsome, Wyatt Carter is no normal politician. He’s a notorious former bad boy turned State Attorney General, and I need his help if I’m going to crush my father’s mafia. I'll bow down to him, but first he has to lay the world at my feet.

American Asshole


Tara Sue Me - 2018
    Mia Matthews never thought much of big shot matchmaker Tenor Butler, but when she finds out he loaned her late business partner a quarter of a million dollars and no one told her, there aren’t enough four letter words to describe him. She’d like nothing more than to pretend Tenor doesn’t exist, but she owes him all that money, not to mention he’s hot as hell.Tenor doesn’t see why it’s his fault Mia didn’t know about the loan. In fact, he thinks he’s being very magnanimous when he offers to forgive the loan if Mia closes her own matchmaking business and works for him for five years.  But as he gets closer to Mia, he realizes two things: 1) he doesn’t want her as an employee and 2) she hates his guts.When an old flame threatens them both, Mia and Tenor find themselves working together and are unable to ignore their mutual attraction. But it might be too late for these two romance experts to create their own love story

Exploited


A. Meredith Walters - 2017
    I am a daughter. A sister. A friend. When you look at me you won’t see anything that warrants suspicion. I don’t look like a criminal.My name is Hannah Whalen, but most people know me as freed0mov3rdr1v3, or “Freedom Overdrive”—one of the world’s most prolific and notorious hacktivists. My goal—my purpose—is to shed light on the evil that lurks behind the corporate and government lies we have been force-fed for too long.My story begins with the best possible intention. Devoting my life to exposing the corrupt. The dishonest. The unethical. For that, they label me a cyber-terrorist. Wanted by the FBI, I’ve always been one step ahead.Until I fell in love.Because I’m sleeping with the man who’s hunting me. And he has no idea that I am his prey. Now I have to decide what’s more important: my freedom or my heart.Note: Exploited ends on a cliffhanger. Hannah’s story continues in Aftermath.