Book picks similar to
Lighting Candles in the Snow by Karen Jones Gowen
romance
amazon
stand-alone
fiction
Fighting for This: The Last Resort Motel
Gwyn McNamee - 2018
The California surf boy has no business being up Spruce Mountain or anywhere near The Last Resort Motel. There can only be one reason he’s hanging around—to search one of the old mines in hopes of striking it rich. And as soon as he’s done, he’ll be gone fast enough to make my head spin. But Max brings more than just a danger to my heart. MAX Aurora Clayton is the last thing I expect to find at The Last Resort Motel. What in the world is a girl like this doing in the middle of nowhere, Nevada? Search the land I inherited and get back to California—that’s the plan. I never expected to find something here even more precious than silver. But someone else is after what’s down that mine shaft. And I’ll do everything in my power to protect what I’ve found, including Aurora. ***Fighting for This previously appeared in The Last Resort Motel shared world as Room One***
Unforgettable
Linda Barrett - 2021
A rocking career in finance, a great group of friends and singing with the community chorus fill her calendar and provide her with total satisfaction. Until the phone rings. Until an upbeat familiar voice from the past reawakens her heart and reminds her of what she’s been missing.Playwright Doug Collins has never forgotten the girl he left behind. Even though it was Jennifer who’d made that final decision. “Go to New York and have a wonderful life,” she’d said before running back to her family, a family that still needed her. But that was five years ago. Five years of Jen in the back of his mind, nestled in his heart. Now memories are not enough! Doug packs up his car and heads to Boston in search of that “wonderful life.”Most reunions have bumpy beginnings and not all end well. Jennifer and Doug have a lot to figure out. But they’re smart, honest, and were once madly in love. Do they have a chance at finding the ending they so richly deserve?
The SEAL's Baby Deal
Katie Knight - 2020
But when his lifelong best friend, Eleanor Thornton, shows up looking gorgeous as ever and asking for a huge favor…he’ll have to rethink his stringent stance on playing Baby Daddy.Wildlife photographer Ele knows she wants a baby—romantic partner not included. And who better to go all in on no-strings-attached baby-making than with her SEAL BFF? Besides, she’s always wondered what it would feel like to be wrapped up in David’s muscled, rock-solid alpha male arms…When their toe-curling efforts quickly lead to a positive pregnancy test, both David and Ele are secretly disappointed their contracted time is cut short—especially after David is deployed, leaving Ele to give birth to their daughter on her own.Reunited while David’s on assignment in the African rainforest, their passion is reignited. But when the area is gripped by a dangerous insurgency, all of David’s fears about getting too close come rushing back to the surface.How can he possibly hope for a future with Ele when he can’t even guarantee they’ll survive?
Masquerade
Nicole Flockton - 2012
Vowing to only look forward and not behind, she attends a Masquerade Ball with no expectations. That is, until a mysterious masked man sits beside her. Attraction ignites, and, setting her inhibitions aside, she embarks on one night of passion. Alex Scavoni has sacrificed a lot to be the best ER doctor he can be. Now he’s about to start his dream job as the Registrar of the ER Department and getting involved in a relationship is the last thing on his mind. When he meets a masked Sophie, he knows he has to have her, and he won’t take no for an answer. Fate plays her hand and Sophie and Alex find themselves working closely together in the stressful world of emergency medicine. Determined to keep their passionate interlude a secret they attempt to maintain a working relationship. Only they find that their one night together isn’t enough. Can they push aside their growing feelings or will fate have one more card to play that will change their lives forever?
Billionaire Hotshot—Levi: A Modern Cinderella Retelling
Scarlett Avery - 2021
No names.I’ve never regretted anything more in my life because God knows I’d sell my soul to know his name...It all started with a ball…I never believed you could fall for someone at first sight until I locked eyes with him… a stranger who quickly becomes an addiction––a man I don’t want to walk away from.Just like Cinderella, my time with my prince is measured in breaths.Forced to return to the shipwreck that is my life, I escape in the shadows of the night, my heart bleeding, leaving behind the one man who ignited my body and my soul…Life is unfair. I should know.I don’t even know his name…
Prior Engagements
Sarah Goodwin - 2013
She’s been jilted at the altar by Stephen-the-indecisive, is paying off a mountain of wedding debt by holding down two jobs, and her flat is mostly made of cardboard and spackle. Then at work she meets a man in need of a date to his ex-fiancée’s wedding. Annie goes, and one wedding and four bottles of wine later, she finds herself getting married in Vegas to Dorian, an erotic illustrator.Of course, it’s all great and romantic, until someone loses an eye, which here means, ‘until Annie gets home, and realizes that her best friend (and boss) Will, has kind of been working up to popping the question himself. Will is not happy to see Annie married, in fact he’s willing to trade his Mohawk and every Ke$ha CD he owns to get Dorian out of the way.As if that wasn’t enough to make things tense at work, Annie’s best-work-friend Yvonne (who knows something really fun you can do with a rugby player, some roller skates and chocolate spread) can’t resist getting involved in Annie’s love life. Neither can Dorian’s kleptomaniac sister Fifi, Dorian’s ex-bride and Annie’s mother.In between breaking into cafés, having her door kicked down by the police and trying not to kill each and every one of her friends and relatives, Annie tries to work out how the hell her life got so complicated.
Love and Truth
Kathryn Perez - 2013
Her parents’ shocking divorce causes Nicole to believe that true love is impossible to find. After spending her life in a small Texas town, Nicole joins a foreign exchange student dance program in the country where she was born. After years dreaming about her birthplace, she boldly leaves her world behind and moves in with a host family on the island of Okinawa in Japan. She anxiously awaits a year of improving her dance technique while enjoying a world of new experiences Jonathan Hayes was born to a Japanese mother and American Marine father via a surrogate in the States. After his father’s tragic death in Iraq when Jonathan was only a baby, his mother moved them back to her home in Okinawa. As a child, Jonathan's mother immersed him in American culture to honor his father. His good looks and immense musical talent have left him with no shortage of female admirers. But after a bad break-up from his girlfriend of two years, Jonathan plunges into a playboy lifestyle that leads him along a destructive path. As his wounds begin to slowly heal, he tries regaining his self-respect by living on the straight and narrow. But his heart remains closed to the idea of love; that is, until the night he sees the beautiful and innocent Nicole Harrison, upon the balcony of his neighbor’s home. While Nicole tries to navigate an unfamiliar country, she also has to learn how to navigate the unfamiliar and unwanted feelings she's developing for Jonathan through some very heart-wrenching and trying times. Will her fears push him away, or will Jonathan show her the truth of loyal love…
The Angel Between Them (Huron Cove Series Book 1)
Rob Shumaker - 2019
He’s not taking her back. But will a little angel show him love deserves a second chance? Out-of-work actress Olivia Daniels returns home to Michigan to find her parents’ B&B on the verge of sale and realizes her only hope to keep it in the family is to hire Ethan Stone, the man she once left behind, to turn the business around. Cash-strapped and the emergency guardian to eight-year-old orphan, Emma Lynn Grayson, Ethan is forced to swallow his pride and take the job to make ends meet. But that doesn’t mean he’s willing to forgive Olivia and fall in love again. Or does it? Hoping for a mother and father and a place to call home, Emma is determined to bring Ethan and Olivia back together—whatever it takes. From nudging Ethan back to church and then going missing at the Fourth of July celebration, Emma’s plan to reunite Ethan and Olivia shows promise. But Olivia’s celebrity status and the pull of Hollywood causes Ethan to think twice about falling for her again. Whether Ethan opens his heart to Olivia depends on whether the angel between them can help rekindle the flame and show them love deserves a second chance. The Angel Between Them is the first book in the Huron Cove Christian romance series. If you like stories with unforgettable characters, small-town charm, and happily ever after, then you’ll love Rob Shumaker’s brand new Christian romance. Buy The Angel Between Them to begin this exciting new series today.
Determined
Elizabeth Brown - 2014
Do well in school, attend a top university, graduate with honors. Having secured a plum gallery job right after graduation, she was well on her way to accomplishing her goals. That is, until a chance meeting with a handsome stranger made her question her life’s entire course. Billionaire David Keith was sexy, successful, and on the wish list of every woman in San Francisco. Sam knew it was dangerous to hope she was different than all the women David normally dated, but for the first time, success wasn’t the only thing on Samantha’s mind. Would this distraction be her undoing? Book I of III, can also be read as a standalone.
Bubbles with Brunch
Ainsley St. Claire - 2021
Only the title has changed.If your best friend was arrested for murder? Would you lie or tell the truth?AxelI don’t want complicated, drama, or serious in the women I date.That was until I met her.Mia’s different—she’s beautiful, smart, and knows baseball better than I do.Her close friend is arrested for murder and life becomes complicated.Chaos engulfs her.Drama colors all parts of her life.And, maybe serious wouldn’t be so bad.MiaLife’s not as easy for me as people think.Sure I’m CEO of a Fortune 50 company I founded.I’ve got a group of girlfriends who’d doing anything for me.But I can’t meet a decent guy to save my life until I met him.Axel makes my toes curl and my heart melt.But the timing may just be wrong.Bubbles with Brunch is a romance with a happy ending and the first book in the The Stiletto Sisters series. This series is about strong women who need strong men. This book can be read as a stand alone that highlights the women seen in the Venture Capitalist Series and the Tech Billionaire series.
Lady Adalyn: A Reverse Harem Risqué Regency
Sahara Kelly - 2019
For the first time in my life, I felt a gentleman’s hands assisting me in removing my clothing. Yes, I shall surely be condemned to an eternity of agony for such a transgression, but I had no one else to ask. Giles brought hot water to my chamber and found me struggling with the tapes of my gown. He was all that was proper and polite, and had me unlaced in a trice, which was very helpful. My blushes must have added their own warmth to the room, but given his kindness and his attentions to me, I was not unduly overset. Lady Adalyn Wilkerson’s Diary, Wolfbridge Manor, January 1817 A birthday, a marriage and a funeral—twenty-year-old Adalyn has experienced them all in the space of a fortnight. The widowed Lady Wilkerson is lost, homeless and helpless as she stands next to her late husband’s grave, until an elegant gentleman introduces himself as her new butler, takes her to Wolfbridge Manor—and her life changes forever. She finds herself mistress of a tidy estate, run by the most amazing men she’s ever set eyes on. Their attentions teach her about loyalty, affection, caring and devotion, and stimulate the dawning of her sensuality. Unfortunately, not even her skilled and loving gentlemen can keep trouble from the door, and Adalyn is going to need all the courage she possesses to protect Wolfbridge and its residents. But protect them she will, if it takes every ounce of her strength. Others might have hesitated, but the men of Wolfbridge have taught her well – she isn’t just a mere cypher in a bonnet, she is their Lady Adalyn. This is the first novel in The Saga of Wolfbridge Manor. The story will continue in Book 2.
The Promise of Paradise
Allie Boniface - 2007
To escape, she rents an apartment in the sleepy town of Paradise, New Hampshire, where no one knows who she is.Ashton hopes for solitude, but all bets are off when Eddie West, the town’s most eligible bachelor, moves in downstairs. Eddie likes his women and his cars shiny, sleek, and fast, and when he meets his new housemate, he wastes no time getting friendly. While he's looking for a no-strings romance, though, he gets more than he bargained for in Ash, who sees through his bravado to the pain of a loss too fresh to mention.Can two people from different worlds find common ground, a place to fall in love and build a future? Is it possible to find your soul mate in the place you least expect?
The Royal Romeos Series #1 - 3
Jenny Gardiner - 2019
He's sworn off the fairer sex and instead spends his waking hours overseeing the expansion of his family's hugely successful winery in the magnificent hills of Chianti, where he is happy to never see a model again, let alone date one.American supermodel Taylor McFarland might be blond, but she sure isn't dumb. And she's smart enough to know to avoid the shallow men who seem to migrate toward her type, the ones who presume that models are the wild women of the fashion industry who happily discard men like used tissues.Only Taylor's not that type at all; instead, she's intent on using the influence her position affords her to help those less fortunate than she.But when her good deeds means clashing with the quintessential heartless Italian player who she'd heard left model Gia Sandretti at the altar, well, she will happily give him a piece of her mind, and certainly not a piece of her heart.Black Sheep RomeoOn cloud wine...Sometimes trouble seems to find Matteo Romeo whether he seeks it out or not. Long regarded as the black sheep of the famed Romeo winemaking family, he's hardly surprised when he finds himself in yet another predicament, this time harboring an unauthorized farmhand who he's discovered hiding in a tool shed just as the grape harvest gets underway.Freespirited Lizzie Moretti has long prized her independence. Lizzie's been wandering around the world, working odd jobs to earn just enough money to keep on the go. Forced to flee an aggressive host in the middle of a rainy night while working on a farm in Tuscany, she seeks the shelter of a tool shed until she can figure out a plan. Alas, it happens to be on the estate of the wealthy Romeo family on the eve of the coveted grape harvest, when strangers like Lizzie are most unwelcome.She's never put down roots. And he can't seem to escape the roots that sometimes feel like they're strangling him. They both walked away from family, but can they find salvation in the very family they've tried to run from?Red Carpet RomeoLook who's grown up now...Valentina Romeo loved a romantic wedding, and couldn't wait to serve as an attendant in her favorite cousin Prince Luca of Monaforte's upcoming nuptials. She and Luca had reveled in childhood summers at the family estate on the Ligurian Sea. Many of her fondest memories were made there, along with one of her most humiliating, when Luca's college roommate Parker shunned her brave declaration of love.Investment banker Parker Hornsby hadn't been back to Monaforte since he was in college. Back then he'd spent a glorious summer enjoying idyllic days at his best friend Luca's family beach home. The fun was marred only by Luca's obtrusive younger cousin Valentina, who could barely mask her crush on Parker, forcing him to flatly cut her off before she got her hopes up. The last thing Parker wanted was to be accused of going after his friend's jailbait cousin, even if she was about the sweetest fourteen-year old girl he'd ever met.But when Parker shows up in Monaforte, paired in Luca's wedding with Valentina, all bets are off on whether he can restrain himself from the beautiful--and fully grown-up--heiress to the world-famous Romeo wine label, or whether he remains the nemesis she thinks he is.
The Likely Resolutions of Oliver Clock
Jane Riley - 2020
Is there really room for something as unpredictable as love?
Oliver Clock has everything arranged just so. A steady job running the family funeral parlour. A fridge stocked with ready meals. A drawer full of colour-coded socks. A plan (of sorts) to stay trim enough for a standard-sized coffin. And in florist Marie, he’s even found the love of his life—not that she’s aware of it.When a terrible tragedy takes Marie out of his life but leaves him with her private journal, he discovers too late that she secretly loved him back. Faced now with an empty love life, a family funeral business in trouble, a fast-approaching fortieth birthday and a notebook of resolutions he’s never achieved, Oliver resolves to open himself up to love—and all the mess that comes along with it.But, with a habit of burying his feelings, can he learn to embrace his lovability and find the woman who will make him feel whole?
A Splash of Substance
Elizabeth Maddrey - 2015
He works for a Senator. Is it a recipe for romance or disaster? Paige Jackson has always stayed out of politics, leaving it to God to govern the world. She has enough on her plate as the owner of a catering company founded on convictions to buy local, sustainable fare. Jackson Trent works on Capitol Hill for Senator Carson, putting his beliefs in action to help shape national policy. Hoping to find high-end clients to keep her business afloat, Paige bids on a contract to cater the Senator’s next fundraiser. Shake-ups in the Senator’s staff leave Jackson grudgingly in charge of the event. After Paige is chosen as caterer, she and Jackson must work together despite opposing beliefs on how God calls Christians to participate in government. As Paige introduces Jackson to sustainable fare, it’s not just the food that piques his interest. When Senator Carson becomes front-page news in Washington, Paige is sucked into the whirlwind of scandal. Can Jackson convince Paige he wasn't complicit and win her back or has politics burned his chance at love?