Book picks similar to
The Marrying Man by Barbara Bretton
romance
ebook
contemporary
novella
A Beautiful Struggle
Lilliana Anderson - 2012
She has a very full life attending university to study a law degree, training for triathlons and now she is working part time as well. She couldn't possibly find time for a relationship, especially after her last one ended so catastrophically.Right now she is content focusing on work, study and training while hanging out with her best friend David Taylor, a womanizer with a heart of gold that would do anything for Katrina – except watch her get hurt again.That is, until the dashing Elliot Roberts, a junior solicitor from her work, shows an interest in her despite their office’s ‘No Dating’ policy. Katrina struggles with following her heart or following her mind and has trouble seeing where her heart truly lies in this gripping romantic drama.
All for You
Kate Perry - 2013
At least she used to. Somewhere between law school and real life, she lost her sparkle. Now she wears boring business suits to boring dates in her boring life. The last time Anna remembers feeling that sizzle was with the one man who's all cayenne and passion: Max Corazao, the one who got away. Except Max still sees Anna as a woman full of spice. And Anna intends to do whatever she can to be that woman again—with his (unknowing) help...
The Black Sheep
Patricia Ryan - 1995
Coming home after years of estrangement--and a stint in prison--to make amends with the old man is difficult for Tucker, but not half as difficult as keeping his distance from the super-sexy but virginal Harley while they share the house, awaiting his father's return.Having given up on the idea that he'll ever fully heal from his ravaged leg, Tucker balks when Harley urges him to swim as physical therapy--until she adds a unique incentive: "Catch me and you can have me." Her certainty that he'll never be able to swim that fast evaporates when he embarks on a rigorous training regimen, determined to claim her as his prize. But when she unearths the dark secret in his past, will she still be willing to pay up when the time comes?Witty and passionate, (originally published as Hale’s Point) was honored with Romance Writers of America’s Golden Heart Award.
A Slice of Life
Margaret Lake - 2012
That’s when the name-calling began. Stretch, skinny-minny, boy in girl’s clothes, all because of the slender height that had her towering over even the tallest boys in the class. Now, nearly thirty years later, Grace is head chef of the failing restaurant and still hiding in the kitchen. Like many businesses during the current recession, Coulter’s may have to start laying off employees or even close. But Grace has a plan to save the restaurant and the people she’s known all her life; a plan that will force her to go out into the world and face her fears.
Stark Naked
Desiree Holt - 2011
But Stark naked is definitely more fun "Reenie Davenport learned the hard way that men are cheating, promotion-thieving poison. A month after making a fresh start in Texas, she looks forward to taking a breather at her old college friend Amy s family ranch. Instead, she s left breathless when Amy s very drunk, very sexy, very "naked" brother lands at her feet. Even as she hardens her heart, a small part of her wishes that quickly tossed towel would shift just a little.When Matt Stark shows up at Reenie s door to apologize, he can barely squeeze a word past her emotional barriers. Suddenly nothing else matters except convincing her not all men are clones of her ex. Sweet-talking her into lunch is only the beginning.One touch, and "boom! " Much to Reenie s dismay, lunch ends in a hot, flaming dessert in her bed. Shutting Matt out isn t as easy as simply blowing out a match. Especially since this cowboy is equally determined to unlock her heart.Warning: Contains graphic and explicit, hot nekkid cowboy lovin . "
Leashed
Zoe Dawson - 2012
It must be puppy love! It's doubly embarrassing since she's a professional dog trainer. Of course, the neighbor would have to be hot, hot nightclub owner bad boy Owen McKay, just the kind of man Callie is determined to avoid.Owen’s comfortable with his playboy status and the hype in the media. But the ground moves beneath his feet when he gets an eyeful of the girl next door. The Dog Whisperer never looked this good! How can he convince this wholesome honey that his player days are behind him? Maybe Jill, his Great Dane can help him with this dilemma now that she’s pregnant and Callie’s dog is to blame.Is this bad boy a bad bet?Beware of dogs, romance and deep belly laughs!Going to the Dogs is a romp through the urban jungle of New York City to find true love, the perfect cocktail, and expensive heels. Dog is a man’s best friend, but sometimes a woman just needs a hot man in the city. This series will appeal to a mature crowd, especially fans of Sex in The City.
One Week in Maine
Shayna Ryan - 2013
With her vehicle needing time-consuming repairs, she’s stuck in small town Maine for the week with nothing but the local hicks to keep her company. At least there’s the super sexy game warden that came to her aid on the side of the road to keep her entertained.Will Holbrook’s given up on love after suffering a terrible loss in his past. But he can’t deny his attraction to the independent beauty that ends up stuck in his town, even if she's a ‘flatlander’. It’s supposed to be just casual, no strings attached, but even the best laid plans can fail…A stand-alone novel at over 60k words.
Winter Interlude
Sandy Loyd - 2012
Right if you were spending all your time and energy with Mr. Wrong? And what about the book out a few years ago that created such a hoopla with the single crowd – He’s Just Not That Into You? The two main characters in Winter Interlude either didn’t heed their mother’s advice or haven’t read the book. Now, add into the plot that the two in question are enemies who regularly run into each other, given their current relationships. Paul Morrison, a hunky, blond, financial planner, has been putting time and energy into winning the heart of Kate Winter’s best friend for almost as long as Kate, a strong willed antiques dealer, has been dating James Morrison, Paul’s brother.The sparks start to fly when the two get stuck together for a three-hour drive to the mountains and years of misconceptions about each other are slowly being wiped out. It is in the confines of the BMW that the two begin their journey, taking them from being mortal enemies to lovers.Winter Interlude tells the story of their adventure – of how they finally find love. Kate and Paul’s story is the first one in a series of four friends caught in a time warp. They can’t move on because they are stuck on their idea of their perfect dreams. But sometimes life works in mysterious ways and they are all forced by circumstances to change.
Seaside Surprises
Stacy Claflin - 2015
Play often. Love unconditionally. Tiffany Saunders is on the run. When she winds up stranded in a seaside town, she wants nothing more than to forget her horrific past and kept moving. But a chance meeting with a handsome local changes everything. Jake Hunter has some deep emotional scars and is trying to cope with running the family business. The last thing he wants is a relationship—until a mysterious brunette walks into his store and complicates it all. Tiffany prefers to keep the painful memories of the past where they belong—in her rear view mirror. But dark secrets cannot stay hidden forever. Just as the walls around Tiffany’s heart start to come down, the past catches up with her. Will true love be able to conquer all? Seaside Surprises is the first book in the Seaside Hunters collection, a series of sweet contemporary romances featuring the Hunter brothers set in the beach town of Kittle Falls. If you like entertaining and heartwarming romances, then you'll love this entry in a light, romantic series. Budding romance and great chemistry abound with fully-developed characters that you'll fall for over and over again. **While each book in this series is a standalone, you'll also enjoy reading about the other Hunter brothers of Kittle Falls: Seaside Heartbeats: Brayden, the successful cardiologist Seaside Dances: Zachary, the struggling writer Seaside Kisses: Rafael, the disillusioned fashion designer Seaside Christmas: Cruz, the wild tattoo artist
The Shop on Main
Kay Correll - 2014
As she scrambles to maintain her fragile financial security and independence, she fears she may lose more than just The Shop on Main and her home.Nothing is working out like Bella planned--she finds out the man she is falling for, Owen Campbell, is the businessman at the center of all her problems.Owen has secretly longed to belong--somewhere--anywhere--his whole life. When he decides to give his long-lost brother, Jake, back his birthright, he unknowingly thwarts his briefly held hope of a place where he can put down roots and a family he longs for.Nothing is working out like Owen planned--neither Bella nor Jake wants anything to do with him.How can a man who is used to being in control and a woman determined to make it all on her own find a way to happiness?The Shop on Main is Book One of the Comfort Crossing series. Bella and her best friends, Jenny and Becky Lee, navigate the heartaches and triumphs of love and life in the small southern town of Comfort Crossing, Mississippi.
Love Letters, Inc
Carole Dean - 1997
Enter Rosie O’Hanlon. Rosie wants kids. Lots of kids. And she wants a man who’ll value home, hearth, and a horde of happy children as much as she does. But, hey, this is the 21st century, full-throttle motherhood can be a tough sell at the best of times, and right now she’s sidelined by a neck brace due to some recent surgery. She intends to kick start her search for the ideal father figure the minute the brace comes off.By day Rosie is a technical writer, by night she’s an ink-stained scribe who pens old-fashioned love letters for the romantic at heart. She’d kind of, sort of, hoped LOVE LETTERS, INC. would help pay the groaning mortgage on her aging farm house. Not. But she’s enjoying the letter writing too much to stop. She particularly enjoys writing letters for Gardenia to her fiancé Kent Summerton.The problem is Kent isn’t engaged, to Gardenia or anyone else. Kent is the sexy-hot, very much single owner manager of a prestigious local resort. Ambitious, organized, and over-scheduled, Kent does not find the anonymous letters he’s receiving from Gardenia amusing. And when they become more and more explicit, he starts to feel a bit…stalked. He decides to track Gardenia down and put a stop to her purple pen.All roads lead to Rosie, who’s not happy to learn she’s been duped by Gardenia into writing erotic spam. She’s even less happy to be instantly attracted to work-crazed Kent. With his green eyes, chiseled chin, and muscles in all the right places, he might be calendar material, but he’s so-o not the man for her, and so-o absolutely not the future father of her many children. After all, a six-pack of abs doesn’t trump family values.Rosie’s right. Kent doesn’t want a messy passel of kids. Kent wants a successful business, an organized life, and a clean balance sheet. Kids? Time sucks and trouble. This he knows. Or thinks he knows. But Kent doesn’t know what trouble is, until he starts wanting what he can’t have—Rosie O’Hanlon.P.S. I hope you'll enjoy Rosie's love story as much as I enjoyed writing it.
Secrets on the Sand
Roxanne St. Claire - 2013
But Zeke sits on that mountain all alone, longing for the one thing money cannot buy: the true love of a lifelong partner. Zeke grew up near Barefoot Bay and is staying at the resort for a week while he’s in town for a family event. Enter Mandy Mitchell...the maid. Except to Zeke, Mandy is much more than that—she was the object of his every teenage fantasy back in the days when she was known as “Mandy the Magnificent” and he had the unflattering high school nickname of “Ezekiel the Geekiel.”Zeke is no longer a geek—he’s gorgeous. And Mandy doesn’t feel so magnificent since her marriage fell apart and left her up to her eyeballs in debt and despair. One look at Zeke, and she knows he’s exactly the kind of trouble she should avoid. One look at Mandy, and Zeke turns his relentless ability to get what he wants into a full-on seduction. But can Mandy face down the secrets of her past to find a fairy-tale future with Zeke?
Loving Lauren
Jill Sanders - 2013
Now she’s not only in charge of her two younger sisters, but she’s running a full-blown Texas ranch. Caring for a thousand‑acre ranch has its ups and downs, physically, mentally, and financially. All she is looking for is a little break. What she doesn't have time for is someone who will only complicate her life further.Chase is back in his hometown. Helping his dad with his veterinary practice is high on his list. So is being with the lovely Lauren West. Years ago, he found a unique way to bind them together. Now all he has to do is prove to her that he’s the right man to spend the rest of her life with.
The Opposite of Wild
Kylie Gilmore - 2014
Not that he’s into her. Because a woman like that comes with way too many expectations. Not to mention, she practically works for him, and he didn’t hire Liz to watch after his beloved Harley-stealing Gran so he could turn Liz loose in his bed. Still, there’s something about her, a hidden wild side, that makes him wonder what it would take. Liz must be crazy to work for the insensitive, arrogant, horribly… hot man she's avoided for years. Unfortunately, she needs the money and Ryan's grandmother needs a keeper. (Midnight tango lessons and ziplines with Gran, anyone?) Ryan's rare smile and swaggering confidence have Liz torn between throwing her favorite pinot grigio at his head or throwing herself at him. Can this control freak find a way to let loose with the tough, no-strings guy who once broke her heart?
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.