Book picks similar to
Missing the Rules by Mariah Dietz
contemporary
novellas-short-reads
low-angst
novella
Aftermath
Elle Charles - 2014
Every action has a consequence and this is the aftermath. My name is Kara Petersen. I am one of life’s survivors, but my life has not been easy. I am the product of a dysfunctional, broken home and parents who don’t care. Fallen from grace, abandoned and betrayed, I am now alone. Then there was hope. A boy, a saviour. He saved me, empowered me, and gave me the strength and courage to leave. To live. His actions will not be in vain. I will do whatever it takes to survive. My name is Sloan Foster. I am one of life’s failures, but my life has not been fair. I am the product of a loving home, a mother and father who adored each other, until death paved the way for the devil. Trapped inside a world with a gilded façade, I have always felt alone. Then there was hope. A girl, an angel, a beacon of pure light in the dark. She subconsciously called to me, reached deep into my soul, unknowingly claiming a part of myself I had let die years ago. I promised I would do whatever it took to be her protector. My promises were unachievable and futile. I will do whatever it takes to find her again. Please note this is a 36,000 word novella, chronicling the lives of Kara and Sloan and the ‘missing’ eight years. It is not a continuation of the present story, and should be read after Fractured and Tormented.
Dating the Chef
Ember Davis - 2022
It seems like a horrible way to meet someone. How can you make a connection in five minutes?When I do one more check to make sure everything is ready for the break in the middle of the event, all my protests fly out of the window. I don’t need five minutes to make a connection, all I need is one glimpse of her.Watching her talk with other men has me on edge. It’s only a matter of time before I can make my approach. Then I’ll make her mine. She’s going to learn there are some perks to dating a chef and I’ll be doing a lot more than dating Paisley.PAISLEYTo say I was resistant to the idea of MatchMakers Inc. speed dating event would be an understatement. My best friends talked me into it. I couldn’t argue with shaking up my love life and I did make a New Year’s resolution. Everything else is going so well, but when it comes to love it’s been one mistake after another.Spending my Valentine’s Day at the event instead of on my couch eating ice cream and watching romance movies doesn’t sound like a good time to me, but I promised I’d give it a try. I’m skeptical about the whole thing and I don’t feel a spark with any of the participants, but I’m determined to see the night through.I’m not expecting a man to set his sights on me. He’s not even part of the event, but I can’t deny there’s something about him. With the way he looks at me and the way he makes me feel? Dating is not where this relationship ends, not even close.*18+ If you like alpha heroes and an insta-love story that is sweet and spicy but isn’t necessarily simple, then this is for you. No cheating with a guaranteed HEA. It is a standalone but is related to my Denver Family series (Banks Ink., Suburban Outcasts and Higgins Security). Meet Silas in Healing Her Home (Banks Ink. Book 5) and Faking Her Home (Banks Ink. Book 6). Meet Paisley in Built Dad Bod Tough (Dad Bod Series – Men Built for Comfort).*This Valentine's Day, our heroes and heroines are skipping the dating apps and attending one of MatchMakers Inc. famous Speed Dating events. Is five minutes enough time to feel a spark of chemistry? Can love truly be in the air?Go on a speed date with us and find out!This February, thirteen of your favorite romance authors celebrate steamy instalove in this Valentine’s Day series!
Until We Meet Again (Men of the Misfit Inn, #3.5)
Kait Nolan - 2021
Las Vegas offers the perfect playground to blow off some steam before getting to the serious work of deciding what to do with his life. He never expects that fun to include the high school crush who tutored him years ago.Samantha Ferguson arrives in Vegas for a friend's wedding only to get dumped by text. Desperate not to be the only single in a sea of couples, she makes an impulsive offer to the former bad boy she used to tutor in high school: Be her fake boyfriend for the weekend. Griff knows he's not the guy for Sam, but he can't resist saying yes for the chance to get to know this grown-up version of the girl who once starred in all his dreams. Turns out, there's not a lot of faking it involved. Between the single bed and the endless couples activities, new feelings flare from the old, until they both fall under the spell of Sin City. Will what happens in Vegas stay in Vegas? Or will one impulsive weekend be the start of a brand new forever?*NOTE TO READERS: This is a prequel novella and does not end with a HEA or HFN. Their story continues in COME A LITTLE CLOSER.
The Billionaire Fake Fiancé: Escape to Sun Valley (Grant Brothers Billionaire Boss Romance Book 7)
Sarah Gay - 2021
Secret and Lies: A Secret Baby Romance (Recovery Ranch)
Annie J. Rose - 2022
BAILEY BROTHERS CHRISTMAS TREE FARM: A Holiday Romance Collection
Lana Dash - 2021
Women from all over flock to the farm, hoping to meet the shirtless sexy lumberjacks from the video.With this twist of holiday fate, can the brothers save their farm and find love before Christmas?ETHANI thought the biggest thing I'd have to worry about this holiday was keeping the family Christmas tree farm afloat with my brothers. But when a news crew shows up to do a story on us, I come face to face with the girl whose heart I broke in high school. She's here for a story, and I'm ready to give her the one I should have told her all those years ago.CHRISTOPHERNone of us could have expected the response we'd get after we attempt to market the family farm with the video, but I can't deny I love the attention we are getting from it. But when my best friend calls me out on my new behavior, the dynamic of our friendship shifts, and I see her in a new light. Will we go back to the way things were before, or will we get a chance at a new beginning?LUKEThe farm is swarming with women, but the only one who isn't here for the "sexy lumberjacks" in the video is the only woman I can’t get out of my head. Can I find a way to show the gorgeous single mom that even though I’m younger than her, I might just be the man she didn’t know she was looking for?BAILEY BROTHERS CHRISTMAS TREE FARM is a three-story collection of sweet and steamy romances about brothers trying to save their family Christmas tree farm and finding love during the holiday season. If you enjoy second chance, friends to lovers, and older single mother/younger man romances—you won’t want to miss this!
Possessive Mountain Man: A High Heat Sweet Older Man Younger Woman BBW Romance
Flora Madison - 2019
Rugged mountain man. He saved my life. All of my friends went away for spring break, but mom is sick and I couldn't go far. A trip to the mountains started as a way to catch up on schoolwork, but ended in the secluded cabin of an older man. A man who makes me feel beautiful. Who looks at me like no one ever has... Drake: Emily. My fallen angel. Pure, sweet perfection. It may be a storm that brings us together, but it feels like a fated romance. After my mother died, I could barely leave the woods. Like a part of myself died with her. Now that I've found Emily, I feel alive again. I have to claim her, to make her mine. She's captured my heart. I can't let her go... Possessive Mountain Man is a short, sweet, steamy read featuring an older instalove alpha who'll do anything for his curvy bbw princess! Leave your panties in the drawer, grab a glass of bubbly, and buckle up for this high heat quickie romance.
Blue Bottle Beach
Amie Denman - 2011
Jackie and her accountant friends call in sick and escape wintry Chicago to celebrate in the sunshine, but an unexpected twist breaks up the party. On her own for a weekend in America’s least inhibited city, Jackie meets a man who makes her heart do a tropical dance. Mitchell is handsome, charming, and knows just where to touch her. If he looks a little familiar, the thought is quickly lost on the hot sands. Mitchell finds Jackie equally irresistible as he romances her on Blue Bottle Beach, but he has no idea she should be in her cubicle in Chicago balancing the books for one of his many companies. What will happen when Mitchell and Jackie eventually look past their attraction to discover he’s her boss? Will a hot weekend in Key West still sizzle in wintry Chicago at the corporate Christmas party?
The Girl in the Red Lipstick
Ajay K Pandey - 2021
While on a book promotion tour, he is injured and agrees to call a masseuse. Little did he know that the masseuse would turn out to be someone with a secret!Arun sees a story in her, and in digging deeper, is amazed to discover her strength of character. Even though Lalita is a young survivor of human trafficking, she has unmatched determination.A single encounter with her makes Arun take decisions that he had never even thought of. He is willing to risk everything for her, his own life too.But the more he tries to help her, the deeper he drowns in the swamp.Will two broken people be able to heal each other? Will society ever accept a girl from the forbidden alleys of the city?The Girl in the Red Lipstick is a charming story of friendship, life and finding love where we least expect to.
Quinn Family Romance Collection
Cami Checketts - 2019
Football players, Navy SEALs, security specialists, and billionaires all need one thing: to find the perfect woman to sass and love them. The Devoted Groom: A grieving football player hoping his son will speak again; a speech pathologist with a dark secret; and an unexpected love that sparks danger from the past. The Conflicted Warrior: Jasmine knows she can easily protect the famous and charming singer, Kaleb Quinn, but how will she resist him? The Gentle Patriot: It was love at first glance for Mack Quinn, but Sariah Udy has scars that not even this gentle giant can heal. The Tough Warrior: A famous actress with a price on her head, a hardened security specialist who refuses to acknowledge their love. Can she convince him to reconnect before they run out of time? Will love prevail or is Griff too far past feeling to let even the love of his life in? Her Too-Perfect Boss: A sassy fitness expert, the irresistible man she refuses to fall for, and the tropical storm that will change everything. Navy Quinn has been dodging her perfect boss for over a decade, but a week on a remote island might prove to be her downfall with the tantalizing billionaire Holden Jennings. Her Forbidden Bodyguard: An actress in hiding. An army hero who shattered her heart. His only chance to win her back.
In Too Deep
Elyse Riggs - 2021
It’s not every day a girl gets cheated on the day of her wedding. She’s sworn off men and only plans to stay in town long enough to get her car fixed. Then she has to figure out the rest of her life.Enter grumpy mountain man Tyler Drake. Whatever happens, he knows he can’t fall for the beautiful tourist who walked into his bar. No matter how many sparks fly, she’s forbidden fruit he’s determined not to taste.In Too Deep is a full-length, standalone, enemies to lovers, small-town romance with humor, steam, and lots of HEA.
A Scoop of Love: A Sweet Rapids Novella
Té Russ - 2021
Former NFL star turned yoga teacher/studio owner Paxton Humphries is glad to be home after traveling for over a year.His return is made even sweeter when he meets ice cream shop owner, Raegan Wilson.
Temp Girl
Haley Oliver - 2019
When she answered the intra-office memo on behalf of the snooty blonde down the hall, she only meant to spare her new boss a cruel rejection. He wasn't supposed to reply. And she shouldn’t have replied to his reply… …again…and again…and again. While Amanda has fallen head over heels for her billionaire boss, Owen Ridgemont, to him she's just the girl from the temp agency who sits at the front desk and files paperwork. What will happen when Owen learns that, rather than corresponding with the gorgeous blonde, he's been exchanging memos with his secretary? Amanda has a good idea where her well-meaning charade will leave her…. …unemployed and seriously heartbroken! Temp Girl is a 30K word story, the first in the Billionaire Secretarial Pool series. It is a sweet, clean, contemporary billionaire romance with inspirational and Christian themes of family, faith, and love. As always, it is clean and wholesome with a guaranteed happily ever after ending. This story may appeal to fans of authors such as Bree Livingston, Elana Johnson, Anne-Marie Meyer, Michelle Pennington, and Lorana Hoopes.
The French Retreat
Suzanne | Sue Fortin - 2015
In a bid to reassess her life, she heads off to the only place she has ever felt content - her brother’s farmhouse retreat in rural France.Marcie isn’t the only one looking to escape. Ex-soldier Will hopes the gentle pace of French life will help to banish the ghosts of his past and offer him the fresh start he desires.However, all is not what it seems at The Retreat. Fuelled by a string of strange happenings and local rumours, Will and Marcie are pushed together as they try to discover who or what is behind it all. In so doing, they are faced with a moral dilemma and question if doing wrong is doing right?The French Retreat is a story of human compassion, hope and love.