Book picks similar to
Free Me by Grahame Claire


romance
contemporary
free
contemporary-romance

Long Time Coming


Edie Claire - 2003
    But back at home, the past is ready and waiting to haunt her...Eighteen years have passed since Joy's childhood best friend, Jenny, met her death in a tragic car accident just a few days after their senior prom. A broken Joy left their small Kentucky hometown shortly after - determined never to come back. But when her father's illness forces her to return, she realizes that neither time nor distance have truly healed her troubled soul.Plagued with nightmares of the accident and crippled by a vague fear whose source she can't identify, Joy realizes that in order to move on she must face the truth behind several disturbing gaps in her memory of that fateful spring. But the only person who can help her is a man she despises - Jenny's erstwhile boyfriend Jeff, now a respected doctor, whose carelessness as a teenager was the cause of Jenny's horrendous death - and Joy's own emotional destruction. Can she ever forgive? She may have no choice but to try. Because both the danger she sensed - and the childhood friendship she treasured - now suddenly seem very much alive...

Forever Innocent


Deanna Roy - 2013
    On what should have been one of the happiest nights of her life, she and her boyfriend Gavin watched a nurse disconnect the ventilator from their seven-day-old baby. During the funeral two days later, Gavin walked out and never returned.Since then, her life has been a spiral of disasters. The only thing that has helped is her ability to black out whenever the pain gets too hard to bear, a habit that has become an addiction.When Gavin shows up in her astronomy class four years later, he is hell-bent on getting her back, insisting she forgive him. Corabelle knows she can’t resist the touch that fills the empty ache that has haunted her since he left. But if he learns what she has done, if he follows the trail back through her past, her secrets will destroy their love completely. And once again, she’ll lose the only person who always believed she was innocent.New Adult Contemporary Romance

Dangerous Secrets


Abbie Zanders - 2014
    one passionate love story. Taryn Malone is stranded, broke, and desperate for help. But even if the sexy bartender she's been eyeing offers her a job for the evening... even if he seduces her with his impossibly intense blue eyes... even if every fiber of her heart tells her to stay with him... she can't. Because Taryn Malone doesn't exist.Jake Callaghan has been running the family's Irish pub for years now. When he sees Taryn standing out alone in the rain, he does what he's been trained to do as a SEAL - he rescues her. It has nothing to do with her full, firm curves, or her loose, golden-blonde hair, or the way she brushes against him that sends lightning bolts through his body. It's just the right thing to do. Really. But both Taryn and Jake are hiding secrets from each other. Dangerous secrets. And neither one of them knows just how dangerous it can be to fall in love...

Coming in from the Cold


Sarina Bowen - 2014
    And he can’t tell anyone why.Ski racer Dane "Danger" Hollister does not do relationships, though he keeps his reason a secret. The real-life curse he's inherited from his mother will eventually cost him everything: his place on the Olympic ski team, his endorsement income, and his ability to fly downhill at top speed.Reluctant country girl Willow Reade meets Dane by accident. Literally. Her skidding truck forces him off the road during a blizzard. Stranded together in his Jeep as night falls, the two loneliest people in Vermont find themselves sharing more than they'd planned. And not just conversation.Yet neither can guess how their unlikely tryst will threaten Dane's frightening secret and Willow's tentative peace with her own choices. Only mutual trust and understanding can end their pain and give them a hard won shot at love.PREVIOUSLY RELEASED BY HARLEQUIN WITH A DIFFERENT COVER IMAGE.

A SEAL's Oath


Cora Seton - 2016
    But they need land, so when Martin Fulsom, iconic leader of the Fulsom Foundation, offers them Westfield, an uninhabited ranch in Chance Creek, Montana, they take it sight unseen—and agree to Fulsom’s condition that they document their progress on a reality television show. Building a working community will be hard enough, but Boone’s got another problem. Fulsom expects families—not single men—to make up the population of the new town. Now Boone’s got to find a wife, fast, before he loses his funding, and his dream. So when he arrives at Westfield to find it already occupied by Riley Eaton, the woman he thought he'd lost forever, he wonders if fate itself has provided him with an answer. Riley Eaton's played by the rules all her life, but it hasn't gotten her anywhere. Now she's out of work and no closer to being a full-time artist--or meeting a man and starting a family. Never happier than when she’s buried in a Jane Austen novel, she knows she’s not the only woman longing for a simpler, more beautiful life—one that allows time for art, literature and music. When she discovers her friends are in the same frame of mind, she throws caution to the wind and invites them to Westfield, the ranch her uncle inherited long ago, but has never lived in. Equipped with a key and a standing invitation to stay there whenever she likes, she heads to Chance Creek and gives up all things twenty-first century in order to take a six-month Jane-Austen style vacation. Westfield is perfect for Regency living with its wide lawns, extensive gardens and large ballroom. But when sexy, stubborn Boone shows up with plans to build a hyper-modern sustainable community on the ranch, it’s clear her Regency paradise is over before it even began. Now Boone has thirty days to marry Riley or lose the ranch to developers, and Riley has to decide whether to marry Boone or say good-bye to Westfield--and her Jane Austen life--forever. Can they overcome their prejudices to help each other? Or will their pride destroy both their futures?

Concrete Evidence


Rachel Grant - 2013
    Now she wants revenge…Accused of stealing artifacts from a five hundred year-old shipwreck, underwater archaeologist Erica Kesling is determined to clear her name. She’s concealed her past and taken a job certain to give her access to the buyer of the missing antiquities. She's finally closing in on her goal, when she's distracted by a sexy, charismatic intern who makes her want something other than revenge.But Lee Scott is no intern. He's looking for the lead conspirator in an international artifact smuggling scheme, and Erica is his prime suspect. He’ll do whatever it takes to win her trust and get her to reveal her secrets, even seduce her.As Erica and Lee struggle to conceal their real agendas, the one thing they can’t hide is the attraction that burns hot between them. When Erica’s quest puts her life in jeopardy, Lee must choose between old loyalties and a woman he never expected to fall for.

Summer Lake Romance Box Set: Book 1-3


S.J. McCoy - 2016
    They have kept in touch over the years and now, in their early thirties, their lives are drawing them back to Summer Lake and to each other. Book 1: Love Like You've Never Been Hurt Emma Douglas came to Summer Lake as an orphan twenty three years ago. After losing her parents so young and later suffering a disastrous marriage, she believes that love only ever leads to pain and loss. When she meets Jack Benson, the business partner of her childhood friend Pete, she sees everything she used to long for in a man; tall, dark, and drop dead gorgeous! Despite their undeniable attraction, Emma is too scared to risk her heart, especially on a man so much like her ex - sexy, smart, funny, successful and no doubt the same kind of cheat! When events lead them both to Summer Lake for the summer, will Jack be able to persuade her that he's nothing like her ex in all the ways that really matter? That the love she used to dream of isn't a little girl's fantasy, but a reality they can share if she can get past her fear and learn to trust? Book 2: Work Like You Don't Need the Money Holly Hayes is a realist, if nothing else. She's going to be Maid of Honor at her best friend, Emma's wedding in Summer Lake. Pete Hemming, self made millionaire, powerful CEO, all around good guy, is going to be the Best Man. If they're going to be able to get through their official duties, there's one thing they'll need to deal with first. Sex! He may be out of her league socially and financially, but one thing is clear. He wants her. She wants him. What's the harm in one night of passion? It's inevitable they're going to end up naked together. So it's best to get it out of the way early, right? So they can get on with organizing the wedding. Pete Hemming is a man with a plan. He's lived his life by the plan, built his business by it. The plan doesn't allow for a woman in his life, only in his bed. Trouble is, once he gets Holly into his bed, he can't get her out of his mind. But he can't let her into his life, can he? Book 3: Dance Like Nobody's Watching Missy Malone has had a great summer, watching her friends meet wonderful guys and fall in love. She even has a wonderful guy in her own life. Trouble is, he's only in her life to mentor her son, Scot. She just has to stop daydreaming that he could be as good for her as he is for Scot. What would he ever see in her anyway? She's a broke single mom who talks too much, while he's a quiet, shy, tech genius. And besides...he has a girlfriend! On paper, Dan Benson has a great life in San Jose. His software development company, his penthouse apartment, his car, and his girlfriend are all supposed to make him feel happy and successful. None of them do. Until he started visiting Summer Lake, he'd always been more comfortable around computers than people. These days he's comfortable hanging out with his brother, Jack, and his friends. He feels successful when he's helping Scot. Most of all, he's happier than he's ever been, when he can spend time with Missy. Will the attraction between them be enough to overcome the differences and obstacles that stand in their way? This book is intended for readers 18+

Long Way Home


Neve Cottrell - 2014
     Pull up a beach chair and enjoy the fireworks on Mangrove Island in the first book in this contemporary romance series. Tyler Barnes can’t believe his eyes when Alexis MacAdams walks back into his life. His high school crush left Mangrove Island seventeen years ago and never looked back. He’s held on to the memory of her, even though she never gave him a second glance. Now Alexis is back for the holidays and Tyler is determined to make a lasting impression before she slips away again. He soon learns, however, that her broken heart needs to heal before he has a chance to win it. Can Tyler convince her to risk her heart for a second time?Mangrove Island series ~Book 1: Long Way HomeBook 2: Far From HomeBook 3: No Place Like HomeBook 4: Heart of the Home Book 5: Home Sweet HomeBook 6: coming soon*each book can be read as part of the series or as a standalone

Selling Scarlett


Ella James - 2013
    Dragged out of seclusion by her best friend Suri, Elizabeth is merely playing dress-up, rubbing elbows with a crowd that banished her troubled family years ago.Hunter West is tired. Tired of parties, tired of pretending, and tired of trying to right a wrong that haunts him every day. Bourbon heir and professional poker player by day, by night Hunter is gambling with his life in a high-stakes game of crime and blackmail. When Elizabeth stumbles into Hunter's den of vices, she's a light in the darkness, a flame in the void. And, just like everything he touches, Hunter mars her in a record time. To rectify the damage done, Elizabeth needs money she doesn't have, and she's come up with a foolproof way to get it.Follow Elizabeth - code-named Scarlett - to the lush Nevada brothel where she'll auction her virginity and risk the only thing that's not for sale: her heart. The highest bidder is a familiar face, with wicked hands and the devil's mouth. And a secret so dark that it could cost her life.

Ariel, Always Enough


Danielle Norman - 2017
    One woman would never be enough for one man. So I traded in men for a Harley. Nothing beats that kind of power between my legs. Then I blinked. And he was there. ~ Some things in life were inevitable; death, taxes, and badge bunnies willing to hop into my bed. The only problem is I’m a one woman kind of man. In my line of work, I’ve seen it all. Nothing bothers me until I find a woman’s wrecked body. When she blinked, My world changed. Forever doesn’t come close to giving me enough of her. From the author: Enough features my ideal hero, an Alpha-Beta. They are the type of men that will open the door for you during the day and put you up against it at night. Enough is comical, with just a hint of drama. It isn't politically correct and will have you searching your favorite sex toy store. Enough is a stand-alone novel with no cliffhanger. You will meet characters that will reappear in future books.

Free Me


Laurelin Paige - 2014
    Screw fairytales. The only reward Gwen Anders got from her rough childhood was a thick skin and hard heart. She’s content with her daily grind managing a top NYC nightclub—Eighty-Eighth Floor. So hers isn’t a happily ever after. She doesn’t believe in those anyway. Then she meets J.C. The rich, smooth talking playboy is the sexiest thing that Gwen has ever encountered, but she’s not interested in a night-in-shining latex. But when a family tragedy pushes her to the brink, it’s J.C. who’s there to teach her a new method of survival, one based on following primal urges and desires. His no-strings-attached lessons require her to abandon her constant need for control. Her carefully built walls are obliterated. Gwen discovers there’s a beautiful world outside her prison. Freedom is exhilarating—and terrifying. When she starts to feel something for J.C., she fears for her heart. Especially as she realizes that he has secrets of his own. Secrets that don't want to set him free. This series can be read alone or with the Fixed Trilogy.

Lost Without You


Molly O'Keefe - 2017
     I failed. And with that failure there's blood on my hands. I owe a dangerous man an equally dangerous debt. When he comes calling, I either pay or spend the rest of my life in jail. I’m ready for anything. Except seeing Beth again. BETH I’ve spent my life hiding behind disguises to protect myself from ever revealing too much. But now my life is falling apart around me, and the past I’ve tried to outrun has caught up. The only man I’ve loved has betrayed me. Again. And both our lives are on the line. Contains The Debt: A Prologue and 50,000 more words in the continuation of Tommy and Beth's story.

Someone to Believe In


Kathryn Shay - 2005
    He put her in jail for harboring a teen offender and never looked back. Eleven years later, she’s a thorn in his side as an anti-gang specialist trying to get kids out of gangs. While Clay wants to put them in jail, Bailey is determined to help these troubled teenagers make good lives for themselves. But when Bailey and Clay are thrown together on the mayor’s task force, the impossible happens—they’re attracted to each other. Their passion erupts early on, and only grows stronger the further they get into a relationship. When they fall deeply in love, their conflicting views drive a wedge between them. Both the Street Angel and the Senator must find a way to deal with their differences in order to make a life together.

That Thing You Do


Maria Geraci - 2015
    She does, however, believe in the power of a permanent paycheck. So when a tipster reports that the soon-to-be demolished senior center in her hometown is haunted, Allie hightails it to Whispering Bay to get the scoop that could secure her dream job at Florida! magazine. What she finds, though, is far scarier than any ghost. Cue her ex-boyfriend, sexy construction foreman Tom Donalan.When Tom catches Allie poking around his construction site, he quickly realizes his former high school flame is just as feisty as ever. And, heaven help him, her irresistible, mile-high legs still take his breath away. But Tom isn’t about to delay the building’s demolition because of a silly ghost story.With neither of the stubborn exes backing down from their opposing positions, sparks fly. And, underneath the surface, the fire of their old attraction burns as hot as ever. When strange things start happening with increasing frequency around town, even a tough skeptic like Tom is tested. The question is, can Allie and Tom stop fighting long enough to get to the bottom of Whispering Bay’s ghost problem—and the more important matter of mending their broken hearts?

30 Days


K. Larsen - 2013
    Dealing with the loss of her only sister. A suicide attempt that doesn’t end in death and a husband who wants her inheritance. Elle’s life is a catastrophe. But she has a list and thirty things she’s determined to accomplish. Love isn't on that list but it comes crashing unexpectedly into her life. Boxing coach and personal trainer at the gym he co-owns, Colin’s content with his life. Until a chance meeting with a woman eating alone at a restaurant sets his heart in motion. As secrets unveil themselves his only goal becomes holding on to what he’s found.