Book picks similar to
Risking Ruin by Mae Wood


contemporary-romance
romance
chick-lit
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Neighbors


Stylo Fantome - 2016
    Give you a cup of sugar 2. Let you borrow his lawnmower 3. Water your plants while you're on vacation 4. Make your eyes roll back in your head with his tongue Katya Tocci has never paid much attention to who lives next door - her career always kept her too busy. She's a good girl, working her way to becoming the most sought after cake designer in all of San Francisco. But even a good girl's gotta cut loose once in a while, right? So one fake dating profile later, and she's ready to tarnish her squeaky clean image. Little does she know, her fun time is closer to home than she ever imagined. Throw in a neighbor who wants to corrupt her, and another who just wants to own her, and her entire world is flipped upside down. Who knew neighbors could be so helpful? This story contains scenes of a graphic sexual nature, multiple uses of coarse language, and one scene of violent cake destruction. Reader discretion is advised

Ask Me Why


Harloe Rae - 2019
    Two slow blinks. Three hollow beats. I’m still here. After three years, that reminder isn’t as necessary. But everyone has their bad days. This is definitely one of them. Until an adorable little boy dashes into my store. His zest for life makes me smile in a way that’s been long lost. Then I meet his father. Well, confront is more like it. Brance Stone is volatile. Offensive. Harsh. And can’t be bothered to care. Not that I want him to. I get frostbite just looking into Brance’s glacial stare. But there’s something undeniable about him. My misery suddenly craves company. The suffocating numbness lifts whenever Brance is near. That alone should have me running in the opposite direction. Try as I might, there’s no avoiding him. If only I could understand why. As if he’d let me. I don’t ask. He doesn’t tell. A silent, bitter truce settles between us. That was our first mistake. It’s certainly not the last.

The Brave Line


Kate Stewart - 2017
    With a fresh perspective on life, she trades her tragic past in California for the coastal waters of Charleston. Fueled by a new career as a dispatcher, she’s determined not to let her scars weigh her down. She apologizes for nothing, especially her insatiable need for a certain police officer.Rowdy is a newly minted sergeant dedicated to his job, but the life of a Charleston police officer has never been more dangerous. With his need to take order of a city spiraling out of control, the last thing he wants is an entanglement with a mouthy dispatcher. But, there’s just one problem. He can’t get enough of her.As the heat rises between the unlikely pair, so does the tension.Three months of summer was all it took to shake their foundations, rattle their walls, and bring them crashing down.It was lust.It was love.It was real.And it would have been perfect . . . if it wasn't already over.Note to reader:This book has several elements and explores topics that some may consider triggers. For mature audiences only. Explicit sex, violence and language. (less)

All About the D


Lex Martin - 2017
    Not that I'm interested in him in that way. Attorneys can't go around sleeping with their clients. Not even if he is the most beautiful man I've ever met and so ridiculously smart he makes my nerdy-girl heart sigh.Besides, he has too much on the line to risk taking a chance on the insane chemistry building between us. We both do.I've always followed the rules. Too bad he makes me want to break each and every one of them.All About the D is a romantic comedy and a full-length standalone. Due to adult situations and sexual content, it's recommended for readers over the age of 18.

Blissed


Jamie Farrell - 2014
    But it’s redemption time, and she’s putting on her big girl panties to make sure this year’s bridal festival goes off without a hitch. Even if it means she has to play nice with the man who broke her fairy tale.She’s definitely not the one for him. Or is she...World adventurer and reluctant local hero CJ Blue doesn’t want to be in Bliss anymore than Natalie wants him here. But family obligations have brought him back, and now he’s somehow been roped into saving the town tradition he’d rather forget with the woman whose kiss he can’t forget. She frustrates him and drives him nuts but he's had more fun giving her a hard time about the bridal festival than he has in years.And their fun is just starting...Despite their rocky past, these two wounded souls have more in common than they expect. They’ve both loved and lost, they’ve both tried to move on, and now they’ve both been been banned from the local church confessional after...well, they’re not supposed to talk about it. But by joining forces for the sake of Bliss, they might find the courage and the sparks to risk love one more time.Note: BLISSED was previously published for like 5 minutes many years ago as THE HUSBAND GAMES. Publishers Weekly called it a "Marvelous romantic comedy" in a starred review and named it as a "Self-Published Star" of 2014.

Addicted


S. Nelson - 2015
    With the recent passing of her grandmother there is nothing holding her back from starting over. She dreams of a normal life, one which isn’t constantly plagued by nightmares. Everything seems to be going her way until a gorgeous stranger walks into her shop, turning her world upside down. Although Alek Devera is not the relationship type, everything changes once he comes face to face with Sara. Never having met someone quite like her, he starts to question everything he knows. She intrigues him. She challenges him. She threatens the secret he’s been hiding for years. Will a promise made long ago be the very same thing that destroys their chance for happiness? **Author's note** This book ends with a cliffhanger but the second book in the Addicted trilogy will be available a month later, in June 2015.

Weight Expectations


M.E. Carter - 2019
    Little did she know she was about to add hundred and ninety pounds of swoonworthy abdominal muscles and arrogance to her life.Every day in Rians’s life follows a predictable pattern, and she wouldn’t have it any other way. She’s got a nice job, a nice place to live, and a nice family – even if they are a little wedding-zilla-ish at the moment.She doesn’t need anything spectacular to be happy. She just needs to get healthy – mentally, physically. . . and maybe spiritually if that happens. But she’ll settle for two out of three until her sister finally gets hitched.Carlos Davies thought his life was perfect. Little did he know it was about to be turned upside down by a woman who is not his type.In Carlos’s mind, his life is damn near perfect. He’s got a great job, a great place to live, and a great stash of pick up lines that always work. It has occurred to him that maybe no one actually takes him all that seriously. But with these bulging biceps and thick, dark hair, does that even matter since he’s never sleeping alone?Welcome to Weight Expectations, where great—and unexpected—things happen.

Savage


S.L. Scott - 2017
    Sara Jane Grayson is the woman he wants as his queen. When it seems the world is against them, they will fight for their happily ever after. She was my destiny. I was her downfall. We were a match made in hell. When we were together, that hell was pure heaven. This isn't your typical storybook fairy tale. This is emotional warfare.Is love enough for these star-crossed lovers to survive their twisted fate? Find out NOW in this epic modern day romance that will have you on the edge of your seat.

It's In His Heart


Shelly Alexander - 2015
    He has a scandal. And they both have an attraction they can’t deny. Ella Dennings is furious. Soaking wet, muddy, and furious. All she wants is to enjoy a quiet summer retreat in her Red River Valley cabin. Maybe she can finish healing after the death of her husband, Bradley. Maybe she can even finish writing that third book in her anonymously written bestselling series. But when she arrives at the cabin in a raging rainstorm, who does she find holed up there but Cooper Wells, Bradley’s sexy best friend—a man capable of seducing women within seconds—and a man Ella has never liked.Coop’s got his own baggage. He’s engulfed in a nasty legal battle, and after selling his home to cover his legal fees, he’s got nowhere to go but the cabin. He and Ella will just have to coexist under one roof...but is their heated animosity boiling over into attraction? And when Ella’s racy new book rocks the sleepy town, will her secret identity spell scandal for both of them?

Slip of the Tongue


Jessica Hawkins - 2016
    Nathan Hunt has her coffee waiting every morning. He holds her hand until the last second. He worships the Manhattan sidewalk she walks on. Until one day, he just…stops. And Sadie finds herself in the last place she ever expected to be. Lonely in her marriage.When rugged and sexy Finn Cohen moves into the apartment across the hall, he and Sadie share an immediate spark. Finn reveals dreams for a different life. Sadie wants to save her marriage. Their secrets should keep them apart, not ignite a blistering affair. But while Sadie’s marriage runs colder by the day, she and Finn burn hotter.Her husband doesn’t want her anymore.The man next door would give up everything to have her.Slip of the Tongue is a standalone contemporary romance. The second book in the series, The First Taste, is a standalone about a different couple.

The Magnolia Chronicles: Adventures in Dating


Kate Canterbary - 2019
    Or until I fell in love. Whichever came first. How hard could one year of swipes and matches and awkward first dates be? In a word: bad. In nine words: bad and also hilarious, demoralizing, exhausting, and ridiculously amusing.But the only thing worse than dating in the era of hookup apps and unsolicited dick pics is the absolute whole-life-flail of falling in love.Listening Length: 8 hours and 15 minutes

Maybe Baby


Andrea Smith - 2012
    Is her past destined to taint her future?Rescuing Tylar from unspeakable danger, Trey Sinclair, a handsome but arrogant high-powered attorney from Atlanta makes it his mission to protect the innocent and unworldly young woman from the dreams that hunt and haunt her. Spirited and independent, Tylar proves to be a challenge to the stubborn and relentless young lawyer. Together their often bumpy journey weaves itself mysteriously, comically, passionately and erotically down a path that promises to engage and move the reader in this emotionally stirring story.For anyone who has ever been in love or in lust, MAYBE BABY will stir those forgotten feelings of passion and yearning within you; making you ageless as you travel the romantic and erotic journey with Tylar and Trey as they unravel the secrets of each other.This book is intended for mature audiences.

Bad Intentions


Ella Frank - 2021
    James doesn’t know that… When I showed up at my roommate’s work party, the last thing I expected was to find a man straight out of my dreams. But when the crowd parted and the fates aligned, there he was, waiting for me. Marcus St. James, president of ENN WorldWide News.Sexy and powerful, with a stare that could freeze you in place, Marcus was the perfect reward for securing a job at Mitchell & Madison, the best law firm in Chicago. To play with the big fish, however, one must become a big fish, and that’s where my little white lie began.It was one night. I was never going to see him again, and from the second we spoke, I knew he was interested. It was there in his eyes, the same fire in my veins. It was there in his voice, whenever he said my name.The only problem? It wasn’t my name, and now I wanted more—much more.But how can anything good come out of something that started with such bad intentions?Bad Intentions is the first book in the Intentions Duet.

Undone


R.E. Hunter - 2014
    Embry’s sole focus is to get through law school—with the help of her best friend, Morgan—and make something of the broken girl she became. Not thinking about falling in love, being in a relationship or even entertaining the idea of romance, Embry is moving forward one day at a time.Luke Brody is charming and sexy, and has a past of his own. He wants nothing more than to put his demons to rest and move on with his life. But, when Embry enters the picture, is he destined to repeat those same mistakes? Blindsided by their instant attraction, neither Luke nor Embry are prepared for the feelings they’re developing. But will it all be for nothing? Will they let their pasts destroy them, or will they risk everything to fight for their relationship when it all comes undone?

Ensnared


J.S. Scott - 2018
    Scott. Wildlife conservationist Jade Sinclair isn’t used to having money. But when she and her siblings learned they were part of the mega-rich Sinclair dynasty, they became billionaires overnight. Jade doesn’t even know how to act rich, especially when she’s dealing with an arrogant, privileged, unreasonably sexy snob like Eli Stone.Unlike Jade, Eli grew up rich, and he just keeps getting richer. Eli is always looking for an adventure, and he’s found an inviting one in Jade—as resistant as she is irresistible. His less-than-honorable plan? Get her alone in the wilderness by buying out all the spots in her survival class.Calling a truce, they strike a bargain: Jade will teach Eli basic survival skills, and he’ll teach her how to navigate the world of the wealthy elite. Jade has only one condition—she will not let herself be seduced by him. But some things are easier said than done…