Book picks similar to
Left Hanging by Cindy Dorminy


romance
contemporary
contemporary-romance
second-chance

Falling for You


Jessica Gilmore - 2017
    So what if her life is a little too safe? Marietta is everything to Lacey. Not only is she helping to organize the Bachelor Bake-Off and filming a documentary about the process, she’s also volunteered her brother as a Bachelor. But, when her brother backs out, Lacey has to find a last-minute replacement. And who better than her aunt’s lodger, gorgeous – if taciturn – Zac Malone?Zac’s not exactly community-minded. In fact, he makes it clear that the sooner he’s out of Marietta the better. But when Lacey persuades him of the powerful impact the Bake-Off funds will have on local children, he decides to give it a go. On one condition. If he has to learn to bake, so does disaster-in-the-kitchen Lacey. Desserts aren’t the only thing heating up, and as the attraction flares and Zac makes plans to leave, Lacey’s beginning to realize that maybe there is a world beyond Marietta’s borders after all… if she’s brave enough to take that step.*previously titled Baking for Keeps

Stirred


Charity Ferrell - 2020
    I can't do this. That's what my ex said after our son was born, leaving me a single dad. These days, my world consists of two things: Noah and my bar. Until her—the woman I want—but can never have. My ex’s sister wasn’t supposed to be stirred into the mix. Even though I try to push her away, my son falls in love with her. As much as I want to keep my distance, I can’t break his heart.Lines become blurred, and fighting our attraction becomes nearly impossible. Even though we know it’s wrong, desire doesn’t always fade away.As soon as we cross that line, nothing will be the same and everything will fall apart. And it does.

Wild Love


Melissa Schroeder - 2021
    In fact, I prefer my partners don't get too clingy. Don't get me wrong. I like a good night of loving, but beyond that, I’m happy to see them leave inthe morning, without my number.Then I met him. Quinn is a big bear of a man, with massive hands and amazing...staying power. Like all night long and the next morning kind of staying power. So when he asks me to spend the next day with him, I do. The only reason I give him my number is because he makes me laugh. And, okay, so I might have met up with him once or twice.That doesn't mean I need him. Because I am Everly Freaking Spencer, and I don't need anyone (other than my bestie), and definitely not a man.Only...He shows up by chance at my store, which totally freaks me out. Finding out he's my favorite author doesn't help either.And the surprise that's dropped in our laps later that day?Major. Freak. Out.But, like I said, I don't need anyone.Right?If I keep repeating that, I might just believe it.Author warning: Get ready for a trip into the hippiest little town in Texas. There's gossipy little old ladies (LOLs), an app that every teenager hates, trips to Denver and Cali, a woman who is convinced true love doesn't exist, and  man who aims to prove her wrong by doing things to her that should embarrass the author. And she was. (Not really). Along the way readers get to spend time with the gorgeous Hawthorne brothers and gay ducks. SERIOUSLY. GAY. DUCKS. Just get the book already because you know you want to know about them. Also, there's a happily ever after fit for a woman with commitment issues and man who just doesn't know when to give up.

Our Bridal Shop


Danielle Blair - 2020
    For the March sisters, Match Made in Devon, the bridal shop opened and run by their parents, was a real-world representation of what true love was all about. But for eldest sister Alexandra that kind of perfection has always seemed unreachable. 
Alex has spent over fifteen years in Boston, building up an impenetrable shell of confidence and taking control over her own destiny. If there’s anything missing from her life, it isn’t important anyway. But with her mother’s unexpected death Alex is forced to leave her life in the big city behind and return to her hometown of Devon…and a past she’s been running from for years. 
As the March sisters try to salvage the bridal shop their parents loved, Alex is forced to confront her painful past and the real reason she left Devon so many years ago…including childhood sweetheart Jonah Dufort. 
Jonah represents everything Alex has tried to forget and conceal. But sometimes secrets demand to be revealed, and when the past returns again in the form of a long-lost sister, it’s a shocking reminder to Alex that even a perfect marriage can have something to hide. 
With her world falling apart around her, Alex loses control of the perfect life she has built for herself. Now, the only thing that Alex can be certain of is that things will never be the same. 
Bound by fate, three sisters will have to redefine the meaning of family and discover the raw power of forgiveness and love.

Stone Lake


Phil M. Williams - 2015
    He toils to keep their construction company afloat while the exes in his life enjoy their honeymoon. Jon meets Morgan when a flock of turkeys and a curvy mountain road aligns with one-in-a-million timing. Despite their attraction, her engagement, and the ire of her family, the pair embarks on a platonic friendship. As their relationship strengthens, they share secrets, but Morgan holds her most important secret tight to her chest, where it beats like a ticking time bomb. It’s not a matter of if, but when. Adult language and content. Beware of spoilers in the reviews.

Cupid's Quest


Natalie Ann - 2020
    She considers herself a successful realtor now and loves that she is doing her part to put people in their forever home. Commitment issues often remind her she may never find what she always wanted as a little girl even if she secretly dreams of love and romance, happy ever after and prince charming...that forever home of her own. Josh Turner lived through the horrific murder of his parents while he hid in the closet as a young child. He’s an investigator now sworn to protect, but those he loved...he couldn’t bear the thought of life without them. He’d lay his life on the line and make sure they never felt as scared and lonely as he had that one night. When Ruby ends up as his realtor, he realizes that she is the one he never wants to lose, if only she’d let him in.

Coming Home to Heritage Cove


Helen J. Rolfe - 2020
    After an absence of five years, her return isn’t going to be easy, especially when she bumps into Harvey, the love of her life and the man she’s never been able to forget. For reasons he couldn't explain at the time, Harvey changed his mind about going with Melissa to start afresh as they'd planned, and life moved on for the both of them. But with Melissa back in the village and determined to stick around to help Barney, they can't avoid each other forever. Melissa knows she let so many people down by staying away for so long, but she and Harvey blame each other for what happened and neither of them is willing to admit to being in the wrong.When Barney insists on cancelling the Wedding Dress Ball, the charity fundraiser he holds every year in the stunning barn on his property, Melissa and Harvey realise they’re going to have to pull together. Otherwise the man they once knew might be gone forever. And when they unearth a secret Barney has never shared with anyone, they go in search of answers to not only ensure the ball runs this summer, but to bring back the Barney they know and love. Back in the cove after all this time, Melissa gets to see the life she left behind and it’s time to deal with what it was that drove her away in the first place.Beneath the summer sunshine in Heritage Cove, the sea sparkles, the heat rises and new love, reconciliations and the answers to an old love story could bring changes for everyone. Perfect summer reading for fans of Sarah Morgan, Holly Martin and Jill Mansell

Not So Broken (Love Grows Series Book 1)


Renee Regent - 2019
    An independent woman. When they collide, love grows in a most unexpected way! A bitter divorce from my cheating ex-husband left me reeling, but I forged a new life on my own. Now on the verge of a promotion, everything I want is in reach—except a family. I’ve all but given up on ever having a child.So I decided I would adopt one on my own.Then one wild night changed everything. I was swept away by Gibson, a hot-looking handyman who was, well, pretty good with his hands. And then some.But there were unintended consequences from our tryst. Now he and I are forever connected, and it turns out Gibson was not at all what he seemed to be. We barely know each other, and now he is in my life forever. Maybe we can make this work if we stay platonic.That will be easy, right?The Love Grows Series- Strong, protective heroes. Feisty, independent heroines. When they meet, Love Grows in unexpected ways.

The One That Got Away


A.J. Pine - 2016
    Only once was their friendship tested—when Brynn gave Jamie a single kiss. Since then, they've had an unspoken agreement never to cross that line again, and she’s ready to let go of the past and move on.But Jamie has loved Brynn for as long as he can remember, and now that he's ready to tell her, she has her sights set on someone else. Knowing this is his last chance, he asks Brynn to go on a two-week road trip. But their time alone brings old hurts to the surface, and Brynn has to decide if the one that got away lies at the end of the journey or if he's been by her side all along.

Chasing Bullets


Suzanne Cass - 2022
    Then she ran away from him in the ultimate act of betrayal. Two years later, Tara Hunter’s easy life in Byron Bay is turned upside down when David Cooper, her ex-police partner, appears and their chequered past comes back to haunt her. Coop is in town on an undercover mission to prevent a possible terrorist plot. While he’s recovered physically from the bullet wound, mentally he’s still scarred by her act of deceit. Reluctantly, Tara is drawn into Coop’s operation to track down a group of extremists hiding in the jungle wilderness, where she soon finds the illicit desire they shared two years ago is back, stronger than ever. But will she be able to find the courage to tell him she loves him and save him from the brutal terrorist gang? Suzanne Cass writes a thrilling romantic suspense in this game of hide and seek, full of passionate romance and heart stopping choices. Pick up a copy of Chasing Bullets today and get lost in this world of romance and deception.

What We Do For Love


Anne Pfeffer - 2019
    The single mother focuses instead on a few things that she cherishes--her sixteen-year-old son Justin, her friends, and her art. When she convinces a major museum to show a piece of her work, and she thinks her career has finally turned a corner, her son brings home a girl, Daniela, to spend the night. Daniela's parents have thrown her out of the house: she is pregnant with Justin's child. Shattered, Nicole feels she has no choice but to take the girl in. She finds herself falling in love with Daniela, but increasingly troubled by the behavior of the girl’s icy, tormented mom and hard-drinking, hard-fisted dad.Nicole struggles as fear and deceit enter her formerly peaceful life. Forced to deal with people she doesn't trust or like, fearful for the future of both her son and the grandchild they're expecting, Nicole wonders if she can do what she tells Justin to do: always have faith in yourself and do the right thing. What We Do for Love is a standalone story written by award-winning author Anne Pfeffer.

Resisting Him


Leslie Johnson - 2018
    I've moved on with my life and I can't wait to return home for good. The home where seven-years earlier I met my best friend and former lover Marcus Johnson. How was I to know our parents had other plans? Even with a new boyfriend, and all the time apart, there is always one lingering thought. Marcus. Why? The more I try to forget him, the stronger my desire becomes. We had to breakup, but did we want to? Now my life will be even more complicated with Marcus so near. Don’t miss the scorching hot Resisting Him a stand-alone novel by Leslie Johnson.

Love, Riley (Redemption Hwy 4) (The Pennington's Book 1)


Leaona Luxx - 2017
    TROUBLE.That’s all she is and all she’ll ever be.What in the hell was I thinking getting involved with her?Everyone knows her reputation precedes her.But I’ll be damned if I don’t like it.Hurricane Ava crashes to shore wreaking havoc, the beautiful disaster she is.And I love it.What’s worse, she does too.So, why am I in love with her? Because, she loves me.She just doesn’t know it yet.

Better Than Perfect


Kristina Mathews - 2014
    Known for his legendary control both on and off the field, his pristine public image makes him the ideal person to work with youth players in a preseason minicamp. Except the camp is run by the one woman he can’t forget…the woman who made him a “monk.”Alice Harrison’s three strikes include an unexpected pregnancy, a marriage of convenience and young widowhood. She once traded her dreams so Johnny could have a chance at making it to the Majors. Johnny comes back into her life just as she’s ready to resign as foundation director and pursue her own dreams of finally earning her teaching credential. Her plans may go on hold, though, depending on the reaction when she confesses she may have kept a major league secret from Johnny and her son.With the minutes ticking by until Johnny will leave for spring training, they’ll need to let go of the past and work together in order to win the game of love.CONTENT WARNING: Some strong language, consummated love scenes

Promise Me You


Marina Adair - 2018
    Irresistibly charming and drenched in alpha-male swagger, Hunter isn’t just the catch of the town—he’s Mackenzie’s best friend. Only someone beats her to the altar. After a fresh start and three years to recover, the last thing Mackenzie expects is for her old life to come knocking…Recently divorced, musician Hunter Kane wants to reconnect with the woman he left behind. Admitting his biggest mistake comes first. What comes next is up to Mackenzie. He hopes she’ll give him a second chance. He may have been the one to break her heart, but he knows he can also be the one to mend it.As a tenuous friendship turns into something more, Hunter’s life on the road beckons once again. Will love be enough to keep them together, or will their wildly different worlds be too much for them to overcome?