Book picks similar to
From the Ground Up by Jennifer Van Wyk
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The Sheikh’s Pretend Fiancée
Leslie North - 2018
Five years after her first stay as a foreign exchange student, American librarian Liyah returns to the Middle East. The move goes against her practical nature, but even a plain jane like herself sometimes thirsts for adventure. When a favor for a friend thrusts her into the path of beguiling billionaire Asad Sharif, Liyah’s sensible life may become something far more…sensual. Liyah is ensnared by Asad’s seductive charm, but she’s way out of her depth. However with a push from Asad’s meddling sister, Liyah is soon leading the lavish lifestyle of a sheikha. Billionaire businessman Asad Sharif has willing women falling at his feet on multiple continents, but what he needs is a wife...or at least the appearance of one. To convince investors that he’s a dependable man, what Asad needs is a fake fiancée. The bookish American Liyah is the perfect choice, and when she accepts his pretend proposal, Asad’s sister is eager to help Liyah look the part. When his shy wallflower unexpectedly blooms into a stunning beauty, Asad will have to work doubly hard not to lose himself in Liyah’s strawberry blonde hair and enticing curves.
In the playground of the wealthy Middle Eastern elite, things are getting hotter than ever for the sheikh and his would-be sheikha, but all fake marriages must eventually come to an end...
Boss Next Door
Mia Ford - 2020
I will keep my hands to myself.I will not stare at the guy next door.And I will definitely not have a one-night stand with him.But one single touch and my plan crumbled into dust.William was just too tempting to ignore.A billionaire with piercing blue eyes.Could you blame a girl for hooking up with a hot older man?But this is not why I moved to a new town.This is not why I applied to a new job.I’ve got to focus.Keep my eyes on the prize.And forget about the billionaire who took my breath away.Except that there’s one tiny problem.The man I’m trying to forget is at my workplace.He’s sitting behind a mahogany desk.Staring at me with those same blue eyes that make me blush.Yes, it’s William.And yes, it feels like doomsday.
Everything I Needed
Ellie Wade - 2017
I escaped Texas and broke free from the life that tried to destroy me. Yet here I am, five years later, my dreams shattered, on a bus back to the place I never wanted to be. Liam Moore I spend my days on the ranch, doing what I love, in my favorite place on Earth. After years without contact, I’m startled to find her green eyes staring back at me, making me realize how much I’ve missed her. She doesn’t want me in her life, and yet now that she’s back, I don’t know how I’ll make it without her in mine. Sometimes, everything you need is right where you left it. It’s finding the strength to embrace it that’s the hard part.
The Long Route
Kiersten Modglin - 2019
She never planned to see Adam again or to rehash the night that changed their lives forever.But when an assignment at work brings her back to Love, she discovers the boy she left behind is not the same man there waiting for her. Adam once thought his future with Lydia was set. Until she walked away, leaving him to pick up the pieces of his life and heart alone.It’s been five years since he saw her face and now he wants answers.As secrets about that night are finally revealed, secrets that could change everything, Adam and Lydia must make the choice to let one decision ruin all they could have or to fight for a love they once believed could go the distance.
Dirty Biker
Alycia Taylor - 2017
He belongs to a club, and works with his father at the motorcycle shop that they own. While he’s brilliant when it comes anything bike related, he’s not so good when it comes to dealing with people. And his love life, in particular, is non-existent. He’s a good-looking man, with a rough exterior that most people find hard to penetrate, and it’s not often that you see his softer side. That’s until he meets the beautiful Eliza. Eliza Hammond is a fun-loving party planner, with a passion for life and people. When she gets offered a job in Arizona, she takes it – not just because the job sounds great, but also to get away from her abusive ex-boyfriend. Eliza is not looking for love, especially after her last relationship. Of course, life doesn’t always work that way. But is the tough Ian Maxwell right for someone as outgoing and playful as her? Can opposites really attract? Dirty Biker is a hot romance that includes 3 bonus novels for a limited time.
Accidentally Married
R.R. Banks - 2018
Holly is mine.I'll protect her no matter what.
Her Hot Shot
Alexx Andria - 2019
Sometimes the right time is now when a second chance drops into your lap.With everyone around her hooking up or getting hitched, massage therapist Isabella Todd needs some R&R before the term “Third Wheel” is forever attached to her name.Her cousin Stella invites her to spend Fourth of July with her family in small town America, otherwise known as Milltown, Colorado and Isabella doesn’t hesitate to pack her bags.Summers spent in Milltown with her grandmother were some of her favorite — backyard barbecues, tanning by the lake, and meeting new friends — but there’s one memory that stands out above the rest.Her first kiss.Kasey Yates, two years older and the stuff of her teenage dreams, would forever remain the one perfect memory from those long-ago summers.She never expected to see him again but fate is funny that way.The hot shot firefighter is still in Milltown, single and ready to mingle — and he never forgot about that sassy California girl who stole his heart with a sweet, innocent pucker.Is she ‘The One’ — there’s only one way to find out!Author Note: If you’ve read WITH THIS RING, you might recognize a familiar face!***Happy 4th of July!Welcome to Milltown, Colorado, population 15,000, where the only things hotter than the annual fireworks show are the men in uniform and the women who want to light their fuses.Join the authors of Flirt Club in The Fireworks Series of stories that celebrate small-town summers, bbqs, and all things that end with a bang!Where will you be when the fireworks start?#flirtclub #thefireworksseries #bighotbang #ComingSoon#FireworksSeries #GoingOff #LightUpTheNight #BigBang #MenInUniform#SmalltownRomance #FlirtClub
The Critic
Joanne Schwehm - 2015
All her sacrifices start to pay off when she lands a role that will catapult her to stardom. CANExpress our thoughtsAward-winning theater critic Bentley Chambers possesses the power to make or break a career. Theatergoers consider his reviews to be gospel, and actors cringe at the thought of him in the audience. His words possess power. HURTA heart’s not made of stoneMore than one actor has been sent packing after Bentley’s bad reviews, and Andrea could be next. She won’t stand by and let him shatter her dreams, but she never thought giving him a piece of her mind would also mean giving him a piece of her heart.Will Andrea discover on her own the passion Bentley claims she lacks, or will he be the one to draw it out of her?Words… choose them wisely.***STAND ALONE NOVEL*** INTENDED FOR MATURE READERS***
His to Hold
S.L. Sterling - 2019
But that was about to change. Getting dumped at the start of my much overdue vacation was not how I planned to spend my time off. Neither was running into someone from my past. It was the last thing I expected.... but just what I needed.My brother’s best friend was headed home when our paths collided at the airport during a massive storm. Twenty years of chemistry crackles around us like lightning, and we give in to what’s been a long time coming. From stranded old friends to insatiable lovers, spending a week together at his lake house, I'm reminded what it’s like to live in the moment. When I realize I didn’t really know him at all, I can’t help but think... I might have been his to hold, but could I be his to keep? Bryce I guess there are worse things than being forced into taking a vacation. I can think of a few. But being fresh out of a bad relationship, and in the middle of a huge merger, is not the ideal time to be jetting off for two weeks. One week in, I decide to cut my trip short, only to end up stranded at the airport. Just my luck. Everything changes when I run into my best friend’s little sister. Twenty years later, she’s all grown up and very much available. One thing leads to another, and we find ourselves back at my place riding out the storm and reconnecting in ways I never imagined. Feelings that had been delayed are finally able to take flight. The girl who held my attention all those years ago is now the woman holding my heart. I’m falling fast, but when we end up face to face in the boardroom, will our vacation romance go from pleasure to business?
Wait For Me (A Military Romance Book 1)
Phoebe Winters - 2018
Just like clockwork around 8 pm, patrons would begin to gather for a night of drinking, dancing, and fun. But on this particular evening, Erin’s life inexplicably changed, forever. The rumors had been true. A few of the towns soldiers were returning from their tours in IRAQ including non-other than Caleb Malone, Erin’s ex-fiancé and the man that continued to haunt her dreams. This would’ve been a time to rejoice, but, how could Erin after the way their relationship suddenly ended? The breakup devastated her, so much so, that she vowed to never lay eyes on him again. How was Erin supposed to stop the turbulent emotions that rocked her core and sent her nerves spinning when he walked into her club? What would she do when he asks for her specifically, and more importantly should Erin listen to her heart or her head? Caleb only had one thing on his mind when he entered Nocturnal Encounters. He wants to see Erin, the one that got away. There was just one problem, Caleb made the horrible mistake of breaking her heart. The realities of war had consumed him and nightly Caleb fought with it. But the one thing that remained the same was the serenity Caleb felt when thoughts of Erin infiltrated his mind. Now Caleb would do whatever it took to rectify what he’d done, he intended to win her back, no matter what it would take.
Bully King
J.A. Huss - 2020
And the secret society that meets deep in the woods is even more exclusive. Only a select few will get in during the summer rush--and Cadee Hunter wants to be one of them. Too bad it's Cooper Valcourt's mission to make sure she fails.
Bully boys.Arrogant tyrants.Blue-blood bastards.Call them whatever you want.Around here, we just call them Kings.Fancy boats.Lakeside mansions.Luxe watches and bespoke suits.The Kings of High Court College act like Gods.And Cooper Valcourt is the worst of them.He is the bully king.His family owns everything.And his mission is to put me in my place and send me packing.But Cooper and I have a history filled with secrets.And everyone knows that power doesn’t come from having money.It comes from holding secrets.And I’m holding one of his.A very dark secret that can bring him to his knees.*****
Bully King is new-adult, dark, bully romance from New York Times bestselling author JA Huss featuring boys with power and girls at their mercy. It’s a campus shrouded in lies and a summer rush into an elite society that can propel a poor girl straight into the ruling class.If… she’s willing to pay the price.
Eligible Ex-Husband
Marie Johnston - 2020
I was a stay-at-home mom with a sugar daddy who had no time to pass the sugar or be a daddy. I asked for a divorce and he let me go, just like that.Now I’m mending my broken heart and finding myself while being a strong role model for our girls. But when my mom gets sick, I need help, and he’s there like a superhero in a tailored suit. And when my mom recovers, he’s still there, doing grocery runs and braiding our girls’ hair.I don’t want to hang my hopes on my workaholic ex just because he’s suddenly wearing basketball shorts instead of designer threads, or because he’s giving me that look that melted my heart in college.Chemistry was never our problem. I don’t want to trust that he’s changed only find out that once again I’m not worth fighting for. He needs to prove that he’ll be as ruthless about us as he is in the boardroom.
Blind Side of Love
Beth Rinyu - 2014
One reckless act changed her world forever…..My life as I knew it began on the day I met Drew Bryant. He taught me that it was okay to not always be perfect, that it was okay to loosen up and have a little fun in life, and that it was okay to fall in love.My life as I knew it ended on the day I met Drew Bryant. He taught me that giving my heart to someone completely was the most dangerous thing I could ever do, and that the perfect world I was living in didn’t matter anymore without him in it. But the most important lesson that he taught me? A broken heart turns into a reckless one, and what we feel inside that heart at one particular moment can set our destiny, making us a stronger person, a weaker person, or leading us into a darkness from which we can never escape.
Relentless Pursuit
Lulu Pratt - 2017
Every inch. When I catch Ava upstairs in my mansion, I barely notice her amber eyes widening with fear... Not with the stiffening in my pants. All I can think about is taking her into my bedroom and giving her the welcome she deserves. Before I have the chance, she flees. But those moments with her were like a drug. I'm hooked. I have to find her. So I do. Turns out she’s a life coach. Suddenly my life needs coaching, 24/7. With every minute that passes, the chemistry between us gets stronger. But for some reason she’s resisting me. Resisting us. I won’t give up, There’s something in her eye when she says my name. I know she wants me. First I’ll find out why she’s resisting me. Then I’ll make her mine. *** A steamy STANDALONE contemporary romance with no cliffhanger, no cheating, and a guaranteed happily-ever-after.***