Book picks similar to
The Forbidden Man by Elle Wright


romance
contemporary
unequal-balance-of-power-btwn-hxh
mainstream-and-or-usual-plot

The Right to Remain Mine


Linda Kage - 2012
    Anything you read or scream out in ecstasy can and will be used against you in the bedroom of Willow DeVane. You have the right to enjoy a big, sexy cop. If you can’t find your own, one by the name of Raith Malloy will be provided for you to enjoy and explore thoroughly within these pages. Tempers flare from the first moment divorce lawyer Willow DeVane crosses paths with sheriff deputy Raith Malloy. Both too stubborn and controlling for their own good, Willow and Raith butt heads until anger turns to passion, and they begin an affair despite their brewing hostilities. But more than one force works against them when they learn Willow’s being targeted by a dangerous stalker.

Never Let Go


Scarlett Edwards - 2013
    I go and screw mine up by meeting the most gorgeous guy I've seen in five years while talking to my cat. But Andrew Crowner is far from judgmental. By the end of our interaction, he has me smitten by his easy manner and kind smile. And from the way his eyes linger on me before he leaves, I start to think that maybe I’ve caught his attention, too. I let myself believe that luck may finally be on my side. That is, until I stumble on my roommate, and her overnight guest: Spencer Ashford. Lean, tattooed, and sexy as sin, Spencer is exactly the type I need to avoid. I would have no trouble with that... were it not for his swift and inexplicable interest in me. Suddenly, I go from a girl with next-to-no experience with boys to one caught in the crosshairs of two completely different men. Andrew's interest is wholesome and sweet. Spencer's is edgy and raw. My choice should be easy. But there are always complications, and sometimes, matters of the heart take the least expected turns.

Vengeance Aside


Nancy Haviland - 2017
     He sees her. He falls. He proves it by killing for her in a room full of his associates. Now he’ll take her home and try to convince her a love that descends like a hammer is one that can last a lifetime. She sees him. She stumbles. She proves her sophistication by fainting, then comes to in a Russian mobster’s compound. Now she'll protect herself while experiencing all the things she’s been denied her entire life. **This novel is a prequel to A Love of Vengeance (Wanted Men #1) but can be read as a standalone.**

Beneath Our Faults


Charity Ferrell - 2014
    Unable to cope with her loss, she's forced to move thousands of miles away. The last thing she expects to find when arriving in her new home is her neighbor, naked and in a very compromising situation. Keegan Montgomery never had to answer to anyone for anything. His life consisted of partying and frequenting as many beds as he could throw himself into. But under his bad boy facade, he is facing his own internal demons. Daisy will never love another. Keegan knows he'll never love anyone - ever. But their attraction is undeniable. Can the tragic ending of a first love end up being the beginning of another?

If You Must Know


Jamie Beck - 2020
    Amanda follows the rules—at the school where she works; in her community; and as a picture-perfect daughter, wife, and mother-to-be. Erin follows her heart—in love and otherwise—living a bohemian lifestyle on a shoestring budget and honoring her late father’s memory with a passion for music and her fledgling bath-products business.The sisters are content leading separate but happy lives in their hometown of Potomac Point until everything is upended by lies that force them to confront unsettling truths about their family, themselves, and each other. For sisters as different as these two, building trust doesn’t come easily—especially with one secret still between them—but it may be the only way to save their family.

Unfamiliar


Erica Cope - 2014
    From the way she wears her hair, to dating her childhood friend-turned high school sweetheart--she sticks with what she knows, and she’s convinced herself that this is what makes her happy. Chase Lancaster doesn’t play by the rules. He’s a classically trained pianist who rocks out in a punk rock band every weekend, and isn’t afraid of taking chances.When they are assigned to co-write a song for their college music class, Hailey can’t imagine anyone she has anything less in common with than Chase. She is a sweater-wearing, neat freak, and he is disheveled and rough around the edges. As they spend time together, they both find a place in each other’s lives—a place where they challenge each other to be different and to embrace the unfamiliar. Hailey never planned for a Chase Lancaster in her life, and she is about to find out that this walking contradiction will change her forever.

Guarded Heart


C.A. Harms - 2013
    Giving your entire heart to someone is hard enough once but when it is completely shattered by the one person you believed would always keep it safe only makes it almost impossible to give it away a second time. Insecurity and Jealousy play a huge roll in Samantha Riggins life as she has her whole world ripped from her when she least expects it. Will she recover and be able to allow herself to love again or continue pushing away the one person that would give anything to be able to heal her and himself by loving one another.

The Apology Project


Jeanette Escudero - 2021
    She’s been fired for not compromising her principles in a high-profile case and then punching her partner in the nose for the misogynistic comment he made in retort (not her finest moment). Leaving a career that gave her purpose, Amelia can only ask, What next?Let it be better than her epic failure of a fortieth birthday party: an open bar full of no-shows except for John Ellis, a total stranger and the new associate at her ex-firm. As it turns out, though, he’s very good company—and a wake-up call. With the help of John and a lot of champagne, Amelia considers the people she’s wronged, from old besties to former boyfriends to coworkers. Amelia resolves to make amends—to those who really deserve it.One apology at a time, Amelia’s looking at the choices she’s made in the past, the new ones she’s making with John, and those she’s making for herself. What next? Maybe a second chance she never expected.

The Souvenir


Emma Nichols - 2016
    Snark and heart make The Souvenir a novel that will leave readers desperate for more. Wren Jacobs—a twenty-something corporate trainer— would like to announce the birth of her baby, Taylor, named after the artist singing "Bad Blood" during the conception. Mother and child are adjusting nicely and ready to welcome visitors, especially the father, Brady Conner. Despite a few too many misunderstandings, Wren never stopped loving Brady…and would love the opportunity to thank him for her souvenir from their relationship who weighed in at a whopping 8lbs 5oz, effectively ruining her after an unintentional natural delivery. Taylor's birth will forever remind Wren of the first day of summer, the last time she was ever able to wear a bikini, and that she'll probably never go to a bar again. Follow Wren and Brady as they navigate through the tricky dating scene in this touching romantic comedy, and fall in love with the souvenir of their relationship.

Count on Me


Melyssa Winchester - 2014
    They lied. High school is horrible when you’re like me and you’re autistic. They think that because I don’t talk and I seem to always be lost in my own world, I’m stupid or deaf. Some even think I’m retarded. I’m none of those things and I don’t like that word. Just because I've got these issues, doesn't mean it’s all I am. There’s a lot more to me, but no one really takes the time to get to know it. At least that’s how it was until Kayden. Kayden Walker is bad news. He spends his time making people that are different, like me, feel even worse about themselves and he does it with a smile. He’s everything I don’t need in my life, yet he’s the one person I can’t seem to live without. Underneath, there’s more to him that he’s afraid to let the rest of the world see. I've seen it and as I’m finding out, we’re not so different after all.

Enticed By You


Amy Muscat - 2014
    Then a letter came from Keller shattering Peyton's world, saying he wanted nothing more to do with her or her unborn child. Or so she thought.... Fast forward five years, and Peyton, now 23, is living in New York City with her daughter Ivy, and her crazy British best friend Lottie Carter, working part time as a stripper to provide for them. As Peyton and Keller are reunited, they discover the truths and the lies that left them both heartbroken. But...Will she take him back?Can she forgive him for everything?Will a chance meeting with the man that left her heartbroken and pregnant, take her back to the dark place he left her in?Or will they find their love again?

Divided


Livia Jamerlan - 2013
    A great job, amazing friends, and a loving fiancé. Traveling to Las Vegas for her bachelorette party, she never expects to come across someone who rocks her world the way Ryan Kraft does. Though they only share a few hours together, the connection she feels with him is undeniable. Thinking that her feelings for him may be cold feet she brushes it off and attempts to focus on her fiancé and their impending nuptials. Heartbroken by her fiancé only days before their wedding, she finds herself needing to escape, needing to hide from reality. Though Alani knows that Ryan lives in Grand Forks, North Dakota, she never thought their paths would cross again while she is there.Their friendship changes to something more with a good night kiss. Needing to be with Ryan, she leaves her old life in New Jersey behind and moves halfway across the country. As they journey together in a new relationship Alani has to adapt to life in a new city, new job, as well as dealing with Ryan's ex-girlfriend Stephanie, who is waiting for the perfect moment to get Ryan back. But will her fiancé let Alani walk away from him without a fight? Will Alani's love for Ryan be enough for her to stay with him through turmoil? Or will Stephanie’s secret tear them apart?

Flirting with Felicity


Gerri Russell - 2015
    But now, she’ll do anything to keep the Bancroft Hotel operating—even if that means mixing it up with the late owner’s handsome nephew, Blake Bancroft. He’s here to challenge her unexpected inheritance of the Bancroft Hotel, and there’s no way either of them are walking away without a fight.When his uncle wills away his family’s oldest property, Blake Bancroft cooks up a plan to get it back. To check out his competition, he’ll need to check in. Too bad his first encounter with Felicity proves to be anything but smooth. As their battle over ownership begins, things begin to heat up between them—and not just in the kitchen. Their attraction may be a recipe for disaster. Yet with the right ingredients, it could turn into a recipe for love…In her debut contemporary romance, award-winning historical romance author Gerri Russell whips up a sweet, passionate, and unforgettably delectable story.

Wicked Beginnings


L.A. Cotton - 2017
    A. Cotton, author of the Rixon Raidersseries.Sometimes wrong feels so right...When seventeen-year-old Eloise Stone finds herself halfway across the world, moving into her uncle's pool house, she expects things to be ... awkward. She doesn't expect to come face-to-face with the boy from last summer. The boy that made her feel things she'd never felt before. But a year is a long time, and Lo isn't the girl she was then. Besides, they're family now.It's weird.Maverick Prince acts as if he doesn't remember her, treating Lo like nothing more than an annoying younger sister, and not in a 'he cares' way, just in a 'he's an arsehole' way. One thing's for sure, he isn't just dangerous for her sanity--he's hazardous for her heart.Lo thought moving to Wicked Bay was the worst of her problems, but as life begins to unravel around her, she's going to find out it's only the beginning...~The Wicked Bay Series is recommended for readers aged 17+ due to mature themes, language and content.Reading OrderWicked BeginningsWicked RulesWicked LiesWicked GamesWicked HeartsWicked SurpriseWicked PromiseWicked Forever

Balk


Lacy Hart - 2019
    That is until spring rolls around, and the familiar itch of spring training makes Wes wonder if he gave up on baseball too soon. Should Wes stay in Chandler? Could he make it in the big leagues again? Would their newly forged relationship survive? The complications quickly build for both Wes and Kristin - careers, family, friends, relationships, secrets - Is their desire for each other strong enough to overcome it all?