Book picks similar to
Tequila Haze by Melissa Toppen


romance
contemporary-romance
second-chance
contemporary

The Stronger, Safer Kind


London Casey - 2013
    When that stranger identifies himself as Tripp and then takes the stage as the lead singer and guitarist for rock band, DownCrash, everything in Scarlett's life begins to change.Her best friend, Andy, confesses his love for her and leaves her with what should be an easy decision to make... yet each time she looks in Andy's eyes, she can't help but face her secret, nightmarish past.The only thing that makes Scarlett feel better is Tripp... but Tripp isn't just a bad boy rockstar, he's hurt. He's in pain. He tries to hide his pain in a bottle, but Scarlett believes that, perhaps, their secrets can help each other.Friendship and love is suddenly put to the test, and Scarlett is torn... Will she choose an easy, comfortable, happy life or a life clouded with mixed signals, raw emotion, and intense romance?

Harley


Michelle Jo Quinn - 2016
    Determined to either confirm or debunk her father’s claim, she sets out on a mission to grow close to the only man with evidence to set things straight. To do that, Cadence earns a position in an elite security firm owned by her father’s old army buddy, Noah “Mac” Mackinley.Mac is the only man who could hold the evidence to support her father’s claims…But first, she must prove herself worthy of Mac’s trust and get close enough to find the truth. Her first mission is to watch over an eight-year old girl, Harley Clark.Harley is not an ordinary girl. She’s the daughter of a rock star…Despite her fragile appearance, Harley has tenacity and brilliance like nothing Cade has ever seen. To everyone’s surprise—including her own—Cade forms an unlikely friendship with the beautiful wallflower.Her first assignment just became more interesting… When Harley’s rock star father, Jax Clark, enters the scene, Cade can’t deny the instant attraction for the self-proclaimed bad boy. Tattoos, piercing eyes, and a raspy voice that sends thousands of fans into a screaming frenzy, he’s more than just a heartthrob. Worse, Jax starts to pay her more attention than she expects. She’s faced with a choice—get lured in by the celebrity world and lose any chance of finding out the truth, or stick to the plan and avoid Jax at all costs to earn Mac’s trust.

Hard Rock Tease


Athena Wright - 2016
    And he's choosing me as his muse. In my darkest days, I found solace in the words of rock star god Noah Hart. He saw into my heart. And I saw into his. Even though we'd never met, I felt as if I knew the man behind the music. Then I met him. Noah isn't a wounded poet. He's a jerk. He's abrasive, cutting, and guarded as hell. He says people are selfish. He says we're only out for ourselves. He refuses to trust. He refuses to let anyone in. I'm supposed to be helping him write a song. I'm supposed to be his confidant. But the only time we connect is when we take to his bed. Noah plays my body as skillfully as he plays the piano. He makes me feel things I've never dreamed of. And that includes heartache. The man behind the music is nothing like I imagined. Who exactly is this Noah Hart I've met, and what the hell happened to my soulful, romantic poet? — — — Hard Rock Tease is a sexy, full length New Adult Rock Star Romance. It is the first novel in the Darkest Days series, but can be read as a standalone with a HEA. A note from the author: This book is complete and utter fangirl wish fulfillment. It is not realistic in the slightest. Then again, who reads rock star romances for realism, anyway? ;)

Good Girl Gone Plaid


Shelli Stevens - 2013
    In high school Sarah fell for her best friend’s older brother—one of the sexy, Scottish McLaughlin boys. But a painful betrayal showed her she’d been a fool to give her heart to a bad boy. At least it made it easier to leave him and move halfway around the world when her Navy dad got stationed in Japan. Eleven years later, the death of her grandmother has forced Sarah back to Whidbey Island for a month. It’s the length of time she must stay in her inherited house before she’s allowed to sell it, take the money and run. But when she sees Ian, bad as ever and still looking like sin on a stick, she can’t keep her mouth from watering. One look at Sarah stirs up the regret lingering in Ian’s heart—and never-forgotten desire lingering in his body. He should walk away, especially since divorced single mothers aren’t his style. But when she starts showing up at his family’s pub, he can’t resist a little casual seduction for old time’s sake. One thing quickly becomes clear, though. The heat between them is causing an avalanche of secrets and betrayal and nothing will ever be the same.Product Warnings: A bad-boy hero who’s good with his hands, a heroine who’s trying to be good. Contains liberal consumption of Scotch whisky, a Highland Games competition, men in kilts wielding large poles, and a potential Sarah McLaughlin of the non-musical kind.

Possession


A.M. Johnson - 2017
    The only one capable of silencing his voices, the only person to ever have faith in who he was, until the day her faith turned to doubt and destroyed everything they’d made together. Declan O ’Connell was the only person Paige could be herself with. The only one she could rely on, until the day she was forced to make a choice that would condemn them both. They’ve had years apart, and second chances don’t belong to the damned. But when you come face to face with your savior, it’s almost impossible to walk away. In order to move beyond the sins of their past, and forever silence the demons in his head, they’ll have to risk it all. But with love, there are real reasons to be afraid and, sometimes… your salvation is your damnation. *Not a Cliff Hanger* *Adult Themes*

Finding Ever After


Stephanie Hoffman McManus - 2014
    The one thing she definitely wasn't expecting was Kyden McCabe, the hot, tattooed and pierced musician she meets her first night back.All she ever wanted as a little girl was to be swept off her feet by a prince, but Ky is nothing like the heroes from the stories her mom used to read to her. He's arrogant, frustrating and completely wrong for her. He lives his life one night stand at a time and she knows he's nothing but trouble.Still haunted by her past and afraid to let anyone see the scars she hides, she fights the attraction she feels for Kyden and wonders if she'll ever find her storybook ending. Then a monster from her past threatens to rip away her chances before she realizes that maybe she already found it.Content Advisory 17+ recommendedContent updated May, 2015

Loyalty and Lies


L.A. Cotton - 2015
    Especially when she catches the eye of the captain of The Fallen football team for all the wrong reasons.Determined to keep her head down and survive, Ana swears off guys. Until she meets the gorgeous, yet mysterious, Jackson. He sees past her walls, her pain and secrets, and slowly, Ana finds herself unable to fight their undeniable connection.But Jackson harbors a dark secret too...One that might destroy her.*Loyalty and Lies is the first book in Ana and Jackson’s trilogy. Due to mature content this book is recommended for readers aged 17+

Yes, Please


Willow Summers - 2015
    It can't get any worse.CEO prodigy Hunter Carlisle is looking for an admin, and he's picked me. Filthy rich and sinfully handsome, he's the bachelor everyone wants.But he has a secret.In order to keep the job, he'll require me to f*ck, whenever and however he wants. No hearts, no flowers, no falling in love--just sex so good it should be illegal.That's not my kinda bag. I like to hold onto control with both hands. But Hunter Carlisle is a man that gets what he wants, and he wants to make the rules.My only defense is saying no, but everything in my body wants to say yes...**This is book one in a four part series, each book full length, intended for 18+. Each book has a mini-HEA to tide the reader over leading to an overall HEA and epilogue. This is a spicy book with a little humor and a few shenanigans thrown in.

Blinded


Lyz Kelley - 2016
    A second chance at love. Somebody killed Joey Gaccione’s brother. After a ten-year absence, the big city detective returns home to Colorado for the funeral knowing he will be pressured to find Sheriff Sam’s killer. Joey’s instincts say whoever murdered his brother is part of something more sinister than the Elkridge deputies can handle. Mara Dijocomo's dreams died the night a drunk driver killed her parents and sister, and left her permanently wounded. After months of therapy, she’s finally adjusting to her new reality while working to save her mother’s floral business. When the first boy she ever loved walks back into her life, she wonders if she and Joey are getting a second chance to find love. As Joey and Mara’s love blooms, the evidence becomes clear the local deputies are either ill-equipped to comprehend what’s happening, or someone’s covering up a crime. Joey and Mara fight to balance between their careers, family, and their renewed love until the FBI contacts Joey ultimately tipping the scales. If you like a steamy romance, deep emotional topics, a thread of mystery, and a cozy happy ending then BLINDED is for you. The first book in the ELKRIDGE SERIES debuts a quirky cast of characters and begins introducing evidence to solve Sheriff Sam's murder.

Compulsion


Alison Mello - 2017
     Life is short, and I know my parents—may they rest in peace—would have wanted me to follow my heart. So I pack my bags and head to Los Angeles. Then my world turns sideways... Logan… I run the hottest club in L.A., where gorgeous women flock to show skin on the dance floor. But as soon as I spot her, I know she’s different. We have a connection, something more powerful than I’ve ever felt. But I’m not the only one who notices her. She’s getting a lot of attention on the club circuit, and the way other men look at her when she’s on stage drives me crazy. I want her for my own, but she’s not about to let me control her. And then my past returns… This could turn into a deadly situation. Formally Chasing Dreams By Alison Mello

Coming Up Roses


Staci Hart - 2019
    Maybe it’s the day-to-day grind. Maybe it’s that client who never knows what they want, or the guy who always cooks fish in the microwave.But not me. I love every corner of the Longbourne Flower Shop, every flower, every petal, every stem. I love the greenhouse, and I love Mrs. Bennet, my boss. I love creating, and I love being a florist. I don’t hate anything at all.Except for Luke Bennet.The Bennet brothers have come home to help their mom save the flower shop, and Luke is at the helm. His smile tells a tale of lust, loose and easy. He moves with the grace of a predator, feral and wild. A thing unbridled, without rules or constraint. When he comes home to save Longbourne, I almost can’t be mad at him. Almost.He doesn’t remember that night I’ll never forget. That kiss, touched with whiskey and fire. It branded me like a red-hot iron. But it meant nothing to him.Everyone hates part of their job, and I hate Luke Bennet.Because if I don’t, I’ll fall in love with him.

It Had to Be Him


Tamra Baumann - 2015
    But with another job lost and the gorgeous father of her daughter trying to make contact after disappearing three years ago, a break is definitely in order. Hopefully the little town filled with big, juicy secrets can help.After being off the grid for years, Josh Granger, a man with his own secrets, wants Meg and his daughter back. But first he has to get past townspeople as protective as a pack of rottweilers. He’s not the man Meg thinks he is, but he can’t tell her why…not yet.As Meg slowly warms to Josh, it’s clear the old spark is still there. But when his secret is exposed—along with Meg’s own shocking revelation—will it tear their family apart again, or bind them forever?

Fortuity


Rochelle Paige - 2018
    I finally caught a break in the form of a second chance. I vowed not to let it go to waste. To make a difference. But I didn’t start really living until I met him. Dillon Montgomery. My complete opposite—except for our matching tortured souls.I couldn’t resist him for long. How could I when his smallest touch made my heart race?When it felt like we were destined to be together. But sometimes luck and sorrow are intertwined...Fortuity is the first book in the Fortuity Duet.

Rockstar Daddy


K.T. Fisher - 2013
    Two years later, they're together and are very much in love. At the age of twenty Kendal finds out she's pregnant, she knows she has to make the right choice.Her Boyfriend, Jax is in an up and coming rock band called Decoy. Kendal knows that if she keeps the baby Jax will do right by her and support her all the way. But does she really want him to do that? She loves Jax too much to let him give up on his band and their dream to stardom. So Kendal makes the hard choice to leave Jax and keeping the baby a secret.Rockstar Daddy takes place four years after Kendal left Jax. Kendal is a hard working mum to three and a half year old Finley and Jax is a huge rockstar. Read Rockstar Daddy to follow Kendal and Jax's journey. Will Jax and Kendal meet again and will Jax find out he has a son?

No Tomorrow


Carian Cole - 2018
    They steal our breath.They steal our sanity.And we let them.Over and over and over again.* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *They say you never forget your first love.Mine was a homeless musician who wandered straight into my soul.He was my first everything. And fourteen years later, I still can't get him out of my head.He broke all my rules.He also broke my heart.I watched him climb to stardom, cheering him on from afar.But I was never a fan; just a girl in love.Like a tornado, he spiraled, leaving a path of destruction in his wake.But love conquers all, right? It has to. Because here I stand, ravaged and ruined, needing it to be true.You can't go back, but I want to. Back to the park. Back to when he sang only for me. Before he was famous. Before he shattered my heart.I thought I knew everything about him.But I could not have been more wrong.He promised me every tomorrow. And here I am, waiting.And hoping.Again. _______________________ Note: This is not a fluffy, light read or a swoony romance. It's a journey of love between two people who can't let each other go, even though they are far from perfect. It's about loving someone who is struggling with mental illness and addiction and all the ups and downs that come with it. It's about finding a happily ever after that works between two people loving each other the best they can with patience, understanding, and unconditional love. Not everyone will agree with this kind of love and acceptance - but it exists, and it's real, and it happens every day.