Book picks similar to
Down, Then Up by Beth Labonte


romance
beth-labonte
contemporary-romance
short-stories

The Search


Lorhainne Eckhart - 2012
    The events of this 10,000+ short story take place between the events of the sizzling western romance Fallen Hero and The Awakening.“From the beginning I wanted to pull for Andy, wanted him to find happiness. Lorhainne Eckhart did a nice job giving us compelling, complex characters, not always easy to do in a short format.”Reviewer LuvsBooksIn THE SEARCH, after Jed goes missing, Diana is desperate and calls the one man she knows she shouldn’t, Jed’s cousin Andy.But when a very pregnant Diana follows Andy on the Search for her husband early labor sets in and Andy may have taken on more than he can handle.THE OUTSIDER Series:The Forgotten Child (Brad & Emily)A Baby And A Wedding, An Outsider Series ShortFallen Hero (Andy, Jed & Diana)The Search, An Outsider Series ShortThe Awakening (Andy & Laura)Secrets (Jed & Diana)Runaway (Andy & Laura)Overdue, An Outsider Series ShortThe Unexpected Storm (Neil & Candy)The Wedding (Neil & Candy)

Wednesday


Kendall Ryan - 2016
    He’s filled with turmoil and heartache and regrets, but for two hours every Wednesday all he feels is me. How much I desire him, how desperate he makes me, how much I’d like things to be different between us. Real.He used to be my best friend back before he got married. And now? Now, he’s a young widower. It would be wrong on so many levels to expect something more from him, so I give him what he needs. Dark, delicious fucking.But I know I can’t keep this up. I’ve already given him my body, my soul. I want him to have my heart. It might drive him away forever, but that’s a risk I’m willing to take.Wednesday is an angsty romp told from dual points of view. If you’re in the mood for something quick and dirty, you’ve found it. Proceed at your own risk.

Daisy Darling Meets a Man


Lindy Dale - 2012
     After being dumped by her husband, Daisy wants nothing more than to curl up in her pyjamas every night and drink herself into sleep. She doesn't want to face her life. Then, one night, a storm brings a stranger to her door. A stranger who turns out to be the most famous rock star on the planet, Hawk Moon. Hawk is nothing like Daisy imagined a rock star would be. He's honest and down to Earth and in the short time he's in her life, Daisy finds herself feeling emotions she hasn't experienced in a very long time. There's something about Hawk that makes her want to start her life over. But Hawk and Daisy will never be an item. Hawk is on tour. Daisy lives in the country. She's small town and he's the universe. Their worlds can never collide. Or can they?

Forever Mine: Hayden & Savannah


Kennedy Fox - 2019
     Seeing the woman who broke my heart a decade ago is something I’m not prepared for. Though I’ve forgiven Savannah, I’ve never forgotten what she did. Now it’s time to confront the secret she’s kept from me. Though it won’t be easy, I’m determined to make things right between us. One night together is all it takes for our feelings to come rushing back. As memories of us flood in, truths are finally revealed. When the present collides with our past, I’ll do anything to win her back, even when Savannah tries to run again. This time, I’ll stop at nothing for a second chance.**Forever Mine is a 35k word novella that introduces you to the Roommate Duet Series. It's suggested to read before Baby Mine, but can be read anytime throughout the series.**

Stormsurge: A Small-Town, Contemporary Romance Novella


Shawna Lynn Brooks - 2018
    Then a storm changes everything. With a car on the blink and a hurricane barreling towards her, she must find her way to safety. When her high school friend, the sweet but nerdy Gene Blackwell, finds her stranded in front of her feed store, she can barely believe this hunk is the guy she used to know. But how could she ever be enough for someone as brilliant as Gene?Gene has a happy life in Atlanta--far away from the bullies that used to taunt him and the love for Lacey that he never let show. But when he rescues Lacey from the storm, he soon discovers his infatuation is not as dead as he thinks. Lacey will never see him as anything but Eugene the nerd. Can he make it through the night without turning back into the kid who forever obsessed over someone he could never have?

Flakes


Lucy Lennox - 2021
    Do not develop a crush on your archnemesis, contractor Ryder Richards.2. Do finish remodeling the heinous mega-mansion with him well before the first snowflakes fall on New Year’s Eve.
3. Do not notice that he's still the hottest man in Licking Thicket.
4. Do not let that gorgeous man provoke you.
5. Do not let his provocation distract you.
6. Do not let your distraction leave you stranded at the house with him during a blizzard.
7. Dear heavens, do not let him crack open the moonshine and light a fire.
8. Do not play drunken truth or dare with him.
9. And for gravy’s sake, do not let yourself fall in love.10. But if you do… Don't be surprised if this is the happiest year ever.

Just Folking Around


Penny Reid - 2021
    . .Raquel Ezra loves to fish. With so many fish in the sea, she’s never had a problem baiting the hook or reeling them in. Raquel is a good actress, she can be anyone’s fantasy for a single night as long as they agree to be hers. Which is why she doesn’t think twice about spending an evening in nowhere Tennessee with a smokin’ hot, well-mannered, and intriguing sheriff’s deputy by the name of Jackson James.Except, when the time comes, Raquel discovers that reality might just be better than any fantasy, and maybe she’s not ready to release this catch.JUST FOLKING AROUND is a 16k words, contemporary romance, a complete standalone, and is the prequel to TOTALLY FOLKED, book #1 in the Good Folk: Modern Folktales series.

Beauty Touched the Beast


Skye Warren - 2011
    Morris’s house twice a week, soaking up every moment with the reclusive ex-soldier she secretly loves. Blake Morris knows he’s scarred both inside and out and is no good for the beautiful young woman who cleans his house to pay for college. But when Erin walks in on Blake touching himself and moaning her name, all bets are off.

Alone Time


Lauren Dane - 2012
    Visits to Petal, Part 1 It’s date night in Petal, Georgia, and Nathan, Matt and Shane have some long-awaited alone time with their women and they’re not about to let that opportunity go.Product WarningsThis free story is bonus material for readers of the Chase brothers and Petal, Georgia, series and is not intended to be standalone.

Four Days of Christmas (a Sweet Holiday Romance Short Story)


Emma St. Clair - 2017
    But when she takes a job as an elf in the mall's Santa's Workshop Photo Place over college break, sparks fly...with more than one man.There's Alex, the handsome photographer with a secret, and then Santa himself, the mystery man behind the costume who keeps her laughing. Will she know either guy well enough to choose by their last day of work on Christmas Eve? Or will a shocking discovery about Santa's Workshop make her walk away from both? Don't miss this Sweet Holiday Romance short story! Download yours and read today!

Best Kind of Love: A Reunion Romance Novella


Rebecca Talley - 2014
    When her best friend from high school convinces Brynn to attend their ten-year reunion, Brynn hopes she’ll have the chance to reconnect with Troy Richards, the guy who stole her heart back in middle school. Craig Dawson, an attorney in San Diego, is in a relationship that’s going nowhere and wonders why he can’t seem to commit. When he sees Brynn at their reunion, he thinks he might finally understand why. The only problem—she’s still infatuated with Troy what’s-his-name. Will Brynn find the love she seeks with Troy, or will she realize the best kind of love has always been right in front of her?

The Curve Ball


J.S. Scott - 2012
    Unfortunately, he was also the man that she had secretly adored for over a year. What chance did an overweight pastry chef have with a hunk like Jake Rawlins?Jake Rawlins wants Maggie Jones, but he can't get her to take his advances seriously. He's been hinting around for a year. Now he's ready to take drastic measures to get Maggie to notice him.Will Maggie realize that her Prince Charming has finally arrived at the ball, or will she miss out on having a man who truly wants her exactly the way she is just because of her insecurities?This is a short story erotic romance.18+ Only. This story contains graphic sex, graphic language and other subjects for mature audiences only.

Just For You


Rosalind James - 2014
    Fun, yes. Love, not so much. But a summer fishing holiday to laid-back Russell could turn out to be more adventure than this good-time boy ever bargained for.Reka Harata hasn’t forgotten the disastrously hot rugby star she met a year ago, no matter how much she wishes she could. Too bad Hemi keeps refusing to be left in her past.Sometimes, especially in New Zealand’s Maori Northland, it really does take a village. And sometimes it just takes a little faith.NOTE: This 36,000-word (120-page) novella begins about six years before the events of JUST THIS ONCE, and yes, it gets a little steamy at times, because Reka and Hemi are just that way. It can be read as a stand-alone book, even if this is your first escape to New Zealand.

The Wedding Dress Diaries


Aimee Carson - 2013
    She’d spent every summer in the Hamptons with his family as a kid, fantasizing about kissing him. But she’s shocked to discover that the confident boy who’d given Amber her first taste of love has become a man who mocks its very existence.Parker can’t believe the girl who used to follow him around has grown into a beautiful woman—one with some very naughty ideas when she fits him for his tux. But Amber also knows why he’s shut everyone out of his life. She’s not the kind of woman Parker gets involved with…even if he can’t keep his hands off her.Amber doesn’t do one-night stands or casual hookups, but she’s wanted Parker long enough to make him an exception—especially if she can convince him he needs love in his life, too.

The Viscount's Tempting Minx


Erica Ridley - 2014
    Why, the latest on-dit is that rakish Viscount Sheffield is canceling the fête of the year because he hasn't time for silly soirees. He doesn't need time—he needs her! When a flash of lightning destroys the venue for his family's annual Christmas ball, Lord Benedict Sheffield intends to enjoy a relaxing holiday for once. But after twelve days of beguiling Lady Amelia's guerrilla tactics, he's up to his cravat with tinsel . . . and tumbling head over heels in love.