Book picks similar to
Never Really Over by Jennifer Van Wyk


single-parent
second-chance
contemporary
romance

Knotted


Pam Godwin - 2018
    It’s impossible. Growing up together, Conor and I shared all our firsts. First love, first kiss, first… Not all our firsts. We were sixteen the night she was violently assaulted while I helplessly watched. I’ll never forget the sounds of her suffering. Or my inconsolable agony when she left Oklahoma. Years later, she returns to honor our teenage pact. Except the boy she loved is gone, replaced by a ruthless cattle rancher knotted with secrets. She doesn’t know my dark cravings or the trails of sin that lead to her. I don’t deserve her, but one truth remains. She’s mine. TRAILS OF SIN series (HEAs with no cliffhangers - must be read in order): Knotted #1 Buckled #2 Booted #3

Jack & Sadie


J.B. Salsbury - 2019
    I left for college promising her I’d be back in four years. She stayed behind promising me she’d wait. We both broke our promises.When we bump into each other five years later my feelings for her come rushing to the surface. I want her back. She wants me gone. How quickly my Sadie Girl has forgotten—I’ve never been the type of man who accepts defeat. No matter the cost. Jack Daniels was my entire life. Until he wasn’t. Now he’s back and thinks we should pick up where we left off. I miss the simplicity of what we had. I miss how easily we fit together. Truthfully…I miss him.But if I allow him to get too close, he’ll see I’m not the same girl he left behind five years ago. He thinks I’m upset about our break up. The truth is so much worse.

Always You


Stephanie Rose - 2015
     All we had was friendship and my silly hope for more. When he left and took all of that with him, I moved on. Settled. I figured that happiness wasn't in the cards for me. Until, one night of drinks with an old "friend" gives me a hope I never expected, but don't know what to do with. This time, I have the chance I always dreamed about—but I'm not free to take it. *** Ten years ago, Samantha was only a friend, a sweet girl I never wanted to hurt. Now, she's everything I want and nothing I can have. She belongs with me, even if she's not really mine, and I can’t settle for anything less than all of her. Now that I’ve got a second chance, I'm grabbing it with both hands. Why did it take so long to realize that it was Always You?

The Tillman Crush


Kelly Gendron - 2021
    His hold was firm.The next day, he vanished. After seven years, he’s back with a sexy smile, flirty eyes, and jacked muscles.Not that I care.Let him slather on the charm.I won’t give in to The Tillman Crush. Not this time. BRITT Sadie Holland. Beautiful. Smart.The untouchable girl next door.Growing up, I wanted her.To keep her at a safe distance, I was mean to her.Then, the accident happened.With my mom gone, my father turned to the bottle.So I left town the first chance I got.Now, I’m back and not just for Sadie.The other thing I want.Well, the girl I came back for might not like it.Still, I won’t stop until I get what I want.Not this time.

Snowbody But You (Sycamore Mountain, #1)


Kara Kendrick - 2022
    As former Army Special Ops, I’m not panicked. I’ve got this.But a sunshiney blast from the past blowing through the door of my ski lodge? No amount of training could prepare me to face Jamison Adler, resident ecology professor and my gorgeous AF ex-girlfriend.Ten years ago, I broke her heart to protect her. Now she’s back and we’re trapped together in the lodge. With no vacant rooms, I’m forced to share a bed with the only woman I’ve ever loved. I need to keep her away from the dark deeds in my past. But my resolve is more slippery than black ice. Will she somehow manage the impossible and thaw my frozen heart?

When the Stars Fall


Emery Rose - 2020
    My best friend. Fiercest ally. The most annoying boy in the world.At eighteen, the boy I loved to hate became the man I couldn’t live without.We were young. Madly in love. Invincible. Strong enough to weather any storm.Cocky enough to believe that no amount of time or distance could destroy us.When Jude finally returned home from overseas, it should have been cause for celebration. But the man I’d fallen in love with was gone, and in his place was someone I no longer recognized.𝐼 𝑐𝑎𝑛’𝑡 𝑑𝑜 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠, 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑛𝑜𝑡𝑒 𝑠𝑎𝑖𝑑. 𝐼’𝑚 𝑠𝑜𝑟𝑟𝑦.Now, after six long years he’s back. Only my heart ... it doesn’t beat just for him anymore.

Justified


Jay Crownover - 2019
    So as the sheriff of Loveless, Texas, he's determined to do everything by the book--until he's called to Aspen Barlow's office after a so-called break-in. The last thing he wants to do is help the woman who cost him custody of his son. But Aspen isn't the heartless lawyer Case remembers, and he starts to question his long-held grudge...Aspen is scared for her life, and Case is her last hope for protection. But to get him on her side, she'll have to reveal the painful truth from all those years ago. Now, as they work together to track down a dangerous criminal, Case and Aspen learn to trust each other. And as the threats escalate, it becomes clear there's a thin line between love and hate... because there's nothing Case wouldn't do to keep her safe.Includes It's All About That Cowboy, a bonus novella by Carly Bloom!

Always Been Mine


Weston Parker - 2019
     Not in the office. Not in life. My military background has me giving direct orders and expecting quick, compliant responses. And I’m in need of an office assistant. Someone to step up when I need her to. I just never expected it to be my first love. She’s a single mother now. The girl from across the street when I was just a kid. My little sister’s best friend. The one I gave everything to before leaving that small town. And here we are again. Face to face. Stuck in a room with suits and stiffs. All I want is her. Not who she can be or what she can do for me. But who she was and will always be. Mine. Every good girl deserves a bad boy. ~Weston

Calico


Callie Hart - 2016
     Port Royal, South Carolina, was my home. I was born there. I fell in love there. And I nearly died there. I never thought I’d go back. Now, after so many years, I have to return to bury the man who made my life a living hell. Some nights, I used to cry myself to sleep, praying my father would die. Other nights were different. Other nights, there was him. Callan Cross. My first confidante. My first kiss. My first love. My first everything: Callan was the glue that held me together when everything else was falling apart. He was my savior. He was there for me whenever I needed him… Until he wasn’t. Every night, I’ve seen the love of my life in my sleep. I just never thought I’d have to face him again. Callan Twelve years ago, I f*#@ed up big time. Living life through a camera lens is sometimes easier than dealing with it head on. Scratch that. It’s always easier. For over a decade, I’ve been a master of my art, taking photographs all over the world. Yet despite all of the countries I’ve visited, the amazing things I’ve seen, the beautiful women I’ve screwed, my heart has remained in pieces. Coralie’s the only woman I’ve ever loved, will ever love. And I’m determined to show her that we’re meant to be together. Even if it means unearthing the bones of the past in the process. A lifetime and a thousand miles have stood between us. Now, there’s no length of time I won’t wait, no distance I won’t travel, in order to make her mine.

Manic Monday


Piper Rayne - 2018
    Great, right? Too bad he was the best man at my wedding.I didn't swear off all men after my divorce, but I sure as hell swore off anyone remotely like my ex. On the top of that list? Attorneys. Everyone knows they can't be trusted.Been there.Done that.Burned the T-shirt.Now that I've moved back into my childhood home in Chicago, my focus is my daughter, my mom and me. I haven't given up on finding my happily-ever-after; it's just on hold-indefinitely. Yup, life is in a real upswing.Then I see Reed Warner again, and I'm reminded of all my past mistakes. I push him away, but somehow, he weasels his way into every part of my life, not willing to take no for an answer.In spite of my better judgment I can't stop thinking about the way his designer suits fit his muscular frame, or the way his blue eyes seem to eat me up with every glance. Reed is like the equivalent of a chocolate éclair and my willpower is fading fast. I never was good at depriving myself of life's guilty pleasures.

Fighting to Breathe


Aurora Rose Reynolds - 2015
    They never imagined the future could hold anything other than together-forever. When Lea's father dies in a tragic fishing accident, she's crushed under the weight of her grief and catches a glimpse of another type of future, one she knows she's not strong enough to face. Austin is angry. For the past fifteen years, he's believed the woman he loved with every ounce of his soul left him without so much as a backwards glance. When Lea unexpectedly returns to their hometown, all the years of heartache inside Austin bubbles to the surface and presents itself as blinding rage. Faced with the truth about the past, a newly discovered secret, these former lovers will learn that if they want to have any chance at the future they'd given up on all those years ago, they will have to rescue one another from drowning in pain so debilitating it will leave them both fighting to breathe. Contains mature themes.

Off the Air


L.H. Cosway - 2019
    From enemies to lovers and back to enemies, they’ve been on again/off again for years. Things come to a head when Callum gets into an altercation with a rival for Leanne’s affections. Their management decide enough is enough and give them both an ultimatum: sign the contract or leave the show.Unwilling to give up their livelihoods, Callum and Leanne sign on the dotted line. However, like always, they can’t resist making a bet. Callum thinks it’s only a matter of time before they break the agreement, while Leanne is determined to see it through.Can she resist him for an entire month without losing her sanity? And what if this is the one bet that finally breaks them both?Off the Air is a contemporary romance and Book One in L.H. Cosway’s brand new “Running on Air” Series. Each book focuses on a different couple and can be read as a standalone.

On The Rebound


L.A. Cotton - 2020
    For Calliope James it didn't only leave a mark, it tore out her heart and left it bleeding on the ground. He was her best friend.Her first kiss.Her everything. Until one day, he wasn't. Zachary Messiah will never forget the girl with eyes the color of whiskey. But he's not that boy anymore. Cold.Cruel.He's devoid of emotion. Their paths were never supposed to cross again. But love doesn't always play by the rules. Now he's the King of Steinbeck University and she's the new girl on campus ... and the pasts they have fought so hard to bury are about to collide. Only this time, they might not survive the fallout.

Cocky Playboy


Sloane Howell - 2019
    In these words, and in this world. A five star read from the very first page." - Amo Jones, USA Today Bestselling Author of the Elite Kings Club Series He's a bastard in Burberry. Decker Collins knows how to do one thing--win. When his billion-dollar law practice moves to merge with a firm out of Dallas, she shows up to oversee the transition. Tate Reynolds--the vixen in Versace. She's whip-smart, sassy, and gorgeous. Oh, and she doesn't take any of Decker's sh*t. With the merger hanging in the balance, they go to war with each other. There's only one problem. This war isn't just about business. Because when they're not butting heads... They're banging headboards. If you love wealthy, possessive alpha males and strong heroines, this series is for YOU! Cocky Playboy is a full length romance novel with a Happily Ever After.

Unmasked Dreams


L.J. Evans - 2021
    An accelerant lighting me up.” Dawson Langley is living three separate lives and hiding secrets from those he loves most. Returning to New London and discovering Violet Banner managing the bed and breakfast he calls home isn’t just a problem, it’s a catastrophe because she’s the only person who’s ever seen right through him.When Violet first met Dawson, he was a guilt-ridden boy who branded her heart without ever touching her. Five years later, she thinks she’s finally moved on, but one torturous skim of a hand proves nothing has changed. Except for the lab she’s built in the garage and the shadows lurking around him.As the clandestine activity tangled with his boat race starts to unravel, Dawson is determined to keep Violet out of harm's way. But everything changes when she stumbles upon the truth and unknowingly turns the storm that’s coming in her direction. There’s only one thing left to do―give in―and hope they can survive the swells together.Inspired by Daughtry’s “What About Now,” comes a slow-burn, standalone romance with vibrant, heartfelt characters and an adventure that whirls the reader around the globe and back.