Book picks similar to
High Stakes by Dana Warren Smith


contemporary
contemporary-romance
virgin-heroine
jess

Faded


Julie Johnson - 2018
    And for a while, starting fresh seems possible. She lands a job at a local music hotspot, collects her tips, and keeps her head down. Until one night, he steps on stage.Ryder Woods is a rising star. Everyone knows he’s destined for bigger things — it’s only a matter of time before he lands a record deal and heads for Los Angeles without looking back. He has no interest in getting stuck in Nashville, like all the other washed-up musicians who’ve never quite made it. But once he spots the quiet girl working behind the bar — the one with haunted eyes, who sings the most heartbreaking lyrics he’s ever heard in his life — Ryder’s suddenly not in such a hurry to leave. As Felicity and Ryder begin to make music together, their connection only deepens… but with demons of Felicity’s past circling closer, and the demands of Ryder’s future finally coming to fruition, they’ll find themselves at an undeniable crossroads…They always say fame comes with a price.But what if that price is the love of your life? FADED is the first installment of an angsty, addictive new contemporary romance duet about two star-crossed musicians. From the dark streets of Nashville to the bright lights of Los Angeles, Ryder & Felicity's story is a whirlwind of bandmate drama, steamy romance, and original song lyrics. Part two of the duet, UNFADED, is available now!

The Billionaire Next Door


Jessica Bird - 2007
    So why was he losing sleep over a fresh-scrubbed nurse in old jeans and a too-big T-shirt? Maybe it was those warm green eyes. Or the way she blushed when he got personal. There was no denying the serious chemistry between them. But sooner or later Lizzie would learn his deep, dark secrets: First, he had trust issues. And second—he'd rather not go into the whole family thing.He didn't do relationships…but amazingly, Lizzie made him want one anyway.

Lion Of Darkness


Melinda Cross - 1985
    She turned to an exclusive New York clinic for her only chance for the future. But Wyatt Field, the remarkable doctor who'd helped so many patients learn to cope with blindness in a sighted world, found himself confounded by Cassie. Unlike her, he couldn't see the irony of demanding the near impossible of her while denying the force of an attraction that overshadowed their doctor-patient relationship.

Night Fever


Susan Kyle - 1990
    She worked a full time job, raised her two teenage brothers, supported her retired grandfather and tended to their farm. When her brother Clay was arrested on drug charges, Rebecca's life suddenly began to come apart at the seams.

Shadow Lover


Anne Stuart - 1999
    Tensions -- already high with greedy relatives appearing to claim their inheritances -- are further strained by the appearance of the dying woman's long-lost son, who ran away 18 years ago. His mother greets him with joy, the relatives with resentment, but the woman alone knows he is hiding something...that he is not who he says he is. As she uncovers secrets and deceptions of the past and present, she knows only one thing in her heart -- that the irresistible appeal and seductive power of this mysterious stranger may be more dangerous than she thinks!

A Hunger Like No Other


Kresley Cole - 2006
    Or partly one. Emmaline Troy is a small, ethereal half Valkyrie/half vampire, who somehow begins to soothe the fury burning within him.Sheltered Emmaline finally sets out to uncover the truth about her deceased parents—until a powerful Lykae claims her as his mate and forces her back to his ancestral Scottish castle. There, her fear of the Lykae—and their notorious dark desires—ebbs as he begins a slow, wicked seduction to sate her own dark cravings.Yet when an ancient evil from her past resurfaces, will their desire deepen into a love that can bring a proud warrior to his knees and turn a gentle beauty into the fighter she was born to be?

Ryan's Bed


Tijan - 2018
    I barely knew him. I thought it was his sister’s bed—her room. It took seconds to realize my error, and I should've left... I didn’t.I didn’t jump out.I didn’t get embarrassed.I relaxed.And that night, in that moment, it was the only thing I craved. I asked to stay. He let me, and I slept. The truth? I never wanted to leave his bed. If I could've stayed forever, I would have.He became my sanctuary. Because—four hours earlier—my twin sister killed herself.

The Naked Fisherman


Jewel E. Ann - 2021
    I'm eighteen and a young woman with endless possibilities on my way to reunite with my mom in Colorado after five years apart—she had a little weed incident in Nebraska.At the airport, she springs the news on me ... she's leaving for a month of job training. And me? I'm left on my own in the basement she's renting from the fisherman, aka her landlord who lives upstairs. He's ten years older than me. Never wears a shirt. And makes it hard to remember all the things I learned at Christian Academy. Did I mention he’s also my new boss?

Ramsay


Mia Sheridan - 2016
    Several years before, Brogan was the son of her family's gardener, and the boy she hurt and betrayed. But Brogan is no longer the quiet, sensitive boy she remembers. Now he's a man—gorgeous, powerful . . . and seeking vengeance.Brogan Ramsay can't let go of the memory of Lydia tricking him cruelly, leaving his heart shattered and his family penniless. And now he's back to destroy her family the way his was destroyed. There's only one problem . . . the girl who wounded him so badly years ago is now a woman who still has the power to render him breathless.Ramsay is the story of betrayal and wrath, of the strength of regret and the power of forgiveness. It is the story of the thin veil between love and hate, and how more often than not, when we seek to inflict pain on others, the heart we wound is our own.THIS IS A STAND-ALONE SIGN OF LOVE NOVEL, INSPIRED BY ARIES. New Adult Contemporary Romance: Due to strong language and sexual content, this book is not intended for readers under the age of 18.

A Needful Heart


J.M. Madden - 2012
    He’s not relationship material, but he doesn’t expect it to get that far. He just wants to talk to her, man to woman, and put himself out of his misery once and for all. Things never go as planned, though, and when fantasy crashes and burns into reality, Gina pays the price.Gina doesn’t blame Matt for her injury, but she is appreciative when he steps into her crazy life to help out. Proximity fires sudden attraction between them and Gina can’t believe she’s overlooked the sexy carpenter for this long. Tattooed and intimidating, he’s not the type she’s normally drawn to, but something about him tugs at her heartstrings.When an explosive situation develops and they have to save a little boy, Matt loses control of his tightly held anger. Though his heart aches, Matt walks away, both for Gina’s safety and his own sanity. It’s up to Gina to convince him love can heal any heartache.

Cuffed


Joanna Blake - 2017
    She's innocent in every way. I'm about to break all the rules, just to make her mine. I'm a Special Agent assigned to take down a notorious biker club. She's just a girl who's in the wrong place at the wrong time. But I can't bend the rules, even if I know she's innocent. Casey Jones is a natural beauty with curves that won't quit. With her big doe eyes and long legs, she's pure temptation. She's barely old enough to be working in a place that serves alcohol, but I can't stop myself from wanting to make her a woman. My woman. She's in the middle of something bad, and too stubborn to see that. But I can't fight the need to get her into my bed and keep her there. Now all I want to do is protect her. *Cuffed is a standalone novel with a HEA and no cheating!*

Saved from Sin


Lindsay Armstrong - 1985
    He'd made her feel special—witty and rather daring—a person who existed only for him, when all along she'd existed only as his instrument of revenge!Melly's last words the night she'd confronted her father had been, "It's not true! Clay loves me. He does!" And yet she ran away.For three long years Melly had managed to evade the past—until the day she ran right into her husband and a situation she had

All I've Never Wanted


Ana Huang - 2013
    Everyone wanted to date them or be them...everyone, that is, except Maya Lindberg, who just wanted to avoid them until she could graduate. She almost succeeded, until an ill-advised outburst on her part put her right in the Scions' path. Just like that, one became her fake boyfriend, one her unwanted matchmaker, one her guardian angel, and the one she couldn't stand the most? Yeah, he's her new housemate. What happens when a girl gets everything she never asked for, including a puppy, a new wardrobe, and, possibly, even true love?

Secret Lucidity


E.K. Blair - 2018
    But it did.This wasn’t supposed to be my life. But it was.I was just a typical girl, living a typical life. Nothing was out of the ordinary until tragedy threw me into a turnstile I couldn’t see my way out of. That was, until him.I never could’ve imagined my heart falling the way it did. Hard, fast, and with unbounding beauty. The only problem? He was off limits. Forbidden. But he became my everything, and I became his, so we risked it all. It was only a matter of time until I realized that our risk came with unimaginable consequences. My name is Camellia Hale and his is David Andrews, and this is our love story.

Taunt Her


Caitlyn Dare - 2020
    She wants to hate him. Remi Tanner wasn’t part of the plan. But when I see my uncle doting on her, I know she’s going to help me destroy him. I’ll taunt her. Test her. In the end, I’ll break her. Ace Jagger wasn’t a good guy. But he swept into my life like a storm, and I’m caught up in the aftermath. He’s cruel. Calculating. In the end, I never stood a chance. She might be a Sterling Prep princess, and I might be the guy from the wrong side of the tracks, but one thing's for sure... I won’t stop until I get what I want. Revenge. Taunt Her is a dark high school bully romance. If possessive, tattooed, motorcycle-riding alphaholes aren't your thing, you probably won't like this book!