Book picks similar to
Guarded Dreams by L.J. Evans
romance
arc
contemporary-romance
second-chance
Embracing Her Heart
Melissa Foster - 2018
Buckle up for a wild ride. Like any Southern girls worth their salt, the sweet-talking, sharp-tongued Montgomery sisters can take men to their knees with one seductive glance or a single sugarcoated sentence.A second chance at their first love…Leaving New York City and returning to her hometown to teach a screenplay writing class seems like just the break Grace Montgomery needs. Until her sisters wake her at four thirty in the morning to watch the hottest guys in town train wild horses and she realizes that escaping her sisters’ drama-filled lives was a lot easier from hundreds of miles away. To make matters worse, she spots the one man she never wanted to see again—ruggedly handsome Reed Cross.Reed was one of Michigan’s leading historical preservation experts, but on the heels of catching his girlfriend in bed with his business partner, his uncle suffers a heart attack. Reed cuts all ties and returns home to Oak Falls to run his uncle’s business. A chance encounter with Grace, his first love, brings back memories he’s spent years trying to escape. Grace is bound and determined not to fall under Reed’s spell again—and Reed wants more than another taste of the woman he’s never forgotten. When a midnight party brings them together, passion ignites and old wounds are opened. Grace sets down the ground rules for the next three weeks. No touching, no kissing, and if she has it her way, no breathing, because every breath he takes steals her ability to think. But Reed has other ideas…~The Bradens & Montgomerys are part of Melissa's Love in Bloom big-family romance collection. All Love in Bloom novels are written to stand alone and may also be enjoyed as part of the larger series, so dive right into this fun, sexy romance.THE BRADENS & MONTGOMERYS (Pleasant Hill - Oak Falls). Order of future books is subject to change Embracing Her HeartAnything For LoveTrails of LoveWild Crazy HeartsMaking You MineSearching for LoveHot for LoveSweet Sexy HeartOur Wicked HeartsClaiming Her HeartRocked by Love**Please note that future books in the original Montgomery series are crossing over to the Bradens at Pleasant Hill, and for this reason I have combined the series into THE BRADENS & MONTGOMERYS (Pleasant Hill - Oak Falls).~Love in Bloom features alpha male heroes and sexy, empowered women. They're flawed, funny, passionate, and relatable to readers who enjoy contemporary romance and women's fiction. Characters from each sub-series appear in future books. All Love in Bloom novels are written to stand alone without any unresolved issues or cliffhangers.
Brief Encounters
Scarlett Hopper - 2018
With the painful life she left behind and the unorthodox job she currently has, lying is a must. But when Eleanor meets Jess Parker, Breslin University’s hockey player both on and off the ice, everything she has worked for threatens to come crumbling down. Jess Parker is the epitome of everything Eleanor wants to avoid. He’s popular, cocky, and has more girls’ numbers than a phonebook. Yet, when they are paired together for a school project, their connection is undeniable. As their friendship develops, Jess’s ability to truly see Eleanor shakes the very foundation she’s built her new life on. When Eleanor begins to question the two rules she has always followed, she finds herself wondering if honesty might actually be the best policy. But, when all is said and done, will the truth be too much for Jess to handle?
Bayou Cottage
Suzanne Jenkins - 2020
It’s the perfect place to run away to after her heart was broken.The first night while she’s down at the road to lock the gate, a hunky guy on horseback steps out of the woods, but Maggie doesn’t recognize him. Turns out they were childhood playmates long ago during winter visits to her grandparents’ cottage. Justin Chastain, local vet and wild horse advocate, heard through the grapevine that Maggie had returned to Cypress Cove and wanted to see her for himself. But he didn’t know that she was hiding from a failed marriage, leaving her with a big chip on her shoulder. It remains to be seen if she can ever trust again. The chemistry Maggie senses fluctuates between lukewarm and molten, but for Justin, it’s constant and he’s falling in love, hard. Then he unintentionally commits a blunder that Maggie will struggle to forgive, and they have to start all over again. Is there another chance at love for Maggie Angel?
An Unexpected Find (Silver Falls #1)
Hayleigh Sol - 2020
They might be perfect for each other...but they haven’t actually met.Will they continue to play it safe or will they risk another heartbreak for a chance at love?Best-selling author Jax Rowland is writing the first book of his next spy thriller series and it's not going well. If he can't create a deeper connection between his characters, he faces more negative reviews from readers fed up with his one-dimensional Bond-girls.Dr. Sophie Grimaldi is successful, single and content to remain that way. Disappointed (or worse) by romantic relationships all her life, the only interest she has in men these days are her delicious book boyfriends. When Sophie discovers a set of handwritten notes between the pages of a library book, curiosity quickly turns to exasperation over the author’s cringe-worthy attempt at a steamy sex scene. Automatically, she scribbles her own version, forgetting all about the page when she returns the book. She never imagines the author will find her revision.Embarrassed to view his work through a mystery critic’s eyes, Jax offers Sophie a job writing the love scenes of his next novel. As sexy emails and flirty texts turn into a friendship teeming with chemistry, Sophie and Jax agree to finally meet in person. But, a series of missed connections and unexpected twists make it clear that fate has other plans for them.Will they heed the warning signs or choose to write their own destiny?**Note: An Unexpected Find was originally published with the title Book Review. This revised version (12/2020) can be read as a standalone or the first in the Silver Falls series. Due to mature content, this book is recommended for readers 18+.
Man of the Moment
Thea Dawson - 2018
is here to serve.Tired of being the "cute one" in a family of glamorous people, Annabelle Winter decides to hire a gorgeous man from the Gentlemen, Inc. Agency to be her date at a big family event. Just once, she wants to be the envy of every woman in the room.And with Archer Carleson at her side, she is.Archer, a struggling actor in Los Angeles, doesn't mind making a wallflower like Annabelle look good for an evening—he's getting paid, after all, and it's a chance to further hone his acting skills. But when he realizes that Annabelle's family could hold the key to his career, he decides to take their professional relationship to a personal level.His attempts to boost his career by charming Annabelle backfire, however, when he begins to fall for her. Archer will have to decide which means more to him: Annabelle—or a shot at stardom.
After the Sky Fell Down
Megan Nugen Isbell - 2012
But when tragedy strikes, she is left to pick up the pieces of her now shattered life. As she tries to make sense of her new reality, life takes another startling turn, leading her down a path she never imagined. Through it all she finds comfort in a surprising companion who becomes her best friend and rock as she tries to rebuild her life. But when she unexpectedly meets someone, whose kindness and understanding offers her a chance at a fresh start, she struggles to move forward, afraid to leave her past behind. Will she be able to move on and find peace with her past in order to discover her future or will she let her past condemn her to a life of loneliness, unable to let go of a life that can never be?
Bigger Than the Sky
Harper Bentley - 2014
No, I’m not an idiot.Yes, I had my reasons. Now I’ve made a new life for myself working at a large firm in Richmond and I’ve left the past behind. Or so I thought.Upon returning to my hometown of Serenity Point, Virginia, to take care of some business, I find that Kade’s now home for good and he’s none too happy about my being here. Two months. That’s all I’m staying then I’m out of here. Unless I believe the town’s pink-haired psychic’s prediction. Or embrace the sense of belonging I feel at being back home. Or give in to the emotions stirring inside when Kade's attention is suddenly on me. He scares the crap out of me. He thrills me. He used to tell me our love was bigger than the sky. I always knew ours was a once-in-a-lifetime love. So how can he be so sure it can happen again?
Operation: Marry Me
Emma Nichols - 2018
A Marine sent to protect her.EnriqueFrom the moment I saw Maddie Weeks, I was smitten.We could've had a great love affair, except for three little things:1. It was my job to protect her.2. She was already married.3. I could never marry.Then her jerk of a husband blew up.Literally.And our low key surveillance was kicked up a notch.We needed an inside man.Naturally, I took one for the team and assigned myself that role.My cover?Obviously, we'll have to be married.Fake married.Too bad I really love her.
Whatever It Takes
S. Jones
I’ve moved on, married his enemy, and started my own family. Everything was perfect…until it wasn’t. My new life was a lie, and my husband turned out to be a fraud. The man that I married was now a wanted fugitive, and my ex-fiancé was the cop who was intent on making him pay. He’s convinced that a simple apology and a dimpled smile is enough to fix that broken heart that he tore apart years ago. I’ll do whatever it takes to keep him at a distance. Yet, all it takes is one kiss, one touch for me to remember how great our love was before he threw it away. Little does he know that I’m not the young, foolish girl who he left behind. If he thinks he can waltz back into my life like the past never happened, he has another thing coming. I can accept that fate sent him back to me. Now, I need to assure my foolish heart that this means nothing.
Whatever It Takes
Lindsey Pogue - 2016
Stay focused. Sam’s plan to keep the past behind her was simple. But summertime, it would seem, has something else in store.Born and raised in the quaint mountain town of Saratoga Falls, where everyone knows everything, Samantha struggles to escape the harrowing night that changed her life three years ago. While she finds solace in the hard work that keeps her father’s ranch afloat, her guilt and heartbreak makes it impossible to completely move on or to forget. But when Sam’s past comes rumbling back in a lifted, cherry-red pick-up truck, it’s all Sam can do to keep her wits about her. A heatwave, a pair of familiar blue eyes, and a camping trip with friends will leave her questioning everything she’s become in the wake of the most horrific night of her life.Everyone knows that Reilly, the all-American boy-next-door, had a troubled home life. He couldn’t wait to leave for the army after high school, but that was before he fell in love with Sam and captured her heart only to break it when he was deployed. Now, Reilly returns home to close the darkest chapter of his own life, only to learn it’s what has happened to Sam in his absence that will haunt him the most. Sam, Reilly, and their quirky friends will venture down a winding path of self-discovery and second chances in Whatever It Takes, a small-town love story, bursting with raw emotion, unwavering friendships, and plenty of heart.**This is a story about love and loss. It contains mature content, sexual and other.**
Coming Home
Kimberley O'Malley - 2017
Elizabeth Abbott Fitzgerald has spent the last ten years of her life running; from tragedy, from family, from love. But now her mother’s failing health calls her home to Windsor Falls, North Carolina; to the place where her past awaits. Sam Bishop can’t believe his eyes when the love of his life returns after ten long years. All he wants is to clear his conscience and get back the family he lost when Connor, his best friend and Elizabeth’s husband died tragically. Could it really be true that time heals all wounds?
If We Were Young
Anna Bloom - 2020
Things would be so different if they were young, but sometimes the answers to life's challenges aren't always as straightforward as they seem. Fifteen years have passed by in a blink. Will fifteen days be enough to make things right?
Crossroads Serenade: A Novel
Laurie Adair Grove - 2012
But no matter how much time passes, she can’t forget Pete, the only man she’s ever loved. Meredith wonders how she can move on, when just looking at her little boy so painfully reminds her of everything that's happened.Her son is five when Meredith returns to Crossroads to claim The Serenade—a popular hotel, bar and restaurant—which she inherits from a dear friend who treated her like family when her own family did not. A single mother from a rough background, Meredith knows life is not all roses, and that she will have to work even harder than ever with her new responsibilities. But she has no idea of the obstacles that she must overcome, now that she has moved back home to claim her inheritance and hopefully reunite with Pete.
Under the Maui Sky
Kellie Coates Gilbert - 2021
Readers will laugh and shed a few tears as Ava Briscoe and her children discover what it means to be loved, supported and accepted by the people who mean the most… even in the face of deep betrayal.Ava Briscoe wants nothing more than for her children and the family’s pineapple business to flourish. When a dark secret comes to light, more than her steadfast resilience is tested.Christel is picking up the pieces after a painful divorce. She’s found solace in the family business. But a bitter discovery soon shakes the once-steady foundation under her feet.Katie is a wife and mother with a full plate. She yearns for purpose but her efforts to make her dreams come true falter when she learns nothing is at it seems.Aiden makes his living rescuing people on the island of Maui. When facing life’s changes, can he rescue his own family when it matters most?Shane believes life is a party, but sometimes life hands out more than a good time—fun crashes to an end and growing up is no longer an option.Come along on the journey... with all the messy wonder, humor, pain and ultimate hope of this heartwarming family as they grapple with an uncertain future and learn they can face anything, as long as they do it together.A heart-grabbing story, perfect for Robyn Carr and Susan Wiggs fans.
Still Not Over You
Aarti V. Raman - 2018
All she wants is a second chance Once upon a time…Zara loved Dev with all her heart. Until tragedy struck them both.She chose to exile him from her life, their family, and the family business. She’s been paying for it ever since. Zara knows she’s never been enough to run the multi-millionaire family business. And not for the explosive secret that could destroy her already-fragile family. She needs help…she needs Dev to give her a second chance. Now…Dev is owner of the most-popular bar in SoCal – Geeks Will Be Geeks. He has his Caltech friends who stood by him when his own family abandoned him.When Zara cut his heart out and handed it to him on a plate.Until she walks back into his life and makes him an offer he can’t refuse.Become CEO of the family business and return as the prodigal son.Except, Dev wants more.He wants everything.He wants Zara.And all Zara wants is a second chance to do it all over again. Can love be enough to heal old wounds? Or is forgiveness an ugly word? Still Not Over You is a standalone interracial romance in the bestselling Geeks of Caltech series – a unique band of friends bonded by loyalty, pain and brotherhood. These heroes are to die for and their women all they wish to live for.