Book picks similar to
Guarded Dreams by L.J. Evans


romance
contemporary-romance
arc
second-chance

City of Sin


Ivy Smoak - 2015
    Bee - When I came to New York City I was engaged to the man of my dreams and I was ready to take the marketing industry by storm. But now? I'm single and working at a dead end job with a pervy boss. It's official - this city kicked my a**. It's time to pack my bags. A blind date that my friend set up to convince me to stay is most definitely not going to change my mind. Zero chance. Goodbye NYC.Mason - I know I have a reputation as a playboy. And I like my reputation. Relationships are for schmucks. The only reason I agreed to the blind date was because I was promised two Knicks tickets for my time. But I never expected for her to pass on me. Me? Are you kidding? I'm going to prove to her that she made a mistake. I give it a week until she begs me to make good on my promises. Then I'll say goodbye to her long legs and sassy tongue and perfect... What the hell? Why don't I want to say goodbye?

SEAL Defender


Leslie North - 2017
    He and his fellow “Brothers-in-Arms” now run an intense boot camp that trains civilians to survive extreme situations. Mark’s size is intimidating, but the half-Samoan surfer is an eternal optimist. A suspicious string of suicides among SEALs, however, has Mark convinced it’s murder. He’s determined to get to the bottom of it…quietly. If he doesn’t, a murderer may go free.Reporter Geneva Rios has come to the California coast looking for a story. The recent SEAL suicides are connected to the Brothers-in-Arms, and Geneva wants to know more. The interview she’s hoping for, though, comes at a price. The smoking-hot SEAL won’t talk unless she completes his training course. If she can survive Mark’s audition, she’ll have the angle she needs. Spending more time with Mark has its own perks, but for the exotic brunette, exposing the Navy SEALs is more than just a story…it’s personal.As the heat between them reaches its boiling point, the pair puts more than their heads together. But with their own lives in danger, can they catch a killer before it’s too late?

Crashing Back Down


Kristen Hope Mazzola - 2013
    Her late husband, Randy, left for the Army right after their wedding. Instead of celebrating his homecoming and living in marital bliss with her soulmate, Mags finds herself living in constant agony. Dealing with the guilt of still living without Randy, are Randy's best friends and parents. Rising from the ashes of this tragedy, Mags starts to learn how to love and trust again, finally being able to find happiness. But sometimes things really are too good to be true and again Mags learns how cruel the world can be as she crashes back down.**18+ for sexual situations, cursing, and adult content.***

An Unexpected Love Story


Ellie Hall - 2021
    We definitely won't discuss their newest client and how he was the former love of my life. However, it’s fair to mention that Kellan Connelly is now my fiercest adversary.I’ve spent the last decade playing it safe with book boyfriends—avoiding frustratingly attractive and three-dimensional guys like him.When my roommate finds the Boyfriend Book, a silly relic leftover from my teens, it prompts a dare; go on five dates and pick one to be my Valentine. I can't say no, especially if it means proving to myself and Kellan that I’ve moved on.Despite braving the dating jungle, none of the guys comes close to being my one true love. Except Kellan. He’s infuriating, confusing, catnip…and it turns out he has a secret.With a love letter and a plane ticket in hand, can I leave my baggage behind and decide between love, hate, and the lies I told to protect my fragile heart?

Always in My Heart


Rachael Brownell - 2015
    For years she tried to move on, but no one compared to Luke. No kiss, no man, even came close.The heart wants what it wants, and Reagan’s heart is willing to wait for Luke. For as long as it takes.

The Way Back To Me


Anne Mercier - 2019
    The book DOES end on a cliffhanger. My life was charmed. I had the best friends ever. We were known as the Fab Five and our futures were planned out.In a flash, everything was taken from me. I don’t know how to live without them. I don’t want to.I’m broken.When I get to college, I see him.Cameron Stone. Mr. Football. Mr. Popular. He’s definitely hot, but on the inside he’s vile. He made my childhood a living nightmare. I don’t know why he hates me or why he’s suddenly being so nice to me. All the sweet talk in the world won’t work. I know better.So, why am I listening?

Avalanche


Cambria Hebert - 2018
     Through a bullet hole in a wall, I watch a man bleed to death. Those responsible think their crime died with the victim, until I identify them. What’s a girl to do when she’s being hunted by murderers witness protection can’t even stop? Run. My only refuge is a place I vowed to never go again. When it’s do or die, an eight-year-old heartache suddenly seems trivial. Besides, he won’t be there anyway. But he is. Turns out my old pain feels brand new the second his eyes meet mine. I can’t leave. I can’t stay. This snowy town that’s supposed to be my shelter suddenly exposes me more than before. With no one else to lean on, Liam becomes my lifeline. Now we’re both running for our lives, trying not to get swept away.

Deceit


Addison Jane - 2016
    A lethal killer. I do what needs to be done in order to protect those who can't protect themselves.I’m never the same person twice.It’s never been an issue.But I underestimated her.The beautiful woman next door. There's something sexy about the way she watches me, eyes wide with an innocent curiosity. I find myself aching for her attention. I want her to look at me, but not when I'm covered in the blood of the man I just killed.I live in the dark. She could be my light. I want her. And I know she feels it too.When what I do puts her life in danger, everything changes. And I start to realize that maybe not all is as it seems. Every part of me screams to save her...But what if I'm wrong.What if she's the one saving me?

The Cowboy's One and Only


April Murdock - 2020
    If you see the good in the change, it can make all the difference. Acceptance takes longer for some than others. Logan Thackston wasn't dealing with the changes that were coming well. In fact, he was choosing to be involved only when absolutely necessary. In the middle of his worry and annoyance about what felt like turmoil in his family, he met a woman who turned out to be his lifeline. Frankie Mills has been sent to live with her grouchy uncle while her parents jaunt around the world. The small town of Sagebrush, Texas was vastly different for a young woman than it had been for a child. The adventures didn't live up to her pleasant memories. And Uncle Elmer seemed more crusty than she remembered. Frankie and Logan met by chance and made a date the very night they met. They both felt the sparks. Their first date was a rock climb up Logan's favorite spot that lasted hours longer than planned. By the time they made it to Frankie's house, trouble was brewing. And from there, trouble was always near the surface. Though there was an intense pull to each other, it couldn't be permanent. Frankie would go back to Richmond one day - probably sooner rather than later. So they kept things simple. Easy. But were either of them happy to settle for this tepid friendship? When an accident changes the balance between them something snaps. The balance they'd created to survive the unknown was shattered. There were more unknowns now than ever before. While Logan tries to heal, will he be able to figure out what he really wants with Frankie? And when he does, will his plan be one that would work for everyone - including his family and hers, too? ~ ~ ~ Meet the family of ranchers in this book 1 as they do all they can to make their ranch thrive while making life meaningful. Each story in the series has a happy ending and no cliffhangers. Each book will have one brother finding love and a happily ever after.

Southern Charmer


Jessica Peterson - 2018
    He's southern. And he won't stop showing up at my door half naked. Meet Elijah Jackson, my hot new neighbor...From the outside looking in? I’ve got it all. Prestigious job. Pretty house. And a perfect boyfriend who just proposed with the perfect ring.I should feel ecstatic—but instead, I feel suffocated. So I break up with my boyfriend, hop in my car, and head south.Charleston, South Carolina: home to stunning architecture, sultry accents, and—oh yeah—my perpetually shirtless neighbor, Elijah Jackson. As if his abs for days and inked up deliciousness aren’t enticing enough, he also encourages me to chase down my dreams. And the chemistry between us? Hotter than the kitchen at Eli’s restaurant. But I still have a life a thousand miles away. One I’ve worked really hard to build. And I don’t know if I can just leave it all behind.I have to choose. A choice Eli doesn't make any easier by inviting me out to his cabin for a long weekend. Just the two of us. And one bed. I swear to God this southerner is out to charm the panties right off me. Just this once, I might let him...SOUTHERN CHARMER is a slow burn, standalone romance with no cheating. It is part of the Charleston Heat Series, which is a series of interconnected standalone novels set in the steamy southern town of Charleston, South Carolina.SOUTHERN CHARMER: Oliva and Eli’s bookSOUTHERN PLAYER: Gracie and Luke’s bookSOUTHERN GENTLEMAN: Julia and Greyson’s bookSOUTHERN HEARTBREAKER: Eva and Ford’s book

Mr. Mistake: A Fake Marriage Romance (Mr. Mistake Series Book 1)


Karice Bolton - 2019
    Wrong?Those were the words that shaped Tessa Berry's entire dating life the moment she vowed with her best friends in high school to never date a bad boy. Each of them took a pledge to never date a Mr. Wrong...and Morgan McKenzie was Tessa's wrong.But when her best friends bring up the pact and come up with a challenge to go after their Mr. Wrongs before they turn thirty, Tessa realizes they're all in over their heads and Tessa must teach her friends a lesson.But when Tessa's Mr. Wrong becomes her fake fiancé, she wonders if she made the biggest mistake of her life.After all, love isn't a fake emotion, even if the relationship is, right?