Book picks similar to
Persuaded by Rachel Schurig


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Just One Look


Joan Reeves - 1998
    Jennifer Monroe does what any normal, well-adjusted woman would do. She makes an excuse to send the doctor and nurse from the room, dives into her clothes, and flees!Unfortunately, her running away makes conscientious Dr. Penrose conclude she has some kind of sexual hangup. He's determined to refer her to another doctor for her health's sake. If he can just talk to her, he'll suggest counseling for what he thinks are emotional problems.Jennifer refuses to take his phone calls, and she plans to never see him again. After all, Dallas is a big city. What are the odds that she'd ever run into him again? Even money when Fate lends a hand.When Jennifer and Matt meet at a charity gala, he earnestly urges her to seek professional help. Jennifer is incensed that he seems to think she's some frigid old maid. All the old high school resentment floods back, fueling her determination to teach him a lesson he won't soon forget.You know what they say about payback! Well, this payback is a scorcher. Kids play doctor, but these doctors play seduction games. And they're playing for keeps.Will Matt recognize Jennifer? Will Jennifer lure him into her bed? Seduction and sex can be pretty funny when both sides play dirty!BONUS FEATURES:Meet Joan ReevesExcerpt from OLD ENOUGH TO KNOW BETTER by Joan ReevesExcerpt from THE TROUBLE WITH LOVE by Joan ReevesExcerpt from SPECIAL DELIVERY by Elaine Raco ChaseExcerpt from IN THE GARDEN OF TEMPTATION by Cynthia WicklundCollection of Quotations: Woman's Perspective on Sex, Love, and Life

The Apology Project


Jeanette Escudero - 2021
    She’s been fired for not compromising her principles in a high-profile case and then punching her partner in the nose for the misogynistic comment he made in retort (not her finest moment). Leaving a career that gave her purpose, Amelia can only ask, What next?Let it be better than her epic failure of a fortieth birthday party: an open bar full of no-shows except for John Ellis, a total stranger and the new associate at her ex-firm. As it turns out, though, he’s very good company—and a wake-up call. With the help of John and a lot of champagne, Amelia considers the people she’s wronged, from old besties to former boyfriends to coworkers. Amelia resolves to make amends—to those who really deserve it.One apology at a time, Amelia’s looking at the choices she’s made in the past, the new ones she’s making with John, and those she’s making for herself. What next? Maybe a second chance she never expected.

Days Like These


Sue Margolis - 2016
    After all, she’s already raised one set of children—and quite successfully, if she may say so herself. But all it takes is a few days of private school functions, helicopter parents, video games, and never-ending Frozen sing-a-longs for Judy to feel she’s in over her head.   As weeks become months, Judy feels more and more like an outsider among all the young mothers with their parenting theories du jour, especially when she gets on the wrong side of the school’s snooty alpha mom. But finding a friend in another grandmother—and a man who takes her mind off all the stress—almost make it worthwhile. She just needs to take it one food allergy, one incomprehensible homework assignment, and one major meltdown at a time...

The Forgotten Sister: Mary Bennet's Pride and Prejudice


Jennifer Paynter - 2012
    She retreats to her room to read and play the pianoforte and, when obliged to mix in society, finds it safer to quote platitudes from books rather than express her real opinions. She also finds it safer to befriend those who are socially “beneath” her. When wealthy Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley glide into her sisters’ lives, Mary becomes infatuated with an impoverished young musician, the son of her old wet-nurse, who plays the fiddle at the Meryton assemblies.It is only after her sisters tease her about her “beau with the bow” that Mary is forced to examine her real feelings and confront her own brand of pride and prejudice.An elegant accompaniment to Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, The Forgotten Sister plucks the neglected Mary from obscurity and beautifully reveals her hopes and dreams.

It's All Greek to Me


Katie MacAlister - 2011
    Iakovos Papaionannou is perfection on every level, except for his unpronounceable name. And Harry can't stop herself from falling hard and fast for him.Iakovoos knew his sister hired her favorite band to perform at her birthday party; he's just not sure where this six-foot-tall, wild-haired, tempestuous woman fits in, or how she's already ended up in his bed-and in his heart. Harry is so not his type. She's as infuriating as she is intriguing, and she can't keep her hands off his butt. But she just may be the woman who knocks him off the world's most eligible bachelor list for good . . .

The Summerhouse


Jude Deveraux - 2001
    Celebrating at a summerhouse in Maine, Leslie Headrick, Madison Appleby, and Ellie Abbott are taking stock of their lives and loves, their wishes and choices. But none of them expect the gift that awaits them at the summerhouse: the chance for each of them to turn their “what-might-have-beens” into reality…Leslie, a suburban wife and mother, follows the career of a boy who pursued her in college wonders: what if she had chosen differently? Madison dropped a modeling career to help her high school boyfriend recover from an accident, even though he’d jilted her. But what if she had said “no” when her old boyfriend had called? Ellie became a famous novelist, but a bitter divorce wiped out her earnings—and shattered her belief in herself. Why had the “justice” system failed her? And could she prevent its happening the second time around?Now, a mysterious “Madame Zoya,” offers each of them a chance to relive any three weeks from the past. Will the road not taken prove a better path? Each woman will have to decide for herself as she follows the dream that got away…and each must choose the life that will truly satisfy the heart’s deepest longings.

Dating Mr. Darcy


Kate O'Keeffe - 2020
    Darcy's heart?Clothing designer Emma Brady is having serious doubts about how far she'll go to promote her new activewear line. Sure, being on a reality show would be great for business, but is putting up with Mr. Darcy-wannabe Sebastian Huntington-Ross really worth it?Sebastian is straight out of an Austen novel. But it's hard to focus on his chiseled jaw, broad shoulders and wickedly sexy accent when all Emma can see is his pride, arrogance, and smug demeanor.But Sebastian has a secret reason for being on the show, and when Emma figures out what it is, her heart warms to him — without her permission.Will Emma hold fast and keep the aristocratic Sebastian at arm's length? Or will she put her reservations aside when the lines between reality and "reality show" start to blur?Dating Mr. Darcy is a laugh-out-loud feel-good rom com for fans of Bridget Jones's Diary, Sophie Ranald, and Sophie Kinsella.

Seeking Her


Cora Carmack - 2014
    He needs to get a job and find a sense of normalcy if he’s going to keep his own demons at bay. The job that falls into his lap, though, is anything but normal. Bodyguard (and baby-sitter) to spoiled-rich-girl Kelsey Summers isn’t exactly what he’d been looking for, but it’s a chance to travel, to get away from the home that has felt stifling ever since his return. It would be a pretty sweet gig if it weren’t for the fact that Kelsey’s father doesn’t want Kelsey to know she’s being followed. Hunt feels guilty (and a little bit creepy) as he watches her from afar. She’s vibrant and infuriating, exciting and reckless, mysterious and familiar. When he sees her falling into the same patterns that he suffered years ago, he decides it’s time to stop watching and help her instead. But getting to know her is more difficult than he thought, especially because the more he knows her, the more he wants her.

First Down


Rae Lynn Blaise - 2016
    There’s just one little thing...Tara’s a virgin and Zach’s definitely an all-around player.  Can a nerd girl and a jock win this game? WARNING: includes steamy good times, lots of wizard jokes, some serious football action and (obviously!) an HEA.

Ladies of the House: A Modern Retelling of Sense and Sensibility


Lauren Edmondson - 2021
    At least according to thirty-four-year-old Daisy Richardson. So when it's revealed in dramatic fashion that her esteemed father had been involved in a public scandal before his untimely death, Daisy's life becomes complicated--and fast.For one, the Richardsons must now sell the family home in Georgetown they can no longer afford, and Daisy's mother is holding on with an iron grip. Her younger sister, Wallis, is ready to move on to bigger and better things but falls fast and hard for the most inconvenient person possible. And then there's Atlas, Daisy's best friend. She's always wished they could be more, but now he's writing an exposé on the one subject she's been desperate to avoid: her father.Daisy's plan is to maintain a low profile as she works to keep her family intact amid social exile, public shaming, and quickly dwindling savings. But the spotlight always seems to find the Richardsons, and when another twist in the scandal comes to light, Daisy must confront the consequences of her continued silence and summon the courage to stand up and accept the power of her own voice.

Our Song


Dani Atkins - 2016
    Charlotte married Ally's ex and first true love, David. Fate is about to bring them together one last, dramatic time and change their lives forever. Full of Dani's signature warmth and emotion, this is a gripping and emotional family drama. With breath-taking plot twists, Dani explores themes of serendipity, friendship and love. She fully engages the reader in the dilemmas faced by her characters. What would you do if your husband was the love of somebody else's life? And when faced with an agonising decision, could you put the past behind you and do the right thing?

The Morning After the Wedding Before


Laura Ziepe - 2019
    ‘The ideal poolside read!’ The Writing Garnet Did she really say ‘I do’?! Emma is getting married! She knows it should be the happiest time of her life, but she can’t help feeling she’s marrying the wrong man.So when she wakes up on her wedding day with a ring already on her finger, she panics – who did she marry last night? Perfect for fans of Lindsey Kelk, Kat French and Tracy Bloom. Readers LOVE The Morning After the Wedding Before: ‘Wow! This book has blown me away, it was absolutely fantastic!’ Jessica’s Book Biz‘An entertaining and refreshing romantic comedy that I read in two days.’ Book After Book‘I only wish I'd had a cocktail in my hand whilst reading it!’ The Bookend Reviews‘A lovely feel-good story that will leave you with a big smile on your face’ BoekInWonderland‘I absolutely ADORED this book!’ BooksLoveReaders‘I feel like there needs to be a Spice Girls reunion surrounding this book because GIRL POWER!’ NetGalley Reviewer‘A great summer escape’ GoodReads Reviewer‘I stayed up most of the night to read it’ GoodReads Reviewer

We Were On a Break


Lindsey Kelk - 2016
    'Wasn't that enough of a break?' 'I don't mean that kind of break.' There's nothing worse than the last day of holiday. Oh wait, there is. When what should have been a proposal turns into a break, Liv and Adam find themselves on opposite sides of the life they had mapped out. Friends and family all think they're crazy; Liv throws herself into work - animals are so much simpler than humans - and Adam tries to get himself out of the hole he's dug. But as the short break becomes a chasm, can they find a way back to each other? Most importantly, do they want to?

A Place Called Home


Margaret Watson - 2008
    The whispers. They started when she and her sisters were young – the triplet daughters of a famous father. Now, the people of Spruce Lake watch her for a different reason – they think she murdered her husband. When her former father-in-law has a stroke, Zoe is blamed. When she's thrown in jail, the man she assumes was sent by her attorney turns out to be the stroke victim's son – and her former husband's brother. She's appalled by her attraction to Gideon Tate. Horrified to find that he's equally attracted to her. There's no way she'd get involved with another Tate. She and her sisters are trying to rebuild their ruptured relationship, and Zoe insists she’s not interested in Gideon. But she finds herself spending more and more time with him. Could Mr. Wrong be Mr. Right?

One Day


David Nicholls - 2009
    Tomorrow they must go their separate ways.So where will they be on this one day next year? And the year after that?And every year that follows?--back cover