Book picks similar to
Grumpy As Hell by Marika Ray
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Ruined Promises
Stefanie Jenkins - 2020
One decision. It only took one night out to turn Lexi Baker’s so-called perfect world upside down. A chance encounter with a tall, dark, and handsome stranger makes her feel things she’s never felt before, both physically and emotionally. When her emotions get the best of her, she escapes with only his first name: Ben. A one-night stand—that’s all it was supposed to be. She was never supposed to see him again. And he definitely wasn’t supposed to be standing in her office Monday morning being introduced as her new boss. Ben and Lexi promise each other that nothing more can happen and they must remain professional. But some promises are meant to be ruined, right?
The Bodyguard's Fake Marriage
Bree Livingston - 2018
When her father calls, telling her he’s arranged for her to marry a man she barely knows, Lexi is positive something is wrong. In an effort to give herself some time to figure out what’s going on, she decides the only way to slow things down is to arrange her own marriage.Ex-Army Ranger Jake Maverick promised Basil Maheras that he’d keep Lexi safe at all costs — he just never thought the cost would include his bachelor status. But when Lexi tells him her father is forcing her to marry the man he was hired to protect her from in the first place, he feels the only way to keep her safe is to marry her in an attempt to get her father from Greece to the states so he can figure out what’s going on.When their secret is leaked, and Lexi’s life is put in danger, they have no choice but to run. Now, they’re stuck together, and the more they learn about each other, the less pretend their marriage feels.
The Brain
January James - 2021
Only nobody knows. Not even the man who owns it.I’m anal, I’m meticulous, I’m a perfectionist.I do not tolerate unprofessionalism.If things aren’t done the way I want them to be, someone pays.And with a past like mine, the cost is high.When Tawny Graham crashes—literally—into the Key, she threatens my grand plans.She’s a stumbling, infuriating nightmare,With a body that taunts me and eyes that haunt me.And I can’t be distracted. Not when I’m so close.Then I find out the real reason she’s here,And that changes everything.This enemies-to-lovers romance brings the heat to the Florida Keys against a backdrop of suspense, luxury and bad ass alphas.
Par for the Course
Jenna Bayley-Burke - 2008
He’s felt this magnetic pull only once before, for a bespectacled brunette back in college. That woman was nothing like this platinum blonde from New York—confident, poised…and hitting on him like crazy. Is she really interested in him, or merely seeking fodder for her Dating Diva column? Just one wrong move from Ben, one more disappointment, and Jillian will finally be able to stop obsessing about her college crush, leave town, and get on with her life. Except the more rope she gives him to hang himself, the more he ties her up in knots. Every move he makes is the right one, both in bed and out of it. Shaken to her college-nerd core, Jillian begins to wonder if giving him a taste of love-’em-and-leave-’em is what she wants after all.
His Banana
Penelope Bloom - 2018
Seriously. The guy is like a potassium addict. Of course, I touched it. If you want to get technical, I actually put it in my mouth. I chewed it up, too... I even swallowed.I know. Bad, bad, girl.Then I saw him, and believe it or not, choking on a guy's banana does not make the best first impression. I should backtrack a little here. Before I ever touched a billionaire’s banana, I got my first real assignment as a business reporter. This wasn’t the same old bottom-of-the-barrel assignment I always got. I wasn’t going to interview a garbage man about his favorite routes or write a piece on how picking up dog poop from people’s yards is the next big thing. Nope. None of the above, thank you very much.This was my big break. My chance to prove I wasn’t a bumbling, clumsy, accident-prone walking disaster. I was infiltrating Galleon Enterprises to follow up on suspicions of corruption. Cue the James Bond music.I could do this. All I had to do was land the position as an intern and nail my interview with Bruce Chamberson.Forget the fact that he looked like somebody carved him out of liquid female desire, then sprinkled on some "makes men question their sexuality" for good measure. I needed to make this work. No accidents. No disasters. No clumsiness. All I needed to do was hold it together for less than an hour.Fast forward to the conference room before the interview, and that's where you would find me with a banana in my hand. A banana that literally had his name on it in big, black sharpie. It was a few seconds later when he walked in and caught me yellow-handed. A few seconds after that was when he hired me. Yeah. I know. It didn't seem like a good sign to me, either.
This Much is True
Tia Louise - 2020
J.R. Two years ago, I hugged my little boy goodbye and told him I’d be right back.Next thing I knew, I was arrested and sent to prison for a crime I didn’t commit.Until they let me out early…Now I’m headed home to confront the man who put me away.A lie put me behind bars, and I’m ready to find the truth.I don’t have time for a sexy girl with pale blonde hair and bright blue eyes stowed away on the backseat of my new car.My mission is to get my son back and clear my name.Love is not on the agenda.
It never is, though, is it?
(THIS MUCH IS TRUE is a single-dad, opposites attract, stand-alone romance. No cheating. No cliffhangers.)
Stalking His Obsession: Ex-boyfriend's Dad, Age Gap Romance
Kaci Rose - 2022
He's her ex-boyfriend's dad.I never thought I'd be a Vegas showgirl, especially at the hotel my ex-boyfriend's dad owns.But I need the money and I liked the job, until my boss forces himself on me.I never thought Grant, my ex-boyfriend's dad, would be the one to save me.I never thought he'd admit he has feelings for me all this time just like I do for him.I definitely never expected my ex to find us in bed together,Or what my ex-boss would do for revenge.I never would have believed what Grant would do to keep me.Had I known all this I never would have taken the job.Welcome to a filthy dirty desires! Forget being sweet … this year we want to give into our dirtiest desires. Taboo, dangerous, and over-the-top, we’re bringing you everything you were too scared to ask for. **Don’t worry, loves, these are still packed with the heroes you crave and the HEA’s you deserve!
Sweet Love
Mia Kayla - 2020
worst yet, falling in love.Why is that so bad you ask?Because the man is leaving right after our mission is complete.Job done.Finito.Will our sweet love become a sour punch to the gut or will we be together now & later and forever?
Author's Warning: This standalone office romance is a lot sweet, a bit sexy and one with a ton of family feels. One-click this story for the wounded hero trying to save his father's company, the artistic heroine who faints at the sight of blood, her hilarious fun loving friends, and office closet sexy times.
Rule Breaker By Accident
Ali Parker - 2019
One rule. Easy enough, or so I thought. Until this hot surgeon that I’ve been dating off and on becomes a client. It was a casual fling, a fun summer love affair. Until it wasn’t. My heart wasn’t ready to fall so hard for this bad boy in scrubs. The secrets he has hidden in his past stop me dead in my tracks. But he isn’t giving up on us. Not for anything. And I have to decide where I stand. Break the rules or walk away from the best thing I’ve ever had.
Roots and Wings
M. Mabie - 2016
Yet, all could think about was Mutt, or at least that’s what they called her.To me, she was gorgeous and witty ... and perfect. She knew more duty than desire, more perseverance than passion, and more acquaintance than affection, but here was no way I’d ever want to change her. In fact, I was dying to show her the life she'd been missing, but first she'd have to trust me enough to tell me her real name.I wanted to plant roots, but I refused to clip her wings. Not when she was everything I’d been looking for and all the home I’d ever need.Roots and Wings is a standalone contemporary romance. If you're looking for a good time, then you've come to the right place. Welcome to Wynne.
Run to the Sea
K.G. Fletcher - 2019
The very last thing he expects is the inheritance of his famous grandfather’s beach cottage on the sandy shores of Florida where he spent his childhood summers. Emeline Fischer is an aspiring artist trying to make ends meet, working an assortment of odd jobs while painting her dreams on canvas in hopes of landing her own gallery show someday. When she is Thomas’s waitress during her shift at the local beach diner, she immediately recognizes her sensitive childhood friend who promised long ago to protect her from her unstable home life when they were teens. The two friends take a journey into their past through a box of photos left behind at Cap Cottage and rediscover their mutual passion for art - and each other. Thomas doesn’t plan to fall in love with Emmy - but maybe he’s always been in love with her. Can he forgive himself for his past mistakes and start over in the only place that ever felt like home? Or will his guilt and the demands of his cutthroat, big-city career prevent him from following his heart and reuniting with the only woman he ever truly loved?
Thirty-Two Going on Spinster
Becky Monson - 2012
She has no social life, hates her job, and lives in her parent’s basement with her cat, Charlie.With the arrival of Jared Moody, the new hire at work, Julia’s mundane life is suddenly turned upside down. Her instant (and totally ridiculous) crush on the new guy causes Julia to finally make some long-overdue changes, in hopes to find a life that includes more than baking and hanging out with Charlie.But when the biggest and most unexpected change comes, will the new and improved Julia be able to overcome it? Or will she go back to her spinster ways?
What We Know Is True
Jamie Bennett - 2019
Who would have thought it?” Polar opposites. Karis and Reid are nothing alike. Where she calculates risks, he takes them. When she looks, he leaps—literally. But somehow, they do work well together—better than well, because oddly, they seem to complement each other. They’re great work colleagues. They’re great friends. Could they be great at something more? Can Reid give up roaming around the world, looking for adventure? Can Karis let go of her control a little, to take a chance? Sometimes, your happy ending can’t be planned, coordinated, and calculated…but it’s there, if you can let go and reach for it!
Burning Up
Susan Andersen - 2010
The tiny town is still buzzing about her crime and lack of punishment. Now back to lend her family a hand, Macy vows to hold her head high—especially at her high school reunion. But forget about the hottest man in Sugarville escorting her. Though she and fire chief Gabriel Donovan generate enough sparks to burn down the town, he's a law-abiding, line-toeing straight arrow. So not her type. But maybe—just maybe—he can change her mind about that.
Seeking a Plus One
Tabitha Bree - 2021
But when the veterinarian says my precious fur baby Wilson needs surgery, I need to come up with some cash and fast. After all, he’s the only family I have left. I mean, how bad could it be? I just have to be this stranger’s wedding date—no romance, no funny business, just pretend to be his girlfriend in front of his family. Just one weekend away and I’ll have the money I need. He seems pretty normal in his emails; no serial killer or pervert vibes.But now I’m sitting here, meeting up with this stranger for the first time, and who shows up? Robbie Marshall—the obnoxious, wise cracking, stupid handsome guy from my office. The guy whom I hate, and who hates me back. Turns out both of us using aliases has its drawbacks. But it’s too late to back out now. We’re both out of options. It’s just one weekend… right?