Book picks similar to
Delicate Balance by Brooke St. James


romance
fiction
contemporary-romance
contemporary

Protecting Her


Summer Cooper - 2019
    She’s starving. She’s begging on the streets of London. But when she begins to sing she takes a piece of my soul with her. Her voice carries such sadness and heartbreak. How is this possible? How does a beautiful, talented, young, American woman like her end up homeless so far from home? The least I can do is offer her a hot meal and a bed... I’m the heir of a global luxury hotel chain after all! It would be a crime not to help her. I have to save her. I have to protect her. I have to take her away from here and make her mine.

Sins or Secrets


Khardine Gray - 2021
    what he didn’t know was I lied because I had to.It was the only way to protect him from my father’s cruel hand.That last goodbye was supposed to be forever.I left town and never expected to see him again.Then Aunt Lily died, and I returned home.Not knowing her will would open Pandora’s box.Her will threw me right back in Logan’s path, and back in his bed.But he’s not the boy I left behind.He’s the irresistible, tempting ex-marine women put on their wish list.And our attraction is incinerating.All consuming.Undeniable.And, unlike the past, there’s no one standing in our way.There’s nothing to stop us.Except me.

Saving Grace


Lesley Ann McDaniel - 2013
    When an obsessive fan forces Tracy to change her name to Grace Addison and go into hiding, the last thing she wants is to get to know the locals. Now, not one but two men have worked their way into her daily routine, much to the chagrin of jealous local girl Sophia, who insists on prying into Grace’s past and stirring up deadly trouble. Will Grace find love in Madison Falls…or will her stalker find her? Madison Falls. Home of faith, love, peach pie…and a dollop of danger.

Rock the Boat


Gia Riley - 2016
    The guy who took his band out of the public eye to recover from the loss that shattered his world and his heart. Lark Williams has officially sworn off all men. Despite her world falling apart six weeks ago, she agrees to participate in The Perfect Match Cruise. After all, who would turn down a Caribbean vacation? But like love, The Perfect Match is unpredictable. Two hearts are on a collision course, only they couldn't be more opposite if they tried. One musician with a broken heart. One gorgeous woman who stopped believing in love. One week in paradise. There's only one rule on the ship - there are no rules. Welcome aboard. Prepare to be ROCKED.***Note: This is the first standalone in the Midnight Fate Series. Each book focuses on a different couple and can be read as a standalone or enjoyed together.***

Catching Caden


Samantha Christy - 2017
    The rule I have to protect my money, my future, my heart.No girl has ever broken it.I've never wanted one to. Until now.The question is ... will I let her?

Me and the Cute Catastrophe


Jessie Gussman - 2021
    (Yes, potatoes. *eye roll* Can we talk about something else?) And I love it here. Small town values galore and it’s right where I want to raise my girls after my jerk ex traded me in for a “younger, newer model” (his words, not mine).My mom’s the volunteer fire chief in our town and I’m pretty happy hanging out with the auxiliary at the fire hall and doing her grunt work – NOT fighting fires, because, please, I read, love science and my idea of a lot of exercise is having to walk up the stairs twice in the morning before I send my girls off to school and leave for my job as a home nurse.I guess it’s kind of weird that I also coach basketball. Long story.I was pretty happy with my life until the hot shot, all-state baller from my teen years moved back in next door. (I babysat him, yes, but I never changed his diapers. Just wanted to be clear about that.)Guess who’s now the assistant b-ball coach?Logic would say me – especially since I coached my entire first year holding the play book upside down (it turned out to be an old football playbook from the ‘80s, so it’s not like it mattered which way I held it) but the accurate answer is Trey Haywood, my all-star neighbor, and I’m honestly not sure which of us is more upset about it.Anyway, the team was trying to set us up (girls, they’re such romantics) and I don’t think they would have succeeded, but in celebration of breaking our 37 game losing streak, they locked Trey and me in the septic system control room.That changed everything. Not in a good way. Trey Yeah. What she said.And…when I first saw her again, I thought she was a catastrophe.New thought post septic control: she’s a cute catastrophe. (And, holy man, can she kiss.)Books in the Sweet, Small Town Romantic Comedy in Good Grief, Idaho series:1. Me and the Cute Catastrophe2. Me and the Tidy Tornado3. Me and the Helpful Hurricane4. Me and the Sweet Snowstorm5. Me and the Dreamy Doomsday

All She Ever Wanted


Christina Butrum - 2016
    She wasn’t about to make the same mistake twice. Twenty-eight-year-old Leah Adams is content with her life. Living with her best friend in the big city and working as a receptionist at the doctor’s office, she doesn’t allow herself much time to think about falling in love and starting a family. Until the night her ten-year high school reunion not only brings her to Levy’s, but face-to-face with Jake. Leah is faced with feelings she cannot ignore. She has to make a decision that is in her best interest – no matter who gets hurt. She’ll have to decide if risking another heartbreak is worth it for all she’s ever wanted.

Shielding Jolene


Jen Talty - 2021
    Now all she has to do is hit number one with the next one and she has just the story to do it with: The Alleyway Strangler. And the woman who brought him down is willing to give her a once-in-a-lifetime interview. Jolene boards a plane heading for Texas where she meets a well-meaning emergency room doctor who happens to be her biggest fan. Except, this isn’t any ordinary fan. He’s connected to her past. And now history might repeat itself.While forced into a little mini vacation, Michael “Cannon” Santoro is asked by a fellow Delta Force soldier to pick up Jolene up at the airport and keep an eye on her while she interviews his wife. Cannon doesn’t hesitate. Jolene is like no one he’s ever met, and he finds himself in uncharted waters. Only, he’s about to uncover a sinister plan that will bring both their pasts on a collision course with the future, and it isn’t bright.

Sing Your Heart Out


Crystal Kaswell - 2015
    She aces her classes, excels at her part time job, and carefully avoids trouble--no drinks, no drugs, and especially, no boyfriends.Rock star Miles Webb doesn't do "boyfriend." He skips over intimacy and love in favor of easy distraction--a beautiful woman under him, screaming his name. Meg is drawn to the pain in his gorgeous, tortured voice. But the man she hears on the radio is nothing like the player she meets at a mutual friend's house party. When she walks in on one of his trysts, she's embarrassed enough to die. His merciless teasing leaves her blushed and frustrated, but she's intrigued by his wit, his confidence, his casual offer to give her a night she'll never forget.Neither of them wants a relationship, so they strike up an arrangement: They'll be friends with benefits, nothing more, nothing less. There are only three rules: no secrets, no feelings, no falling in love.Only neither one of them can quite abide by the terms.***Sing Your Heart Out is a full-length, standalone new adult romance in the Sinful Serenade Series.***

Rock F*ck Club


Michelle Mankin - 2017
    On my knees. Against the wall. On my titsI don't care. As long as I get the evidence to prove it. Why? Because I caught my former prick of a boyfriend from Heavy Metal Enthusiasts doing a groupie doggie style backstage on the night we were supposed to be celebrating our 1 year anniversary.He told me I was too uptight. Too vanilla. Too boring. So I got drunk with my bestie, Marsha West, the aspiring videographer. I ranted. I raved. I came up with a crazy idea. What I didn't know was that my best friend recorded me. Marsha put the video up on YouTube. It went viral with 10 million hits. Now I've got fans and sponsors offering me big bucks.Rockstars are volunteering to be my f*ck buddy.Hollywood is calling.I get to choose which rockstars I want.The stakes are high.This sh*t just got real.What could go wrong?

Love Comes for the Bodyguard


Savannah Adams - 2019
    Then Uncle Sam rejected his bid to join the Army, leaving him in Magnolia Grove while his best friend went on to become an Army Ranger. The only perk to his job as a security guard at the local bank is seeing Brianna, his friend’s little sister, every day.Brianna Williams is a sweet bank teller who has attracted the unwanted attention of a man from the neighboring town. When her brother’s best friend insists she needs protecting, the independent Brianna rejects the idea that she can’t take care of herself.After the unsolicited suitor begins stalking her, Brianna must face up to her secret childhood crush on Tyler and decide if she can accept him as her bodyguard. And will Tyler be able to resist his emerging feelings for his friend’s kid sister long enough to keep her safe?Love Comes for the Bodyguard is the first book in the series, Love Stories from Magnolia Grove. Each book in the series is a standalone novel with recurring characters and can be read in any order. A swoon-worthy ending guaranteed!Savannah Adams is a small-town girl who loves chasing happily ever afters. She is a sweet romance author who was born and raised in the South. Look for the other books in her Love Stories from Magnolia Grove series later this year!

The Stand-in Christmas Date


Rachel John - 2018
    Too bad he thinks she’s someone else.Alyssa Owens hasn’t swapped places with her lookalike cousin in years, and never for a date. Reluctantly, she agrees to what sounds like a simple favor—spend twenty minutes with the guy, make sure he believes she’s interested so her cousin can have him back when she returns after New Year’s, then make an excuse to leave. At least, that was the plan.It doesn’t take Wes Fielding long to figure out that this isn’t the same girl he met at a speed dating event. After all, as a cop, he’s trained to study faces. But if this isn’t her, who is it, and why does she have to be so funny and easy to talk to? To unravel the mystery, he decides to play along, but the more he gets to know her, the harder it is not to wish for a happy ending rather than the humiliating one they now face.Curl up with this sweet Christmas romance about mistaken identity and unexpected chemistry.

Vespertine


Leta Blake - 2015
    They spent several idyllic months together until Jasper's calling to the Catholic priesthood became impossible to ignore. Left floundering, Nicky followed his own trajectory into rock stardom, but he never stopped looking back.Today, Jasper pushes boundaries as an out, gay priest, working hard to help vulnerable LGBTQ youth. He's determined to bring change to the church and the world. Respected, admired, and settled in his skin, Jasper has long ignored his loneliness.As Nico Blue, guitarist and songwriter for the band Vespertine, Nicky owns the hearts of millions. He and his bandmates have toured the world, lighting their fans on fire with their music. Numbed by drugs and fueled by simmering anger, Nicky feels completely alone. When Vespertine is forced to get sober, Nicky returns home to where it all started.Jasper and Nicky's careers have ruled their lives since they parted as teens. When they come face to face again, they must choose between the past's lingering ghosts or the promise of a new future.

Translation of Love


Alice Tribue - 2013
    She doesn't want to get close to anyone for fear of being hurt again. When she meets Latin superstar Victor Garza, she is shocked at how quickly he is able to penetrate her armor. She doesn't want to let him in but can't deny the chemistry they have. He has the potential to heal her wounds and open her heart but she isn't sure she can let him. Will love be enough to keep them together or will Ellie's past prove to be too much for the pair to overcome?

Play On


Samantha Young - 2017
    Nora O’Brien chased a dream from Indiana to Scotland, so sure it was the right thing to do. Three years later she was left in her adopted country with nothing to her name but guilt and regret.Until Aidan Lennox entered her life.Older, worldlier, a music producer and composer, the sexy Scot should never have made sense for Nora. But somehow in each other they found the light they were looking for, the laughter and the passion—the strength to play on despite their past losses.But when life dealt Aidan another unlucky hand, instead of reaching for her he disappeared. The agonizing loss of him inspired something within Nora. It fired her spirit— the anger and hurt pushing her forward to take control and reach for her dreams.Finally pursuing a career on stage while she put herself through college, everything is how Nora wants it. She’s avoiding heartbreak and concentrating on her goals.Sounds easy but it’s not. Because Aidan is back. And for some reason he hates Nora.He’s determined to be at war with her.And she has absolutely no idea why.