Book picks similar to
Grit and Grind by Kat Addams


romance
contemporary
contemporary-romance
free

Relinquishing Liberty


Maureen Mayer - 2013
    Everything was perfect. That is until her brother tragically took his own life, turning her whole world upside down. Left to pick up the pieces of her broken family, Liberty is faced with focusing all of her attention on helping her parents cope with the loss of their son, while putting her own life on the back burner. But what no one seems to realize is that she is just as broken inside.Now, four years later, twenty year old Liberty is taking back the reins of her life. She leaves behind everything she’s ever known, hoping to make a fresh start…one where she isn’t faced with the constant reminder that her brother is nothing more than faded memory. What she didn’t expect to find along the way was Shayne.Tall, dark and tattooed, Shayne Thompson has developed quite a reputation for being a player. Despite everyone’s negative perception, Liberty still finds herself drawn to him. When she learns that Shayne knows all too well what it feels like to lose someone you love, she finds that they have a lot more in common than just a physical attraction.When Liberty discovers a secret from Shayne’s past that threatens to tear them apart, she begins to question everything she’s ever felt for him. Will Liberty choose to follow her heart or will she give up the one person who finally made her feel whole again?**This story contains language and sexual scenes, some of which may be unsuitable for younger readers.**

Strangers Like Us


Mary Campisi - 2017
    Readers who loved Mary Campisi

Chasing Pebbles


Felicia Blaedel - 2020
    When she suddenly finds herself without a place to stay for the summer, she is forced to go back. A stubborn, foolish part of her wants to show them that she can’t be broken. She’ll hold on to her anger, push the nostalgia away even if the scent of seawater and beach-roses is making it difficult.Ever since Frida left, Oliver’s life has been a little lonelier and a little greyer, despite him staying busy to distract himself. When he realises that Frida, his favourite human, the one person who was always up for his shenanigans is coming home, he knows he has to make it right.She’s hurting, and so much is left unsaid.Frida is afraid to trust. Oliver can’t let go of his guilt.Neither of them is prepared for how everything can feel the same and yet so, so different.Chasing Pebbles takes place in Denmark; it’s a new adult, slow burn, friends to lovers romance with a nerdy, talkative hero and a stubborn, compassionate heroine.Chasing Pebbles is book one in The Without Filter Series and it’s a complete standalone.

Lost in Distraction


B.J. Harvey - 2013
    A sexy stranger paid to protect her. Alone and shut off from the world, Elise Halliwell is simply going through the motions, waiting for the next step in her pre-destined life. Until a chance meeting with the dark-haired, blue-eyed Brax James shakes her to the core, achieving what everyone else before him has failed to do; he makes her feel again. As much as Brax wishes things were different, fate has not brought him into Elise’s life. His job is to keep her safe, not fall for the very woman he’s supposed to protect. Elise has no idea of the threat she faces and Brax wants it to stay that way. Unfortunately for both of them, they’ll have no say in the matter. Full of twists, turns, and revelations no-one sees coming, you won’t be the only one lost in distraction.*This book contains adult situations and explicit content/language.*

Love at Last


Kate Kisset - 2015
    (It didn't help when Sarah caught them in the act on top of her cherished pastry table.) Oh, and they've been robbing her blind, so she's broke now, too. When Sarah's offered a fresh start, and a place to stay, she high tails it out of San Francisco and moves to rural wine country. Finally settled into her new, small town-sleepy life, with a cafe of her own, the last thing Sarah needs is drama. So, when notoriously sexy actor Jamie Santino, swaggers into her new business looking for baking lessons, and help with his new movie role, Sarah's blindsided. Jamie, one of six wealthy Santino Brothers, of Napa Valley Winery fame, has a feeling Sarah might be the off-screen leading lady he's been looking for forever. Wine flows and their passion has all the ingredients for everlasting love until a femme fatale from Jamie's past enters the scene.How can Sarah believe Jamie isn't acting, when everything he says sounds too good to be true? Love at Last (previously published as Just a Kiss) is now the first novel in a large contemporary romance series! If you like small towns, sweet and cozy romances, a full cast of friends, steamy scenes, laughter, and sexy book boyfriends, you'll love book one of Kate Kisset's Love in the Vineyards series.

Hooking


Kristine Allen - 2020
    Hooking was my penalty. It’s never something I set out to do, but it happens. After all, it’s hockey.Hockey is life. Getting traded was a kick to the nuts, but at least I was still playing. It was all that mattered.Until Sydney.Our relationship was forbidden, but I didn’t care—I hadn’t run from a fight yet.I had her right where I wanted her, until everything crashed around me. My past came back to bite me in the ass and I was faced with getting kicked off the team. Now, I’m trying to pick up the goddamn pieces.I’m not going to choose between her or hockey. I want it all. Because despite everything, she’s the best thing I’ve ever hooked.

The All I Want Series (Books 1-2): A Small Town Romance Box Set


Lea Coll - 2021
    The only problem is...we work on opposite sides of the law and he's running for sheriff. When the election heats up, will he choose me?Be with Me: When Jack comes back to save his father's business, I noticed he's filled out since high school. When he stops by my bakery each morning with a boyish smile and wink, I don't want to be friends anymore. It's time to show him, I'm all grown up. All I want is for him to be with me.

Broken Promises


Dawn Pendleton - 2013
    She left Casper without looking back, leaving her small-town life and everyone in it, behind. Including her sexy high school sweetheart. Luke Bates was devastated when Mallory left him for the city life. He managed to pull himself together and move on, even if only just barely. When Mallory shows up in town, Luke vows to stay away from her at all costs. So why does he keep checking in on her and her father, showing up when he's clearly uninvited? Maybe Luke isn't as 'over her' as he thought.

Almost a Bride


Patricia McLinn - 2001
    Right up until he broke her heart six years ago. Now that she's returned to Wyoming for good, what she wants more than anything is to save her family's ranch. Even if that means swallowing her pride and asking Dave to marry her.Matty's up to something - Dave knows that much. Just as he knows that Matty needs help, so of course he'll provide it, just as he has all her life. Doing what's best for Matty is second nature. Even when it comes to marrying her in name only. Although he can't resist one hot-blooded kiss after the I-dos.Maybe - just maybe - his Matty will become more to him than Almost a Bride.

Driven


Lori Sjoberg - 2016
    But time is money, and when the owner of a farm refuses to sell the land crucial to making his latest project a success, he’ll do what it takes to convince the sultry, stubborn woman to sign on the dotted line. Kayla Phillips is holding on by a thread, on the verge of losing the farm she inherited from her grandfather. It’s only a matter of time before she’s forced into foreclosure, but there’s no way she’s selling to Falco. His good looks and sex appeal might work on some women—okay, it works on her too—but she’s not about to sell to a man intent on bulldozing her family’s legacy. A war of words turns into a wager—and Kayla’s only chance to save the farm. All she has to do is prove to the billionaire that he can’t handle two weeks of living the life of a farmer. She never expected the burning desire she feels whenever Mason’s around. But are his feelings for her genuine, or just a ploy to get what he wants? With her heart and the family business on the line, will she risk it all for love?

Chief of Perversion: A Power Broker Novel


Sadie Haller - 2018
    A one-hour-stand before my mother's wedding reception? Perfect. Georgia: I may have been born a romantic, but I've grown jaded about love. Being practically disowned by one's father will do that to a girl. Now all I want is solitude and the occasional anonymous pick-up. Occasional? Okay, so I haven't managed that yet. Daddy Dearest’s wedding seems like a great place to start.

Cop of the Year


Kathryn Shay - 1998
    Her specialty is troubled teenagers. A teacher in a public school for years, she knows kids and the men and women who teach them!"In COP OF THE YEAR master storyteller Kathryn Shay pens an emotionally powerful tale that leaves you breathless. Woven into this riveting plot are wonderfully written characters that grab your heart and don't let go. Bravo Ms. Shay!" RT Book Reviews***Winner of Best Superromance of the Year, the Golden Leaf Award and the Desert Quill Award as well as numerous 5 star ratings from reviewers.***The last thing by-the-book Captain Mitch Lansing wants to do is work in a high school classroom to improve relationships between at risk kids and the police department. Mostly, he doesn’t want to deal with teenagers. But when he meets unorthodox teacher, Cassie Smith, his world goes off kilter. So does Cassie’s. She's totally against all he stands for, so why is it she finds herself attracted to him? The further they go into the year, the more they’re drawn to each other. And the more the kids also come to care about Mitch. However, because of his past in Vietnam, he tries to distance himself from everybody. He can’t, and he must learn to accept Cassie and her kids into his life. With several highly emotional scenes and deeply moving situations, this story will go straight to your heart.Praise for COP OF THE YEAR:“Kathryn Shay writes from the heart! Her stories are about real people with real lives. You will laugh and cry with her characters. COP OF THE YEAR is sure to be one of the best books to hit the shelves this year!” The Literary Times“Prepare yourself for a fabulous emotional ride that will have you reaching for the tissues and leave you with a renewed sense of hope.” Genie Romex Reviews“Kathryn Shay has penned a most unusual novel. The teacher/cop relationship feels natural enough, and the dialogue is a standout. But oddly enough, though I found the romance to be satisfying, it's the secondary characters of the kids I remember most from the story. The teenage pregnancies, the gang involvement, the drug usage all are a part of today's high school scene, but Shay makes this a story of hope, not despair. The ending almost brought me to tears. Three cheers!” The Romance Reader“Ms. Shay writes a strong and compelling dissertation on a very real and complicated social issue of our time, weaving in an unforgettable, touching love story.” Old Book Barn GazetteIf you like books about cop romances, teacher romances and teacher student relationships, be sure to read the rest of this high powered series, BECAUSE IT’S CHRISTMAS, COUNT ON ME, BETWEEN TWO WORLDS and IF YOU WERE MINE.

My Soul Loves


Barbara Gee - 2017
    She isn’t escaping a bad job or an ex-boyfriend, and she’s not in the witness protection program. She’s not even leaving the city in hopes of a grand adventure. Nope, her motive is as simple as inheriting a house in a place she loves and deciding to see whether life in a small town suits her. She isn’t looking for romance, either.....and then she meets the guy next door. Before long, Ava is thinking Jude Keller could be the one. She looks at him and sees forever. Until she doesn’t. When Ava discovers something that could change everything, she panics and almost loses the best man she’s ever known. And just when things are looking up again, Ava finds she had something to run from after all. Trouble has found her in Hidden Creek, in a form she never expected. But God and Grandma brought her to Jude, and trouble’s no match for that combination. Good thing, because Ava has found the one her soul loves, and she never wants to let him go.

Resisting Him


Leslie Johnson - 2018
    I've moved on with my life and I can't wait to return home for good. The home where seven-years earlier I met my best friend and former lover Marcus Johnson. How was I to know our parents had other plans? Even with a new boyfriend, and all the time apart, there is always one lingering thought. Marcus. Why? The more I try to forget him, the stronger my desire becomes. We had to breakup, but did we want to? Now my life will be even more complicated with Marcus so near. Don’t miss the scorching hot Resisting Him a stand-alone novel by Leslie Johnson.

The Fairhope Series, Books 1-3: The Trouble With Goodbye, The Moment We Began, and A Season For Hope


Sarra Cannon - 2017
    At school, she finds a happiness and independence she's never known.Until one terrifying night takes it all away from her.With no place else to go, Leigh Anne heads home to reclaim her old life. A life she worked so hard to escape. On the outside, she seems like the same girl everyone has always known. But deep inside, she's hiding a terrible secret.That's when she meets Knox Warner, a troubled newcomer to Fairhope. His eyes have the same haunted look she sees every day in the mirror, and when she's near him, the rest of the world fades away. But being with Knox would mean disappointing everyone all over again. If she wants to save what's left of her old life, she has no choice but to say goodbye to him forever.Only, the trouble with goodbye is that sometimes it's about courage and sometimes it's about fear. And sometimes you're too broken to know the difference until it's too late.The Moment We Began (Book 2: Penny and Mason)The moment they both believe all hope is lost is the moment something real finally begins.I have loved Mason Trent for years, but I've only been sleeping with him for one.None of my friends know about our secret passion. He's in my bed one night and in the arms of someone else the next. And it's tearing me apart.I've done everything I can think of to make him mine, but the more I cling to him, the harder he pushes me away. I'm spiraling out of control, not sure how much more of this I can take. A girl can only bend so far until she breaks. And when I do, I break completely. I'm talking about one night of bad decisions, all leading to a my-world-will-never-be-the-same kind of moment. A moment where I need Mason more than ever. True to form, though, he's running.But I intend to go with him this time. I'm willing to leave my money, my family, my friends behind for this one last chance to see if he could ever really love me the way I deserve to be loved. I'm willing to sacrifice forever if it means one real moment with him.A Season For Hope (Book 3: Bailey and Judd)Being dumped just before the holidays was my worst nightmare. I'd spent so many years thinking Preston Wright was the one for me that when he told me it was over, I thought I'd rather die than face the future.I never expected someone like Judd Kohler to come crashing into my life. Literally. He was coming out. I was going in. My face got in the way. You get the picture. It was an accident. Running into him twice in one day, though? It started to feel like fate.My mother always says Christmas is a magical time of year. A season for hope. All I know is that just when I thought I'd lost mine, hope somehow found its way back to me.Just in time for Christmas.This series is complete!! Each book in the Fairhope series can stand alone, but you'll see updates on your favorite characters throughout each book.