Book picks similar to
Locked in Love by Jami Albright
romance
contemporary
novella
ku
Drive Me Wild
Melanie Harlow - 2020
I’m a mechanic, not a hotel manager. I've got enough on my plate trying to keep my shop from going under, my overbearing mother off my back, and my baseball team in contention for the league championship. I don’t have time for a former debutante with zero street smarts and a cash flow problem, even if she is crazy beautiful. Problem is, she’s stranded in my small town, and I’m hiding a protective streak underneath my grumpy exterior that runs deep. So I offer her a place to stay and keep my hands to myself. For exactly one night. If only she weren't so gorgeous. So funny. So eager to please. She’s a disaster behind the wheel, but she drives me wild without even trying--at work, at home, in the back of my truck . . . I can’t get enough of the way she makes me feel. But I know better than to think it can last. She wants a fairy tale, and I’m no prince. So when it comes time for her to leave, there’s nothing I can do but let her go. No matter how much it hurts to say goodbye.
Friends With Benedicts
Staci Hart - 2021
Their high school summers were spent wrapped up in each other until she would inevitably go home to California. One season after college, Sebastian finally escaped the little Texas town to travel the world, and they said goodbye for what they thought might be the last time.Sebastian went one way. Presley went the other. For the first time in five years, they’re both in town, but the timing is no better than ever. So the only thing to do is what they do best. Keep it casual. Friends with benefits. They’ve done it before—doing it again will be easy.But their hearts don’t get the memo.When the lines of their arrangement blur, Presley and Sebastian are faced with decisions they’ve avoided for years. And that’s not even their biggest problem.A small town in danger of failing.A secret that could tear them apart.And two hearts that can’t hide anymore.They’ve shared so many summers, but none compare to what they’ll face.Timing is everything.And their time is almost up.
Out of the Blue
Kathryn Nolan - 2021
Until a security job goes bad, and he suddenly finds his career on thin ice. Cope’s newest assignment comes with serious consequences - he’ll keep his job as long as he makes no mistakes.Cope isn’t worried…until his new client turns out to be a beautiful blast from his past.Big wave surfer Serena Swift loves the adrenaline of her sport. And the elite athlete hates being told what to do. That goes double when the orders are coming from the sexy bodyguard-in-a-suit who broke her heart.But she doesn’t have a choice when a mysterious threat materializes and Serena’s sponsor saddles her with the last man she’d want guarding her body. She’d rather focus on her next surf competition, not on some shadowy danger or the arrogant ex who dared to get even hotter since their breakup.Cope can’t stop butting heads with his new client. Just like old times, Serena refuses to play it safe, even when it’s clear she’s in peril. Now the intimacy of spending every second of the day by her side is wearing away at his self-control. He can’t afford to lose focus, but everything about the woman is a constant distraction. Including the fact that their divorce was never finalized…Author’s Note: One-click this scorching-hot bodyguard romance if you’re a fan of second-chance angst, sizzling sexual tension, thrilling action and mysterious danger set on the warm, sunny beaches of San Diego.
Single Dad Seeks Juliet
Max Monroe - 2020
Generally, the person in charge of these things shouldn’t fantasize about lighting the whole three-ring dating circus on fire.Anyway, men from all over Southern California, vying for the coveted bachelor role, submitted their personal ads to my paper. The readers voted, and Single Dad Seeks Juliet won by a landslide.Enter Mr. Bachelor Anonymous (40M), the single dad Romeo seeking his Juliet.Blah, blah, blah, right? Wrong.You guys—and I cannot stress this enough—this guy is the ultimate man in a six-foot-three, chiseled-muscle, freaking Adonis package with aquamarine eyes that would haunt the dreams of an insomniac.He’s a former Navy SEAL, successful business owner, motocross-riding, charming, supportive, funny-as-heck single dad, and the more time I spend with him, the more I want to bring this contest thing crumbling to the ground for an entirely different reason.Real talk: I think I’m falling for him.Me, the woman who despises love, might be falling for the completely off-limits Bachelor who I’m ironically assigned to help find love, while five other women think they’re the only contestants competing for his heart.So, Internet. Am I scum? Or is all fair in love and war?
Always You
Stephanie Rose - 2015
All we had was friendship and my silly hope for more. When he left and took all of that with him, I moved on. Settled. I figured that happiness wasn't in the cards for me. Until, one night of drinks with an old "friend" gives me a hope I never expected, but don't know what to do with. This time, I have the chance I always dreamed about—but I'm not free to take it. *** Ten years ago, Samantha was only a friend, a sweet girl I never wanted to hurt. Now, she's everything I want and nothing I can have. She belongs with me, even if she's not really mine, and I can’t settle for anything less than all of her. Now that I’ve got a second chance, I'm grabbing it with both hands. Why did it take so long to realize that it was Always You?
Playing a Player
Ivy Smoak - 2015
When Rory shows up at my door, I'm more than a little surprised to find out that a guy has answered my ad. Living with a man wasn't exactly what I had in mind. Especially one as handsome as Rory. He's charming, confident, and...completely off limits. He's a total player. And I don't want to end up getting played.But when all the other applicants don't seem to be a good fit, I can't help but let my mind wander back to him. What's the worst that could happen if I let him move in? It's not like I'm going to fall in love with him...
Second Chances
Alice Reed - 2021
But, when fate pulls her back to her hometown of Sydney, she finds the eyes of the world are on her, and this time for all the wrong reasons.In the midst of a chaotic scandal, Emelia meets the eye of the last person she expected to see: her high school sweetheart, Liam Miller. When the whole world turns dark, Emelia finds light again in the boy she loved all those years ago.But things have changed. No longer the heart-drawing sixteen-year-old Liam used to know, fame, money and notoriety have changed Emelia, leaving them both unsure of where they stand.When chance leads them into close proximity, Emelia finds there’s something even more terrifying than having the whole world hate you: developing feelings for someone who she could actually fall for.Hearts will be set racing in this fast paced second chance romance set on the sunny and romantic Bondi Beach. Do they have it in their hearts to take another shot at love?
Imperfect Match
Corinne Michaels - 2019
Rule number one for a professional matchmaker? Don’t fall in love with your client. I screwed that up when I fell for my best friend, Reid Fortino. He’s gorgeous, successful, and sexy as hell. I figured it would be easy to find him a match—and save the family business at the same time. But the more time I spend attempting to find the perfect girl, the more I realize how much I want him for my own. What’s the harm if we give in for just one night? I should have known that would never be enough. Now I’m on the verge of losing my job and my heart. We were an imperfect match from the start, but I don’t know how to let him go.
Frenemies with Benefits
Kelly Myers - 2020
I’ve spent my life running away from my past.And for so long, that’s worked.Not anymore.Now my past is out to get me in the form of Zach O’Malley.He was my first crush, but that was then.My name is still Beatrice Dobbs, but everything else has changed. I’m an adult now. I don’t want to go back to my troubled past.Plus Zach is from the wrong side of the tracks. Sure, back when I was in high school, I had a thing for the Bad Boy, but not anymore.And on top of that, he’s trying to get me to reconnect with my mother. I haven’t spoken to her since I was eighteen, and I would rather re-take the SAT’s than see her again.And yet, I can’t seem to push Zach away.He’s no good for me.But maybe – just maybe– my teenage self was onto something.What’s the harm in a little bit of fun?
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.
The Highland Fling
Meghan Quinn - 2021
James has lost her way. So when she and her best friend stumble upon a “help wanted” post to run a coffee shop in the Scottish Highlands, they apply on a whim. Who knows? Maybe traveling to a new place is just what she needs to figure out her next move.When the friends arrive in the tiny idyllic town of Corsekelly, they instantly fall for the gorgeous Highland landscape and friendly townspeople. But Bonnie finds a less-than-warm welcome in Rowan MacGregor, the rugged local handyman. Busy wrestling his own demons, Rowan’s in no mood to deal with the quirky American—even if she is a bonny lass.As Bonnie and Rowan’s paths inevitably cross, insults—and sparks—fly. Can the pair build on their similarities to help each other find purpose and direction…and maybe romance too? Or will their passionate tempers fling them apart?
Hoops Holiday
Kennedy Ryan - 2018
Years later, they've climbed so high and lost so much, but one thing hasn't changed. The attraction that simmered between them in a locker room before is still there. With success like theirs, everything has been possible... except them.That was then.But what about now?*Hoops Holiday Collection consists of FULL-COURT PRESS, a HOOPS novella originally published in the TEAM PLAYER Anthology. It has been expanded with all-new, never-before-published content & epilogue.It also includes Christmas-themed short stories for characters from LONG SHOT and BLOCK SHOT, books 1 and 2 of the series.
Rated Ex
Ella Fox - 2019
Do avoid your ex like he's a bill collector 2. Do block his emails and change your phone number if necessary 3. Do bury your head in the sand while you try (and fail) to get over him 4. Don't talk to him when he shows up while you're in the middle of the blind date from hell 5. Don't agree to go home with him when says he needs to talk to you Let’s hope I don't come to regret breaking rules four and five within minutes of Mason Cleary swooping back into my life. Rated Ex is short and hot- the perfect dessert after a long day when you want something sweet but don't have time for a full length book.
King of the Court
R.S. Grey - 2021
That’s why everyone is all in a tizzy over the fact that the USA men’s Olympic basketball team will be training here of all places before this year’s Summer Games. With little else to talk about, rumors about the players have been spreading like wildfire, and there’s one man in the middle of it all holding a match.Ben Castillo.NBA champion.Olympic gold medalist.Widely hailed ‘King of the Court’.The morning he walks into my dingy diner, I have enough sense to keep my head down and go right on wiping tables, pouring coffee, and serving up short stacks. A man who looks like that—superstar or not—has only ever meant trouble, and more trouble is the last thing I need, what with taking care of Nan and scraping by on tips from truckers.If anything, he seems drawn to my indifference. His steely gaze pierces me behind the counter. My knees nearly buckle under the weight of his attention. But while Mr. Pretty Boy is probably used to snagging city girls with a smile, this gal is country strong.I won’t be some clichéd convenience for him on his way through town.So look over your choices carefully, Benny-boy. We serve up sides of hash browns here, not heartbreak.
In the Unlikely Event
L.J. Shen - 2019
Shen comes a new, star-crossed lovers romance about loss, love, and meeting The One when you are too young to know how to keep them. Sometimes you meet people who are out of this world, so you make them a part of yours. A one-night stand born from vengeance in a foreign land. An explosive chemistry neither of us could deny. We signed a contract on the back of a Boar’s Head Pub napkin that said if we ever met again, we would drop everything and be together. Eight years and thousands of miles later, he’s here. In New York. And he’s America’s music obsession. The intangible Irish poet who brings record executives to their knees. The blizzard in my perfect, unshaken snow globe. Last time we spoke, he was a beggar with no intention of becoming a king. But a king he became, and now I’m his servant. I’m not the same broken princess Malachy Doherty put back together with his callused hands. I have a career I love. A boyfriend I adore. An apartment, a roommate, a life. I changed. He changed, too. But Mal kept the napkin. Question is, will I keep my word?