Book picks similar to
Beautiful Delusions by Ember-Raine Winters


contemporary
contemporary-romance
romance
1st-in-series

Renegade Ridge


Arabella Steedly - 2018
    His prized mare is injured while barrel racing and needs medical attention fast! He is forced to turn to Dr. Vanessa Hart… The young, HOT inexperienced veterinarian who is new to town. When she shows up at the ranch, they get off on the wrong foot… Jake’s PTSD kicks in from his military days, and he gets angry with her. Jake can’t deny his attraction for the BBW, but he has a shady past. One he is afraid to admit to Vanessa for fear she will label him as a bad boy loser. Vanessa has come to town for a fresh start… She keeps to herself but when Jake does her a favor she agrees to go out with him. After their first kiss, Vanessa can’t keep her eyes off him. She wants more… But she holds a deep dark secret too that she isn’t about to share… a deadly secret! Will Jake and Vanessa’s love for each other be strong enough for them to find happiness and put their pasts in the rearview mirror? Renegade Ridge is a Bad Boy Action-Adventure Romance with a guaranteed HEA. This full-length novel is a contemporary romance but has elements of a thriller as well. Renegade Ridge is book #1 in the Renegade Series and can be read standalone. The book comes to a natural ending with no cliffhangers even though the novel has been developed to create interest in future books in the series.

Patriotic Duty


C.J. Pinard - 2013
    Much too young to even be a divorcee, she and her bestie, Miranda, set off to have fun and maybe a few casual hookups and live life. One night at a military bar, Cara meets Riley Forrester, a hot Army soldier who makes her melt with one look of his deep ocean blue eyes. But Riley is only staying the summer in California and then has to go back to Colorado when it's over. Cara tells herself he’s just a summer fling and is determined to enjoy herself and let him go once the summer is over. But when Riley receives orders he wasn’t expecting, she’s forced to make a decision on whether she’s going to be there for him when he gets back, or move on with her life. What she wasn't expecting was to fall so hard for the beautiful soldier boy, and now she's faced with accepting her feelings or letting him go.For readers 18+. Contains adult content.

Agent I1: Tristan


Joni Hahn - 2013
    Now that D.I.R.E. has successfully implemented his scientific enhancements, he’s a walking weapon. Unstoppable, as long as he stays focused. No relationships. When ex-BUD/S teammate, Aidan Monroe, interrupts his long-awaited sabbatical to call in a favor, Tristan reluctantly fills the simple request: take out his sister’s fiancé. One problem: Rachel Monroe - smokin’ hot, kind-hearted, and in desperate need of a protector. After the best sex of his life, Tristan’s afraid unstoppable is just a memory. Knowing Aidan’s temper, Tristan could be, too. Rachel Monroe had a plan to help her mother. Her brother ruined everything when his gorgeous, super-agent friend teleported her to some forsaken island - and his bed. She’s drawn to him despite the fact he’s a professional agent, much like the people suspected of killing her father. Now, his enemies have come to her small town, looking for vengeance. Have they found more than they bargained for? Or, does the past have its own retribution in mind?

Sparrows for Free


Lila Felix - 2014
    Some stay quiet—and some rule your soul with an iron fist.Ezra is ruled by the ghosts of his past—and needled by the guilt they create. Not only does he have to manage his own guilt—his friends are forced to bear the weight as well. He lives in limbo, never dreaming of anything that lies beyond the grave.In his mind, he’s a murderer, pure and simple.Hide and seek is Aysa’s game. She begs for small spaces and empty places. But, she secretly desires so much more.When they find each other, a hope for something new is sprung.But Ezra’s skeletons are out for blood.“I hide shock well. I’m a pro at hiding. I have no idea that whatever he had to tell me would be so personal—so heartbreaking. But, I quickly remembered that heartbreak was all around him every time he turned around. He needs no more empathy or sympathy in his life. He craves someone to give him a different take on a tired situation.And different is practically my middle name.”

Rakes Always Kiss First


Catherine Mayfair - 2020
    The man is boastful, rude and devilishly handsome. Worst of all, he has stolen a kiss that causes Mary to desire more.Lord Anthony Greyson knows the rumors concerning him and his rakish ways and cares not. He has spirited many women to his bed, and his eye is now on Mary. Wooing the innocent woman with a kiss, he has no doubt he will soon add her to his list of conquests, and he is certain she will not have the strength to resist.Upon learning of several unsavory rumors, Mary is tasked to spy on Anthony, and she readily agrees. Doing so will prove she is more than a pretty thing for others to admire. More importantly, she will be able to prove to herself she can resist the rake’s charms.Anthony soon becomes enchanted with the secretive woman and desires to know more about her and what she is hiding…And for Mary, she begins to wonder if Anthony is the cruel man about whom the ton whispers. Or is he the gentleman she secretly wishes him to be?

That Thing You Do


Maria Geraci - 2015
    She does, however, believe in the power of a permanent paycheck. So when a tipster reports that the soon-to-be demolished senior center in her hometown is haunted, Allie hightails it to Whispering Bay to get the scoop that could secure her dream job at Florida! magazine. What she finds, though, is far scarier than any ghost. Cue her ex-boyfriend, sexy construction foreman Tom Donalan.When Tom catches Allie poking around his construction site, he quickly realizes his former high school flame is just as feisty as ever. And, heaven help him, her irresistible, mile-high legs still take his breath away. But Tom isn’t about to delay the building’s demolition because of a silly ghost story.With neither of the stubborn exes backing down from their opposing positions, sparks fly. And, underneath the surface, the fire of their old attraction burns as hot as ever. When strange things start happening with increasing frequency around town, even a tough skeptic like Tom is tested. The question is, can Allie and Tom stop fighting long enough to get to the bottom of Whispering Bay’s ghost problem—and the more important matter of mending their broken hearts?

Karma


Nikki Sex - 2013
    . .Marcy Paget worked full time putting her husband through university. When he finally became a success, he dumped her for a trophy wife more than ten years younger than he was, leaving Marcy to raise their seven year old daughter by herself.Even though Marcy knows she is better off alone than with a cheating husband who doesn't love her, she is still struggling to make ends meet.When an ethical dilemma is presented to her however, she never realizes the karmic chain of events that will follow her decision....

Deathwatch


Dana Marton - 2013
    Murphy Dolan is in the Army Reserves, returning from his 2nd tour of duty, only to find a stranger hiding in his house. She's scared spitless. He's completely burned-out on violence. Neither of them has any trust left to give. If the best of the FBI couldn't protect her from the country’s most notorious assassin, does a burned-out small town cop have a prayer?

Coming Home to You


Barbara Lohr - 2015
    She doesn’t plan on seeing Cole Campbell again. Doesn’t know he’s now a single father. Ten years shift the balance between the valedictorian and her high school crush, president of her Debate Club. Kate discovers Cole’s daughter Natalie in the stacks of the local library and she’s smitten. Prissy, Cole’s Great Dane, is equally engaging and needy. Always helpful, Cole shows up on Kate’s doorstep way too often. But she can’t give in to the SOS her heart is sending since the handsome contractor is taking her beloved Gull Harbor in an alarming direction. If there’s one thing Kate can’t stand, it’s change. Encouraged by her fun-loving girlfriends, Kate extends her visit and opens a flower stand. She pairs Natalie up with her recovering mother for summer support and companionship. With summer kisses on their minds and sand between their toes, Kate and Cole discover what might have been ten years ago, but she has lots of distractions. Her sister Mercedes is determined to sell Breezy Point, the family home. Kate’s life feels as choppy as the waves on Lake Michigan as her summer unfolds. Can a woman and man heal past mistakes in the summer moonlight? Can Kate’s man from yesterday be more than just a memory?

Long Way Home


Neve Cottrell - 2014
     Pull up a beach chair and enjoy the fireworks on Mangrove Island in the first book in this contemporary romance series. Tyler Barnes can’t believe his eyes when Alexis MacAdams walks back into his life. His high school crush left Mangrove Island seventeen years ago and never looked back. He’s held on to the memory of her, even though she never gave him a second glance. Now Alexis is back for the holidays and Tyler is determined to make a lasting impression before she slips away again. He soon learns, however, that her broken heart needs to heal before he has a chance to win it. Can Tyler convince her to risk her heart for a second time?Mangrove Island series ~Book 1: Long Way HomeBook 2: Far From HomeBook 3: No Place Like HomeBook 4: Heart of the Home Book 5: Home Sweet HomeBook 6: coming soon*each book can be read as part of the series or as a standalone

Beautiful Illusions


Annie Jocoby - 2013
    VERY contemporary.Beautiful Illusions is a Cinderella Romance With a Twist - and what a twist it is!Attorney Iris Snowe drinks too much, eats too much, and spends too much. Her sex life has been as spectacularly unsuccessful as her law practice, so she spends her evenings in her tiny apartment watching bad TV, talking to her cat, and rescuing pit bulls.And her name might be Iris, but it should be Jade. As in jaded, which is how she feels about romance and men in general. So, when a gorgeous and sexy stranger appears in her law office on Monday morning, after a one-night stand the previous Saturday, she doesn't think that he is coming to see her because he is interested. She just figures that she left something behind in the room and he is enough of a gentleman to deliver it to her.How wrong she is. As it turns out, Ryan Gallagher not only looks like a Ralph Lauren model come to life, but is also fabulously wealthy, as he is the son of a prominent billionaire.In other words, light years out of Iris' league. And completely into her, in more ways than one.And so begins the erotic Cinderella romance of her life, with a man who truly loves her. And oh, if it could just be that simple. But, of course, it's not -the fairy tale is fractured, as it is marred by obsession, jealousy, and dark secrets that Ryan has desperately sought to conceal and repress. It turns out that, behind those magnificent green eyes, lies the memories of a past that nobody should ever have to experience. Nobody. But when his past becomes his present, his secrets come to light.And one of those secrets just might be deadly...This is a full-length novel, approximately 100,000 words. Story continues in Deeper Illusions.Don't miss the exciting conclusion to the trilogy! Estimated publication date is September 23!

The Cure


Parker J. Cole - 2017
    Yet, when Savannah’s niece is injured in a serious accident, the one man she can’t trust is the one she needs. Micah can barely contain his satisfaction when he sees Savannah’s message pleading for him to come to her side. Her disloyalty nearly cost his career and he’ll never forgive her for leaving him at the lowest point in his life. Despite her efforts to remain aloof, Savannah keeps seeing glimpses of the Micah she once loved behind his cool exterior. Micah fights an ongoing battle to not succumb to the sweetness of the woman he once cared for beyond anything else. But Savannah and Micah’s hearts remain sick with the pangs of betrayal. What, if anything, is the cure?

Dead Again


Tracy Cooper-Posey - 2010
    The man she loved is dead—has been for ten long years. Jack Laubreaux saved her life after their plane crashed in the rugged Rockies, then died of his own injuries. But she still misses him, so when a drifter who reminds her of Jack shows up in Serenity Falls, she’s drawn to him.Martin Stride just wants a job and a warm place to sleep for the cold Rocky Mountain winter. That’s about all life has to offer him these days. He would have stayed out of this small Montana town if he’d known a pretty woman would take a fancy to him. That never ends well for him.His pursuers let him live, as long as he settled for not having a life. But this time, he can’t seem to make himself walk away. Which means he’ll have to protect Sophie and her family, with no one to depend on but a corrupt local sheriff who wants her too.Small town law enforcement isn’t equipped to handle a deadly Chicago crime lord whose power extends into state government and beyond. Can Martin assemble them into a team? Because this time, he’s not running. This time he’ll use all resources to stir up the power elite until he reaches the rot at their dark core.

Slow & Steady #1


J.H. Croix - 2018
    Croix & Ali Parker! A small town can hide many secrets. It can also expose every secret you have. Serve & protect, that’s my life. I put my life on the line time and time again as a police officer. In days gone by, I held my head high in Cypress Creek. Until my family got caught in the riptide of scandal created by my father. No matter what, I still can’t believe he’s guilty. Niki Holmes never caught my attention before. She’s a librarian—smart and so quiet, she stays off my radar. The moment I take one look in her eyes, I’m lost. She calls to me on every level. She’s also pure as the driven snow. My life is way too dark and twisted, yet she’s the light in my darkness. By chance, she lands in the crosshairs of the investigation swirling around me. I’ll do anything to keep her safe, anything to make her mine. *This is Book 1 of the Slow & Steady trilogy. There will be a cliffhanger and you will need to buy book 2 & 3 to continue the series.

Fall Out


Zoe York - 2014
    Until Annie Martin shows up on his doorstep, scared out of her mind, and all of a sudden, keeping her safe becomes the most important mission of his life.And this time, he’s on his own.Fall Out is a 30,000 word novella, first published as part of the SEALs of Summer boxed set, now available on its own.