Book picks similar to
Raising the Stakes by Karen Rock
romance
contemporary
contemporary-romance
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Wild on My Mind
Laurel Kerr - 2018
The worst part? He doesn't seem to remember the trouble he caused her.As a single father and owner of a cash-strapped zoo, Bowie struggles to balance budgets while raising his pre-teen daughter and a host of rascally animals. He considers himself lucky when Katie agrees to lend her talents to a publicity campaign in support of the zoo's animal rehabilitation programs―until he learns just what she's planning...This time, Katie is determined to resist Bowie's charm. But a lovelorn camel, a matchmaking honey badger, and a nursemaid capybara have different plans. Can they and the rest of the zoo's menagerie help Bowie break through the barriers surrounding Katie's heart?
The Sapphire Affair
Lauren Blakely - 2016
So when a group of swindled shareholders hires him to trail their former CEO, Jake expects a quick trip to the Cayman Islands to close another case. Until a devastatingly beautiful woman gets in the way.Steph Anderson is visiting the Caymans for a rock climbing and dive trip—or so she tells Jake. She’s really trying to find out whether or not her stepfather embezzled money from his company. The last thing Steph needs is the distraction of a sexy, charming man whose kisses drive her wild.Soon, the pair discover they’re after the same target—and millions in jewels. While Jake can’t be certain Steph isn’t working for her stepfather, and Steph can’t be certain Jake isn’t after the diamonds for himself, they can agree the heat between them is intense, and neither can deny the passion for long.But the morning after, Steph discovers that she just might have slept with the enemy, and now she’ll have to outwit him to get everything she needs…
Avenge Me
Maisey Yates - 2014
But with an intense sexual attraction that combines a heady mix of exquisite pleasure and sublime pain, will they satiate their thirst for revenge and each other...or lose themselves forever in the darkness?
Undone
Shannon Richard - 2013
For an artsy outsider like Paige, finding her place in the tightly knit town isn't easy—until she meets Brendan, the hot mechanic who's interested in much more than Paige's car. In no time at all, Brendan helps Paige find a new job, new friends, and a happiness she wasn't sure she'd ever feel again. With Brendan by her side, Paige finally feels like she can call Mirabelle home. But when a new bombshell drops, will the couple survive, or will their love come undone?
Spring in Snow Valley
Cindy Roland Anderson - 2016
Operation—Kiss the Girl, Cindy Roland AndersonIvy Baker is doomed to marry a man she only pretends to be in love with to save the family ranch. Since she isn’t marrying for love, Ivy secretly creates a kissing wish list composed of scenes from the romance books she loves to read. She hopes to experience at least one kiss from her list before she becomes officially engaged and seals her fate. When she travels to Snow Valley to help her aunt recover from knee surgery, Ivy finds herself falling for Kellen Thomas, an irresistible cowboy she should avoid. By chance Kellen finds Ivy’s list, and decides to make it his mission to help her fulfill her bucket list, turning her world upside down and making Ivy want to choose her heart over duty.Love Coming Late, Jeanette LewisCynthia Eddington never thought she'd return to Snow Valley after a string of bad luck forced the sale of her beloved farm there. But here she is, about to start a new life with her children, Jackson and Anoria. Cynthia plans to focus on her career and her family; she's not looking for romance and she's definitely not looking for sexy cowboy, Colby Schroder.Running from the Cowboy, Cami CheckettsMissy Horman escaped an abusive marriage and returns to Snow Valley to help her father deal with her emotionally disturbed mother. Volunteering to teach a youth Sunday school class seems like a good way to get out of her comfort zone—until she ends up kissing Porter Wilson in front of a bunch of teenagers. Embarrassed, and secretly thrilled, by the kiss, she writes Porter off as a playboy. But, Missy wasn't the only one affected and Porter's new mission in life is to prove that there's more to him than flirting and world-tilting kisses. He wants to show her that a true cowboy knows how to treat a lady and, if Missy can't keep her wits about her, she might just let him.The Bet, Taylor HartWhen Destiny Morningstar gets blackmailed into spending her spring break in Snow Valley, the last thing she’s looking for is a date, especially not with Adam and Chase Moon—two attractive and athletic brothers. But soon she finds herself tangled up in a dating spree that includes a flag football game, swinging around the barn dance, and hiking to Snow Valley's romantic hot springs with the town's most eligible bachelors. At every turn she's within kissing distance of one of the delectable Moon men. When she discovers she’s been part of some bet fueled by sibling rivalry and overactive egos she has to make a decision—forgive them both or miss out on the best thing that’s ever happened to her.Sealed with a Kiss, Kimberley MontpetitJessica Mason and Pastor James are struggling to make their long-distance relationship work between Snow Valley and New Orleans where Jessica dances with the local ballet company. When April Murphy, a war widow with a child, shows up in Snow Valley, James reluctantly begins to wonder if he and Jessica are really meant to be. April would make the perfect pastor’s wife and he’d have an instant family and the stability he craves. But he can’t get the spitfire Jessica out of his mind and when she returns to Snow Valley to accept an inheritance, her male ballet partner in tow, the love triangle takes on a new edge. Can Jessica and James figure out how to create a family while living in two different states—or do they allow their hearts to move on and forget the passion they once shared?Romancing a Husband, Lucy McConnellNatalie Lawson is at a crossroads.
Driven to Distraction
Lori Foster - 2018
But this particular obstacle—huge, hard-muscled, unashamedly masculine—is impossible to ignore. Stuck in a cramped car with Brodie Crews for hours en route to their new assignment, Mary feels her carefully crafted persona—and her trademark self-control—is slipping, and she won’t allow it.Brodie can’t imagine what secret in Mary’s past has left her so buttoned-up, though he’d dearly love to find out. Maybe then she’d trust him enough to explore their explosive chemistry. But he needs this job, so he’ll play by her rules and bide his time…until an enemy determined to outwit them strikes and he needs to get close—in every way—to protect her. Otherwise they could lose much more than a precious collectible. They could lose it all.
Against the Wall
Rebecca Zanetti - 2013
But when this born-and-bred city girl is literally swept off her feet by a sexy cowboy on horseback, she realizes country life has some serious (and seriously steamy) possibilities. That is, until she finds out exactly who her smoking hot wrangler really is.Tribal lawyer Jake Lodge is desperately trying to block the development. And if that means playing hardball, so be it. But Sophie is a distraction he didn’t expect. A distraction that makes his blood burn. Two different worlds. Two opposing sides. And when they finally give into temptation, the consequences will shake the foundations of both of their lives…
Wild Child
Molly O'Keefe - 2013
Monica Appleby is a woman with a reputation. Once she was America’s teenage “Wild Child,” with her own reality TV show. Now she’s a successful author coming home to Bishop, Arkansas, to pen the juicy follow-up to her tell-all autobiography. Problem is, the hottest man in town wants her gone. Mayor Jackson Davies is trying to convince a cookie giant to move its headquarters to his crumbling community, and Monica’s presence is just too . . . unwholesome for business. But the desire in his eyes sends a very different message: Stay, at least for a while. Jackson needs this cookie deal to go through. His town is dying and this may be its last shot. Monica is a distraction proving too sweet, too inviting—and completely beyond his control. With every kiss he can taste her loneliness, her regrets, and her longing. Soon their uncontrollable attraction is causing all kinds of drama. But when two lost hearts take a surprise detour onto the bumpy road of unexpected love, it can only lead someplace wonderful.
Miss Match
Laurelin McGee - 2015
After being blackballed from a career in marketing, Andrea agreed to use her unique profiling skills to play matchmaker out of pure desperation. But when she meets her highly eligible—and particular—first client face to face, she wonders what she’s gotten herself into…Is She His Perfect Match?Blake knows exactly the kind of woman he’s looking for—and it’s the total opposite of Andrea. Though smart and undeniably sexy, she is simply too headstrong for a man who’s used to being in charge. Still, Blake’s blood pressure rises whenever she’s near him. How can he explain the smoldering attraction that sizzles between them? And how can Andrea deny she’s feeling it, too? Maybe, just maybe, they’ve finally met their match…
Mister Stand-In
C.M. Albert - 2020
Right. He wouldn’t exactly call himself a street rat, but his life had somehow become a rags-to-almost-riches story—one he’d rather keep to himself. The best part about being a stand-in to some of the wealthiest a-holes in New York? Access.To anything, and anyone, he wanted.And that certainly wasn’t little Miss Moneybags, PRESLEY KINCAID. No, he had his sights set on someone even hotter—her stepmother. But when Lauren asks him to stand in for her richer-than-sin fiancé at their rehearsal dinner, and then he’s later paired up with her spoiled daughter Presley at the wedding, Carter can do the only thing he’s truly good at: Shut up. Smile. Be charming.Be the stand-in he was born to be.But when Presley turns out to be more than she pretends—and a one-night stand gives her more access to his past than he intended—Carter’s simple, easy-going lifestyle starts to unravel, exposing the biggest lie of all. One so big, Carter never even saw it coming.Will Presley accidentally expose The Stand-In for who he really is? Or will her discovery free Carter from the street hustle he’s perfected and finally help him claim a life, and love, that was always meant to be? Mister Stand-In releases NOVEMBER 8 as part of the Cocky Hero Club stand-alone collection. If you loved Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward's Mister Moneybags...then you'll absolutely swoon over Mister Stand-In.
A Reunion for the Rancher
Brenda Minton - 2015
But when high school sweetheart Ruby Donovan returns, his steadfast pledge is tested. Ruby left town twelve years ago—taking money from his father and breaking Carson's heart in her wake. Now she's asking for his trust—just as her brother becomes Carson's prime suspect in the rash of recent ranch thefts. Carson is torn. His town is depending on him for justice, but one look in Ruby's eyes has him questioning everything he thought he knew—about truth, about love and about the wisdom of second chances…
The Billionaire's Mistletoe: A Single Dad's 2nd Chance Sweet Romance
Gigi Marlowe - 2019
But sometimes, a past of hurt puts finding new love on the back burner. Tiffany closed her heart to everything but her career when her ex left with another woman. Roger's billions couldn't save his marriage from a tragic ending that left his young daughter motherless. Career-focused and plagued by past fears, finding someone new is the furthest thing from their minds… Until Valentina Del Torre steps in. The Billionaire Matchmaker knows that a future lies ahead of them, but she can't mend the past. The fear of more loss, pain and heartache lurks within them both, pushing them apart even as they reach for each other. Will they finally find peace in each other? Can they even dare to hope for a holiday miracle?
Too Good to Be Real
Melonie Johnson - 2021
Swiping right has replaced getting swept off your feet and good old-fashioned romance has become, well, old-fashioned.A writer for a popular website, love becomes the last thing on her mind when impending layoffs threaten her job. As Julia searches for the ultimate pitch to impress her boss, she stumbles upon a resort offering guests a chance to live out their romantic comedy dreams. Real life dating is so bleak, who wouldn't want to spend a week in a fantasy rom-com world with your best friends?At the resort, Julia literally falls into a not-quite-meet-cute involving an aggressive seagull and an adorably awkward guy named Luke who is also participating in the rom-com experience. Julia hides the fact she is there to do a story, but Luke harbors a few secrets of his own. Among further encounters with thieving seagulls, a gaggle of corgis, kisses in the rain, and even a karaoke serenade, their feelings deepen quickly. But could their love be real when they haven't been honest about their true identities? Once the fantasy is over, can they have a relationship in the real world?
Jackson
Emily March - 2019
Sometimes it takes a new beginning
Caroline Carruthers thinks she buried her dreams along with the love of her life...until a stranger named Celeste dares her to chase a dream all on her own. Moving to Redemption, Texas, is chapter one in Caroline's new life story. Opening a bookstore is the next. Finding love is the last thing on her mind as she settles into this new place called home. But when she meets a handsome, soulful man who's also starting over, all bets are off.
to reach a happily-ever-after
Jackson McBride came to Redemption looking only to find himself, not someone to love. Ever since his marriage ended, he's been bitter. Sure, he used to believe in love--he even has the old song lyrics to prove it--but the Jackson of today is all business. That is, until a beautiful young widow who's moved to town inspires a change of heart. Could it be that the myth of Redemption's healing magic is true...and Jackson and Caroline can find a second chance at a happy ending after all?"A brilliant writer you'll love creates a world you'll never want to leave."--Susan Mallery, New York Times bestselling author
Jackson's Trust
Violet Duke - 2016
It’s no secret that sports analyst Jackson Gray doesn’t do relationships. What is a secret, however, is the reason why. Jackson’s life is . . . complicated. And it doesn’t help that his current hands-off “friendship” is with the cute-as-hell new sideline reporter he’s assigned to train. Turns out, not only is the woman damn sweet, she also knows as much about football as he does. Like it or not though, Jackson has to remind himself that sex is the only thing he has to offer . . . until now. Leila Hart’s fast-growing friendship with Jackson is something she’d never risk, no matter how unbelievably seductive the reward. Becoming an NFL sportscaster has always been the goal, and thanks to Jackson’s fierce support and mentoring, it all finally seems within reach. Problem is, a girl can only take so much of that sexy-as-sin voice whispering dirty, filthy football stats in her ear before she loses all self-control. A workplace romance with Jackson is a disaster waiting to happen, especially for someone with big dreams . . . and secrets of her own.