Book picks similar to
Burn by Elana Johnson


romance
bad-boy
abuse
contemporary

Coming Home to Maverick


Sophia Summers - 2020
    Maverick thought he was over her. But neither can deny the feelings that will always be there.Bailey has made mistakes, so many she doesn't think she'll really ever forgive herself. But her daughter deserves the kind of life Bailey had growing up. When she shows up on her parents' doorstep back to her hometown, the one person she isn't ready to see is Maverick. But will she ever be able to face him?The minute Maverick hears Bailey is back, he knows his heart still belongs to her. But what kind of man trusts a woman who left him at the altar? As he grapples with a new daughter that he can't help but wish was his, all the responsibilities of running his family's ranch, and the hurt he feels about Bailey's betrayal, he finds new love and hope not only with her but with God.As soon as God is a part of the equation, the sweetness they find is better than they ever had. Just maybe this second chance around is God's gift of happiness to them both.

Smooch


Susan Renee - 2020
    No names. No rules. Just fun.Meant as revenge against my ex-boyfriend,And it was hands down the most physical and best night of my life.So, imagine my surprise when my one-night stand shows up at my workplace the following Monday, greets me by name, and asks for my number, adamant that fate is bringing us together.Of course, I refuse. I’m not looking for love, but within minutes I’m somehow shaking hands and agreeing to a convoluted blind date deal with Chett Hayes, my ridiculously nice, and very…gifted, one-night stand.Oh, and four other men.Four blind dates and a date with Chett after each one. That’s his deal.Choose Chett in the end and live happily ever after with apparently the new love of my life, or don’t and never hear from him again.The way I see it, this is a win-win for me,Until things start to get blurry and the rules are broken.Rules that were meant to keep my heart from breaking all over again.Maybe I’m right and I’m just not meant for a happily ever after,or maybe Chett Hayes was right all along and fate is real, and love is worth fighting for

Devil's Advocate: Vlad (The Bedlam Horde MC Book 1)


Sarah Zolton Arthur - 2020
    I’m no choirboy and don’t shy away from hard living, but I draw the line at hurting women. Rage, our president, wants war with the Brimstone Lords—yeah, it’ll be a cold day in hell before I let that happen. He’s toxic to the MC. It’s about time the Bedlam Horde clean house. If this is how he wants to play—then game on.NicolaI’ve devoted my life to helping women escape trafficking ever since the day I was rescued. But when I saw our safe house destroyed, one woman having survived the nightmare and the others I swore to protect dead or missing, I knew I needed stronger allies in this battle. Our enemy knows us by name. They’re coming for us, if we don’t take them out first. In order to protect us, I have to put my trust in the thing I fear most—a man.Gun the engine and hold on tight! USA Today Bestseller, Sarah Zolton Arthur, delivers sizzling romance mixed with a thrill a minute adventure in the Bedlam Horde series!

The Cowboy's Last Song


Deborah Garland - 2021
    I fell for him seven years ago. I won’t be charmed by him again. Then I met his daughter...Jamie: I chased fame my entire life and it’s been a brutal journey from rising star to damaged goods seven years later. I’ve cleaned up my act since getting custody of my daughter, but balancing being a single dad and music god hasn’t been easy. I’ve lost another contract and have only one more chance in Music City. Now my success rests in the hands of a woman who probably hates me.Harper: I make stars shine and dreams come true. As the Nashville Hitmaker for a small record label, I’m facing my biggest songwriting challenge yet: a hit for Jamie Miller, country music’s bad boy. Blue Rock Records may have overlooked his tattered reputation to boost profits. But all I see is the man who broke my heart seven years ago.I’m determined not to fall under Jamie's spell again. I’m vying to be Blue Rock’s next CEO, that means keeping my relationship with Jamie professional. But when he uses his most irresistible quality to make me melt: his daughter, my resolve crashes harder than his last album.If I give in to some forbidden sexy time with a man I’ve wanted for seven years, will I survive falling for him again when he leaves to go on tour?And will the pain of losing both Jamie and his daughter be the hit I never saw coming?The Cowboy’s Last Song is part of the Wild Texas Heart Cowboy Series but can be read as a standalone. No cheating. No cliffhanger. HEA Guaranteed.

Lovely Little Things in Pretty Beach


Polly Babbington - 2021
    So, when she finds herself leaving her lovely, comfortable existence in London with nothing much more than a car and her gorgeous little dog a new start in Pretty Beach seems like the best thing that’s going to happen to her anytime soon.As she sets to work on a dilapidated old house on Seafolly Passage, starts a new job and begins to turn her life around things in Pretty Beach are definitely looking on the rosier side of what she had just left. Even though she had thought that going back to Pretty Beach was very much a backward step in her life.We follow along with Lulu, as not only the old house she has inherited, but also Lulu herself comes back to life, and just when she is least expecting it, boom, along comes Ollie Cavendish and knocks her for six.Will Lulu Drinkwater find love least when she was expecting it or will she decide that, actually, life on her own, really isn’t quite so bad after all?Sit back and delve into the utterly gorgeous little town of Pretty Beach where cinnamon buns, sparkly sea, golden beaches and beautiful old houses wrap you up in their warmth and transport you to a place you’ll sometimes wish you could live forever.♥ ‘Polly Babbington creates oh-so-magical books.’ ♥‘Absolutely loved this book as I did all the others in the series sheer feel good and escapism as were the others. Please please write the next one.’ LynnFyson, Amazon Reviewer♥ All the Pretty Beach books are set in Pretty Beach with each little trilogy focusing on new central characters.♥ It's preferable to start with book one but all books end with a conclusion and can be read as standalones.Book 1 (Trilogy 1) The Boat House Pretty Beach (Sallie & Ben)Book 2 (Trilogy 1) Summer Weddings at Pretty Beach (Sallie & Ben)Book 3 (Trilogy 1) Winter at Pretty Beach (Sallie & Ben)Book 4 (Trilogy 2) A Pretty Beach Christmas (Juliette & Luke)Book 5 (Trilogy 2) A Pretty Beach Dream (Juliette & Luke)Book 6 (Trilogy 2) A Pretty Beach Wish (Juliette & Luke)Book 7 (Trilogy 3 ) Secret Evenings in Pretty Beach (Lottie & Connor)Book 8 (Trilogy 3) Secret Places in Pretty Beach (Lottie & Connor)Book 9 (Trilogy 3) Secret Days in Pretty Beach (Lottie & Connor)Book 10 (Trilogy 4) Lovely Little Things in Pretty Beach (Lulu & Ollie)Book 11 (Trilogy 4) Beautiful Little Things in Pretty Beach (Lulu & Ollie)Book 12 (Trilogy 4) Darling Little Things in Pretty Beach (Lulu & Ollie)Book 13 (Trilogy 5) The Old Sugar Wharf Pretty Beach♥'Another brilliant book that keeps you excited to keep turning the page. Can't wait for the next one and see how it develops. Well done Polly on another great book.' Debra, Amazon Reviewer'Polly just keeps giving such fantastic stories with amazing characters. I just can’t wait for the next book.' G. Harry, Amazon ReviewerThis is what romance readers are saying about Polly Babbington’s books:‘What a lovely piece of escapism. I totally fell in love with the descriptions of the decor of Sallie's place. Is she real? I want to go there......really!’ Julie41, Amazon Reviewer‘5 stars all the way yet again for another wonderful read.’ JudeP Amazon Reviewer‘One of my fave romantic comedy novels.’‘I honestly loved all of this romantic beach read - strong female characters & romance on the beach.’

Her Billionaire Inventor


Dobi Daniels - 2018
    She’d been emotionally scarred from her last relationship and has just managed to pay off the mountain of debts she was saddled with.Now all she wants for Christmas is to rediscover Christmas joy—no love in the equation, and what better place than her hometown Dexington where she recalled spending the happiest times of her life. She is determined to stick with her plan and not even a chance encounter with Phillip—billionaire hospital heir and inventor, and the town’s most eligible bachelor—can change her mind.Until she discovers he is the boy she kissed in high school.Phillip Dexington is finally about to launch a new medical device after having his last invention stolen by his former girlfriend and sold to his archenemy. He’s determined that nothing must go wrong this time around—which means avoiding a relationship at all costs—and is content with spending Christmas with the children at the orphanage.But when Phillip runs into Sarah Nash, the girl who stole his heart in high school, his world flips upside down. She’s only in town for Christmas, and the time before the launch party is Phillip’s only chance at determining if she is the one.Will they open their hearts to the fullness of Christmas and give love a second chance, or will their trust issues rob them of a happily ever after?This is a sweet/clean emotional scars Christmas medical billionaire romance with no cliffhangers and a guaranteed HEA.

Her Billionaire Boss


Jo Grafford - 2019
    That is, if they’ll consider hiring a hated Maddox… CEO Luca Calcagni is determined to teach the rebel youngest daughter of their biggest rival firm the lesson of her life by hiring her as his personal assistant. He never counted on their explosive attraction any more than she counted on discovering herself pregnant with his dead brother’s son. When she threatens to raise her child as far as possible from the reaches of their age-old family feud, it’ll take his most skillful negotiating to maneuver her into a marriage of convenience to keep her and the last tie to his brother – her unborn child – in town. Except marriage to the stunning, artistic, and complex Jacey turns out to be anything but convenient… Her Billionaire Boss is a turbulent flight through the lives of two shattered families. It’s a story of second chances, unexpected love, and the discovery that it only takes a little faith to make something beautiful out of nothing.

Forever Friend Zoned


C. Morgan - 2021
    I took all of that crap from the past and turned it into a goldmine. My body, namely. And there’s one girl I want that rejected me over and over. Lucky for me, the beauty is on the heels of a terrible breakup. Yes. I mean, aww… Her parents are pushing her to go to the gym to lose some weight. Boy, do I know how that feels. And guess who’s waiting for her when she gets there?That’s right. Me. The forever friend-zoned guy. But I have no ill will toward my curvy first love. I only want what’s best for her. Namely, me. *wink*So the game begins, and I’m lucky to be in the coach’s shoes this time. She has no clue who I am, but sparks fly high. No way in hell I’m telling her I’m the guy she remembered rejecting. ‘Cause I’m not out for revenge. I just want what I’ve always wanted… Her.

Marrying Mandy


Melanie D. Snitker - 2020
    Abandoned by her parents and raised by her grandparents, she has a hard time trusting that real love will last. When her grandmother dies, Mandy's shocked to discover a stipulation in the will. Considering marriage to her best friend may be the only way to keep her family's beloved bed-and-breakfast. The loss of his job threatens Preston Yarrow's shaky financial stability. Besides, he can't watch his best friend give up the only real home she's ever known. Frustrated by Mandy's stubborn refusal to let him help, he's certain they are stronger together than they are apart. A marriage of convenience might be crazy... or an answer to both their prayers.

Her Protector


Ashlee Price - 2019
    Escape into the world of these hot alpha males and let them entertain you all night long.Book 1 - ProtectorEx-Firefighter. Current Boss. Future (Pretend) Husband."Save me."I saw that plea in Robyn's tear-moistened chestnut eyes the moment she stepped off the back of my truck.How could I refuse?Heck yeah, I'll protect her.I'll go through flames for this woman.I'll even marry her and father her child.I'll keep her from being harmed.But can I still protect her when my darkest secret is her greatest fear?Book 2 - One Hot DoctorA lot has changed in the 7 years since I saw Ava...Yes, I'm still the only son to billionaire parents.And yes, I'm a doctor now who seems to have women blog about my looks every time I do a TV interview.But Ava's despair runs deep.Her arrogant, abusive fiance makes me sick.Underneath her fragile exterior, I can see she has so much more to offer.Ava and I belong together.I knew it then and I know it now.I'm the only one that can rescue her from this mess.But how can I heal Ava's deepest scar if I'm the one who left it?Book 3 - His GiftThe moment Jordan's doe eyes met mine, I knew I had to have her.Hard not to when a gorgeous woman stumbles into your life.After I claimed her sweet innocence, we lost touch and I focused on building my fortune.Seeing Jordan while I was taking a holiday break in a small town was an unexpected surprise.But she's different now.Her guard is up.She can pretend to hate me all she wants but she can't deny our magnetic attraction.And her son? He sure does look and act a lot like me.I'll make her mine.Despite the odds stacked against us.After all, I have a special gift for her.Book 4 - Most Eligible DaddyThe first time was spur of the moment. The second time will be forever.I never thought I'd fall for a girl in overalls and muddy boots until I met Quinn Hardy.She's the best thing that came with this run-down farm.The loss of my wife left me empty and struggling to raise a daughter.Years later, not even all my wealth can fill the void.But with Quinn, I see everything I want in a woman.I'll show her what a real man is like.I'll crush those greedy neighbors eyeing her land the way I stamp out those trying to mess with my company.I'll destroy anyone and anything that gets in my way.Book 5 - Twist of Fake"I'll be your fiancé."I never thought I'd need one to impress a client and get a promotion.Where's a virgin like me supposed to find someone like that?And I never in my wildest dreams thought he'd volunteer.Lucian.That mysterious drool-worthy mechanic from down the street with a mean streak.The moment I saw those inked arms, I wanted them wrapped around me.

Murphy's Love (Murphy's Law #3)


Michelle St. James - 2019
     After rescuing Elise Berenger from the trafficking ring run by the shadowy organization called Manifest, Ronan is more determined than ever to destroy them. Ronan knows he wants to make Julia his wife, but there’s no way they can talk about the future until they settle the past. When Elise’s captors are linked to Mark Gordon, a man whose private security firm is responsible for a string of atrocities around the world, Ronan and this brothers head to Monaco. Mark Gordon isn’t at the top of the Manifest food chain, but Ronan will do whatever it takes to make sure Gordon leads them there. Julia’s safety depends on it — and so does their future together. Julia Berenger knows how to survive. Haunted by the ease with which she committed murder to save her sister, Julia keeps her head down and tries not to think about the things she can’t change. But when tragedy strikes close to home, her escalating rage poses a danger not just to the mission of stopping Manifest, but to her own sanity. Then the man at the top of Manifest is finally revealed, and MIS pulls out all the stops to expose him to the world. When he retaliates, Ronan’s business — and his freedom — are in jeopardy and Ronan is left with only one question: is there room for love when vengeance has been your only law?

Tamed by Her Cowboy


Shanna Handel - 2020
    

Love Me True


Melissa Crosby - 2019
     Aspiring author, Amy Mitchell, used to believe in romance and happily ever after. That was, until her husband cheated on her. Now, she just writes about it. When she takes on a part-time job as a babysitter to the daughter of a deliciously handsome, but self-entitled single dad; the last thing she expected was to fall for him. For Sam Whitford, life ended the day his wife left him and their young daughter because of a lost inheritance. Sick of the consequences of being a billionaire’s heir, he bites the bullet and moves away to the small town of Willow Oaks. But when Sam learns that his domineering mother is coming to town, he knows that it will only be a matter of time before she meddles in his love life again; so he convinces Amy to be his pretend girlfriend. Tensions rise as Amy and Sam spend time together, but so do their feelings for each other. And the longer they spend entangled in their fictitious relationship, the harder it becomes for them to know what’s real and what’s not. Will Amy and Sam get the Happily Ever-After they both deserve?

Rushing Into Love: A small-town sports romance


Kara Kendrick - 2021
    Work. Football. That’s my life summed up in three words.Sure, I used to be a pro NFL baller, but now I’m perfectly content with a quiet life in my small hometown of Peachtree Grove, Georgia.That is until Bree, a beautiful blonde dating expert, gets tackled at my Pee Wee football practice, knocking me off my game.I swore I’d never get involved again after my messy divorce left me reeling, but one date with Bree and I’m dropping all my hesitations—along with my jersey. Now she has me rethinking my plays.But will the tabloids, my ex, and Bree’s complicated past keep us in the friendzone?

His Little Red


Vivi Paige - 2020
    Nothing more. Nothing less.I took her from the party. It wasn’t personal. It was a contract.Grab her, head to the safehouse, and wait for the ransom.Scarlett is so gentle, so trusting.She doesn’t know that men like me exist.Doesn’t know the brutal nature of this world.Me? I come from a world of violence.I’m a killer. I prey on nightmares and make them come true.If you cross me, I kill you.So when her father decided not to pay, word comes down that I’m supposed to torture her.If he still doesn’t cough up the cash, I’m supposed to kill her.I won’t hurt this fiery angel.I crave her.Me, a monster that could never be what she needs.Who can never settle down.I can’t just do the job and destroy her.No, I have to make her mine. Forever.The way this thing is going down… it’s going to be either her love.Or her life.