Book picks similar to
Lost Dreams by Jude Ouvrard


romance
military
free
contemporary-romance

Down & Dirty


J.H. Croix - 2018
    It can also expose every secret you have.I’ve spent almost my entire life in Cypress Creek. My family was once a pillar of the community, but times have changed – for the worse.One look at Marie Nix, and I’m determined to have her. She’s everything I want and then some. She may be too pure for me, but I can’t help myself.Unfortunately, like me and our small town, she has skeletons in her closet. Her past isn’t staying in the shadows.Regardless of the things she’s done, once I have a taste of life with her, all I want is more.Even if it puts me face to face with the threats surrounding her, I’ll do whatever I have to in order to make her mine.

Layover


Becca Jameson - 2020
    A chance to experience the forbidden. Her parents would never approve. Her mother’s heart is set on her marrying a Guatemalan. But he rocked her world, and she can’t get him out of her mind months later. The chemistry… The way he made her feel… The control…When he steps into her path again, she can’t resist the temptation. She won’t. JasonNo way was he going after a woman who snuck out on him. No matter how good the sex was or how well they connected. He needed to focus on his last few months in the Army. But she was never far from his mind, and now he’s moved to her town. He’s not about to let her slip through his hands a second time, but is she using him? He’s been screwed over before. He won’t make the same mistake twice.

Vivian's List


Haleigh Lovell - 2013
    A list. A love story.After ending a horrible, scarring relationship, Vivian embraces her freedom by making a sexual bucket list. When her brother's best friend, Liam, finds it, sparks fly and hearts open.Can Vivian heal one steamy encounter at a time?** This is book 1 in a two-part series

Safe In His Arms


Melanie D. Snitker - 2016
    He's looking to build a future . . . with her. Will she open her heart and let him help, or keep on running alone?Anna Henderson is guilty of one thing: trusting the wrong man. Now she’s running for her life from an ex-boyfriend who will stop at nothing to find her. The little town of Quintin, Texas seems like the perfect place to lay low, and its quaint little diner may just give her the new start she’s looking for. The more she gets to know the diner’s handsome owner, the more of a connection she feels with him. But she can’t put her heart—or his safety—at risk.Joel Ash knows all about second chances. After all, he pulled himself out of his rough past and became a successful restaurant owner. So, when a nervous woman walks into his diner looking for a job, he can’t say no—even though he’s convinced she’s hiding something. He soon finds himself falling for the beautiful stranger, and he thinks he may have a real chance at winning her heart. But when Anna’s past catches up with her, both their lives are thrown into turmoil. His only thought is to protect Anna, and their possible future together, at any cost.An inspirational Christian novel about faith, new beginnings, and overcoming fear with love.

Warranted Pleasures


Shannon Nemechek - 2017
    But whenever I look into his eyes, I lose my ability to think straight. He’s a Chief Warrant Officer, and I’m a mere Non-Commissioned Officer. But that doesn’t stop me from thinking about him every night, dreaming about how my body would react to his touch. But I won’t allow myself to be another notch on his bedpost. I’ll do whatever it takes to keep our relationship professional—especially since we are teamed up to investigate a terrorist organization. There’s no margin for error. I can’t allow my midnight fantasies to jeopardize my day job, to discredit my reputation. But there’s one major problem. Raleigh Fitzgerald is known to get what he wants, and right now…that’s me.

Lussuria


S.J. Molloy - 2013
    Lexi Robertson's carefully constructed life is about to be turned upside down.Recently hired as Club di Energia's physiotherapist, the stunning yet insecure twenty-six year old finally thinks she has a handle on her physically and mentally damaging past. The only way Lexi can cope is by compartmentalizing her feelings with a unique, internal filing system. To maintain order, Lexi has a firm set of boundaries in place, and she never lets anyone too close.File N for not happening. Lexi has no intention of giving in to the charming Lucca Caruso when he comes into her clinic for an emergency physiotherapy session. Despite his painstakingly handsome face and Italian that renders her speechless, Lexi is able to resist.A Tuscany vacation with her best friend is just what Lexi needs to stop worrying about life and start enjoying it. A cooking course at a villa near the Chianti hills, just outside of Florence, will take her mind off a certain set of mesmerising azure blue eyes.File F for fate. Lexi never expected to see the Italian god again, but they're staying at the same villa.For someone that purposely refuses to feel, Lexi finds herself on a journey of self-discovery, helplessly folding, melting, and crumbling under the temptation of her heart's desire.An emotional, erotic, heart-wrenching story of lust, love, and light.Lexi struggles to confide in Lucca, slowly learning how to love and trust. Lucca is a gentle, patient lover with a heart of gold, but his need for Lexi is insatiable. He's the man we all want and can't get enough of. Through the passion of lust and the sweetness of love, Lexi spreads her wings towards the light … until her past comes back to haunt her.A hot and sexy story of survival, acceptance, learning to trust, and believing. One woman's destiny to find her light, and the one man who can take here there. Welcome to the Luminara series.

After the Sky Fell Down


Megan Nugen Isbell - 2012
    But when tragedy strikes, she is left to pick up the pieces of her now shattered life. As she tries to make sense of her new reality, life takes another startling turn, leading her down a path she never imagined. Through it all she finds comfort in a surprising companion who becomes her best friend and rock as she tries to rebuild her life. But when she unexpectedly meets someone, whose kindness and understanding offers her a chance at a fresh start, she struggles to move forward, afraid to leave her past behind. Will she be able to move on and find peace with her past in order to discover her future or will she let her past condemn her to a life of loneliness, unable to let go of a life that can never be?

Blind


Xavier Neal - 2014
    He's the best amateur fighter at TKO, has a buffet line of women desperate to be taken by him, and three friends that are his family. However, when Maxx crosses over from Logan's blind spot on the side lines to the dead center of his vision, he realizes that he can't stay blind to the fact this girl, is the girl.

The SEAL's Baby Deal


Katie Knight - 2020
    But when his lifelong best friend, Eleanor Thornton, shows up looking gorgeous as ever and asking for a huge favor…he’ll have to rethink his stringent stance on playing Baby Daddy.Wildlife photographer Ele knows she wants a baby—romantic partner not included. And who better to go all in on no-strings-attached baby-making than with her SEAL BFF? Besides, she’s always wondered what it would feel like to be wrapped up in David’s muscled, rock-solid alpha male arms…When their toe-curling efforts quickly lead to a positive pregnancy test, both David and Ele are secretly disappointed their contracted time is cut short—especially after David is deployed, leaving Ele to give birth to their daughter on her own.Reunited while David’s on assignment in the African rainforest, their passion is reignited. But when the area is gripped by a dangerous insurgency, all of David’s fears about getting too close come rushing back to the surface.How can he possibly hope for a future with Ele when he can’t even guarantee they’ll survive?

Love in a Small Town


Zoe York - 2014
    The demands of his double career—as a police officer and military reservist—were a dealbreaker when they were together. And he’s thrilled for her when she lands a new job with a film company, but it comes with a deadline: when she finishes this project, she’s leaving town for good.Olivia has no reason to stay in Rafe’s tiny hometown, where the only job she could find was waiting tables in the local diner. But she couldn’t move on until she figured out what she wanted next in life. Now she’s been tasked with the unlikely role of ambassador for a town that has done nothing but break her heart, and discovering unexpected surprises at every turn.They aren’t the same young kids who rushed into marriage the first time. But as summer slides into fall, Rafe sets out to prove he’s a changed man before he loses her forever.***This is a second edition, revised and expanded for 2020; the first edition was published in 2014.

7 Miles High


Leslie Pike - 2020
    Trust issues from ex-husband? Check.Meeting my soulmate on a plane to Cancun? Not what I expected. This bachelorette weekend was all about letting loose and having fun, not finding the man of my dreams. Guess you can’t pick when you find your soulmate. Oops. I’m not ready for another commitment, but Parker drives me crazy. One wild weekend in the tropics later, and I’ve found Parker’s the man that stands out from all the boys I’ve had before.But can we really last once this trip is over? I have my doubts, but Parker wants to take our relationship sky-high...ParkerI’m not a guy that likes to get serious. Flings are more my thing, and I know exactly how to satisfy any lady that crawls into my bed. But Natalie offers something more, and with one look at her, I know this bachelor’s getaway just became a romantic quest to chase down the girl of my dreams. We’ve got a strong connection, but Natalie’s trust issues have forced us to remain distant. I could never break her heart like her ex did. And I’m about to prove it.In all the right ways. The party’s just gotten started, but what Natalie and I have… it’s forever.I just have to convince her of that. ***The first novel in the Easy Street series, 7 Miles High is a contemporary romance of finding your true love on a plane, then never letting them go. Adventurous, funny, and full of heart, this love story by author Leslie Pike will have readers flying into an emotional rollercoaster of passion and new beginnings.

One to Hold


Tia Louise - 2013
    Melissa Jones is a small-town girl trying to escape her troubled past. When the two intersect in a bar in Arizona, their sexual chemistry is off the charts. But what is revealed during their "one week stand" only complicates matters. Because she'll do everything in her power to get away from the past, but he'll do everything he can to hold her. Adult Contemporary Romance: Due to strong language and sexual content, this book is not intended for readers under the age of 18. (M/F)

Royal


Winter Renshaw - 2016
    He’s not even a prince - though you could say I loved him once upon a time.He was my older brother’s best friend.Growing up, he sat at our dinner table every Sunday, teased me mercilessly, and pretended I annoyed him.When I was old enough, he took me on my first date.Royal taught me how to drive. Escorted me to my junior prom. Gave me my first kiss…amongst other things. He was my first taste of toe-curling, all-consuming, can’t-sleep love.We had our whole lives ahead of us. There was never anyone else for me but him.And then he disappeared. No letter. No explanation. Not even a goodbye.My sisters and brother never forgave him, and my parents forbade me from speaking his name in our house ever again. For all intents and purposes, we were to pretend Royal Lockhart never existed.I’ve spent the last seven years trying in vain to forget my first love, but just when I think I’ve finally moved on, guess who’s back in town?

When the Right One Comes Along


Livia Quinn
     A former Army Ranger and CEO finds himself drawn to the woman of his dreams but an impulsive fling puts his mission and their relationship in danger. Former international model and photographer Lana Calloway is finally headed home, after attending the DC romance convention to find the perfect model, the “one” whose face and body could make her new business venture a success. She finds “Alex”, an unwilling and unlikely candidate. Turns out his appearance was a fluke, but the Calloways have a history of getting their man, or woman, and she doesn't intend to be the exception. Her prospect is in DC to meet with Congress about a huge veterans project; in other words, he’s got higher priorities. It will take creative measures to convince him that her goals could benefit his mission of making life better for wounded veterans and oh, by the way, that they are meant to be. From the author: Livia Quinn is the author of the Calloways of Rainbow Bayou, a contemporary small town romance series centered around the Calloways and their cousins, the Larues, in the Rainbow Bayou area of Louisiana. About Rainbow Bayou The bayou that surrounds the town was named by the Native Americans for its reflection of the colorful sky as it flowed from the river to the lake. Rainbows bring to mind hope, renewal, second chances, and the promise of new beginnings. In their legends double rainbows represented serendipity. The Calloway series is a contemporary small town romance with stories of love, community and family—of hope and second chances, reminding us that love can happen out of the blue, when you least expect it. More about the series, If you love emotional heartfelt stories with a little suspense built in, this is one for you. The first four books in the series were previously published but have been revised and rebranded with new content to reflect its true romance genre, that of a contemporary small town family romance series. Are the books standalones? Yes, the books can be read as standalones but secondary characters’ stories progress throughout the series so some readers may wish to read them in order. Books in the series: When the Right One Comes Along 9/11 Too Good to Be True. 9/11 Only the Heart Remembers 9/18 Christmas Wishes. 10/2 At Long Last Love 10/15 It Had to Be You 11/2 Christmas Vows 11/30 Love will Find You. 2/4/2019

Beginnings: Six Series Starters


Kathryn Shay - 2013
    Try the novels reviewers have called groundbreaking, controversial and realistic contemporary romances. AFTER THE FIRE The Hidden Cove Firefighter Series Three firefighters from the Malvaso family are trapped in a burning building and almost lose their lives. After they are rescued, they decide to change the way they’ve been living. “Inspiring and emotionally invigorating…a true hero’s tale.” RT Book Reviews PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT The Serenity House Trilogy Dr. Paige Kendrick keeps people at a distance and refuses a relationship with hunky doctor Ian Chandler. But Ian won’t stop until he gets what he wants—Paige! “I couldn't put this trilogy down!! I want to read about the rest of the women from Serenity House.” A reader BETTER THAN BEFORE The RightMatch.com series Super rich venture capitalist Spence Wickham joins his brother’s online dating service to prove that people lie on these sites. But when he falls for innocent, wholesome Annie Hopkins, Spence must find a way to make her love him for the man he is. “Classic Kathryn Shay—moving and realistic.” A reader STILL THE ONE, The Educators, a novella Annie Jacobs is happy teaching at her home town high school until her former teacher, Dylan Kane, returns to be the principal. Annie and Dylan have a past, one which almost destroyed her. Will he do it again? “As always Kathryn Shay tackles what most see as unthinkable material for a romance novel and ends up with a winner of a book.” A reader and high school teacher SOMEONE TO BELIEVE IN The O’Neil Family Series New York Senator Clay Wainwright and anti-gang specialist, Bailey O’Neil battle over how to control street gangs, but when forced to work together, they unexpectedly fall in love. “Shay’s writing trademark is taking seemingly impossible relationships and developing them into classic tales of true love.” Fresh Fiction COP OF THE YEAR The Bayview Heights Trilogy When Captain Mitch Lansing is assigned to Cassie Smith’s high school classroom, sparks fly. He’s by-the-book, and she’s unorthodox and innovative in her teaching methods. But when Mitch develops an unstoppable bond with her students, Cassie finds her attraction to him irresistible. “An emotionally powerful tale that leaves you breathless.” RT Book Reviews