Book picks similar to
Once Friends by Z.L. Arkadie


romance
contemporary
contemporary-romance
free

A Bride for a Billionaire


Lauren Hawkeye - 2014
    He is shallow, selfish, jaded--and he likes it that way.When bold American art student Riley Tremaine crashes into his life, her light forces him to examine the dark places inside of his soul, the ones he thought he'd buried with his father. He knows he should let her go... but he's never claimed to be a good man.When Matteo is pitted against his unscrupulous stepsister Emilia Guerra in a bid for his late father's empire, he must decide between honor and vice. In need of a wife--and desperate to possess her--Matteo makes Riley an offer she can't refuse. She will be his bride--in every meaning of the word--so that he can protect his legacy.But Matteo soon learns that Emilia's soul is darker even than his own. And by marrying Riley, he has made her a pawn in a power struggle that could shatter their world.

Cart Before the Horse


Bernadette Marie - 2011
     Holly Jacobs has always put the cart before the horse. A prodigy who shot to stardom in textile design, she never knew a normal life—and there's nothing she longs for more than to be normal. Pregnant before she even knows the name of her baby's father, Holly has put the cart miles ahead of the horse this time. But when she and Gabe meet for the second time, they decide to have their baby together. Holly finally begins to accept her unique way of doing everything backward, but Gabe's very normality drives her up the walls. Then his tragic past rears up; pain and loss threaten to destroy forever the fragile bond that has blossomed between him and Holly. Sometimes the only way to get where you need to be is to put the cart before the horse.

Exes and Goals


Heather C. Myers - 2017
    She has one.Harper Crawford is a big fan of the Newport Beach Seagulls, despite their abysmal previous season. It's been a year since Ken Brown's murder and Seraphina Hanson, Ken's youngest granddaughter, just survived her first year as the new owner and manager of the national hockey team. Barely. The last year was dismal to the point where Seraphina is making drastic changes. Like hiring Harper as their official blogger. Harper gets to travel with the team, write character pieces, critiques, game summaries, and the like. It's her dream job.Another change? Putting together practically a new team, including Zachary Ryan, first line center. At six foot four and two hundred and twenty pounds, he is tall, dark blond, and solid muscle. He's arrogant and direct and the minute he sees Harper at Taboo nightclub during a team bonding session dressed in a plaid shirt and converse sneakers, he has to get to know her better.Except there's a problem from her past that won't go away. Harper has an ex that won't stay in her past - where he belongs. He starts showing up at her place, reminding her of all the wrong choices she made, bringing up things she wants nothing more than to forget. When Zachary gets involved, things get heated and his notorious temper flares.Harper doesn't want to get involved with a hockey player - especially with an overzealous ex who won't leave her alone - but Zachary plans to change her mind. No matter what the cost.

Last Resort


Jill Sanders - 2015
    He has been trying to run her business into the ground so his family can snatch up the land for cheap. But, how can she turn him away when just the sight of the man makes her heart jump out of her chest?Luke was sent by his father, owner of the swankiest and longest-operating resort along the Florida's Gulf coast, to gain one of the best properties at any cost. But when he sees the owner of the bar and grill, he’s torn between his duty to his family and his desire for the silver-eyed beauty.

Katie Lost and Found (Welcome to Walnut Lodge, #1)


Karen Welch - 2014
    Leaving behind a successful career and a failed marriage, his vision for the future is colored by disappointment. During his time at Walnut Lodge, he hopes to reinvent himself, to recover the ideals and dreams he shared with the one real love of his life, the girl who vanished without a trace sixteen years earlier. Walnut Lodge is Tess Weldon’s life. The grand old house is her business, her home and her safe haven, its staff her friends and family. Her secrets are safe within its walls. Guided by the vision she shared with her late husband, her future finally seems secure, until her past checks in to the Lodge. Fate may have brought Peter and Tess full circle, but lost love found doesn’t necessarily lead to a second chance.

Bed, Breakfast, and You


Lacey Wolfe - 2013
    But Claire isn’t about to roll over and let them. She’s prepared to fight.Jace Brown is Brookfield’s main attorney, and after delivering the bad news to Claire about her property, he knows all about being on her bad side. As Claire gets to the bottom of this scandal, she’s surprised to have Jace by her side, fighting along with her. The attraction is instant, but can it last after the dust settles?

Game Changer


Rene Folsom - 2014
    With her writing career in full bloom, all she wants is to work in peace while concealing her true identity from the public. Though readers love the science fiction worlds she creates, Maci knows that gender stereotypes could damage her career if she is exposed as a woman.Liam is the envy of all gamers as the lead developer for nZone Studios. Over time, he builds walls around himself, keeping people at arm’s length who only gravitate to him for his material possessions rather than who he is as a person.With thick barriers around their hearts and their past looming in the shadows, Liam and Maci challenge each other by slowly peeling away their protective layers and seeing each other for who they really are. It doesn’t take long after their chance meeting at a coffee shop for them to become one another’s game changer.Note: If a strong, quirky heroine makes you roll your eyes, If you hate sexy heroes who would rather lose a game than the woman of their dreams, if fast-moving relationships and hot sex aren’t your thing, if you can’t stand when humor is used to cover up life’s awkward moments, if cliffhangers anger you beyond comprehension… this series is not your cup of tea. This contemporary romance novel is the first book in the Playing Games series and contains adult situations meant for ages 18+.

Planning for Love


Christi Barth - 2012
    She won’t let anything burst the perfect bubble of happiness she creates for her clients. So she’s immediately on guard when a reality television crew appears to tape one of her weddings. Tall, blonde and sexy, the cameraman’s a relentless flirt, and Ivy follows his easygoing charm straight into the bedroom.Ever since a scandal ended his career as a news videographer, Bennett Westcott is relegated to filming reality catfights and bridezillas. His latest assignment comes with the bonus of a gorgeous wedding planner. But Ivy ruins their one-night stand by turning too serious too quickly. Although a big fan of lust, Ben’s allergic to love. He rejects her and everything she holds dear, leaving her brokenhearted.The network builds a reality show around Ivy, Planning for Love. She signs the contract before learning the man who shredded her heart into confetti will spend the next three months filming her. Suddenly Ben has to spend every day with the woman he knows he shouldn’t be with, but can’t resist. And Ivy’s stuck wondering, how do you plan for happily ever after when the guy you want doesn’t believe in it?

Break the Rules


Claire Boston - 2016
    So when her big promotion goes to someone else, she heads out on the town to forget her troubles. Jack Gibbs seems like the perfect man to distract her. At least until Monday morning when she discovers Jack is her new boss. There's no way she's going to keep seeing him, no matter the connection between them. She's been burned before. Jack can't understand why Bridget's so against their relationship. They positively sizzled during their one night together. He knows he has to be careful now she reports to him, but she tempts him in every way. Can Jack convince Bridget to give him a chance, or is the risk too high?

Mine for Tonight


J.S. Scott - 2012
    Needing nothing less than a miracle to save her, Kara gets rescue from an unknown, unlikely and overwhelming source. Billionaire Simon Hudson makes her an offer that is impossible to refuse, but terrifying to accept from a man that she's never met. Will the handsome, alpha billionaire really be a solution to her problems, or will he end up being a major complication and a danger to her emotional sanity?Reclusive billionaire Simon Hudson would rather be behind a computer creating computer games than rubbing elbows with the elite and he knows exactly what he wants...until he meets Kara Foster. Something about Kara touches Simon in ways he's never experienced and definitely doesn't like. For over a year, Simon watches over Kara, but stubbornly refuses to admit his desire to possess her, not even to himself. But when she ends up in a situation that could very well be her destruction, Simon steps up to help her, not realizing that in saving Kara, he might very well be salvaging his own soul."Mine For Tonight" is book one of "The Billionaire's Obsession" trilogy. Books in this trilogy do not stand alone and need to be read in order. They include:Mine For Tonight - Book 1 "The Billionaire's Obsession"Mine For Now - Book 2 "The Billionaire's Obsession"Mine Forever - Book 3 "The Billionaire's Obsession"This is an erotic romance and is not intended for YA readers. It contains graphic language, explicit sex (including bondage) and other subjects not appropriate for YA readers.

Persuading Him


Michelle Dare - 2015
    Her father is the founder of Markson Aviation, a top name in the private jet industry. When her parents go through a public divorce battle, she is shoved into the spotlight. Now in her late twenties, she lives a comfortable life, but likes to keep the media at a distance. Radek Cole is a retired Air Force officer who agrees to a last minute job. He flies the rich and famous around the country in their private aircraft. Kasi needs a pilot for her upcoming trip and Mr. Cole comes highly recommended. Little does she know that one encounter would change everything. Kasi has an immediate and intense attraction to her new pilot and is used to getting what she wants. Initially, he turns down her advances, but her skills of persuasion are no match for him. Unfortunately, the media won’t leave them alone. What Kasi doesn’t know is that she isn’t the only one who has a public past. Find out what happens when the heiress meets the pilot.

Plain Jayne


Laura Drewry - 2014
      Worn out from the long drive back home, Jayne Morgan can only smirk at the irony: Of course the first person she sees from her old life is Nick Scott. Once best friends, they lost touch when Jayne left town at eighteen, but nothing could keep them apart forever. Jayne has returned to take over her grandmother’s bookstore, determined to put all her bittersweet memories and secret disappointments strictly in the past — until, that is, Nick insists she bunk at his place.   Nick never did care what people thought about having a girl for a best friend — or the “scandal” she caused by showing up to his wife’s funeral four years earlier — so he’s got no problem with the gossips now. Jayne was always the one person he could count on in his life. Now Nick is starting to realize that he never wants her to leave again... and that being “just friends” isn’t going to be enough anymore.  Includes a special message from the editor, as well as an excerpt from another Loveswept title.

Sparks Fly


Lucy Kevin - 2011
    Angelina Morgan is a beautiful consultant who practices an ancient art form called Feng Shui. Will Scott is an all-business CEO who doesn't believe anything he can't see and touch. With the help of a meddling ex-wife, a well-meaning best friend, and a matchmaking mother, Angelina and Will are about to find out what happens when opposites attract...and sparks fly.* * *

Summer's Lease


Carrie Elks - 2017
    . . four ways to find true loveCesca Shakespeare has hit rock bottom. Six years after the play she wrote bombed at the box office, she's unable to hold down a job, keep an apartment, and worst of all her family have no idea how far she's fallen. So when her fairy Godfather offers her the use of his friend's Italian villa for the summer, she grudgingly agrees to try writing a new play. That's before she finds out the house belongs to her arch-nemesis, Sam Carlton.When Hollywood heart-throb Sam Carlton sees his name splashed across a gossip rag, all he wants to do is hide. That's how he finds himself traveling to Italy, deciding to spend the summer in his family's empty villa on Lake Como. Except when he arrives it isn't as empty as he'd hoped.Over the course of the hot Italian summer, Cesca and Sam have to come to terms with their pasts. What begins as a tentative friendship quickly grows into an intense attraction - and then a scorching fling. But they can't hide from reality forever . . . as their different worlds collide, Sam and Cesca face a choice: is this just a summer romance, or could their love weather even the coldest winds?A brand new series from the bestselling author of Fix You and the Love in London series.

Heartbeat


Faith Sullivan - 2013
    Katie, just out of high school, struggles with a tortured home life she cannot escape. Everything changes when Katie hops into the front seat of Adam's ambulance. Overwhelmed by what they are feeling, neither possess the confidence to make the first move. They walk away from each other, full of regret. To find her, Adam risks his future. To be with him, Katie sacrifices her security. Little do they know, what little time they do have, is being measured by a heartbeat that is slowly dying out.