Book picks similar to
One Good Thing by Jennifer Millikin


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contemporary-romance
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Three Summers


S.J. Sylvis - 2018
    My name is Sadie and I was the victim of an attempted robbery at gunpoint three weeks ago." Those were the first words I spoke to my therapist last year and now I can say after my freshman year of college, I've finally broken free of my therapy sessions. The wound on my face has healed and the scar is fading a little more every day. Now if I can just get the scars on my heart to heal that quickly, I'll be golden.But that's looking pretty tricky since the boy who put those scars there is standing just feet away from me under the blistering North Carolina sun. Apparently, we'll be spending the entire summer lifeguarding together at the country club pool.A year ago, I was carefree—I was in love and I didn’t have a worry in the world, except for Rowen.But now, I'm a little older and a lot smarter. I know how to guard my heart. I know how to keep Rowen out. Except. . .he never really left. And I am quickly learning that my mind and heart are at a crossroads. Maybe I don't know how to guard my heart after all. And maybe I don't quite know everything I thought I did. . . ***Recommended for ages 17+ due to language and sexual situations.***

Off the Record


Taylor Danae Colbert - 2019
    “But isn’t he sorta. . .old?” Ugh. Celebrities. I mean, I know I took a job as a reporter for the Celebrity and Pop Culture department of our magazine, but it was just supposed to be a stepping stone to the more real stuff. Despite the fact that Dax Thatcher was the subject of many of my teen fantasies—and I may or may not have an entire playlist made up of his music—he’s still just another star. Until I meet him. Until his golden eyes pierce through me that day on his Malibu deck. Until I find myself having dinner with him, going backstage with him, lying on the beach with him, telling him my deepest secrets. And then I remember my assignment: a four-issue feature on Dax Thatcher. . .and his supermodel fiancée. Yep, he’s getting hitched. I have to focus. I’m a serious journalist, and he is mere months from walking down the aisle with someone else. But that doesn’t stop me from wondering what those tattooed arms might feel like wrapped around me, or how soft the sheets on his California king bed are. Yikes. This celebrity stuff might be a little more real than I thought. Off the Record by Author Taylor Danae Colbert is simply the must read book of the summer. Filled with pure energy it strategically infuses music and romance together with ease. Truly the work of a seasoned pro. and a book that you will not be able to put down from start to finish. - The Baltimore Sun

Rebel Love


Tess Oliver - 2017
    For a long time, I thought of that kiss, the kiss that unraveled everything, the kiss that changed the course of history, as a split second decision. But there was nothing split second about an obsession. And while she might have been impetuous and wild, there sure as hell wasn't anything split second about Rebecca . . . the girl I called Rebel.Rebel Love is a standalone romance.

Business or Pleasure?


Raquel Belle - 2019
    I’m about to get really pissed off. Maybe I should just go (in hindsight…even based on what happened next, I’d probably do it all the same!) As is, I hate blind dates! I usually create this “picture perfect” guy in my head and then reality generally walks in! Ohhh god, and reality can be REALLLLLY cruel at times (MOST of the time!!!).Anyway…I’ve just moved back to Seattle to work with my dad at his law firm. We haven’t always had the best relationship…I’m really hoping that this is him reaching out to me. Honestly, blind-dates are the last thing I need right now in my life!I’m about to give up on this night and leave when the most delicious looking specimen of a man comes up to me. I honestly thought I was hallucinating! This guy is ravishing…the type of “stop and stare” guy. Mr. I LITERALLY felt I wanted to get pregnant just by looking at him, says...“Please, tell me I’m the one you’ve been waiting for!” with a naughty smirk on his face.“Are you David Blake?” I ask.“No, but I can be anyone you want me to be.” He smiles, and my head…ohhh god…my head is filled with strong dose of naughty thoughts (a “bit” of an understatement actually!). It’s not my blind-date…and I think to myself (well, I’M TRYING to think!!!) What the hell should I do?I don’t know what the heck happened to me but I stare right into his eyes and say “Tell you what, I’m staying upstairs.” I pause. I could feel his eyes penetrating me. And then I drop the bomb… “Let’s skip the drinks and the preamble, you follow me to my room, and let's have one hell of a one-night stand. You don’t even have to tell me your name.”I couldn’t believe I just said that!He’s shocked. I’m shocked. I don’t normally do this kind of thing. But we do it. Oh, boy…do we do it. We have the most amazing, earth shattering night that I could ever dream of. And THAT was the gift…now comes the SLAP…When the weekend is over and I go in to work on Monday morning. The secretary shows me in to my dad’s office. What the heck is he doing in here? Mr. I LITERALLY felt I wanted to get pregnant just by looking at him turns and smiles.Guess what? My one-night stand is my dad’s billionaire best friend, Jared Hawthorne. He’s my new client. Things are about to get really complicated!Business or Pleasure? is a stand alone romance book with an amazing HEA!

Return To You


Leia Stone - 2020
    We were two kids, young and desperately in love, dreaming of a future together. Our love burned as bright as the red rock desert where we grew up, but we learned the hard way that sometimes love isn’t enough. One choice tore us apart, and we stood by helplessly, watching it burn us to the ground. It feels like a lifetime ago, but when I’m called home to care for my sick mother after ten years away, my past with Owen Miller comes charging into the present. I expected him to be the same kind, confident guy he used to be. What I didn’t expect was the fire still raging between us, even after all this time. Years of buried feelings emerge, as scorching as the Arizona sun. Anger, resentment...and passion. And the second time around, we burn even hotter. Giving in to Owen means finally facing the choice I made so long ago, but even old wounds still ache. Is the possibility of a second chance worth the pain it could cause in the end?

Love at first sight


Mia Ford - 2018
    The raven-haired beauty on the train. I spilled my coffee on her, and she cursed me out. Two weeks later she was back. But she was different. Instead of tearing into me, her sparkling green eyes begged me to make her laugh. Her delicious, plump lips ignited my desire and made me forget the girl who got away. But something’s wrong. She doesn’t remember me. Acts like we just met. I don’t know if she’s messing with me, or if it’s something deeper. But I’m going to find out. I was hurt once. Never again. I’ll prove my love to Tamara and the twins growing inside her. Life used to be boring, now it’s a roller coaster. This time, the girl’s not getting away. This time, I’m chasing after her.

When He Falls


Michelle Jo Quinn - 2017
    WHEN HE FALLS ~Maggie~ I thought I had found the man I was going to spend the rest of my life with – until he ran off with my best friend on our wedding day. I had to get away from it all - my meddling mother, the cheating couple of the year, and the embarrassment of being stood up at the altar. My sister’s house in San Francisco is the perfect escape. I can get lost in a big city where nobody knows who I am, where I can mend my broken heart in silence. But someone crashes my pity party. Zach Faustino was the quiet boy who lived next door ten years ago. He was my first kiss and - if a young heart can be trusted - my first love. That was before he and his mother left without saying goodbye. Ten years have shaped him into an irresistible, charming young man. But the same ten years have also sharpened his edges, his dark past paving the way to a career that could end in a heartbeat. And despite it all, Zach hopes to change my mind about giving love another chance. But is a broken heart a willing heart? And if we’re both broken, is a second chance at love enough to fix us?

Until the Last Star Fades


Jacquelyn Middleton - 2018
    COULD YOU BE THE ONE WHO CHANGES EVERYTHING?In her senior year at NYU, Riley Hope appears to be on top of the world. With a loving mother who makes Lorelai Gilmore look like a parenting slacker, ride-or-die friends, and a long-time boyfriend destined for the National Hockey League, she puts on a smile for the world. But behind it, she’s drowning. Racked with fears for the future, she battles to stay afloat amid life in the shadows of a heartbreaking illness.And then, Ben Fagan comes crashing into her life. Twenty-three-years-old, British, and alone in the Big Apple after a disastrous pilot season in LA, the struggling actor is looking for an escape: booze, mischief, sex—minimum commitment, maximum fun—anything to avoid returning across the pond. As they form an unlikely bond, Riley keeps her reality from Ben so that he remains a happy refuge. But how long can she hold back the truth…and is Ben keeping his own secrets, too?From the award-winning author of LONDON BELONGS TO ME and LONDON, CAN YOU WAIT?, comes a bittersweet story about love, loss, sacrifice, and the life-changing decisions we make.IAN Romance Book of the Year Award Winner 2019

Force of Nature


Melissa Toppen - 2018
    I didn’t remember much about him- except that he pushed me off a swing set when I was four years old and broke my arm. Not the best thing to remember about a person but there it is. He moved away a couple years later and soon became a distant memory. That is until I walked into my parent’s house after being gone for four years to find him sitting at the kitchen table with my family like he’d been there all along. The second his blue eyes found mine it was instant- the attraction, the spark, the zing as some people call it. In that moment my entire world shifted. Every second, every minute that followed became a whirlwind. Thad didn’t just turn my life upside down; he ripped through it-- an unstoppable force of nature that wouldn’t be satisfied until there wasn’t a single facet of my life left unturned. And yet somehow at the end of it all he was still the only thing I wanted. Haunted by a past he can’t escape- the only question that remains is can I find a way to calm the storm that rages inside of him or will I end up just another casualty in his unrelenting path of destruction?Force of Nature is a complete standalone.

The Smallest Thing


Lisa Manterfield - 2017
    She’s descended from ten generations who never left their dull English village, and there’s no way she’s going to waste a perfectly good life that way. She’s moving to London and she swears she is never coming back. But when the unexplained deaths of her neighbors force the government to quarantine the village, Em learns what it truly means to be trapped. Now, she must choose. Will she pursue her desire for freedom, at all costs, or do what’s best for the people she loves: her dad, her best friend Deb, and, to her surprise, the mysterious man in the HAZMAT suit? Inspired by the historical story of the plague village of Eyam, this contemporary tale of friendship, community, and impossible love weaves the horrors of recent news headlines with the intimate details of how it feels to become an adult—and fall in love—in the midst of tragedy.

Raine's Haven


Shari J. Ryan - 2017
    From inside of my house, he was perfect. Then I found out everything looked different from afar. Raine, a blunt and hot tempered man was living a life he wasn't proud of, and I found myself oddly attracted to the sickening reality he opened my eyes to.RaineShe thought I'd fall for her seductive ploy and scarlet-glossed lips. She was right. Every person in this small town had something negative to say about Haven Leigh's life—the girl who had been handed everything on a silver platter. I ignored the rumors, and instead, searched for her truths.While struggling with disabling side-effects left behind by my coke-addict mother, Haven became the hope I needed. She was the good I wanted to be.But, as it turns out, she was the trouble I should have stayed away from.

Off Limits Collection


Jane Anthony - 2020
    USA Today bestselling author Jane Anthony brings you three filthy mechanics, three feisty ladies, three forbidden tales of love, lust, and betrayal. Meet the foul-mouthed mechanic who’ll stop at nothing to win a country girl’s heart, the broody co-worker who has his sights set on his best friend’s sister, and the bad boy rocker who intends to corrupt the innocent Catholic girl.This set contains two full-length novels, as well as brand new bonus novella, ONLY available in the Off-Limits Collection.

Sugar Bright


Ali Dean - 2021
    Too bad he's not who she thinks he is. Complete with unforgettable characters, laugh-out-loud moments, and a dash of Dean's signature sports writing, this small-town romance delivers an uplifting vibe that will make your heart happy.Mia’s plans implode when, on their three-year anniversary, her boyfriend announces that he’s moving to the other side of the country instead of proposing like he was supposed to. She had a vision of small-town bliss that included marriage and children and now she’s fallen off her timeline. Fortunately, Mia’s friends have a tried-and-true breakup recovery process that will get her back on track. Unfortunately for Mia, training for a marathon relay is part of this process. She’s used to being the clumsy nerd amongst super athletes, but if it means the hot new guy in town is going to coach them, Mia is willing to subject herself to the torture of training.When Jamie escapes big city corporate life to take over as the P.E. teacher in rural Vermont, he isn’t sure he’ll fit in. To his surprise, the locals welcome him with open arms, and he starts to think this might not be a temporary hiatus after all. Once he meets Mia, Jamie can even see himself in Sugarville for the long haul, with her at his side. However, Jamie is hiding a secret that not only threatens to make him an outcast in town, but will destroy any chances of a future with Mia. What happens when Mia finds out Jamie isn’t who she thinks he is?

Marriage Unarranged


Ritu Bhathal - 2020
    ‘Chick Pea Curry’ Lit, Chick Lit with an Indian twist​ It all started ended with that box… Aashi’s life was all set.Or so she thought.Like in the Bollywood films, Ravi would woo her, charm her family and they’d get married and live happily ever after. But then Aashi found the empty condom box... Putting her ex-fiancé and her innocence behind her, Aashi embarks upon an enlightening journey, to another country, where vibrant memories are created, and unforgettable friendships forged.Old images erased, new beginnings to explore. And how can she forget the handsome stranger she meets? A stranger who’s hiding something…

Bouquet Toss


Melissa Brown - 2012
    Be it a blessing or a curse, Daphne (a hopeless romantic and perpetual single girl) catches the bouquet at every single wedding she attends. Daphne’s love life is a mess. Her first love, Mayson, haunts her heart and keeps her from pursuing happiness with any man who comes along. As she struggles to move on from the one who got away, Daphne wonders if she will ever break her curse and find her happily ever after.