Book picks similar to
The Brevity of Roses by Linda Cassidy Lewis


romance
contemporary
contemporary-romance
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Pulling Home


Mary Campisi - 2012
    It is also the prequel to Mary’s bestselling family saga, A Family Affair: The Promise, Truth in Lies, Book Seven. She'll risk anything to save her child...even the truth. It's taken nine years and a cross-country move, but Audra Valentine Wheyton has kept her secrets safe. She's created the perfect life: a husband who loves her, a daughter she adores, and a position as head writer for an award-winning daytime soap. When her husband dies suddenly, Audra returns to her hometown for the funeral and faces a community that has not forgotten her meager beginnings and the man who has never forgiven her for marrying his brother. Jack Wheyton is a successful pediatric neurosurgeon who is about to become engaged when Audra walks back into his life with her daughter. He forgave his brother long ago for taking something that had been his, something he hadn't even realized he wanted until it was gone. But forgiving Audra is another story...and forgetting her? Near impossible. When a shattering illness strikes Audra's daughter, she turns to Jack to save her child and risks exposing a secret that will change their lives forever. BONUS MATERIAL: Included in this book is 2 Chapters from The Way They Were: That Second Chance, Book 2

Seduced by Innocence


Karpov Kinrade - 2013
    Rose Wintersong will kill her first love--just as she's killed others. That is the dark prophecy that has guided her path for years. So she stays hidden with her coven of witches, raised a recluse by her despotic mother, hiding herself, and her powers, from the world. Until she meets Derek, the sexy martial arts instructor who teaches her more than self-defense.Derek O'Conner was born into wealth and power as a Druid Shifter whose family protects the wellspring of magic that has made them who they are. But he doesn't want that responsibility and is on the run from his own destiny when he meets Rose, a shy beauty who doesn't know her own inner strength. Neither of them realize they are from opposing families at war, or that their love could destroy everything. Until it's too late. Forbidden passions. Deadly secrets. A love that will stand against it all.

Worth the Risk


Robin Bielman - 2012
    But now he's back in her life, and ready to steal a heritage protection contract that could make or break her career--if he doesn't steal her heart first. Samantha's vowed to hate him, but it's more than anger heating the competition between them. With sparks flying across the conference table and sizzling in every touch, Dean proposes a weekend liaison. Anything to have Sam again; anything to get her out of his system. But the unresolved feelings between them complicate both their personal and professional lives, and one wild weekend could turn into a disaster that would destroy the one job that means more to Samantha than anything. For a shot at love...is it worth the risk?

Dance with Me


Staci Stallings - 2017
     For three years, Kaci has steadfastly guarded her heart to keep it from thinking she will ever dance again, somehow pushing what she really wants under what she needs to do to be successful in life. Then a chance walk down a side street ignites the fire to dance once again. Can Kaci keep her passion reined in, especially when the studio owner's son seems determined to drag it out of her no matter what she tries to keep it under wraps? Josh Garrison hates to dance. He has ever since he was made fun of for it ten years ago. But Josh is in dire straits financially, and if he has to dance to make life work, maybe he has no real choice. Unfortunately, his partner in this venture is a headstrong, obstinate former prima ballerina who loves to dance but absolutely refuses to let herself love it. She want to focus on steps and technique when his spirit has always wanted only to soar on the dance floor. Can two polar opposites in life find common ground when they hit the dance floor together? Find out in USA Today Best Selling Christian Author, Staci Stallings, contemporary Christian Romance, “Dance with Me.” *~* “Dance with Me” is a contemporary Christian romance novel filled to the brim and overflowing with real romance. The dance sequences create a poetry all their own, and the relationship between Kaci and Josh is both magical and challenging. Both have their way of dancing and living, and they are determined to prove their way is the only way. However, as the masks come off and their true realities begin to be unveiled, what appeared to be differences just might not turn out to be so different after all. Inspirational, hopeful, and heartbreakingly romantic, “Dance with Me” will surely find its way into reader’s hearts and onto their to-be-read-again-and-again shelves.

The Wrong Child


Patricia Kay - 2000
    Or is there? Both Abbie and Logan are desperate to protect their children and to keep their families intact. Can they find a way to keep both of their daughters? THE WRONG CHILD is a compelling, emotional and romantic story of the bonds that are stronger than blood and the choices that can only be made with the heart. Ripped from the headlines, it gained Ms. Kay thousands of new fans around the world, and was honored by The Romance Writers of America with a nomination for a RITA, its most prestigious award. PRAISE FOR THE NOVELS OF USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR PATRICIA KAY: "A stunning book from a master storyteller. Patricia Kay writes from the heart about matters that touch us all." -- Susan Wiggs, NY Times bestselling author "A beautifully written compelling story you won't be able to put down." --- Georgia Bockoven, USA Today bestselling author "If you love LaVyrle Spencer, you'll love Patricia Kay." --- Deborah Smith "Wonderful . . . (a) sparkling romance." --- Eileen Goudge "Kay's writing is solid, and her narrative swiftly reaches a satisfying finish." -- Publisher's Weekly "Patricia Kay writes from the heart about people we come to love." --- Christina Dodd, NY Times bestselling author "Heartrending and touching . . . Ms. Kay never fails to deliver this kind of story." -- Amanda Kilgore, Huntress Reviews "This marvelous story is full to bursting with winning characters, special moments, and most of all, hope, faith, and the rejuvenating power of love." --- Romantic Times Magazine "An intriguing story of love at first sight." --- Houston Tempo Magazine "There are deep questions about relationships and serious character growth evident in this story, which is also warm, sensuous, and excellent entertainment." --- Rendezvous magazine "A warm, tender, beautifully written love story with an emotional punch that only Patricia Kay can deliver." --- Amanda Stevens, USA Today bestselling author PATRICIA KAY is a USA Today bestselling author of more than 50 novels of romance and women's fiction. An acclaimed teacher who taught writing classes at the University of Houston, she now teaches exclusively online. Born in Ohio, she and her husband have lived in Houston, Texas since 1969. To find out more about her, her books, and her writing classes, visit her website at www.patriciakay.com.

Always You


Stephanie Rose - 2015
     All we had was friendship and my silly hope for more. When he left and took all of that with him, I moved on. Settled. I figured that happiness wasn't in the cards for me. Until, one night of drinks with an old "friend" gives me a hope I never expected, but don't know what to do with. This time, I have the chance I always dreamed about—but I'm not free to take it. *** Ten years ago, Samantha was only a friend, a sweet girl I never wanted to hurt. Now, she's everything I want and nothing I can have. She belongs with me, even if she's not really mine, and I can’t settle for anything less than all of her. Now that I’ve got a second chance, I'm grabbing it with both hands. Why did it take so long to realize that it was Always You?

Dodge the Bullet


Christy Hayes - 2011
    But Sarah doesn’t know a Colorado Senator has earmarked her ranch for purchase and he’ll do anything to get it. Unwilling to sell, she dismisses his continued offers and moves ahead by improving the land with the help of a sexy stranger. A.J. Dodge is a man with a past. He’s returned to his hometown ready to set down roots and make things right with his family and whatever anyone else thinks he doesn’t give a damn. Until his old friend Tommy Thornton asks a favor, a favor he can’t refuse, and Dodge becomes involved with the beautiful widow Sarah Woodward. She’s alone with her young sons on a dilapidated ranch she’s determined to get up and running with or without his help. Under pressure to deliver the Woodward ranch to a land developer with shady connections, the senator sets in motion a dangerous plot to convince Sarah to sell. Dodge will risk everything to protect Sarah and the boys including his heart.

Losing Faith


Jeremy Asher - 2013
    After climbing the music charts and making his dreams come true, his life took a turn that he’d never expected, causing him to lose it all. But Seth is determined to do whatever it takes to get it all back, even if that includes doing the one thing he swore he’d never do.After turning his back on his career, music, and the life he had worked so hard to build, Seth embarks on a journey to make things right and get his life back.Along the way, Seth encounters a storm that threatens his chances at getting back the one thing that could fix his broken life: his daughter, Faith. Forced to travel with strangers, Seth discovers that his success and failure are not just at the hands of fate, but that they also rest within his traveling companions.This is a story about how far a man will go when he has nothing to lose and only one chance at getting it all back to honor a promise he made to his little girl. The road to picking up the pieces of his broken life places him face-to-face with his demons, leading him to realize that nothing is worse than Losing Faith.

The Darkest Part


Trisha Wolfe - 2013
    She was engaged to her childhood best friend and high school sweetheart, Tyler Marks, planning an amazing cross-country honeymoon during her college break. But after a hit-and-run leaves her in ruin, she begins seeing Tyler’s fractured, ghostly presence, and her family believes she’s losing her mind. Not until she completes their journey, stopping along the way to scatter Tyler's remains, will Tyler be able cross over. Only...is Sam ready for him to leave her?When the black sheep of the Marks' family, Holden Marks, returns to check on Tyler's case, Sam convinces him to give her his brother's ashes. Despite their shaky history, she needs him...plus, he owes it to Sam and his brother. What she doesn’t count on is Holden’s relentlessness to go on the trip.On the road, Holden realizes just how unhinged Sam has become. Dealing with her psychosis forces him to confront his dark past, making it harder to keep secrets hidden that should remain buried. Especially from Sam, the only woman he’s ever loved. And as Sam starts to unravel the truth, she begins to question if the brother she's unwillingly falling for again is in an even darker place than her. New Adult Contemporary coming this year.

Chasing Eva


Camellia Hart - 2016
    She’s determined to sway her newfound enemy to reconsider his betrayal. They’re not even halfway through that debate, when they’re drawn to each other with a force neither of them anticipates.Having lived through her share of disloyal relationships Eva’s sworn off heartbreaker men. No way she’ll fall for this assertive, enigmatic playboy.But Clive isn’t one to give up that easily, or at all for that matter. She doesn’t know, he’s been chasing Eva since their first kiss fifteen years ago.*First book in a series of three.*Underlying suspense continues in Loving Eva and concludes in Killing Eva.*Two bonus chapters are at the end.>

Inhale


Kendall Grey - 2012
    Zoe Morgan is working her dream job: director of a whale tagging research project. She’s in her dream location: the beautiful beaches of Australia. But her sleep is plagued by nightmares—fiery hellscapes, hideous monsters, strange people … and the gorgeous man who rescues her from them. He might be a figment of her imagination, but he sure feels real.What Zoe doesn’t know is that he’s not a fantasy. He’s a Sentinel charged with protecting humans from Fire Elementals, using his own blend of elemental magic. In the Dreaming, anyway. In the real world, he’s Gavin Cassidy, a sexy rock star who indulges in all the excesses that money and fame can buy. Gavin hasn’t been summoned to help anyone since his partner’s death, and he likes it that way—until he meets Zoe in her dreams. With Zoe, it’s impossible to stay detached, impossible to say no.But Dr. Morgan is more than just his muse—she’s the key to restoring order in the Dreaming. Gavin never believed he could fall for someone like Zoe, nor does he realize he may have to sacrifice the woman he loves to save his country.

Now and Then


Brenda Rothert - 2013
    But then – in the years before she went to art school in Paris – she was a shy, awkward teenager with frizzy hair, a flat chest and a massive crush on the boy across the street, Cole Marlowe. Too bad her incredibly hot neighbor only had eyes for Layla.Cole is now a confident, laid-back attorney who’s even hotter than he used to be. He’s planning to stay single while working his way up the corporate ladder – until he’s knocked off course by a chance run-in with Emma.Everything is different between Cole and Emma now. He finally sees her in a way she only dreamed of, and their hot chemistry is fueled by a growing friendship. But Emma’s deception of her sister – who wants Cole for herself – and the secret Cole’s been keeping for more than a decade threaten to tear apart what’s only just begun. Because sometimes the only thing standing in the way of now is then.

A Risk Worth Taking


Heather Hildenbrand - 2013
    Everything she thought she knew—heck, everything she thought she wanted for her own life—feels like a lie. The truth is love is a risk. And the true kind, the kind that lasts, might even be a fairy tale. Reeling from the divorce, Summer derails her own future by breaking up with her parent-approved boyfriend and giving up her lifelong plans for a big-city career. She moves back home, business degree in hand. Dad needs her to fill the gaps her mother left behind; Summer needs to find who she is outside of the cookie-cutter life that failed so miserably for her parents.Ford O’Neal’s future involves one person: himself. He doesn’t have a permanent address and he definitely doesn’t commit. To a place or a person. Raised by hippies, he plans just far enough ahead to secure his next stop, this one landing him at a work-study program at Heritage Plantation where he can grow his own herbal and medicinal creations. Summer is gorgeous and smart and fun to be with, the perfect way to pass five months. It won’t be love—Ford’s got too many things to accomplish, too many places to go, before he settles down. Yet Summer pulls him in, challenging him to rethink his own philosophy. When Ford’s five months are up, each of them must decide if love is really worth the risk.

Ignite the Flame


Susan Griscom - 2011
    Plagued with nightmares of her father's sudden and brutal death, Addie struggles with her anguish and refuses to believe that his demise was accidental. But that's not the only thing Addie struggles with. Caught up in the horrors of her latest nightmare while driving to work one day, she's startled beyond comprehension when she almost runs down a man standing in the middle of the road. A gorgeous, stunning man she can't seem to take her mind or her eyes off of. All of a sudden, the impossible seems possible, and it's not clear whether that's a blessing or a curse.Cael Sheridan may be arrogant and mysterious, but he's also undeniably gorgeous. A member of a secret society, he is sworn to protect the woman he believes to be the daughter of his recently murdered mentor. In the process, he finds it impossible to resist her magnetic sensuality, complicating his efforts to shield and guide her as she learns to manage her newly acquired skills. He's faced with the tough decision of whether to let her in or sabotage their new relationship in order to keep her safe as well as his own heart.Fate has brought them together, but will it make them stronger or destroy them in the end?A supernatural, urban fantasy sure to get your blood running hot, Ignite the Flame is the first book in the Sectorium series set in a sleepy coastal town along the Oregon Coast. Previously published as Whisper Cape and has been re-titled an enhanced for a more enjoyable read.

Bennett


Seraphina Donavan - 2015
    She takes care of her ailing mother, she manages PR for the family’s distillery, Fire Creek. And every day she quietly resents the fact that he stepped in and kept her from being with the one man she loved… a man who still lives there in their small town of Fontaine, Kentucky and who haunts her every minute of the day, waking or asleep. Bennett Hayes has loved Mia his whole life, and for one brief moment, when they were young and full of hope, it seemed like even the long history of bad blood between their families wasn’t enough to keep them apart. But he’d been wrong. Mia never showed the night they were supposed to run away together and when he confronted her about it, she broke his heart. But fate and circumstance throw them together again and the fire that raged between them at eighteen is even hotter now. The burn is inevitable. But there are forces at play, people on the periphery of their lives whose agenda goes far beyond just keeping them apart… they will stop at nothing to keep their secrets, even if it means murder.