Book picks similar to
Pumpkin by Ines Johnson


romance
contemporary
interracial-romance
bwwm

If the Shoe Fits


Laurie LeClair - 2013
    All she wants is her late father's dream to come true by making his beloved King's Department Store thrive again. However, her stepmother has other ideas. Charlie agrees to help her stepmother find grooms for her sheltered stepsisters. In exchange, the stepmother will release her stronghold on the store's budget. After all, one good deed deserves another, right? But, Charlie has no idea what her heart's in for when... Alexander (Alex) Royale, dubbed by society newspapers as Prince Charming, arrives for dinner to meet the all-female King family. His ailing grandparents yearn for his marriage and then the baby carriage. Well, that and running the family company. Having unsuccessfully searched for months, Alex doesn't hold out any hope in finding his future bride among the King sisters. However, all his expectations, including his idea of a business-like marriage of convenience, vanish the moment Charlie crashes into him. When Alex sets out out to win over Charlotte, he has no idea he has to bargain with the stepmother, secretly buy the store, court Charlotte after the wedding, and, oh yeah, be featured in Charlie's new fairy tale ad campaign, The Charmings, based on them. Can a guy ever get a break? The couple never factored in falling in love with each other. Now, faced with losing all their families ever wanted, Charlie and Alex must choose: Do they live their families' dreams or do they finally live their own?

Sit...Stay...Beg


Roxanne St. Claire - 2017
    So when he learns his father has invited a journalist to Waterford Farm to write and produce an in-depth profile on him, he doesn’t care that she’s a childhood friend or drop dead gorgeous. He has zero tolerance for the media…until he sees a different side when she gets through the walls of a rescue dog who’s refused to eat during her short stay at Waterford. Unwillingly charmed and undeniably attracted, Garrett agrees to the interview that could break down a few of his emotional walls, too. Garrett might not want to share the story of his colorful former life, but Jessie Curtis has the skills to peel back the layers of this sexy, complicated, caring man. In the process, she not only discovers his secrets, she finds herself falling for a man who touches her heart in a way she never thought possible. Her entire career is riding on this one explosive interview, but can she bear to repay Garrett’s trust by selling his secrets? Or can a woman who gave up on happiness a long time ago learn to believe that all it takes to rescue a lost heart is the love of a good man?

Close to Home


Suzanne Ferrell - 2012
    I’m Lorna Doone. Yep, spelled just like the cookie and I own the Peaches ‘N Cream Café here in Weston. You might think nothing much happens in a small mid-western town, but as my friend Harriett says, things aren’t always what they appear. Take our girl Emma for example…”Emma Lewis has a lot on her plate. The single mother of two precocious twin boys and an aging mother who is having trouble getting through each day, the last thing Emma needs is a man in her life, especially a doctor. So when the town’s doctor goes on vacation and his handsome nephew takes over, Emma is shocked to not only find him standing in her bedroom, but accusing her of being a neglectful parent.Clint Preston came to Westen for the year to fill in as the town doc while his uncle took a long needed vacation. Clint also needed a sense of peace and calm to try to find his passion for medicine burned out by long shifts in an urban hospital’s ER. Angered to find two boys in his clinic with broken wrists and no accompanying parent, he is determined to confront their mother. The feisty redhead he meets quickly dispels his belief that she’s a neglectful mother, but he can see her situation is more critical than she wishes to face and finds himself volunteering to help care for her sons and the remodeling of her home.As Emma and Clint forge a relationship among the slightly off-beat characters that inhabit Weston a menace from Emma’s past threatens her and her sons. Clint and Emma join forces to prevent the loss of either boy and the love they’ve discovered in each other’s’ arms.

Our Options Have Changed


Julia Kent - 2016
    Fantasy is her job. And she’s very, very good at what she does. As director of design for the O Spa chain, a sophisticated women’s club that is trending its way into being the Next Big Thing, Chloe’s ready to take on the world. One baby at a time. Her home study’s done, and she’s about to adopt, a thirty-something single mother by choice. Who needs to put her life on hold for the right guy when the right baby is waiting for her? Besides, talk about fantasy. The right guy? Pfft. Right. And then in walks Nick Grafton, with those commanding sapphire eyes and wavy blonde hair and a sophisticated mouth that only smiles for her. He’s perfect. But the last thing Nick wants is to start fresh with a new baby as his college-age kids fly the coop. A single father for more than fifteen years after his wife walked out on her family, Nick finally tastes freedom. But he likes the taste of Chloe more. * * * Our Options Have Changed is a full-length standalone contemporary romance, the first in the On Hold series by New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Julia Kent and journalist-turned-fiction-writer Elisa Reed. It is a loose spinoff from Julia Kent’s Shopping for a Billionaire series, with cameo appearances from favorite characters.

The Space Between


Victoria H. Smith - 2013
    Losing high-stakes poker has its consequences, but he’d repeatedly face them just to hear Lacey Douglas sing. Drake sees Lacey light up the stage, and he has to have her. But his intentions for being on her side of town turn out to be the reason he can’t. Chicago native Lacey has dreams of the opera, but life has its obstacles. Lacey has come to know her hardships as part of living in the real world and accepts them fully. When Lacey meets the intense and invigorating Drake, a fire is lit inside her, unleashing those dreams again.Two paths that should have never crossed prove to create the exact pairing the other needs. But when their worlds take time to catch up, everything they have is tested. Finding the space between the two sides that challenge them will be hard, but it’s the only place that will keep them together.The Space Between is a new adult contemporary romance.

Wasted


Suzannah Daniels - 2014
    It was part of his job after all, and he needed the tips—badly. When Lexi Swafford plopped her pretty little tail down on the bar stool, Mason offered her a drink. He had no idea that he would soon be working with her or that he’d be letting her room with him until her new apartment was ready.In fact, once Lexi Swafford landed in Creekview, Tennessee, life as Mason Cambridge knew it would cease to exist…because after a night of drinking away the agony of his loneliness, one touch from her would change everything.WASTED is a new adult contemporary romance recommended for adult readers due to mature content.It is the first book in the WHISKEY NIGHTS series. Since each book in this series will focus on a different couple, they can be read as stand-alones. Many readers may prefer to read them in order for maximum enjoyment.WHISKEY NIGHTS series order:Wasted #1Ignited #2Deceived #3Betrayed #4Seduced #5 (Release date to be announced.)

Uncovering Love


Kacey Shea - 2015
    You’ve got to hold onto it with everything you’ve got."As part owner in a PI firm that specializes in matters of the heart, the rules are simple. I catch cheaters and vet potential suitors. I don't fall in love, especially with the man I'm hired to investigate. Only, that's become a problem. As one case moves beyond professional, I find myself fighting an attraction I cannot resist. This hunky, tatted muscle man is hiding a wicked sense of humor and generous spirit behind his six pack. The more I learn about him, the more I want him for myself.But I can't break the rules, even if I've uncovered love in the most unexpected of places.Uncovering Love is the first in a series, but can also be read as a standalone.

Deep Down


Brenda Rothert - 2015
    My closest companions now are shame and loss. But a sliver of hope lies in the only person I have left in this world – the one who’s growing inside me.Survival becomes living again because of my child, and the town where I begin anew. That’s where I meet the man who starts to melt the ice inside my heart.As we get closer, reminders of my past become sharper. Clearer. To confront the pain, I have to discover what’s deep down inside me. Is there enough left there to become whole again, or am I too wounded to heal? A portion of sales from this book will benefit the Keith Milano Memorial Fund at AFSP

The Billionaire Deal


Lori Ryan - 2020
    Neither bargained for the danger their marriage-of-convenience brought on. CEO Jack Sutton isn't about to be backed into a corner by the stipulations of his mother's will. She might have wanted to be sure he was married by the time he was thirty, but that doesn't mean he needs to give in. As the head of a powerful venture capital firm, there’s one thing he’s learned. There’s always a way around anything standing in his way. This marriage clause is no exception. Kelly Bradley got into the law school of her dreams, but the financial aid she was counting on didn’t come through. When she finds out Jack Sutton is looking for a wife in name only, she propositions him to get the funding she needs. What could be the harm in linking herself to a well-respected businessman for a year? It’s not like he’s hard to look at or tough to be around. But will her fix end up costing a whole lot more than either she or Jack had bargained for? When her life is on the line, Jack finds himself racing to save the woman he's fast losing his heart to. Steamy romance meets heart-stopping suspense in the Sutton Billionaires Series. This is the first book in the series but it can be read as a standalone story with no cliffhangers. A shorter version of this book was previously released as part of the Sutton Capital Series.

Stay With Me


Kelly Elliott - 2016
    Only people who have never lost anyone they loved with all their heart can blindly believe those words. What if I didn’t want to move on? What if I wanted to wake up every morning with that familiar ache in my chest, knowing I’d never see her again? But, life can change in a moment.I knew that better than anyone … So, when I couldn’t get those mesmerizing green eyes out of my head, I decided to do something about it. Would one night with her be enough, or would my heart decide it was finally time to move on from the past?

Alaskan Dawn


Edie Claire - 2015
    So when her twin sister Micah needs a surrogate mother, Haley willingly volunteers. Like most feats the capable workaholic attempts, her pregnancy goes perfectly... until the results of prenatal testing threaten to tear Micah’s marriage apart.Pregnant, overworked, and driven to the end of her rope by the neediness of the sister and widowed mother who depend on her, Haley seeks refuge with a week’s vacation on the Alaskan coast. As she soaks up the serenity of the unexpectedly vast and beautiful wilderness, Haley finds something else she doesn’t expect -- deep feelings for the wildlife-loving boat captain who reminds her how to laugh.With her unborn niece or nephew on the way and thousands of miles of ocean between their lives and careers, Haley and Ben settle for a friendship. But back home in California, the emptiness in her heart refuses to heal, and when her pregnancy takes a frightening turn Haley must examine what really matters -- and rediscover the childhood dream she never realized she had lost.

Beauty and the Blitz


Sosie Frost - 2016
    Spit out the apple. Fall for The Beast. All-star linebacker Cole Hawthorne is a beast on the field, destroying offenses one broken quarterback at a time. Though he’s a gifted athlete, his violent reputation makes him a liability to his team and a villain in the league. As Cole’s agent, it’s my responsibility to convince the brooding loner that being traded is better than getting banished from the game. If he loses his contract, this single mom is out of a job. So, it’s up to me to tame the beast. But the closer I get to the ferocious monster, the harder I fall for the passionate man underneath. He’s crude and charming. Tough and sweet. Dangerous…but even he can’t resist my baby’s giggle. Denying my feelings might protect my heart, but the trading deadline is closing in. When Cole reveals the dirty truth about the trade, I can’t let the league rip us apart. Do I save my career…or do I protect a man who deserves a happily ever after? Maybe no one can love a beast… But they haven’t met Cole Hawthorne. Beauty and the Blitz is a flirty, standalone romantic comedy with no cliffhangers and a guaranteed happily-ever-after. As a special release celebration and a thank you to my readers, Sweetest Sin and Bad Boy's Baby are included as FREE bonus books with this file! All three books are full-length, 350+ paperback pages of deliciously sexy romance.

Breathless In Love


Bella Andre - 2015
    After surviving a hellish childhood, he's now living the dream life where everything he touches turns to gold. But something’s missing. He doesn't quite know what until a simple letter from a teenage boy brings Harper Newman into his life. A woman who just might fill up the empty places inside him...if only he could ever be worthy of her love. When a man has more money than he could possibly spend in five lifetimes, Harper has to ask herself what Will Franconi could possibly want from a woman like her? She's learned the hard way that rich men always get what they want no matter the cost. If it was just herself she had to worry about, Harper would manage, but she's guardian to her younger brother who depends on her for everything. After nearly losing his life in a car crash, she's vowed never to let anyone hurt him ever again. Still, sometimes Harper can't help but long to change her story from one of an always-cautious woman to an adventurous tale of a heroine who's wild and free...especially when Will's kisses and caresses make her utterly breathless. And as he begins to reveal his story to her, she discovers that he's so much more than just another wealthy, privileged man. He's kind and giving, and he fills up all the spaces inside of her heart that have been empty for so long. Together, can they rewrite their stories into a happily-ever-after that neither of them had previously thought was possible?

Meant to Be


Melody Grace - 2017
    Now discover the romance, laughter, and happily-ever-afters waiting for you in her new series, Sweetbriar Cove!Poppy Somerville believes in happily-ever-after. It’s the reason her romance novels have won devoted readers all over the world—and why she’s broken off her engagement just weeks before the wedding instead of settling for less than true love. Escaping to her aunt’s beach cottage in Sweetbriar Cove, Poppy is looking for inspiration to end her writer’s block and finish her new book. She just wasn’t counting on the handsome, gruff contractor making such a racket next door…Cooper Nicholson doesn’t believe in soul-mates. He thought he’d found his forever once, and the world proved him wrong, so when the cute brunette comes storming over and demands he keep the noise down, romance is the last thing on his mind. But his new neighbor is full of surprises, and soon, their chemistry is too hot to ignore. As they grow closer, they discover fiction has nothing on the plot twists life has in store. But will Cooper find a way to let go of the past and risk his heart again? And can Poppy find her happy ending — on and off the page? Find out in the new sweet and sexy small-town romance from New York Times bestselling author, Melody Grace!

Getting Lei'd


Ann Omasta - 2015
    Honeymooning with her grandma. The resort's bartender may look like Jason Momoa, but Roxy is NOT interested. Being jilted nearly-at-the-altar by text message is not at all how prim and proper Roxy Rose thought her wedding day would go. Getting dragged along anyway on her Hawaiian honeymoon by her self-centered sister and irreverent grandma is the icing on the horrible wedding-day cake. Can Kai, the resort's hunky and talented chauffeur / bartender / flame-thrower, turn this disaster of a trip into a romantic adventure to last a lifetime? Or will his mysterious secrets keep their love from blossoming? This novel is part of The Escape Series, which includes Aloha, Baby!, Cruising for Love, Island Hopping, and the sweet short story, Coconutty Christmas. You can read and enjoy these humorous contemporary romance books in any order! Escape with Roxy into the enchanting Hawaiian Islands as she finally discovers the joys of hanging loose and "Getting Lei'd." Fans of Melissa Foster, Bella Andre, and Melanie Shawn are sure to enjoy this delightful romantic comedy novel.