Book picks similar to
Lunchtime Chronicles, Issue 1: The Bento Box by Olivia Gaines


romance
interracial-romance
contemporary
lunchtime-chronicles

STIFF


Stephanie Nicole Norris - 2021
    A friend tells them about, The Den, an upscale male strip club. They find out the club is a shell of what really lies beneath—and soon, the ladies are venturing into their mind and body’s wildest desires.This is Asia McClendon's story.

Love On My Mind


Tracey Livesay - 2016
    Her big break? Turn a reclusive computer genius into a media darling in time for his new product launch. He may have been dubbed the "sexiest geek alive" but he has no patience for the press—and it shows. Piece of cake, right? Only problem is… his company doesn’t want him to know they hired her.After a disastrous product launch two years ago, tech CEO Adam Bennett knows the success of his new device depends on the media’s support. When a twist of fate brings the beautiful PR specialist to his door, Adam hires Chelsea to help turn his image around. Their attraction is undeniable and the more time they spend together, the harder it becomes to keep things professional. But when Adam discovers Chelsea’s deception, will she risk everything for her career or is love the real thing on her mind?

Perfect Chaos


Jodi Ellen Malpas - 2020
    Fifty laps in his pool, a suave suit, a chat with his mum on the way to his office, dodging countless calls from women, and his faithful yet cynical assistant waiting for him with a coffee. Then a meeting with his business partner and life-long friend, Sal, upends everything. Sal’s hired a new assistant without so much as consulting Ty. That’s a cardinal sin in their world, but it’s the least of Ty’s worries. Sal hasn’t just hired a new personal assistant, he’s hired an absolute goddess. And she’s off limits to Ty. Lainey Summer drives Ty crazy with her savage beauty, her effortless sexiness, and her unfathomable veneer. She plays her cards way too close to her chest, and doesn’t that just make her more enticing? Unlucky for Lainey, Ty’s notoriously irresistible. Unlucky for Ty, Lainey can resist him. Or . . . can she? As Ty sets on a mission to break Lainey, an intended conquest becomes a fixation. And in the process, he’s thrown into perfect chaos.

Double Dare


Jeanne St. James - 2009
    What better reason to give up men when her previous long-term relationship had not only been lackluster in the bedroom but he had cheated?Logan Reed, a successful business owner, can't believe that he's attracted to the woman in the ugly, Pepto-Bismol pink bridesmaid dress. And to boot, she's more than tipsy. After turning down her invitation for a one-night stand, he finds her in the parking lot too impaired to drive. He rescues her and takes her home. "His" home.The next morning Quinn's conservative life turns on its ear when Logan introduces her to pleasures she never even considered before. And to make things more complicated, Logan already has a lover.Tyson White, ex-pro football player, is completely in love with Logan. He has mixed emotions when Logan brings home Quinn. But the dares keep coming..."Publisher's Note: This book contains explicit sexual content, graphic language, and situations that some readers may find objectionable: Anal play/intercourse, BDSM theme & content, male/male sexual practices, menage (m/m/f)."

Alpha


Jasinda Wilder - 2014
    Bills were piling up, adding up to more money than I could ever make. Mom's hospital bills. My baby brother's tuition. My tuition. Rent. Electricity. All of it on my shoulders. And I had just lost my job. There was no hope, no money in my account, no work to be found. And then, just when I thought all hope was lost, I found an envelope in the mail. No return address. My name on the front, my address. Inside was a check, made out to me, in the amount of ten thousand dollars. Enough to pay the bills and leave me some left over to live on until I found a job. Enough to let me focus on classes. There was no name on the check, just "VRI Inc.," and a post office box address for somewhere in the city. No hint of identity or reason for the check or anything. No mention of repayment, interest, nothing…except a single word, on the notes line: "You." Just those three letters.If you receive a mysterious check, for enough money to erase all your worries, would you cash it?I did.The next month, I received another check, again from VRI Incorporated. It too contained a single word: "belong."A third check, the next month. This time, two words. Four letters. "To me."The checks kept coming. The notes stopped. Ten thousand dollars, every month. A girl gets used to that, real quick. It let me pay the bills without going into debt. Let me keep my baby brother in school and Mom's hospice care paid for. How do you turn down what seems like free money, when you're desperate? You don't. I didn't.And then, after a year, there was a knock on my door. A sleek black limousine sat on the curb in front of my house. A driver stood in front of me, and he spoke six words: "It's time to pay your debt."Would you have gotten in?I did.It turns out $120,000 doesn't come free.

In Flight


R.K. Lilley - 2012
    For a girl who can easily juggle a tray of champagne flutes at 35,000 feet in three inch heels, she finds herself shockingly weak-kneed from their first encounter. The normally unruffled Bianca can't seem to look away from his electrifying turquoise gaze. They hold a challenge, and a promise, that she finds impossible to resist, and she is a girl who is used to saying no and meaning it. Bianca is accustomed to dealing with supermodels and movie stars in her job as a first class flight attendant, but James Cavendish puts them all to shame in the looks department. If only it were just his looks that she found so irresistible about the intimidating man, Bianca could have ignored his attentions. But what tempts her like never before is the dominant pull he seems to have over her from the moment they meet, and the promise of pleasure, and pain, that she reads in his eyes.

The Masseuse


Violette Dubrinsky - 2013
    It’s a spa, after all. Instead, she leaves with memories of a gorgeous man with talented fingers, who probably doesn't work at the spa and is a possible pervert. Ramsey Stone is no pervert. He's a licensed masseuse, and he wants more than one session with Jezebel. For a man who prides himself on his control, even he admits he's smitten with the beautiful, but headstrong financial executive. He's determined to have her, and before long, Ramsey succeeds on his personal quest to make Jezebel his. There's just one problem: Ramsey harbors a secret that could tear Jezebel from his arms and upturn their lives.

Crave


Monica Murphy - 2013
    Being forbidden and untouchable only makes her more tempting. When a million-dollar bet with his friends throws down a challenge—last bachelor standing takes all—Archer knows he can win. That is, until one enchanted evening with Ivy takes his heart for a ride.Ivy knows Archer is nothing but bad news: Infuriating, arrogant…and completely intoxicating. But despite her best efforts, she can’t seem to keep away. When a stolen kiss leads to a night of heated passion, Ivy realizes she’s in trouble and in head over heels.But in the light of day, everything seems clearer and Archer’s not so sure a one-night stand is all he wants. Concocting a plan to keep Ivy by his side, Archer might just be willing to lose this bet…and win the jackpot instead.

Look the Part


Jewel E. Ann - 2018
    Her references are good. And she’s easy on the eyes.Until …Flint discovers Ellen Rodgers, Board-Certified Music Therapist, plays music. Bongos, guitars, singing—not Beethoven administered through noise-cancelling headphones.The cut-throat attorney serves up an eviction notice to the bubbly, constantly humming redhead who's too sexy for her own good. But luck is on Ellen’s side when Flint’s autistic son, Harrison, takes an instant liking to her. A single dad can’t compete with guitars—and rats. Yes, she has pet rats.This woman …She’s annoyingly happy with a constant need to touch him—adjust his tie, button his shirt, invade his space, and mess with his mind.Still …She must go.Their lust-hate relationship escalates into something beautiful and tragic. This sexy, romantic-comedy explores the things we want, the things we need, and the impossible decisions parents and children make to survive.

Degrees of Control


Eve Dangerfield - 2015
    The man who’ll do all the things she’s only fantasized about…James Hunter has never worked for a damn thing. Why would he? He’s got his daddy’s money, his pretty face, and more women than he knows what to do with. On paper, he’s a businessman, but his true profession is keeping girls from thinking he’ll ever marry them.“This book was crazy insanely blazingly dirty filthy hot!” - Mandy, Goodreads reviewWhen James’ cousin sets him up with her yoga teacher, he’s more than down. What man wouldn’t want to break in a starry-eyed submissive? Especially one as innocent and beautiful as Charlotte? But he hadn’t counted on her being perfectly suited to his needs. She does anything he wants, even better than he could hope for. He'll spend every dollar he has to keep her in his bed, but how can he protect his heart?“Sexy, sweet, steamy, erotic and perfect in every way!” - Beanimous, romance blogger

Love Disregarded


Rachel Blaufeld - 2020
    I thought he fell for me too, and that our love would overcome any obstacles.But our relationship was discounted by everyone around us. Our families didn’t support us, and our friends avoided us.So we moved on with our lives, but then everything fell apart.The man who once abandoned me is now seeking comfort in my arms, and this time, I’m not sure if I can give in.Because if I do, I may never be able to let him go again.

Fighting for This: The Last Resort Motel


Gwyn McNamee - 2018
    The California surf boy has no business being up Spruce Mountain or anywhere near The Last Resort Motel. There can only be one reason he’s hanging around—to search one of the old mines in hopes of striking it rich. And as soon as he’s done, he’ll be gone fast enough to make my head spin. But Max brings more than just a danger to my heart. MAX Aurora Clayton is the last thing I expect to find at The Last Resort Motel. What in the world is a girl like this doing in the middle of nowhere, Nevada? Search the land I inherited and get back to California—that’s the plan. I never expected to find something here even more precious than silver. But someone else is after what’s down that mine shaft. And I’ll do everything in my power to protect what I’ve found, including Aurora. ***Fighting for This previously appeared in The Last Resort Motel shared world as Room One***

Holiday Affair


Yvette Hines - 2011
    The man of her dreams has spent a year teasing her with love notes, trinkets and thoughtful gifts, doing everything but ask her out. Well, she is prepared to grab the reindeer by the antlers this season. A week off from work, a lone man in a cabin is going to give her just the opportunity she needs to set things in a sensual motion. Only one problem, it’s the right cabin, but the wrong man.Aidan Carmichael is expecting a quite week in a friends cabin. The season has never meant much to him over the years and he is ready to relax in his time away from work. What he is not expecting is a caramel skinned goddess to come shimmying down his chimney. Aidan has had his eyes and heart set on Chanel since he first joined the accounting firm. Now, to both of their surprise she comes dancing into his holiday haven. Chanel is trapped for a week with a grey eyed temptation. With freezing temperatures outside and things heating up on the inside, Aidan tries to prove to Chanel that they can be more than just a holiday affair. Ho, ho…oh, what a Christmas.

To Have and Hate


Donna Alam - 2019
    Let me count the ways I loathe him. 1. He’s the bane of my existence. 2. A thorn in my side. 3. I’m pretty sure he’s the devil in disguise Or he at least has him on speed-dial. So why am I standing here, bouquet in hand, about to become his wife? He calls it a business proposition. I call it blackmail. He says our fighting is foreplay. I say he should be on meds. He says he has the power to destroy my company, I say with a husband like him, who needs enemies. But I can survive this six-month calamity. All I have to do is keep hating him . . . To Have and Hate includes an older hot Brit, a marriage of convenience, and is a hate-to-love fest, full of fire, fun, and smexytimes!>

My Enemy Next Door


Nicole London - 2018
    After the final rude message she wrote in my yearbook, I decided that we didn't need to see each other anymore. (But if we ever did, I would show her exactly why I had every reason to be "cocky," and make her admit that I really *was* "that damn sexy.")Now that it's ten years later, I've graduated from law school at the top of my class, and I'm being recruited to work at the number one law firm in New York City.Since I'm in desperate need of a change and want to meet new people, I don't hesitate to accept the offer.Until I find out that Courtney Ryan graduated from law school, too.Until I realize that she'll be working at the same exact firm, in the office right across from me.And if this timing isn't unfortunate enough, she's far more tempting and sexier than I originally remembered.(Oh, and last night I found out that she lives right next door...)We don't have to be close.We don't have to be best friends.But she's going to pay me back for making us enemies all over again...