Book picks similar to
Return to Us by Christy Pastore


contemporary-romance
romance
contemporary
favorites

A Perfect Marriage


Laurey Bright - 1995
    Only the Archers knew they'd never been in love, and that nights of passion were few and far between. Still, both thought the other happy with the dry-eyed deal they'd made instead of vows.Until Max broke the bargain—by wanting more. And suddenly, after twelve peaceful years, the perfect marriage was over.But when Celine realized how much she loved her husband, was it too late to get him back? For unbeknownst to Max, they'd been blessed with a new beginning….

Signed


Marni Mann - 2018
    More ruthless and cutthroat than any arrogant bastard you’d ever met.The top actors in Hollywood came to me to get signed. When I saw James Ryne, America’s Sweetheart, standing across the bar, I wanted her body like I’d never wanted anything before. I broke rule number one.But, after all, I was a man. No one had ever mistaken me for a saint.Rule Number 1: Do Not Fall in Love Again I didn’t know his name. I didn’t who he was. All I knew was that he was deliciously handsome and he had to be someone to get into the most elite bar in LA. He was too old for me, too experienced—the kind of man everyone warned me about. It was only supposed to be a one-night stand. I could have walked away. I should have walked away.And then I was forced to walk away when my scandal hit the tabloids.I broke rule number one and now I had to make the biggest decision of my life.Risk my heart or get signed.

Machiavellian


Bella Di Corte - 2020
     I hungered to be seen. There were three things I knew about Capo Macchiavello: He was gorgeous. He was reclusive. He was considered one of New York’s most savage animals. And he wanted me as his wife. A simple arrangement – you do for me, I do for you. Nothing owed, no expectations. Except for one: never leave. Life was never that simple, though. By the age of twenty-one, I was parentless, jobless, and homeless, and I had come to learn the hard way that nothing was ever free. Even kindness comes with strings. Capo might’ve been the only man to ever see me, but I had made a vow to myself: I would never owe anyone anything. Most of all, the man I called boss. I killed to stay hidden. Mariposa Flores thought she owed nothing to no one, but she owed everything…to me, the ghost the world had once called The Machiavellian Prince of New York.

How to Mend a Broken Heart


Amy Andrews - 2012
    Impossible when your husband’s the one man it hurts your heart to touch...but the one man you can’t resist...

Take Me Back


Meghan March - 2017
    It should have been perfect, but saying “I do” doesn’t guarantee a happily-ever-after.Two years later, I barely recognize either of us behind the walls we’ve built.It’s time to bring it full circle. Back to a tropical paradise. Back to find out if we can still make this work.I’m not willing to give her up, but to save us, I have to risk everything. Two damaged people. Countless secrets. The fight of our lives.We might be broken, but we’re not done.

Caveman


Jo Raven - 2017
    Hot single daddy. Arrogant. Rude. Older. My boss. Totally off limits... right? Matthew Hansen is the kind of handsome that has grown women whispering behind their hands and giggling like schoolgirls. Dark, tall and mysterious, he’s a newcomer to our little town. He’s a gritty, grease-covered mechanic, and a single daddy. Sweet, right? Plus, he’s looking for a nanny – and I am desperately looking for a job. Sounds like the perfect deal. Only he’s a jerk. An uncivilized, hulking brute. Zero manners. Zero interest in making me feel welcome in his home. Downright rude. But oh, so sexy. And I need the job. I can do this. One thing is for sure: I can’t fall for the Caveman. No matter how sexy he is. How mysterious. How tortured. That’s the only rule – and one I’m about to break. ***This is a standalone, full-length romance with a HEA and no cliffhanger or cheating. For a limited time, I have included ZANE, a standalone novel, and MICAH, a standalone long novella, as bonus. ***(Librarian Note: This story is loosely connected (as a sort of sequel) to Zane (Inked Brotherhood, #3).)

Just the Way You Are


Barbara Freethy - 2000
    a life about to be tested by the return of the only woman who can break them up—Alli's sister, Tessa.A baby brought them together—and even though Alli has always loved her strong, sexy husband Sam and the life they've built together, she has decided to set him free to follow his youthful dreams. It is no longer enough for her to be wife and lover when she knows she holds so little of his heart.Sam has always dreamed of a life away from the close-knit world of Tucker's Landing, but marriage and fatherhood ended all that. Now Sam is torn between what was and what was meant to be. He must decide if it's time to rekindle the dreams of the past ... or accept Alli, and her love, just the way she is.JUST THE WAY YOU ARE is an emotionallly compelling, heartwarming, beautiful love story about choices, second chances, the crush of a youthful love, the intensity of a love born from marriage and life. "An exceptional novel from #1 New York Times Bestselling Author Barbara Freethy!"

Wilder Love


Emery Rose - 2019
    He was my strength. Until I destroyed him.I was infatuated with Shane Wilder since the first time I saw him surfing. But we couldn’t be together. Not yet, anyway. I was too young and screwed up. He was too focused on chasing his dream.So we became friends. We met on the rooftop for late-night confessions under the stars. Cruised along the Pacific Coast Highway with the wind in our hair and the sun on our faces.I took photos of all the beautiful and ugly and interesting things, while he traveled the world in search of the perfect waves.I told him I would wait for him. I never meant to lie.I never meant to ruin his life.I. Destroyed. Him. As his star faded, mine burned bright. But as everyone knows, all that glitters is not gold. Now I’m back after seven long years, hoping for a chance to right my wrongs and fix what I’ve broken. This time I can only hope that loving Shane Wilder will be enough to save him.

Arouse


Nina Lane - 2012
    An innocent student. An intense love that could save or destroy them both.❤️They promised each other a sweet, hot forever. But a promise isn't enough.After escaping the demons of her past, college student Olivia Winter finds shelter in the arms of handsome, captivating professor Dean West. Though Dean is struggling with his own family battles, he wants nothing more than to claim the shy, sweet Liv as his own.As he draws her into lessons about desire, trust, and love, the spark between them ignites into a firestorm. And their desperate need for each other grows into an unbreakable bond.Then one simple question provokes an alarming chain of events that threatens to rip them apart forever.Liv and Dean would never lie to each other...until they do.They would never betray a trust...until they do.They would never be apart...until they are.★★★★★Welcome to the Spiral of Bliss. Liv and Dean's everlasting romance will melt your heart and enchant you with the power of a love that is more than love.The first three books in the Spiral of Bliss series can be read as a complete trilogy!AROUSEALLUREAWAKENYou can also enjoy the full story of Liv, Dean, and their Mirror Lake friends and family in the following order:AROUSEALLUREAWAKENARRIVEBREAK THE SKYADOREALWAYS ★★★★★"This series is brilliant." -Vilma's Book Blog"This book right here is why I love to read...and did I mention the super-hot alpha who calls his woman 'Beauty'?" -Sugar and Spice Book Reviews.

The Strongest Steel


Scarlett Cole - 2015
    She's determined to forget her old life and is looking for an artist who can tattoo over the scars on her back.Trent Andrews, local legend and owner of the Second Circle tattoo studio, has his own reasons for specializing in inking over scars. And in spite of her mysterious past and the difficult road ahead, he quickly realizes that Harper is funny, smart, and--under her ridiculously oversized clothing and SPF 100 sunscreen--totally hot. He's happy to take on the challenge of designing a meaningful and deadly full-back tattoo for her.But when cryptic messages start appearing on Harper's phone, strange deliveries arrive at her door, and Second Circle is vandalized, Harper is convinced that her ex-boyfriend has tracked her down, and worse, that he knows about Trent. Running was the only thing that saved her last time, but now that she's started to put down roots in Miami, she'll have to decide if she can finally fight back instead.

Second Chances


Lauren Dane - 2010
    Now she’s back, older, stronger and finally loving herself—and it shows. Hot men are soon knocking at her door, including Jude Callahan, the bad boy who starred in her teenage daydreams…and her adult fantasies.Jude can’t believe the sexy, confident woman before him is actually Rori! She’s gotten under his skin like no other woman has…and brings out secret desires he can’t resist. He wants to dominate Rori with every fiber of his being. Wants to own her and pleasure her. To cherish her as he makes her his.Rori discovers she likes being controlled. She also knows Jude is not a one-woman man. Everything changes when she meets Zach Helm. Edgy, sensual Zach knows just what she needs, and before long, she’s in love. Jude watches them together and wonders if he’s lost his chance forever…THIS IS A REVISED AND EXPANDED EDITION FROM THE ORIGINAL 2005 VERSION.

Falling for My Husband


Pamela Ann - 2013
    Richard von Berg’s last wish was for Callum to take care and marry his sister to protect her from money-grabbing men. Willingly, Callum agreed to marry secretly and become Stella’s conservator until she was at the age of twenty-six. Heiress Stella von Berg moved to London and started her new life at the age of twenty-one. For years, she harbored a crush on Callum, but he kept his distance and treated her like a child. For three years, she and her fake husband see each other once or twice a year. He lived his life and she did hers. But when his family started to demand Callum take a wife, he had no choice but to present Stella as his scapegoat. After a week together in his family estate, will Callum see his wife in a different light?

Going Down Hard


Jordan Marie - 2017
    Gavin O’Leary. He made my high school days a nightmare. Not because he loved me. Not because he hated me. But because he had no idea who I was. He was the popular guy with the chiseled abs, dark tan and perfect hair. You know the type. The type that only dated the perfect-ten, cheerleader. I was the loner. The nerd who hated high school and couldn’t wait to say goodbye. And I did — to Freemont High and to Gavin. The last thing I expected was to see him again twelve years later. Yet here he is. Only this time — he notices me. This time — he kisses me. This time saying goodbye to Gavin O’Leary might destroy me. Novella introducing a brand new series. Instant lust that took twelve years to explore. Safe read with an Alpha who knows what he wants and goes after it — HARD.

Lexi, Baby


Lynda LeeAnne - 2012
    She is madly in love with her sexy, drop-your-panties-at-first-sight, hottie boyfriend who is equally in love with her; more like downright obsessed. He treats her like she is his heart; like he needs her to exist; like he would do anything in his power to make her happy.Lexi knows Landyn James loves her just as much as she loves him, if not more. Deep down, she also knows high school sweethearts aren’t expected to last, but their relationship is different. They are soul mates. Their connection is unbreakable.What could possibly go wrong when you have love like that...?Everything.What will the future hold...?Only time will tell.Author's Note: Contains Adult Content – Namely, a teenager-turned-woman with a very dirty mouth and fiery temper that may or may not know how to throw a punch. Also includes hot and steamy scenes, and a small glimpse into physical/verbal abuse.

Black Sheep


Tabatha Vargo - 2016
    I can’t submit to her TEMPTATION no matter how sweetly she begs because she’s the GOLDEN CHILD and I’m the BLACK SHEEP.