Book picks similar to
Maria Before Us by Ellie Messe


romance
contemporary
freebie
contemporary-romance

A Real Christmas


Christie Logan - 2017
    Her lonely boss who hates Christmas. As they rediscover the magic of the holiday, will they also find love?  Christmas hasn't been the same for Allison Voss since losing her husband, but she's determined to make it merry for her daughters' sake. She's between jobs and simply managing day to day is a struggle until she meets Ward Haysgard. His act of kindness and offer of employment just might turn her luck around.Ward is not a fan of Christmas. As a district manager for a large department store, he's seen plenty of greed and selfishness and not much good will toward men. But Allison's plight touches him. As he gets to know her and her girls, they work their way into his heart. A heart he thought had hardened long ago, when he lost the loving grandmother who raised him.As the holiday approaches, an old secret from Ward's past emerges and threatens his closeness to Allison. Will he leave her heartbroken? Or will she and Ward discover together what makes Christmas real? Read all the stories in the Holidays in Applewood series by Christie Logan: A Real Christmas (Holidays in Applewood 1)Dear Acquaintance (Holidays in Applewood 2)A Gentle Heart (Holidays in Applewood 3)

Saving Jenna


Christina Butrum - 2018
    He had left once before, and nothing would stop him from leaving again. Coming back to West Grove was the last thing Ian wanted to do. If it hadn't been for the rental property, the small town would've never seen him again. Two weeks and he'd be gone. Until he sees Jenna Avery and realizes there's more than a house needing repaired. The only problem - Two weeks may not be enough time to save her.

Spring Break Surprise (A Spring Breakers Short Story)


Fiona Starr - 2019
    I am at loose ends for various reasons and nothing sounds better than a month in Cancún during Spring Break. Nothing, that is, until Bridget Blaze--who looks like a goddess come to life—wanders into my bar. She’s here to work… just like me, but the attraction between us is so hot we find ourselves throwing off our obligations almost as fast as we throw off our clothes. It doesn’t take long to realize she’s way out of my league. She’s got it all together, a plan, a career, and no room for a guy who’s still figuring things out. She’s got it all, where do I fit in? * * * * * Is it getting hot in here? We sure hope so! It’s Spring Break season, and your favorite Flirt Club authors have put together some steamy, short stories about sexy times in the sun! So grab a piña colada and take a break while we heat things up for you. We promise you will get hot and bothered with our hunky heroes! Sun, sin, and string bikinis… everything’s going down.

If You Let Me Go (First Love Billionaire)


Sonia Rao - 2021
    But she will have none of that. Shivalika has her life mapped out. She does not believe in love at all and is only focused on her career the reason for which is a secret she has nursed since she was a teenager.But when billionaire Vikramarya Kumar aka VK aka “the most eligible bachelor in the country” enters her company as the new boss, sparks fly and she finds all her beliefs getting shattered, one by one.Shivalika’s secret has already created havoc once in her life. Will she be able to overcome it to find her happily-ever-after with VK or will the pain of it destroy every chance of finding true love and healing?If You Let Me Go is a standalone sweet romance novel in the First Love Billionaire Romance series.

Cowboys & Bosses Boxset


Piper Sullivan - 2019
    Needed him from the time I knew what real need was.When he asked me to be his fiancée, I knew this would be my chance.I was a virgin who could finally be with the man of my dreams.But it was fake.I'll pretend he's mine until he walks away... Cowboy's Barmaid I was back home in Lucky Flats after a decade in the Army.But everything was different.Including Sierra.The little girl who used to chase me around was now a knockout.With bombshell curves and a tongue as dirty as any Ranger I knew.It was just supposed to be a Halloween party.Nothing more.But I couldn’t stay away.And now everything is falling apart. SEAL’d to the Cowboy After years with the SEALs, I’m finally free – to pursue a mission of my own.My best friend Jack was killed, and I discovered his emails from his old girlfriend, Gemma.We had all been friends, once upon a time. But Jack had got the girl.Those emails though…clearly, I never knew Gemma as well as I thought.Now I’m back in our small town to make Gemma’s wildest fantasies come through. His Takeover She thought she could resist me. Poppy is gorgeous, curvy and unique.But she’s no match for someone like me.Cutthroat businessman and alpha boss.I want her company.And I will have it, and her, by any means necessary. Sinful Takeover We're both after the same thing. Dominance. I’m on a mission to expand my empire.But she stands in my way.My best friend’s twin sister.A woman wholly unimpressed by me.And determined to beat me at what I do best.Not going to happen, I always win.But her fiery temper and sassy attitude leaves me enthralled.She’s not even aware of how beautiful she is.It just makes me want her more.But no matter how much I crave her gorgeous body,I must remember, she’s the enemy. Naughty Takeover She hates my guts. But I’d wanted her for too long to pass up all this time together.My brother’s wedding gave me the perfect excuse to get up close and personal with the sassy redhead.I worked my magic, charming her and playing her body like it was my favorite instrument.Except now I can’t walk away.I’m in too deep.And she wants nothing to do with me anymore.Too bad for her, I never give up.

Made for Him


Alexis Ashlie - 2020
    It will give you the HEA that you crave with OTT everything. You don’t want to miss this one.

At First Sight


Joy Ohagwu - 2019
    By a USA Today Bestselling Author.Tough and uncompromising undercover sheriff Asia Powers Bancroft had one goal--to bring crime extraordinaire Carlos Saint Magna to justice for tearing her town apart with criminal activity. This goal led her to choices that condensed to one thing--her family and her ability to protect them from the consequences of her job. But she hadn't known that choosing to bring Saint Magna down would alter her life irreversibly.
Now left for dead, she discovers that, through faith in Jesus, some new beginnings start with "The End".Sharon Parson had asked for more than she could handle when she showed up to teach a Christian career counseling class for a Youth Reading Club in a dangerous part of town, unaccompanied, for the second time. Caught in a shootout late at night, she never expected her on-and-off boyfriend, Ash Carter, to rescue her again--or for their love to bloom anew.
With Sharon hesitating over a relationship because of his lack of faith in God, and Ash eager for something permanent like marriage, will she have the love she dreamed of or will it come crashing at her feet before it begins?Get your copy now.

Dirty Talk


Lucia Jordan - 2016
    And even now that they’re all grown up, things haven’t changed much. But when Mandy sprains her ankle and is unable to attend an all-important work event, Carrie agrees, after much nettling, to go in her sister’s place. Pretending to be Mandy isn’t as easy as it sounds though, despite the fact that they’re identical twins—if she screws up, Mandy will certainly lose her job. Carrie doesn’t expect much to come of the evening, but she soon realizes that pretending to be the sexy, wild sister is completely exhilarating. As she becomes more caught up in the act, she finds herself in the company of a mysterious man whose dominant touch and allure is all it takes for her to forsake any reservations she’d had about letting loose. Soon, she is pressing her body up against him, moving as one on the dance floor. Will Carrie allow herself to follow her desires, wherever they may take her, and even if it’s only for one night?

Burning for You


Kate Hunt - 2019
    But one night is all I can give him. I’ve officially sworn off men—there’s just too many jerks out there. But when my roommate drags me to a firefighter bachelor auction, I lay eyes on the hottest, yummiest-looking man and question my resolve. And when I end up going out on a date with the hot fireman, I can’t extinguish my lust. Neither, it turns out, can he. One hot night is all I can give him, though. I can’t risk getting hurt again. And I have a small business dream to pursue. Now if only I could figure out how to stop thinking about him. BURNING FOR YOU is a short instalove firefighter romance with steam, sweetness, and a happily-ever-after!

Puzzle Pieces


Rachael Bloome - 2020
    And she designed a dating app to prove it. But when her childhood crush, Graham Dalton, returns home for his brother's wedding, he challenges everything she thought she knew about love. Graham Dalton never forgot the woman he left behind. And when he returns home to San Francisco for a second chance with his first love, he's more than happy to stand-in as her fake boyfriend to improve the public image of her dating app company. But as old feelings resurface, Elle starts to receive anonymous messages through her dating app. And things only get more complicated when a long-kept secret from their past is uncovered.  In the end, will Elle find her missing puzzle piece? Or will her world fall to pieces?  Rating: This sweet romance novella is rated PG, perfect for fans of the Hallmark Channel or other clean and wholesome romance authors.

The Naughty List


Everly Stone - 2021
    She's a submissive who needs to be reminded that I'm the only man who makes her blood hot and her body ache, that I'm the one who crashed through the walls around her heart and convinced her to kneel at my feet.I've got a reputation for being a good man who does compassionate things with his fortune. But tonight's generosity isn't about money, or being good. It's about all the other ways I can be sinfully generous.And very, very bad."Panties off, Kitten. I want more than your mouth under the mistletoe tonight..."WARNING: This WHITE HOT holiday standalone contains spanking, naughty toys, and a sexy as sin alpha male who will rock you all around the Christmas tree and then some.Dom For All Seasons- The Naughty List (Garrett & Dakota)- The Naughty Boss (Ten & Jane)- The Naughty Rules (Edward & Ivy)Previously titled Snowbound with the Billionaire -- same steamy story, with a fresh new title and cover.

The Good Billionaire


Deborah Garland - 2022
    The twist? I am his wife…That’s my husband, Dr. Sebastian (Break My) Hart. Celebrity surgeon who forgot he had a wife.So I left him.Then his sister asked me to be her maid of honor. Which meant he never told his family we split up.Seriously?Now they’re all coming into town for the wedding.And I have to pretend we’re still together.By sleeping in a hotel bed with him.I can do this.I can resist him.Until we get behind closed doors.He’s good at removing my defenses and my panties. Not to mention leaving me a sore aching mess when he’s done with me.It’s just forty-eight hours. And I missed him. Missed the man I fell in love with. The man who took my virginity in medical school ten years ago. When I try to leave this time, will he prove I’m more important than fame? The Good Billionaire is the 24K prequel to The Billionaire Hart Series, featuring Sebastian Hart, cousin and best friend to the Hart Brothers, billionaire owners of The Sterling hotel in New York City.No cheating. No cliffhanger. HEA guaranteed.Series Complete!The Good BillionaireDaring the BillionaireBossy BillionaireRebel Billionaire

Not-So-Blue Christmas


Bonnie Edwards - 2015
    Away from home, in a small harbor city in Canada, broken-hearted Kirk's lost and alone until one small dog refuses to give up on him.Vibrant widow Miranda Bailey is ready to move into the next phase of her life, except this Christmas is shaping up to be the worst since her husband's death. But instead of hiding, she takes charge, and drags Kirk into her Christmas miracle. The Christmas Collection Book 2: Invitation to Christmas The Christmas Collection Book 3: One Crazy Christmas

Mr. Billionaire CEO: An Office Romance


Sedona Venez - 2018
     Jayla is trouble, and she's just my type of woman. I was damned when I watched her stroll into the office building her first day of work. In a matter of minutes, she’d shattered my control. I’ve been obsessed with her bombshell body since that day. But I'm her boss. So, my fixation on her is totally inappropriate, especially when she hasn’t shown a bit of sexual interest in me—or so I’d thought…up until recently. I'm a Dom, and I sense she is a natural submissive, albeit one who seems inexperienced with men. My instincts tell me that the right man can not only bring out her external beauty but awaken her sexually as well. Now that I’ve set my sights on her, and I'm not going to back down until I get what I want. And, as everyone in the office knows, I always get what I want. As with all my books, this standalone is safe, with no cheating, and a HEA guaranteed. **This is a standalone contemporary romance.**

Bind Me


Stacey Kennedy - 2011
    The women place their lives in the hands of fate and one short straw declares Marley will be the first to awaken her secret wishes.Reed, a Dom at sex club Castle Dolce Vita, has lived the BDSM lifestyle for awhile, but has yet to find a submissive that suits him. That is until he meets Marley, a woman seeking to indulge her fantasies.As Reed guides her through a night of pleasure, Marley brings more to him than a perfect submissive--she stirs emotions in him long ago lost. By binding Marley, he runs up against his own limits, and now he has to choose between his self-protective barriers or surrendering to the wildfire Marley has reignited in his heart.Publisher's Note: This book contains explicit sexual situations, graphic language, and material that some readers may find objectionable: BDSM theme and elements, including spanking.