Book picks similar to
The Critic by Joanne Schwehm


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I Don't


Ella Fox - 2017
    After all, the sexy and charming Mateo is everything she's ever wanted—and more. But she needs to protect herself—and her heart—before it’s shattered once and for all. Mateo has no choice but to let her go. His woman needs space, and he loves her enough to give it to her—no matter how much he hates it. The only thing keeping him sane is the certainty that their separation will be short-lived.Ava thinks it’s over, but she’s about to find out that Mateo will stop at nothing to turn her “I Don’t” into an “I Do.”

Small Town Heart


Andrea Johnston - 2018
    Even though the residents of Fayhill have welcomed me like one of their own, this is only a detour, not a final destination.Then I met Shane Abbott.What's a girl to do when a certain dark-haired dimpled cowboy, who fills out a pair of jeans like it's his job and with a smile that sets my soul on fire, has me considering burning my map?*The bright lights of city life never appealed to me. I like the quiet of small town life, and my hometown of Fayhill fits me to a T.I never expected to meet Mercy Warner.Love is the last thing on my mind. These days I work hard and mind my own business. So when a certain honey-haired spitfire blows into town, I take another look.She may claim small town life isn't for her, but the way she's settling in tells me she might be open to the option. Refusing to let this opportunity to pass me by, I take another chance and put my small town heart on the line.Surely the draw of the big city won't burn me twice . . .

Tap


Georgia Cates - 2015
    That’s all she was when I agreed to play a part in deceiving her. But then the unplanned happened.We met. And all I wanted from her was a dirty weekend . . . until that wasn’t enough and I longed for so much more.Lawrence Thorn suddenly means the world to me. And that’s a problem. She’s my business partner’s sister. Forbidden fruit. Pursuing her can mean trouble for me at Lovibond Brewery. But I don’t care.I yearn for her skin against mine.I crave her smell on my body.I want to make her laugh and then hear her moan my name.And she does for a brief moment in time.But Lawrence wants more than I’m able to give. And it’s a damn shame because there’s no one on earth I want more than her.An epic love.A miserable ending.Unless it’s not.

Lucky Penny


L.A. Cotton - 2015
    He was my light in the dark, hope in despair. Our bond was one of survival, friendship... first love.But then we were ripped apart and Blake Weston became the memory I turned to when everything else in my life fell apart.Seven years later, a summer working at Camp Chance is supposed to be my fresh start. Beautiful scenery and the chance to better the lives of foster children - kids like me. But when my eyes land on him across the fire, time stands still and feelings come rushing back to the surface. I thought I'd moved on, tucked him away in my heart. One look into his soulful blue eyes and I know I'm wrong. Blake Weston can heal the broken parts of me. Restore my hope. Love me.It's our second chance. A sign we are supposed to be together.Isn't it?I was twelve when I survived the accident that killed my parents. Fourteen when I survived the devil. And sixteen, when I survived a heartbreak of the worst kind.But in my twenty-three years, Blake Weston might just be the first thing I won't survive.

Rushed


Nicole S. Goodin - 2016
    The pain, the heartbreak, the anger...The last thing El is looking for is love, and she's especially not prepared to get caught up in her best friends hotter than hell big brother.Lawson Pierce doesn't give a crap about love. It's the absolute last thing on his mind. He tried it once and swore never again... so why can't he get his little sisters best friend out of his head?She's heartbroken and stubborn. He's wounded and proud... the last thing either of them is prepared for is finding that once in a lifetime, fairy-tale love.They both have demons in their pasts, will that be what comes back to haunt them? Or will some unforeseen force be what tries to tear them apart?Rushed is the first book in the Love like Yours Series.

Never Say Never


Taylor Holloway - 2018
    Never hesitate. Never get emotionally involved.Words I've lived by. Until her.I'm a fixer.I fix bad, embarrassing, illegal problems, for the right price.My clients are rich, famous, powerful, and very dangerous.Now I’ve got a problem of my very own: Eva Martin. She just happens to be both my best friend’s little sister, and at the center of the most explosive problem I’ve ever faced. As the body count rises around us, I’m falling for the one woman that’s totally out of bounds. Her wide innocent eyes, perfect curves, and sexy, smoky voice—she’s a liability and a weakness, but I'm unable to resist.Eva’s a risky distraction for a man like me. I'm going to make her mine, and I'll use everything in my arsenal to keep her safe.Even if it means everyone else—including me—becomes collateral damage.

Saved by Love (Bachelor Billionaire Kids #1)


Sharon Cummin - 2017
    He had a huge decision weighing heavy on him. What was he going to do with his future? His father had been convinced since the day he was born that he was going to take over the family business. Both of his parents were software developers, and their company was doing very well. There was only one problem. Gavin couldn't stand software development and wanted no part of the company. He wanted to join the service to help people and keep his family and the rest of the country safe. The only thing he had to do was find a way to tell his parents. Gavin stood up and looked down the table at all of the people he loved. There were five families, and between them, they owned seven houses on one stretch of a Hawaiian beach. It was their last night there, and Gavin knew he needed the support of everyone around him when he told his parents what he'd chosen to do with his life. He instantly saw concern cross his mom's face, but he had to do it. There was no going back. "I'm joining the service," he said. It didn't take long for his father to get to his feet and all of the chatter to fill the empty space between them. "I'm joining too," Gavin's best friend Jack announced. By the time everyone calmed down and both of their families accepted their decisions, Gavin was beginning to feel a little better about things. There was only one person that wasn't going to let it go that easily. That person was Gracie. Gavin was taking her brother, and that was not okay. When Jack told Gracie he wanted her to write to Gavin each time she wrote to him, she was not happy. Gracie was going to write him, but she wasn't going to make it easy. Little did Gracie and Gavin know that those letters were going to change their lives forever.

Mr. Man Candy


Alessandra Hart - 2018
    Visit a tropical island, meet a rich, handsome player and root for the bad boy in Alessandra Hart's newest standalone romance novel. Going to a destination wedding should be fun, right? Not when there's a +1 on the invite, and you're painfully single. I don't want to face my family without a date, so I've told them all about my gorgeous, charming, all-around-amazing boyfriend. The only problem? He doesn't exist. In walks Nate Scott. Playboy. Loaded. Handsome. Bad news. He's also my only option, and surprisingly, he agrees to be my fake boyfriend during the wedding festivities. Neither of us know what we're really getting into with this game of pretend, though. We started off as enemies, but suddenly, I don't hate his guts. Suddenly, his smirk is more dangerous than annoying... and suddenly, my fake feelings have turned very real. So maybe he's not just man candy after all. The island weather isn't the only thing heating up, because I might just be falling for my very fake, very handsome and very off-limits boyfriend...

Saddler's Secret


Nicole Rodrigues - 2019
    Heartbreaking circumstances thrusts me into motherhood, and on the plane ride home, I break down, kissing a total stranger and the angel offered me a solution; Saddler Enterprises. I've climbed the ladder and worked my ass off for months, and in walks, Adam, our intern. I try to keep things professional but all of a sudden, I start to find him funny and charming. His kiss electrifies me but that's precisely when shit really hits the fan.Suddenly, I'm on the mysterious Machlin Saddler’s radar. Big, bad CEO that never makes his way to our floor, now makes it his new stomping grounds. He lights my body on fire like no one has before. He's alluring and gorgeous and I'm being pulled in two different directions. Only the new intern isn't who I think he is. He's the perfect stranger from the plane I took to start my new life with Kenzie. The perfect stranger I kissed. The perfect stranger I hate.Genevieve LangstonThe breathtaking woman I haven't been able to keep my mind off of, has been my downfall. I need her like a lion needs prey but I can't screw up the plan. She'll hate me, hell she already does, but the line between love and hate is very, very thin.

Roots and Wings


M. Mabie - 2016
    Yet, all could think about was Mutt, or at least that’s what they called her.To me, she was gorgeous and witty ... and perfect. She knew more duty than desire, more perseverance than passion, and more acquaintance than affection, but here was no way I’d ever want to change her. In fact, I was dying to show her the life she'd been missing, but first she'd have to trust me enough to tell me her real name.I wanted to plant roots, but I refused to clip her wings. Not when she was everything I’d been looking for and all the home I’d ever need.Roots and Wings is a standalone contemporary romance. If you're looking for a good time, then you've come to the right place. Welcome to Wynne.

Cocky Chef


J.D. Hawkins - 2017
    But when you're the best at what you do and have the hottest restaurant on the west coast, with enough Michelin stars to make Gordon Ramsay's head spin, you've earned the right to your confidence.When I give an instruction in the kitchen, it's not a suggestion--it's an order. So when a new chef thinks she can do things her way, and dares to say so to my face, even her sharp wit and gorgeous pouty lips don't make it okay. But I have to admit, she's got talent. She's creative in the kitchen and not even that double-breasted chef jacket can hide her perfect body. As I get to know her, I can't help wanting to know everything she thinks. I've never met a more talented chef. And I've never met a sassier and sexier woman in my life. There's only one way this push and pull can end.With her in my bed, begging for more.

Foster


Jessica Ashe - 2015
    I’m even better in the bedroom. Foster I guarantee clients the best result possible. I guarantee women a night they will never forget. I always keep my promises. Women get one night with me and that’s it. Then April comes along and turns everything on its head. Now I’m her boss, and if she thinks she’s going to get off lightly, she’s going to be in for a big, thick, throbbing surprise. April Life as a law student is tough enough, without having to deal with people like Foster Arrington. He caught me at a vulnerable moment. That’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it. I’m sensible enough to know better, but his muscles, tattoos, and predication to violence are impossible to resist. Now I have to work with him. And he’s going to be my stepbrother. He hits on me all the time, but that’s not the problem. The problem is I think I like it. A lot. Foster is a standalone novel with a HEA and no cliffhangers.

Dirty Work


Chelle Bliss - 2016
     ReaganI hate him. Jude Titan is everything that’s wrong with the male sex: cocky, domineering and loaded with swagger. Oh, and did I mention he’s a Republican? Yeah, the guy’s so conservative he leans to the right when walking. And lucky me, I’m running against him for Senate. But I’ve got plenty of fight in me. A golden boy war hero opponent with a smile that leaves melted panties in its wake? Bring. It. On.JudeDamn, she’s sexy. Reagan Preston intrigues me from the moment I lay eyes on her. And speaking of laying…I want between those thighs. But I want to make her burn for me first. Every debate and stolen moment is foreplay for us. She claims she hates me, but her body tells a different story. I plan to win this election, but I also want to win the sharp, fiery Democrat who captures my attention like no woman ever has. Politics is filthy, just like all the things I want to do to Reagan Preston.

Macon


Marie James - 2017
    Sing country music, go on tour, top the charts—with my popularity growing every day, I was on my way.All it took was a gust of wind that blew up your skirt, and those white cotton panties had me hooked. I didn’t know your name, and you turned down every attempt I threw your way. But I knew you were different, even though you told me I was the same.“Just friends” is what you offered, and I played by your rules, but, Adelaide Hatfield, you have to know, from that day, it was only you.I just hope I can make you see how much you mean to me before we both drown in the sorrow of what heartbreak will bring.

Fix Her Up


Carey Heywood - 2017
    Fresh off a bad divorce, she decides to rebuild her life from the ground up - starting with a fixer-upper that's got more leaks than the Titanic. Deciding to tackle this project alone might be her biggest mistake of all.... That is, until Noah Thompson shows up at her front door like a knight in a shining tool belt and makes her an offer she'd be crazy to refuse.Noah's sexy, rugged, and good with his hands, but Finley swears she doesn't need his help - in the basement, or in the bedroom. Can this unlikely couple build a future together? Or will this be one fixer-upper that is better off left alone?(A fun and sexy Contemporary Romance, ages 17+.)