Book picks similar to
Taking Charge by Bridgitte Lesley


not-interested
romance
contemporary-romance
standalone

Wait With Me


Amy Daws - 2018
    When romance novelist Kate Smith suddenly gets writer's block as she's beginning the final installment of her international bestselling erotic Bed 'n Breakfast series, she'll do pretty much anything to get her groove back. Like sneak into a Tire Depot waiting room because her words flow there just like complimentary coffee-smooth, sweet, and scorchingly hot. She manages to fly under the radar until the rugged and charming mechanic, Miles Hudson, notices the quirky redhead slinking in and out of the employees only entrance. But she's way too intriguing to blow the whistle on. Doing a test-drive of her new book idea sounds like a much better option.

Unsocial


Nicole Dykes - 2016
    A successful business owner of a custom car and motorcycle shop in Oklahoma and master of my own destiny. Other than my best friend and business partner my life is my own, and I answer to no one. Then my life changes with a single phone call and I’m back in Kansas fighting for guardianship of my four younger siblings. Now I answer to her, Brooke Porter. Brooke I’ve devoted myself for the past six years to my dream of being a social worker. My very first case are the Monroes, and professional and personal boundaries blur as I become closer to them. Now my dreams are of Dylan. The attraction Dylan and I have is heading us straight to unsocial behavior. What will we be risking if we give in? *Unsocial is a New Adult Romance novel that contains mature content and is not suitable for anyone under 18

Beneath Him


Komal Kant - 2014
    When Sky Hudson first has a run-in with tall, dark, and handsome Nicholas Ruggarson, she wants nothing more than to throw her coffee at him. He is rude and arrogant, and she is glad she never has to set eyes on him ever again. Or so she thinks. It turns out, not only does she have to see Nick again, she also has to live with him. Hired as the new nanny to work for Nick’s affluent family, she can’t seem to get away from the womanizing jerk. With a hot and cold relationship, and an undeniable attraction between them, Sky might finally be the woman to break through Nick’s arrogance and discover that there is more to him than she ever imagined. If she doesn’t kill him first. *Recommended for readers aged 18+ due to language and sexual content. **This novel is a standalone.

Ellie and the Harpmaker


Hazel Prior - 2019
    And in that barn, you’ll find Dan. He’s a maker of exquisite harps - but not a great maker of conversation. He’s content in his own company, quietly working and away from social situations that he doesn’t always get right.But one day, a cherry-socked woman stumbles across his barn and the conversation flows a little more easily than usual. She says her name’s Ellie, a housewife, alone, out on her daily walk and, though she doesn’t say this, she looks sad. He wants to make her feel better, so he gives her one of his harps, made of cherry wood.And before they know it, this simple act of kindness puts them on the path to friendship, big secrets, pet pheasants and, most importantly, true love.

Between Now & Never


Laura Johnston - 2015
    Telling me something I don’t understand. A splitting pain, a longing to slip back under. They tell me I was in a hit-and-run, but I can’t remember what happened that night. All I know is that I woke up with pictures in my pocket, a card from one of those photo booths in the mall. And I’m in the pictures. Cody Rush. Me and…Julianna.Her brother was there that night, and my dad, the FBI agent, was the one who put her mom behind bars. What’s the connection? And why won’t Julianna talk to me now? Somehow, she holds the key to it all, and getting close–real close—to her for the answers I need will be no hardship at all…

Falling Into the Black


Lauren Runow - 2017
     I left the world I knew to create a new life for myself. Away from the lies. Away from the pain. It was all going as planned until a friend asked for help with her club. The business was liberating. The company was intoxicating. Two masked men became my euphoria. One was a player deep in the game. A teacher both intimately and figuratively. The other was a quiet director. A man who tempted me with his stares and set me on fire with his dark whispers. His secrecy excited me, bringing me to levels I've never imagined. I thought we were playing a game, but little did I know he knew exactly who I was. I just wish I figured out his true identity before I fell for his best friend.

Island of Secrets


Tammie Clarke Gibbs - 2010
    Everyone thought the man was crazy.Shane Alexander was determined to prove to the world that his family wasn't crazy... That HE wasn't crazy.It was working...Until he made one mistake...that would change his life forever...and force him to question his own sanity.Something was missing from Lila Fitzpatrick's life...So doing a friend a favor...and pretending to be someone else for a day seemed like a good idea at the time.Then she finds a warning note...from hundreds of years BEFORE she was born.And then if that wasn't bad enough...She met HIM...TWICE!For centuries a force has kept them apart...But, will Love be enough to finally keep them together...Or will history repeat itself? A Time Travel- A Love Story filled with Suspense-A Mystery that will keep you guessing til the end... Former Georgia Author of the Year Nominee, Tammie Clarke Gibbs has crafted a sweeping new time travel with the old-fashioned appeal of your favorite Gothic Novel. It will keep you guessing. This is one roller-coaster ride you won’t want to miss.

Branded


Lora Ann - 2014
    Believing his soul can never be restored, he covers his pain and heartbreak with money. The more the better—as his heart is nothing but ice. Aimee Taylor makes a decision that will haunt her forever. Unfortunately life doesn’t come with a do over; therefore, she makes the best out of what she has.An unforeseen circumstance brings these two together again, even though, neither can explain how or why the other seems so familiar. As love tries to heal this wounded couple, a common adversary seeks to destroy. Please note: This book has strong language, violence, and sexual content. Not intended for readers under the age of 18.

It Takes Two


Lily Zante - 2015
    She loves her husband very much.But something's missing. The sparkle, the fairy dust, the magic.Her life can't all be about dirty laundry and diapers. Can it?Rona Fernández left Verona with a clutch of happy memories. Her late night and frequent visits to the charming Gioberti's restaurant had raised some eyebrows but nobody was overly suspicious of why she would go alone each evening.Not even her husband.But back in Denver discontent soon pushes its way back into Rona's world and life soon pales in comparison to the memories of heady nights in Italy.Married and still looking hot despite a baby and almost seven years of marriage, Rona prides herself on looking good and getting noticed.It's just a shame that her hard-working husband is too busy working to pay her much attention.So when her sister asks for her help, back in Verona, how can she refuse?Especially when Gioberti's restaurant and its intriguing customers provide a pull for her that she finds hard to ignore.After all, a harmless flirtation every now and then isn't such a bad thing. As long it stays that way.But what happens when reality doesn't live up to expectations? Will it be too late to realize that what she had all along was far more precious than the things she thought she wanted?Maybe winning her husband back will be the hardest thing of all.Rona's story, is the first in the Italian Summer Series. It is a standalone story with a HEA and contains no cheating or cliffhangers.

The One That Got Away


Bethany Chase - 2015
    She’s well on her way to having the family she’s hoped for since her mother’s death ten years ago. But with Noah on a temporary assignment abroad and retired Olympic swimmer — and former flame — Eamon Roy back in town asking her to renovate his new fixer-upper, Sarina’s life takes an unexpected turn.Eamon proves to be Sarina’s dream client, someone who instinctively trusts every one of her choices — and Sarina is reminded of all the reasons she was first drawn to him back in the day. Suddenly her carefully planned future with Noah seems a little less than perfect. And when tragedy strikes, Sarina is left reeling. With her world completely upended, she is forced to question what she truly wants in life — and in love.Full of both humor and heartbreak, The One That Got Away is the story of one woman’s discovery that, sometimes, life is what happens when you leave the blueprints behind.

Everything


N.B. Baker - 2014
    Baker’s Everything is an impressive debut that proves no secret is ever really buried. Ella Stone is struggling to pick up the pieces of her life. Abandoned by her parents when she was an infant, both of the grandparents who raised her are now gone. Facing her future for the first time, Ella decides to move to Detroit in order to be near her two best friends. After a misguided relationship with a man she finds in bed with another woman, Ella begins doubting her life-changing move. That is, until she meets Chance St. John. When Chance fends off a brutal attack, he and Ella share an instant connection. As the two get to know each other, their passionate exploits both in and out of the bedroom make way for a deeper connection for which neither one was quite prepared. But despite their increasing closeness, Ella can’t shake the feeling that Chance is hiding something from her. His frequent nightmares and skittish responses point to a secret in his past that haunts him still. While Ella attempts to uncover Chance’s mysterious past, her own life takes a turn for the strange. As Everything builds to its explosive climax, Ella must discover the truth before Chance’s dark past consumes them both.

Angelo


Lisa Carlisle - 2020
    A neuroscientist in danger.And one dance that might give them a second chance... CatherineA stranger has been warning me about my research for the government. My coworkers tell me not to worry, but it bothers me. I can't let it show, though. This is my first time as a project lead. At least, a weekend wedding in Newport promises a much needed escape.But when I come face to face with Angelo DeMarchis, that illusion shatters.He's the one who got away.And he's grown even sexier after all these years.That's when I realize I'm in even more trouble.And once again, the price might be my heart.AngeloI've needed this leave for a long time, but the memories haunt me no matter where I go.Even at a wedding--a happy occasion--where I run into a woman from my past.Catherine has become even hotter since high school. I wouldn't mind spending every minute I'm home with her.There's only one problem.Her research has gotten her into trouble. She downplays the warnings, but I'm not buying it.I have ten days to make sure she's safe.She's mine and I won't let anyone get to her. This time I'm playing for keeps.Meet the DeMarchis family in this series by USA Today bestselling author Lisa Carlisle. Navy SEALs, Marines, and hometown heroes -- each who encounters his most complicated mission yet when he will find a woman from his past challenges his plans for his future.

Beyond Grace's Rainbow


Carmel Harrington - 2012
    Only Grace is adopted and her one previous attempt to connect with her birth mother resulted in bitter disappointment.But with her young son, Jack, to think about, and the return of her ex Liam, Jack’s father, reminding her of feelings she’d thought she’d buried long ago, Grace refuses to give up hope just yet. With the help of her friends she bravely embarks on a journey of discovery

Perfectly Impossible


Elizabeth Topp - 2020
    An artist at heart, Anna works a day job as a private assistant for Bambi Von Bizmark, a megarich Upper East Side matriarch who’s about to be honored at the illustrious Opera Ball.Caught between the staid world of great wealth and her unconventional life as an artist, Anna struggles with her true calling. If she’s supposed to be a painter, why is she so much more successful as a personal assistant? When her boyfriend lands a fancy new job, it throws their future as a couple into doubt and intensifies Anna’s identity crisis. All she has to do is ensure everything runs smoothly and hold herself together until the Opera Ball is over. How hard could that be?Featuring a vibrant array of characters from the powerful to the proletarian, Perfectly Impossible offers a glimpse into a world you’ll never want to leave.

Christmas Fantasy


Janelle Denison - 1999
    Then he met Teddy Spencer. She was smart, sexy...and terrified of commitment. But she also needed him--to play the role of her lover at the company Christmas party. Austin was willing to take the job...as long as he could convince her to make it a full-time position!