Book picks similar to
Touched by You by Elle Wright


romance
contemporary-romance
netgalley
poc-author

Tough Love: A Forced Proximity Romance


Melanie A. Smith - 2021
    Smith comes a standalone steamy contemporary romance about life choices, love, and finding yourself in between. Sometimes you need a bit of tough love to get where you’re supposed to be … Mia Anderson has been living a life that was chosen for her. But her impending thirtieth birthday is the wake-up call she needed to stop wasting time on all the wrong pursuits. Just as she’s figuring out what she wants to do about it, her beloved grandmother falls ill and Mia drops everything to be with her. What she didn’t expect to find in her grandmother’s tiny mountain town is the courage to quit working for her father, supplied by a little tough love from her Gran. Now faced with an uncertain future, the last thing on her mind is finding love. Nate Edwards is living a solitary life deep in the Cascade Mountains of Washington. He’s content, or at least he thinks he is — until the granddaughter of a good friend shows up and he starts having feelings he thought he’d never have again. But Mia’s future isn’t in Alpine Ridge, so acting on it would lead to nothing but heartbreak. Still, their connection is undeniable and circumstances continue to push them together, despite their resistance. Will Mia stick to her decision to carve her own path? And if she does, will it be with Nate? Or is he doomed to an isolated life?

Ramón and Julieta


Alana Albertson - 2022
    Whether that means collecting Ivy League degrees or growing his father's fast-food empire, nothing sets Ramón off course. So when the sexy señorita who kissed him on the Day of the Dead runs off into the night with his heart, he determines to do whatever it takes to find her again.Celebrity chef Julieta Campos has sacrificed everything to save her sea-to-table taqueria from closing. To her horror, she discovers that her new landlord is none other than the magnetic mariachi she hooked up with on Dia de los Muertos. Even worse, it was his father who stole her mother's taco recipe decades ago. Julieta has no choice but to work with Ramón, the man who destroyed her life's work--and the one man who tempts and inspires her.As San Diego's outraged community protests against the Taco King take-over and the divide between their families grows, Ramón and Julieta struggle to balance the rising tensions. But Ramón knows that true love is priceless and despite all of his successes, this is the one battle he refuses to lose.

Flashpoint


Skye Jordan - 2021
    One I've managed for two years.Right up until she starts dating again, which kicks off a heated argument and ends in a soul-searing kiss. Once that line is crossed, there's no going back.I eat, breathe, and sleep firefighting. It's not just what I do, it's who I am. I fuckin' love this job. I never thought I'd ever let anything come between me and my career, but Natalie isn’t just anything. In fact, she's everything—everything I never knew I wanted but now can't live without.The odds aren't in our favor. If this job doesn't tear us apart, the secret I've been harboring will.

Wet for Christmas


Mia Ford - 2018
    David's hips shimmied and my heart stammered.How could anyone say no to that rock star god with a voice like an angel and moves like the devil?I didn't even try.Anyway, it was just one night. One crazy, skin-tingling, earth-shattering night.At least that's what I thought. Then David showed up. Again.He says he wants me, but I think he just wants to shed his bad boy image. His leather-clad looks go with the billionaire lifestyle, and I don't think he's about to change.Not for me.But it's not just us now. There's a family growing inside me, and I'm starting to think David deserves a chance.I've never been lucky in love, but this time it looks like luck found me.

Candidly Yours


Reese Ryan - 2020
    She doesn't do flings. But neither of them can deny the sizzling attraction between them. Layla St. John has the talent, creativity, and drive to start her own clothing line. What the big-hearted entrepreneur lacks is the capital. So when a celebrity photographer offers to connect her with investors if she’ll let him feature her in his photography series about Caribbean carnival culture, it’s a deal she can’t refuse. But Layla can’t help being attracted to the brilliant artist. Too bad he’s her little brother’s former best friend and way too young for her. Quincy Johnston has spent the past ten years making a name for himself as a photographer and avoiding complicated relationships. But when an impromptu trip to his small hometown, Pleasure Cove, leads to a chance encounter with the woman he's been crushing on since he was a kid, Quincy gets a taste of the deep connections he's been missing. Can Layla and Quincy move past their relationship fears and take a chance on turning their short-term, secret fling into a shot at forever?

Electric Impulse (Love, Life & Sex #1)


Angel Hilson - 2018
    A powerful novel touching on prevalent issues within the black community, it brings to light the effect of the absence of one parent, it calls into question the definition of family, while highlighting socioeconomic disparities, racial discrimination and the journey one takes to discovering who they really are. At times it’s heartbreaking and complex, in the same vein as An American Marriage by Tayari Jones. And at other times, it’s sexy and intriguing, endearing and entertaining as the reader trails the inevitable ups and downs of the main characters’ relationships. ELECTRIC IMPULSE invites you on a journey of self-discovery, immersing you in a tale of intense attraction, brazen passion and wild love.Aria Davenport is a girl with a plan. Meet the family. Graduate. Get engaged. And it's happily ever after. Unfortunately, her blissful dream of a life with her longtime boyfriend is cut short when she discovers his future plans don't include her. Adding injury to insult, he drops the news the day before graduation, in a very public way. Suddenly, life after college doesn't look so sweet.In walks Phoenix Prescott, a Forbes-celebrated real estate mogul. He just so happens to be a VIP, seated at one of her tables at Club Lotus. The moment he sees Aria, he can’t turn away. Her unassuming beauty and fiery personality make her a magnetic allure that Phoenix simply wants to possess. Their mutual attraction is explosive and undeniable. Their sexual chemistry overrides good sense. And they're both yearning for love. But, will the complications in both their lives, end it all before it's begun? *This book contains explicit adult scenes and sensitive subject matter. For a Mature Audience.

Goldie and the Billionaire Bear: A Clean Billionaire Fairy Tale Romance


Catelyn Meadows - 2019
    For Adrian, Goldie fits him just right. Goldie Bybanks is terrible at following directions. After a mysterious letter arrives from a long-lost aunt, Goldie sets out to find answers. But one wrong turn leads to another. The sun is setting. There isn't a town in sight, much less a hotel. Before digging herself too deeply into this mysterious area, Goldie decides to stop for the night at an abandoned cabin. Adrian Bear is shocked to discover a beautiful blonde sleeping in his family fishing cabin. His weekend plans to locate his father's missing lock box quickly veer into an attempt to help Goldie find her long-lost aunt instead. It isn't only because Adrian is the type of man to help a person in need. But because the woman who ate his oatmeal, sat in his chair, and who he discovered sleeping at his cabin is too captivating to let go. She's no catch-and-release. She's a keeper. If only he could convince her of that. With a fake-boyfriend ploy, playful, quirky banter, and heart-fluttering romance, you’ll love getting lost with Goldie and Adrian in this clean, contemporary Goldilocks retelling by Catelyn Meadows! True love with a twist. These billionaire fairy tale retellings take beloved stories you know and add a pinch of modern, a dash of happy, and a whole heap of clean, swoon-worthy romance. Shaken, not stirred. You and your kindle will find yourselves drinking it up. Each fairy tale romance can be read individually, in any order. Read all of Catelyn Meadows' books! Once Upon a Billionaire: Contemporary Fairy Tale Romance: 1. Goldie and the Billionaire Bear 2. Aaliyah and the Billionaire's Lamp 3. Ella and the Billionaire's Ball 4. Alice and the Billionaire's Wonderland Magic Valley Sweet Romance: Billionaires and Big Deals Clean Christmas Romance: Second Chance Christmas

Never Christmas Without You: Just for the Holidays / His Holiday Gift


Nana Malone - 2017
    Even if that means inventing a fake girlfriend to take home for the holidays. His best friend, Alex Winters, reluctantly agrees, but it's not easy to keep her long-buried feelings for Justin under wraps when they're sharing a room…a bed…a kiss. Christmas in Catalina is turning out to be hotter than anyone expected, but is theirs a love for all seasons? His Holiday Gift by Reese RyanPleasure Cove's prodigal son just got the ultimate Christmas surprise—Madison, his five-year-old daughter he knew nothing about. Maddie's aunt, Mikayla Mitchell, was once one of Dash Williams's best friends…and his secret admirer. Now, seeing the sexy, ambitious lawyer with his little girl, Mikayla's more smitten than ever. And Dash is starting to realize Mikayla's the only one who could make his days merry and bright, and fill his nights with bliss…

If You Must Know


Jamie Beck - 2020
    Amanda follows the rules—at the school where she works; in her community; and as a picture-perfect daughter, wife, and mother-to-be. Erin follows her heart—in love and otherwise—living a bohemian lifestyle on a shoestring budget and honoring her late father’s memory with a passion for music and her fledgling bath-products business.The sisters are content leading separate but happy lives in their hometown of Potomac Point until everything is upended by lies that force them to confront unsettling truths about their family, themselves, and each other. For sisters as different as these two, building trust doesn’t come easily—especially with one secret still between them—but it may be the only way to save their family.

Small Town Secrets


Alys Murray - 2021
    One year’s room and board provided.”I should have known it was too good to be true when I first saw the ad. It turns out that Fortune Springs, Colorado isn’t just a one-horse town, it’s a two-woman one, and this is their attempt to keep the community alive. I want to say the scheme is ridiculous, totally outdated, but I’m carrying everything I own in my canvas backpack and the greyhound I stepped off this morning is long gone. If this is my chance at a fresh start, I’d better grab it with both hands.I know I should feel guilty about pretending to be a lonely heart willing to help repopulate this rural logging town, but all I feel is relief at having escaped the apartment in Savannah. And after all, what’s one more secret to add to the pile? I only hope I’ve hidden my tracks well enough, and that the kind Fortune Springs locals who’ve opened their doors to me will never find out what made me run away in the first place…An emotional, gripping story full of family drama. Fans of Carolyn Brown, Robyn Carr and Debbie Macomber will be hooked.

Starlight Cottage


K.T. Dady - 2021
    A small close-knit community where you’ll find chocolate box cottages, quaint shops, love, drama, and a happily ever after.Snuggle down with this cosy, feel-good, comfort read that whisks you away to a beautiful bay on the Isle of Wight – Perfect for fans of Christie Barlow, Phillipa Ashley, and Holly Martin.The Pepper Bay books are standalone stories that intertwine with recurring characters. Best read in order for maximum enjoyment.Starlight Cottage: Anna Cooper and Jake Reynolds both live at a luxury London building. The only difference is that Jake lives in the penthouse, and Anna lives in a tent on the roof.When Jake finds out, he offers Anna a chance of a new life in his grandmother’s childhood home in Pepper Bay, and she decides to take the opportunity to see if she really can make a fresh start somewhere else.The beauty of Pepper Bay, with its quaint shops, chocolate box cottages, and all of Jake’s closest friends, immediately fills Anna’s heart with nothing but love, and it isn’t just Starlight Cottage that she finds herself falling in love with.

Driving Heat


Zuri Day - 2015
    --RT Book ReviewsThe Blue-Collar Lover SeriesMeet the Carter brothers, five hard-working men with a lot to offer. They may not be wealthy but they're rich in integrity and loyalty--not to mention sex appeal. They just need the right women to share their world. . .At thirty, eldest brother Byron hasn't dated seriously in a while--not since he became a single dad to his beloved baby girl. Besides, he's found that most women can't see past his job as a bus driver, and he's not interested in that type of superficial foolishness. When he meets Cynthia Hall, her disinterest is obvious. Still, there's something about her. . .Cynthia has been successful in her career and unlucky in love. But those two worlds collide when Byron ends up in her office on business. It's a coincidence that casts him in a very different light than she's previously seen. Too bad he's not the upscale professional Cynthia had in mind. Yet given the chance, she might discover that while money can't buy happiness--a loving and passionate man can. . .

Grumpy Best Friend


B.B. Hamel - 2021
    I had to escape my drunk, abusive father, but leaving her behind was the biggest mistake of my life.Now I have another shot at making things right. Jude’s new boss wants to build a factory outside of Philadelphia, and she brings me in to help.I’m thrust back into Jude’s world, and not much has changed. She’s still beautiful, still hilarious, and still hates my guts.Little by little, she’ll remember why we fell in love back in high school. I’ll make her pout, then make her laugh— then make her strip down and kiss me.And soon I’ll have her back, all grown up and perfect.Or else I'll lose the empire I built with my own calloused hands.Another hot grumpy man! Watch Lady Fluke’s assistant Jude find her happily-ever-after with Bret while they both face their broken pasts and grow together. It’s steamy and fun and I think you’ll fall in love with protective, growly Bret just like I did. As always, Grumpy Best Friend is a full length standalone novel with no cheating, no cliffhanger, and a happily-ever-after guaranteed. Enjoy! XO BB

Play to Win


Ja'Nese Dixon - 2020
    Jayda’s a single mother uninterested in another relationship until she sees Kamal with her daughter.Every rejection will only make his victory sweeter. He plans to lick, taste, and devour her like the delicacy she is until the world, her ex, and Jayda recognizes his name tatted on every inch of her curvy body.Kamal never plays by halves, and Jayda has a thing or two to show this deviously handsome player. But when the past runs an interference, they’ll learn in matters of the heart there are no rules.

The Apology Project


Jeanette Escudero - 2021
    She’s been fired for not compromising her principles in a high-profile case and then punching her partner in the nose for the misogynistic comment he made in retort (not her finest moment). Leaving a career that gave her purpose, Amelia can only ask, What next?Let it be better than her epic failure of a fortieth birthday party: an open bar full of no-shows except for John Ellis, a total stranger and the new associate at her ex-firm. As it turns out, though, he’s very good company—and a wake-up call. With the help of John and a lot of champagne, Amelia considers the people she’s wronged, from old besties to former boyfriends to coworkers. Amelia resolves to make amends—to those who really deserve it.One apology at a time, Amelia’s looking at the choices she’s made in the past, the new ones she’s making with John, and those she’s making for herself. What next? Maybe a second chance she never expected.