Book picks similar to
This Wasn't Supposed to Happen by Lizzy Barlow


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Falling for You


Giselle Green - 2011
    In desperation, Rose borrows from pagan knowledge and casts a spell.

Afterglow (Four Corners Book 1)


Artemis Anders - 2018
    But when a friend's party means facing her ex and the woman he left her for, Teagan skips town and heads to the scorching heat of Arizona.She never expects to meet Aaron, an Army Major who's smoking hot... and also coming off a divorce. He's so not her type, but he gives her two days and one sizzling night to remember.When Teagan returns to Colorado and her man-free existence, Aaron keeps finding excuses to see her and inch his way into her heart. But when Aaron's past finds them, it threatens to shatter their connection... and break Teagan's heart for good.If you love steamy romance with heart-stopping twists and an HEA, you'll love Afterglow.Afterglow is a standalone novel in the Four Corners series.

Some Call it Love


Sarah Peis - 2017
    A mistaken arrest, an unpaid debt and a trip to Vegas. Rock-bottom, meet Willa. One thing I learned this week: Never choose an essay topic based on the movie Thor and Chris Hemsworth’s abs. Another—probably more important—thing I also learned: Drooling when staring at Jameson Drake is not a good look. I thought my week was as bad as it would get, until I find out my dad owes Jameson a lot of money. And I’m supposed to pay it off by working for him. Now I have a new job, a huge debt to pay off and a hot boss who takes broody alpha to a new level. When I find myself on my way to Vegas to bail my dad out, Jameson insists on coming along. Things go from bad to worse, as they usually do when my family is involved, and Jameson turns into my savior. Now I’m faced with a choice: Keeps things professional or explore the chemistry between us. But honestly, who can resist a knight in shining armor? This romantic comedy is the first book in the Some Call It Series and can be read as a standalone.

The Valentines Day Proposal


Bella Winters
    I want to make my father proud.He wants me to take over part of the business.Now, I’m stuck in a small townAnd the only way out is to keep my eye on the prize.It sounds easy enough until…I meet the sexy redhead who steals my heart.

Risky Business (Wrecked Roommates)


Kelsie Rae - 2022
    Yes, I climbed into Jake Jensen’s lap and kissed the crap out of him in a crowded bar to make my ex jealous.Yes, I lied to my family and told them I’m in a relationship with the guy, even though he doesn’t know my name or my family’s connection to one of the hottest software companies in the US.Yes, I’m now on my way to convince him to be my fake boyfriend for my father’s company retreat in exchange for...whatever the heck he wants if it’ll get me out of this mess.And no, I’m most definitely not interested in his smoldering eyes or the way his hands feel against my body.Because whatever’s burning between us?It isn’t real.We’re both a means to an end.And there’s no convincing me otherwise.

Falling for Mr. Bingley


Kate O'Keeffe - 2021
    As in she’s read Pride and Prejudice fifty-one times, her favorite movie scene is the boombox serenade in Say Anything, and she goes to sleep every night certain that one day she’ll meet her prince and get her happily ever after.That’s why she entered the reality TV show, Dating Mr. Darcy. Everyone knows Mr. Darcy is the most romantic hero of all time, so the guy posing as him has got to be as close to perfect as any guy can get.The only problem is it’s not Mr. Darcy who’s got Phoebe’s pulse rising. It’s his best friend, Johnathan Bentley a.k.a. Mr. Bingley, the show’s presenter. Not the bachelor.Despite knowing she’s breaking the rules, Phoebe begins to snatch secret moments alone with Johnathan. But when someone discovers them, things begin to get complicated.Secrets, lies, and blackmail. Will Phoebe and Johnathan’s love story survive?Falling for Mr. Bingley is the first book in a spin-off series of the Love Manor Romantic Comedy series. Each book can be read as a standalone title.Originally published as A Very English Love Story in the Love in the City box set, this story has been expanded into a full-length novel with new scenes.

Call Sign: Baby Daddy


J. Haney - 2019
    My name is Ozmond Zayne and after nearly fifteen years in the US Armed Forces, ten of them as a US Navy SEAL, I am about to face my greatest of foes. A wife and daughter.

First Love: Single Dad Billionaire Romance


Scarlet Wilder - 2018
    I read many of Scarlet's books and I love this one the most." (Reviewer) | "This book is riveting! (Reviewer)SarielleLiam was my first - my first love and the first man that I’ve made love to. Only, our lives were worlds apart and his family did everything they could to keep it that way.Ten years later, we meet again by chance.He somehow ends up smarter and sexier, and he still has the same effect on me.Only now, life is more complicated for us both, and he needs a pretend fiancé.What good is living your dream when you know that it’s just a lie?What good is having a dream if you never take the chance to live it?I was young and naïve the first time around and thought just because we loved each other, that would be enough, but it wasn’t. It turned out love wasn’t enough, and I thought I’d lost him forever.Moving on, but never really getting past the loss, I built myself a life, even got myself a cat, but never managed to fall in love again. I had no idea that just seeing him again would make me realize why.LiamA Baby!!I didn’t think it could be real until that DNA test was sitting right in front of me.Now, I’m all this little girl has, and I’m not about to let her down.I made up my mind years ago about the kind of dad I’d one day be and now that fatherhood came sooner than I planned, I'm even more determined to keep that promise.In my world, money isn’t a problem, but I still need to keep my shareholders and business partners happy.I need to find a wife, and soon, as my daughter needs a mother and the success of my business demands it.They say money can solve all problems – so let’s see if it can buy me the future I secretly desire.First Love contains adult language and situations. The book is intended for adult audiences. Don't worry about cliffhangers or sad endings because you won't find one here. Standalones are where it's at so sit back and ride this hot romance story all the way to the HEA.

Always a Will and a Way


Barbara Gee - 2014
    Their comfortable routine is interrupted when her late husband’s parents contact her out of the blue, after nine years of total silence. Promising to explain everything, they request that Kelly bring James to visit them at their Texas ranch. It’s the last thing Kelly wants to do, yet she feels an unexplainable prompting to go. With the fervent hope that the visit will be good for James, she books the plane tickets and prepares herself for a very uncomfortable week. Heading into “enemy territory", the last thing Kelly expects is to meet a man who leaves her breathless, the first man to turn her head since she lost her husband. A relationship with Will Connor seems totally out of reach, but the handsome young cowboy refuses to let Kelly’s fears keep them from exploring what God might have in store for them. As they overcome obstacles and start to see a future together, one final snag causes Kelly to question their happy ending. Is Will actually better off without her? Is she strong enough to give him up?

Ruby Slips and Poker Chips: A Modern Day Wizard of Oz Romantic Comedy


Heather Kindt - 2017
    . . until Dottie’s given a free trip to Las Vegas. Second-grade teacher Dottie Gale lives in the tiny town of Quandary, Kansas, which is pretty much smack dab in the middle of nowhere. No mountains. No ocean. No life. Her ex-boyfriend and current school board member, Corbin Lane, cheated on her, making school functions more than a little awkward. But worst of all, a tornado named Maxine Westward rips through Dottie’s school as the new principal and has made her life at work a living hell. When Dottie is chosen to go to a teacher’s conference in Las Vegas, she knows her life is going to change. Driving from Quandary to Vegas, three strangers enter her life. Through a string of situations involving poppies, flying monkeys, and a life-size sculpture of an iconic rock star the four soon become inseparable. So, when Westward arrives on her broom in Vegas, Dottie is ready for battle. Her boss black mails her with stories of incarceration, thievery, and a steamy relationship with her travel companion, but Dottie knows that those who hurl insults shouldn’t hold secrets of their own. Editorial Reviews "I had so much fun reading this and spotting all the clever twists, it was very entertaining. In fact I’m tempted to re-read it, to find more of the subtle hints. I’ve also been to a few of the places mentioned in the book which meant an extra thumbs up for me. I would definitely recommend to readers who enjoy a modern take on a good original oldie." Roses are Amber

My Favorite Half-Night Stand


Christina Lauren - 2018
    A UC Santa Barbara professor, she’s a female-serial-killer expert who’s quick with a deflection joke and terrible at getting personal. And she, just like her four best guy friends and fellow professors, is perma-single.So when a routine university function turns into a black tie gala, Mille and her circle make a pact that they’ll join an online dating service to find plus-ones for the event. There’s only one hitch: after making the pact, Millie and one of the guys, Reid Campbell, secretly spend the sexiest half-night of their lives together, but mutually decide the friendship would be better off strictly platonic.But online dating isn’t for the faint of heart. While the guys are inundated with quality matches and potential dates, Millie’s first profile attempt garners nothing but dick pics and creepers. Enter “Catherine”—Millie’s fictional profile persona, in whose make-believe shoes she can be more vulnerable than she’s ever been in person. Soon “Catherine” and Reid strike up a digital pen-pal-ship...but Millie can’t resist temptation in real life, either. Soon, Millie will have to face her worst fear—intimacy—or risk losing her best friend, forever.

Smooched


Susan Renee - 2021
    McKay,You don’t know me at all, but I’m the love of your life.My name is Kim Dailey and as of just about five minutes ago, you and I are in a very serious committed, relationship. Hot and heavy of course because well, let’s face it, I hear you have a twelve pack under those scrubs and I’m basically a doppleganger for the star of Scandal. (I’m sure you’ve seen it. If not, the internet is your friend.)Anyway, here’s the real story.I’m celebrating my birthday in Pete’s Bar tonight. Low and behold, Tammy, AKA old high school mean girl, walks up to me to say hello and tries to one-up me. She even made fun of my Happy Planner stickers! Anyway, I may have told her that I was seriously dating the most prestigious, most attractive pediatric oncologistthis side of the Rocky Mountains (that's you by the way) and that we were shopping for the perfect ring. That seemed to shut her up.So yeah. That happened.She deserved it, I swear.If you’re a decent man, and I hear you are, maybe you’ll just let that little white lie slide if she brings it up during the Seattle CARES Charity Event. Oh, and if you need an out for bringing a date, I told her I might not be able to make her event. That’s a lie too of course. I’m more than available if you need a date, but I’ll hold to that little fib just for you if you need me to. You’re welcome.The new love of your lifethat you have yet to actually meet and fall in love with,Kimberly Dailey.ps. Please don't sue me. I can't afford the legal fees.

Sweet Pastries & Sourdough: (Little Duck Pond Cafe, Book 15)


Rosie Green - 2021
    But when Katja's ski-ing holiday ends in disaster, a new teacher must be found very quickly. Anita is up for the challenge, but - fresh from a break-up and an operation that's left her feeling physically and emotionally vulnerable - the last thing she's looking for when she moves to Sunnybrook is a new relationship. So it's Sod's law that she should find herself with not one but two guys vying for her attention. Sven, from Denmark, is a bit of an enigma - but maybe passion lurks beneath his cool reserve? And as for twenty-five-year-old football coach Ross - surely she'd be asking for trouble getting involved with a gorgeous man a decade her junior? (Although her football-mad son Rufus seems to love him.)Moving in with Bertha proves a real comfort - but can Anita get to the bottom of what's troubling the older woman?Anita's job at the True Loaf Bakery is only temporary, but she finds herself drawn ever deeper into life in the village - especially when she finds a child's bracelet from long ago, in the rubble of the newly-renovated building. Solving the mystery of who it belongs to takes Anita on a journey of discovery - a journey that might just help her discover what her own heart really needs...

The Layover


Lacie Waldon - 2021
    She's got one trip left before she bids her old life farewell, and she plans to enjoy every second of it. But then she discovers that former pilot Jack Stone -- the absurdly gorgeous, ridiculously cocky man she's held a secret grudge against for years -- is on her flight. And he has the nerve to flirt with her, as if he doesn't remember the role he played in the most humiliating night of her life. Good thing she never has to see him again after they land....But when their plane encounters mechanical problems, what should have been a quick stop at the Belize airport suddenly becomes a weekend layover. Getting stuck on a three-hour flight with her nemesis was bad enough. Being stranded with him at a luxury resort in paradise? Even with the sultry breeze and white sand to distract her, it will take all the rum punch in the country to drown out his larger-than-life presence.Yet the more time Ava spends with him under the hot Caribbean sun, the more she begins to second-guess everything she thought she knew about him... and everything she thought she wanted from her life. And all too soon, she might have to choose between keeping her feet on the ground and her head in the clouds....An unexpected tropical layover with her nemesis turns a flight attendant's life upside down in this witty, breezy debut romantic comedy about life -- and love -- 30,000 feet above the ground.

Chasing Lucky


Jenn Bennett - 2020
    When they return to her historical New England hometown years later to run the family bookstore, Josie knows it’s not forever. Her dreams are on the opposite coast, and she has a plan to get there. What she doesn’t plan for is a run-in with the town bad boy, Lucky Karras. Outsider, rebel…and her former childhood best friend. Lucky makes it clear he wants nothing to do with the newly returned Josie. But everything changes after a disastrous pool party, and a poorly executed act of revenge lands Josie in some big-time trouble—with Lucky unexpectedly taking the blame. Determined to understand why Lucky was so quick to cover for her, Josie discovers that both of them have changed, and that the good boy she once knew now has a dark sense of humor and a smile that makes her heart race. And maybe, just maybe, he’s not quite the brooding bad boy everyone thinks he is…