Book picks similar to
Whatever It Takes by S. Jones


romance
contemporary-romance
freebie
second-chance

Home to Stay (Clocktower Romance)


Becke Turner - 2020
    She’s determined to open Robey’s Rewards to support her family and honor her husband, but first she has to win the only available lease in historic Sunberry. Wouldn’t you know, Ryan is her competitor? And she for sure won’t be falling for him in the middle of a fierce competition.Desperate to keep her three teens inside the law, Ava moves to her hometown. Renovating Gram’s old farm will keep them out of trouble while she negotiates a lease in the historic district. Just when she thinks she’s achieved success, her wayward boys find more trouble. Worse, their rescuer turns out to be the Marine who led her deceased husband on his fatal patrol.She’s not falling for his kindness, his help with her boys, or his help repairing the farm. Besides, he’s trying to ease his guilt by helping out the poor widow and her kids. She almost lets down her guard until she learns he’s her competitor on the only available lease. Too bad for him because she and her boys are going to kick him to the curb and win that lease.Five years haven’t eased Marine officer Ryan Murphy’s guilt about losing the best man in his unit. Now, he’s losing his heart to the man’s widow. But how does he choose between a comrade and a widow, especially when the family he never believed he could have is right in front of him? If you like a second chance romance with a courageous woman willing to risk everything for family, you’ll enjoy Becke Turner’s award-winning romance HOME TO STAY. Escape to the Sunberry, North Carolina world of romance, pick up your copy of HOME TO STAY, today.

Still Not Over You


Aarti V. Raman - 2018
    All she wants is a second chance Once upon a time…Zara loved Dev with all her heart. Until tragedy struck them both.She chose to exile him from her life, their family, and the family business. She’s been paying for it ever since. Zara knows she’s never been enough to run the multi-millionaire family business. And not for the explosive secret that could destroy her already-fragile family. She needs help…she needs Dev to give her a second chance. Now…Dev is owner of the most-popular bar in SoCal – Geeks Will Be Geeks. He has his Caltech friends who stood by him when his own family abandoned him.When Zara cut his heart out and handed it to him on a plate.Until she walks back into his life and makes him an offer he can’t refuse.Become CEO of the family business and return as the prodigal son.Except, Dev wants more.He wants everything.He wants Zara.And all Zara wants is a second chance to do it all over again. Can love be enough to heal old wounds? Or is forgiveness an ugly word? Still Not Over You is a standalone interracial romance in the bestselling Geeks of Caltech series – a unique band of friends bonded by loyalty, pain and brotherhood. These heroes are to die for and their women all they wish to live for.

Secret Acquisitions


Raleigh Davis - 2019
    Fast.When I stumble onto a tech giant's plot to spy on everyone's phones, I know my security company is only one who can stop them. But my little start up needs money. Lots of it.Enter Mark Taylor, the hottest venture capitalist in Silicon Valley. And the only billionaire I know on a personal level. And the guy I reluctantly turned down in college.I'm in his office and ready to beg... but he's not the forgive and forget type.Mark: I never hear the word no. Not since I remade myself from a skinny nerd into the deal making playboy of Bastard Capital.January was the last woman to tell me no--and the one woman I can't forget. She's as enticing as ever, so I offer her a deal: I say yes to her in the boardroom and she says yes to me in the bedroom. A quick, scorching affair is exactly what I need to get her out of my system.But when a shadowy conspiracy threatens her company--and the privacy of everybody--all my protective instincts flare to life. And this quick affair is suddenly much deeper than we'd ever expected... Enter the world of Bastard Capital: Unrivaled men. Unimaginable wealth. Unlimited power. Books in the Bastard Capital SeriesSecret Acquisitions (Book One, Mark's story)Unfinished Seductions (Book Two, Logan's story)Competitive Instincts (Book Three, Finn's story)Intimate Mergers (Book Four, Paul's story)Hostile Attractions (Book Five, Elliot's story)Private Disclosures (Book Six, Dev's story)

Recklessly Mine


Emily Bowie - 2017
    It holds far too many painful memories of the life he had. But when Chase has to take an unexpected trip back to the small town, he is forced to deal with parts of his past he thought he had buried forever. Pulled into the buzz around town about the boy who ran away all those years ago, Katheryn’s heart skips a beat when she is literally knocked off her feet by Chase. He’s scruffy, sexy, and covered in tattoos that scream bad boy, with an attitude to match. Although he appeared to have forgotten about their brief encounter, she never could. For when he left all those years ago, he left with a piece of her heart. As they fall in love, Katheryn is slowly sucked into his world of corruption, family secrets, and lies. Forcing Chase to choose between Katheryn and the life he fought so hard to achieve. After all, isn’t everything fair in love and war?

When I Come Home Again


Jennifer Rodewald - 2020
    But in a matter of a year’s time, everything she’d counted on fell apart, leaving her devastated. Seven years later, she’s stable again. She has a supportive boyfriend, fulfilling career, and close friends. She keeps her past heartache where it belongs—in her rearview mirror. Until the man who broke her heart finds his way back to Big Prairie.Craig Erikson had it all—popularity, success, and the love of his high school coach’s daughter. But after a year of mistakes that ended in a tragic accident, he’d left Big Prairie—the place he’d thought to always call home—hoping that without his antagonizing presence, Brenna would be able to heal. Now his mother desperately needs him, as do two young boys in her care. Craig has little choice but to return for good.Unsure that she can forgive him, Brenna does her best to avoid him. Irritated that she ignores him as if they’d never meant anything to each other, Craig becomes determined not to allow it. Life in a small town forces their interaction, making them confront their unresolved issues and igniting emotions that have smoldered for seven years. As Craig and Brenna are pushed together, can they endure the hard places still littering their lives? If so, is it possible to find their way back to love and home again?

Billionaire Hotshot—Levi: A Modern Cinderella Retelling


Scarlett Avery - 2021
    No names.I’ve never regretted anything more in my life because God knows I’d sell my soul to know his name...It all started with a ball…I never believed you could fall for someone at first sight until I locked eyes with him… a stranger who quickly becomes an addiction––a man I don’t want to walk away from.Just like Cinderella, my time with my prince is measured in breaths.Forced to return to the shipwreck that is my life, I escape in the shadows of the night, my heart bleeding, leaving behind the one man who ignited my body and my soul…Life is unfair. I should know.I don’t even know his name…

Drawing Lessons


Julia Gabriel - 2015
    One that isn't an insta-love relationship, it builds with each lesson, making it much more romantic ... There are twists and turns in this story that one will not expect, which is a delightful surprise. Ms. Gabriel does an amazing job of making the reader want to turn every page and savor it." -- InD'Tale Magazine"Gabriel paints white-hot sex scenes."-- Kirkus ReviewsWhen you're enrolled in the school of hard knocks ...Marie Witherspoon can't catch a break. She's been dumped by her husband—a rising political star in Washington, DC—and humiliated by his gossip blogger mistress. Just when she's picked herself up and dusted herself off, her ex changes his mind and calls off the divorce.Falling in love with your teacher can't possibly make things any worse.There's just one hitch. Marie has rekindled an old hobby and her relationship with her new drawing teacher, French artist Luc Marchand, is way past the point of no return. With her heart on the line, she's prepared to do anything to keep from returning to her old life.Or can it?It's been twelve long years since Luc Marchand's life was shattered by a former student. Forced out of academia, he's walled off his heart and his career. Now he has a chance to revive both—if his past doesn't destroy everything for Luc and Marie.

Carter


Brie Paisley - 2016
    CarterShe’s always been the one for me.The one that I knew would be mine forever, until I made the biggest mistake of my life. I’ve tried to move on, and I’ve tried to put the memory of her behind me, but she’s always there, consuming my thoughts. Now, she’s back in our hometown, trying to rebuild a new life, but I know deep down, that she’s keeping secrets. She tries to hide them from me, but I will do whatever it takes to prove that I’m the one she needs. Shelby Ross is the other part of me that I can’t live without, and I refuse to let her go again. ShelbyHe broke my heart.I never thought that I would be able to pick up the pieces he left behind, so when he let me go, I ran away from it all, thinking it was the easiest thing to do. However, running always has a price, and I’ve paid it in full for years. Now, I’m back to where it all began, and it should’ve been easy. Carter Harlow is slowly reawakening long buried emotions that I thought were gone. He wants to make me his again, but I can’t let that happen. He ruined me once, and then broke my heart, and now, I’m afraid I’ll never survive it a second time around. This is a standalone series, and it does not have to be read in order.*

The Southern Roots Series


L.K. Farlow - 2020
    She doesn't need a man. After all, her Grams taught her a thing or two about making lemonade out of life's lemons.Then she meets Cash Carson.Reeling from a bad breakup, Cash has sworn off love. It led to nothing but pain and misery, and he’s determined to move forward alone.Until a redheaded Southern beauty crashes into him. With her shopping cart. At the local Piggly Wiggly.If love wasn't for him, why did his heart beat a little faster every time Myla Rose sent that sweet smile his way?He was no knight, and she didn't need saving.But damn if he didn't want to try anyway.AN UPHILL BATTLE: Azalea Barnes has hated Drake Collins since the day he broke her teenaged heart.Fast forward almost seven years later and her libido still hasn't gotten the memo.Now they're frenemies... with benefits.Which suits Azalea just fine. She gets what her body craves while keeping her heart safe.Kind of.Mostly.Drake has loved Azalea since the day they met. He knows that she's his forever. Too bad she only sees him as a good time. He wants more. Needs more.If only he could convince her that it's real this time. He's more determined than ever to prove to Azalea that chemistry like theirs doesn't exist only in the bedroom.The odds may be against Drake, but he's prepared to fight.WEATHER THE STORM: Magnolia Ellington is all too aware that dangerous things can come in shiny packages. Her husband made sure to teach her that.Desperate to escape his wrath—and his fists—she flees in the dark of night. Seeking safety and shelter with the only family she has left, Magnolia finds herself in the sleepy, Southern town of Dogwood—and in the arms of Simon McAllister.Simon has always been more of a thinker than a doer. That changes the minute he meets shy and mysterious Magnolia. She has him rushing into action, ready and willing to do whatever it takes to earn her trust.Slowly, with his steadfast determination and kind heart, Simon brings Magnolia out of her shell. But just as things start heating up between the two of them, the darkness of Magnolia’s past resurfaces, threatening to rip apart everything they’ve worked so hard for.With their future hanging in the balance, Simon fears he’s losing Magnolia. He must find a way to convince her they're better together.

Heartbroken


Gabrielle G. - 2020
    But the universe is funny that way. My life is proof of it—secrets and all.So I’m not surprised when he stands in my classroom before me as the parent of one of my students. Forgiving him when he walked away had always been hard, but not as hard as it is to finally tell him the truth.***Can you forget your first love?I didn’t.Even if I didn’t recognize her right away, the girl with a star-shaped birthmark was always somewhere on my mind. But she isn’t the competitive and driven seventeen-year-old captain of the girls hockey team I loved anymore.I don’t know what happened but she has lost her fire and never made it into the pros like she dreamt of.Now I know why, and it’s my turn to decide if I can forgive her. A second-chance, small-town romance novel you won’t be able to put down.

Broken Rules


Hanleigh Bradley - 2015
    Rules. Perfection.Aurora's lives her life by someone else's rule book until one night she meets Landon Peters, the unprofessional, sexy as hell, British billionaire CEO. He's seductive, downright naughty and yet somehow still a perfectly English gentleman.Together they begin an adventure of rule breaking, undeniable chemistry and hot sex. It's a whirlwind of giving and losing control.But what happens when the rules are broken and shocking secrets are revealed? Will this London Socialite and British Bad Boy be able to put their broken rules aside or will everything erupt in scandal?Broken Rules is the first book in a four book complete series.A one night stand with CEO bad boy and all round "manwhore" Landon Peters will change Aurora's life, if she'll take a risk and break some rules."A Brilliant, hot, steamy and thoroughly enjoyable read." - Bloggers Down Under

Guarded Dreams


L.J. Evans - 2019
    He’s got a five-year plan, his future in the Coast Guard, and friends who always have his back.And then Ava Abrams breezes into his life one summer day and tempts him in ways he can’t shake.A free spirit, Ava’s on the run, heading in the direction of her dreams. She's set her heart on Juilliard and country music stardom, not a happily ever after with a man she’s just met. Still, there’s something about Eli’s commanding presence that demands her soul take note.Just as they start to fall, her past forces them into a goodbye that leaves only the memories of a fairytale summer and the bitter taste of what could have been. Four years later, Eli stumbles into a bar with Ava on stage. And once again, she’s like a siren calling to him. Will he make the same mistake and let her slip away? Or will he build a new dream with her at its center?Inspired by Luke Bryan’s “Sunrise, Sunburn Sunset,” comes a slow burn, summer beach read about dreams lost and remade with vibrant characters, beautiful friendships, and families made along the way. "Just like the moon calls the tides, she has called me home. To her." Also available in The Anchor Novels: The Military Brothers box set with an exclusive novella.

Hidden Heart


Measha Stone - 2014
    He’s a man with determination.And after one evening with Jessica, he’s determined to claim her as his. Jessica is perfectly content keeping relationships casual. She’d rather fall in lust than love. And one glance at Royce- she’s definitely in lust. But Royce doesn’t kiss and bail. Jessica may try to hide behind a thick wall, but he senses the fires burning hot. If he has to break through kiss by kiss, he will.

A Romantic Suspense Series Bundle: First In Series Box Set


Stephanie St. Klaire - 2021
    Klaire comes a suspense packed collection driven by deception, murder, and corruption.Deadly secrets, fatal flaws and heart-stopping chemistry will grip you page by page as killers hide in plain sight and danger lurks at every twist and turn. From a rugged mountain town to the darkest corners of the world.Now available in one riveting box set—Rescued, Declan, and Close Encounter— high intensity, action-packed romance, guaranteed to blow your mind and take your heart hostage.

Exes and Goals


Heather C. Myers - 2017
    She has one.Harper Crawford is a big fan of the Newport Beach Seagulls, despite their abysmal previous season. It's been a year since Ken Brown's murder and Seraphina Hanson, Ken's youngest granddaughter, just survived her first year as the new owner and manager of the national hockey team. Barely. The last year was dismal to the point where Seraphina is making drastic changes. Like hiring Harper as their official blogger. Harper gets to travel with the team, write character pieces, critiques, game summaries, and the like. It's her dream job.Another change? Putting together practically a new team, including Zachary Ryan, first line center. At six foot four and two hundred and twenty pounds, he is tall, dark blond, and solid muscle. He's arrogant and direct and the minute he sees Harper at Taboo nightclub during a team bonding session dressed in a plaid shirt and converse sneakers, he has to get to know her better.Except there's a problem from her past that won't go away. Harper has an ex that won't stay in her past - where he belongs. He starts showing up at her place, reminding her of all the wrong choices she made, bringing up things she wants nothing more than to forget. When Zachary gets involved, things get heated and his notorious temper flares.Harper doesn't want to get involved with a hockey player - especially with an overzealous ex who won't leave her alone - but Zachary plans to change her mind. No matter what the cost.