Book picks similar to
Coming Home by Rebecca Barber
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Cop of the Year
Kathryn Shay - 1998
Her specialty is troubled teenagers. A teacher in a public school for years, she knows kids and the men and women who teach them!"In COP OF THE YEAR master storyteller Kathryn Shay pens an emotionally powerful tale that leaves you breathless. Woven into this riveting plot are wonderfully written characters that grab your heart and don't let go. Bravo Ms. Shay!" RT Book Reviews***Winner of Best Superromance of the Year, the Golden Leaf Award and the Desert Quill Award as well as numerous 5 star ratings from reviewers.***The last thing by-the-book Captain Mitch Lansing wants to do is work in a high school classroom to improve relationships between at risk kids and the police department. Mostly, he doesn’t want to deal with teenagers. But when he meets unorthodox teacher, Cassie Smith, his world goes off kilter. So does Cassie’s. She's totally against all he stands for, so why is it she finds herself attracted to him? The further they go into the year, the more they’re drawn to each other. And the more the kids also come to care about Mitch. However, because of his past in Vietnam, he tries to distance himself from everybody. He can’t, and he must learn to accept Cassie and her kids into his life. With several highly emotional scenes and deeply moving situations, this story will go straight to your heart.Praise for COP OF THE YEAR:“Kathryn Shay writes from the heart! Her stories are about real people with real lives. You will laugh and cry with her characters. COP OF THE YEAR is sure to be one of the best books to hit the shelves this year!” The Literary Times“Prepare yourself for a fabulous emotional ride that will have you reaching for the tissues and leave you with a renewed sense of hope.” Genie Romex Reviews“Kathryn Shay has penned a most unusual novel. The teacher/cop relationship feels natural enough, and the dialogue is a standout. But oddly enough, though I found the romance to be satisfying, it's the secondary characters of the kids I remember most from the story. The teenage pregnancies, the gang involvement, the drug usage all are a part of today's high school scene, but Shay makes this a story of hope, not despair. The ending almost brought me to tears. Three cheers!” The Romance Reader“Ms. Shay writes a strong and compelling dissertation on a very real and complicated social issue of our time, weaving in an unforgettable, touching love story.” Old Book Barn GazetteIf you like books about cop romances, teacher romances and teacher student relationships, be sure to read the rest of this high powered series, BECAUSE IT’S CHRISTMAS, COUNT ON ME, BETWEEN TWO WORLDS and IF YOU WERE MINE.
Every Little Piece
Kate Ashton - 2013
A story of love, hope and healing.** Needing the truth… I wanted to spend the night before graduation making out with Seth, but one of my best friends had the whole night planned. Lucky for me, we ran into him and his friends playing pool where we made some silly bet over a game, and the losers had to run through town in nothing but their underwear. A year later, I wish more than ever we’d just made out at Raker’s Bluff instead, because maybe the night would’ve turned out differently. Now Seth’s back, the guy who broke my heart, the guy I’m still in love with…I just hope he doesn’t break me all over again. Desperate for redemption… No one wants to fess up to having a screwed-up family. When my parents dropped the big divorce bomb on me, I decided to keep it a secret. Just the thought of the pity-stares and pats-on-the-back made me feel sick. I’d tell Haley and my friends another time. Except, I never got the chance. Stuff happened. Stuff that totally sucked and changed our lives forever. Instead of telling my truth, I took the coward’s way out, and I’ve regretted it ever since. But I’m back, determined to tell Haley everything, down to the last gritty detail, if she’ll give me the chance…even if it means losing her forever.
Payback
Kristin Harte - 2018
When a motorcycle club blows that plan apart, I’ll do anything to make them aware that they picked the wrong town to target. As a former Green Beret, I know just how to sabotage an enemy. The only weakness in my armor is my attraction to a five-foot-nothing blonde who unknowingly holds my heart in her hands. My obsession with her could cost me my life, but I’d sacrifice it all to save hers.She owes a debt that could cost her lifeI’ve spent three years hiding out in Justice and paying off a debt to the Soul Suckers, one they’ve decided to collect whether I’m ready to pay or not. When danger lands on my doorstep, one man jumps in to help. Alder Kennard—former Special Forces soldier and current object of all my fantasies. But the Soul Suckers won’t let a debt go unpaid, and with the price on my head rising every day, it’s only a matter of time until they come back for me. Alder would put his life on the line to save mine, which is something I simply can’t afford.Everyone has a debt to pay, and the only currency I have left is my body. So when the time comes, I’ll trade my life for his.
Falling for Mr. Wrong Series: Books 1 - 3
Jenny Gardiner - 2019
WrongIf lusting after him is wrong, she doesn’t want to be right…Harper Landry sometimes feels like she’s turned into a professional dater. Which might not be such a bad job if it didn’t involve having to spend so much time with a succession of truly undesirable men who were obviously still single for good reason. So she’s elated when she ends up on a blind date with the charming and handsome Danny Greevy, a man who seems too good to be true. But Harper’s starting to think that too good to be true might be downright perfect for her. Particularly when the man who launched her man-drought shows up unexpectedly to throw a wrench in her life yet again.Noah Gunderson is back in town after traveling the world for the past several years. Forced to return home after promising his mother on her deathbed to save the beloved inn that she’d nearly run into the ground, he’s planning to get far away from Verity Beach just as soon as he’s got the inn back in the black. And he’s determined not to let the distraction of Harper Landry, the one that got away, keep him here a moment longer.Falling for Mr. MaybeIf it swells, ride it…Georgie Childress moved to Verity Beach to lick her wounds after her controlling fiancé pulled a runner mere weeks before the wedding. Jobless and desperate to flee his turf, she sought solace in the quietude of the ocean, happily escaping into her own thoughts while surrounded by diving dolphins and cacophonous seagulls. Only when she accidentally runs over some random—and super sexy—surfer dude’s surfboard does she start to wonder if she needs to bring her head out of the clouds and start paying attention to life again.Spencer Willoughby long ago fled his rigid upbringing, shunning the familial expectations of an Ivy League education and Wall Street career in favor of the sun, sand and surf along North Carolina’s Outer Banks. Give him a surfboard and he’s a happy man. That is until some nutty lady with a penchant for fender-benders backs into his beloved hand-crafted wooden surfboard, snapping it in half. It’s enough to make a man crazy—crazier still because the kooky blond is making his blood run hot.Just when he finally gets the woman out of his head, Spencer is unwittingly paired off with her at a wedding as a favor to a friend, forcing him to make nice with his board-murdering nemesis who he might just want to ride off into the sunset.Falling for Mr. No Way in HellTaking the plunge…Lacy Caldwell’s mermaid gig at a cheesy roadside beach bar provided much-needed income while she pursues her graduate degree. That is until the beloved owner dies and her greedy nephew announces he’s cashing out by closing the bar and selling the property to a developer who’s going to replace the kitschy charm of the Mermaid’s Purse with ocean-view condos.Cameron Sanders can’t believe his good luck. Struggling financially, he’s thrilled to find out some random, ancient aunt he hardly knew died and left him an inheritance that’ll help take the money monkey off his back. He’s ready to go to the mat in battle when some annoying mermaid from the bar tries to throw a wrench in his plans. But things get complicated when he realizes that she’s a woman he’s started to have feelings for.
First Comes Love
Lydia Michaels - 2012
Four years after the scandal of her young pregnancy, Kat has finally managed to come to terms with her otherwise lackluster life. Budgeted to the penny and scheduled to the minute, Kat’s highest priority is her daughter, Mia. After being deserted by Mia’s father, abandoned by her conservative family, and broke to the point of near starvation, Kat has grown into a woman incapable of trusting others with her happiness. She is determined, for the sake of her daughter, to maintain a simple, organized life, free of unnecessary pleasures. However, when Tyson Adams, a successful, African American entrepreneur, becomes her new neighbor, Kat learns that some pleasures are too sweet to resist. A beautiful telling of the power of love, the fear of diversity and a mother’s unconditional sacrifice that bursts with emotion, touches the heart, and erupts with passion. Unforgettable.
When We Left
Elena Aitken
He needs her to see how he’s changed. Can time really heal everything and make a second chance at love possible? Reeling from a painful divorce, and with a teenager in town, Cam’s returned to her hometown to heal. Not only is Timber Creek the only place that’s ever felt like home, her best friends are there...and the first boy she ever really loved. Evan has only ever loved one woman. Sixteen years ago he knew he wasn’t good enough for her, but now she’s back, and time has a way of changing things.Cam’s got her hands full trying to come to grips with her new life. The last thing she needs is to get involved with Evan again. But their attraction is impossible to ignore, and the connection that existed between them so many years ago is still very much alive.This could be the second chance they’ve always wanted, but there are years of hurt and misunderstandings between them. Never mind the truth of the past and the reality of the present that could once again threaten to pull them apart. This time for good.
His Christmas Princess (The Princess Brides Book 2)
Kathleen O'Brien - 2017
The tiny island kingdom is the perfect place to raise her baby daughter. But when Emory, the sexy heir to the throne and her almost lover, comes home after a year-long hiatus, her perfect life is shaken to its core. Emory's spent his whole life putting Vicenza's interests over his own. After taking a year off to live the kind of life he always wanted, he's returned and he's committed to the throne. But when Willow and Emory meet again, the attraction between them ignites, as white-hot and hopeless as ever. Emory can't betray his commitments, and Willow must protect her heart at all costs. One way or another, one of them will lose everything. The Princess Brides Series Book 1: His Defiant Princess Book 2: His Christmas Princess
Hope Over Fear
J.A. DeRouen - 2014
I don’t deserve pity or sympathy. I’ve made my bed. I left Mason and ripped his heart to pieces as I ran away. The guilt and sorrow consume me, threatening to choke me everyday.But today is a new beginning. Today is the day I will wake up with a renewed resolve and determination to do better … to be better … to be worthy. My name is Sara Preston, and this is my story about what happens after.
A Fake Marriage Boxset: 5 Sweet Fake Marriage Romances
Anne-Marie Meyer - 2019
Marrying a Cowboy When a fake marriage turns real. Emma seems destined to be the perpetual bridesmaid. Especially when her one potential groom dumped her on her birthday a year ago. Austin must fulfill his grandmother’s marriage stipulation in order to inherit his grandfather’s ranch. After a broken heart, he decided that love isn’t going to be a requirement for marriage anymore. Both are at the mercy of every do-gooder matchmaker, so they concoct a plan. A fake marriage between the two of them would be beneficial for both. What could go wrong? When they fly to Austin’s Montana ranch, they’re optimistic that they’ve come up with the greatest arrangement. When the relationship is fake, no feelings get hurt. Until it’s no longer fake. Marrying an Athlete Kissing was a mistake. Anna’s life has been in a slump ever since her boss and boyfriend—who happened to be the same person—dumped her. Michael’s running from a stupid mistake. When Michael’s little sister, McKenna, who happens to be Anna’s best friend asks for a favor, they both agree. It was simple. Fake a marriage and join McKenna and her husband at a marriage counseling resort. Besides, the drunken kiss they shared two years ago was definitely a one-time mistake. If they can only leave their feelings in the past, they just might survive this island getaway. Marrying a Billionaire The contract said it all, feelings were forbidden. Lillian is desperate for a job. Six months pregnant and recently divorced, she needs health insurance. Now. Reed is trying to get over his broken heart and to make matters worse, he discovers that he needs to be married to inherit his family’s billion-dollar investment company. But marriage isn’t in his future anymore, so it doesn't matter. Out of desperation, Reed’s mom puts in a call to an elite matchmaking agency to find him a contract wife. After an episode of mistaken identity, Lillian finds herself contractually obligated to marry Reed. Which is the ideal relationship for the both of them. When a contract is involved, no one gets hurt. Until feelings begin to change. Marrying a Prince To save the prince, she must agree to marry him. Marianna has sworn off men. After all, they only hurt you the moment they have the chance. Prince Leonardo is in America with one mission: propose to the woman he doesn’t love because his parents think it will be the best thing for their country. When he hits his head, he fakes amnesia with the hopes that his parents will let him off the hook. After all, they wouldn’t force him to marry someone he doesn’t remember, right? Wrong. Desperate to get away, Leo “accidentally” proposes to Marianna. The plan is perfect.
Keeping Score
Shannon Stults - 2019
Years later, Logan is back in her small hometown and ready to prove to everyone (especially herself) that she's not that same girl anymore. But the new life she's so carefully constructed starts to tear apart the second she runs into Cole Tucker. Logan thought she'd put her childhood rival and their adolescent games behind her, but it takes her only one night before she’s forced into one final game, a series of hilariously immature challenges that has the whole town keeping score. A game that, should she lose, could destroy everything she's built her new life around.
The Social Experiment Boxed Set
Addison Moore - 2018
Rowen and Sophie say they aren’t. INCLUDES: The Social Experiment, Bitter Exes and Chemical Attraction. Rowen Garret is a jackass of the highest order. I knew signing up for some experimental dating experience would not pan out to be a good thing, but after kissing a stranger in the dark for five solid savory minutes only to have the lights come on and expose him for the jerk he is, I have the sudden urge to strangle my new roommate who talked me into this nightmare. Sophie Meyer is a handful. I should know, I hung out in her living room for so long I became a fixture. But that was when her older brother, Braden, and I actually got along, before he snatched my longtime girlfriend out from underneath me and stopped speaking to me as if I were the one who hijacked his life. And now here I am with his feisty little sister in my arms, her face lit up in horror at the thought of what we’ve just done. I would never kiss Sophie Meyer under normal circumstances, never even entertain the thought. Nope, this was a bad idea through and through. This is one social experiment I never want to think about again. But one thing is for sure. I will never forget that kiss. From the NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY bestselling author, Addison Moore— Cosmopolitan Magazine calls Addison's books, "...easy, frothy fun!"
Unexpected Treasure
Melody Anne - 2013
In this new series, you will meet Richard Storm and his five children, and the circumstances that ripped him away from his brothers, Joseph and George Anderson. See how they finally meet. The bonds of an Anderson bloodline are too strong to keep their family apart forever.Richard Storm is saddened that his children are throwing away their lives, and offers them an ultimatum. They have two years to take a failing business and make it a success or they lose their trust funds, and are on their own. His stubborn children think he’s gone insane, but they don’t know the powerful secret that can knock them to their knees and tear their family apart. Will they come together as they should, or will self-centeredness consume their hearts, ripping their family apart forever?Crew Storm opens an exclusive resort in the Catalina Islands off the coast of California, and pride swells within him as he accomplishes the impossible. Everything is going on track until a blonde steps into his life and asks him to teach her how to be the perfect seductress.Haley Sutherland is done with her fears, done being a wallflower and done being invisible. She comes up with a brilliant idea to find the perfect person to teach her how to seduce the man she truly wants. Though, the person she’s chosen to be her teacher is Crew Storm, soon she finds she’s forgetting her first love’s name.This story will take you on a journey through the heart as Crew teaches Haley more than she ever imagined, and finds himself gaining more than he thought he needed.Reunite with the Andersons as they discover new relatives and meet this new branch in the Anderson line. Will love truly conquer all, or will stubbornness make them lose everything they never knew they had.
Tempt
Alexis Anne - 2015
And let’s be honest, I wasn’t exactly a damsel in distress. I wanted Theo, so I took him. Hard and passionately without any regard for the consequences.At first it was just sex. Wild sex. Fantastic sex. But once wasn’t enough and I got greedy. In all fairness, so did he. One thing led to another and before either of us knew what was happening our lives were tangled up and messy. Inextricably linked. I’d fallen in love with a stranger.And that was the problem.Theo Sutherland was a man with a dark past and a price on his head. My life was at stake just for being with him.One kiss was all it took to make me believe in love.One heartbeat was all it took to turn him into the hero he never thought he’d be.
Good Girl Gone Plaid
Shelli Stevens - 2013
In high school Sarah fell for her best friend’s older brother—one of the sexy, Scottish McLaughlin boys. But a painful betrayal showed her she’d been a fool to give her heart to a bad boy. At least it made it easier to leave him and move halfway around the world when her Navy dad got stationed in Japan. Eleven years later, the death of her grandmother has forced Sarah back to Whidbey Island for a month. It’s the length of time she must stay in her inherited house before she’s allowed to sell it, take the money and run. But when she sees Ian, bad as ever and still looking like sin on a stick, she can’t keep her mouth from watering. One look at Sarah stirs up the regret lingering in Ian’s heart—and never-forgotten desire lingering in his body. He should walk away, especially since divorced single mothers aren’t his style. But when she starts showing up at his family’s pub, he can’t resist a little casual seduction for old time’s sake. One thing quickly becomes clear, though. The heat between them is causing an avalanche of secrets and betrayal and nothing will ever be the same.Product Warnings: A bad-boy hero who’s good with his hands, a heroine who’s trying to be good. Contains liberal consumption of Scotch whisky, a Highland Games competition, men in kilts wielding large poles, and a potential Sarah McLaughlin of the non-musical kind.
Career Soldier: Fort Lee Tour of Duty Box Set One
Tawdra Kandle - 2020
They fight with honor, they defend their nation and their brothers fiercely, and when they love, they do it with single-minded passion.Maximum ForceMax Remington has never been anything but a soldier. The oldest son in a family that served our nation for generations, he’d never considered any other path. The army is his life, his home and his one true love.
Until he meets Samantha Crewe.Temporary DutyKade Braggs grew up wild and free, surfing on a California beach without much ambition, until an impulsive decision led him into joining the Army. What started out as a joke turned into a career, and now he’s a company commander, leading several platoons of soldiers. Still, Kade does it all on his own terms; he plays as hard as he works, and having a good time is non-negotiable.
Until he meets Leah Samson.Hitting the SilkOnce upon a time, Delia Rollins was an Army wife, until the unthinkable happened. Now as a young widow and school teacher, she’s vigilant about protecting her heart. Her number one rule for the future? No more military men in her life. She can’t handle the risk. Until she meets Shaw Kincaid.