Book picks similar to
The Distraction by Morgan Elizabeth


romance
contemporary
grumpy-sunshine
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Deny Me


Fiona Cole - 2015
    He was traditional, carrying the weight of his whole family on his broad shoulders, and I had been taught to never fall in love, focusing on my career instead of a future with anyone.He tried to deny me, tried to deny the passion simmering between us, bubbling under the surface of every game we played.But all that changed during one week in Jamaica. Falling into bed with Jameson was easy, but falling in love was out of the question.

Bad Apple


Selena . - 2021
    If getting out of this hellhole town means spending my last two years of high school at an elite academy full of rich, entitled pricks, then bring it on.“Girls like you don’t belong.”The arrogant and infuriatingly gorgeous Dolce brothers reign supreme in the hallowed halls of Willow Heights, and they don’t welcome my kind. Especially when I get in their way, don’t play by the rules in their twisted games, and refuse to bow to the cruel tyrants who run the place.“Girls like you are bad news.”Royal, Baron, and Duke Dolce set their sights on me. They think a poor girl will be an easy target, that they can break me and bring me to my knees like the girls who came before me. But the Dolce boys underestimate me. In this town, even girls from the trailer park hide deadly secrets. Secrets that could destroy them.After all, it’s those from the wicked world of wealth and privilege with the most to lose.This book is not RH--the main character ends up with ONE love interest.This is the start of a brand new, dark high school bully romance/enemies to lovers story featuring a damaged anti-hero and a heroine who fights her own battles. It is not for the faint of heart. It is in *no way* safe. I don't want to list specifics bc they are spoilers IMO, so I'll just say this. If you have triggers or hard lines, avoid this book. 18+ readers only.

The Wreckage of Us


Brittainy C. Cherry - 2020
     I know I should stay away from Ian Parker. But when my drug-dealing stepdad kicks me out, I have nowhere to go. Squatting in an abandoned shed on Ian’s grandpa’s farm seems like as good a plan as any. Ian finds me there, of course, and he insists on me moving into his spare room. I should say no, but the appeal of a roof and a warm bed is too much. Not to mention Ian’s brown eyes and strong arms. We’re nothing alike, but the spark between us is undeniable. My life is finally looking up. Until I call the cops on my stepdad and unintentionally get my pregnant mom arrested. Now I have to sacrifice my dreams to take care of my mom’s baby. She’s the only family I have left. Meanwhile, Ian’s band is taking off; his dreams are coming true. Ian is my one chance at love. I just hope he doesn’t become the one chance that got away.

Praise


Sara Cate - 2022
    His good girl. Broken down and wounded by my emotionally neglectful ex, I wanted someone to tell me I was good enough. Then, I stumbled into a new job with a boss who brings me to my knees—literally. He has me do things a real secretary would never do.Emerson Grant tells me I’m more than just good enough. I’m worthy of his praise.There are a million reasons why I should stay away. The owner of the Salacious Players’ Club is not just my new boss, he’s twice my age. And my ex-boyfriend’s father.With him, I am treasured. I am adored. I am his.I’m a good girl, but I’m falling for the wrong man. Emerson Grant knows what he wants—And he wants me.So how far will I go to hear his approval?

Pawns in the Bishop's Game


Emilia Finn - 2019
     His job is to keep his kingpin boss safe and off the local law enforcement's radar. But when Jessica Lenaghan - immediate family to the police that just won't mind their own damn business - steps into Kane's world, his protective instincts take a wild one-eighty and his focus shifts to someone other than the man he works for. Jess is months away from sitting the bar exam, but she has a point to prove: she doesn't always have to be the good, dependable girl in the family. But dipping her toes into Kane's world turns into something she never anticipated. When drugs, guns, and wh*res are involved, all bets are off. Join the crew on a nail-biting ride of adrenaline, murder, and one good-girl shooting at her bad-boy because he annoyed her one too many times. SHELTER is book 1 in The Checkmate Series, and can be read as a complete Standalone.

The Lie


Karla Sorensen - 2021
    Especially not hotheaded tight ends with tattoos and impulse control problems. That’s why Dominic Walker is completely off my radar. Sort of. Babysitting the team troublemaker when he’s forced to volunteer for the foundation where I work means I can’t exactly avoid him. I wish I had though. Because once I get to know Dominic, it’s almost impossible to ignore the feelings he brings out in me. Pretty soon, I’m breaking all my rules. I just have to hope he doesn’t break my heart in the process.

He Saw Me First


M. Johnson - 2020
    . . but only for a moment.The next night, he was waiting for me.He sat there in his expensive suit and watched.No participation.My only acknowledgement was the look of lust in his eyes.It continued until the night before I left,when I found a card under my door.No words. Just a number. So, I texted him.I’d never done anything like it before.It felt so dirty and wrong, but at the same time, I felt alive.He was much older than me, so intimidating and sexy.He made me feel things no man ever has.I was under his spell.The last thing I expected was to ever see him again.

Ruthless Stranger


Maggie Cole - 2021
    One I can’t see, only feel, thanks to my friends who make a deal with him on my behalf.No names. No personal details. No face to etch into my mind.Just him, me, and an expensive silk tie.What happens in Vegas is supposed to stay in Vegas.He warns me he’s full of danger.I never see that side of him. All I experience is his Russian accent, delicious scent, and touch that lights me on fire.One incredible night turns into two. Then we go our separate ways.But fate doesn't keep us apart. When I run into my stranger back in Chicago, I know it’s him, even if I’ve never seen his icy blue eyes before.Our craving is hotter than Vegas. But he never lied.He’s a ruthless man…”Ruthless Stranger” is the jaw-dropping first installment of the “Mafia Wars” series. It’s an interconnecting, stand-alone Dark Mafia Romance, guaranteed to have an HEA.

The Bratva's Heir


Jane Henry - 2021
    Mine to protect. And mine to control…

Tangled Love


Haley Jenner - 2020
    A bloody and vengeful penance for wrong doing. She was our way to inflict pain and suffering on those who took away what was most important to us. She was supposed to be a no one. Insignificant. She wasn’t supposed to make me smile. She wasn’t supposed to make me laugh. She sure wasn’t supposed to make me feel anything other than hate. She wasn’t supposed to make me love her. She was a means to an end. Now the bloody and vengeful end looks to be mine. Because it now comes down to love or loyalty and it’s on me to decide what reigns absolute; heart or family.

Cocky Chef


J.D. Hawkins - 2017
    But when you're the best at what you do and have the hottest restaurant on the west coast, with enough Michelin stars to make Gordon Ramsay's head spin, you've earned the right to your confidence.When I give an instruction in the kitchen, it's not a suggestion--it's an order. So when a new chef thinks she can do things her way, and dares to say so to my face, even her sharp wit and gorgeous pouty lips don't make it okay. But I have to admit, she's got talent. She's creative in the kitchen and not even that double-breasted chef jacket can hide her perfect body. As I get to know her, I can't help wanting to know everything she thinks. I've never met a more talented chef. And I've never met a sassier and sexier woman in my life. There's only one way this push and pull can end.With her in my bed, begging for more.

The NewlyFEDS


Logan Chance - 2019
    How deep undercover will these two go to catch the bad guy? Special Agent Vin Mills has everything he’s ever wanted. Sweet job. Rock hard abs. Buns you can bounce a coin off of. And a money laundering mob boss who’s about to go down. The only thing standing in his way is fresh off the desk bombshell in heels, Special Agent Addison Buckley. She’s just destined to screw everything up. Addison Buckley has one thing she wants—a promotion. The only thing standing in her way is egotistical and tattooed hottie, Vin Mills. The department wants them to pose as newlyweds and blend with the residents in one of the most prestigious and nosy neighborhoods in Colorado. A few touches, a few kisses, no problem. Saying and doing are two different things, and this is one game of espionage these two rivals never bargained for. Will these NewlyFEDS be able to catch the bad guys, or get caught under cover first?

Bad Habit


Charleigh Rose - 2017
    Even bruised and bloodied, he was the most beautiful boy I'd ever seen. We couldn't ever be together. I was too young, and he was too untouchable. He was too troubled, and I was too naive. But the heart is rebellious, and mine decided it didn’t care about any of those things. As I got older, harmless flirting turned to stolen moments in dark corners. Until one day, he was gone without a trace. Now, three years later, he’s back. Callous and cruel. He’s my brother’s best friend. My parents’ worst nightmare. I should hate him. But like a Bad Habit, I can’t quit him. ASHER I was drawn to Briar Vale from the first time she looked up at me with stars in her big, blue eyes. She was just a kid, nothing but elbows and knees, but she was the most beautiful creature I'd ever seen. We could never be together. I was too old and she was too off limits. She was too good and I was too fucked up. Eventually, the temptation became too much to resist. I risked everything for a kiss and she betrayed me. Three years have passed and I’m forced to see her again, but now she's all grown up. She’s my best friend’s baby sister. My downfall. I hate her for what she did. But she's always been my drug of choice

Vein Of Love


R. Scarlett - 2016
    On the eve she turns nineteen, Molly leaves for her birthday party against her parent’s wishes, sick of their warnings about her “betrothal to a demon.”Except that she’s very much betrothed, and he’s very much a demon—one who’s only agreed to the nuptials to steal Molly’s ancient daemon powers. Brash, arrogant, and built like a Greek god, Tensley Knight keeps showing up to save Molly from otherworldly attacks, only to insult her a moment later.As Molly learns more about the demon world, she realizes two things: that her family’s safety depends on a successful marriage, while any chance of freedom she’ll ever have calls for Tensley’s demise.Yet sometimes Molly spots a tortured soul beyond those liquid grey eyes, and there’s no denying the way her skin tingles when Tensley touches it. In Vein of Love, safety requires sacrifice, foe becomes lover, and one must decide whether to kiss...or to kill.