Book picks similar to
Poggibonsi, An Italian Misadventure by Dan Alatorre
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His on the Rebound
Fiona Murphy - 2016
I’m going to hell. I can hear the nuns now, condemning me, and I deserve it. How could I have let Maxwell Brandt kiss me? A man I found disgusting at the way he treated woman—as if they were disposable, to be used then thrown away. It didn’t matter who he was, or how much money he had. He was a horrible person. Who the hell am I kidding? I’m just as bad because I let him kiss me. Then I did the unthinkable and kissed him back, with a hunger I’ve never felt before. All of this while my fiancé was in the same house. It was a horrible mistake, one that can never happen again. I love Kevin. I want to make a life with him, not be used by a man who won’t remember my name a month from now. What Kevin and I have built is real and I’m not throwing it all away. It didn’t matter if no other man, including Kevin, had made me feel the way Max did, it was wrong. Despite the fact Max keeps coming back to entice me, I stand firm. I won’t cheat on Kevin. I won’t become that person, no matter how badly my body wants him. I don’t want to want him. Until the moment he drops a bomb that destroys everything. Kevin has been cheating. His words destroy the illusion I’ve been hiding behind, because I know he’s telling the truth. Knew it in the way Kevin has gradually been pulling away... late nights out with the guys, his disinterest in me, and the way he’s twice pushed back the date of the wedding. I hadn’t wanted to believe, had been willfully blind to preserve the promise of a future with a man I believed I loved. All I want is to hide and lick my wounds, but Max won’t let me. With Kevin gone, he demands I fulfill the promise of that kiss. I don’t understand how a man like him wants a plus size woman like me, when my own fiancé refused to date me before I lost weight. Yet, he does, refuses to go away. In a rush of anger, pain, and hunger, I give in. The feeling of being wanted by a man like Max wiping away the humiliation of Kevin’s betrayal. Maybe a fling, a rebound affair, is exactly what I need. No promises, no expectations, and no broken heart. At least, that’s the way it started. Max Out of curiosity, to get a look at the fiancée who put up with a cheating weasel like Kevin Jarvis, I find myself looking into the bright green eyes of a woman who makes my body hard with longing. Then the weasel does the unimaginable and introduces green eyes as his fiancée. Even though she looks at my hand like it’s a grenade about to go off, she takes it and we both feel the attraction. We’re both in deep shit now, because I know she feels what I feel and I’m about to go after her, fiancé or not. I don’t care if she stays with Kevin. I just want her body. Besides, it won’t last long, desire never does and I don’t want her clinging after it’s over. Only, the bitch keeps pushing me away, denying us both the satisfaction our bodies crave. Her sanctimonious refusal as she uses Kevin and her engagement ring as a shield pisses me off. I didn’t want to drop a bomb, but if it gets me what I want, her in my bed, then I’m not going to flinch from it. I need her to satisfy this craving that’s eating me from the inside out. I’ll make her pay for making us both wait. I’m not her ex, and I’m sick of paying for his stupidity. Her body makes my body ache and I want her exactly as she is. Only, inch by inch I’m consumed by my need. I warn myself to pull away, sure this won’t last, can’t last. But letting go isn’t an option, no matter how hard I try.
Made for Him
Alexis Ashlie - 2020
It will give you the HEA that you crave with OTT everything. You don’t want to miss this one.
The Shop on Main
Kay Correll - 2014
As she scrambles to maintain her fragile financial security and independence, she fears she may lose more than just The Shop on Main and her home.Nothing is working out like Bella planned--she finds out the man she is falling for, Owen Campbell, is the businessman at the center of all her problems.Owen has secretly longed to belong--somewhere--anywhere--his whole life. When he decides to give his long-lost brother, Jake, back his birthright, he unknowingly thwarts his briefly held hope of a place where he can put down roots and a family he longs for.Nothing is working out like Owen planned--neither Bella nor Jake wants anything to do with him.How can a man who is used to being in control and a woman determined to make it all on her own find a way to happiness?The Shop on Main is Book One of the Comfort Crossing series. Bella and her best friends, Jenny and Becky Lee, navigate the heartaches and triumphs of love and life in the small southern town of Comfort Crossing, Mississippi.
The Astronaut and the Star
Jen Comfort - 2022
But after a PR disaster, Reggie is off the list for a lunar mission. To rehabilitate her reputation with NASA, she agrees to a different kind of assignment: astronaut “training” with a Hollywood action hero.Jon Leo is a charmer. With credits that include an underperforming sitcom and a campy action flick called Space Dude, his upcoming role in a prestigious movie could prove he’s a star. But Jon isn’t just big muscles and an otherworldly smile—he’s also a total space nerd. He’s pumped about his own personal space camp…until he meets ice-cold Reggie.Although Reggie and Jon are polar opposites, their mutual attraction is undeniable, and it only takes a few weeks in close quarters for them to give in to its magnetic force. Jon is set on convincing Reggie this is a match made in the heavens, but her future is in space, and his is among stars of the Hollywood kind. The odds of successfully launching a real relationship outside the confines of the training base are anything but optimal.Reggie, content with keeping things casual, is forced by a sudden turn of events to confront the possibility of losing Jon forever. Now, she’ll do whatever it takes to win both the man and the moon.
Go With It
Scarlett Finn - 2019
Being tackled to the ground by a bleeding man, close to death, changes the course of her life. Drawn into his grifter’s life of deceit and danger, the confident conman whose life she saves makes no secret of his desire to have her. Harlow resists, knowing he’ll break her heart. But, coercion is his life, manipulation his trade, and in a battle of wills, she may not be skilled enough to triumph. Ryske’s crew aren’t like the men Harlow’s known before. When they vow to protect her life, they prove they’ll go to any lengths to do it. Even if it means sacrificing one of their own.
Warning: Contains explicit language and imagery. Suitable only for ages 18 and over.
Tank
M. Malone - 2014
Malone's gritty new romance series: BLUE-COLLAR BILLIONAIRES. Money changes everything...Years ago, Tank Marshall swore off fighting. He exercises iron control to keep his anger in check. But his mother was just diagnosed with cancer and the deadbeat dad he hasn’t seen in years is back offering an inheritance and a chance at redemption. There’s only one person that keeps him anchored in the midst of the chaos. One person untouched by violence and money and lies. Emma Shaw. But the one thing that Tank hasn’t learned yet is that when billions are at stake, there’s no such thing as innocent. Money. Changes. Everything.
Some Like It Charming
Megan Bryce - 2013
And her plan is to keep her head down and to work hard until she can retire. Never mind that she doesn't know what she'll do once she retires– at least she won't be working for the man anymore. Because even though he's a gorgeous man, he's still her boss and he likes to push her buttons.Ethan Howell O'Connor's charmed life comes to a screeching halt after his latest ex-girlfriend starts a fashionable trend in talking to the tabloids. Now all of Ethan's old girlfriends are talking to the press, ruining his reputation, and wiping that charming smile right off his face. The only person that can brighten his black mood is the same person who can annoy him to kingdom come. He and Mackenzie have feuded since the day she was hired, but now Ethan's starting to realize: maybe those sparks were hiding a blazing fire.Mackenzie's about to find out that sometimes a gorgeous man can come up with a plan all his own, and it's a given that it'll mess hers up.
Love at Sunset Lake
Sally Bayless - 2018
An artist who's withdrawn from the world. A property battle that just might heal them both.When struggling caterer Tess Palmer inherits her great-aunt's home at Sunset Lake, Missouri, she thinks she's found the way to save her business. Selling the property can provide just the infusion of capital she needs to pay off her debts and move to a larger commercial kitchen.Wildlife painter Jack Hamlin, who lives across Sunset Lake, wants the area kept exactly as it is--a place where waterfowl can thrive and where he can find peace and solitude to ease his troubled heart. Although he's drawn to Tess's honesty and beauty, he's appalled to learn she would welcome a deal with a developer, and he vows to stop her.As Tess discovers the reasons why Jack is so passionate about protecting the lake, she finds him more and more attractive. She takes a tentative step past her own emotional pain to risk her heart again. But there seems to be no solution to the impasse over the property. As a sale becomes imminent, can Jack and Tess trust God--and each other--and finally find a love that will last?
Unexpected (Bittersweet Book 2)
Karen Lenfestey - 2017
Sure, she loves fostering shelter dogs, but she never imagined herself as a mother. Anxious to be an aunt, her sister starts pressuring her to be someone she’s not. Her new friend wants her to stay fun and unencumbered. When Hope’s ex says he wants back in her life, she feels like it might be what’s best for her baby. Pulling away from her sister, Hope spends more time with her new friend and risks letting her ex break her heart all over again.
The Accidental Wedding
Debra Elizabeth - 2017
As she walks through the casino, she bumps into the most handsome man she’s ever seen. When he asks her to dinner, she doesn’t hesitate. As she learns Cade Tyndale’s story—he needs to wed or lose his British estate, her impulsive nature rears up and she agrees to marry him and move to England for one year. What does she have to lose except her heart to the impossibly handsome Earl of Barrett?
Running To You
DeLaine Roberts - 2013
That is, until he crawls up the wrong side of this stunning redhead when he gives her the brush off.What starts out as a planned business meeting winds up being an unplanned entanglement. As the past haunts the couple's future, Alexandra keeps her running shoes on and the exit door in her sights.Will Grayson conquer her ultimate fear of trust in a real relationship, or will he lose out to her doubts when he makes a dreadful mistake?
Sphinx Security: Complete 5-Part Series
Camilla Blake - 2020
“You just have to figure out where to find it.”He’d finally found it. It was inside this woman. And it was perfect.—RemingtonPart 1The boys from Golden Sphinx Ranch are trying to have a quiet breakfast in the local diner when one of them sees a man attempting to pull a woman out of her car by her hair. Unable to let that pass, Westin rushes outside and attacks the man, dragging him off the woman, his friends close behind. Before they can figure out what’s happening, the man jumps into the car and takes off. The woman, Lea Adams, is now penniless, homeless, and stuck in the middle of nowhere. She convinces the ranch hands to take her back to their ranch and give her shelter until she can figure out what to do next. The only problem is, they think they’re helping a woman on the run from her ex, but the truth will drop them in the middle of a fight that was never meant to be theirs.Part 2Dixie Till was once a happy, go-lucky girl with her whole life in front of her. But life has a way of beating a person down. Her father’s death left her with few choices in life. She chose the Army, chose to do something honorable, but that took her into a nightmare that came very close to breaking her. She thought she was strong, thought she was well enough to help a boy who needed her, but she wasn’t. She failed him, and her entire community turned on her, accused her of unthinkable crimes against a boy she cared deeply for. When the boy’s body is found, Dixie finds herself in the center of an investigation that could save or destroy her. And in the middle of it all is Remington Echols, a man as broken as she. Will Remington and Dixie be able to find strength in one another, or will their equally traumatic pasts be too much to overcome?Part 3Grace Norwood is a child of privilege, though she struggles to admit it. She grew up with everything she could want despite the death of her mother when she was young. Her sister stepped in, made life idyllic for Grace. How could she have known the price her sister paid to do so? When Eve went missing two years ago, Grace fought to get the police to take her pleas seriously, but everyone told her that Eve had just had enough of all the responsibility. She ran off of her own free will. Was it true? Would she do that? Grace has one last chance to learn the truth, but she’s derailed by handsome, sexy Landry Grooms. His very presence threatens everything Grace has put into motion. But can she really deny the passion she feels whenever he’s around?Part 4Bowie Wheeler was a child prodigy whose every move was dictated by controlling parents until he was an adult, and even then he found himself fighting his mother’s desire to cash in on his gifts. To escape her control, Bowie disappeared, working cash only jobs, leading to a gig as a ranch hand on Golden Sphinx Ranch in Colorado. Bowie decides he likes the quieter way of life, the luxury of doing what he wants when he wants. It’s a freedom he loves, and he isn’t ready to give it up for anyone, not even the sexy lady sheriff Jack Reeves.Part 5Clint Grooms has just been arrested for a crime he could never in a million years even contemplate committing. His only thought is that he fought for months to get visitation with his daughter, and now this was going to ruin everything. He didn’t care about his reputation or his job. Never mind his freedom. All he cared about was his daughter. If he lost her, his life wouldn’t be worth living.Parker Quinn is the lawyer assigned to Clint’s case. Everyone says he’s a good guy, but the charges against him are compelling. Can she prove Clint’s innocence before they both lose everything that matters?
Vivian's List
Haleigh Lovell - 2013
A list. A love story.After ending a horrible, scarring relationship, Vivian embraces her freedom by making a sexual bucket list. When her brother's best friend, Liam, finds it, sparks fly and hearts open.Can Vivian heal one steamy encounter at a time?** This is book 1 in a two-part series
Extra Credit
Poppy Dunne - 2017
Not to mention the kind of stockbroker who Bluetooths his deals on the trail my dog and I like. Who does that?Turns out, the father of my new favorite student. And since drooling is discouraged at parent/teacher conferences, I try not to look him in his steel-gray eyes. Which is how I noticed how hard his chest is under that button-down. And the conspicuous absence of a ring on his finger.Basically, I have a crush on the one single dad who’s totally off-limits.I really should have said no to that date. A delicious pancake breakfast isn’t worth my job if anyone finds out. An even more delicious romp in the hay is a little more worth it. So maybe just one more to double-check. Famous last words.Because the only thing worse than banging a student’s dad is falling in love with him.
The Ultimate Guide to Darcy Carter
Teresa Slack - 2006
Regardless, she doubts she can guide herself out of a brown paper bag. When her editor suggests she write The Ultimate Guide to Finding Mr. Right, she wants no part of it. To avoid Mr. Right--since she's pretty sure he doesn't exist--and hopefully figure out where the discontentment with her life is coming from, she heads south to research one last ultimate guidebook. The questions and doubts swirling around in her head follow. If she's no longer America's Ultimate Guide Girl, who is she? Would she recognize Mr. Right if he was standing right in front of her? Where does an Ultimate Guide Girl turn for guidance? Her heavenly father who gives wisdom to all who seek it? Or can she rely on herself, the woman with all the answers? This clean contemporary Christian romance is a feel-good, laugh-out-loud story that reminds us sometimes the things we work so hard for don't bring the fulfillment and happiness we're looking for.