Book picks similar to
The Girl I Didn't Marry by Annabelle Costa


contemporary-romance
ebook
paralysis-sci
sweet-love

Distractions


Tania Joyce - 2016
    I jolted back in surprise as a hot, thrilling, tingling sensation ran up my arm when my bare skin brushed against his… Did he feel that sensation too? How does that happen from touching someone? University student, Wiley Cayton’s world turns upside down when she meets college newcomer Cameron Wilks. With his irresistible good looks, he seems to be nothing but a party-boy and a constant distraction. But is there more to the hottest guy on campus? Even when Wiley finds out about Cameron’s troubled past, she’s determined to keep her distance and her previously shattered heart protected. But with him studying the same degree and falling in with her group of friends, she’s drawn to him in unexplainable, illogical ways. How can one’s heart overrule one’s mind? Inevitably she falls for his charismatic charm and her insecurities take hold. Her life spirals out of control and she struggles to find balance between partying, sex and maintaining her scholarship grades. With her future at risk, her family battle to keep her and Cameron apart, but that only weaves their relationship tighter together. When a college prank goes horribly wrong – threads snap, and just when she needs him most, Cameron disappears. Is their tumultuous romance meant to be or is it just a temporary distraction?

Fake it Baby


Tia Siren - 2018
    My sister’s best friend wants her too. She hates me. Too bad she's stuck with me. Because a fake marriage is our only chance at a real family. They say I'm a playboy. Having billions makes it easy. I can get any woman I want, except the one who really matters. Avery - my little sister's best friend. Years ago, she begged me to take her. I gave it to her, then left town. Now I'm back and she's not having any of my sweet-talk. My sister died and left behind her baby girl. Avery wants to fight me for her. But she's got no money. And I've got a bad reputation. The only way to make this work is to work together. We’ll say our fake vows. Play happy-family. Share the same bed like eager newly-weds. I won’t take no for an answer. Because this time, I’m not letting her go. She has no idea. Our happily-ever-after will be very, very real.

The Sheikh's Captive American


Leslie North - 2018
    Literally. Now he's struggling with an attraction to this very modern woman—but her life is worlds away from his own. There’s no chance of a future for them, but in the present moment, he can't keep his hands off her. 
 After her jet crashes, Tess Angel is stuck in Zahkim with a gorgeous sheikh, and she has a hunch they could be soulmates. But this sheikh keeps telling her he's a rational man who doesn’t believe in true love, and while his grandmother is scheming to keep Tess in Zahkim, Sheikh Tarek seems willing to let her go on her way. Can she convince him there's more to this world than facts and numbers—and that true love can overcome any obstacles?

Second Chance With Me


S. Moose - 2020
    I was twenty-three when I met her.She brought me peace.She was the one.And I let her go.After leaving Seattle to be with my family, I stayed away and never looked back. I thought I was doing the right thing. But I was never able to move on and let her go. Now, years later, I’m standing at her door, and looking into the eyes of my little boy. She’s even more beautiful than I remember, and my son is my twin. They say love isn’t always perfect, but it’s able to overcome obstacles and challenges, and they’re right. I’m going to fight like hell to get my family back and show her the beauty of second chances.

That Thing You Do


Maria Geraci - 2015
    She does, however, believe in the power of a permanent paycheck. So when a tipster reports that the soon-to-be demolished senior center in her hometown is haunted, Allie hightails it to Whispering Bay to get the scoop that could secure her dream job at Florida! magazine. What she finds, though, is far scarier than any ghost. Cue her ex-boyfriend, sexy construction foreman Tom Donalan.When Tom catches Allie poking around his construction site, he quickly realizes his former high school flame is just as feisty as ever. And, heaven help him, her irresistible, mile-high legs still take his breath away. But Tom isn’t about to delay the building’s demolition because of a silly ghost story.With neither of the stubborn exes backing down from their opposing positions, sparks fly. And, underneath the surface, the fire of their old attraction burns as hot as ever. When strange things start happening with increasing frequency around town, even a tough skeptic like Tom is tested. The question is, can Allie and Tom stop fighting long enough to get to the bottom of Whispering Bay’s ghost problem—and the more important matter of mending their broken hearts?

Only a Breath Apart


Katie McGarry - 2019
    But some destinies are meant to be broken.The only curse Jesse Lachlin believes in is his grandmother’s will: in order to inherit his family farm he must win the approval of his childhood best friend, the girl he froze out his freshman year.A fortuneteller tells Scarlett she's psychic, but what is real is Scarlett’s father’s controlling attitude and the dark secrets at home. She may be able to escape, but only if she can rely on the one boy who broke her heart.Each midnight meeting pushes Jesse and Scarlett to confront their secrets and their feelings, but as love blooms, the curse rears its ugly head…

Nothing Bundt Love


Samantha Lind - 2021
    He's no longer the boy next door.He's all man now; tall, dark, and handsome.Nathan Bailey was the one that got away…After leaving our hometown for college, he never looked back…Ten years later, he walked into my bakery.His sweet-talking is impossible to ignore, but so are the miles between Tennessee and California.The now billionaire tech-mogul always has his eyes set on the next big project, but now they're set on me.

Don't Let Go


Willow Winters - 2019
    Addictive. Captivating. The irresistible heroes in these stories have those three features in common. Some stories are second chance; others are fated love. But every single one of them, you’ll crave to the last page. This is a collection of tales published by Willow Winters but no longer available. These stories touched my heart, but were exclusive at the time so if you didn’t snag them then, they were lost to you forever. I wanted to make sure you could read all of my work and now you can. Happy reading, xx The stories available in this collection are: Infatuation, the first novella in the USA Today best-selling bundle, Drawn to Him. Desires in the Night and Keeping Secrets, both shorts published in exclusive bundles with best-selling author Adriana Locke. Bad Boy Next Door, a novella I wrote years ago that I still often think about. The damaged hero and second chance love in this romance is one I wish I could go back to often. It’s the final tale included in this collection for a total of 4 stories not available anywhere else!

The Ones Who Got Away


Roni Loren - 2018
    The man approaching was nothing like the boy she'd known. The bulky football muscles had streamlined into a harder, leaner package and the look in his deep green eyes held no trace of boyish innocence.It's been twelve years since tragedy struck the senior class of Long Acre High School. Only a few students survived that fateful night—a group the media dubbed The Ones Who Got Away.Liv Arias thought she'd never return to Long Acre—until a documentary brings her and the other survivors back home. Suddenly her old flame, Finn Dorsey, is closer than ever, and their attraction is still white-hot. When a searing kiss reignites their passion, Liv realizes this rough-around-the-edges cop might be exactly what she needs...

Bang Gang


Jade West - 2016
    That would be far too regular for Darren Trent. Darren Trent – my teenage sweetheart and father to my two young girls – is not just whoring himself out. Oh no. Darren Trent pimps himself out alongside four of his mechanic friends – all of them at the same time. Five hot, sweaty mechanics at your service.They call themselves the Bang Gang… you can imagine. In a village our size I should keep my head down and hope the scandal blows over before the girls or my poor old Nanna catch wind of it. Only it’s not blowing over. Far from it. It seems every woman in the village wants themselves a five-mechanic sandwich.They make no qualms about it, either. Just rock on up to my café counter and ask how they can book themselves in for a Bang Gang special. Like I would know. I definitely wouldn’t know. I hardly even know Darren Trent anymore. We split up a lifetime ago.I definitely don’t think about him late at night. Don’t think about five mechanics and me as much as every other woman in this village. And even if I did, I wouldn’t act on it. I wouldn’t draw the money from my savings account and have a go for myself.And even if I did that, I definitely, definitely wouldn’t fall for him. Not again. Not after everything we went through. Not after splitting up the first time nearly brought me to my knees.Not after settling into a decent routine, the girls and me, with no drama, no heartbreak, no crazy passions to rock the calm little boat we’re sailing on. I mean, who would be stupid enough to risk all that over a hot, sweaty, oily bit of rough like Darren Trent?

Station Alpha


Aislinn Kearns - 2016
    A man’s voice - unfamiliar and urgent - tells her to run.She flees, but deadly, unknown assailants pursue her through the night. Her only saviour is the gruff stranger on the other end of the line.Paul has a secret. He’s been watching her - maybe a little more than the assignment strictly requires. He shouldn’t reveal himself, but he can’t let anything happen to Christine. Even if it costs him the job that means the world to him. With the mysterious villains still pursuing Christine, Paul whisks her away to a Soldiering On safe house. There, passion flares between them, hot and undeniable. And they are powerless to resist its lure, even as the villains get ever closer to finding them… Word Count: 56,000 No cliffhanger

Now and Then


Brenda Rothert - 2013
    But then – in the years before she went to art school in Paris – she was a shy, awkward teenager with frizzy hair, a flat chest and a massive crush on the boy across the street, Cole Marlowe. Too bad her incredibly hot neighbor only had eyes for Layla.Cole is now a confident, laid-back attorney who’s even hotter than he used to be. He’s planning to stay single while working his way up the corporate ladder – until he’s knocked off course by a chance run-in with Emma.Everything is different between Cole and Emma now. He finally sees her in a way she only dreamed of, and their hot chemistry is fueled by a growing friendship. But Emma’s deception of her sister – who wants Cole for herself – and the secret Cole’s been keeping for more than a decade threaten to tear apart what’s only just begun. Because sometimes the only thing standing in the way of now is then.

Across The Hall


N.M. Facile - 2010
    With the help of her friends she has moved on and started dating a mysterious bad boy. She isn't happy, but she's content; until she meets the new neighbor.Quinn Lobato has recently moved to Minneapolis to finish college close to his parents. His mother found the perfect apartment for him close to campus and assured him it has everything he needs. Quinn has had his own hurtful past and is looking forward to starting med school and a new life.Little do they know that what they each need is waiting just across the hall.

Finally My Forever


Brooke St. James - 2015
    She dreamed of their happily ever after and only hoped he felt the same way. Within hours, that dream was soon replaced with the reality that Carly would have to settle for someone else. Carly moved on, and Micah soon became a distant memory. When their paths unexpectedly crossed again, Carly hoped that second chances would make her dreams come true. Maybe this time, Micah thought the same thing too.

Missing Grace


S.L. Scott - 2017
    Scott, comes this story that will captivate and consume from beginning to end. This is a must read for anyone who believes in true love.Move on with your life, they said.Forget her, they said.But how could Ben Edwards forget the woman who was supposed to be his forever? When Grace Stevens disappeared--without a word, without a trace--she took half his soul with her.Despite the heartbreak, Ben tried. He tried to take their advice by pursuing his career. He tried to find fulfillment in his work. He tried to find peace.Grace had been the love of his life. Her fingerprints were on every surface of his existence. He had success and wealth. He had everything, except her.Then fate stepped in one serendipitous night. The hope he'd held on to for three long, agonizing years appeared before him in the form of a picturesque beauty.Was she real, or an apparition returning to haunt him? He wasn't sure, but he wouldn't stop until he found his missing love. Every minute mattered, and he wouldn't waste a second chance.