Book picks similar to
Best Man with Benefits by Aubrey Wright
romance
dnf
reviewed
contemporary
Second Draft
C.M. Seabrook - 2017
More than just the washed up hockey player, turned sports journalist whose body is almost as scarred as his soul. Layla Harper made me hope again. But life has a warped sense of humor, and I wasn't the only Bennett brother that fell for the girl with the caramel colored eyes. The night I saw Travis with her I knew I'd lost, even before I had the chance to fight. Because one thing I never compete with my brother over is women. Even if the woman stole my breath, and my heart with one single kiss. And damn, what a kiss it had been. Now, she's pregnant with my brother's baby. A baby he wants nothing to do with. And he's asked me to clean up his mess. What he doesn't know is that I'm in love with her, and I have no intention of offering her the deal he's laid out. I have a deal of my own. One that will finally make her mine.
Bedmates
Nichole Chase - 2016
But when you’re the daughter of the President of the United States, any little slip up is a huge embarrassment. Maddie McGuire’s latest error in judgment lands her in police custody, giving the press a field day. Agreeing to do community service as penance and to restore her tattered reputation, Maddie never dreams incredibly good looking but extremely annoying vice president’s son, Jake Simmon, will be along for the ride.Recently returning from Afghanistan with a life-altering injury, Jake is wrestling with his own demons. He doesn’t have the time or patience to deal with the likes of Maddie. They’re like oil and water and every time they’re together, it’s combustible. But there’s a thin line between love and hate, and it’s not long before their fiery arguments give way to infinitely sexier encounters.When Jake receives devastating news about the last remaining member of his unit, the darkness he’s resisted for so long begins to overwhelm him. Scared to let anyone close, he pushes Maddie away. But she isn’t about to give up on Jake that easily. Maddie’s fallen for him, and she’ll do anything to keep him from the edge as they both discover that love is a battlefield and there are some fights you just can’t lose.
Bad Husband
Shey Stahl - 2020
Ridley Cooper is on a mission. And if there’s one thing he’s good at, it’s getting what he wants. What’s he not so good at? Being a husband. At least that’s what his wife would say. For most of my life I’ve been focused on one goal. Making a name for myself and building a business from the ground up. I’m a hard-working man, confident in my trade and quite frankly pretty awesome if you ask me. Sure, I make mistakes, you’ll see, but I think my dedication helps me out here. It’s the devoted work ethic that has me following through with anything thrown my way. That being said, my wife of the last eight years served me with a Petition for Dissolution of Marriage. Believe me, I’m shocked too. She’s under the impression I don’t care. Ridiculous assumption. I know what you’re thinking, what the hell did I do? Let’s not judge me yet until you know the whole story. The way I see it, in the state of Arizona, I have approximately 60 days to make her fall back in love with me. Easy enough, right? You’ve clearly never met Madison.
Twice in a Blue Moon
Christina Lauren - 2019
Her first everything. Including her first heartbreak. During a whirlwind two-week vacation abroad, Sam and Tate fell for each other in only the way that first loves do: sharing all of their hopes, dreams, and deepest secrets along the way. Sam was the first, and only, person that Tate—the long-lost daughter of one of the world’s biggest film stars—ever revealed her identity to. So when it became clear her trust was misplaced, her world shattered for good. Fourteen years later, Tate, now an up-and-coming actress, only thinks about her first love every once in a blue moon. When she steps onto the set of her first big break, he’s the last person she expects to see. Yet here Sam is, the same charming, confident man she knew, but even more alluring than she remembered. Forced to confront the man who betrayed her, Tate must ask herself if it’s possible to do the wrong thing for the right reason… and whether “once in a lifetime” can come around twice. With Christina Lauren’s signature “beautifully written and remarkably compelling” (Sarah J. Maas, New York Times bestselling author) prose and perfect for fans of Emily Giffin and Jennifer Weiner, Twice in a Blue Moon is an unforgettable and moving novel of young love and second chances.From the New York Times bestselling author of The Unhoneymooners and the “delectable, moving” (Entertainment Weekly) My Favorite Half-Night Stand comes a modern love story about what happens when your first love reenters your life when you least expect it…
Shelter Me
Kathy Coopmans - 2014
She had the love of her life, her high school sweetheart, and a bright future ahead of her. That is, until one day he just disappeared, leaving a note as his only goodbye. With her heart shattered and broken, Shayne did the only thing she could. She left her small town on the shores of Lake Michigan to start her life over, needing to distance herself from the memories she and Luke had made. At that time, she vowed to herself that she would never return to her hometown again. Seven years later, Shayne realizes that fate is not on her side as she returns home for her aunt’s funeral, bringing back the one secret she swore to protect. Luke Schavone has regretted every day that he had to leave Shayne behind. Though he didn’t have a choice, his heart still bore the scars from the impact. After five years, Luke returned only to find that Shayne was gone. His best friend was the only lifeline he had to finding her, but Adam wasn’t talking. When the one thing Luke has wanted everyday for the past seven years runs right into him one night, he becomes determined to make sure he doesn’t lose her again. At first, Shayne is hesitant. She wouldn’t be able to survive losing him again, but the pull toward him is so fierce, she can’t deny herself the chance. With the decision to start over, Luke and Shayne must admit truths and come to terms with the events that forced them apart in the first place. When secrets are revealed and old threats come to pass, will Luke be able to shelter Shayne from the destruction, or will she become lost to him forever?Shelter Me is a full length novel. You will notice that the story ends at approximately 75%. The remaining 25% you will be able to enjoy the first few chapters from four incredible Authors: Kristin Kitchen, A.M. Madden, Kate Stewart and A.D. Justice.
Wrong For Me
Meagan Brandy - 2018
See, Alec was a thief.He stole my happy.My sanity.My first kiss. I told myself I was glad the day he went away, and I'm reminded of why not five minutes after his sudden and unexpected return.Now he stands before me with a heavy glare and hard body.But those greedy green eyes, they're darker than I remember, and brimming with a secret...A secret I didn't discover until it was far too late.Because this time, he didn't steal a simple kiss.This time... Alec Daniels stole my all.--Wrong For Me is a full-length, standalone novel with no cliffhanger and an HEA. Previously titled The Wrong Blaze, this is the same epic love story with a fresh look and brand new title!
Fighting Redemption
Kate McCarthy - 2013
He understands pain. He knows the hand of violence and the ache of loss. He knows what it means to fail those who need you. Being broken doesn’t stop him wanting the one thing he can’t have; Finlay Tanner. Her smile is sweet and her future bright. She’s the girl he grew up with, the girl he loves, the girl he protects from the world, and from himself.At nineteen, Ryan leaves to join the Australian Army. After years of training he becomes an elite SAS soldier and deploys to the Afghanistan war. His patrol undertakes the most dangerous missions a soldier can face. But no matter how far he runs, or how hard he fights, his need for Finlay won’t let go.Returning home after six years, one look is all it takes to know he can’t live without her. But sometimes love isn’t enough to heal what hurts. Sometimes people like him can’t be fixed, and sometimes people like Finlay deserve more than what’s left.This is a story about war and the cost of sacrifice. Where bonds are formed, and friendships found. Where those who are strong, fall hard. Where love is let go, heartache is born, and heroes are made. Where one man learns that the hardest fight of all, is the fight to save himself.
Halo
R.C. Stephens - 2016
I fell in love with Thomas Wells and knew he was my forever. I was sixteen when I gave him my heart. Our love was the kind to last a lifetime. But Thomas was broken. The first day we met he told me he was going to become a Navy SEAL. At nineteen he enlisted. At twenty he married me. At twenty five he left me pregnant and didn't turn back. I knew he was suffering…. I also knew I couldn't save him. He left me broken. I was scared and alone. Until I met Ryder St. John a wounded soldier… He was lost. I was lost. Together we made sense. I fell in love again… What Ryder forgot to mention was that he held a secret so explosive that it could shatter both our worlds. ***This is a full length novel and is intended for a mature audience.***
Dark Beauty
C.M. Owens - 2015
Purgatory was opened for the dark ones to escape, but so much more crept out. Over twenty years later, the consequences are finally starting to appear. And the world full of deadly beauties finds even more deception and secrets to face. As an immortal, it's hard to have any new experiences after living for so long. History seems to repeat itself... over and over. No one knows that better than Gage Kross, the dark user many overlook. But even if you think you know how something is going to end, sometimes life doesn't give you the choice of deciding what to do. When he meets Kimber, something that he thought died inside of him suddenly comes back to life. However, she's supposed to be one of the few women he can't be with. Then again, the sweetest fruits are usually the forbidden. Just when things heat up, life unravels and ghosts come back to haunt Gage and his friends. The past invades the future, consequences are revealed, and impossible secrets emerge from the darkness, while new secrets are formed. It's hard to trust people who are trained to hide the truth, so falling in love seems to be a daunting task no matter what. But it's a world full of seduction, and sometimes love happens whether you want it to or not - even when death is breathing fire down your neck. Although this is a book one, there is no major cliffhanger.
Somebody To Love
Summer Cooper - 2018
So if you’re asking me out, you might as well stop now.” He looked at me and gave me a slow, sexy smile, clearly undeterred. Uh oh, I thought to myself. He was going to be trouble. HER I was done with love. Always dating the wrong men for the wrong reasons. I sucked so much that my ten-year-old niece used all her allowance to sign me up to an elite dating service. I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. But I knew one thing — I could at least try. Now there he is. Funny? Check. Handsome? Check. Sexy? Check. NOT married? Double check! He’s the perfect package. Even with all the choices I have with this new dating service, all I want is him. Someone I just met by accident. The problem is, I don’t know if I can risk trusting my heart. HIM Beautiful. Funny. Sexy. She smells so good as well. And that seductive lacy underwear... Winner! I knew all of that the first time I met her. But she’s clearly holding back. Like she’s been hurt before, more than once, probably by men who look like me. I mean the gorgeous womanizer type. There’s one way I can think of to convince her. But if my plan fails, she might never speak to me again.
Blind Kiss
Renee Carlino - 2018
Fourteen years ago, this shop was her childhood dance studio... Now she’s a suburban housewife, dreading the moment her son departs for MIT, leaving her with an impeccably decorated McMansion and a failing marriage. She had her chance at wild, stars-in-her-eyes happiness, but that was a lifetime ago. After The Kiss. Before The Decision.The Kiss was soulful. Magical. Earth-shattering, And it was all for a free gift card. Asked to participate in a psych study that posed the question, “Can you have sexual chemistry without knowing what the other person looks like?” Penny agreed to be blindfolded, make polite conversation with a total stranger, and kiss him. She never expected The Kiss to change her life forever and introduce her to Gavin: tattooed, gorgeous, and spontaneous enough to ask her out seconds after the blindfolds came off.For a year, they danced between friendship and romance—until Penny made The Decision that forced them to settle for friendship. Now, fourteen years later, both of their lives are about to radically change—and it’s his turn to decide what will become of their once-in-a-lifetime connection."
Nameless
Claire Kent - 2013
That includes Seth, the father of her baby—a man who was supposed to be only a one-night-stand, a man who’s used to always getting his way.There’s a reason that Seth Thomas, a successful defense attorney, is often referred to as the Bulldozer. If something needs to happen, he makes it happen. That includes being part of his baby’s life—even if he never expected to be a father, even if Erin doesn’t really trust him.They’ll work out an arrangement in the best interest of their baby—and if they occasionally have sex, well, that’s just an added perk—but they both agree on one thing.What they have will never be love.
Worth the Fall
Claudia Connor - 2014
. . . Abby Davis isn’t wearing a skimpy bikini or sipping umbrella drinks, not when she’s busy chasing around four little ones. And Matt McKinney isn’t looking for fun—he’s a Navy SEAL, a grown man with a long list of missions . . . and fallen brothers. They only have a week. . . . Abby has brought her children to this beach to start over, to give them the enjoyable memories they deserve. Matt’s been sidelined by a combat injury, and haunted by the best friend he lost and the promise he made: to remain a SEAL—focused and dedicated. This leaves no time for what he’s always wanted: a family. But a week is all it takes. . . . Matt opens her heart while Abby soothes his soul. And though they plan to say good-bye when the week is over, something magical happens on that beach, something neither can forget. Something utterly, completely worth falling for.
Desperately Seeking Epic
B.N. Toler - 2016
Hating her would have been easier.She was the past, and he was hell-bent on keeping her there.Or so he thought...Craigslist Ad: DESPERATELY SEEKING EPIC You’re my father.I don’t know much about you. I know your name is Paul James, you’re a thrill seeker, and once upon a time you did stunts and people called you ‘Epic.’I’ve been told you don’t know about me. That it’s complicated. But for me it’s simple.Here’s the thing: I’m twelve years old…and I’m dying.And as much as this could crush my mother, I have to meet you before I go. In time, I’m sure she’ll understand. She’s still in love with you.So, Epic, if you read this, please come back. You don’t have to be my dad. You don’t even have to tell me you love me or you’re sorry. Just come see me. Patiently waiting, but running out of time,Neena
All the Breaking Waves
Kerry Lonsdale - 2016
The art history professor crafts jewelry as unique and weathered as the surf-tumbled sea glass she collects, while raising her daughter in a safe and loving environment—something Molly never had. But when Cassie is plagued by horrific visions and debilitating nightmares, Molly is forced to return to the one place she swore she’d never move back to—home to Pacific Grove.A riveting exploration of love, secrets, and motherhood, All the Breaking Waves is the poignant story of a woman who discovers she must confront her past, let go of her guilt, and summon everything in her power to save her daughter.