Book picks similar to
Island Escape by Diana Xarissa


romance
contemporary
fiction
romance-contemporary

The Australian Billionaire


Britney M. Mills - 2019
     Jackson Walker hasn't had the best family life. Growing up in the foster system in Australia, it wasn’t until he met his college football coach that he understood what a normal family looked like. When he gets the call that Coach has passed away, he returns to California for the funeral and to find a place to honor the man. Hailey Montgomery threw herself into real estate soon after breaking up with her boyfriend nearly five years ago. She’s been working to build a name for herself and when the chance to make partner at her firm becomes available, she jumps at the chance. But the only way to achieve that distinction is to find a commercial property for the guy she’s nicknamed ‘Golden Boy’ from all the stories her father told about him. As spending time together brings them closer, the trust between them is called into question. Can they work through what’s happened in their individual pasts to create a relationship that will last?

Red Says I Love You


Raeann Blake - 2012
    Then she paid her own way through after he was done...with college and with her, when he walked out the day after he got his degree. But now she was finished and enjoying a graduation present to herself in the form of one month in a mountain cabin between Bozeman and West Yellowstone. Things were definitely changing for Cass Wright. The vacation turned into a job opportunity at a local brewery. And she was intrigued by one of Bozeman's talented sculptors and spent money she didn't really have to buy one of his creations that she swore emitted invisible sex waves. It didn't take long to figure out that it wasn't the sculpture emitting those waves, but the sculptor himself.Josh's sculptures were not what most people would consider conventional. They each depicted a couple at one point or another in that journey where interest turned to desire, desire turned to hunger, and hunger turned to satisfaction. They weren’t pornographic or even exotic but more sensual or suggestive. He never used models, so it shocked him when he realized his latest sculpture was in the image of a woman he had seen the night before at a benefit for the Battered Women's Shelter. A woman with alluring green eyes, who was now standing on the outside of the ropes that cordoned off the area where he was working. The woman who just bought that same sculpture. Little did he know that in the coming days he would find life imitating art and then art imitating life...until she got that new job. Then he found himself way over a line that he hadn't even known was there.

Bouquet Toss


Melissa Brown - 2012
    Be it a blessing or a curse, Daphne (a hopeless romantic and perpetual single girl) catches the bouquet at every single wedding she attends. Daphne’s love life is a mess. Her first love, Mayson, haunts her heart and keeps her from pursuing happiness with any man who comes along. As she struggles to move on from the one who got away, Daphne wonders if she will ever break her curse and find her happily ever after.

Challenging Andie


Sally Clements - 2012
    When his colleague Emily Harte is murdered, he feels responsible for her death, and travels to England to return Emily’s effects to her daughter.Bereaved, primary school teacher, Andie Harte has set herself a list of challenges to prove she can be as brave as her recently murdered mother, but when she’s hounded by the press the need to escape means she must accept help from Ryan. During their time in seclusion, attraction blossoms into an affair. Their relationship was only supposed to be a fling. When the time comes for Ryan to return to Bekostan, can she risk loving a thrillseeker, or is that a challenge too far?Ryan avoids love, knowing the pain losing it can bring. A life without Andie is sensible, but is it possible?

Saved By You


Helen Conrad - 2014
    He goes back to his Hawaiian home, only to find he's still the "bad boy" to her golden girl image. But now he's a man, not a boy and Annie Ventura can't resist him. But does he have to destroy her memories of her dead husband in order to seal the deal?Contain love scenes.The books of this series are loosely connected.  Each can stand alone.   Destiny Bay Romances~Islanders Book 1-Saved By You  (coming soon) Book 2-Found By You Book 3- Tempted By You Book 4-Rescued By You

Blue Christmas


Diane Moody - 2011
    When a last-minute customer brimming with holiday spirit invites her to a candlelight service and a late-night family dinner, Hannah reluctantly accepts. She has no idea this kindhearted woman is the mother of Jason McKenzie - leader singer of Out of the Blue, the hottest band in the country - and Hannah's childhood idol. The evening ends with an innocent kiss (sans mistletoe) as Hannah is swept away by Jason's unpretentious manner.Over the holidays Hannah and Jason's relationship grows, but when turmoil and tragedy strike at the very heart of his famous band, their newfound love is put to the test in the glare of the paparazzi spotlight. Throughout her rollercoaster of experiences with Jason and his friends, Hannah comes face to face with her own beliefs. Who knew she could learn more about prayer and faith by hanging out with a bunch of rock stars than she ever learned in church?The author first wrote Blue Christmas as a gift for her then-teenage daughter in honor of her affection for a wildly popular band in the late 90s. The short story grew into a full-length novel, eventually surfacing on one of the band's fan fiction websites where it became quite a phenomenon. More than 80,000 readers stopped by to read the story, with over 1000 of them sending personal emails to the author who still enjoys reading them today. Though the story's details have been changed, its band and all characters now fictional, the story line remains the same. Author Diane Moody has dedicated Blue Christmas to her now-grown daughter, Hannah Moody Schmitt.

Ruby Lake


Sherrill Willis - 2011
    When her boss sends her to Ruby Lake, a small, rural town in northern Wisconsin, the last thing she was looking for was love at first sight, not to mention a place in the world where she finally fits. Add in her city-savvy best friend, a jealous ex-girlfriend, a famous father, and a coffee shop full of off-the wall characters, and it becomes more challenging for Sydney to manage than a spinning plate competition. When disaster strikes close to home, Sydney is left with the unbearable choice of her family, or the life she has always dreamed of. Come with Sydney on her journey and laugh, cry and rediscover why some choices are not really choices at all, they are simply fate.

No Way to Treat a Lady


Serenity Woods - 2015
    Then she meets Jed Williams... This sexy short novella is meant to be a “taster” for the Treats to Tempt You series of contemporary romances set in the sub-tropical Northland of New Zealand. Adults only. Single, over thirty, and with four kids under ten, Hayley’s convinced she won’t be having sex for the next twenty years. Her sister-in-law suggests she have a one night stand, but Hayley’s not brave enough to expose her stretch marks to a complete stranger. Then she meets Jed Williams. After his divorce, Jed’s not actively looking for another relationship, but when Hayley offers a night of hot sex, he’s more than happy to oblige. Their passion grows along with the stormy weather, but when morning breaks, will either of them be brave enough to ask for more? Warning: it’s not only the weather that’s hot and sultry. Adults only! In the Treats to Tempt You series, Books 1-5 (the Treats Quintet) follow the stories of a group of friends who own a chocolate and coffee shop in Doubtless Bay in the sub-tropical Northland of New Zealand, and the men they fall in love with. Books 6-10 (the Between Quintet) will follow a new group of friends based in the Between the Sheets cocktail bar in the Bay of Islands, but the characters from the Treats Quintet make frequent appearances. The Treats Tasters are shorter sexy adventures. The correct order is as follows (although the books are all standalones that can be enjoyed in any order): The Treats Quintet 1: Treat with Caution (Tasha and Kole) 2: Treat her Right (Maisey and Joss) 3: A Rare Treat (Elle and Stuart) 4: Trick or Treat (Fox and Caitlin) 5: A Festive Treat (Skye and Owen) 5.5: No Way to Treat a Lady (Hayley and Jed) The Between Quintet 6: A Secret Between Friends (Niall and Genie) 6.5: A Taste of Things to Come (Tasha and Kole revisited!)

A Little Harmless Sex


Melissa Schroeder - 2007
    But Max has always seen her as a charming, and very sexy, little sister.Until Max's cold fiance dumps him, Anna unloads another of her many conquests and she invites him over for margaritas and Mexican food. Too much tequila, too much flirting, and too many years of fighting the attraction — Max loses control and has mind-blowing sex with Anna on her couch. And in her shower. And in her bed.When the sun rises the next morning, both of them must face that their night together is just the first of many. For Max, he knows he wants Anna forever, but convincing a commitment-phobe like Anna is no easy task. For Anna, she can't believe she has finally slipped beneath Max's steely self-control. He is every woman's dark, wet fantasy come true. But what happens when Max pushes Anna for more than just A Little Harmless Sex?This book was previously published, but has been substantially revised and expanded for Samhain Publishing.Warning: this title contains the following, explicit sex, graphic terms for body parts, torture via silk stockings, a little spanking, and shower and office sex.

Champagne and Lemon Drops


Jean Oram - 2013
    Two men. One meddling small town.Raised by her older sister in the small town of Blueberry Springs, all Beth Wilkinson wants is to create a family so big she’ll never be alone. Things are going great until her fiancé, Oz, rethinks everything from his own career to their nuptial plans—forcing Beth to do the same.As Beth works to rediscover herself in hopes of reattracting Oz, she catches the eye of the charming new city doctor, Nash. Not only does he see her as she’d like to be seen, but he knows exactly what he wants from life—and that includes Beth.Torn between the two men, as well as two versions of herself, Beth discovers that love and dreams are much more complicated than they seem.

Sisters in Love


Melissa Foster - 2013
    As a therapist, she prides herself on making reasonable, conservative choices, even if a bit boring, and as part of the Big Sister Program, she has little time for anything more in her life.Blake Carter is a player. He never gets bored of conquering women, and with his sexy good looks and successful lifestyle, he has no trouble finding willing participants. When his friend and business partner dies in a tragic accident, he suddenly, desperately, wants to change his ways. The problem is, he doesn't know how to stop doing what he does best.When Blake walks into Danica's office, the attraction between them is white hot, but Danica isn't the type to give in to the heat and risk her career. Danica's desire sets her on a path of self-discovery, where she begins to question every decision she's ever made. Just this once, Danica wants to indulge in the pleasures of life she's been so willingly ignoring, but with her Little Sister in turmoil and her biological sister's promiscuousness weighing heavily on her heart, she isn't sure it's the right time to set her desires free.

Love, Chocolate, and Beer


Violet Duke - 2014
    After moving his chocolate shop, and newly single life, to the quirky town of Cactus Creek, Luke wants nothing more than to devote all his energy into making his business a success—by taking the romance market by storm. But his grand plans get thrown for a loop when he locks horns with the feisty beer-brewing beauty next door who calls his ‘romantic idealism’ a load of fairytale bull. Soon, driving the woman sparking nuts becomes another wickedly fun priority he simply can’t get enough of.In his defense, she’s addictively easy to incite…and plain impossible to resist.Beloved local brewmaster Dani Dobson is beyond riled up. It’s bad enough the new shop owner in town comes locked and loaded with both a distractingly rugged charm and sexy flashing dimples, but the whole only-in-the-movies variety of romance he’s selling—the kind her world has been crushed by before—is really doing a number on her allergy to unrealistic clichés. What’s worse, he’s created an annoyingly clever ad campaign that dubs ‘beer joints’ like hers as the “cave where romance goes to hibernate.” The nerve of that man.Combustible chemistry or not, damn it, this means war. The stakes…very likely, her heart.

The Hollow Heart


Adrienne Vaughan - 2012
    Taking herself off to the wilds of the west of Ireland to recuperate, she literally runs into Ryan O'Gorman, the most conceited, infuriating man in the world. He's an actor who's just landed the biggest role in movie history and he loathes journalists. One thing they do have in common is they both think their chance of true love has passed them by...but fate has other ideas!Sexy, moving and funny, this heart-warming duo and cast of colourful characters will stay with you, long after the last page leaves you smiling.

Write Me Home


Crystal Walton - 2021
    She lives by her plans. Until they lose control of both. Returning to his hometown in the Catskills is the last thing firefighter Ethan DeLuca’s ready for. He’d rather leave memories where they belong—buried under ashes. But if he doesn’t step up to take care of Nonna, who will? Working at the camp down the road seems like the perfect solution. Until his feisty redheaded boss ends up being one fire he has no idea how to put out. Cassidy McAdams is on a mission. Get the camp Grandpa left her ready to sell, turn enough profit to bail Mom’s business out of foreclosure, and hightail it back to her life in New York City. With unexpected complications mounting, she can’t afford any distractions. Especially a ridiculously charming one who’s eager to rescue her at every turn. It’d be easier on them both to hide behind professional boundaries. But when unexplained attacks on the camp ignite a connection between them they can’t ignore, running away is no longer an option.

The Good Billionaire


Deborah Garland - 2022
    The twist? I am his wife…That’s my husband, Dr. Sebastian (Break My) Hart. Celebrity surgeon who forgot he had a wife.So I left him.Then his sister asked me to be her maid of honor. Which meant he never told his family we split up.Seriously?Now they’re all coming into town for the wedding.And I have to pretend we’re still together.By sleeping in a hotel bed with him.I can do this.I can resist him.Until we get behind closed doors.He’s good at removing my defenses and my panties. Not to mention leaving me a sore aching mess when he’s done with me.It’s just forty-eight hours. And I missed him. Missed the man I fell in love with. The man who took my virginity in medical school ten years ago. When I try to leave this time, will he prove I’m more important than fame? The Good Billionaire is the 24K prequel to The Billionaire Hart Series, featuring Sebastian Hart, cousin and best friend to the Hart Brothers, billionaire owners of The Sterling hotel in New York City.No cheating. No cliffhanger. HEA guaranteed.Series Complete!The Good BillionaireDaring the BillionaireBossy BillionaireRebel Billionaire