Book picks similar to
Crushing on You by Jen Trinh


romance
contemporary-romance
poc-author
dnf

Yolk


Mary H.K. Choi - 2021
    Choi comes a funny and emotional story about two estranged sisters switching places and committing insurance fraud to save one of their lives.Jayne Baek is barely getting by. She shuffles through fashion school, saddled with a deadbeat boyfriend, clout-chasing friends, and a wretched eating disorder that she’s not fully ready to confront. But that’s New York City, right? At least she isn’t in Texas anymore, and is finally living in a city that feels right for her.On the other hand, her sister June is dazzlingly rich with a high-flying finance job and a massive apartment. Unlike Jayne, June has never struggled a day in her life. Until she’s diagnosed with uterine cancer.Suddenly, these estranged sisters who have nothing in common are living together. Because sisterly obligations are kind of important when one of you is dying.

As Kismet Would Have It


Sandhya Menon - 2019
    Sure, she loves her boyfriend, Rishi, but why does she need to validate that with an institution that has historically never favored the woman? Why go through all that hassle?Rishi Patel deeply disagrees. He believes in the power that comes with combining love and tradition, and when the time comes, wants nothing more than to honor those things in a huge celebration with his friends and family. He knows Dimple loves him, but in hearing her rant about how marriage is a “construct of hegemonic masculinity” for the millionth time, a small, niggling part of him worries that it’s not the institution of marriage Dimple has a problem with; maybe it’s him.The two lovebirds find themselves at a philosophical impasse. Can they find a way to work it out, or does kismet have other plans?

Caught on Camera


Kim Law - 2012
    But then she made the mistake of a lifetime. Former model Vega Zaragoza knows what scandal feels like, and she’s resolved to avoid it. Now making her living behind the camera instead of in front of it, she’s content. Life is good. But when a shot at her dream job comes along, one that puts her back in the public eye, Vega has a choice to make: continue to play it safe . . . or gamble everything to go toe-to-toe—and heart-to-heart—with the city’s most eligible bachelor.JP Davenport isn’t merely Atlanta’s most eligible bachelor, he’s the golden boy of one of America’s most prominent families. With endless charisma and movie-star good looks, JP is used to getting whatever he wants, whenever he wants it. And sometimes, things even get handed to him that he doesn’t want. But what can he do? He’s a Davenport. Everyone in the family has their role to play.When JP sets his sights on Vega, he has no idea the secrets she hides. Secrets that, if exposed, could upend both their lives. But though neither is willing to back away from the attraction they feel, they each start to wonder if a relationship is truly a mistake. Or will being together lead them both down the path to the freedom they each so desperately seek? “Kim Law pens a sexy, fast-paced romance.” —New York Times bestselling author Lori Wilde “The chemistry between Vega and JP is explosive and will have you rooting for the couple’s success.” —RT Book Reviews One-click now to get started reading and get drawn into the scandals that surround the Davenports! Don’t miss the other Davenport novels! Caught on Camera (The Davenports #1) Caught in the Act (The Davenports #2) Caught off Guard (The Davenports #3) Author’s note: This book was previously published in 2012 under the same title but with a different cover. The story remains the same as the original.

The Yes Factor


Erin Spencer - 2020
    Bex just wants to stay in bed with Outlander. With 40 right around the corner, divorced single mom Bex is too busy being a chauffeur for her teenage daughter to bother swiping for dates. Her best friend Liv, who is married to the supposedly perfect man, swoops in from London on a mission to get Bex out of her own bed and in to someone else's. Liv pushes Bex into a week-long whirlwind of dates, awkward kisses and missed connections.What could possibly go wrong when Bex agrees to Liv's harebrained scheme of saying Yes to every possible suitor? And why is Liv so intent on fixing Bex's love life, or lack thereof? Just what do you find out when all of your no's turn into The Yes Factor?

Pucked


Helena Hunting - 2015
    So of course she isn't interested in legendary team captain Alex Waters or his pretty, beat-up face and rock-hard six-pack abs. But when Alex inadvertently obliterates Violet's misapprehension regarding the inferior intellect of hockey players, he becomes much more than just a hot body with the face to match. Suffering from a complete lapse in judgment, Violet discovers just how good Alex is with the hockey stick in his pants.Violet believes her night of orgasmic magic with Alex is just that: one night. But Alex starts to call. And text. And email and send extravagant - and quirky - gifts. Suddenly he's too difficult to ignore and nearly impossible not to like. The problem is, the media portrays Alex as a total player, and Violet doesn't want to be part of the game.

The Boy Friend


Mika Jolie - 2017
    We’ve been inseparable since the day I pulled one of her pigtails and she punched me in the gut. She’s hilarious, fun to hang out with. Together, we’re like peanut butter and jelly, spaghetti and meatballs, wings and beer. A match made in heaven. She’s the bomb. Did I mention she’s smokin’ hot? I’ve checked her out…maybe once or twice. Hey, I’m a guy. Seriously, no awkwardness, no secret yearning for our relationship to escalate beyond the purely platonic. I’m the boy friend—the loyal shoulder she cries on, the dispenser of coffee, sympathy, hugs, advice, and affection with no expectations. Until the invisible line between friends and lovers became blurry. Now I want more. I want her. All I have to do is convince her we can be more than friends. Right? If only it were that easy.

Southern Charmer


Jessica Peterson - 2018
    He's southern. And he won't stop showing up at my door half naked. Meet Elijah Jackson, my hot new neighbor...From the outside looking in? I’ve got it all. Prestigious job. Pretty house. And a perfect boyfriend who just proposed with the perfect ring.I should feel ecstatic—but instead, I feel suffocated. So I break up with my boyfriend, hop in my car, and head south.Charleston, South Carolina: home to stunning architecture, sultry accents, and—oh yeah—my perpetually shirtless neighbor, Elijah Jackson. As if his abs for days and inked up deliciousness aren’t enticing enough, he also encourages me to chase down my dreams. And the chemistry between us? Hotter than the kitchen at Eli’s restaurant. But I still have a life a thousand miles away. One I’ve worked really hard to build. And I don’t know if I can just leave it all behind.I have to choose. A choice Eli doesn't make any easier by inviting me out to his cabin for a long weekend. Just the two of us. And one bed. I swear to God this southerner is out to charm the panties right off me. Just this once, I might let him...SOUTHERN CHARMER is a slow burn, standalone romance with no cheating. It is part of the Charleston Heat Series, which is a series of interconnected standalone novels set in the steamy southern town of Charleston, South Carolina.SOUTHERN CHARMER: Oliva and Eli’s bookSOUTHERN PLAYER: Gracie and Luke’s bookSOUTHERN GENTLEMAN: Julia and Greyson’s bookSOUTHERN HEARTBREAKER: Eva and Ford’s book

With the Fire on High


Elizabeth Acevedo - 2019
    The one place she can let her responsibilities go is in the kitchen, where she adds a little something magical to everything she cooks, turning her food into straight-up goodness.Still, she knows she doesn’t have enough time for her school’s new culinary arts class, doesn’t have the money for the class’s trip to Spain—and shouldn’t still be dreaming of someday working in a real kitchen. But even with all the rules she has for her life—and all the rules everyone expects her to play by—once Emoni starts cooking, her only real choice is to let her talent break free.

On the Rocks


Kandi Steiner - 2019
    It's what the town said when his father died and the Becker brothers went wild. And it's on repeat in my mind the day I walk into the whiskey distillery where he works to buy a wedding gift for my fiancé.He's trouble. Dirty, sweaty, rude trouble. No matter how many times I repeat it, I can't escape Noah in our small Tennessee town. And the more I run into him, the more he infuriates me. Because he sees what no one else does.He sees me—the real me. The me I'm not sure I'm allowed to be.I'm Ruby Grace Barnett, the mayor's daughter. Soon to be a politician's wife, just like Mama and Daddy always wanted. Soon to fulfill my family's legacy, just like I always knew I would.Until the boy everyone warned me about makes me question everything, like whether the wedding I'm planning is one I even want. Everyone says Noah Becker is nothing but trouble.If only I had listened.

Next to You


Julia Gabriel - 2014
    Now an adult, he's carefully crafted a pretend life where he can hide his scars and his death row father behind the disguise of a caretaker's pickup truck and a pair of gardening shears. But when a beautiful woman with scars of her own barges into his quiet, solitary life, Jared finds it increasingly difficult to hide from what he really wants.A successful young businesswoman ill at ease in her newfound beauty...Phlox Miller was never the pretty girl and no magic mascara or secret serum was ever going to change that — not even one manufactured by her own company. When an accident at her country home burns her face and body, she spares no expense on her recovery and plastic surgery. Now she turns heads on the street, but can't recognize herself in the mirror — and can't convince the man she loves that he's beautiful, too.Can two people see beyond their physical and emotional scars to find true love and lasting acceptance?

Delivery Girl


Lily Kate - 2017
     Things like pizza. The very pizzas that I deliver for my dad’s restaurant, Peretti’s Pizza. It’s a temporary job, something to pay the bills until I graduate from school, but it does the trick. In fact, it's working quite well until Ryan Pierce of the Minnesota Stars decides to order a pizza from me, and life as I know it turns upside down. You see, Ryan Pierce doesn’t just open his front door. He opens it buck naked. And suddenly, I’m not the one boasting the biggest, hottest package in the room. However, it’s what happens next that gives me butterflies whenever my phone beeps. Ryan starts to call, and then text, and then fifteen pizza deliveries and one fantastic night later, we’re friends with benefits. So when he asks me to be his fake girlfriend at his brother’s wedding, I’m happy to help. But the longer we pretend, the more I worry that this is one package I might not be able to handle. ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** This is a full-length, standalone romantic comedy with an HEA. It is intended for audiences 18+ due to mature content including romance, language, and ridiculously fun times.

Honey Bee


Heather Shere - 2017
    No hassles, no complications, and no heartache. As the handsome high school athletics coach, he would be the pick of the small town he grew up in... if he was into commitment, or dating...or even calling back. But he has sworn off anything resembling a future and his mind isn't going to change. Then his eyes lock on the new girl in town...She’s beautiful, intelligent, and full of surprises. Just the kind of complication he has been avoiding.Sophia Brown is looking for the sweet simple life. She has it all planned out. Getting used to life alone isn't easy, but she has her garden, her bees, and her dog Triton to tend to. It's the fresh start she's been dreaming of, surrounded by nothing but open fields to stare at all day.  Nothing at all...unless you count the high school football team and their distractingly handsome coach, practicing right across the street.When sparks fly, Bo must choose between the sting of his past or the sweetness of the future. He may just find that honey tastes good on everything.

10 Dates


Emily James - 2017
    However, when her engagement starts to look more stalemate than soulmate, her best friend stages an intervention sure to make even the most hardened, serial daters wince: 10 Dates in 10 Days. Statistically, if you kiss a lot of frogs there's bound to be at least one that's not a complete toad, isn't there? With nothing to lose, Joanie embarks on a crazy rollercoaster of blind dates. After all, what can possibly go wrong in the search for Mr. Right? 10 Dates is a standalone, sexy, laugh out loud romantic comedy with a happy ending. It is not for the feint hearted and is best suited for readers over the age of eighteen due to sexual themes and mature content.

Talk Sweetly to Me


Courtney Milan - 2014
    She's a shy, mathematically-minded shopkeeper's daughter who dreams of the stars. Women like her only ever come to attention through scandal. She'll take obscurity, thank you very much.All of England knows who Stephen Shaughnessy is. He's an infamous advice columnist and a known rake. When he moves into the house next door to Rose, she discovers that he's also wickedly funny, devilishly flirtatious, and heart-stoppingly handsome. But when he takes an interest in her mathematical work, she realizes that Mr. Shaughnessy isn't just a scandal waiting to happen. He's waiting to happen to her...and if she's not careful, she'll give in to certain ruination.

The Pilot & the Puck-Up


Pippa Grant - 2018
    Tough? Damn right. Smart? Don’t let the hockey uniform fool you. Large and in charge? Honey, I’m the biggest, baddest, mother pucking-est machine to ever own the ice. I shoot. I score. In and out of the rink. I don’t come early, but I come often, if you know what I mean. And I always leave the ladies wanting more. Until that chick last night. I’m no one-thrust wonder, and you’re damn right I’m going to prove to her I can do better. But every time I think I’m finally on my way back into her pants, she one-ups and out-balls me. I should cut my losses, lick my wounds, and walk away. But Zeus Berger doesn’t walk away from anything. Especially when she's the only woman in the world who might be able to handle me.