Book picks similar to
Dancing with the Enemy by Christiana Jones


romance
contemporary
spanky-s-books
heroine-has-emotional-baggage

Beautifully Tainted


A.M. Guilliams - 2014
    Perfectly boring. Which is how I preferred it to be. Trust didn't come easy and for good reason.When I ran into the new detective in town, I knew the second our eyes locked, he'd be my downfall. He had too many questions. Pressed too hard for me to let him in. And they were both the dangerous combination neither of us could afford.

Crossing Boundaries


Sandra Alex - 2020
    An abandoned medical degree. And a woman who will make Daniel forget all that.Kayla marries Nick when she isn’t old enough to know better. With an ever-ailing mother and co-ownership of Nick’s company, Kayla is too busy to see what everyone else does until it is too late. With no children, an unfinished education, and both the intelligence and drive to move mountains, nothing can stand in Kayla’s way…until the first day of school.Daniel is hard-nosed, has a chip on his shoulder, and he has neither the time nor the desire for anything other than work. Pre-med and former military, Daniel is the chosen sibling to watch his father post-stroke, adding fuel to his ire, as his already busy life has been put on hold. He’s a loner, hard-working, he’s rich…and he is about as sexy as they come.Kayla and Daniel have a very awkward meeting….at least on the second attempt. Daniel can’t stand the once-too-forward girl he met when forced to go out with his friends, and Kayla begrudges her friends for forcing her to slip off her wedding ring and party before the ink dried on her divorce papers. Kayla never expected things to end up the way that they did, and if she could take it back, she would. But life’s like that.Everything is all perfunctory between Daniel and Kayla until Daniel learns something about her that compels him to help her in a way that nobody else can. While she refuses to take the hand that he’s offering her, she soon realizes that when it comes down to it, he is all that she’s got, and he soon realizes that she’s all that he’s ever wanted…he just never knew it. A once-hardened man softens and learns to open his heart, because his heart will take nothing less than hers.A heartbreaking yet heartwarming love story about what happens in real life when two people are forced together under difficult circumstances. Daniel and Kayla will warm your heart and renew your belief that true love is really out there, even when you’re not necessarily looking for it. Pick up your copy today!

No Turning Back


Casey Peeler - 2013
    Her best friend, Cash Montgomery is the only one who truly knows what happened that night and is a constant source of strength. After a summer of questioning who she wants to be, Charley decides to put the past behind and leave the small town of Grassy Pond to stand on her own two feet again. While Charley is living her life to the fullest at college she meets Joe Olsen and falls head over heels. But one letter is about to change everything and this time Cash isn’t there to help her. Will she be able to escape her past and on her own? Will she run home to Cash? Or will she find comfort in the arms of Joe?

Second Chances


Riley Jordan - 2020
    Things are going well; their mutually held animosity gave way over the years to respect and cooperation, something that can’t be said about their parents nor a certain overprotective best friend who takes holding a grudge to a whole new level.There is still tension among their families and friends, but the only thing they’re concerned about is making sure they’ve created the best life for their son.However, something else suddenly enters the picture. Something neither of them saw coming.Love.Love?Didn’t they learn anything the first time around?The stakes are much higher and, if things go bad, it’s guaranteed to destroy everything they’ve worked so hard to build.Should they keep old feelings buried and focus solely on their son? Or should they throw caution to the wind and give love a second chance?

Roping the Cowboy


Tori Kayson - 2015
    She's worked hard to get where she is, and she refuses to allow a cowboy, as good looking as he is, or the cute boy that comes with him, to derail her climb up the corporate ladder. But a woman could dream about having it all, couldn't she? Rancher Fargo Kester doesn't appreciate Darby's repeated attempts to persuade his family to allow an oil drilling rig on their property, but that doesn't stop him from speculating on her other…qualities. Like how much his son adores her, or how well she blends into life on the ranch. He doesn't have time for romance, though, not since his dad died three months ago leaving him responsible for his family’s livelihood. Nor the inclination. Jayce’s mother destroyed all trace of hope for that. Can Fargo convince Darby that the ranch needs her more than a rusty old drill? That he needs her? Could she embrace a quiet life on the ranch and fuse her love for the cowboy with the career of her dreams? Sweet romance that sizzles!

Looking Real Good


C. Morgan - 2020
    I don’t have time for romance.Hell, I can barely squeeze in a one-night stand here and there.As a self-made billionaire in the tech space, my work is my life.Unfortunately, my reputation as a rich jerk precedes me and isn’t entirely off.Thankfully, my sister is a successful public-relations consultant and has an idea, a way to soften my image a little.Her best friend is the answer.But the woman that shows up to help me with philanthropy looks nothing like the girl I remember.She’s rocking her jeans and T-shirt in ways that leave me wanting far more than I should.Pretty soon, the lines are blurred between me wanting to help my company and me wanting to help myself to another serving of her.I’m all for looking like a good guy to help my profits soar, but I’ve got bad boy things on my mind.This woman is stealing my attention. She’s looking real good.God help us both.

Hard To Love


S. Jones - 2017
     From that very moment when the stranger's hand takes her by the wrist, she is thrust into a world where she is flooded with feelings she cannot ignore. Torn between her head and her heart, she quickly realizes that fighting her attraction to Chase Newman is an impossible task. He's a man who always gets what he wants and with his sights set on Emily, she doesn't stand a chance. A one-night stand will never be enough though, when she wants so much more than that. When secrets and lies threaten to destroy the trust between them, Emily starts to question her own decisions. With doubt and suspicion plaguing her mind, is what they have worth fighting for? Or will the truth tear them apart?

Crash into Me


K.M. Scott - 2013
    And he wore it all so well. From the moment his mesmerizing gaze met mine, I had no choice but surrender to everything he was. His power. His decadence. His passion. He was all I never knew I needed. He wanted to possess me, and I wanted to be his everything. All I had to do was accept what he offered. But everything has a price. The world he gave me fulfilled my wildest dreams, but would that be enough when the past crashed into the present?

The Contract


Sarah Michelle Lynch
    Only with guts, patience and determination did I survive.

Wildfire


Suzanne Cass - 2020
    Who'll be next?Cat Lawson loves only two things. Her freedom and her motorcycle. When she's called back to Stargazer Ranch by a hard-to-refuse job offer, the very first person she comes across is the very last person she wants to see.Levi Wilson, the local park ranger, rues the day he ever met Cat; she's the most stubborn, infuriating woman he's ever known. He can't forgive her for running away six months ago; commitment never was one of her strong points.But on the very day of Cat's return, one of the luxury cabins is set on fire and it seems the arsonist targeting the ranch is back. The police suspected Clayton, an ex-ranch-hand but he hasn't been seen since the last fires, six months ago. Instead, Cat becomes suspect number one.Against all her better instincts, Cat finds herself irresistibly drawn to Levi, again. Then Cat is caught in a wildfire; someone is trying to burn her alive. Can their passion save them from the inferno, or will everything they love go up in flames?

Fate Plays Dangerous Games (Mornington Park #1)


K.E. Chaloner - 2017
     After escaping the days of terror in France, Cherie Beaumont has spent eight years hiding in China before she arrives in England, looking for a peaceful and quiet life. She does not need a man in her life that can turn her head, as she can fight as well as any man with a rapier. But when she finds herself the house guest of the Duke of Mornington and the strong emotional attraction hard to dismiss, she does not see the danger creeping towards her. Jack Blackenhawke, the Duke of Mornington life is well structured and very organised, spending all his time in parliament believing it is his duty to help the people England obtain better lives. He does not need a wife or heir as he has seven brothers and he most certainly does not need a woman who tempts his mind to be diverted, so he cannot think straight. Especially when she holds dangerous secrets that could not only place his family in danger, but could get them all killed.

Finding You


T.M. Cromer - 2020
    Due to adult themes, this book is not recommended for anyone under the age of 18.Heat level: 3.5Tissue consumption level: 1 boxShe didn’t see this one coming.Samantha Holt had the perfect relationship—until one day, she didn’t. For a woman with psychic abilities, she definitely missed the important signs leading to her boyfriend’s tragic accident. One moment she’s blissfully happy; the next, her world is turned upside down.It takes Samantha two interminable years to rebuild her life, and despite a new love interest, she can’t rest until she learns the truth. Her persistent inner voice won’t stop until she takes a trip to the city where all her romantic dreams were so ruthlessly crushed.A stranger could be the key to discovering the answers she needs.A chance encounter makes Samantha question what really happened that day so long ago. Forced to delve into the mystery of her soulmate's disappearance or accept the new love that life has offered her, Samantha faces a difficult decision.

Take a Chance on Me


Jaqueline Snowe - 2017
    Their relationship had always been easy. Both of them loyal to a fault, they had been there for each other through everything: heartbreaks, hangovers, and tragedy. So when Kate needs a place to stay for three months, Brody doesn’t think twice about agreeing. After all, they had known each other forever. What could go wrong living with his closest and oldest friend? Apparently, everything. Three months in a small apartment becomes more than complicated. Brody shouldn’t be attracted to his dorky best friend…he most definitely shouldn’t. That would be absurd. She’s a relationship girl and he’s more a one-night-sans-clothes kind of guy. One drunken dare of strip poker changes everything. Suddenly, two people with too much to lose play a dangerous game. The unapologetic playboy and the girl-next-door have a choice to make, if only their pasts didn’t keep getting in the way of their future.

Deceived


Danielle Pays - 2019
    Their current demand? A prominent local winery-and the land it sits on. No doubt it would only take one visit for him to charm the owners into selling.But his plan hits a snag the second he lays eyes on the alluring woman, dead-set on maintaining her family legacy. For the first time, he can see a forever with a woman. A forever that’s threatened when she discovers who he really is.Then the unthinkable happens: Declan is arrested for a catastrophic attack, threatening both their livelihoods and futures. And even though he maintains he’s innocent, Brooke’s trust is stretched so thin she doesn’t know what to believe.Or who’s really to blame. Who do you trust when everyone lies?This is a steamy, stand-alone, HEA romantic suspense.

Chasing Series: Set One


Pamela Ann - 2018
     Be consumed in intense passion and their one of a kind nonsensical love. How will they even try to move past the LIES, BETRAYAL and JEALOUSY? Could they fight off the magnetic attraction or will they submit and surrender to it? An orphan at the age of seven, there was one thing that Sienna Richards didn't do easily--give her heart. She made that mistake once by trusting and giving her heart to her childhood best friend and ex-boyfriend, Kyle Matthews. When Sienna left for London to study, she was taken aback when Kyle told her that he's been seeing someone else. Hurt and betrayed, Sienna decided to fly back to LA to confront him. The whole idea of "closure" was definitely a bad idea. She immediately left, deflated and aggrieved. Back in London, Sienna was surprised when her very good friend, the magnetic Blake Knightly, seemed to be determined to have her. Blake was relentless but will not settle until he gets ALL of Sienna. Women clamored to be the handsome aristocratic Blake. Who could possibly resist a compelling man that drew such power and commanded attention by simply just breathing? When Sienna was about to give in, fate stepped in and muddled her mind and heart once again. Kyle moves to London to be close to her. If Sienna thought her life was in shambles before, she should think again.