Book picks similar to
The Real Thing by Diana Fraser


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contemporary-romance
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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!

Her Baby, His Love


Lynne Marshall - 2017
    Soon after discovering that her boyfriend was secretly engaged and she moves to Charity, Montana for a fresh start, she realizes she’s pregnant. As her new friendly and sexy landlord helps her settle in, they become friends, although Taylor has to keep reminding herself to keep her distance. The last thing she needs is to start something new. As an ex-con, Joe Collins knows a little something about fresh starts. Despite his determination to keep his head down, he can’t ignore Taylor’s natural beauty or obvious vulnerability. In short time, a tentative friendship blooms along with something more precious—trust. When Taylor’s ex comes to town, he threatens everything that Joe and Taylor have built together. Joe steps up to care for and protect her, even though he risks losing more than the woman he loves.

Diving into Love


Kat Bellemore - 2020
    She didn’t need another.When Bree Garrett’s former college roommate invites Bree to move to Starlight Ridge, a small tourist town on the Californian coast, she is all too happy to leave the deserts of New Mexico and the memories of her former life. She only has three conditions:One- No one can find out about her fear of water—totally embarrassing when you live next to the ocean.Two- No seafood. She can't stomach it. Yeah, she sees the irony of points number one and two.Three- No blind dates. The last thing she needs is a relationship. Her ex-fiancé would agree.Easier said than done when the only job available is at a surf shop and the owner, Caleb, is under the impression that Bree has applied to be a scuba instructor, and not a cashier, as she had intended.Bree tries to clear up the misunderstanding, but it’s hard when she seems to lose her voice—and her breath—every time Caleb is near. How could she not when he happens to be attractive, single and, as it turns out, also doesn't like seafood?Bree and Caleb struggle against the pull of the tide that seems determined to bring them together. But, despite their differences, maybe this is one battle that is okay to lose.

Winter Interlude


Sandy Loyd - 2012
    Right if you were spending all your time and energy with Mr. Wrong? And what about the book out a few years ago that created such a hoopla with the single crowd – He’s Just Not That Into You? The two main characters in Winter Interlude either didn’t heed their mother’s advice or haven’t read the book. Now, add into the plot that the two in question are enemies who regularly run into each other, given their current relationships. Paul Morrison, a hunky, blond, financial planner, has been putting time and energy into winning the heart of Kate Winter’s best friend for almost as long as Kate, a strong willed antiques dealer, has been dating James Morrison, Paul’s brother.The sparks start to fly when the two get stuck together for a three-hour drive to the mountains and years of misconceptions about each other are slowly being wiped out. It is in the confines of the BMW that the two begin their journey, taking them from being mortal enemies to lovers.Winter Interlude tells the story of their adventure – of how they finally find love. Kate and Paul’s story is the first one in a series of four friends caught in a time warp. They can’t move on because they are stuck on their idea of their perfect dreams. But sometimes life works in mysterious ways and they are all forced by circumstances to change.

The Best Man's Bride


Jamie Dallas - 2021
    The last person she expects to chase her down is her ex’s sexy but aloof business partner who’s kept her at arm’s length for years. He offers her a lifeline, but his help comes with a catch. Does she dare say yes?Jace Hartman doesn’t believe in love. And he doesn’t believe in giving up. He won’t let his company’s event planner walk away from their biggest launch—even if she has a broken heart. Business comes first, so he makes Hailey an offer she can’t refuse. But it’s her counter offer that has him worried. She needs a place to live for the month, and he has an extra bedroom.Jace has spent the past few years trying his best to bury his attraction to Hailey. Now she’s everywhere and making him forget all the reasons he should never mix business and pleasure.

Healing Touch (A Place to Call Home, #1)


Laura Browning - 2017
    Luke knows he needs to be a better daddy for his troubled kids, but his work as a veterinarian made it difficult in the past. He’s vowed to change, but he needs help while he settles into his new position with the local animal hospital.Rachel Hastings is a woman with a healing touch. She takes in injured and orphaned animals, so helping out with two new-to-town children shouldn’t be tough. What she hasn’t counted on is their sexy father, her secret crush from back in their high school days.Their attraction is immediate, but so many obstacles stand in the way. Luke and his family still grapple with the shock of the accident that killed his wife. Rachel carries baggage from her own failed marriage. Worst of all, Luke’s children hide a secret that is tearing them apart and may destroy any chance Luke and Rachel have of building a future together.Don’t miss Healing Touch, book one of a sexy new contemporary series from author Laura Browning.

Buck


Em Petrova - 2016
     After a TV network approaches the six Calhoun family members about doing a rodeo reality show, they jump on the opportunity for even more income needed to keep their ranch in the family. But now that Buck’s knee-deep in film crews, he wishes like hell he could un-sign his name from that contract. Having his personal business aired is no damn fun, and America doesn’t know his fiancée broke things off with him. Channing loved Buck the moment she spotted him on top of his powerful horse. But she’s had enough of his cool, emotionless personality and she wants out. Only she signed up for this reality series, and she needs that cold hard cash to keep her brother out of the hands of the thugs he owes for gambling debts. For Buck and Channing, pretending all is well is difficult. Keeping their hands off each other is impossible, and throwing the film crews off their horny scent is a challenge that’s becoming fun. Channing is starting to view Buck in a brand new light. And he sees her true colors when she finds a way to help the whole Calhoun family. Maybe she really will get that wedding ring and his last name.

Melting His Heart


Kris Pearson - 2013
    Might the advertisement seeking a ‘Superwoman’ be her answer? Short-listed, she’s flown to the vibrant winter tourist resort of Queenstown at her prospective employer’s expense. Snow is dusting the mountain tops as the jet glides in, and she’s shocked to be collected by tall, dark internet billionaire Matthew McLeod. Where is the woman she spoke with on the phone? Kate is driven first to hospital to meet his injured sister, and then to their magnificent home to stay the night. Lottie is a world-famous painter, and Kate craves the job as her assistant, but she’s totally unsettled by charismatic Matthew who teases her unmercifully. Knowing she’s dangerously attracted, she vows to refuse the job, should it be offered, and run like hell. After a disastrous first marriage, Matthew has lived in a freezing void. His duplicitous ex-wife chose him for his money, and when she tried to blackmail him he swiftly divorced her and swore off future entanglements. He’s buried himself in his work to keep the demons at bay, but now there’s a potent new threat tearing at his resolve. Although she’s plainly diving for cover, job-seeker Kate is dragging his ruthlessly suppressed emotions back to the surface. Temptation he’s easily shrugged off in the past now eats him alive. Can he persuade her to stay long enough to fan the smouldering sparks between them until they burst into white-hot flames?

Love You, Always


Cristin Cooper - 2015
    Forced to move forward with her life, Anna was reeling as she enrolled in college. There she made a friend who had been there and done that, hired a sexy younger man to tutor her in math, who also taught her how to have fun again, and she met a man to love her, whether she wanted him to or not. The lessons in life Anna received over her first year of college gave her the strength to live again.

A Heart to Call Home


Amanda Torrey - 2014
    She's not sure if the small town life is for her, but since part of her new mission in life is to adopt the free-spiritedness her mother had once embodied, she knows she has to give it a try. She needs her freedom, and she needs it now. Even if the fresh air might suffocate her. Rogan Douglas agrees to take on the job of getting Reed's property up-to-snuff so she can re-open the once grand-now dilapidated-cottage motel in town. Struggling to raise his five kids on his own after the accidental death of his wife, Rogan didn't realize the job would cost him so much. Like his sanity. And his heart. Reed and Rogan are venturing down different paths in life, but can they resist the powerful attraction that threatens the way they see themselves? Their futures? And is it possible for two people with such different personalities and values to find a way to call each other's heart their home?

Made for Me


Kathryn R. Biel - 2016
    While her meddling family questions how she can end up in this predicament, at the age of 29, and single to boot, Michele doesn't want to admit the truth. All she wants to do is sew. Faced with the prospect of moving back into her parents' house, Michele throws a Hail Mary pass and applies for a TV design contest, Made for Me. In order to win the contest, Michele will have to compete with nine other contestants to design the new wardrobe for Duchess Maryn Medrovovich, who's about to marry Prince Stephan of the United Republic of Montabago. While in the seclusion of the show, Michele starts to realize where her focus in life should be, and what's truly important to her. However, a dashing competitor might just cause her to lose her focus once and for all. Can Michele keep her eye on the prize while being true to herself?

The Problem with Planning Love


Claire Cain - 2020
    Divorcé. Lieutenant Colonel in the US Army.All titles I’ve come to terms with, even if I didn’t see those first two coming.I never imagined making a military move to Germany as a single parent. What else I never imagined? Having an insane spark like I’ve never felt with my son’s kindergarten teacher.Livie’s a singular force of light and beauty, and I’ve never wanted someone so much. But after what happened last time, I can’t escape the dread of dragging a new wife into this life and failing again.Besides, our lives are too different. Our plans don’t match. We definitely shouldn’t date and absolutely can’t afford to catch feelings.Everything changed the day I walked into that classroom. And now the only thing that scares me more than trying for another chance at love is living with regret if I don’t.The Problem with Planning Love is a dual point of view romance told in first person that will give you all the sizzle and heat but keep it sweet.

Resisting Him


Leslie Johnson - 2018
    I've moved on with my life and I can't wait to return home for good. The home where seven-years earlier I met my best friend and former lover Marcus Johnson. How was I to know our parents had other plans? Even with a new boyfriend, and all the time apart, there is always one lingering thought. Marcus. Why? The more I try to forget him, the stronger my desire becomes. We had to breakup, but did we want to? Now my life will be even more complicated with Marcus so near. Don’t miss the scorching hot Resisting Him a stand-alone novel by Leslie Johnson.

Boardwalk Beginnings


Nikki Lynn Barrett - 2020
    London Carmichael, the middle daughter of Cinnamon Bay’s wealthiest family, lives off her father’s money while jet-setting around the world. Until one bad investment has the family losing everything. Now homeless and not a penny to her name, she is stranded at the airport. Who is sent to pick her up? Jacob Westley, the one man who can’t stand her.Jacob would do anything for his best friend, even if it means helping out his buddy’s snooty sister. Years of fighting with London has him primed for the rounds of rapid-fire barbs he knew she’d throw. What he isn’t prepared for is their mutual attraction and off-the-charts chemistry. It’s in his best interest to stay away from her.Only now London has come up with a plan and needs his help in saving her family. Jacob doesn’t have the willpower to say no. Will these two enemies call a truce long enough to accomplish their mission and find true love?Fans of Brenda Novak, Nora Roberts, and Robyn Carr will fall head over heels for this delightful beachy romance.Meet the Carmichael siblings, each with their own unique personality like the different spices that helped build the family fortune. Some are hot and fiery, others mild and sweet. Some blend well together. Some don’t. Now that their wealth is gone, they must put aside their differences and come together for the first time. Follow each sibling on their path to survival and their journey into everlasting love.

Ticket to Forever


Lizabeth Scott - 2019
    No matter the mode of transportation, love is always the destination in USA Today Bestseller, Lizabeth Scott’s Love in Transit Series.Grant has never been able to forget his first love. He’s tried to forgive himself for what happened and move on with his life. But he can’t because his life was always supposed to include her. He has to try one more time to get his girl back. A cruise is the perfect place to confront their past so they can more forward hopefully together.Kaylee is ready for a relaxing getaway after the rough few years she’s had. She doesn’t even care that she’s going on a romantic cruise, solo. She chooses to consider it an opportunity to restart her life. Until she sees her ex walking towards her on the deck of the ship. She considers jumping overboard and dog paddling back to shore. Swimming was never her thing, but with the determined spark she sees in his eyes she wonders if she should give it a try anyway.Kaylee can’t believe her eyes…and she can’t believe her traitorous heart. But even she knows, she can’t start anew if she hasn’t reconciled her past.These sassy & sexy standalone novels in Lizabeth Scott’s Love in Transit series can be read as standalones but for a richer reading experience start with book one:Love in Transit Series:Ticket to ForeverTicket to PleasureTicket to DesireAnd don’t miss Lizabeth’s other swoon-worthy reads:Royal Heirs SeriesOver RuledBillionaire of White Oak Series:HeartbreakerTroublemakerMastermindHotheadKissed SeriesSnow Kissed by the BillionaireChased by the BillionaireSun Kissed by the BillionaireFrench Kissed by the BillionaireDirty Ankle SeriesYou Promised Me ForeverHearts of Gold SeriesA Sheik for RoseA Star for AnnieA Cowboy for MaryRoyal Vow SeriesSweet SurrenderSweet DenialSweet SeductionSweet TemptationSweet Destiny