Book picks similar to
The Trouble with Friends by Cheryl Phipps


chick-lit
contemporary-romance
romance
contemporary

Love at Coco Bay


Kirsty McManus - 2021
    With a recent promotion from receptionist to co-assistant manager—not to mention the ongoing opportunity to live and work with her best friends—everything is perfect.Well, except for one tiny thing. Sasha has never had much luck in the boyfriend department, and the only guy she’s ever been interested in is event planner Dash, a Channing Tatum lookalike who is oblivious to her affections.But when a resort guest insists that Sasha work with Dash on an upcoming wedding, they are suddenly thrust into a three-month-long high-pressure environment. Sasha can no longer hide from Dash, and Dash has no option but to get to know Sasha.As expected, things get off to a rocky start, and when a mystery investor arrives at the island, the situation only gets worse. Sudden changes in the corporate hierarchy and bizarre managerial decisions mean that not only the wedding, but the entire resort’s future is in jeopardy.Can Sasha survive the chaos, make the wedding a success, and end up with her dream guy?She’s going to try.

Falling for a Stranger


Georgia Coffman - 2019
    I don’t expect to fall for a stranger.We share one blissful night together. No last names, phone numbers, or feelings.Yet, he still tracks me down, and I can’t say no to the heat between us.Our chemistry is intense. Palpable. Life-changing.My traditional family believes moving to LA has corrupted me, but the truth is, they’ve never approved of any of my life choices. It’s never bothered me, either—until I met Sebastian.But it was one thing to be with him in Vegas during a wild weekend and another story entirely to invite him into my life. How can I take him to meet my parents?After all, his profession isn’t something my family would accept.Can our one night turn into forever?*Note: This was previously titled Strip for Me.

The Orchard Inn


A.M. Kusi - 2019
    He’s looking for his future. Will they take a chance on a love neither expected…Ella lives in constant fear. After seven years of concealing her whereabouts from an abusive ex, she gets an opportunity for a fresh start when one of the few men she trusts leaves her a charming inn. When a mysterious, charming guest tempts her to open her heart again, she fears the scars from the past will keep her from anything close to love.
Hardworking and successful, River has always wondered if something's missing from his life. And when he falls for the gorgeous proprietor of Orchard Inn, he knows the tattooed beauty is exactly what he needs. Moved by her pain, he encourages her to open up about her fears while he promises to stay by her side. 
But just as their irresistible passions bloom, Ella’s brutal ex returns to reclaim what was never truly his.
 
Can Ella and River fight off the past long enough to awaken a forever love?The Orchard Inn is the inspirational first novel in the Orchard Inn romance series. If you like strong heroines, kind-hearted heroes, and a dash of suspense, then you’ll adore A.M. Kusi’s uplifting tale.Buy The Orchard Inn to watch a couple heal with love today!

Becoming Me


Staci Stallings - 2018
    Just ask her. She’ll tell you. After all, he is her sister’s best friend, “royalty” in her high school, a senior, and so talented he would never notice a nobody like her. So Paige resorts to pouring her non-existent feelings for Nelson into a very special notebook, a notebook of the words that cascade through her without her knowing how or where they come from. She’s always been like that, writing words that are poetic, ephemeral, and too precious to share with anyone else. But what happens when she loses the notebook that contains the words that are such a part of her? Worse, when Nelson starts to want to hang out, can she play it cool or will he learn all the secrets she’s been keeping from everyone, even herself? Nelson Samuels knows he’s always been a little weird. For as long as he can remember, he’s done his best to keep just how weird a secret from those closest to him. Yes, they know he writes music. What they don’t know is that he hears music in haunting melodies all the time. Having learned to capture some of them into notes on a page, he struggles to share just enough of his talent without risking anyone knowing all of it. It’s only when Nelson starts to notice his best friend’s younger sister that life is about to dare him to open the deepest secrets he holds about himself to someone else. Will he be brave enough to share the imagination side of him, or will he forever stay trapped in knowing he has this amazing gift but being too afraid to share it with anyone? “Becoming Me” begins The Imagination Series by USA Today Best-Selling Christian author Staci Stallings. This set of stories begins in the very real world and takes the reader on a journey to learn that we all have gifts and talents, and those were placed inside of us by a God Who loves us and wants us to learn to use them—for ourselves, for our friends and family, for the world, and for His Kingdom. Come along on this journey that dares to ask what would happen if we all stopped judging our differences and started celebrating them instead.

The Vintner's Vixen


Rebecca Norinne - 2018
    She’s got plans and power tools ready, but an inconvenient attraction to her grumpy new neighbor is not on the agenda. Neither is kissing him practically all over town.Vintner Noah Blackstone’s main goal in life is to win awards for his wine. Everything is going according to plan too, until construction on the B&B bordering his property threatens his prize-winning vines. When Noah storms next door to demand an explanation, he doesn’t expect to meet the sexiest woman he’s ever seen. Everything about Angelica is both infuriating and exhilarating—from her pink tool belt to her quick retorts. And even though she drives him absolutely insane, he can’t help wanting her. Somehow, between long hikes through the forest and lovely picnics on the bay, Angelica and Noah manage to resolve their differences. But when Noah’s secrets are revealed and Angelica gets another shot at stardom, they’re forced to ask themselves some very hard questions. Can their love survive the truth? Better yet ... can they survive each other?

A Flirtationship


love-o-holic12babe - 2013
    I like my best friend. Oh, and he has a girlfriend.” Scarlett has been best friends with Aiden for a very long time. She's almost like a sister to him. Problem is, Scarlett does not see him as a brother at all; far from it, in fact. Her traitor of a heart loves him--yes, as more than a friend. They are polar opposites. She's always been awkward when it comes to anything social, while Aiden, the life of the party, has girls falling at his feet. He is so effortlessly likable. Scarlett can't even hope to compete with all the other girls. Worst, Aiden has a girlfriend: Perfect Hailey. He is crazy about her. While there is Scarlett, always just his best friend. But there are times when she can feel something brewing between them, something more. Will she gather enough courage to confess her feelings to Aiden, to tell him he's more than just a best friend to her? Or will she shove her feelings right down the drain? Or will that something she feels between them, prove to be something she dare not hope it to be: something else, something more, something special? A Flirtationship will draw you into the intricate tapestry of confessions, betrayals, friendship, and love. Give their story the chance it deserves. Buy your copy now! You won’t regret it.

Manhattan Cinderella


Kate O'Keeffe - 2019
    An heir to a music kingdom. A chance for a fairy tale ending.22-year-old New Yorker Gabriella Davis aspires to be pop music's next big thing. Desperate to protect her kid sister, she's got to succeed. But first, she needs to get away from her narcissistic stepmother who has her working her butt off as assistant to her band.Super-hot singer Cole Grant is a country boy at heart, so when he leaves his native Tennessee for New York, he's about as comfortable as a deer on ice. He's determined to make the most of this chance of a lifetime, but with the explosive family secret Cole needs to keep, this is one opportunity that might just blow up in his face.A taxi, a lost shoe, and a chance meeting bring Gabby and Cole together. Their attraction is instant. But with so much at stake, neither one is in the market for love.When City meets Country and fame and fortune beckon, can they open their hearts to one another? Or will the secrets they hold keep them from finding their happily ever after?Manhattan Cinderella is a sweet and sexy contemporary romance retelling of the Cinderella story for fans of Lauren Layne. This book is a little sexier than my other "chick lit" titles, such as the Cozy Cottage Café series, but with my same light-hearted, feel-good tone.

Not Quite a Duchess (The Boston Heiresses #1)


Ava Rose - 2020
    One broken hero. With danger looming, will they uncover more than they bargained for?A determined Duchess...Lady Anna Trevallyn, Duchess Wrexford, does not possess the typical qualities of the Boston elite. Confident and strong, she refuses to accept her place as a second-class citizen in a man's world--especially when her best friend, Libby, unexpectedly disappears without a trace. Unwilling to leave it to the men to uncover, she's determined to get answers.A damaged Prince...His Royal Highness, Prince Penforth Armstrong-Leeds, will do anything to locate his sister, Libby. Sharing resources, knowledge, and time with the beautiful and intelligent Lady Anna is an added advantage. Pen has secretly admired Anna from afar for years, but his war wound forces him to remain at bay.An unlikely pair...As Pen and Anna delve for answers beneath high society's gilded exterior, their feelings for one another intensify. Now, they must navigate their strong feelings while locating Libby before her reputation is permanently destroyed. With time running out, will they uncover the truth before lives are lost and hearts broken?This is the first in a Victorian Romance series featuring strong and feisty heroines at the forefront of the new age in 1890s America.Read each story as a stand-alone, or read the series in order.If you enjoy Gothic Victorian historical romantic suspense stories, such as those made popular by Victoria Holt, Deanna Raybourn, Anna Lee Huber, Christi Caldwell or Dorothy Eden, you'll love this series by historical romance author, Ava Rose.The Boston Heiresses series:1 - Not Quite a Duchess2 - Not Quite a Baroness3 - Not Quite a Lady4 - Not Quite a Princess

Healthy Scratch


Robyn M. Ryan - 2021
    The only kind she’s willing to consider are friends-with-benefits and even a red-hot and sexy hockey player like Dave Martin isn’t going to change that. Right?When those chocolate brown eyes threaten to melt her defenses she has to remind herself that demons from her past could rise up at any moment. Which is going to be pretty hard to do, since she loses herself every time they touch.Dave used to love the benefits that came easily to professional athletes; especially when they were in the form of puck bunnies who only wanted one night. But when he meets the pint-sized girl with bewitching green eyes and sun-streaked auburn hair his outlook suddenly changes. He wants forever with Lauren. Now he just has to convince her.Can Lauren risk everything for the man she’s secretly been falling for? Or will her past stop her from taking a chance on love?Healthy Scratch—book #1 of the Tampa Suns Hockey Series—is a standalone romance whose main characters’ lives are intertwined with those introduced in The Clearing the Ice Trilogy. You don’t need to read the trilogy to enjoy Healthy Scratch. The book stands on its own, promises HEA, and no cliffhangers! To heighten your enjoyment of the Tampa Suns Hockey Series, you may wish to read The Clearing the Ice Trilogy.

Snowfall and Secrets


Kierra Quinn - 2016
    She needs to find someplace to lay low and hide from her overbearing family. Mackinac Island, Michigan, should be the perfect place to hide out. However, her timing is a little off, it's the dead of winter and she's never been in temperatures below fifty degrees. Just her luck, her landlord, Lukas, is as hot as the sun. He's also moody and hiding secrets as well. Which suits Tess fine. A man is the last complication she needs. A Michigan blizzard leaves them trapped in the same house together and things heat up, fast. Tess finds herself falling for Lukas, in spite of the secrets that could ruin everything before it even begins.

Love Your Moves


Weston Parker - 2021
    This girl’s going down with a fight.The drunk video that was made with me calling him out for being the villain he is went viral. I’m both impressed and appalled.He’s far too smooth for his own good, and way too hot for mine.All is fair in love and war until one night we both lay down our weapons and concede.For one night. Besides, one night of passion has never hurt anyone, right?From enemy to lover.But it’s all a little too fishy. Maybe I’m being juked too?An extravagant date? Check.Steaming-hot guy who might not be the jerk I thought he was? Check.Gorgeous ex-wife with a shiny new rock from him on her finger? Check and check.And all of that on Valentine’s Day.Like cupid got drunk and stumbled around laughing himself into a tizzy while he jacked up lives.Like mine. But it’s my fault. I never should have dropped the enemy defense.Unfortunately, I gave my heart to a guy who happens to be missing his.

Lucy's Hearth


M. Lee Prescott - 2019
    Her new neighbor back east, Richard is a self-made billionaire who goes after what he wants, and he wants Lucy. Back home in New England, they begin a white hot love affair. As the heat pumps up, Lucy tries to step back, scared she is in too deep, too fast. Will this gorgeous Morgan man let her go? And, in pulling away, is she giving up a dream of happiness she never thought possible? As Lucy and Richard’s love story unfolds, join another branch of the Morgan family in this first book of Morgan’s Fire!

Beautiful Fury


Katharine E. Hamilton - 2018
    proves to be her most difficult undertaking. Renown for his privacy, Caroline discovers F.W.’s true identity only to find the man behind the art lives a reclusive lifestyle with no wish to display his art in a gallery. Finnegan Walsh dislikes distractions. And he extremely dislikes having people in his workshop. He loves working with glass and creating pieces of art. Simple. However, since meeting Caroline Pritchard, his space is threatened, and the quiet life he strives so hard to maintain is immediately disrupted. Can Caroline convince Finn to take a chance on her with his art and his heart?

End of Eternity


Loretta Lost - 2014
    until it's too late. Pregnant heiress Carmen Winters goes into shock when she comes home to find her husband hanging from a chandelier. Her immediate thoughts concern whether she should snap a photo for social media.As she gathers her wits, she begins to question the events surrounding her husband's death. Carmen's quest to understand the suicide is complicated by her difficult pregnancy and aggressive advances from her late husband's best friend. When Carmen discovers information about her husband that makes her realize her entire life was a lie, she finds herself drowning and needing desperately to lean on someone for support. Feeling vulnerable and lost, she gets entangled in a dangerous relationship and is unprepared for the consequences...One man may hold the key to her salvation, while another seems bent on her destruction.

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.