Book picks similar to
Southern Spice by Jeannette Winters


contemporary-romance
contemporary
freebie
romance

In for a Penny


Kelsey Browning - 2013
    Desperate to keep up the family name and give the man a decent burial, penniless Lil cooks up a shady deal that lands her smack-dab in the slammer.Burdened by her shameful secret and a crumbling family estate, Lil entrusts Summer Haven’s care to her best friend, Maggie, who recruits two more over-fifty ladies to help. But when Maggie discovers that Lil’s restitution is ten times the amount she “borrowed” from the federal government, she’s convinced Lil has taken the fall for someone else’s crime.Will these gals be able to get some vigilante justice for Lil, or will the swindler get away with hoodwinking a sweet little old lady?Recipes included!(Originally published as In for a Penny in the Granny/G Team series)

Confidential


Jack Parker - 2013
    After being forced into hiding until the trial, Heidi finds Camdon, someone who changes her :Making her new life more than bearable, he makes it perfect.Now she has to decide if it's worth giving up the perfect life she has to testify, if it's worth it to go back to the old life she had before, and if she can keep lying to the only person that she's ever loved.

Long Time Coming


Edie Claire - 2003
    But back at home, the past is ready and waiting to haunt her...Eighteen years have passed since Joy's childhood best friend, Jenny, met her death in a tragic car accident just a few days after their senior prom. A broken Joy left their small Kentucky hometown shortly after - determined never to come back. But when her father's illness forces her to return, she realizes that neither time nor distance have truly healed her troubled soul.Plagued with nightmares of the accident and crippled by a vague fear whose source she can't identify, Joy realizes that in order to move on she must face the truth behind several disturbing gaps in her memory of that fateful spring. But the only person who can help her is a man she despises - Jenny's erstwhile boyfriend Jeff, now a respected doctor, whose carelessness as a teenager was the cause of Jenny's horrendous death - and Joy's own emotional destruction. Can she ever forgive? She may have no choice but to try. Because both the danger she sensed - and the childhood friendship she treasured - now suddenly seem very much alive...

Blind Fury


Gwen Hernandez - 2014
    Permanently. Her brother's best friend--a sexy thrill-seeker she can't stop thinking about--won't reveal what he knows about the fatal shoot-out, putting Jenna at odds with the only man she trusts to keep her alive.Former military special operator Mick Fury would give his life to keep his best friend's irresistible sister safe. He took an oath to stay silent about their last mission, but Mick's will is tested by the white-hot attraction to Jenna he's tried to ignore for years. Now he must risk everything--even falling in love--to protect her from a secret that could destroy them both.

It Takes Two


Lily Zante - 2015
    She loves her husband very much.But something's missing. The sparkle, the fairy dust, the magic.Her life can't all be about dirty laundry and diapers. Can it?Rona Fernández left Verona with a clutch of happy memories. Her late night and frequent visits to the charming Gioberti's restaurant had raised some eyebrows but nobody was overly suspicious of why she would go alone each evening.Not even her husband.But back in Denver discontent soon pushes its way back into Rona's world and life soon pales in comparison to the memories of heady nights in Italy.Married and still looking hot despite a baby and almost seven years of marriage, Rona prides herself on looking good and getting noticed.It's just a shame that her hard-working husband is too busy working to pay her much attention.So when her sister asks for her help, back in Verona, how can she refuse?Especially when Gioberti's restaurant and its intriguing customers provide a pull for her that she finds hard to ignore.After all, a harmless flirtation every now and then isn't such a bad thing. As long it stays that way.But what happens when reality doesn't live up to expectations? Will it be too late to realize that what she had all along was far more precious than the things she thought she wanted?Maybe winning her husband back will be the hardest thing of all.Rona's story, is the first in the Italian Summer Series. It is a standalone story with a HEA and contains no cheating or cliffhangers.

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.

Live Like You Mean It


Ava Stone - 2015
    But when he meets single mom, Leah Willett who is struggling to put herself through school, his outlook on life and his future start to change. Leah falls hard and fast for Brody, even though she knows that a guy like him can never be who she needs at the end of the day. But she can't help herself. He makes life exciting for the first time in forever. But does she love him too much to keep him from his dreams?

Trouble in a Tight Dress


Lori Sjoberg - 2017
    He fought it in Afghanistan, and now he battles it at home as the head of Six Points Tactical & Security. In his line of work, he can’t afford to be distracted by anything…or anyone, and that includes Nina Petrova, his cyber security expert. She’s got a chip on her shoulder, a smart mouth. And a body that just doesn’t quit. She’s also his employee, which makes her off limits, no matter how badly he wants her. But when her life is threatened by the Russian mafia, he’ll do what it takes to protect her, even if that means breaking his own code of honor and claiming her as his own.Trouble is, he doesn’t know about her past, and what he doesn’t know might get them both killed.

Protecting Kate


Amy J. Hawthorn - 2015
    His good intentions get the better of him and he bids a small fortune on a damsel in distress. It turns out there's far more than meets the eye to the former Ms. Kentucky and their chemistry is off the charts. The only thing standing between Kate MacDonald and her worst nightmare is Trent Dawson and the men of Dark Horse Inc.

Escanta


Brooke Sivendra - 2016
    He has a past full of secrets and a skill set that makes him very dangerous. He’s violent. He doesn’t hesitate to kill. And he never gives his enemies a quick death. Mak Ashwood is a criminal prosecutor taking on the mob in a triple murder trial. She has enemies of her own, as well as a husband who disappeared thirteen years ago. When Mak comes to James for protection, the physical attraction is mutual. He knows he should stay away from her, though, so that his checkered past won't put her life in danger. He shouldn't get into a relationship, especially with a woman who fights to uphold the law. What he should do is focus on his own security situation, which is much more perilous than hers. However, James can’t seem to stay away, and Mak doesn’t want him to. But she doesn’t truly know him She doesn’t even know his real name... ESCANTA is a captivating suspenseful romance that explores the power of coincidence—and how seemingly unconnected events can entwine two lives together.

Exes and Goals


Heather C. Myers - 2017
    She has one.Harper Crawford is a big fan of the Newport Beach Seagulls, despite their abysmal previous season. It's been a year since Ken Brown's murder and Seraphina Hanson, Ken's youngest granddaughter, just survived her first year as the new owner and manager of the national hockey team. Barely. The last year was dismal to the point where Seraphina is making drastic changes. Like hiring Harper as their official blogger. Harper gets to travel with the team, write character pieces, critiques, game summaries, and the like. It's her dream job.Another change? Putting together practically a new team, including Zachary Ryan, first line center. At six foot four and two hundred and twenty pounds, he is tall, dark blond, and solid muscle. He's arrogant and direct and the minute he sees Harper at Taboo nightclub during a team bonding session dressed in a plaid shirt and converse sneakers, he has to get to know her better.Except there's a problem from her past that won't go away. Harper has an ex that won't stay in her past - where he belongs. He starts showing up at her place, reminding her of all the wrong choices she made, bringing up things she wants nothing more than to forget. When Zachary gets involved, things get heated and his notorious temper flares.Harper doesn't want to get involved with a hockey player - especially with an overzealous ex who won't leave her alone - but Zachary plans to change her mind. No matter what the cost.

Castle Cay


Lee Hanson - 2010
    Who could have killed rising artist Marc Solomon, and what does Castle Cay, the Solomon's mysterious Caribbean island, have to do with it? Before long, Julie's sixth-sense pulls a hidden string that unravels a deadly conspiracy...and her own troubled past.

A Lot Like Home


Kat Cantrell - 2018
    Smooth-talking ex-SEALs need not apply... Ex-Navy SEAL Caleb Hardy is desperate to atone for past mistakes by helping the old woman whose letters got him through the war. When he and his band of brothers drop into her sweet, dying Texas town, only one thing stands in the way of his redemption.Superstition Springs native Havana Nixon is convinced letting a big developer into their tiny Texas oasis is the only way to save the town and she’s not about to let a newcomer—no matter how gorgeous—derail her plans. Especially after her aunt tosses out one of her famous “love predictions” matching her with the most infuriating man on the planet.If only these enemies could stop fighting long enough to admit they’re falling for each other… Welcome to Superstition Springs, the place where destiny is the ultimate matchmaker. All you have to do is believe.

A Chance At Forever


K.B. Andrews - 2016
    Left with bitterness and resentment, he forces himself to live the life he never wanted. Lennox came blowing into town looking for a new start. She had big dreams and would do anything to make them come true. Lennox was just what Mason didn’t know he needed. But what happens when Lennox is offered her dream? Will Mason let his life walk away from him a second time, or will he fight to keep her? Written in Mason and Lennox's POV. Book One in The Chance Series Disclaimer: This story contains mature themes, strong language, underage drinking, and sexual situations. It is intended for mature adults.

Breaking Free


Juliana Haygert - 2013
    To others, her family and her relationship with Eric is perfect. But she knows the truth. She lives it.After a fire takes her grandma's life and kills her horse, Hannah's immaculate life spirals out of control. Her father disapproves of her decision to run her grandma’s ranch instead of focusing solely on learning the family business; Animal Control brings her Argus, a mistreated horse that she can't turn away even though she's not ready for another horse; and her boyfriend, Eric Bennett, a world famous polo player, becomes possessive and authoritarian. Despite her best efforts to disguise it, Hannah grows wary of him.Then, Leonardo Fernandes struts onto the polo scene. A cocky rookie with a messy life of his own, he’s drawn to Hannah and isn’t afraid of showing it, even when Eric makes it clear she is his and he’ll do whatever it takes to keep it that way. Hannah suffers for Eric’s jealousy. The abuse only gets worse when Leo steals the title of best polo player in the world from Eric.But the title isn’t enough for Leo. He wants Hannah too, and she can’t deny her attraction to him either. Somehow, she must find a way to break free from abusive Eric before he breaks every bone in her body.Author's note: this book contains scenes of domestic violence, mentions of animal cruelty, strong language, sex scenes (no rape!), and a HEA.The Breaking Series:Breaking Free (Book 1)Breaking Away (Book 2)Breaking Through (Book 3)Breaking Down (Book 4)*All books are standalone and can be read out of order.