Book picks similar to
Countdown to Love by Allyson R. Abbott


romance
contemporary
silver-years-or-hen-lit-reads
comedy

Stryker, Part 1 (Atrox Security)


J.C. Cliff - 2017
    Over 40k words! - It's not just another mission. This time there's no way out - What starts out as just another undercover mission, quickly becomes a complex, twisted, and mind-bending adventure. What happens when the woman I once loved, and had to let go because of my secret career, suddenly becomes part of the job? I never believed in love. No matter how intelligent and logical I was, I seemed to only attract the crazy ones, or women who latched on too tight. The ones who saw my intellect as a meal ticket, rather than wanting me for me. UNTIL I ENCOUNTERED HER. Valerie Carsen was beautiful, smart, and compassionate. A genuine contributor to society, who wanted to dedicate her life to helping others. She was the one I met while I was undercover on a long mission with my team, Atrox Security. But I let her get to know the real me. Stryker, the man behind all the fake names and secret tasks. Everything about me, EXCEPT MY PROFESSION. We were together for almost a year, when she discovered me with another woman while I was working on the assignment. Unable to explain what was really going on, I had to let her go. Six years later, fate rears its head once again, putting Valerie in the place of my team's actual target, right in my hands - literally. It wasn't even supposed to be my mission, but after an accident leaves me being the only one left for the job, I can't help but think the stars aligned to bring us back together. This story can be read without prior knowledge of "The Blyss Trilogy or Quinn", however some parts that are referenced will be more enjoyable if you are already familiar with J.C. Cliff's bestselling Blyss Triology. Erotic steamy scenes, suspense, obsession, betrayal, lies, all interspersed with humor are woven together to bring you a one of a kind storyline which will eventually end in an HEA. Warning: **Mature Audiences Only** This book is intended for adults of mature audiences only (18+).

Moon Signs


Helen Haught Fanick - 2011
    Her sister Andrea has an altogether different point of view. When the sisters go to the Canaan Valley to search for paintings mentioned in a document found in an old hotel once owned by their grandparents—paintings that might be Monets—Andrea immediately becomes involved in tracking down a murderer. Kathleen would much rather be looking for the paintings, but she goes along with Andrea, since the victim was their hotel-keeper, murdered just down the hall from their room. The question is: Does the murder have something to do with the elusive paintings?There are many clues and many suspects, including hotel staff, valley residents, and the mysterious foreigners who come from the Eastern Seaboard for skiing. There are also many types of danger—icy roads, sub-zero temperatures, and a killer who doesn’t care how many people die in the attempt to make sure the right ones do.

The Forever Year


Lou Aronica - 2013
    His parents marriage was caring but passionless, and his own romantic history tells him that love can burn bright, but that it cannot burn for long. So when his elderly father, Mickey, moves in with him and seems unable to understand Jesse's no-strings-attached relationship with Marina, his current girlfriend, Jesse barely pays attention. It's just another example of how different they are and more evidence that he and his father will never connect on any meaningful level. But the truth is, Mickey Sienna knows more about love than most people learn in a lifetime. More than half a century ago, he discovered the endless rewards of investing your heart and soul in someone...and he knows the devastating costs of letting the perfect someone slip by. When Mickey sees Jesse taking an extraordinary woman for granted, he decides it's time to tell Jesse his story a story he's never shared with any of his children before. It is a story that will change both of them profoundly. At once a stirring family drama and a touching romance, The Forever Year is filled with richly drawn characters and powerful situations. You will respond personally to the people you meet in this novel, and you will find yourself deeply enmeshed in their stories. And you might find yourself looking at love in a new way. PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED UNDER THE NAME RONALD ANTHONY

Rustling the Cowboy's Heart (Ritchie Ranch Clean Cowboy Romance Series #1)


Ellie Hall - 2020
    However, when her high school crush crosses her radar, she finds herself distracted.When Parker Ritchie loses his father, he’s devastated, but he’s also confused about the stipulation in the will that he get married. His bigger concern is losing the ranch. That is until the girl who got away pops back into his life.When a double date goes wrong, Amelia is in a position to help Parker save legendary Ritchie Ranch, but only if they tie the knot. Questions about who is behind the rash of vandalism on the property and a tragedy in the past threaten to keep them apart.Will Amelia and Parker’s marriage of convenience be exposed or turn into a happily ever after?This is book 1 in the Richie Ranch Clean Cowboy Romance series. Because of a mystery subplot, the first three books are best read in order for a deeper, richer experience. It is a sweet, small-town, cowboy “clean and wholesome” romance that’s Christian faith-friendly without swearing or mature content and contains a happily ever after.

He's Just a Friend: A Second Chance Summer Romance (Summer Romances Book 1)


Karly Stratford - 2020
    Vibrant red hair, beautiful smiling face, and her lips stretched in a laugh.He couldn’t look away—he’d always loved her laugh—and he moved toward her as if in a dream.Val:Val’s breath caught in her throat. She hadn’t seen Nate since they’d graduated. Since he’d taken someone else to prom.That had been messy.Why was he here? Had he come to see her, the art, or had Fate drawn them together again?Only one way to find out.Can Nate and Val overcome their blunders of the past and soar into their future, or will their old mistakes come back to haunt them and drive them apart?Find out today!This is the first book in the Second Chance Summer Romance Series.

First Light


Tami Lund - 2015
    My mission in life is to track and kill the Lightbearers.Why do I want to seek out these unique people? Because if I kill them, I’ll inherit their magic. And who the hell doesn’t want more magic?But get this, when I finally find them, this hella badass female doesn’t try to run from me. She actually stands and fights. And she damn near wins.Now, my goal isn’t so much to track and kill, but to get to know this fascinating woman…Lightbearer series reading order:First LightBroken LightInto the LightDawning of LightLight Beyond the DarknessChange in the LightCupid's Light

His Ride: A Protector Next Door Romance (The Sexy Neighbor Collection)


Liz Peters - 2019
    Sparks started to fly and living so conveniently next door made it too easy to slip into each other’s bed at night, but she also slipped into my life in ways I never expected.She’s got a kid and serious second thoughts about having a bad boy in her life. Just when she decided they’d be better off without me, her worst nightmare came true. She needs me now, and time is running out.  I’ll hunt down anyone who threatens her or her child.DISCLAIMER: This is a novella with elements of domestic abuse. They are not detailed or graphic. Instead, they are overshadowed by themes of inner strength, hope, love, and courage.

Talk Dirty to Me, Cowboy


Jodi Linton - 2014
    Waitin’. Watchin’. Bidin’ his time for Laney Briggs and her hot little behind to saddle up and make his night. His girl. Hell, after all these years, he knows exactly how to drive her crazy with need...for him.And Laney is ready to play. Tonight is their new beginning, and she has on her red cowboy boots—the ones that make Gunner wild. She knows that she’s only a few tequilas away from being pressed up against his firm, demanding bod. At his wicked mercy. But tonight, Gunner has something he wants. Needs. Even if it means that Laney will be the one in complete control...

Seduced by the Stranger


Allison Gatta - 2016
    So, when the ghost of a one night stand comes knocking on his door with the news that he’s to be a father, there’s only one option—he must marry this woman and secure his child’s place on the throne. Unfortunately for him, the sexy woman he’d thought was so charming and innocent turns out to be a ball of fire with plans of her own—and a past that threatens to tear all his well-laid plans apart…

Rough Ride


Keri Ford - 2012
    Lane Iverson knows that better than anyone. Harboring a secret about his mother’s death, Lane is counting the days until he finishes helping his brothers with some work and can head back to his hiding hole hours away. As long as he doesn’t have to face his three brothers every day, the guilt is easier to carry.There is only one thing that can risk his plan. She stands all of five foot tall with these deep eyes and a voice that shudders through him. The completely addicting, Gretchen Jones. She’s been watching him the entire time he’s been in town. With courage from her friends behind her, she confronts what she wants. To her surprise, that’s the easy part. Keeping her heart protected when she knows he’ll be leaving? Not so easy, but her only choice.41,500 words

The Billionaire's Secret


Johanna Evelyn - 2018
    Broken and wounded after the devastating loss of her parents, she’s tried to navigate her way alone. Earning a lucrative contract in the modeling industry, she puts her past behind her. Until everything comes crashing down. Now she lives a quiet life out of the spotlight. When her best friend Hazel pulls her back, she tries to fight the attraction she feels for Gabe, a charming bachelor who wants more than friendship. Gabe has been relegated to the friend zone when he so clearly wants more. But he has secrets of his own—their past that links them together has the power to force them apart. Other titles in the series: The Billionaire's Conflict Excerpt from this book: "The moon shone bright still, highlighting the silk of his black hair. They moved to the ship’s rail again. Paige, leaning her arms to peer at the water, Gabe standing behind, not touching her. But she could still feel his electric pull. The air buzzed with static that begged contact. She ignored its call and thought of the inevitable. She would need to leave Tino’s. A clean break would be best. She knew from experience, those wounds healed the fastest. She started her sentence before the words would be too hard to speak. “I’m recognizable. I’m taking a big risk working at Tino’s. The paparazzi would have a field day if they knew. I left that life for a reason. I need to stay out of the spotlight.” The words sat heavy in her throat. He closed the gap, wrapping his arms around her, pulling her close. The connection sent instant sparks shooting through her veins, just as she knew it would. As it had countless times tonight. “I hope you know you can always trust me.” His breath was hot on her skin and it made her insides do too many things she wasn’t prepared for."

Ethan's Bride


Margaret Desmond - 2013
    Her spur-of-the-moment escape comes to a grinding halt when her car breaks down on a lonely country road. But no gallant knight comes to her rescue. Instead, she’s confronted by a handsome stranger who believes that she’s a spoiled, self-indulgent, high society brat up to no good. Jessica is only too willing to obey the stranger's command to get out of his sight. But fate and a mischievous, matchmaking grandmother steps into the fray, and two stubborn people who have been unlucky in love may discover that true love really can change everything.- A sweet, contemporary romance. Volume 1 in the King's Valley Romance series but can be read and enjoyed as a stand alone. -

Keeping Cole for Christmas


Tuesday Embers - 2018
     When Abigail’s childhood friend, Cole, comes back into town with a charming smile and the energy of a hurricane, Abigail’s frills-free life and carefully-made plans get very, very complicated. With Christmas around the corner, Abigail realizes that the uneventful path she planned for herself might not be the one she needs. After learning that her fiancé isn’t the man she hoped he’d be, leaving her meticulous life in shambles, Abigail starts to wonder if Cole’s spontaneous approach might lead to something far more spectacular.

The Matchmaker


N.G. Simsion - 2014
    The girl. Things haven’t been going so well with Anne lately, though; their relationship has become a perpetual study date, and Ollie’s roommates are starting to worry about him. How to fix things? Why, with a marriage proposal, of course. Unfortunately for Ollie, his relationship with Anne has run out of gas. Life feels like it’s counting down to one. And that one is the only person in Ollie’s life he really cares about: Ollie. Perhaps, then, he should get over himself. But first Ollie has to deal with Aaron Sparks, the irritating little Yankees fan who invades his life in order to “help” him. And while Keith, his best friend, is doing all he can to help, Ollie’s other friend Richie never fails to show up and threatens to ruin everything just by being himself. Never mind all the drama Aaron brings to the party by forcing Ollie to take a job actually helping people in need. Will Ollie meet the girl? Will it be in history class? On a road trip to Colorado? Can he get over Anne, or should he try to mend the relationship? Should he pursue the new girl Aaron is trying to set him up with? As the strings of the puppeteer tangle with the strings of the heart, only one person can sort out the mess Ollie has made. It seems that the harder he tries, the more Ollie messes things up. Is Aaron a cruel manipulator, or is he really going to help Ollie find his match?

Custom Built for Me


Susan Coventry - 2017
    Aside from making changes to her appearance, she needs a new lease on life and on men. Enter sexy builder Shane DeMarco of DeMarco & Sons Building Company, where Jess works as a new homes sales consultant. Besides working together, there are plenty of other reasons why Jess shouldn’t get involved with him. Her best friend, Hannah, who happens to be Shane’s sister, warns Jess that her brother is a confirmed “player.” But Jess isn’t looking for a serious relationship anyway. Beginning with a chance late-night encounter, Jess and Shane agree to a no-strings arrangement, or at least, it starts out that way. It doesn’t take long for Jess to wonder if the player might turn out to be the one who is…Custom Built for Me. Custom Built for Me is Susan Coventry's sixth standalone contemporary romance novel. For fans of sweet and sexy romance with a touch of humor!