Book picks similar to
The Love List by Naima Simone


romance
contemporary
novellas-short-reads
novella

Dating the Doubter


Karla Doyle - 2022
    Infatuation, sure. Lust, absolutely. But true love? Please. That’s strictly fiction, folks.Unfortunately, I haven’t convinced my best friend and business partner of that. The guy’s still a believer in happily-ever-after, despite having met—and lost—“the one” more times than I can count. And that’s pretty damn high, since I’m the numbers guy behind our hot new startup.Tonight, I wish I had my buddy’s technical skillset. If I did, I’d be back at our twentieth-floor office, solving our system crash. Instead, I’m taking his place at yet another pointless speed-dating meetup, so he doesn’t tick off the organizer by bailing. I’m tempted to no-show and get him booted from the group, but he wouldn’t see it as the favor it is.So I’ll go and fake it for a couple hours. Maybe score a hookup. Probably rack up some good stories. One thing I won’t do at tonight’s “Desperates Anonymous” event…meet the woman of my dreams. Because she doesn’t exist. Dating is fun and games. Love is for suckers.* A love-at-first-sight, instalove romance novella *

Aftermath


Elle Charles - 2014
     Every action has a consequence and this is the aftermath. My name is Kara Petersen. I am one of life’s survivors, but my life has not been easy. I am the product of a dysfunctional, broken home and parents who don’t care. Fallen from grace, abandoned and betrayed, I am now alone. Then there was hope. A boy, a saviour. He saved me, empowered me, and gave me the strength and courage to leave. To live. His actions will not be in vain. I will do whatever it takes to survive. My name is Sloan Foster. I am one of life’s failures, but my life has not been fair. I am the product of a loving home, a mother and father who adored each other, until death paved the way for the devil. Trapped inside a world with a gilded façade, I have always felt alone. Then there was hope. A girl, an angel, a beacon of pure light in the dark. She subconsciously called to me, reached deep into my soul, unknowingly claiming a part of myself I had let die years ago. I promised I would do whatever it took to be her protector. My promises were unachievable and futile. I will do whatever it takes to find her again. Please note this is a 36,000 word novella, chronicling the lives of Kara and Sloan and the ‘missing’ eight years. It is not a continuation of the present story, and should be read after Fractured and Tormented.

Spring Blooms at the Hummingbird Hotel


Daisy James - 2022
    

Chocolate Cake for Breakfast: (Little Duck Pond Cafe, Book 20)


Rosie Green - 2022
    With her confidence shattered, even leaving the house is scary, and a promising romance with gorgeous Logan is over before it even had a chance to begin. But cheered on by her dad and her great friend, Madison, she makes a decision that could change everything. Can Martha find the courage to step out into the world and love again?

Until We Meet Again (Men of the Misfit Inn, #3.5)


Kait Nolan - 2021
    Las Vegas offers the perfect playground to blow off some steam before getting to the serious work of deciding what to do with his life. He never expects that fun to include the high school crush who tutored him years ago.Samantha Ferguson arrives in Vegas for a friend's wedding only to get dumped by text. Desperate not to be the only single in a sea of couples, she makes an impulsive offer to the former bad boy she used to tutor in high school: Be her fake boyfriend for the weekend. Griff knows he's not the guy for Sam, but he can't resist saying yes for the chance to get to know this grown-up version of the girl who once starred in all his dreams. Turns out, there's not a lot of faking it involved. Between the single bed and the endless couples activities, new feelings flare from the old, until they both fall under the spell of Sin City. Will what happens in Vegas stay in Vegas? Or will one impulsive weekend be the start of a brand new forever?*NOTE TO READERS: This is a prequel novella and does not end with a HEA or HFN. Their story continues in COME A LITTLE CLOSER.

Missing the Rules


Mariah Dietz - 2021
    It's intended to be read after Writing the Rules, but before the epilogue. Missing the Rules takes place five years after Bending the Rules.

My Perfect Summer in Greece


Ian Wilfred - 2019
     Cheryl is excited her sister Julie has asked for her help in organising her wedding but things aren't turning out the way Cheryl had hoped. There's going to be no little village church and no bridesmaids dress; the wedding is taking place on the Greek island of Holkamos. Vangelis has the perfect beach location for a wedding but his little beach cafe has never catered for weddings before. Will he be able to cope with all of Julie's demands? Andréas has moved back to Holkamos to help run the family gift shop after the death of his father. The business has to move with the times but will his mum allow things to change? Johnny is Cheryl's best friend. He doesn't like the way Julie treats her and has a plan to put things right but is it the right thing for Cheryl and what happens when they both arrive on the Greek island. Could it become more than just a weekend wedding for Cheryl and Johnny?

The 7 Rules of Moving On: A Mystic Hot Springs Novella


Jess K. Hardy - 2022
    Determined to move on from a breakup and a stagnant life, she heads to Mystic Hot Springs—a resort in the remote town of Twin Hearts, Montana—for a Valentine's Day getaway with her best friend before embarking on a new job in Seattle and a more exciting life. She's armed with a laminated list of rules to keep her heart safe and a simple plan: find a rebound guy, get lucky, put her ex behind her. Not part of her plan: the resort’s sweet and smoking hot bartender, Andrew Trig.Trig, with his soulful brown eyes, thick beard, and Keanu Reeves good looks, is not no-strings-attached rebound material. He's sell-all-your-stuff-and-move-to-the-middle-of-damn-nowhere-for-him material. Kissie is determined to keep her distance, but when he offers to act as her wingman for the weekend after her best friend gets sick in exchange for her help convincing Mystic’s owners not to sell the resort he loves, she can’t refuse.The more time Kissie spends in Twin Hearts, she’s charmed by the town, by Mystic, and by Trig. As the sexual tension between them steams up the windows more than the hot springs water, Kissie will learn some rules are made to be broken. When a single night calls into question everything she thought she wanted, she’ll have to decide if big feelings will send her running away, or if sometimes moving on means staying right where you are.Notes from JessWelcome to Twin Hearts! Where magic is in water, love is in the air, and talking bears play cupid.Kissie and Trig came to me one night begging to meet. They were in the bar. Kissie was wearing a polka dotted mod dress and Trig was in jeans and a flannel. Kissie was all over the place, buzzing around and spilling her drink but absolutely convinced she had her life together. Trig was leaning against the door frame, arms crossed over his chest, grinning at her and thinking, "She is the woman of my dreams." Literally. I adore these two love-struck goofballs and I sincerely hope you do as well. Stay tuned for book 2 this summer! If Ryan plays his cards right, he might finally get his redhead.

Her Best Friend (Love Off Limits)


Hannah Jo Abbott - 2021
    But that plan didn’t include moving home after college, single with no job. And it definitely didn’t include falling for her best friend.Travis never asked out the one girl he wanted to in high school. But it’s against the rules to date your best friend.Hoping things can be different now, Travis jumps at the chance to hire Julie at his store. But his plan to spend time with her is foiled when she tells him she signed up with a dating app.As Julie goes on dates that are epic failures in every way, Travis is the one she shares the stories with. He’s more and more sure she’s the girl for him. But admitting his feelings might scare her away.Will their friendship turn into something more, or will fear end their relationship forever?

This Is It: A Second Chance Romance: San Diego Social Scene Novella


Tess Summers - 2020
    Thinking back to the prior evening’s events, I decided it was definitely the naughty one. There had to be a mistake —I was always on the nice list. But the gorgeous, naked man snuggled next to me seemed to suggest I had a lump of… something waiting for me. Maybe the nice list was overrated. Or maybe naughty girls really did end up with coal in their stockings.GrantI was now on the ‘every-other-weekend and alternating holiday schedule' with my kids —one more thing about divorce that I detested. Attending my law partner’s Christmas Eve party seemed like a better alternative to drinking alone in my boring beige condo, staring at my new pipe-cleaner tree with its new, shiny ornaments. The last thing I expected was to be propositioned by a former PTA President. Or to wake up Christmas morning not wanting to leave her bed. But you don’t get to be our age without plenty of baggage. The question was, did ours match?This sexy, feel-good second chance romance will have you cheering for Paige and Grant to finally find their happily ever after together. But not before they discover that dating —at any age —isn’t so easy.

Lawson (Bad Boys of Daisy Hills #2)


Kali Hart - 2022
    

BAILEY BROTHERS CHRISTMAS TREE FARM: A Holiday Romance Collection


Lana Dash - 2021
    Women from all over flock to the farm, hoping to meet the shirtless sexy lumberjacks from the video.With this twist of holiday fate, can the brothers save their farm and find love before Christmas?ETHANI thought the biggest thing I'd have to worry about this holiday was keeping the family Christmas tree farm afloat with my brothers. But when a news crew shows up to do a story on us, I come face to face with the girl whose heart I broke in high school. She's here for a story, and I'm ready to give her the one I should have told her all those years ago.CHRISTOPHERNone of us could have expected the response we'd get after we attempt to market the family farm with the video, but I can't deny I love the attention we are getting from it. But when my best friend calls me out on my new behavior, the dynamic of our friendship shifts, and I see her in a new light. Will we go back to the way things were before, or will we get a chance at a new beginning?LUKEThe farm is swarming with women, but the only one who isn't here for the "sexy lumberjacks" in the video is the only woman I can’t get out of my head. Can I find a way to show the gorgeous single mom that even though I’m younger than her, I might just be the man she didn’t know she was looking for?BAILEY BROTHERS CHRISTMAS TREE FARM is a three-story collection of sweet and steamy romances about brothers trying to save their family Christmas tree farm and finding love during the holiday season. If you enjoy second chance, friends to lovers, and older single mother/younger man romances—you won’t want to miss this!

The Billionaire's Mistletoe: A Single Dad's 2nd Chance Sweet Romance


Gigi Marlowe - 2019
    But sometimes, a past of hurt puts finding new love on the back burner. Tiffany closed her heart to everything but her career when her ex left with another woman. Roger's billions couldn't save his marriage from a tragic ending that left his young daughter motherless. Career-focused and plagued by past fears, finding someone new is the furthest thing from their minds… Until Valentina Del Torre steps in. The Billionaire Matchmaker knows that a future lies ahead of them, but she can't mend the past. The fear of more loss, pain and heartache lurks within them both, pushing them apart even as they reach for each other. Will they finally find peace in each other? Can they even dare to hope for a holiday miracle?

A Love This True (Jasper Lake Book 2)


Leah Atwood - 2018
    When she fell short, she ran rather than face her parents’ disappointment. Only, distance didn’t make her shame disappear. Caught between loneliness and independence, she struggled with the decision to return home. Plagued with guilt after missing her sister’s wedding, she finally goes home to Jasper Lake, but her life can’t return to what it once had been. Elijah Brewer had his future mapped out—attend seminary, marry a nice girl, then pastor a mid-sized church. Moving to a small town in the Adirondacks didn’t play into those plans, but when he was asked to act as interim youth pastor at Jasper Lake First Community Church, he saw an opportunity to build his resume before leaving for seminary, bolstering his chance for a better position after graduation. Nothing could have prepared him for Trixie Graff. Opposites attract, but will her shame ruin his future or will they both learn the meaning of grace? Jasper Lake Series: Not This Time- Prequel- ASIN: B01IFCYS2K- Drew and Amie Born to Love- Book One- ASIN: B079V68BNW- Landon and Jessa A Love This True- Book Two- ASIN: B07C1V44D2- Elijah and Trixie All That Glitters- Book Three- ASIN: B07G2XV89P- Mac and Phoebe What Matters Most- Book Four- Late Fall 2018- Hunter and Beth