Book picks similar to
Straight, No Chaser by Nikki Belaire


mafia
romance
contemporary
contemporary-romance

Second Chance Hero


Kimberly Readnour - 2017
    Back in college, I had them both. But after graduation, I made the biggest mistake of my life. I let Lacey go.Five years later, I can't complain. A Cy Young winner, I've achieved what I set out to do--pitching in the Major Leagues. Life is great.Until it's not.And the day it all went south? The day Lacey Stark appeared at my post press conference. The reality of not having her slams against my chest. Lacey's still sexy as hell, sporting more curves and a little more sass. Pitching in the Majors isn't the only thing I want anymore. Now, it's time to go after what I've denied myself all these years. I want Lacey and will stop at nothing until I make her mine.Lacey seems determined to stay away, but we belong together. I know this. I just need to convince her to give me another chance. Because one thing is guaranteed, I won't stop until she's back in my arms.Second Chance Hero is book one in this new standalone sports romance series. If you like sexy, alpha baseball players, click to download Zach in this hot, new series.

The Arrangement


Bethany-Kris - 2014
    The deal between leading mafia families has more on the line than anyone knew, even if the Bratva and Cosa Nostra shouldn’t mix. When Vine’s family is murdered and she’s left with nothing more than her grief to survive the mob world alone, she believes the arrangement won’t see the light of day. Anton can’t allow the one woman he was supposed to love get away. At the possibility of her death, he steps in to save her with guns blazing, knowing exactly what it might cost him: everything. But it’s been nearly a decade since their last meeting, and he can’t help but wonder if the woman he took back is the same girl he fell for all those years before. Protected and loved, Vine is unable to forget their shared moments a lifetime ago, or the future she knows they’re owed. When an old flame of Anton’s shows up to rip the veil off the carefully constructed secrets he’d been hiding, she learns that nothing about her life is as it seems. But, that’s nothing compared to the bomb about to blow. Can Vine see beyond the pain and blood to take what she always wanted? And just how far will the mob prince go to keep her safe?In a world where violence, deceit, and greed reign, your life is not your own, and sometimes, love has to be arranged.

Just One Fake Date


Deborah Cooke - 2016
    Ten years later, their exclusive fitness club, Flatiron Five Fitness, is the hottest destination in Manhattan. People flock to F5F to get fit, to get lucky, and even, to fall in love. The founding partners have been immune to F5F’s romantic spell—at least, so far…Tyler McKay has a plan…And it doesn’t include a serious relationship anytime soon. Between his day job and being a partner at Flatiron 5 Fitness, he’s busy investing in the future. But Ty knows that going stag to his sister’s wedding will encourage the family matchmakers: he needs a fake date, fast, in self-defense. When the one woman who hates him walks into F5F, Ty knows he’s found the perfect candidate—that Shannyn doesn’t play by anyone’s rules just leaves Ty wanting more…Shannyn Hawke is done with plans and dreams…She had her whole life mapped out, but it all went wrong. Now, she’s taking care of number one and living in the moment, with no concern for the future. If her college crush wants to trade a fake wedding date for physical satisfaction, Shannyn is in. But just one night proves that Tyler is everything she believes a guy should be, plus he takes it as a challenge to change her mind about him. Shannyn never wants to have her heart broken again, but she’s falling hard and fast. Can she remember that it’s just for show? Or will Tyler convince Shannyn to take a chance on forever again?

Cavanaugh


Jody Kaye - 2018
    Convenient marriage.The only child of an oil mogul, Rose Kingsbrier should’ve had it all. That changed the day her momma died, leaving her to live a solitary life in a mansion that was more like a mausoleum.Rose tried for years to get her father’s attention, eventually finding it easier to become Eric Kingsbrier’s source of grief than to live in grief’s shadow. Convinced that she’s irresponsible, now Rose’s father intends to marry her off. But she won’t let him barter her away that easily.Ross Cavanaugh’s construction business is renovating the Kingsbrier mansion and, before the job’s even started, he’s swept up in Rose’s schemes. The southern heiress is a hot ticket and easy-going Ross enjoys their budding friendship until Rose proposes a marriage of convenience to solve her problem and provide Cavanaugh Construction financial backing. Rose may not mind dragging her reputation through the mud, but Ross has worked too hard to be accused of fortune hunting. When Rose gets herself in over her head, agreeing to her offer may be the only way to save her.The slowburn romance prequel to the Kingsbrier Quintuplets.Note: There is sensitive matter within this story. The characters react to their circumstances based on the time period. Please consider reading reviews or contacting the author if you have questions.

Three Days


J.S. Cooper - 2014
    What happens at the private club stays at the private club! When Meg Riley lost her job as an attorney, she never thought she'd end up working for a private club. But when she met the handsome and elusive, Greyson Twining, she knew she couldn't turn the job down; even though she didn't really know what the position entailed. Greyson Twining is the owner of the private club and he knows that it's a mistake to hire, Meg. However, there is something about the way she smiles at him that makes him forget his own reservations. And then there's the call from, Brandon Hastings telling him not to hire Meg. A call he should have listened to more closely. As, Meg and Greyson embark on day one of training, neither of them realize that there are secrets about to come out that will completely alter both of their lives.

Crow


A. Zavarelli - 2016
    A missing friend. Two loyalties, ripping me apart. I had a plan. Get in, get my information, and get out. Easy, right?Turns out, infiltrating the Irish mafia isn’t exactly what I thought it would be. I just wanted a soldier. Someone I could flirt with to get me in the door. That’s when Lachlan Crow noticed me. Problem was, he wasn’t a soldier. No, he was next in line for the throne of the Irish underworld. And he was determined to hate me from the outset. My sob story about needing a job? Yeah, he wasn’t buying that either. Too bad for him, I won’t let anyone get in the way of my mission. Who cares if we have some kind of crazy chemistry? He’s the worst kind of wrong- and I would never in a million years be with a guy like him. Because they took her from me, and I’m going to make them pay.

Unforeseen


M.C. Decker - 2017
    So much so that I made a career out of them. As a wedding planner, I made it my goal to perfect everyone else's happily-ever-after. I even believed in finding mine once, too, until one man left me alone and pregnant –crushing my dreams, and leaving me jaded. Blake I was living every man’s dream; I had the career I’d always wanted, my soulmate in my corner, an adorable daughter, and a son on the way. Everything was perfect until it wasn't. A series of unforeseen events tragically altered my path. In the blink of an eye, I was left a widower and a single father of two. I wasn't seeking love again, but she found me. Now I just needed to break down her walls and help her fall. **This book can be read as a standalone.**

What Happens in the Highlands


Kelsey McKnight - 2019
    After meeting the best man, she thinks she found the man who checks all the boxes for a no-strings-attached romp among the heather. Lachlan Calder-Mackinnon knows how to show a girl a good time. Gourmet dinners in castle ruins, picnics among rolling hills, and a seaside escape create some unforgettable dates. But as the fling begins to morph into something more, an unexpected wedding guest threatens to ruin Rose and Lachlan’s new romance. With a plane ticket in one hand and her broken heart in the other, Rose prepares to head home to reality. However, she’s about to learn that what happens in the Highlands doesn’t always stay there.

Alpha


Jasinda Wilder - 2014
    Bills were piling up, adding up to more money than I could ever make. Mom's hospital bills. My baby brother's tuition. My tuition. Rent. Electricity. All of it on my shoulders. And I had just lost my job. There was no hope, no money in my account, no work to be found. And then, just when I thought all hope was lost, I found an envelope in the mail. No return address. My name on the front, my address. Inside was a check, made out to me, in the amount of ten thousand dollars. Enough to pay the bills and leave me some left over to live on until I found a job. Enough to let me focus on classes. There was no name on the check, just "VRI Inc.," and a post office box address for somewhere in the city. No hint of identity or reason for the check or anything. No mention of repayment, interest, nothing…except a single word, on the notes line: "You." Just those three letters.If you receive a mysterious check, for enough money to erase all your worries, would you cash it?I did.The next month, I received another check, again from VRI Incorporated. It too contained a single word: "belong."A third check, the next month. This time, two words. Four letters. "To me."The checks kept coming. The notes stopped. Ten thousand dollars, every month. A girl gets used to that, real quick. It let me pay the bills without going into debt. Let me keep my baby brother in school and Mom's hospice care paid for. How do you turn down what seems like free money, when you're desperate? You don't. I didn't.And then, after a year, there was a knock on my door. A sleek black limousine sat on the curb in front of my house. A driver stood in front of me, and he spoke six words: "It's time to pay your debt."Would you have gotten in?I did.It turns out $120,000 doesn't come free.

Dark Mafia Prince


Annika Martin - 2016
    So trusting.
Like you think I’m not a monster.
Like I won’t wrap your hair in my fist and bend you to my will.
Like I won’t sacrifice you, piece by piece, to save my brother.I’m the most dangerous enemy you’ll ever have because every time you look at me, you see somebody good. That friend who died.And when you look at me like that, I die again.MiraI spent years making myself invisible.A good girl, apart from the noise.
Then you came back, beautiful and deadly in your Armani suit.
Don’t look at me like you still know me, you say.
But I remember your smile and those sunny days.Before they lowered your small casket into the ground.
Before they told us the prince was dead.

Be Mine Forever


Lexy Parker - 2019
    I should have known better than that.It gave her the wrong impression. It would to any woman.Being a single father and losing my wife has left me wanting to pull back from love.But this new girl at the flower shop, Cupid’s Arrow, has me feeling things I didn’t know I’d ever feel again.It’s Valentine’s Day, and I want this girl to be mine.Forever.

Sweet Spot


Cheryl Douglas - 2016
    She’s been used, abused, and discarded. Trust is a four-letter word to her, one to be avoided at all costs. She’s all for having fun with men who know the score. One night. Maybe two, but that’s her limit. So, what happens when she meets a hotshot pitcher who tells her one night will never be enough? Rowan loves a challenge. He wouldn’t have made it to the big leagues if he wasn’t tenacious. But he’s never had to fight for a girl before. If anything, he’s used to fighting them off. But Tenley is different. She’s throwing up obstacles at every turn and he can’t figure out why. She’s falling for him, he can feel it, and their chemistry is off the charts. But with that be enough to chase her demons away?

That Man 1


Nelle L'Amour - 2014
    Until he meets Jennifer McCoy, his outspoken new assistant and development executive.Newly engaged Jennifer has no idea that her devastating new boss is the man she kissed, blindfolded, in a game of Truth or Dare. That kiss, that man, that beautiful stranger she cannot forget.Blake hasn’t been able to stop thinking about that kiss either…and he’ll do anything to win Jennifer —even if it means being a beautiful bastard and breaking all the rules.

Bad Billionaire


Julie Kriss - 2016
    To me, he’s Mister Hot, Dark, and Handsome, the neighbor I watch from the window, wondering what he’s really like.Turns out, he’s a thief. A getaway driver. He gives me the hottest night of my life before he’s put away for taking the wrong job. When he’s gone, I try to forget about him and get on with my normal, unexciting life.Until he gets out, and an inheritance makes him a billionaire.Now Devon is back. He’s the richest ex-con you’ve ever seen. He doesn’t care about penthouses, fancy dinners, or private jets. He doesn’t care that his enemies are after him. He doesn’t care that everything is about to go up in flames.In his world of chaos, Devon Wilder says he only cares about one thing.Me.

Keep


Kaye Blue - 2015
    But when I looked at his hulking, tattooed body, the icy brutality in his eyes, I realized I was wrong. HIM: Familie. My clan. I’d fight for it, kill for it, die for it. It’s all that matters to me. But her innocence, only barely hidden by thick layers of makeup, the curves that her tight dress can’t hide, calls to me. So I’ve decided to keep her. No matter how deadly the consequences.