Book picks similar to
Duly Noted by H.M. Shander


romance
new-adult
contemporary
contemporary-romance

Rebel Soul


J.C. Hannigan - 2016
    She’s been counting down the months, waiting to be free of her overbearing brothers and overprotective father — not to mention getting out of the small, suffocating town she’s grown up in. The one thing Tessa doesn't count on is falling in love, least of all with Brock Miller. He’s the kind of boy her father has always warned her about. He’s older, mysterious, and a little dangerous. Brock has had a hard past, and the whole town not only knows it, but won’t let him forget. Brock has come back to take care of his ailing mother and struggling younger siblings. He doesn’t have time to fall in love, especially with one of the town’s darlings, but sometimes, love comes fast and fierce. Can Tessa and Brock find a way to each other despite their pasts and the obstacles their families present?

Liberty Begins


Leigh James - 2013
    I come from nothing. I have no one but myself. Sometimes I do things I don't want to -- I do them because I have to. Stripping. That's my life in Vegas. And my boss keeps pressuring me to do more than just take my clothes off...Then John Carter Quinn crashes into my life. He's an older, gorgeous billionaire in a thousand dollar suit. He keeps coming to see me, night after night. I'm not sure what he wants -- but I know what I want. One night he pulls out his gun at my club to take down a bad guy, and I find out what type of business he's actually in. Hint: he doesn't sit at a desk, he employs a bunch of ex-Navy Seals, and it's lethal to be on his bad side. Like me, John has his share of secrets. Dark secrets, dark pain. One of his secrets involves my past. These secrets will bring us together. And then tear us apart.18+ due to mature content. Contains a cliffhanger, but the finale, Liberty At Last, is available now!

Man of the Moment


Thea Dawson - 2018
    is here to serve.Tired of being the "cute one" in a family of glamorous people, Annabelle Winter decides to hire a gorgeous man from the Gentlemen, Inc. Agency to be her date at a big family event. Just once, she wants to be the envy of every woman in the room.And with Archer Carleson at her side, she is.Archer, a struggling actor in Los Angeles, doesn't mind making a wallflower like Annabelle look good for an evening—he's getting paid, after all, and it's a chance to further hone his acting skills. But when he realizes that Annabelle's family could hold the key to his career, he decides to take their professional relationship to a personal level.His attempts to boost his career by charming Annabelle backfire, however, when he begins to fall for her. Archer will have to decide which means more to him: Annabelle—or a shot at stardom.

Dirty Lie


K. Walker - 2020
    That's all a girl really needs anyway until it's not there anymore. In the blink of an eye, I'm ripped away from everything I've ever known by the rich and powerful Lucas Cabot, a man I've never met before.Being thrust into a world of wealth and prestige while grieving the death of my mother has me in a whirlwind, and I'm stuck trying to navigate this new world without those I've always trusted.As if that isn't bad enough, Lucas's middle son, Wes, doesn't want me there and he certainly isn't afraid to show it either. Neither do his best friends, Hunter and Jaxson. They've made it perfectly clear I don't belong and they'd rather I'd be gone. I'd rather that too. The further away from them, I can get the better. Except everywhere I turn, Wesley is there, in my face. But just like Mom always was, I'm a survivor. If I can handle everything Compton threw at me, then I can handle a bunch of damn spoiled rich kids.God help me because I'm going to need it.Authors Note: Forrest Grove Academy is a high school bully romance, teen and young adult series. This is book one and does end with a cliffhanger. It's recommended for mature readers 17+ because of cursing and 'certain scenes.' If you're cool with that, then dive in and enjoy the ride!

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.

Remembering Him


Lucia Ashta - 2020
    The kind that hurt me.The kind that left me in the hospital with a traumatic brain injury that erased the last twelve years of my life.Now I’m back in the small town I ran away from.And Jace is here.And he’s sexier than ever.I broke his heart.He’s right in not wanting anything to do with me.I shouldn’t want Jace anymore.I should definitely stay away from him…** Remembering Him is a full-length, small town, second chance romance with a happily ever after.** Please note: Remembering Him was previously published under the title Dream Gone Wild.

Finley's Claim


Atlas Rose - 2021
    We take the money. We control the war.So when our ‘launderer’ decides to run with one hundred million dollars of our money, you can bet we’ll hunt them down.Only they’ve run to a place they think they’re safe.A place that’s heavily guarded.An island in the middle of nowhere.Where the son of my family's enemy promises me a bloody and violent end. Only I don’t care about him…My sole focus is her.Pretty, plain Annalise Eden. I’ll hunt her. I’ll corner her. I’ll claim her too.She’s the one they secretly call ‘the Ghost’.The woman who’s made my family millions.Millions we want back…Finley's Claim is a FULL LENGTH dark mafia romance standalone. This series can be read in any order but it is recommended to start with Finley's Claim.

Whatever It Takes


Lindsey Pogue - 2016
    Stay focused. Sam’s plan to keep the past behind her was simple. But summertime, it would seem, has something else in store.Born and raised in the quaint mountain town of Saratoga Falls, where everyone knows everything, Samantha struggles to escape the harrowing night that changed her life three years ago. While she finds solace in the hard work that keeps her father’s ranch afloat, her guilt and heartbreak makes it impossible to completely move on or to forget. But when Sam’s past comes rumbling back in a lifted, cherry-red pick-up truck, it’s all Sam can do to keep her wits about her. A heatwave, a pair of familiar blue eyes, and a camping trip with friends will leave her questioning everything she’s become in the wake of the most horrific night of her life.Everyone knows that Reilly, the all-American boy-next-door, had a troubled home life. He couldn’t wait to leave for the army after high school, but that was before he fell in love with Sam and captured her heart only to break it when he was deployed. Now, Reilly returns home to close the darkest chapter of his own life, only to learn it’s what has happened to Sam in his absence that will haunt him the most. Sam, Reilly, and their quirky friends will venture down a winding path of self-discovery and second chances in Whatever It Takes, a small-town love story, bursting with raw emotion, unwavering friendships, and plenty of heart.**This is a story about love and loss. It contains mature content, sexual and other.**

All I Want For Christmas


Tracey Mayhew - 2018
     Three years on, she returns to help Holly Richards, her best friend and business partner, through her own rough patch and quickly finds herself falling back into village life as if she’s never been away. But a chance meeting with a handsome stranger soon has Jess confronting her own ghosts of Christmases past and she finds herself accepting his offer to help her rediscover her Christmas spirit. Can friendships, both old and new, help restore Jess’ faith in Christmas and will she find love along the way? Discover the wonder of Christmas with this endearing romance, perfect for fans of Carole Matthews, Debbie Macomber, Trisha Ashley and, of course, all things Christmas!

Fur Coat No Knickers


C.B. Martin - 2014
     And as for mum - she's only been tending my recently-rehabilitated sister's cannabis bush, thinking it's a tomato plant! Hurtling through her thirties, Tara is still yet to find her perfect man, despite gruelling efforts to transform herself into the perfect woman. Tara's prayers appear to have been answered when she miraculously falls into the arms of Travis Coleman - the famed, silver-tongued sex demon. It would seem the years of curling, plucking, painting and waxing may have finally paid off... However, Tara's fairy-tale soon spirals out of control when Travis inexplicably ceases all contact with her. Distraught and desperately stumbling from one crisis to another, Tara ultimately loses her mind, her dignity and - shamefully - her Knickers. Fur Coat No Knickers is a hilarious, touching and outrageous tale; bound to relate to any woman

Open Lanes


Mary Morano - 2021
    I messed up my chance once before but now I have a second chance. Just like on the ice, I will do anything I can to win. This time I’m playing for keeps.NicoleHe tortured me through High School, followed me across the country to college, and now I am stuck in a car with him for five long days. All I want to do is get home and go back to pretending he doesn’t exist. If only my stupid hormones would get on board with the plan.

Unscathed


Tim O'Rourke - 2013
    When Mina meets tattooed bad boy Jax McElvoy, she's immediately drawn to him, but not for the reasons he might think. Jax falls for Mina too, but quickly figures out she's hiding something. He's determined to break down her walls and find out her secret. But Jax soon realizes he should have just let hidden secrets stay buried, because this one will cost him his dearly. Unscathed is a contemporary romance with a deadly twist by bestselling author Tim O'Rourke and author C.J. Pinard.

Breaching His Defenses


Allyson Lindt - 2014
    A chance encounter in a karaoke bar should have been just a fling for Jared Tippins and Mikki Elford. A smoking hot, memories last forever fling, but still just a fling. Except she works for the competition, and the competition has been up to no good. This fun contemporary romance is book one in Allyson Lindt's sexy new Love Hack series. Years ago, heartbreak corrupted Jared Tippins’s outlook on love. He spun the betrayal into a rapid climb up the corporate ladder, and swore off any relationship with a morning after. Luckily, the playful siren who rescues him from singing a duet alone in a karaoke bar doesn’t want anything long term. If only he could stop fantasizing about ways to make her moan. Sure, she could’ve mentioned he works for the competition. At least she’s not behind the security concerns that have plagued his company for almost six months.If she were, he’d be screwed on a whole new level.Mikki Elford is determined to have the fun she missed out on when she fast-tracked her way through college. But school had its upside, too. She’s qualified to legally hack corporate networks. Best job ever. She also gained an appreciation for the legends in computing — Gates, Jobs, and Tippins. When she meets Jared Tippins and realizes he’s sexy and fluent in programming languages older than she is, no consequence will dissuade her from an impromptu fling. Fortunately, he doesn’t mind that six months ago she compromised his network to land her job.Oh, crap! He doesn't know.

Gone Country


Katrina Marie - 2021
    And, it’s not as easy as I thought it would be.My car? Ends up in a ditch.A hot shower? Interrupted by a snake.Not to mention the quiet. How do people fall asleep without background noise?The only good thing about Asheville is the mechanic that comes to my rescue and offers to fix my car. He’s playful, kind, and promises he’s not looking for a relationship, which is great since I won’t be here long. He can show me everything this town has to offer, including “other activities”…with no strings attached.But how can I keep my eye on the prize when he’s looking at me like I’m his?

A Little Like Romeo: A Sweet Enemies to Lovers Romance


Emily Childs - 2020
    It doesn't hurt that Jonas is funny...and sweet...and really easy on the eyes.But when he kisses me, he's not just a secret friend anymore--he's the guy I'm falling head-first in love with.If our families find out, this feud will turn into an all out war!Welcome to the one-of-a-kind sweet, swoony ride following small-town Scandinavian bakers and the ones who hold their hearts. A toe-curling happily ever after, guaranteed.