Book picks similar to
Return to Santa Flores by Iris Johansen


romance
guardian-ward
contemporary-romance
iris-johansen

Something in the Way


Jessica Hawkins - 2017
    Under the sweat and dirt, Manning Sutter was as handsome as the sun was bright. He was older, darker, experienced. I wore a smiley-face t-shirt and had never even been kissed. Yet we saw something in each other that would link us in ways that couldn’t be broken...no matter how hard we tried.I loved Manning before I knew the meaning of the word. I was too young, he said. I would wait. Through all the carefully-chosen words hiding what we knew to be true, through his struggle to keep me innocent, and through infinitely-starry nights—I would wait. But I’d learn that life isn’t always fair. That no matter how much you achieve, none of it matters if you suffer the heartbreak that comes with falling for someone you can never have. Because even though I saw Manning first, that didn’t matter. My older sister saw him next.

Just Imagine


Susan Elizabeth Phillips - 1984
    Disguised as a boy, she's come to New York City to kill Baron Cain, the man who stands between her and Risen Glory, the South Carolina home she loves. But unknown to Kit, the Yankee war hero is more than her bitterest enemy—he's also her guardian. And he'll be a lot harder to kill than she's figured on . . .Believing that Kit's a boy, Cain offers the grubby rapscallion a job in his stable. But he has no idea what he's in for, and it's not long before the hero of Missionary Ridge discovers the truth. His scamp of a stable boy is a strong-willed, violet-eyed beauty who's hell-bent on driving him crazy.Two hard-headed, passionate people . . . Two stubborn opponents with tender souls . . . Sometimes wars of the heart can only be won through the sweetest of surrenders.This book is an updated version of the original title, Risen Glory.

Fallen Angel


Anne Mather - 1978
    He died leaving her starved for affection, desperate to love and be loved - desperate enough to trick her father's friend, Jason Tarrant, into becoming her guardian.Jason knew the dangerous involved in taking a beautiful young girl to his isolated South American ranch, but he couldn't resist her wistful appeal. And Alex soon discovered that she couldn't resist his disturbing male magnetism, or her own awakening desires.

Watch over Me


Tara Sivec - 2013
    She has a family that loves her, friends that make her laugh, and she's wrapped up in the excitement of graduating high school and going off to college to pursue her dream of becoming an author. When her mother, who also happens to be Addison's best friend, dies unexpectedly, her world comes to a crashing halt. Death changes everyone... To make the pain go away, Addison and her father travel down separate, dark paths. She chooses to end her grief forever, while he drowns his sorrows in the bottom of a bottle. How do you learn to live again when the most important person in your life is gone? Addison struggles to pick up the pieces of her life. Instead of getting back to being the carefree teenager she once was, she's stuck handling all of the responsibilities that should have been her father's. She has no time to grieve, no time for emotions, and no time for happiness...until Zander Reinhardt walks in. All it takes is one little handwritten note on a napkin to kick-start her back to life and help her realize that maybe there's more to that life than pain. But can it really be that simple? Can she really trust this man who makes her feel alive again for the first time in a year?

The Billionaire Wins the Game


Melody Anne - 2011
    See the first book of the Anderson Series.Joseph Anderson has decided it's time for his three successful sons to find brides. Joseph wants grandchildren to fill his mansion, and he wants them immediately. His eldest son, Lucas, is successful in all areas of his life, except love, and Joseph begins matchmaking. He finds Amy Harper and deems her the perfect daughter-in-law. He just needs to get her and Lucas to both realize they're made for each other.Lucas Anderson is wealthy, sexy, and stubborn. He has no desire to have any woman enter his life, causing chaos, or using his family's name. Many women have tried, and he's been successful in finding out who they are beneath their false smiles.Amy Harper was raised in tragic circumstances and doesn't like pampered, rich men who have been handed everything with a silver spoon. She spent years finishing her education and then received a job with the Anderson Corporation. She instantly doesn't like her incredibly sexy boss, who is arrogant and thinks every woman should fall at his feet.When Amy becomes pregnant after one reckless night of passion, she's scared he'll take the baby and run. Lucas is demanding, and used to getting his way, but Amy has just the right amount of spark to ignite his fuse, and challenges him each step of the way.Lucas's father, Joseph, and his brothers Alex and Mark, offer laughter, love, and support. With the love of Lucas's family, who aren't only rich and successful, but also kind and giving, Amy starts to realize that being wealthy doesn't make or break a man, and starts to picture the happily ever after she never believed in for herself.

Married by Mistake


Abby Gaines - 2007
    That really was Casey Greenebeing jilted by her fiancé on live TV! And that really was Memphis's most eligible bachelor who stepped in to marry her instead. Millionaire businessman Adam Carmichael wanted only to help Casey save face. He isn't prepared for the news that their "fake" wedding is legal and binding. While they secretly wait for an annulment, media and family scrutiny forces them to put on their best loving-couple act. Except by now, neither one is quite sure who's acting....

The Other Man


R.K. Lilley - 2015
    He was aggressive, and dominant, with Mack truck arms, and a bar brawler voice.He was too good looking for his own good, with a hard jaw, and harder eyes.I’d always led a fairly peaceful life, but even I could tell at a glance that this man was dangerous. For so many reasons.Not the least of which being that rough, dirty, sheet-clawing sex fairly radiated off him.I’d thought I’d known how to handle every kind of man, but this one left me baffled.To say he wasn’t my type was putting it lightly.But you couldn’t tell that to my libido.Not even when I found out the truth.My lover had lied to me from the very start.Nothing about our meeting was a coincidence.This book can be read as a standalone.

Kinda Don't Care


Lani Lynn Vale - 2018
    A veil covers her beautiful eyes, and she smiles directly at him. Janie is everything Rafe’s ever imagined she would be on her wedding day. Breathtaking. Gorgeous. Perfect. The moment he sees her walking down the aisle towards him, he knows that she’s the one. Then she passes him, making her way to the man she’s to marry. A man that wasn’t him. A man that he knows with one hundred percent certainty isn’t good enough for her. It seems that her father isn’t the only one who’s having a hard time giving her away. Rafe only wishes he knew why. Everything about Janie sparks protective instincts he doesn’t feel for anyone, not even his own fiancé. What he feels for the bride, however, isn’t merely a simple attraction. He knows that something is there just beneath the surface…if only he could reach it. It has to be something huge, too, otherwise he wouldn’t be drinking whiskey straight from the flask in a church pew and wondering how many years he would do in prison if he shot the groom in front of about a hundred witnesses—half of those being cops. He was good…but not that good. A near-death experience cost Rafe almost six months of his memory, but right now he can’t help but feel like a huge mistake is being made on both of their parts. One that’s going to cost him everything. Then she says I do.

Mouth to Mouth


Tessa Bailey - 2018
    Tell that to Rory Prince. He should stay the hell away from Olive Cunningham. There’s one small problem, though. She won’t stop almost getting killed—and with this too-smart, too-sweet girl holding his heart in her hands, Rory is powerless to do anything but keep saving her. Homeschooled from a young age, Olive is now out on her own and discovering the world, one milkshake flavor at a time. Until recently, she has experienced life through books. She’s walked in a million sets of shoes while flipping pages—enough to know that Rory gives her once-in-a-lifetime feelings. If only he would stop trying to protect her…from himself.

Crybaby


K. Webster - 2017
    Mouthy. Brazen. Two people with vicious tongues. A desperate temptation neither can ignore. An injury has changed her entire life. She’s crippled, hopeless, and angry. And the only one who can lessen her pain is him. Being the boss is sometimes a pain in the ass. He’s irritated, impatient, and doesn’t play games. Yet he’s the only one willing to fight her…for her. Daring. Forbidden. Out of control. Someone is going to get hurt. And, oh, how painfully sweet that will be.

Mid-Life Love


Whitney G. - 2013
    Her career as a marketing director is on the brink of being legendary, and her marriage to her high school sweetheart has never been stronger. No, wait. It has. It used to be amazing and fulfilling, but one day Claire realizes that she's been living a lie and her best friend and husband have committed the ultimate betrayal. Broken and depressed, Claire is in need of something new—new city, new job, new friends. When she happens to attract the interest of the sexiest man she's ever met, a man significantly younger than her, she immediately turns him down—only to later discover that this man is Jonathan Statham, self-made billionaire and CEO of Statham Industries. Her boss.Jonathan Statham is unlike any man she's met before. He's used to getting whatever he wants—whenever he wants, and he isn't about to take no for an answer. Sexy, unpredictable, and charmingly clever, Mid Life Love is a story that will captivate you, entertain you, and force you to fall deeply in love with the characters.

Sweet Little Thing


Abbi Glines - 2017
    That was it. No other explanation.Portia Van Allan was not someone Beulah could believe her mother ever knew. Wealthy, self-absorbed and other than the fact Portia was supplying special care for Beulah’s sister, Portia was cruel.The day Portia’s son returns home for the summer, Beulah discovers that Portia isn’t in charge. This isn’t her home at all. Her late husband left her with nothing. It all belongs to their son who doesn’t seem to like his mother at all.Jasper Van Allan doesn’t know why his mother has hired a young gorgeous blonde to take care of the house and almost lets her go before he finds out the truth.Realizing there’s more to Beulah than a stunning face, he keeps finding reasons to be near her all the time. It’s all falling into place, it all begins to make sense . . . until the real lies, the dark secrets, and the skeletons come tumbling out of the Van Allan closet. Twisted truths that will send Beulah running . . .

In Kelly's Corner


Roxie Rivera - 2013
    He’ll do anything to keep her safe, even if means getting up close and personal with the one woman he simply can’t have.Soon, Bee’s stalker isn’t his only problem. His gambling addict father is tangled in a mess of debts to two of Houston’s toughest loan sharks. With the family gym on the line, there’s only one way for Kelly to make everything right. He agrees to fight for the Albanian mob in an underground bare-knuckle fighting tournament.But winning the tournament and saving his family’s legacy comes at a high price—one that just might cost Bee her life.

Plausibility


Jettie Woodruff - 2013
    Aquilla Chavez was raised by a loving father and a brother who may have loved her a little too much. Aquilla was spoiled and adored, bringing cheer when disaster threatened a family. She was exposed to a life of crime, all while lovingly being sheltered and protected from it. Will she ever reclaim the one man who she believes to be the love of her life? She didn’t want to be where she was forced to be. She wanted nothing to do with the person she was involuntary turned into. Aquilla had one goal - one goal that would save her from the catastrophic life she was suddenly thrown into. She had to find him. She had to try, or was this the plausibility of a life she was meant to have? Was the life she was torn from the disastrous life? Could this be where she was meant to be? How would she ever know? What if he found her? What if she never saw him again? What if.... she didn’t want to? If you are into lovey dovey, sappy romance, you should probably move on. This book contains explicit sex, drugs, and adult language. Not your typical every day romance.

Defy


L.J. Shen - 2016
    Defy is a prequel to Vicious (Sinners of Saint #1). It is recommended, but unnecessary, to read Defy before reading Vicious.First included in Hot for Teacher Anthology: 19 Stories Filled with Lust and Love.My name is Melody Greene, and I have a confession to make.I slept with my student, a senior in high school.Multiple times.I had multiple orgasms.In multiple positions.I slept with my student and I enjoyed it.I slept with my student and I’d do it all over again if I could turn back time.My name is Melody Greene, and I got kicked out of my position as a teacher and did my walk of shame a la Cersei Lannister from the principal’s office, minutes after said principal threatened to call the cops on me.My name is Melody Greene, and I did something bad because it made me feel good.Here is why it was totally worth it.