Book picks similar to
His Touch by M. Merin


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rent
second-chance-romance
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Ignite


Tessa Teevan - 2013
    One to the Army; the other in a tragic car accident. Two years after the latter, a ghost from the past reappears, igniting feelings in Alexa she’d thought long dormant.Jace McAllister has spent the last ten years in the Army, defusing bomb after bomb, trying to forget the girl who once set his world on fire. For him, she’s always been the one who got away. After a not-so-chance encounter places her back in his line of sight, he’s locked eyes on target, and won’t let her go without a fight.Ten years ago their chemistry smoldered, and now the sparks threaten to light a fuse leading to an explosion between them even Jace can’t control. Not that he wants to. But when love has slipped through your fingertips before, how can you trust it will once again remain?Will Alexa’s fear of love and loss destroy their second chance at a beautiful future before it can even begin?

All Fired Up


Kristen Painter - 2009
    Alrik Gunn knows from bitter experience that change isn’t always for the better. From the woman who annihilated his Viking clan to the goddess who tricked him into centuries of slavery, betrayal has dogged his existence. The Goddess of Love is going to let him avenge his family, but for a price. As a Phoenix—a merchant of change—he must grant a human woman three chances to change her life. When former Irish dancer Calleigh McCarthy tosses a carved-bird statue that belonged to her ex into a roaring bonfire, she unwittingly summons an honest-to-god Phoenix. A sexy, irresistible Viking who offers her an unbelievable bonus—three get-out-of-her-crappy-life-free cards. She’ll take it, even if it means guarding her cautious heart against the dark pain behind Alrik’s eyes. Alrik has vowed never to let love sway him again, but Calleigh’s innocence and kindness throw him off balance. Yet even as his need for revenge fades and his love for her grows, he is bound to let her make her choices without interfering. One wrongly chosen word, and any chance for happiness—for either of them—will go up in flames.

Claiming Grace


Susan Stoker - 2017
    But it’s not long before Logan runs into Grace Mason, his best friend from high school…and the woman who never answered his letters during his Army years.Grace was pleasantly surprised to see Logan return to Castle Rock, despite their falling-out ten years ago. Everyone always assumed they would end up together, including Grace, who had eyes only for him. But as Logan eventually escaped their town, Grace got pulled further into her family’s controlling grasp—and farther away from the man she loved.Now, united by scars both visible and not, the two must fight to free Grace from the suffocating hold of her family. But the Masons won’t let go easily—and they’ll do whatever it takes to keep the couple apart.

Out of Love


Jewel E. Ann - 2020
    Corruption. Serial killers.You name it—I'm fascinated by it. My mom always blamed my overly curious and highly suspicious mind on my dad.My incredibly overbearing dad.Mr. No One Is Good Enough For My Daughter has been terrifying my dates since I turned fifteen.College is my chance to be free from his control and date any guy I want. I'm absolutely certain he would hate Slade Wylder—almost as certain as I am that I do too.Since when have I shied away from trouble? Slade fascinates me. He lives in a house I'm certain is haunted. His dog is trained as well as any guard I've ever seen. Rumor on campus is that he deals drugs. It would explain a lot.But it doesn't explain why he saves me from my darkest moment.It doesn't explain why I can't stop thinking about him.And the explanation I finally discover is far more dangerous than any rumor.

His Hollow Heart


Rachel Leigh - 2021
    Two orphans who vowed to never part. I was selfish. For once, I had to be. The last time I saw Callum he was standing at the dormer window as I sat in the back seat of the car. His dark eyes foreign to me. The hatred that radiated from his glare shot through me with more force than a silver bullet. In a matter of minutes he had become a stranger. No longer my best friend. He was now a boy with a hollow heart who was headed down a dark path. A path I knew I’d never cross again. Or, so I thought. CallumWe had a deal—always stay together. The day Bella left, I vowed I would find her. And when I did, she would feel what I felt as I watched her pull away into a new life, with a new family. Leaving me behind to endure a life that was wrapped inside the hands of a monster.It’s been twelve years, but I’ve finally found her. Now it’s time for her to bask in the darkness she’s created inside of me.

Wild Card


Karina Halle - 2017
    Rough, raw & rugged.As the man in charge at Ravenswood Ranch, Shane Nelson has never been afraid to get his hands dirty. His sculpted physique isn't the product of a gym, but of years of hard labor under a relentless sun. His straightforward, alpha tendencies come from a man who knows what he wants and goes after it.And what he wants is Rachel Waters.He's never stopped wanting her.They were childhood best friends, then teenage lovers who evolved into soulmates. But on one fateful night, Shane made a grave mistake, breaking both their hearts in the process.Now, after six years, Rachel is back in the small, wild mountain town of North Ridge, BC.Ready to face her past.Ready to face Shane.Ready to face his dark secret.But is a second-chance at a one true love in the cards? Or will their wild hearts be broken once again?WILD CARD is a complete standalone novel and the first book about the Nelson brothers of North Ridge.

Obsessed


Terry Towers - 2014
    At least I don’t think so. I’m just taking out the trash; the fact I get paid to do it is a happy coincidence. Normally I’m a pretty unemotional guy. I fear nothing and no one and I get things done without regret or ever looking back. But like Superman, I have my own kind of kryptonite and her name is Sidney Lopez. She never remembers me when she looks at me, but we had a past together. She dominates my thoughts, but I know I’m just one of millions of people who adore her and I’m obsessed. So even if I wanted to, I won’t stop ... I can’t stop, until she’s mine. Sidney People look at me, but they only see the product of the media and what they think they know is just an illusion. They don’t know the real me. They don’t know that my life is falling apart. Just when I hit my scariest low, he steps into my life and he saves me. Elijah's handsome with an edgy charm and he seems to understand me when no one else does. He's the hero I always dreamed about. But he’s also incredibly intense and I can’t shake the feeling there’s more to Elijah than he’s letting on. What are the secrets he keeps so tightly guarded? I’m torn, do I give him my heart, or do I run in the other direction?

Arranged


Vanessa Waltz - 2019
     She had him first. Alessio Salvatore. Charming, gorgeous, and completely off-limits. I watched him propose and counted myself lucky when my sister said "yes" to the notorious gangster. I have plans for my life. None of them involve sleeping with the enemy, even if it's to broker peace between our families. But when my sister mysteriously dies, my life turns upside-down. I'm now the heir of my father's assets, and without an arranged marriage, our families are on the brink of war. Until my father gives Alessio an offer he can't refuse. Me. -------- ALESSIO I need Mia to understand three things: 1. We are getting married in a month. 2. I demand loyalty. 3. I want kids. Now. I was meant to walk her sister down the aisle. A relationship with Mia would've been unforgivable. She was persona-non-grata forever until her old man gave me her hand in marriage. How could I say no? But wrangling the boss' daughter is more trouble than I thought. When she's not fighting her feelings, she's fighting me. Never mind that we have more fireworks than dynamite. Or that we're perfect together. Or that we're marrying in a few weeks. She hates me. Too bad. She'll have to get used to me. Author's note: This is a dark, mafia arranged marriage, standalone romance. A young woman desperate to leave a life of crime and violence fights her arranged marriage to her late sister's fiancé, a ruthless mob boss who demands three things from her: marriage, loyalty, and a baby. As their wedding date approaches, Mia struggles with a decision that once seemed easy--escape his control or surrender to her heart?

DaR


Jennifer Julie Miller - 2021
    Headed towards my dream vacation I was snatched right out of the air. My husband, the love of my life, was destroyed right in front of my eyes. He fought bravely trying to protect me from a horror neither one of us could have ever imagined. I find myself standing in the spotlight on a stage. Mutilated and tortured, the blood from my body flowing freely down my legs along with my will to live. Piercing yellow eyes emerge from the darkness, but even the shadows can’t hide his imposing form. Gentle, but terrifying arms reach out for me, and within their embrace can I find the will to live again?DaRI am a badass, known throughout the galaxy for my brutality, as a ruthless and feared commander. With that being said, somehow I still got coerced into purchasing a slave. My eyes fall upon a small female who's very essence and eternal light is leaking out of her onto the floor below her. I watch in awe as she accepts her fate, willing her nightmare to be over. I almost turn away from her and the unnecessary cruelly in this room, but the very thought of her dying on that floor surrounded by the very monsters that have done this to her disgust me. I walk up among the beings surrounding her and pull her from the stage, daring, or should I say hoping they try to do something about it. The moment I put her in my arms, everything changes. The attachments I have avoided my whole life become unavoidable. Will this damaged slave be able to replace the shadows in my life? One thing for sure is that I will destroy the entire universe to keep her safe. No one touches what’s MINE!

Run Posy Run


Cate C. Wells - 2021
    He didn't care about my past. The talk. The stain on my family's reputation.Then he saw something I never wanted anyone to see.He cares now.This isn't a breakup, it's a warning shot, and if I want to get out of this bad romance alive, I have to run and never look back.Dario Volpe is no storybook hero. He's a psychopath, and he can't decide--kiss me? Or kill me?DarioI'm the man behind the curtain, the power behind the throne. I could have killed her, and no one would have blinked an eye. Posy Santoro isn't exactly a mafia princess.No one sees her as clearly as I can--the perfect mind hidden by that knockout body in the tight dress.I made a mistake, running her off, but now I get to play one of my favorite games.Posy can run, but she isn't made to be free. She's made for me. And when I catch her? Game over.Run Posy Run is a standalone mafia romance with dark elements. Intended for adult readers.HEA guaranteed.

Bad Wolf


Jo Raven - 2018
    Years later, he’s back—a total hunk, hot as hell, and bad. So bad. Rude. Arrogant. Hard. And I’m dying for a taste. Jarett was our neighbors’ adopted son. Handsome, strong, quiet, he was my protector, and my friend. Now he’s back, and he’s still gorgeous. Tall, dark and s*xy. All man. But he’s a bad guy, moving with a dangerous crowd. So why do I keep winding up in his arms? On his lap. In his bed. I know better than this—I’m better than this. I should stop. Only my heart tells me there’s good inside Jarett. That I could save him. Then again, what happens to gullible girls who climb into bed with the big bad wolf? …Right. ***This is a standalone, full-length romance with a HEA and no cliffhanger or cheating. For a limited time, I have included a bonus novel. Enjoy! ***

Cain's Salvation


Sarah O'Rourke - 2013
    Cain Turner's life was literally blown apart in a small province of Afghanistan, it was only the hope and memories of one woman that propelled him forward. But there were more demons to face. In the small country hamlet of Paradise, Tennessee...Faith waits. Surrounded by her loving sisters, Faith McKinnon had faced her own demons, having thought that the love of her life had deserted her. But fate...and a few meddling McKinnon sisters...conspired to bring the two star-crossed lovers together again.

Before She Was Mine


Amelia Wilde - 2018
    Don’t touch. Those were the rules. It took one heartbeat to fall in love with my best friend’s little sister. One more to know I could never, ever let it show. So I broke her heart and left her behind to go to war. She wasn’t supposed to walk back into the wreckage of my life. Now my Sunny is all grown up. All woman. She has eyes like liquid heat, curves that beg for my hands, and a mouth that’s hungry for mine. I shouldn’t look. I shouldn’t touch. But the rules are no match for one hot, reckless kiss. And this time, I’m not walking away.

Give In


Layla Frost - 2018
     I knew I shouldn’t. It was a mistake. Wrong. Forbidden. A glimpse of heaven before a depraved angel led me to hell. One email was all it would take to end the torture. A simple email, dropping Eden Wilder from my class and my life. But I couldn’t do it. I was selfish—taking any bit of her I could. That’s how addictions start. You give in just a little. Just once. Before long, your obsession has grown into a violent storm, shrouding you in darkness as it consumes your thoughts. Consumes your whole damn life. And everything you’ve worked for is gone. But you honestly don’t give a f*ck. You’d serve your soul up on a silver platter for your addiction. And she was mine. Warning: Recommended for readers 18+ due to strong adult language, themes, and a stalkerific hero who puts the FUN in dysfunctional. Enjoy!

Tortured


Nicole Williams - 2017
    She didn’t realize how right she was. When Lance Corporal Brecken Connolly gets taken as a POW, Camryn hopes for the best but steels herself for the worst. In the end, steel was what she needed to survive when he didn’t. She moves on the only way she knows how—gilding herself in more steel. Years go by. She builds a new life. She leaves the old one behind.Until one day, she sees the face of a ghost on the news. Brecken seems to have risen from the dead, but she knows she can’t perform the same miracle for herself. While Brecken was held in a torture camp for the past five years, she’s been trapped in her own kind of prison. One she can't be saved from.The man she mourned comes back to join the living, but the girl he wanted to spend his life with isn’t the same woman he comes back for. Brecken isn’t the same person either. The past five years have changed them both. While he’s determined to put the pieces back together, she’s resolved to let hers rot where they shattered. Broken or not, Brecken wants her back. He’ll do anything to achieve that. Even if it means going against the warden of Camryn’s personal prison—her husband.