Book picks similar to
Built To Last by Elisabeth Grace


contemporary-romance
romance
second-chance
not-interested

Not What I Expected


Jewel E. Ann - 2020
    He also doesn’t believe in marriage and all that goes with it. And … He’s just opened a new business that threatens the livelihood of Elsie’s family’s store—just in time for the holidays. The problem? There’s an undeniable attraction that leads to out of control situations, a loss of inhibitions, and a lot of small town gossip. As Elsie tries to redefine herself and convince her family she isn’t having a midlife crisis, she’s forced to answer the biggest question of all … Can she love an enemy who will never surrender?

Going Down Hard


Jordan Marie - 2017
    Gavin O’Leary. He made my high school days a nightmare. Not because he loved me. Not because he hated me. But because he had no idea who I was. He was the popular guy with the chiseled abs, dark tan and perfect hair. You know the type. The type that only dated the perfect-ten, cheerleader. I was the loner. The nerd who hated high school and couldn’t wait to say goodbye. And I did — to Freemont High and to Gavin. The last thing I expected was to see him again twelve years later. Yet here he is. Only this time — he notices me. This time — he kisses me. This time saying goodbye to Gavin O’Leary might destroy me. Novella introducing a brand new series. Instant lust that took twelve years to explore. Safe read with an Alpha who knows what he wants and goes after it — HARD.

Emphatic


Kaylee Ryan - 2015
    I wasted my college years on a guy who played with my head, played with my heart. I was blinded by the fairytale, the one that didn’t exist. The day I gave up on the idea of happily ever after, my focus became me. Moving forward and establishing my career. Until one day… I didn’t expect him. My new boss, a six foot two, inked rock god. I believed I was working for the record label, I was wrong. It’s impossible for me to keep my distance, believe me I’ve tried. He’s not who I expected him to be. He’s so much more he’s… Emphatic

The Heartbreaker


Claire Contreras - 2021
    Unable to face the consequences of what we’d done, if we were ever in close quarters, I ran in the other direction. If we were coincidentally put in the same class, I dropped it.Avoidance was the name of the game and so far I was winning.That is, until we’re assigned the same apartment.Living with Jagger during my last semester was definitely not in my plans, but I’m determined to make it work. As long as I don’t look at him for too long or let his innuendos get under my skin, I should be fine, right? I have to be.They say hooking up with your roommate can be messy, and losing my heart to Jagger would be disastrous.100% standaloneenemies-to-loverssports romanceroommates

Almost Christmas


Brooke St. James - 2016
    It was her one chance to escape a lifetime of misery, and she was determined to take advantage of it. The fact that it was almost Christmas and she had no particular place to go was of little consequence. The only thing on her mind was starting over. She headed east, confident that her strong will and meager savings would be enough to get by. But her plans quickly began to crumble when she found herself in desperate need of help. Thankfully, that was precisely when she met Jesse Ward. Mae was stubborn, and she tried her best to refuse assistance from this handsome stranger. After all, her plans didn't include an extended detour in the middle of Virginia. Yet the two of them would soon discover that this chance encounter was exactly what they both needed to make a fresh start.

This Is Not How It Ends


Rochelle B. Weinstein - 2020
    Weinstein comes a moving novel of hearts lost and found, and of one woman torn between two love stories. When Charlotte and Philip meet, the pair form a deep and instant connection. Soon they’re settled in the Florida Keys with plans to marry. But just as they should be getting closer, Charlotte feels Philip slipping away.Second-guessing their love is something Charlotte never imagined, but with Philip’s excessive absences, she finds herself yearning for more. When she meets Ben, she ignores the pull, but the supportive single dad is there for her in ways she never knew she desired. Soon Charlotte finds herself torn between the love she thought she wanted and the one she knows she needs.As a hurricane passes through Islamorada, stunning revelations challenge Charlotte’s loyalties and upend her life. Forced to reexamine the choices she’s made, and has yet to make, Charlotte embarks on an emotional journey of friendship, love, and sacrifice—knowing that forgiveness is a gift, and the best-laid plans can change in a heartbeat.This Is Not How It Ends is a tender, moving story of heartbreak and healing that asks the question: Which takes more courage—holding on or letting go?

Never Me


Kate Stewart - 2014
    I was the girl you talked about in your sad inner circle. The girl you shielded your boyfriend from as you cleverly covered him with your body when I came near. I was a threat to you. Keeping him safe in your grasp was smart.One week...one incredible week was all it took to forever change me.I was NEVER going to be you … until I met HIM.*****This is a coming of age ROMANCE with explicit sex and strong language. Mature audiences only.

My Uptown Girl


C. Morgan - 2020
    I’m all for it.The electricity between us has me taking one step back and three forward.This is the woman I want beside and beneath me for the rest of my life.But her father thinks I’m riffraff. And he just might be right.Maybe if I just keep things professional, which is almost impossible.Heat blazes in and out of the kitchen as we try to work together, and I’ve got one thing on my mind.Owning every part of her.No matter what her family or anyone else thinks about it.This woman is my uptown girl.

Addicted


S. Nelson - 2015
    With the recent passing of her grandmother there is nothing holding her back from starting over. She dreams of a normal life, one which isn’t constantly plagued by nightmares. Everything seems to be going her way until a gorgeous stranger walks into her shop, turning her world upside down. Although Alek Devera is not the relationship type, everything changes once he comes face to face with Sara. Never having met someone quite like her, he starts to question everything he knows. She intrigues him. She challenges him. She threatens the secret he’s been hiding for years. Will a promise made long ago be the very same thing that destroys their chance for happiness? **Author's note** This book ends with a cliffhanger but the second book in the Addicted trilogy will be available a month later, in June 2015.

Savage King: The Mafia King Series


V.L. Silva - 2021
    Confident.His Viking blood made him a conqueror.He dominated my senses.He planned to rule my body as well.I didn’t have a chance at keeping my heart.AXELHer name said it all.Hope.She came to me in my darkness.The compass that would guide me out of the storm.The goddess, Freyja.She’s with me as I fight Hel, the enemy that took everything from me.I am at war now, but the moment the dust settles I’m taking Hope as my prize.She’s a challenge. Resistant.Catching her will be like catching the wind.But my people were sea wolves. We know how to tame the wind.And I’m a patient man.Victory is my only option.

Some Sort of Happy


Melanie Harlow - 2015
    She’s even more beautiful than I remember. Ten years ago she was an impossible dream, and now she’s right here in front of me, offering everything I ever wanted. But happiness never lasts, not for someone like me. I have to protect us both.****Sebastian Pryce. He’s the most complicated, frustrating, beautiful man I’ve ever met, and my body craves his with a hunger I’ve never known. My heart is his completely.Why won’t he let me in? ** SOME SORT OF HAPPY is a full-length standalone romance. **

What Once Was Perfect


Zoe York - 2013
     Heading home always stirs up mixed emotions for Laney Calhoun. Twelve years ago she left for graduate school, broken-hearted. She's found professional success, but positive personal relationships have proved elusive. Running into her ex-boyfriend fans flames she thought long extinguished, and causes a renewed interest in love. Not with Kyle, of course. Never again. But as sparks fly and items of clothing disappear, she scrambles to keep her emotions in check. ...Now he has a second chance to get it right. Kyle Nixon let Laney slip away once. Their chemistry together is undeniable, but steamy sex is not enough to convince her to let him back into her heart. Even if she did trust him again, her career as a paediatric surgeon is five hundred kilometers away from the hometown that he loves, and the life he once chose over her. Come home to Wardham. Come home to love.

Coming Down


Carrie Elks - 2014
    That was before she met Niall Joseph, a gorgeous Irish art student who for one hot summer turned her world upside down.Almost a decade later, Beth is living in London and desperately trying to forget her past. But then Niall walks back into her life, reigniting a desire that threatens to engulf them both.Faced with a choice between her reliable, steady life and the unexpected joy that Niall offers, Beth finds herself torn. Can they remain just good friends, or is their connection too strong to be ignored?

Don't Let Go


Sharla Lovelace - 2014
    The two had their future all planned out—until one unspeakable decision tore them apart.Twenty-six years later, Jules is living her life by someone else’s plan. She’s running her mother’s store, living in her mother’s house, following her mother’s rules, and keeping the secrets her mother made her bury.Then Noah comes home, and any sense of order and structure flies out the window. Noah’s return does more than just stir up old memories—it also forces Jules to see her life in a whole new way and uncover secrets even she didn’t know were hidden. But can the power of first love triumph over years of pain and lies? Revised edition: This edition of Don't Let Go includes editorial revisions.

Rounding Third


Michelle Lynn - 2016
    I gave up my scholarship.I fled from Beltline.I left the girl behind.Now, I’m back.