Book picks similar to
Force of Nature by Melissa Toppen


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contemporary-romance
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Heat Wave


Karina Halle - 2016
    ~~~ Still grieving the loss of her sister who died two years ago, the last thing Veronica "Ronnie" Locke needed was to lose her job at one of Chicago’s finest restaurants and have to move back in with her parents. So when a window of opportunity opens for her – running a kitchen at a small Hawaiian hotel – she’d be crazy not to take it. The only problem is, the man running the hotel drives her crazy:Logan Shephard.It doesn’t matter that he’s got dark brown eyes, a tall, muscular build that’s sculpted from daily surfing sessions, and a deep Australian accent that makes your toes curl.What does matter is that he’s a grump.Kind of an asshole, too.And gets under Ronnie’s skin like no one else. But the more time Ronnie spends on the island of Kauai, falling in love with the lush land and its carefree lifestyle, the closer she gets to Logan. And the closer she gets to Logan, the more she realizes she may have pegged him all wrong. Maybe it’s the hot, steamy jungles or the invigorating ocean air, but soon their relationship becomes utterly intoxicating. There’s just one major catch. The two of them together would incite a scandal neither Ronnie, nor her family, would ever recover from. Forbidden, Illicit, off-limits – sometimes the heat is worth surrendering to, even if you get burned.Note: this is a standalone novel, unrelated to any previous books. It does NOT contain cheating of any kind.

Burning with Lust


Mia Ford - 2018
    Simply gorgeous.Like s*x on heels!And I hire her,Soon she gets under my skin like no one has ever done before,And I can't shake the possessive feeling that she's mine.But soon I realize she's hiding something,Something big to tear us apart.And then I screwed up,Moved away without a goodbye.Didn't give her a chance,Didn't know she was carrying my baby.And when I know the truth,I am ready to shed my ego and win back my girl,After all, I'm burning with Lust!I'll prove my love to Jodi and my baby growing inside her,This time, I'm not letting her go. This time, I'm chasing after her.But, will she give me a second chance?Author's Note: Each book in "The Vegas Men Series" can be enjoyed as a standalone with a very satisfying HEA!

Hammered


Alexis Alvarez - 2018
     I’d love to bend her over the hood of her stupid little electric car and smack that ass. But the project comes first. I don’t have time for dating, especially tree-huggers. I have to get this build completed on time. But a kiss never hurt anyone... right? She just better not be playing me to get info on my boss. Or shut down this project. Because she’ll find out that I can give as good as I get. That I have creative ways to punish her. Get her begging for more… This book is part of an amazing series of books about sexy blue-collar guys who don't mind getting a little dirty. ;) They are stand-alones and do not need to be read in order, but are all super sexy and delicious. From Alexis Alvarez (me!), Lee Savino, Renee Rose, Alta Hensley, Tara Crescent, Ava Sinclair, Aubrey Cara, Jane Henry.

The Choices I've Made


J.L. Berg - 2017
    I couldn't be me anymore. So, with nothing more than a few boxes and a beat up truck, I left behind my old life at the tender age of eighteen.And I never looked back. Twelve years later, I find myself traveling back to the sandy shores of that North Carolina town where my late father has left me his medical practice. Coming here means facing my past... My memories... And her--Molly McIntyre. Growing up, Molly had been my entire world, first as a childhood friend and then so much more. We'd made promises to each other back then. Promises I broke when I walked away. And now that I'm back? Well, let's just say she's not exactly the head of my welcoming committee. But even she can't deny the undeniable spark that still burns so brightly between us and soon, we're tumbling fast and hard into the past.But I need to keep my eyes set to the future, because mine isn't here in this dead end town. Not anymore. All Molly has ever known is here, on this small island. Could I really ask her to give it all up? For me? If I walk away again, will she follow?

Anaconda


Lauren Landish - 2017
     Football star and internet sensation Gavin “Anaconda” Adams is the biggest celebrity our little town has ever seen. But I had no idea who he was when I accidentally walked in on him naked.   I was shocked, seeing all of him, a cocky grin on his face. I didn’t know what to do. So I ran. Now I’m in a world of trouble. No matter what I do, I can’t get that image out of my head. His strong muscular thighs. His washboard abs. His big, throbbing, toe-curling… Jesus! To make matters worse, Gavin wants a date with me. He’s seen the lust in my eyes, and he’s not taking no for an answer. I should tell him to get lost. He’s nothing but trouble, and he’s only here for a week. But with one look, I go weak in the knees. And whenever I hear his deep, rich voice, I feel my defenses crumbling. It’s only one night. What could it hurt? Anaconda is a full-length Sexy Romantic Comedy with an HEA, no cheating, and no cliffhanger!

Everest


S.L. Scott - 2017
    Dynamic green eyes. Utterly irresistible. Ethan Everest stole my breath the first time I saw him. He romanced me with skill, dazzled me with his charisma, and proceeded to steal my heart right after. I might have fallen for his easy-going smile the first time we met, but I fell for him the second time.Honey-colored hair. Cherry-kissed lips. Captivatingly gorgeous. Singer Davis was the first, and only, woman to ever intimidate me. She spoke to my heart with her wit, seduced me with her eyes, and became the only thing that made sense in a world that made none. I let her slip through my fingers once. I won’t make that mistake twice.Secrets broke us apart. Can a second chance bring us back together? From New York Times Bestselling Author, S.L. Scott, comes a ROMANTIC SUSPENSE STANDALONE that will have you on the edge of your seat and swooning over this new ALPHA BILLIONAIRE.

Bad Cruz


L.J. Shen - 2021
    Cruz Costello is my archenemy.But that would require acknowledging one another, which we haven’t done in over a decade.He’s the town’s golden child. The beloved quarterback-turned-physician.I’m the girl who got knocked up at sixteen and now works at a diner.He is Fairhope royalty.I get my monarch dose from tabloid gossip.He’s well-off.I’m…well, off.When our siblings get engaged, Cruz’s parents invite both families to a pre-wedding cruise.Except Cruz and I find ourselves stuck on a different ship from everyone else.Cue ten horrible, insufferable days at sea with a man I cannot stand.(My fault, of course.)But when the alcohol pours in, the secrets spill out, and I’m left with one question:Can I take another chance on love?

Forever Right Now


Emma Scott - 2017
    After a stint in jail for drug possession, she is finally clean and ready to start over. Yet another failed relationship is just the motivation she needs to move from New York to San Francisco with the hopes of resurrecting her dance career and discovering that she is more than the sum of her rap sheet. As Darlene struggles in her new city, the last thing she wants is to become entangled with her handsome—but cranky—neighbor and his adorable little girl... Sawyer Haas is weeks away from finishing law school, but exhaustion, dwindling finances, and the pressure to provide for himself and his daughter, Olivia, are wearing him down. A federal clerkship--a job he desperately needs--awaits him after graduation, but only if he passes the Bar Exam. Sawyer doesn’t have the time or patience for the capricious—if beautiful—dancer who moves into the apartment above his. But Darlene’s easy laugh and cheerful spirit seep into the cracks of his hardened heart, and slowly break down the walls he’s resurrected to keep from being betrayed ever again. When the parents of Olivia’s absentee mother come to fight for custody, Sawyer could lose everything. To have any chance at happiness, he must trust Darlene, the woman who has somehow found her way past his brittle barbs, and Darlene must decide how much of her own bruised heart she is willing to give to Sawyer and Olivia, especially when the ghosts of her troubled past refuse to stay buried.

Whisper Forever


C.A. Harms - 2017
    It would have made his absence easier to accept. Lucas Rivers broke my heart more than once. In my world he was my guy, the one I’d grow old with and laugh with. But things aren’t that simple, and time changes everything. That naive girl with dreams of happily-ever-afters was gone.  I didn’t need a man to complete me. I was enough—no, I was more than enough. I was strong and determined. I was Madelyn Emery, and never again would a boy break my heart. But the moment Lucas returned after four years, acting like we could pick up where we left off, that strength inside me shifted. The more I tried to ignore his efforts, the harder he fought. How can one simple word whispered by one man mean so very much? “Forever.”

Downfall


Jay Crownover - 2019
    Until a stunning, skittish, single mother forces him to pause and recognize just how empty and hollow his busy life has become. From the start, it’s been ingrained in Solo’s DNA to fight.Fight for what he believes is right.Fight for the people he loves.Fight for the traces of good in a place which tends to be filled with a variety of bad.Fight for survival, so at some point, his life will quiet down and find a normal pace.He wasn’t ready for the impact his secretive, shy, obviously out of place new neighbor was going to have on him. And never in a million years was he prepared to fall head over heels for her and her young daughter.Now, he’s facing the most important, and the hardest fight he’s ever fought… the battle to win Orley’s damaged heart. Orley Vincent’s heart is full of fear, leaving no space for love. Until a big, brash, brawler of a man forces his way in and makes her realize facing her fears is the only way she can ever be free. From the start, Orley was groomed to believe she wasn’t good enough.She wasn’t the perfect daughter. Or student. Or girlfriend.But, she has always been the best mother she could be to her daughter, Noble.Keeping Noble safe has always been the one thing she was determined to do, which ironically, is how she ended up on the wrong side of the tracks, living next door to an unlikely hero. Orley’s a woman on the run. She had no idea her frantic sprint was going to land her in the tattooed arms of a man ready to teach her how to fight for herself… and for love.

One Good Thing


Jennifer Millikin - 2020
     Instead of going on our honeymoon, I’ve run home to Lonesome, Oregon. It seems as good a place as any to lick my wounds. It's peaceful, remote, and my favorite person in the whole world lives here: my grandma.  She needs help running the Sweet Escape Bed and Breakfast, and I need a place to lie low while I hide from the mess my life has become.  And it appears I’m not the only one running from something painful.   A gorgeous man with sad eyes has been holed up in cabin seven since he arrived. I told myself to stay away from him, but my curiosity got the better of me.  If only I hadn't knocked on his door.  That’s when things went downhill.  That’s when things got a whole lot more complicated.  I came to Lonesome to recover from a broken heart.  I’m afraid I’ll be leaving with a heart more damaged than it was when I arrived.

Only You: A Standalone Contemporary Romance


K.T. Quinn - 2021
    

Pike


T.M. Frazier - 2020
    Baptized in the gutter. I was raised by the violent laws of the streets, spilling blood without the hindrance of useless emotions or connections.Unfeeling. Unloved. Alone.My life was perfect.Until her.While on a manhunt for a mysterious enemy, one hellbent on taking both my business and my life, I find Mickey. She's covered in mud, rambling nonsense, and clearly out of her mind. She's also a distraction I don't need.That is until I discover a connection between the girl and my enemy.Mickey isn't a distraction anymore.She's the perfect weapon.One I'll use to exact my revenge.The plan is an easy one, but there's something about Mickey that's making it more and more difficult. A familiarity I can't place. A need I can't explain.A want I have to deny.After all, she's not mine to keep. She's a tool. My pawn. My sacrifice.

The Best Friend Hookup


Kylie King - 2019
    She wants me to do things with her…in the bedroom. The things she wants to do, wouldn’t be a part of our usual hangout, where we play video games, or stuff our mouths with extra cheesy pizza. This is different. She wants me to teach her how to be on top, so she can hook up with a guy she’s always wanted to date. Of course, I’m going to help my adorable, nerdy best friend Julia. I’m the best man for the job, and she trusts me with her life. Not only that, but I’ve been with plenty of women—enough to know how to show her the ropes. Showing her what to do shouldn’t change anything between us…at least that’s what I think, until I realize that once she gets the hang of this, she’ll be on top of another guy.

Owning Violet


Monica Murphy - 2014
    I’m the middle daughter, the dutiful daughter. The one who braved a vicious attack and survived. The one who devoted herself to her family’s business empire. The one who met an ambitious man and fell in love. We were going to run Fleur Cosmetics together, Zachary and I. Until he got a promotion and left me in the dust. Maybe it’s for the best, between his disloyalty and his wandering eye. But another man was waiting for me. Wanting me. He too has an overwhelming thirst for success, just like Zachary—perhaps even more so. He’s also ruthless. And mysterious. I know nothing about Ryder McKay beyond that he makes me feel things I’ve never felt before. One stolen moment, a kiss, a touch . . . and I’m hooked. Ryder’s like a powerful drug, and I’m an addict who doesn’t want to be cured. He tells me his intentions aren’t pure, and I believe him. For once, I don’t care. I’m willing to risk everything just to be with him. Including my heart. My soul. My everything.