Book picks similar to
The Art of Dating by Ellie Messe
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Runaway Road
Devney Perry - 2020
She ran away from home at sixteen, escaping parents more interested in drugs than their daughter. She doesn’t have loving siblings or an adorable pet. Her only family is the five other runaway kids who shared her junkyard home. Life pulled them all in separate directions, taking her to Boston. For a short time, she thought she’d found something permanent. But after a devastating divorce, she’s running away again, this time to find a lost friend. She’s driving across the country in her convertible. As a teenager, the rusty car was her shelter. As an adult, it’s her ride to freedom. Except one flat tire derails her trip. Her life collides with Brooks Cohen. They walked away from the first crash. The second might destroy them both.
Preservation
Rachael Wade - 2012
Constantly battling eviction notices, tuition she can’t afford, and a sick, dependent mother, the last thing she needs is to be distracted with someone else’s complicated baggage. When she stumbles into Ryan Campbell’s creative writing class, he is only “Mr. Campbell” to her, until Ryan finds himself captivated by her writing and she is forced to face their mutual attraction. His cocky know-it-all syndrome is enough to send her running in the other direction, and his posse of female admirers and playboy reputation are enough to squander any odds in her favor. But underneath Ryan’s abrasive facade is something to behold, and she can’t stay away for long. Ryan and Kate must decide who they’re willing to become and fight against their former selves if they want to make things work. That’s if academia, vicious vixens, old skeletons, and their own mastery at self-destruction don’t pummel their efforts first.
Summer at Sea
Beth Labonte - 2015
Have you ever helped your parents pack for a weeklong cruise? No? I didn't think so. So shut it. So begins vacation for Summer Hartwell - twenty-six years old, living with her anxiety-ridden parents, and unwillingly booked by her brother on a weeklong cruise to Bermuda. Despite the nightmare of being trapped aboard a cruise ship with Mom and Dad, Summer sees a rare opportunity to fulfill The Prophecy – her mother’s declaration that she will live at home until she gets married. With two thousand passengers onboard, at least one of them must be husband material, right? The only problem is Graham Blenderman – her brother’s best friend who is joining them for the week, in all of his tall, blonde, extroverted glory. Graham doesn’t believe Summer needs a husband in order to break free from her parents. He thinks she just needs a little bit of nerve. And to Summer’s introverted horror, he’s willing to spend the entire week proving that he’s right.
#1 Crush
T. Gephart - 2017
Sure, she could get a little crazy at times—life around Tia was never boring—but that was part of her appeal. And while she didn’t see herself as ‘classically beautiful’, she had no shortage of options in the boyfriend department. She just hadn’t found one who held her interest.Until she laid eyes on Eric Larsson, and then it was lust at first sight.He packed the perfect mix of smoldering sexy and unapologetic cool into his blond-haired, blue-eyed, ridiculously hot six-foot-four frame. One smile from him was enough to twist her insides, making her girlie bits tingle in the most delicious way. But it wasn’t just his looks, he was smart and funny—charming in the most a-dork-able way.The only problem was . . . Tia had never actually met him.Eric Larsson was one of Hollywood’s hottest movie stars, rising to the top of his game and leaving a trail of disintegrated panties in his wake. Tia’s were no exception—but she wasn’t delusional. Love, marriage and happily-ever-after were not part of her fantasy; she just wanted to meet him. Just one time. One time. Confident that just seeing him in the flesh would get him out of her system.So, with her resolve steeled, Tia set off on a quest to make it happen while avoiding her mug shot being splayed across the five o’clock news.The journey no doubt will make for one hell of a story.
Fake
Kylie Scott - 2021
She’s more familiar with vacuuming one. When a scandal tarnishes the reputation of hot as hell A-lister, Patrick Walsh, he needs a reputation rescue, pronto. Enter waitress Norah Peers–a nobody who’s average with a capital A. She’s available, dependable, and has sworn off men for the rest of her natural born life. In other words: the perfect match for a no-strings fake romance. For the right amount of money, she can avoid waitressing and play the part of his dependable down-to-earth girlfriend. What she can’t avoid–dammit–is the growing steam between them. But being hounded by the paparazzi and having your life dissected on social media is a panic attack in the making. And while Patrick might be a charming rogue on screen, in real life he’s a six-foot-two confusing, gorgeous, brooding grump, who keeps her at a distance . . . but also makes her feel like this bond between them might be more than just an act. Being dumped on cue should be no big deal. Except being fake with Patrick is the realist relationship Norah has ever had. What’s a girl to do, but flip the script, and ask for a rematch made in Hollywood?
Fall For Me Again
Ali Parker - 2018
Not after everything I’ve done. None of the women in my life were there for the right reasons. Not my wife, who I married for convenience and to shut my father up. And not the beautiful girl from my childhood that I used from time to time when it pleased me to do so. Not a single one of them. I’ve burned so many bridges and broken far too many hearts. And yet, fate has a way of f*cking with a fellow. As CEO of my father’s billion-dollar publishing firm, I’m always looking for great writers, and a new one just showed up. My high-school fling. Not that I expected a warm reunion, but this delicious tart is having none of it. No matter what I do to push. I’m a different man now, and I want a love affair to fulfill my life. The kind most people only dream of. It’s the holiday season, and I have one wish. To find the right woman for me and my son to spend our lives with. Crazily enough, she’s sitting across the proverbial negotiating table, looking for a job. Little does she know, she’s got the job, the ring, the future–if she wants it. I just need to convince her to fall for me again.
By Invitation Only
Kimberly Knight - 2017
A sacred place free from judgement or inhibitions. The only rule: Ask before you touch. Sensation is an exclusive black-tie party attended by at least one hundred and fifty of the clubs most privileged members, and held once a month at an undisclosed mansion in Beverly Hills. You may watch. You may interact. You can come together or you can choose to come alone. The choice is yours. Would you like it rough? Would you like to be caressed and worshipped? Or would you simply like to observe? What do you desire?
The Sun and Her Star
Dylan Allen - 2018
Once upon a time, that star shone only for me. Now, I have to share him with the rest of the world. For a while, I thought I could do it. Because, beneath the hypnotic smile, gorgeous body and God-given charm that made him famous, I still caught glimpses of my best friend.Of the boy who called me sunshine and loved me. I wore that love like a crown . . . until he placed it on another’s head. Losing him was agony, distance felt like the only cure. When tragedy reunites us after years apart, it only takes one touch to erase the past. Just like that, I'm back in his arms. He promises this time will be different. But I’m afraid to believe him. Because behind his star’s blinding brilliance is a darkness that doesn’t want to let him go. I know a star that bright can’t belong to just one person, but my jealous heart doesn’t want to share him.I want all of him . . . even if wanting what doesn't belong to me leads me to ruin.
Man Candy
Melanie Harlow - 2016
And he looks good enough to eat, which is just one more reason to stay away from him. But I can’t resist.The sex is incredible (pretty sure we’ve shaken the house right off its foundation), but he can’t fool me—not this time. A degree in marketing and five years in advertising have taught me that “true love” is a fairy tale used to sell lipstick, diamonds, and perfume. It doesn’t exist.He thinks I’m wrong, and he wants to prove it.I think he’s crazy, so I dare him to try.It might be the biggest mistake of my life.
Arrogant
Drea Blackery - 2018
The heir to billions in real estate fortune. The Ice King of my high school and my hometown. I stayed away from him all those years ago, but now he’s showed up again in New York, more powerful than ever and armed with a dark secret. Ryland Wyatt may be colder than an arctic glacier, but when we clash, something wild happens. Something explosive. He’ll burn me alive if I let him, but no one told me that the fire would feel so good. RYLAND What I want, I get. Always. And what I want is Allie Beckett, the stubborn, evasive loner who confused the hell out of me ten years ago. It doesn’t matter that she’s off-limits to me. It doesn’t matter that I destroyed her life, or that she doesn’t know. Allie will be in my bed soon, and once I get her out of my system, she’ll be out of my world. There is no other option. We were over before we even began, meant to go up in smoke. But before that, we will go down in flames. Arrogant is a complete standalone novel in the New York Heirs Series *Contains explicit intimate scenes and profanity.Extra Warning: Here there be jackasses...This novel starts off with Ryland and the boys literally throwing money around and being Grade A elitist assholes, so do proceed with caution if it's not your thing!Otherwise, get ready to meet a jerk who has a lot of groveling to do before he gets his girl. ;)
Heartbreak Warfare
Heather M. Orgeron - 2018
What you didn't know was that I was breaking mine too.I thought they’d be enough–my husband and my son. That I’d get home and everything would go back to the way it was . . .Before the war. Before the ambush. Before you.But, no matter how hard I try, I can’t erase the trauma we shared. I can’t seem to forget the way my heart beat in time with yours. The truth is I’m lost without you.I thought the nightmare was over when they pulled us from that hole in the ground, but nothing could have prepared me for the war I’d face at home.I know it’s selfish of me to ask, but, please, I have to see you one last time. . .All my love, Scottie
Times Square
Jana Aston - 2017
Honestly, it pissed me off. Retail propaganda aimed to promote sales when any single girl in the city could tell them they’d sell more if they’d offer Keep Your Pants On, Asshole instead. But it’s fine. I don’t have room for decorative pillows anyway. And I don’t have time for distractions. Which is why I’m ignoring the distraction staring at me right now. The one who looks like he belongs on a billboard campaign. The one with the full lips and the cocky smile. The one refusing to look away even when I give him my best no way scowl. The one headed in my direction. Right now.*This novel was previously published in the Love In Transit Anthology
Hot Mess
Emily Goodwin - 2017
Forget about dating--nobody's got time for that. Even if love hadn't left me jaded, I'm not settling for anything less than perfect this time around.Lucky for me, the perfect man just happens to work in my office. But there's just one small problem: he's my boss, and is totally off limits. But hey, if it's meant to be, it'll find a way, right?Then a night out with friends turns into a night in with the walking-talking bad boy cliche of a bartender. It's just one night. No harm, no foul, right?Except when the hot bartender turns out to be my boss's trouble-making brother, who wants more than just one night with me. The more I resist the spark between us, the more I find myself wanting him too. Which puts me in the middle of what could be the biggest sibling rivalry of the century.Life is messy.And love?Well, love is even messier.
A Deal with the Devil
Elizabeth O'Roark - 2021
He’s the last person I want to work for, except he has a face I can’t look away from, and the longer we’re together, the harder he is to hate. Because under that smug exterior is a heart he doesn’t want to show—one that was badly broken a decade earlier.A part of me wants to fix it for him before I leave…but can I do it without breaking my own in the process?
Finding Pride
Jill Sanders - 2012
Now she can finally start a new life and figure out just who she really is. When her brother Matt dies suddenly, she takes a big risk and moves cross country to live in his house and take over his new business. This could be the chance she’s needed. There’s only one problem now. She can’t seem to escape the irresistible charm of her departed brother’s best friend. Todd Jordan just lost his best friend and business partner. Watching Matt’s sister move into town, his attraction to her is instant. Can he prove to her that all men are not the same, and resist his own desires as she learns to trust again? Overcoming the odds is just part of their journey. The two must first survive a fateful visit from Megan’s ex to have any chance at happiness.