Book picks similar to
The Despair of Strangers by Heather Topham Wood
contemporary
freebie
dark
have-but-haven-t-read
Loving the Ladies' Man
Kristin Canary - 2021
I'm the quirky Pride & Prejudice-loving editor who uses big words and dresses like the world's non-sexiest librarian.We have nothing in common.And we're competitors for the same job.Game on, right? May the best person win and all that? Fine by me. I'm happy to hold him at arms' length forever.And considering I'm practically the only woman in the office he's never flirted with, he's obviously happy to do the same.But when we're stuck overnight in our office building thanks to an earthquake-induced landslide (don't worry, we're totally fine), things between us start to change.I begin to realize that Connor isn't actually the jerk I thought he was--the kind who leads women on, just like my ex.And when he offers to attend my ex's wedding as my fake boyfriend, things get even more interesting. Especially when he gives me that much-too-chaste kiss...But I can't fall for him. That would be repeating the same mistake, just with a different guy.Tell that to my dumb heart, though--the one that seems to think Connor Bryant is my Mr. Darcy.Fans of Sarah Adams will love this closed-door romantic comedy with lots of sizzle and spice, but no on-page explicit content.
All the Days After
Carrie Thorne - 2019
Don’t sleep with my brother.”No problem, right? Accountant extraordinaire, Sophie Jones has spent the last decade trying to find a sense of normal. Life is looking deliciously peaceful, as she follows her best friend home to the small town of Foothills, Washington. Back from the Navy, former SEAL Asher Sutherland is not the guy he used to be… although, he doesn’t have a clue who he is now. The one thing Asher knows for sure is that he wants Sophie.Big problem. Asher has recklessly broken the hearts of his sister’s friends on too many occasions. Neither is willing to hurt Pippa. But, resisting the attraction may prove to be more challenging that either can withstand.Settle in with a soothing cup of coffee and watch the sunrise in this tempting, steamy romance set in the Cascade Foothills in the heart of the Pacific Northwest.
This is the Wonder
Tracey Ward - 2014
We were the blue of the sky. The cold of the ocean floor.I went to Europe to study. To party, to hide, to run away from the endless sea of choices that would mold and shape the rest of my life. I wasn't ready for any of that. Not yet. I wasn't ready to have all the answers.And I definitely wasn't ready for Jax.Handsome, sweet, and sporting the biggest blue eyes I'd ever seen, he swooped into my world and changed everything. Suddenly I wasn't scared of making choices. I wasn't afraid of voicing answers. It was easy because where Jax was concerned, my answer was always "Yes".But I've been quick to find out that loving a military man isn't easy, and while Jax seemed like the answer to everything, he has questions of his own.Doubts about his future. Fears about his past.
Not a Player
A.J. Wynter - 2020
This book can be read as a stand-alone or as book one in the Laketown Hockey Series.
Dancing by the Moonlight (A Carlisle Bay Novel)
Angie Ellington - 2018
Dancing was her life. Chasing performance dreams is all she's ever known or planned for. Now, she is starting anew. She didn't expect to be a boutique manager at thirty-one, but it's better than spinning out into the abyss of the unknown. Being in Carlisle has brought solace to her listless soul. Brady Carlisle has recently returned to Carlisle Bay; his hometown. He has spent the last decade in California, designing and patenting surfboards, playing guitar and singing for anyone who cared to listen. Becoming his own man, without relying on the Carlisle name and money is all he's ever wanted. He now owns a bait and tackle store by day and spends his evenings playing guitar on his deck or sailing along the bay or over the crystal blue waters of the Atlantic. They discovered love for the first time thirteen years earlier when Olivia spent the summer before college living with her aunt in Carlisle Bay. Will the pain of the past keep them apart or will moonlit summer evenings lead them back to each others' hearts?
When Girlfriends Collection, Books 1-3
Savannah Page - 2013
Boxed Set Includes: When Girlfriends Break Hearts, When Girlfriends Step Up, and When Girlfriends Make Choices.WHEN GIRLFRIENDS BREAK HEARTSSophie Wharton doesn't like losing control, especially of her life. She's always been the girl who's kept it together--the girl with a charming boyfriend, a lively social life, and plans to start her own bakery. Life is great for Sophie a few years out of college in Seattle...or so she thinks.Then a series of events start to turn Sophie's perfectly ordered world upside down. After three years, her boyfriend suddenly decides to call it quits. Her close camaraderie of girlfriends is starting to fall apart. Secrets are exposed. And when she thinks things couldn't get any worse, Sophie learns that one of her friends is fighting a devastating battle. Now living with her best friend Claire, Sophie struggles with learning to forgive or forget those who break hearts, while trying to accept that there are some situations she cannot control. But is there still a light at the end of the tunnel? Can a girl find the "good" in the "bad"?This is a heartfelt story about what happens when friendships take different paths and when life doesn't exactly go according to plan.WHEN GIRLFRIENDS STEP UPRobin Sinclair is young, determined, and has a promising career at a small publishing house in Seattle. Even though she considers herself unlucky in love, Robin still dreams of eventually meeting Mr. Right and having a happily-ever-after kind of life. And at twenty-five, the world of opportunity is wide. But it's been a difficult year filled with trials...and it's only just begun.While long-time friendships are finally on the mend, and things are starting to look up again, Robin is faced with her biggest challenge yet. She's single and pregnant.Uncertain now of her future and scared of being alone, Robin must re-examine her life and choices, and summon the courage to step up.With the love and support of her best girlfriends from college, especially her best friend and roommate, Lara, Robin will learn that when the going gets tough, the best of friends become family. And, perhaps, with their encouragement, Robin can mature and gain the confidence needed to become a single mother. And, who knows about being unlucky in love. Things are suddenly getting interesting with Robin's attractive co-worker, Bobby.This is an endearing story about maturity and perseverance. It's a story about friends coming together as family, about finding the strength within and around, and about writing your own happily-ever-after.WHEN GIRLFRIENDS MAKE CHOICESLara Kearns has it all. She has her MBA, a successful career in advertising in Seattle, and she's even living with her best friend and single mom, Robin. Reliable, dedicated, and eager, Lara is the resident go-to-girl, and she wouldn't have it any other way.Lara's that girl who has everything going for her...everything, that is, except for true love. With the big 3-0 on its way and no man in sight, Lara wonders if she'll always be married to her career, or her cat, and never find the One.But then, when she least expects it, a handsome and suave executive at her firm, Paul Mackenzie, makes a pass at her. Hesitant at first about striking up an office romance, Lara eventually finds herself falling for her charming colleague. And the best part? Paul is falling in love with Lara, too!What happens, though, when the man of your dreams loves you...and his wife?Battling with what the head and the heart want, Lara finds herself in a precarious situation. Life is spiraling out of control, but with the support of her therapist and friends, Lara must make a choice. Is she really prepared to chase after love...at all costs?This is a provocative story about struggling between right and wrong. About what you will or won't do for true love.
Hidden Scars
Amanda Sue King - 2015
One without beatings and contemptuous words. College scholarships provide an opportunity. But her parents, who reluctantly allow her to leave, refuse to relinquish their hold. Phone calls, threats, and surprise visits fuel her with paralyzing fear.When Chuck Mathews, her forbidden love, proposes and wants to marry right away, Morgan's hope fades with memories of her mother's cruel, unfounded accusation, "we know you've had sex", and her dad waving a gun with a promise, "I'll kill him". Besides, in Mississippi, the legal age for marriage is twenty-one. None of this detours Chuck. Not even when Morgan receives word her parents are having her watched. Will she ever be free? More important, how does she ever find the courage to face her parents and ask the one question--why?
Love Crushed
Toshia Slade - 2015
Twenty-five and co-owner of a construction company, he’s ready to obtain his next goal. A wife by his side and babies to fill his house. He’s always had his eyes set on the wild and fiery Tiffany, but knew she wasn’t ready for the life he wanted. Until one drunk party snaps his restraint. It’s time to make his move and finally claim his girl.Unbound, Wild, and Free.Tiffany Johnson wants to fly through life. She can’t decide on a college major, so Josh, Mr. Has Life Planned Perfectly, isn’t an option. Even if she wants him. But she’s not ready for that kind of commitment or to be tied down. All she’s willing to give is a little fun and adventure.Secrets, Lies and Deceit.Everyone deserves to have a happily ever after, or so Tiffany thought. She was ready to give in, take the leap into forever with Josh. Until one soul crushing phone call ruined it all. What happens when everything you thought about love and life is crushed? Will Josh be able to fight and bring Tiffany back to the girl he fell in love with? Can he save the one girl he can’t live without, or has Tiffany been broken beyond repair, claiming his feisty Kitten forever?***Disclaimer*** While Ten Year Crush and Love Crushed are stand-alone stories, the characters cross over into each book and some events run parallel between each story. Some readers may enjoy starting with Ten Year Crush first to follow the natural progression of the characters and storyline.
Whispers of Love
Rose Verde - 2019
Scarred by the fear of losing her loved ones, Jordyn can't help but draw closer to Ty and his family. Yet, no matter what feelings he stirs in her, she's seen too many losses to open her heart.To ensure his sister's last days are spent well, Ty Warren brings her to his home in Diamond Isle, North Carolina. Having been left at the altar himself and then watching his dying sister's husband walk out on her and their kids, Ty concludes love is an illusion. Until he meets his sister's hospice nurse. As he watches her care for his sister and live out her faith despite her own loses, he wonders if his opinion has been wrong all along.
Can Ty get over his past to see that a wonderful future is standing right in front of him as he learns to trust God? Will Jordyn let go of her fear and risk her heart for a chance at true love?
Read Standalone books By Rose Verde
1. Christmas Wish2. Spring Beauty Inn3. A Time to Heal4. A Time To Laugh5. His Thanksgiving Surprise6. Lassoed By Love7. Loving Royalty8. Saving Amy Jayden
Romantic Suspense
9. Deadly Games
Friends with Benefits
R.L. Kenderson - 2017
Luke was a player back then, and Elise had always prided herself on not being another notch on his bedpost.Luke is still gorgeous though, and he knows it. And he checks all her boxes—intelligent and sexy with muscles and a hard body.Following a night of beer and shots, her resistance runs out, and he finally does check her box. And Elise knows that it can never happen again.Luke had always thought of Elise as the pretty girl that was friends with his roommate’s girlfriend, but now she’s all grown up. When their night of passion rocks Luke’s world he realizes he must have her again.The two enter a friends-with-benefits relationship with the agreement that they’re just going to have fun. But all that changes when Luke steps in to help Elise, and now the player she avoided is the person she doesn’t want to live without.
Make You Stay (A Slow-Burn, Single Dad Steamy Romance)
M.L. Broome - 2021
Chloe is one of those fast-talking New Yorkers with an opinion about everything. Never mind that most of them are correct. She also has the greatest ass on the planet, along with a sex kitten smile that threatens to undo me every time we meet. But we want different things from life, and neither of us are willing to compromise. I have to keep my distance, no matter how much my heart wants to make her stay. Chloe:My holiday plans never included a funeral, or the grizzly bear in a suit scowling at me throughout the service, but here I am. Turns out the grizzly is named Aidan, and he’s actually a big softie beneath his shaggy beard. A big softie with rock hard abs. He’s fun, flirty, and dangerously attractive, but we’re strictly friends. There’s no crossing that line, although with each passing night, he’s getting harder to resist. I changed my life for love once before and I won’t do it again, no matter how much my heart wants him to make me stay.
Size King: A Romance Collection
S.C. Adams - 2019
The man who makes my heart rate go haywire while my temperature skyrockets. And oh yeah – he’s gorgeous, growly and tempting, and I’m definitely not supposed to want him. Aiden Marx is the kind of man you can’t help but crave. The man is huge: at least six four, with broad shoulders, a wide chest, and a perfectly cut vee that leads to … Well, I shouldn’t go there. After all, I’m a junior PR analyst at Mr. Marx’s firm. He hired me to put a positive spin on even the most disastrous scenarios. But when the gorgeous billionaire comes into my office late one night asking for some dictation assistance … He does more than dictate… … And I do more than take notes. But there’s a reason why they call Mr. Marx the King. He’s not just a king at work, but he’s also a size king exactly where it matters most.
Warning: High heat ahead. Take your sweater off and get settled on the couch for a rollicking good time that will leave you craving more. Not responsible for singed couch cushions and items nearby spontaneously bursting into fire. HEA guaranteed with no cheating and no cliffhangers. This collection contains three books: Making Her Mine, The Mountain Man’s Secret Baby, and Single Biker Daddy.
Trying Sophie
Rebecca Norinne - 2016
When we were kids, he tormented me mercilessly ... but that little boy is all man now, and there are some very adult things I’d like to do with him. But it’s not just his hot body or his wicked mouth that I’m falling for. Underneath all that cockiness he’s kind and generous too—the exact opposite of who I expected him to be. And now I have to decide if I’m ready to put down roots in Ireland or go back to America, which would mean walking away from the reformed bad boy who just might be the love of my life. DeclanRugby was the only thing I cared about until Sophie Newport walked back into my life. When we were kids, I treated her like garbage, but we’re both adults now, and I want to make it up to her. Especially since she still makes me feel things no one else ever has—or likely ever will. I want her, and I never give up without a fight. Even if it means showing her who I really am … introducing her to the things I need. Even if it means laying my heart on the line and asking her to stay. But first I have to win her trust, and then I’m going to win her heart. And this time, I want forever.
Take a Chance on Me
Jaqueline Snowe - 2017
Their relationship had always been easy. Both of them loyal to a fault, they had been there for each other through everything: heartbreaks, hangovers, and tragedy. So when Kate needs a place to stay for three months, Brody doesn’t think twice about agreeing. After all, they had known each other forever. What could go wrong living with his closest and oldest friend? Apparently, everything. Three months in a small apartment becomes more than complicated. Brody shouldn’t be attracted to his dorky best friend…he most definitely shouldn’t. That would be absurd. She’s a relationship girl and he’s more a one-night-sans-clothes kind of guy. One drunken dare of strip poker changes everything. Suddenly, two people with too much to lose play a dangerous game. The unapologetic playboy and the girl-next-door have a choice to make, if only their pasts didn’t keep getting in the way of their future.
Tempted: The Dark Necessities—Dalton's Tale #1
Felicity Brandon - 2019
She's feisty and tempting.And she doesn't let anything come in the way of her mission.I've dealt with my fair share of rule-breakers.So, Delilah isn't what I need.But I can't stop dreaming about holding her in my arms.She might be hiding a secret.A secret that could destroy me and burn the city to the ground.There's only one question that remains.Is she worth the destruction that she's about to cause?