Book picks similar to
The Despair of Strangers by Heather Topham Wood
contemporary
freebie
giveaway-entry
divorced-or-widowed
Under Colorado Skies
Milan Watson - 2020
Under Colorado Skies includes the first 3 books in the Colorado Crazy Series. Although each book can be read alone, read them in sequence for a better reader experience.
Sunsets in Colorado
Lewis fled from her country roots, but now she’s back. If it’s up to the handsome cowboy, she won’t ever leave again. Enjoy a whirlwind romance as Lewis deals with the demons of her past.
Whispers in Colorado
Jasmine is a New York designer, but being back in White Horse Creek brings back all the memories she wants to forget. Will this ice queen drop her armor of frost long enough to let in the handsome vet?
Midnights in Colorado
Lisa is bold and vivacious. Sam is a straight-laced traditional cowboy. What happens when they fall in love? Can this hairdresser steal her cowboy’s heart and keep it?The Colorado Crazy series are ranch romances guaranteed to tease your senses and make you dream of cowboys again.
Lussuria
S.J. Molloy - 2013
Lexi Robertson's carefully constructed life is about to be turned upside down.Recently hired as Club di Energia's physiotherapist, the stunning yet insecure twenty-six year old finally thinks she has a handle on her physically and mentally damaging past. The only way Lexi can cope is by compartmentalizing her feelings with a unique, internal filing system. To maintain order, Lexi has a firm set of boundaries in place, and she never lets anyone too close.File N for not happening. Lexi has no intention of giving in to the charming Lucca Caruso when he comes into her clinic for an emergency physiotherapy session. Despite his painstakingly handsome face and Italian that renders her speechless, Lexi is able to resist.A Tuscany vacation with her best friend is just what Lexi needs to stop worrying about life and start enjoying it. A cooking course at a villa near the Chianti hills, just outside of Florence, will take her mind off a certain set of mesmerising azure blue eyes.File F for fate. Lexi never expected to see the Italian god again, but they're staying at the same villa.For someone that purposely refuses to feel, Lexi finds herself on a journey of self-discovery, helplessly folding, melting, and crumbling under the temptation of her heart's desire.An emotional, erotic, heart-wrenching story of lust, love, and light.Lexi struggles to confide in Lucca, slowly learning how to love and trust. Lucca is a gentle, patient lover with a heart of gold, but his need for Lexi is insatiable. He's the man we all want and can't get enough of. Through the passion of lust and the sweetness of love, Lexi spreads her wings towards the light … until her past comes back to haunt her.A hot and sexy story of survival, acceptance, learning to trust, and believing. One woman's destiny to find her light, and the one man who can take here there. Welcome to the Luminara series.
Fight For You
Charisse Spiers - 2014
The blood spattered everywhere was no longer mine. I wore crimson on my fists. I liked it. I finally tore out of the useless adolescent I was and took control—something I should have done a long time ago. But I wasn’t broken alone, and probably why it took so long. So much was stolen from her too, and once I set the beast inside me free, I couldn’t stop until I righted every wrong.Then we ran like hell.All she ever wanted was for me to love her. And in ways I did, every time he took what wasn’t his to take. I sent her away, forcing her to make a life for herself, never to come after me, to breathe a word of what happened, or to go back. I left her crying and pleading to go with me. I never looked back.I promised I’d make something of myself for both of us, and I did. For her I fight. I win. I make my opponent pay in blood. I will never again be at the losing end of a swinging fist. All it takes is unleashing memories in that cage and I can’t be beaten. I reward myself with a night of fun that never turns into morning. Then came Alyvia—the girl that proved she was better than that. The girl that became my best friend. The girl that changed my life in more ways than one.She gave me her. Piper Morgan—a real life dream catcher. I wasn’t supposed to touch her. I’ve never been a rule follower. She was too appetizing to pass up. I broke a promise. The first time I wanted a woman to stay, she walked away. The control I fought so hard for is gone. In the middle of my spiraling addiction, secrets are uncovered, my past returns, and unexpected circumstances hunt me down. The motto a fighter lives by—fight or get the fuck out of the cage.
Finding Beautiful
Amanda Kaitlyn - 2014
Broken. I had given up on men. When I stumbled upon a sleek Jaguar and a man beneath its hood, I was drawn to him instantly. He was electric. He was undeniably attractive. But worst of all? He wanted me. I knew I was in trouble. But somehow, I trusted him. “Breathe, Aria. Christ, please, just breathe for me.” Gavin came into my life like a hurricane, turning my world on its head. I didn’t want to fall for him, but it was inevitable. From the moment we met, he claimed my heart. I knew he would do whatever it took to protect it. When the shadows I fought so hard to escape threatened to tear us apart, could the love we had found be enough to persevere... or would our fight be in vain? "I'm going to give you the world, beautiful. This is only the beginning."
Worth Waiting For
Jax Burrows - 2019
No strings sex. But there were consequences.
When Dr Casey O'Connor returns to his home town of Leytonsfield to take up the post of trauma consultant, the last person he expects to see is the woman who has haunted his dreams for the past four years.Staff Nurse, Lexi Grainger, has made a home for herself and her daughter in Leytonsfield. She is happy with her life as A&E nurse and single mother. Now everything is about to change.If you enjoy medical dramas, second chance romances, and secret baby stories, then you'll love this series starter, Book One of "The O'Connors".
The Fifty-Two Week Chronicles
Joslyn Westbrook - 2017
The Fifty-Two Week Chronicles gives a hilarious glimpse into the life of a food critic and a celebrity chef—and how food can unite even the worst of enemies. When Penelope Monroe loses her dream job as a food critic, she launches a weekly Food Blog - The Fifty Two Week Chronicles - promising to keep thousands of fans entertained. Her best friend begs her to work as a restaurant consultant for a client hired by his PR Firm, and Penelope agrees, unaware of who the client is... Jonathan Knight is still steaming from the poor review received from a renowned food critic that destroyed the image and reputation of his 5 star-rated restaurant. He seeks help from a restaurant consultant, not knowing the feisty (and extremely attractive) woman hired to help rebuild his reputation is the same woman who destroyed it. Penelope and Jonathan quickly develop a spicy connection that is sure to take them on a very heated culinary dash toward success and a chance at love. But will Penelope be able to keep her true identity hidden from Jonathan? Set in New York, The Fifty-Two Week Chronicles is the first book in a Chick Lit / Romantic Comedy series of novels - Delectables in the City; a tasteful mix of food and passion in every city.
Believing In Fate (Morelli Mafia Series, #1)
Vaya Thorn - 2021
Asimina Alexiou is impulsive, brave, vibrant, and Independent. She finds herself with unwanted attention. She sought help from her cousin, a man that is nothing less than a brother. However, Petro has secrets of his own that will land Asimina in the hands of one Capo Dei Capi Raffaele Dante Morelli.Raffaele the crime boss of the biggest mafia family across the States and Europe. His close, inner cycle of men is his underboss and capos running extensive drug and gun operations throughout multiple sectors. Raffaele's training has prepared him well for a life of crime. However, none of that training will be of any use to him when dealing with one Asimina Alexiou.
Bookish
Olivia Long - 2016
I was your every day average nerdy book blogger, obsessed with the hot guys on the covers but lusting from afar. I knew I'd never meet a guy like the ones in my books, with muscles like that, with eyes like that, with a mouth like that. I knew I was destined to be an old maid, get a bunch of cats, work at a book store and live in my fantasy world until the day I died. Hot, steamy sex was something reserved for the girls in my books, not a girl like me. Until the day I literally fell for Isaac James, the hottest man to grace the cover of any romance novel. And he wanted a girl like me. And he had muscles like that. And eyes like that. And a mouth like that...and was a filthy talking sex god in the bedroom. But we both had our secrets and we both had our guarded pasts. When all was revealed, would the nerdy book blogger get the guy? Or was I destined to be alone forever? Rated 18+ for insta-love, filthy talk, dirty sex and swoon worthy descriptions of the hottest man in the world.
What Are Friends For?
Sarah Sutton - 2020
Seventeen-year-old Remi Beaufort learns this the hard way when she plays a blindfolded kissing game at a party.She thinks she's kissing Jeremy, the totally hot basketball player she's been crushing on. And the kiss...it's amazing. Heart-stopping, world-changing, toe-curling. The kiss makes her forget about her overbearing mother, the next-door neighbor's drama, and the probability that she'll fail her senior year. The best kiss of her life makes all that fall away.Until her blindfold falls off, and she realizes that instead of kissing her crush, she's kissing Elijah, her best friend since third grade.Though she manages to convince Elijah that he was kissing his girlfriend, Remi can't get the thought of his lips on hers out of her head. As things between them grow more and more complicated--because it turns out her fantasizing about his mouth is more of a problem than it sounds--Remi has to make a choice: does she live the rest of her life loving her best friend in secret? Or does she tell the truth and risk ruining their friendship forever?Heart-melting and romantic, What Are Friends For? is a swoon-worthy best-friends-to-lovers story that will leave you crushing hard.
Stay For Me: A Love Series Spin-Off
Megan Smith - 2015
But that plan didn’t include Layla, the hopeful bartender who walked in for an interview. He knows, as an employee, this blonde bombshell is off-limits but he can’t fight the undeniable force of attraction that pulls him toward her.Layla Del Luca has the weight of the world on her shoulders. With a full course load, a boyfriend, a sister to take care of, and an alcoholic mother, she needs to regain control of her life. Her job at Fierce is priority number one. But a complication she didn’t expect looms behind the eyes of Eli, her handsome new boss.Emotions collide full force and they can no longer turn a blind eye to what their hearts are telling them.But, can their passion survive when Eli can no longer promise the one thing Layla asks of him? Will everything change? Will he stay?
Me & You Plus Two
Susan Coventry - 2017
Now, almost twenty years later, Rachel is a teacher and single mom to seven-year-old, Abby. She hardly has time to reminisce about her high school love, but that all changes in a blink of an eye. Ben is a single dad to seven-year-old Noah, and they recently moved into the school district where Rachel teaches second grade. When Ben and Noah walk into Rachel’s classroom for the first time, his world turns upside down. As Rachel and Ben forge a new relationship, they must navigate around their exes and Noah’s objections to their friendship. Even if Noah comes around, will Rachel get past the hurt Ben caused her all those years ago? Life was much simpler when it was just the two of them, but what will happen now that it’s…Me & You Plus Two?
A Dancer's Guide to Africa
Terez Mertes Rose - 2018
Vowing to restart as far from home as possible, she accepts a two-year teaching position with the Peace Corps in Africa. It’s a role she’s sure she can perform. But in no time, Fiona realizes she’s traded her problems in Omaha for bigger ones in Gabon, a country as beautiful as it is filled with contradictions. Emotionally derailed by Christophe, a charismatic and privileged Gabonese man who can teach her to let go of her inhibitions but can’t commit to anything more, threatened by an overly familiar student with a menacing fixation on her, and drawn into the compelling but potentially dangerous local dance ceremonies, Fiona finds herself at increasing risk. And when matters come to a shocking head, she must reach inside herself, find her dancer’s power, and fight back. Blending humor and pathos, A DANCER’S GUIDE TO AFRICA takes the reader along on a suspense-laden, sensual journey through Africa’s complex beauty, mystery and mysticism.
The Strawberry Hearts Diner
Carolyn Brown - 2017
Yet here she is, watching her car literally go up in smoke—along with her last-ditch hope of staying with her cousin in Louisiana. When Jancy spies a Help Wanted sign hanging in the window of the quaint Strawberry Hearts Diner, the memories of the two years she spent there as a teenager—and the lure of the diner’s beloved strawberry tarts—are enough to draw her in and plant her feet…but only temporarily.Raised by parents who refused to settle anywhere for long, Jancy has never known what it is to have roots. Now that Jancy’s swept up by the warmth and character of this quirky little community—and by the pull of an old crush—it’s beginning to feel like home. She’s making friends and even discovering the sweetness of falling in love. But when the town is threatened, Jancy knows it will take more than its legendary tarts to save it. Can she fight for this little Texas town—knowing she might not stay forever?
Beautiful Lies
Heather Bentley - 2016
But looks can be deceiving, and in my family, deception is an art form. So, I bide my time and count the days until I’m free. Heiress Christina Harcourt lives a life surrounded by the finest this world has to offer. Unfortunately, what she wants most can’t be bought. After losing her mother in a heinous crime, she tries her best to live the life she knows her mother would want for her. But through her family’s hurtful ways, Christina learns the only way to do that, is to leave this life far behind. Everything is going as planned, until she meets him.Sexy, carefree CJ Whitford is a hard-working, blue collar guy who can’t get the guarded brunette out of his head. So, he takes a chance and rearranges his life to go after the girl he’s falling for. He quickly discovers that Christina’s secrets are as big as her heart. A heart so fragile that all it will take to destroy it is one more lie…his.TRIGGER WARNING: Please read reviews before purchasing.
The Hysterics
Kristen Hope Mazzola - 2015
Rock and roll, drugs, and bad decisions were the life I lived. I'd fallen so deep into the dark rabbit hole that I was certain I would never make it out alive. People like me didn't get second chance. People like me didn't get lifted from the darkness. So when the opportunity showed up, I had to take it. I walked away from everything I loved, everything that was killing me, and I became Fae Dunham. After that, I had behind makeup, long sleeves, and a closed-off heart. All was well until I met Dane Pearson. He wasn't convinced of the new me, and whenever he was near, I felt like the old me, the real me, filled with passion and a love for music. Every day was a fight to not fall back down the rabbit hole. And every day, somehow, I slowly began to discover what it meant to fin myself. It was a hysteric rise, but it was ours. And I wouldn't change a thing. From the Author **18+ for sexual situations, language, and adult content.** This book is a standalone! In the Crashing Series there are some character overlaps with The Hysterics, so after you fall in love with Dane and Fallon in The Hysterics, you can see what they're up to a few years in the future in Crashing Back Down