Book picks similar to
Free to Breathe by K.L. Shandwick


ebook
romance
troubled-traumatic-past
have

Savage in the Sheets: A Friends-to-Lovers Romance (Savage in Love Book 1)


Lark Anderson - 2020
    Now I know why I never make it past date five.Jenna Savage here. Attorney. Reality TV watcher. Hopeless romantic. Forever alone…If only I could deprogram the aggressively bland bedroom habits I’ve adapted out of my system and become the savage I’m meant to be.Of course, in order to do that, I need help. And who better to be my mentor than Weston Singer, my best friend and a total stud.We lay out the rules, determined to maintain our friendship during my ‘training.’ But wouldn’t you know it, my heart has other plans.Now, I’m hopelessly in love with a man who has always been a love ’em and leave ’em type of guy. I should have seen this coming.Is it possible he could feel the same way?Or am I doomed to forever long for a man I can never have?Savage in the Sheets is a standalone romantic comedy novella that fits into the bigger Savage in Love world! If you LOVE to laugh! If you CRAVE a sexy SIZZLE! And if you HATE cliffhangers—this book is for you!

Still Life


A.M. Johnson - 2015
    Despite the tragedies she’s endured, she’s been able to rise from the adversity she’s faced and begin her life again. Being a self-assured and strong woman, she knows she doesn’t need anyone to make her whole.Hate, pain, and twisted memories are all Sawyer Bryant’s ever known. He’d slowly lost who he was and what he should’ve become. His only escape was the military… Eight years later, as an ex-Navy SEAL, he’s forced to confront his father and their disturbed and violent past. Then one day, his life is turned upside down, when he glimpses a woman singing in her car at a set of traffic lights. Thinking he’d never see her again, amazingly he finds her performing with her band at the local bar. This chance encounter brings these two lost souls together. Once Sawyer gets a taste of her melodic voice, there’s no turning back. For Elizabeth, when she meets Sawyer… she realizes she’s fallen hard. But is this really love she’s feeling or does love build slowly over time? What happens when fate turns things around on you, creates flashes you can’t turn from… moments that will shape your life? They are faced with the choice of darkness surrounding them or to rid themselves of the guilt and pain and move toward the light. This story is about life’s moments. How they can make you or break you, and one man’s hope that… Love, won’t judge him.

He's All That


Juliana Stone - 2019
    It took forever to get over him. Now I’m stuck with Boyd in the Catskills. Do I hide? Do I protect myself from the insane attraction I still feel? Hell no. I just have to make sure the past doesn’t bite me in the ass because I can’t fall in love with him again. Call me crazy. Call me stupid. But don’t ever call me afraid. Boyd The last person I expected to run into is Echo Mansfield. The girl is a hot mess with more scandals in her back pocket than the Kardashians combined. She’s a pain in the ass. An opinionated, spoiled rich girl with a body made for sin and a mouth I can’t forget. We had one crazy, hot summer. Now she’s stuck here and all I can think about is having her again. And again. This isn’t a good idea. Even I know that. We’re alone in the Catskills for who knows how long. What the hell can go wrong?

Conviction


Lesley Jones - 2015
    Our love unquestioned. Our futures planned. But she didn't show. All that we had, all that we meant, and after all that was said, she just didn't show. That one act by her changed everything, but it especially changed me and from that moment on, there was no going back. No words of love, no whispered promises, just sex and drugs and rock and roll. No one gets a piece of Reed, but what they will get is the night of their life, the chance to let go, break their own rules and enjoy the best, the dirtiest, filthiest sex ever... Along with the other four people in my bed.I thought he loved me, I believed everything he said, every promise that he made but then, when I needed him more than I'd needed anyone in my life, when I was at my most vulnerable, he let me down. He chose to take a different path and leave me to pick up the pieces of my now broken life. I was changed forever and chose the easy option, letting others take charge of my destiny, until once again, I'm let down in the cruelest of ways. Dirty filthy sex.Love.Heartbreak. Betrayal. High emotion. And a bit more sex.

A Risk Worth Taking


Heather Hildenbrand - 2013
    Everything she thought she knew—heck, everything she thought she wanted for her own life—feels like a lie. The truth is love is a risk. And the true kind, the kind that lasts, might even be a fairy tale. Reeling from the divorce, Summer derails her own future by breaking up with her parent-approved boyfriend and giving up her lifelong plans for a big-city career. She moves back home, business degree in hand. Dad needs her to fill the gaps her mother left behind; Summer needs to find who she is outside of the cookie-cutter life that failed so miserably for her parents.Ford O’Neal’s future involves one person: himself. He doesn’t have a permanent address and he definitely doesn’t commit. To a place or a person. Raised by hippies, he plans just far enough ahead to secure his next stop, this one landing him at a work-study program at Heritage Plantation where he can grow his own herbal and medicinal creations. Summer is gorgeous and smart and fun to be with, the perfect way to pass five months. It won’t be love—Ford’s got too many things to accomplish, too many places to go, before he settles down. Yet Summer pulls him in, challenging him to rethink his own philosophy. When Ford’s five months are up, each of them must decide if love is really worth the risk.

The President, My Lover


Cassandra Dee - 2018
    But I never expected the man who showed up on my doorstep to be the President of the United States! Bridget’s having a hard time meeting someone special in New York City. Desperate for a connection, she decides to turn to the professionals – Gold Medallion Services. President Robert Carter is up to his elbows in politics and business. He doesn’t have time to relax, much less meet a woman through the normal channels. So when the opportunity to discreetly find a female presents itself, the alpha seizes the chance … but he never expected to fall for the sassy brunette! Hey Readers – Clearly, we’re off the reservation (again) with this one. Or maybe not? All we’ll say is that Bridget has an excellent shot at becoming First Lady, and we love the feisty BBW all the more for it :) As always, bonus stories included for your reading enjoyment. Love, Cassie and Kendall

Mr. Man Candy


Alessandra Hart - 2018
    Visit a tropical island, meet a rich, handsome player and root for the bad boy in Alessandra Hart's newest standalone romance novel. Going to a destination wedding should be fun, right? Not when there's a +1 on the invite, and you're painfully single. I don't want to face my family without a date, so I've told them all about my gorgeous, charming, all-around-amazing boyfriend. The only problem? He doesn't exist. In walks Nate Scott. Playboy. Loaded. Handsome. Bad news. He's also my only option, and surprisingly, he agrees to be my fake boyfriend during the wedding festivities. Neither of us know what we're really getting into with this game of pretend, though. We started off as enemies, but suddenly, I don't hate his guts. Suddenly, his smirk is more dangerous than annoying... and suddenly, my fake feelings have turned very real. So maybe he's not just man candy after all. The island weather isn't the only thing heating up, because I might just be falling for my very fake, very handsome and very off-limits boyfriend...

Dirty Like Me


Jaine Diamond - 2016
    An indecent proposal. How can a girl resist?Struggling barista Katie Bloom doesn’t even know who Jesse Mayes is until she inadvertently wins the coveted role of sex kitten in his hot new music video.But by the time she’s in bed with him, she knows his reputation.Love maker. Heartbreaker. Making out with a stranger in front of a camera crew isn’t how Katie imagined herself getting over a broken heart, but when Jesse touches her, sparks fly. The sex is fake but the chemistry is real, and before long, the steamy video is blazing up the charts.Then Jesse makes Katie a tantalizing offer: act as his girlfriend for six weeks while he promotes his new album. The only catch? Their sizzling make-out sessions will be for the cameras only.Which suits Katie just fine, since she’s not about to trust her heart to rock’s most legendary lover. Her body, though? Maybe.As it turns out, pretending to fall in love is incredibly sexy…And falling in love for real, with a man she promised not to fall for?Irresistible.

Just Leave


Ren Blakely - 2021
    Maybe they’re right, maybe they’re wrong. But the real question is, how do we know which of the small moments in life is the one leading to something bigger?At just seventeen, I thought I knew exactly what my life would be like. Along with my amazing group of friends and boyfriend, we had our hopes and dreams planned out. They were ready to rock, literally, and I’d be with them every step of the way. We just have to graduate high school first.But we all forgot to plan for something big, something that can’t be overlooked; Life...Life happens whether you’re ready or not.Just Leave is the first book in the Metamorphosis duet, and it will end on a cliffhanger. Please note due to explicit content and strong language, it’s recommended for readers ages 18+ only. This is an MF emotionally dark contemporary romance that contains subjects such as: non-con and death. If you find dark subjects triggering, maybe this isn’t the read for you.

Lawless


Teagan Kade - 2017
     I’m the brother-in-law who doesn’t play by the rules. No one delivers between the sheets like I do. I had it all once—a pro hockey contract, money, an endless line of women looking for that special kind of action only my big stick could provide. Then I went and screwed everything up. I let my brother walk away with the best thing in my life. But he’s gone, and I’m back, ready to take what should have been mine from the start. Wren’s pretty blue eyes and perfect curves beckon me, still make me iron hard. She has no idea how bad I want her, how much I dream about her soft lips and tight body. I know she’s ready for me—all of me, know only my big D can deliver the big O she’s been craving for so long. Question is, do I go gentle, or do I go hard? Lawless is a full-length bad boy romance with a happily ever after and no cheating. Includes bonus books and exclusive bonus wedding scene for a limited time.

Perfect Chaperone


Lauren Wood - 2019
    This romance is the first story in the Next Door Daddies series.A week-long girls’-trip before my new job starts. How can I say no?It’s just a week. What could go wrong?Short answer: Everything.Add in a bad boy next-door neighbor I had a crush on as a chaperone, too many shots, and you have chaos. Casper knew my weakness and used it to his advantage. All night long. Then come regrets. Accidental marriage. And a ring to prove it, with a piece of paper the next morning. It gets worse. He’s also my boss now. But what will he think when he finds out about our secret baby? As always from this author -- lots of love and romance and -- a very satisfying HEA!

Rellik


Teresa Mummert - 2014
    He uses and abuses them like drugs and tosses them out with the trash. The only thing he gives a f*ck about is his music. That is, until Ella Lighten walks into his life and stumbles upon one of his darkest secrets. In the midst of doing damage control, he begins to obsess over the mysterious woman who wants absolutely nothing to do with him.Rellik won’t take no for an answer.

Irish Affair: A Heartwarming Irish Rockstar Romance (The Claddagh Ring Book 1)


Amanda Heartley - 2018
    And he seems like the perfect distraction with his hot Irish brogue. But when I cross the ocean to surprise him, it all turns to cr*p. I'm starting to think it must be something about me. Now I’m alone in the middle of Dublin, wondering how it all went so wrong. All the guys I meet turn out to be douchebags and I’m swearing off men. At least, that was my plan until he sat next to me at the bar. The more time I spend with Rory, the more I like him, but I’m leery. Seems like all the guys I fall for let me down eventually. Rory I’m a famous music star, in Ireland at least. But I hate the limelight. Just for once, I want to be with someone who likes me, just for me. The moment she flashes that sexy smile at me, I’m hooked on those luscious lips. And, I’m determined to show her us Irish guys aren’t all bad. I’m up for the craic, and if she'll let her guard down, I’ll show her I’m different. That I’m not like the guys who hurt her before. But then, maybe I’m no better? She has no clue who I am, and the longer I'm with her, the harder it is to tell her the truth. I know I need to. If she finds out on her own, it’ll break her heart all over again. And that’s the last thing I want to do. Irish Affair: Book 1 in The Claddagh Trilogy and can be read standalone. A small town, steamy music star romance that will melt your heart... and your panties!

Not Yet


Laura Ward - 2014
    Lesson #1: Nothing goes the way you plan.Lesson #2: You can’t trust men. Especially not the pretty ones.Lesson #3: Turns out, appearances are almost always deceiving.Emma thinks she has life all figured out, and what she knows isn’t good. For years, she’s put her big sister, who was born with Down syndrome, first. Now Emma’s ready to start her own life, but fate has other plans. To do the right thing for the sister she loves, Emma’s dreams will just have to wait.She doesn’t plan on meeting Landon — a rich, flirtatious jock, who never has to wait for anything. Not for attention, not for money, and certainly not for girls. Meeting Emma marks the first time in his life that he’s had to fight for something. And Landon doesn't know how to lose.Emma has no interest in wasting her summer with a superficial guy like Landon. But very soon she realizes she is wrong about him. The question is, can she trust him? Or will he let her down like every other guy in her life? But most importantly, can Emma trust herself enough to live the life she's always dreamed of?Life has a way of sneaking in the most important lessons when you aren't looking. And once the heart gets involved, that's when the real learning begins. *** This book is intended for mature audiences. 18 and over!

Burnt: A Single Dad Small Town Romance


Lacy Hart - 2018
    Being a firefighter was all I had ever wanted, what I lived for. Well, other than my 12 year old daughter Abby. Raising her as a single dad, much less a busy firefighter, wasn't easy, but life never is. Then a call came in from an all to familiar area code. I was being beckoned back to my hometown, back to Canon. I had left that small town years ago, leaving behind a lot, including... her. Sophie I never intended to stay in my hometown of Canon. But after college and losing Travis to the big city, I kinda just ended up back here. My time was spent either teaching at school or reading at home. Both of which contributed to the "spinster" rumors going around. But my ho-hum existence was suddenly ignited. A girl with fiery red hair and his emerald eyes showed up at the Homestead, his Mom's restaurant. Was he back? Was Travis in Canon? Burnt is a steamy, full length, single dad, small town romance with a guaranteed HEA!